Fiona Joy Hawkins – Ice: Piano Slightly Chilled / 2007 Self / 10 Tracks / http://www.fionajoyhawkins.com / Fiona Joy Hawkins is rapidly becoming a household name. One just needs to look at the hit count for her music video or “Penguin Whispererâ€, which has exceeded 11,000 plays on popular video service Youtube. “Iced Rain†starts off the disc, and it shows Hawkins as immediately bringing listeners into the fold. The…
Lawrence Blatt: Fibonacci’s Dream / 2007 Self / 13 Tracks / http://www.lawrenceblatt.com / Lawrence Blatt is one of a few contemporary individuals and groups that are trying to add a little bit of mathematics to music. The other group that comes to mind that works with the Fibonacci sequence is Tool, but the clearer sounds achieved by Blatt on “Fibonacci’s Dream†more closely link this mathematical sequence to established forms…
Keram – Box / 2007 Self / 9 Tracks / http://www.keramsongs.com / Individuals may know who Keram Malicki-Sanchez is, but perhaps not for the reason that one things. Sure, he has provided tracks for “Uptown Girlsâ€, “Brokenâ€, and “Happy Campersâ€, but Keram is better known for the roles that he played on American History X, CSI, 24, ER, and Buffy The Vampire Slayer. For individuals that keep up to date…
Jason Johnson – Pseudocide / 2007 Self / 4 Tracks / jasonj0678@yahoo.com / This disc starts out with “Leavingâ€, which is a tinny little track that has an earlier set of influences to it. I mean, it sounds as if Johnson is pulling from the pre-electric Dylan days more than anything, but this could just be because Johnson wasn’t able to grab an electric. In all seriousness, there is a…
Kenny G – Rhythm and Romance / 2008 Concord / 11 Tracks / http://www.kennyg.com / “Rhythm and Romance†marks Kenny G’s ninth solo foray in 26 years, after ey parted ways with previous band Cold, Bold, and Together and The Jeff Lorber Fusion. The previous eight studio discs, three holiday albums, two live albums, and other material that Kenny G has released as a solo artist have together sold over…
The Photographic – Pictures of a Changing World / 2008 Galaxia / 11 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/thephotographic / Many bands nowadays just go and dramatically enter their CD with a punchy and bombastic track. The Photographic do not do that with their “Pictures of a Changing Worldâ€. Rather, during their “Inceptionâ€, they create a very atmospheric track that singlehandedly sets the tone for the rest of the album. Thus, it is…
Shawn Fogel – One Day In The Desert / 2007 The Sleepy West / 5 Tracks / http://www.shawnfogel.com / The first track on “One Day In The Desert†is “The Season I Love Bestâ€, a sunny track that rides strongly on the harmonica that opens up the song. Hell, if there was nothing else but the harmonica acting as the vocal component to the track, Fogel would have started off…
Hills Rolling – Sweet Tea / 2007 Whiskey Child / 9 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/hillsrolling / Hills Rolling is the latest project of Trey McGriff. Individuals may not be immediately familiar with McGriff’s work, but chances are good that they have heard McGriff’s music in the past. This is because McGriff’s music has been played in some capacity on The Real World – Denver, XM Satellite Radio, and different shows created…
Charles Laster II and Silvia Pratesi – Journey of Life / 2007 Self / 11 Tracks / http://www.charleslasterministries.com / Charles Laster II has been around the gospel scene for a number of years, but even before that, was crafting jingles for Ford Motors and songs for the Detroit Pistons. The other half of this act, Silvia Pratesi, cam to composing music much later – in 2007, but by the time…
Counting Crows – You Can’t Count On Me / 2008 Geffen / 1 Tracks / http://www.countingcrows.com / http://www.geffen.com / It has been 6 years since Counting Crows came out with their last album, “Hard Candyâ€.  The band last charted for their contribution to the Shrek 2 soundtrack, “Accidentally in Loveâ€. “You Can’t Count On Me†has a tremendously different sound from practically anything else that the Counting Crows have released…
