Nothin to Lose is a track that utilizes deep and dark production, creating a Three 6 or B.O.B. sound for the backing beat, while the flows themselves very between Del the Funkee Homosapien, J. Cole, and XV. The track is catchy while not eschewing the street aspects of rap. The lyrical flow is incredibly tight and complex, while keeping things interesting for those that are looking for music similar to…
Few artists are able to provide listeners with a full semblance of the band’s nuance in the course of two tracks. Hooyoosay has stuffed each track on this single with enough passion and aplomb to keep things lively. Come On is a track that touches upon the sixties and eighties with a bouncy beat and a surfish vibe that permeates all points of the song. There is a tautness to…
Wanna feel old? Cyndi Lauper’s breakthrough debut, She’s So Unusual, the album that launched a career and a slew of hits that took over radio in the ‘80s (“Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” “Time After Time,” “Money Changes Everything, “All Through the Night”…) came out 30 years ago! In its honor, Legacy is putting out a two disc box set complete with demos, rehearsal takes, remixes and a live track.…
Few musicians are able to keep listeners interested through ten tracks, much less fifteen. TaQuita Thorns has imbued each of the cuts on Rough and Fancy with enough of her inimitable style and eclectic tastes in music to ensure that fans will stick with the album from the beginning strains of “Forever” until the last notes of “Believe (Power of Love).” The production of the tracks on Rough and Fancy…
Friend Slash Lover have just cut their new single, “Don’t Retouch Me There.” The track presents listeners with hints of Chromeo, Imagine Dragons, and MGMT. With equal parts EDM and seventies-inspired indie rock, “Don’t Retouch Me There” is as much of a dance single as it is good fodder for dorm parties. The band cultivates a crisp sound on this release, while keeping the echo-heavy vocals in perfect harmony…
Punk rock has no shortage of super groups and side projects. The big question, after one of these projects surface, is whether it will be an ongoing occurrence (like Me First and the Gimme Gimmes) or a one-off moment in time (like Rumbleseat, the fantastic acoustic folk side project featuring members of Hot Water Music that only put out one full length). Looks like Broken Gold decided to keep…
Boswell immediately inspire listeners with their title track to Beryllium. The track comes forth with a blend of alternative and indie styling, touching upon Portishead, Bjork, and Radiohead. The band’s instrumental arrangements on this introductory track are very well thought-out, providing listeners with something meaty while providing ample support for Melanie’s vocals. No, Miser! looks back to sixties rock and psychedelic, as the constituent elements of the band craft a…
/ 2014 Self / 6 Tracks / http://www.eluusif.com / https://www.facebook.com/Eluusif / http://soundcloud.com/eluusif Hair Like Skrillex is destined to be a single; the track never takes a breath as it takes listeners on a ride and dumps them abruptly into the next effort, Justin Bieber Is An Android. Justin Bieber Is An Android is a slower, more trance-laded effort that is able to keep the sharpness of the dubstep style while…
I Need A Man has vocals from Lael Summer that blend together equal amounts of Donna Summer and Meredith Brooks. The soul / funk groove is the perfect backdrop for Summer’s vocals which will impress with their sultry fire and impressive range. Too Much has the same laid-back approach of mid-seventies Santana or James Brown; the raw power of Summer’s vocals bubble just underneath the calm and controlled exterior that…
Drown in Blue is a track that touches upon the work of Joan Jett and The X-Ray Spex. The track needs little more than guitars, drums, and a sizzling set of vocals. The bounce between front-forward rock and hooky pop-laced rock makes this into a must-listen. With this high amount of energy, Mase is able to move to the titular effort, Half-Life. Half-Life has a slower and more electronic-infused approach.…
Miss Lola Overture provides a solid introduction to the Presidential LoveFest EP, allowing listeners in less than a minute to understand where The Van Burens will ultimately go with this release. Tricky Dick will provide listeners with some background about Richard Nixon’s illegal activities (the break-in at the Watergate Hotel). The track builds off of the sounds and styles of the sixties and seventies, blending together rock and funk…
Frederik Abas, decade long denizen of the dance scene, brings a fresh new track out to the eagerly awaiting public in his Powerhouse Music debut, Amsterdamski. Referred to as the “peak-time dance floor destroyer,” Amsterdamski is undoubtedly one of the few dance songs that have the ability to engage listeners throughout the entire song with heavy bass and electronic yet still maintain a a definitive and catchy tune. As resident…
PT Walkley may just be the missing link between Rufus Wainwright, the thoughtful jazz-inspired, sophisticated troubadour, and The Kinks, god’s gift to lovers of pop hooks and sing-along melodies everywhere. The fact that he pulls all of this off with an above-it-all indie vibe (despite still being able to shill for everyone from McDonalds to GE in TV ads) is all the more impressive. His latest, Shoulders,…
How do you know your core audience is hipsters? You record a song with Aubrey Plaza. The Parks & Recreation actress, and fantasy of skinny-jeaned beardos from Williamsburg to Bushwick, “plays” alto sax on “Bona Fide” the second track on Ben Cassorla’s debut EP.
What Now is an R&B track that would easily make it onto radio rotation for stations that would focus on Rihanna or Mariah Carey efforts. The production of What Now is stellar, allowing the instrumentation to pop even as Gemini Wired’s vocals are able to paint a stark and inspiring picture. The track ends with some hard rap bars that straddle the line between Nicki Minaj and Lil Kim. The…
Come Again opens up in a warm fashion, and slides into a cool and collected bit of funky, soulful rock. The shuffling beat of the track succeeds because of the smart instrumentation and insistent vocals encountered; the instrumental interlude keeps things fresh and inspires listeners to move onto Everybody Loves an event. Everybody Loves an event has Lyrd provide considerable amounts of narration, bringing listeners along for the ride. The…
I Just Want To Dance starts out with fiery horns; Greig’s inimitable vocals kick in shortly after. The track is able to take parts of the fifties, eighties, nineties, and today; Greig has frenetic energy through all three minutes of this cut; hints of the New Jack Swing era of R’n’B and the swinging lounge sounds of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin represent major influences to Greig on I Just…
Once you get past how instantly enjoyable Hayley Reardon’s new EP is, your hit by the stunning news that this singer/guitarist is only 17 years-old. Her voice and lyrics (with the exception of the cover of Taj Mahal’s “Fishin’ Blues,” all the songs here are penned by Reardon) are far stronger than anything you’d expect from a teenager and bring to mind everyone from Mary Chapin Carpenter to fellow Bostonian…
The titular track to Mr. Bones is led by a story that would hang with the most memorable of country and western stars of the fifties and sixties. Doug MacDonald keeps things utterly vibrant and infuses this timeless style with a bold style and an inimitable set of pipes. Honk Your Horn is a standout track on Mr. Bones, showcasing a delightful dynamic between the different elements of the…
A Fresh Bottle & A Brand New Day contains a number of distinct compositions that stand up to repeat listens. Norfolk County Jail is a track that touches upon a wide array of styles, moving effortless through punk, folk, and alt-country, as Sunshine Riot is able to immediately impress listeners. Natural Causes is a soft and sedate sound that gradually picks up steam. The guitar and bass dynamic that is…