Be Here Now is a tremendously emotional track that links together instrumental and vocal elements to create something that is tremendously effecting. McLean’s vocals are able to draw listeners in and keep them while the deftly arranged instrumentation provides the perfect backdrop. Give Me One Reason has a bouncy sound and allows McLean to take up both jazz and funk styles, ensuring that this Tracy Chapman track is provided…
Australia has brought a number of impressive musical forces to our shores the last few decades. Get Out, Meliya’s latest single, showcases a new force that looks to take America by storm. The sonic assault that is present at the opening of Get Out will immediately draw attention, while the unique interaction between vocals and instrumentation ensure that those listeners stick around. The track exists at the juncture of…
The track comes forward in a very strong and confident way, with a stripped and straight forward rock approach. The guitars, drums, and vocals unite to make something that is melodic, hard-hitting, and is ultimately something that will be kicking around the minds and heards of anyone that has listened in. The specific strain of rock that Morley utilizes during Mad Men is a blend of seventies rock like AC/DC…
“I Believe You Can Survive” has become a bit of an obsession lately. Lebanon Hanover is a minimal wave project comprised of power couple Larissa Iceglass from Germany and William Maybelline of England. This song is lyrically endearing while never giving up on the somber aesthetic that makes them what they are, the king and queen of post-punk revival. It’s hard to make music that idealizes the past while looking…
Refill is Umbrella Bed’s new EP, and it showcases a mature and polished act. The EP begins with Wish That It Would Stop, a sonic assault that recalls the hazy alternative of the early nineties before the band shifts gears and takes a Less Than Jake meets Reel Big Fish approach to ska. There is a heavier end to this track that provides listeners with a wholly unique experience. The…
Bottom of the Ocean is a high-energy track that has the proper blend of punk, rock, and pop. This means that fans of Avril Lavighne, The Distillers, Pink, and Kelly Clarkson will be able to appreciate what Scalies is doing here. For those listeners that appreciate the instrumental side of things, the overall production allows an impressive arrangement to push the track to the next level. Small Talk Friends…
No Good is an innovative blend of rock and electronic music, allowing the track to immediately catch listeners and keep them interested through the whole of this seven-track EP. A strong set of female vocals works alongside an emotive and technically brilliant instrumentation. The guitar that whips up at points during No Good provides additional narration to an already dense and detailed track. On My Mind has a slower burn;…
Love Me Inside is a track that builds off of the foundations laid by a variety of electronic styles – there is ambient, chillwave, and trance all present here. The band is able to create something fresh and vibrant off of the works of acts like Morcheeba, Massive Attack, and even Homogenic-era Bjork. The band creates an infectious track that does not sound like anything that is currently being…
Autumn Fall begins Distant Sun, and the sheer amount of emotion that is showcased in this piano composition is impressive. There are no vocals here, but Karran is able to imbue this introduction (and the subsequent works on Distant Sun) with a nuanced and alluring sound. The four minute-plus run times that are commonplace on Distant Sun provide Karran with more than enough time to properly express himself. Dance of…
The band cultivates a sound on False Words About Large Days that links together rock bands with sounds as disparate as Ween, Primus, Suicidal Tendencies, and the Butthole Surfers. The ability to change their style on a dime is comparable to Zappa’s Mothers of Invention work, while each of the tracks possesses a radio-ready production and an intimate feel that draws listeners in. Picture Box establishes a solid clip…
Like An Earthquake is a tremendously dynamic and intricate effort; the vocals are provided a proper boost through Crooks’ backing instrumentation. Crooks boldly comes out with her own style, creating an exciting overall backdrop for Little Bird. Turn the Key gives listeners the chance to hear another side of Crooks; this track takes on elements of Melissa Etheridge and early Sheryl Crow. Crooks represents a step forward for the singer-songwriter…
Do You Believe? Is the first track on Love Transmitter, and it provides listeners with a solid introduction to the styles and approaches that will be presented on the remainder of the album. Taken separately, the track is something that could easily be on rotation at alternative and modern rock stations. All Used Up is a track that touches upon the work of Franz Ferdinand and an earlier new-wave…
There are very few holiday albums that look to do anything special. Joyful Noise is an album that will shatter all conceptions that listeners will have about holiday music. The album begins with Crunchy Drummer Boy, a much more eclectic and bouncy version of the classic Christmas track. The music here does come from left field, but it is done in a fashion that is absolutely catchy and hard to…
Likely one of the most underrated rock bands to come out of the ‘70s, a decade that inexplicably made everyone from Journey to Styx famous, Memphis-based rockers Big Star always seemed on the edge, (but just not quite there yet) of making it big. Their debut, 1972’s #1 Record, arguably their best, boasting songs like “The Ballad of El Goodo,” “Don’t Lie to Me” and “In the Street” (sadly, best known…
Cajun Queen is a catchy bit of blues-rock that unites a strong instrumentation with a narrative that is weaved through the entirety of the album. The smooth, soulful vocals that listeners experience through this introductory track buttresses well with Broken Road. Broken Road has considerable pep and stands at the juncture of country and rock. Fans of the sixties C&W heyday, CCR, or contemporary acts like Mumford and Sons…
All My Money is a track that would work perfectly on rock rotation, as the band’s overall sound ties together the disparate works of acts like Papa Roach and Our Lady peace. The vocals touch upon a rich tapestry of influences including Kid Rock, Every Mother’s Nightmare, Moot the Hoople, and Cinderella, while the accompanying arrangements take up the standard of acts Foo Fighters and Guns ‘N’ Roses. All My…
The Art EP may only have three tracks, but the variety of styles and approaches chosen on the CD ensure that listeners have a good idea about whom Alexander is and what he may do in the future. Emiline is a track that could easily make it onto top 20 rotation. Alexander’s vocals built off of the work of Adam Levine and Chris Martin, imbuing their easy-going style with more…
Jupiter, It Won’t Be Long begins with I Don’t Really Wanna Go To College, a track that provides listeners with some semblance of the styles and approaches which Cassata will broach throughout this effort. Liberation is a track that touches upon the work of Contravene, The Devil Is Electric, and even Defiance, Ohio. There is a certain catchiness present to this effort that will make this a good fit for…
Formerly of Broken Poets, Lana Antropova has just released new music as Addicted to Pop. Over the course of five tracks, the mystique behind the new act is explored and Antropova is able to forge a bold new course with her musical career. This self-titled EP begins with Outcast. Outcast has a high amount of energy and immediately privileges the instrumental side of things. When Antropova’s vocals kick in, the…
The Messenger is a soulful track that deftly blends the instrumental and vocal sides of Vaudeville, creating a statement that is much greater than the sum of its constituent elements. The production of this track (and is present on the whole of Vendetta) allows the strengths of Vaudeville to be highlighted; V represents a distinctly different side to the act. Soaring upon hints on indie-rock, peppered by hints of surf…