Soundside – Seconds From Sunrise / 2008 Mystery Sound / http://www.soundsideband.com / It is sad that at this point, the vast majority of fans of Soundside are in New York. The band’s music, especially during “Seconds From Sunriseâ€, should be known by a fan base that is thousands deep in every state in the United States and every country in the world. The band is slowly expanding this fan base,…
The Smiling Strangers – All The Way / 2007 QCGS / 12 Tracks / http://www.thesmilingstrangers.com / While it wasn’t a major release by any stretch of the imagination, I believe my first experience with The Smiling Strangers came not when I received the copy of “All The Wayâ€, but was when I picked up a copy of “The Big Indie Comeback, Volume 3â€. Their track “Smile On Your Face†was…
Glenn Patrik – Mr. Blues, Jr. / 2007 Self / 8 Tracks / http://www.glennpatrik.com / Glenn Patrik is an institution of Kansas City. Individuals that are in the know with music from that area will know that he has been around in one form or another in Kansas City for over 40 years. However, this marks his first trek into the recorded realm. What is amazing from the onset of…
Daryle Ackerman – Attention To Detail / 2006 Self / 14 Tracks / http://cdbaby.com/cd/dsackerman / Daryle Ackerman has been around for about a decade; he made his first singing debut a decade ago, in 1998. His second album, “Not of This Worldâ€, was released in 2003. “Attention To Detail†is his second album, and it shows an expansion of the styles and sounds that were first broached during “Not Of…
Sally Anthony – Goodbye / 2007 EMI / 19 Tracks / http://www.sallyanthony.com / http://www.emicap.com / Individuals may not remember exactly where they remember the name Sally Anthony from, but if they saw a show with Natalie Merchant, Chris Isaak, James Taylor, Tom Petty, or Enrique Iglesias in the last few years (since 1998, when Anthony released eir first EP), there is a chance that they have seen Sally Anthony perform.…
Frederik Magle – Souffle Le Vent + The Hope / 2007 Self / 2 Tracks / http://www.magle.dk / http://www.magle.dk/music-mp3-downloads.html / Frederik Magle is rapidly reaching prominence in the field of classical music. This is due to the fact that Magle’s compositions have reached a level of sophistication and skill that have brought him accolades, including having The London Philharmonic, The Danish Radio Sinfonietta, and Nikolaj Znaider play his compositions. However,…
The Limit – Reinventing The Sun / 2007 Self / 13 Tracks / http://www.thelimitmusic.com / The style of music that The Limit create on the opening strains of “Reinventing The Sun†is nothing that can easily be categorized. Sure, there is a lot of eighties rock influence that marks the band’s “House of Sandâ€, but there are other defining qualities that are harder to unravel. The act blends together the…
Creepy – The Triple EP / 2007 Teeno / 13 Tracks / http://www.teenorecords.com / “The Triple EP†starts out with “The Lostâ€, a traditional emo track that has equal parts Appleseed Cast, Good Charlotte, and The Red Hot Valentines present. The vocals are compelling as all get out, while the inclusion of a fuzzy synthesizer to the mix fills up the track nicely. The band has made a big splash…
OST: Beowulf / 2007 Warner Brothers / 17 Tracks / http://www.beowulfmovie.com / http://www.warnerbros.com / Beowulf is one of the oldest stories that is still being told; while it is not as old as the myths that am movie like 300 were taken from, the age on this story is considerable. It is thus the duty of Alan Silvestri to make a soundtrack that fits in well with the action. Individuals…
The Mumlers – Thickets and Stitches / 2007 Galaxia / 11 Tracks / http://www.themumlers.com / http://www.galaxia-platform.com / The first minute or so of The Mumler’s “Thickets & Stitches†seems very dark and brooding, owing to the horns that are present. However, as “Dice in a Drawer†opens up, the catchy nature of The Mumlers comes forth. There are not direct comparisons that I can make for how The Mumlers sound,…