Sweet Escape is the first track on Cole’s latest, Dirty Cheat; the track is able to take on the overall sound and styles of the fifties with a much more contemporary and current set of vocals; this trend continues with Cole’s next two tracks, Darlin’ Sweetheart and Death Row. The blues-infused style of Cole during this effort is absolutely effecting and will be remembered by listeners long after the album…
The biggest problem during the holiday season is that a great many of the Christmas-themed songs that are played are those sample old tracks that listeners have been hearing their entire life. The United Kingdom’s Mountain Rio (the nom de plume of Frank Robinson) looks to establish a new seasonal tradition with the release of two new tracks, She’s In Love With Santa and Let The Lights Shine. She’s In…
Dawn is the latest album from Steve Henrichs, and it will immediately hit listeners with a funky, soulful composition that does more with the interplay between musical elements than vocal-heavy bands can do in the space of their album. There’s A Song feels at home at all periods; there are subtle nods to the seventies, nineties, and the current generation – when the vocals kick in, listeners are given a…
There Is No Other God has a tremendous instrumental side, with considerably more complex and intricate interplays between the synth, bass, and vocals than other similar efforts; it is this care and dedication that is taken in the creation of the songs on Miracles Still Happen that will get the most listeners interested in what the act has to say. Freedom Released is a bouncy, bassy track that unites a bevy…
“Heaven’s Window” is the first track on Peter Kater’s Etheria and is a bold track that extends to nearly the eight minute mark. A microcosm of the styles, approaches, and influences that are near and dear to Kater’s heart are presented here. The track is able to easily ensnare listeners with the wide array of sounds and distinct movements that are presented at the onset. Where many pop tracks fade…
Attic is an effort that ties together Irish and Japanese musical modes and approaches, revitalizing those traditional styles into something that is bright, twinkly, and fun.
The eponymous effort on Hostile Land is a darkly emotive track that will immediately draw in listeners based on the interplay between the vocals and softly-composed piano. There is a haunting melody that is weaved through this introductory track, something that continues during They Will Eat Us Alive. The more deliberate compositional elements during the song are reminiscent of Spanish guitar work, while the dynamic that is created between vocal…
Glitter On The Sun is the latest album from Jupiter In Velvet, and the compositions that are contained within possess a great deal of evolution from the band’s 2013 effort, Shut Off Your Mind. While the previous JIV album spoke more to the interplay between guitars, drums, and vocals, I feel that the Glitter On The Sun’s introductory salvo – So Automatic – is much more nuanced and controlled. The…
Hooyoosay has just released their latest effort, Googly Goo. This EP contains two tracks – Googly Goo and Tare Too Te Rut Te (there are also instrumental versions of the two tracks presented. Googly Goo is a fun bit of electronc pop that links together acts like Men Without Hats and Yaz. There is a current and contemporary style to the track that will appease fans of chiptune and EDM…
With jangly chords, some fuzzy guitar and nearly a dozen delightfully jagged songs, the Cleveland trio Filmstrip offer a stellar full length more in tune with the 1990s college rock scene than the current state of rock music.
Dose of Distinction 2 is the latest work from Specyal T, and it shows considerable progression from Specyal T’s debut release. The 12 tracks on the title showcase a wide array of different styles, genres, and overall approaches taken by this stellar performer. End of An Error features Tyse and hammers home strong percussion with an upfront and in your face set of vocals; twinkling synths play in the background…
2 CD and 2 DVDs comprise this hard cover box set and showcase Jethro Tull like listeners have never heard before. These discs and recordings have been remastered to perfection and the clarity and fidelity all the recordings that issue forth are sublimely surprising. The first disc is the entirety of the WarChild album while additional recordings bolus comprise outtakes as well as orchestral versions of just wrote calls songs.
One Long Skid Volume 2 is the follow-up to Clark’s 2011 initial volume of the One Long Skid series, and it provides listeners with some of the most eclectic and well thought-out rock music that they have heard. The guitar lick that begins Mr. Fix-It Man is emotive, alluring, and tells a tremendous story even before the rough and road-weary vocals of Clark begin. These vocals straddle the line between…
Molly Roth’s latest single is Believe Me, a sultry bit of pop that showcases the tremendous vocal range of Roth while possessing something that will work well on pop rotation. The track looks back to the days of the tremendous female star (Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, Beyonce) and has enough orchestral authority that one would be hard pressed to not hear a Bond theme kicking around. The drum / vocal…
One More Night is a fun and funky track that blends together EDM and swingstyle into something that will interest fans of Alexandra Stan or Yolanda Be Cool. The vocal accompaniment to Orisha Sound’s harmonies provide a fullness to the track that allows it to deftly take up hints of reggae and R&B. Providing something to everyone, One More Night is an utterly successful track. Orisha Sound makes herself relevant…
Craymer has just released a video for Underneath You, a track that deftly ties together EDM, indie, and R&B styles into a fun and catchy track. The disparate influences that filter through (Blink 182, The Anniversary) provide further depth for this track; listeners will have to spin Underneath You a number of times before understanding everything that Craymer has placed here. The overall production of Underneath You makes it ready…
There is a certain timeless feel to Gerard Singh’s current single, Crazy. The track has a driving beat and a set of vocals that touch upon hints of Rob Thomas and Jakob Dylan. The inclusion of a second set of vocals and a guitar line that is influenced by Santana make this track into a must-listen. The track can easily crossover to the pop or AC charts, all while pushing…
“Whimsy” is a rather appropriate title for Tetherball’s debut full length; 10 songs of quirky, enjoyable pop songs that could be about nothing or could actually be revealing life’s secrets, depending on how deep you dig into the lyrics.
This five-song self-titled release from California Indie band The Gromble serves as a solid prelude to their forthcoming debut. The sound is a mix of alternative folk and Indie pop and ‘90s emo with just enough synthesizers to shade in the rest.
Finally the one piece of nostalgia to unite vinyl nerds and kids of the ‘80s: The Ghostbusters Stay Puft Super Deluxe Edition 12”. Side A of this brilliantly creative set is Ray Parker, Jr.’s “Ghostbusters” theme (well, duh) and the flip side is a deliciously dated, but still entertaining “Ghostbusters Rap” by Run DMC (off of the Ghostbusters II soundtrack).