Lawson Garrett has created a style of music that is deeply emotive and honest. The rich sounds that issue forth during Language of Love tie together James Taylor and Randy Newman, adding hints of CCR and even blues legends like Ray Charles into the mix. The rich production of this track makes it ready for radio rotation, while there are enough twists and turns here to keep the interest high…
Lazy J and the Dirty Shuffle’s Double Down Boogie is a track that blends together blues with a down and dirty rock style. The sizzling guitars that open this track will immediately draw listeners in, while the lush production of the track makes this cut ready for rock rotation. There is a certain emotional intensity to this opening composition that requires no vocals; the interplay between the guitars, drums, and…
Trust Me is a track from Casa Blue, Joe Holywood’s new EP that ties together fifties and sixties crooners, seventies country, and a full compliment of The Smiths to create something wholly unique. Over the course of two and a half minutes, Holywood is able to create a track that will stick with listeners long after Casa Blue has ceased to spin. Take It All In is a high-water mark…
Listening to this album was like a nostalgic syringe being shot right into my lower left frontal lobe and I slumped over into a beautiful Columbus lost great shadow. I’m not saying Columbus, Ohio is missing anything short of great musicians but it has been awhile since I have heard a record that hits and cuts so deep. Straight to video is almost perfect from start to finish except for…
Radar Contact Lost has tremendous momentum from its onset, created through a wall of fuzz and a set of vocals that take up hints of Screeching Weasel and Green Day. The production is professional enough to let each constituent element of Ransom Price shine, but close and comfy enough to lend an honest and earnest air to the 10 tracks on My Kidnap Money. Fire Escape has a solid guitar/drum…
To be successful for any length of time, an individual needs to become proficient in a wide variety of skills. The specific aims and desires of Zion Antoni have had him go through a wide variety of roles in his ascent. Not content to be a known man in one field, Zion has his fingers on the pulses of music, politics, and media. Particularly fascinating was Zion’s text concerning the…
Life Fight is a dense track that will yield additional twists and turns with each subsequent listen. OG Penguin’s flow during this track links together 2 Chainz, Killer Mike, and Danny Brown into something that is streetworthy while having enough in the way of hooks to keep listeners firmly at the edges of their seats. Say Yea has a slower, Kid Cudi contemplative feel to the effort that creates dynamic…
Feels So Good is the latest album from San Francisco’s Xavier Toscano, a musician that creates his own unique flair by meshing together a wide array of musical styles and approaches. During the course of this 11 track magnum opus, Toscano is able to create something that is cohesive while showcasing a number of Toscano’s idiosyncracies.
Bubbles of Light begins with Ricochet Girl, a track that links together the alternative rock of the nineties with a more traditional rock (Tom Petty, Warren Zevon) sound. The production allows each element of the composition to shine separately as well as contributing to the track. The track has a hooky, catchy beat that will bury itself deep into the minds and hearts of listeners. Don’s vocals during this introductory…
Condoms & Razorblades has a tremendous instrumental arrangement that acts as the palette on which Azrieli’s vocals can shine. The vocals on this introductory track do more than please; there is a complex dynamic between Matthew’s voice and the instruments contributing to the track. What is on the surface a very innocuous sort of track is much deeper and varied of a portrayal. Subsequent listens will be necessary to hear…
Denny Diamond is an emotive and impassioned performer that is able to reach a considerable range while holding listeners’ hands from the beginning to the end of his latest track, Diamond Mountain. The track ebbs and flows to keep listeners firmly planted on the edges of their seats. The narrative that is weaved through Diamond Mountain is compelling and represents one of the many ways that a listeners can enjoy…
We’re On is a Jay Mizz track that builds off of the work of artists like Killer Mike and Jay-Z to create something that works perfectly with the past and present of rap music. It is the ability to link together so many different styles and approaches that allows Jay Mizz the ability to make this a hit.
Quand me réveillerai-je ? is a raucous blend of noise, punk, and ultimately comes forth as a mélange of Muse, Radiohead, and Oasis. Qui le fera ? is able to push further, coming forth with a vocal / instrumental dynamic that creates a wall of sound assaulting listeners.
Anie ties together a wide variety of styles on their Lovekill EP, with a vocaloid approach yielding to a smart bit of indie rock. The blend of computerized and organic makes for a tremendous introduction to the act. Only Ever This ties together a happy, lounging set of vocals with a scintillating mass of instrumentation that runs the gamut from wide-open skies to a dark, stormy night.
Atlanta has a long and storied history of churning out hip hop and R&B greats. But a much smaller and less publicized scene there boasts some pretty impressive rock bands. Radio Birds is just one of the latest.
Dena Taylor has created her own style of music from her home base in Austin, Texas that link together jazz, blues, and just enough of a pop hook to have listeners sitting on the edges of their seats. Taylor is prolific, having released The Nearness of You and Lullabies in the course of 12 months.
I Do It All for Rock ‘n’ Roll comes forth with the glitz and glamour of a Ratt or Cinderella; the piano that is interspersed during this track establishes The fundaMentals as creating something that looks to the past while still having a current and contemporary flair.
Contamination is a high-energy assault that still has enough in the way of hooky arrangements and alluring vocals to make a play for heavy rock rotation. An absolutely sickening guitar line tears up the track and allows for The Frequency to provide a wholly different sound for the second half of the track.
Soulganic’s third album, Didactic Interstice: Equilibria Vol. 1, showcases a wide array of styles and an evolution of the band’s style over 2010’s From The Storm to the Sun. Spaces Between / In Time Spaces Between / In Time is a compelling composition that will draw listeners in, allowing the constituent elements of the band ample time to shine. The rich tapestry that is created through the distinct elements of…
CommonUnion59’s Heartbeat Serenade begins with It’s Alright. The track does well in providing a proper introduction for fans, all while the act holds a number of cards close to their chest. There is a dynamic that is created between the two sets of vocals that stand separately from most music played on the radio, while the set of influences that can be discerned during this track ranges the gamut from…