Saahil Bhargava’s Wind is an inspirational track that will immediately draw listeners in with compelling keys. After a few seconds, the single is able to incorporate Saahil’s vocals. Bhargava’s voice build upon the rich tradition of late-1990s alt rock and early-oughts emo music. This means that Saahil’s vox are simultaneously able to tell a rich and varied story all while contributing mightily to the overall harmonies achieved to the track.…
True talent and true grit show up in Evan Troop’s The Next Chapter. It takes just five songs to fall under this Texan’s spell. With exciting guitar shapes around each corner, bolstering Troop’s commanding baritone vocals, The Next Chapter is convincingly remarkable. Dallas’ Troop is a former Navy man, and a graduate of Southern Methodist University. His biography materials also state that his Canadian parents met at a music studio…
David King Jones’s The Covid 19 Christmas Song is an effort that showcases the modern era in which we all find ourselves, with enough of a hook present that the song will garner quite a bit of attention on pop and urban stations alike. David King Jones inserts his own unique style of lyrical delivery to the composition. Charisma is present by the barrelful as Jones is able to continue…
Everything but the Everything has one of those lengthy titles that reminds one of simpler, purer times. A particular era it calls to mind is the 80s, where edgy and eclectic band titles weren’t something to be scoffed at but rather lined up the columns of the Billboard 200. The contrast between said name and the common marketing PR choices in the Hollywood music scene only cements the implication creativity…
Jeff Lake’s spirited version of The Beatles’ classic Penny Lane is given additional oomph with the stringwork of the Cellophane Flowers. With Jeff’s unique ability to both lay out the lyrical content while building upon the single’s instrumentation, the cover version easily takes a life of its own. This take ties the modern sound of the middle 20th century with today’s experience, all while calling back to the classical performances…
With a graceful hum that starts to resemble a yearning moan as the next few seconds go by, “Up to Us” charismatically welcomes us into the dark hue of Dreams of a Middle-Aged Man with a rather optimistic melody soon to swell from the silence. In songs like this one and the old world “Hymn for a Wanderer,” Mauri Dark – a.k.a. Mauri Kosonen – will wrap us in layers of neo-gothic…
While it would be foolish to think they’re the only element of sincere expression in the new single “Can’t Press Reset” by Francine Honey, the string arrangement in the song is perhaps reason enough to give it a close listen this season (alongside its companion video). URL: https://www.facebook.com/FrancineHoneySongs/ Creating the right kind of backdrop for a singer of Honey’s skillset can prove to be a little challenging for producers, but…
Darren Michael Boyd’s sophomore effort, Wonders Of The Invisible World, is everything as a music fan you would hope it could be. Abrasive, angry, uncompromising, wide-ranging. Part of Boyd’s craft is his ability to fuse sound with seemingly autobiographical influences. His debut solo album, aptly titled Lifting The Curse, was inspired by a life-altering accident and subsequent strenuous road to recovery. The term blood sweat and tears would not be…
Concept albums are nothing new. If you’re a fan of Green Day, you’re familiar with American Idiot. The Beach Boys’ brought us Pet Sounds. The Beatles’ masterpiece Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is one of the most famous concept albums in history. Singer/songwriter David Arn has released the incredible concept album, Traveler Tales. In his songs, he takes on the perspective of 14 different travelers, revealing much about human…
Brooke Daye’s Everything and Nothing is a strong effort that showcases the complexity of emotions that one will have about previous lovers. Anyone that has had a painful relationship will be able to emote with what Daye does here. The instrumentation that backs up Daye’s voice on Everything and Nothing fills in all of the track’s gaps all while pushing Brooke’s voice to some tremendous highs. The song will easily…
Billy Jeter has a story to tell, and “Sins Of Me” is the first single from the album coming next Spring, which is aptly entitled – Shineye Landing, and comes with a full-length set of more to tell than one song can cover, but it goes a long way to indicate what is going to be inside that package when it arrives. This song gives you enough to entice, but…
Sounding a bit like Ella Fitzgerald herself, the beautiful songbird Miss Freddye lends her voice to a song rumored to have been sung by Harriet Tubman. “Wade In The Water” is truly American – it’s words passed down generation to generation. Miss Freddye’s version is slower paced, but rapidly heartfelt. “Wade In The Water” is from Miss Freddye’s forthcoming gospel album, expected in 2021. It’s a gift to be able…
“Just Like Xmas (Love Is War)” is a vulnerable holiday song. This emotive work, from Tom Tikka & The Missing Hubcaps is uncompromising. Frosty lyrics and an exceptional music bed, the icing on the cake is Tikka’s indie-rocker vocals. He’s a born front man and this pop rock tune could just be the indie radio sleeper hit of 2020. After a few listens, the nuances and unveiling of an artist…
Wowing us with their soft touch in the title track. Brushing up with themes sourced from Britpop, American folk-rock and even outsider music in “Elsie’s Last Stand.” Allowing for crushing brawn to amalgamate with a tender melodicism in “Desolate Angel.” Confounding us with contradictions in “Seven Seconds of Summer” while adhering to the strictest of sonic rules in “A Toy for Juliette” and “Pretty Blue Gun.” They are Fitzsimon and…
ADVI is able to create a laid-back R&B track that is tremendously reverent of the New Jack Swing approach, all while infusing the track with a luxurious backing beat. A clap track interlaces itself with twinkling keys and sweeping synths. Blue Gene is completed through the presence of a booming, bass beat. ADIV will keep fans out on the dance floor through soulful crooning and further harmonies added on top…
What are some of the images that first come to mind to mark the holidays? For some it’s Christmas time once you see Santa waving on that very last float at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. For others, it’s the 25 Days of Christmas on Hallmark Channel or one of the other cable networks. In my house, it’s not Christmas until the radio is playing “Step Into Christmas” from Elton John…
Anthony Lazaro’s A Minute to Midnight is an interesting effort as it has a bright, airy sound. Hiding underneath that hopeful sound, Lazaro’s incorporated some thoughtful instrumentation. Through on a glossy veneer and you have an effort that could easily compare to the corpus of Rufus Wainwright or Michael Buble. The dynamic between Anthony’s vocals and the punctual percussion push each to an entirely higher plateau, all while the light…
Ariel Bellvalaire’s Elastic is a powerful, assertive piece of pop rock that immediately showcases supersonic vocals and a very deliberate, almost “Hitchin’ A Ride”-era approach to the track’s beat. Every piece of Elastic – drums, guitars, and vox – are ratcheted up to 11. It’s that sort of bold sound (made all the more intense by a seconded set of vocals at points) that ensures that the song will tattoo…
Alix’s Golden is a delicate pop and R&B track that will get listeners jamming through Alix’s soft and sweet delivery. The laid-back instrumentation is a nod to the late 90s / early 2000s. Distinct, different, and unique her own, Golden is one of those efforts that showcases Alix’s talent. The song is an easy inclusion on a wide array of playlists. The range of approaches and styles that Alix includes…
Zachary Kibbee has so much emotion that is packed into each note on his latest track, Don’t Fade Away. Little more is needed in this performance than Kibbee and his guitar. Each note is absolutely vital here in creating something engrossing, adopting hints of blues, surf, and mid-1990s alternative. The richness of this recording really allows his honestness and earnestness to shine through. While the track ends before the four-minute…