The High Plains Drifters’ “Until We Dance” is a synthpop throwback that will appease fans of Depeche Mode and Spandau Ballet. There’s a crispness to the production that allows the synths and heartfelt vocals to resonate with anyone listening in. There’s even a bit of narrative that is weaved throughout the single, ensuring that there are a number of distinct fashions which one can appreciate what’s laid out here. The…
On People Are Mad, Seán Griffin are able to create a track that is bouncy while showcasing the absolute absurdity of the current moment. The track is part Barenaked Ladies, part Jimmy Buffett, and will bury its melodies deep into the minds and hearts of listeners. The production ensures that Griffin’s vocals are able to stand out boldly from the single’s instrumentation, while each constituent arrangement is able to shine…
On Alwyn Morrison’s newest single Chained, he is able to create a touching and honest effort that builds off of the style of mid-1990s singer-songwriters. This means that there are hints of The Pixies, Stephen Curtis Chapman, and Fastball alongside Morrison’s inimitable vocal styling. Chained is one of those songs that will stick around with listeners long after it ceases to play. This is such a strong introduction to Alwyn…
Stray Blue has released a “mini-EP” that links together an acoustic version of their Wake Up & Smile with Moody Sky, a single that features Yoed Nir. Wake Up & Smile is a retro-infused track that takes up rock, reggae, and a bit of electronic music to create something that is absolutely unique. The skill showcased by Stray Blue is stunning, as these disparate elements are finessed into a hooky,…
Ben Aubergine’s Spoke For What I Knew is a track that deftly links together 1990s alternative and indie music with a 1970s pop. The front-forward style of the track ensures that listeners are able to hear everything that Ben lies down, while giving them additional opportunity to unravel the very intricate arrangements that play in the background. Spoke For What I Knew is a fulfilling effort with a bridge that…
Merit Maker has just released a new album, Better Days Ahead. The album begins with Set It Straight, a track that takes up the standards of late 1990s hard rock, punk, and post-grunge. The guitar fuzz that envelopes the vocals is like a warm blanket, amping up the cohesion considerably. Feelings First’s introductory bass line is reminiscent of Blink 182, while there’s an insistence that will get listeners out into…
Xennedy Cambelle’s Memory Lane is a touching track that will have listeners immediately drawn in by the vocals, which are so honest and emotional that one cannot do much but focus in. The track’s first minute start off fairly sedate before a more insistent, chugging guitar line puts an insistence into the track. The two sides of Memory Lane – the more human, emotive and the heavier, more fuzzy instrumentation…
Circus Mind’s Waste of Time starts with an assertive guitar line. The piano/vocal dynamic that bubbles up will be adored by anyone that fancies themselves a fan of 1970s rock or more hippie / jam rock styles. The act is able to touch upon the Grateful Dead, 1970s Rolling Stones, and Bachman-Turner Overdrive while putting in their own unique style. Fans would do well to strap on their favorite pair…
Brett Altman has just released a new track, Pretty Long Island Girls. The song is an eclectic blend of different pop styles. This means that listeners can hear hints of Justin Timberlake, Enrique Iglesias, and Jason Derulo in Altman’s delivery. The charisma that drips off of Brett’s vocal delivery will bring fans in. We’re particularly enamored with the thick bass line that plays at opportune points. The cherry on top…
Valerie Rose’s Tin Can Woman will bring listeners back to the 20th century, with nods to the blues performers of the 1930s and 1940s just as much as to the female pop singers of the late 1970s. Tin Can Woman is based in the aforementioned blues tradition, but the instrumentation successfully brings in hints of country and funks to further build out the track. Valerie’s vocals on Tin Can Woman…
The Staunch Moderates’ Rolling Stone is a history lesson that ties together rock, rap, and pop music in an eclectic, engrossing effort. The interesting blending of the rap flow with a set of sizzling guitar riffs will have listeners queue up Rolling Stone multiple times to fully grok what all has been presented them. The distinct sections of the single showcase Staunch Moderates’ ability to deftly adopt and jettison different…
Christopher Wyze & the Tellers’s live version of Stuck In The Mud is a pure romp. There is a tremendous amount of each that the act brings to their live performances. The back and forth between the pair of vocals showcases familiarity between the two, while the bouncing beat built up by the guitar, bass, keys and drums will be hard to deny for anyone out at the venue. This…
Lara Stankovic’s “Go Ahead” is an interesting effort, a single that moves between pop, EDM, and modern R&B to make for something familiar but fresh. Lara’s voice is the focal point of the single, but the drum sequences and insistent beat of Go Ahead cannot be ignored. These arrangements are able to stop and start on a dime, all while contributing to the cohesive sound cultivated earlier in Go Ahead.…
Terry Milla’s “GoodBye Baebe” is a head-banger, immediately bringing listeners in with assertive bars and a booming backing beat. The narrative built out by Milla will have listeners on the edges of their seats, with a flow that definitely draws on T.I. and 2Pac. The repetition of the titular phrase imparts the single with a heavy, impacting feel. The track does not glamorize anything – it’s a true statement of…
Sum Sum Summer, the latest single from Christian Love, is one of those California pop tracks that blend equal amounts surf and alt-rock. The production of this single is fantastic; Love’s vocals shine brightly on top of the instrumentation, which is surprisingly heady when one really focuses in to what the guitar and drums are doing. The extended guitar bridge is pure fun, allowing the guitarist to really put down…
Kelly Glow has laid down some serious bars with her latest single, Black Girl Magic. The track builds off of the late 1990s / early 2000s rap sound, ensuring that the song is able to stand out boldly among other new cuts. Where many performers are happy winding things to a close during the last segment of their songs, the final half-minute of Black Girl Magic showcases some serious sampling…
On RIDIN & SLIDIN, Iyuana has created a single that is utterly timeless in its execution, with clear nods to 1990s R&B and pop music present during its run time. The charismatic vocals of Iyuana lay out leisurely on a backing instrumentation that is bubbly as all get out. With keys and brass poking their heads into the backing music, RIDIN & SLIDIN ends up making converts of anyone fortunately…
It’s been a while since we last covered Elsewhere. This time around, we’ve dug into their live cover of The Police’s Don’t You Believe Me Baby. The track is a whole-scale reimagining of the song, with intense instrumentation and emo-tinged vocals. The performance succeeds due to tremendously capable instrumentation with a particular focus needing to be given to Elsewhere’s guitars and drums. The single’s vitality is what will keep it…
Jared Hallock’s “My Destiny” has a fun blending of late-1990s dance (e.g. Chemical Brothers, The Avalanches) with a sultry, funky vibe. This is a song that fans of Yung Gravy or Little Big will like ,albeit with a twist that showcase’s Hallock’s love of Pulp and Nine Inch Nails. This is a song that absolutely defies genre conventions. The supreme confidence of Jared here ensures that My Destiny will garner some…
Turning of the Tide, the latest effort from Nuke The Soup, is their strongest song yet. The bit of alt-rock meets reggae that bubbles up allows nods to They Might Be Giants and Fishbone to be made, while the instrumentation heard here is some of the sickest we’ve experience so far in 2025. The band knows how to make an engrossing track. All of Turning of the Tide’s segments combine to…