On Bad Boy, Lori P. Davis is able to build upon the rich new wave-tinged pop of the 1980s and blend it up with a fair share of mid-oughts country music. What results here is something special; the track bounces between styles and approaches with great aplomb. We’re in love with the rich guitar riffs as well as the ethereal and bright vox that Davis presents here. There’s a crossover…
Hard-edge southern rock is the order of the day for LAN LAW’s newest song Hillbilly Legal. The rich narrative that the act lays out from the beginning of the track will keep one focused in, while the dynamic that is established between the vocals and the rich instrumentation will keep them sticking around until the act closes up shop. The back and forth between the vox here keeps things nice…
On here new track, Fav Flavor, Amanda Holley lays everything out. The tinges of Mariah Carey and early Destiny’s Child that can be found here are married well to Holley’s inimitable style. The backing instrumentation does masterfully here, providing Amanda with ample ability to build complex and fulfilling vocal arrangements. There’s a surprising depth to Fav Flavor that ensures listeners will be able to find new twists and turns with…
On Party Like You, Jason Owens is able to create a tender modern country song that showcases a tremendous amount of emotion while having the hookiest chorus you’ve heard this year. The song is able to span the range of legendary performers like Blake Shelton and the Zac Brown Band while having just the lightest tinge of a Harry Styles. For those long-time fans of country music, the backing instrumentation…
Carbon County’s “Panic” comes forth with a bit of Ramones and Screeching Weasel. Furious guitar work, splashy drums, and an in-your-face set of vocals unite to have listeners tapping their toes. Panic’s chorus will bury itself deep into listeners’ brains, while the sizzling guitar lines hurtle fans to the end of the track. There’s a vibrancy and current feel to Carbon County’s latest single that will garner a great many…
Midnight Sun is a country-rock track in the vein of Alabama, .38 Special and the Drive-By Truckers. The charismatic vocals will immediately draw listeners in, while the assertive guitars blend with the strings and bass to make for a seriously robust backing track. The two elements are able to join together into something special as Lake enters into the chorus. With these lines resounding loudly out through the speakers, Lake…
On Light of the Moon, Red Matter are able to craft an engrossing narrative replete with complex arrangements and considerable charisma. The band’s own brand of jam builds upon the Grateful Dead, Blues Travel, and My Morning Jacket. The multi-part harmonies that are presented during their latest single are impressive. More than just laying out a narrative with them, Red Matter’s vox add mightily to what is already a deep,…
JIP’s new album Thought This Was Over begins with Money & Candy, a single which immediately draws listeners in with assertrive guitars and drums. The guitar fuzz adds a bit of cushion upon which the Offspring-meets-Rise Against infused vocals can reside. Other nods are made here to Samhain-era Danzig, Offspring and Unwritten Law. The swagger than begins Smile. Enjoy Yourself will immediately draw fans in, while the cohesive sound of…
Loving the callback to the 1980s with synths that feel inspired by early Depeche Mode, Yaz and The Psychedelic Furs. The vocal charisma here will ensnare listeners, while the overall sound of the single will entrance those that appreciate Walk the Moon or later Jonas Brothers. nxtime insert in a synth/drum section to Medicine that rapidly ratchets up the single’s momentum, a move that keeps things fresh until the band…
Riverside Drive is a truly timeless track that immediately impacts listeners with soulful brass and a robust backing instrumentation that rapidly sets up a narrative that runs through the track. We particularly love the keys which push the track forward to its end. The numerous elements contributing here could easily fall into disarray, but the considerable ability of each player makes this into something that will blow fans away. Twisting…
Bigg Z has a hit on his hand with his newest cut, Out Of Reach. This song is able to refresh the late-oughts style of R&B and rap music. The wordplay that is incorporated here builds off of the tradition of Nas and early Kanye. Bigg Z’s decision to feature Blu and Lauren Mateo during his latest single adds considerable depth to the composition. Multiple vocal layers and a scintillating…
On H E A R T B E A T, Jakob The Liar is able to immediately draw listeners in. There’s a considerable amount of emotion that is presented from the single’s onset, while the guitars, bass, and drums unite to make for a wholly unique statement. The complexity of H E A R T B E A T ensures that one will continue to find new twists and turns…
On their new song Shark Attack, Changing Tymz are able to craft a hard-rocking track in the vein of Megadeth, Candlemass and Steel Panther. Chugging guitars, supersonic vocals, and splashing drums never let up. The tale carefully weaved by the vox will have listeners firmly on the edges of their seats even as the instrumentation keeps chugging along. The production of Shark Attack is solid enough to allow each element…
Sebastian Lightfoot’s “Ascension” is an atmospheric track that links together the 1970s work of Klaus Schulze and Kraftwerk with Vangelis and Wendy Carlos. There are nods to the new age styles promoted by Real Music and Putumayo Records. The song has a tremendous narrative quality to it; the deliberate arrangement incorporated during this single will have listeners hanging on every note. While Ascension is cohesive as all get out, Lightfoot…
Nya is able to make a timeless pop song with her latest track I’ll Be Ok. The song builds off of the tradition of performers like Cyndi Lauper through Halsey with an ample amount of her own unique take on things shining through. The backing instrumentation keeps things hopeful while providing ample opportunity for fans to groove on out to. I’ll Be Ok is a great statement for Nya to…
range of her sophisticated harmony in “Where’d You Go.” To say that Jenn Howard is giving the performance of her life from Valiant Woman’s title track to the unfiltered “Lay Down the Law” might not be doing what she’s done here justice; from where I sit, this is a watershed moment in both her career and the underground circuit she’s looking to break free from. FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/jennhowardmusic/ See, Valiant Woman doesn’t present us…
Lavon Coates’s “Raise Her Right” is an ode to 1990s country music. The honesty of the track is build up through an earnest set of vocals and deliberate keys and guitars. More contemplative in tempo, Coates’ latest reads like a book. A tremendous narrative is unfurled during Raise Her Right’s run time. The song will strike a cord with anyone that has ever had children; Lavon is able to put…
Jessica Carter Altman’s Blood Moon has hints of 1980s/90s goth, Depeche Mode, and dreamy pop all knit into a cogent entity. The insistent drumming that works in perfect opposition to the strings may be in the forefront, but each part of this tremendous composition has more than a second to shine. Altman’s vocals are the glue that holds this eclectic blend together, making for a truly timeless effort that will…
Daisy Briggs’ “I Don’t Hate U” is an emotive track that effortlessly ties together pop and country approaches. There’s nods here to Vanessa Carlton, Kelly Clarkson and Jessica Simpson. With a hooky chorus, Briggs ensures that fans will be singing along after a few plays. The backing instrumentation on I Don’t Hate U work to lift up Daisy’s vocals while exhibiting tremendous technical proficiency. The crossover potential of Briggs’ latest…
301icon’s “Love Songs” is beautiful, tying together some high-energy rap flows with an intense backing soundscape fleshed out through dreamy keys, more emotive beats and a constantly-shifting appearance. The percussion tattoos itself deeply into fans’ psyches, all while the patter of 301icon’s lyrics beat a similar tattoo. Moving into an eminently-singable chorus, 301icon ensures that the track will snare the widest swath of fans. Everything works perfectly together to ensure…