Can’t Keep Up, the latest effort from Keldamuzik, straddles the line between R&B and rap. The vocals laid down here are beautiful, while the stanzas showcases some hard-hitting lyrical flow. The synth lines and rapid-fire percussive elements create a vibrant backdrop upon which each side of Keldamuzik’s output is able to shine. There’s a considerable amount of different sounds and styles that reach prominence during this cut, ensuring Can’t Keep…
Stacy Gabel showcases the modern way of life with her new single, Stir Crazy. The sound builds up a catchy, infectious set of vocals from Stacy utilizing a guitar riff that is steeped in the Spanish guitar tradition. Confidence issues forth from this track in droves, even if the subject material in Stir Crazy showcases the considerable amount of uncertainty that we have all had to experience during this pandemic.…
A visual journey that feels increasingly dreamy with every frame it presents us with, the music video for Sébastien Lacombe’s new track “My Thousand Dollar Car” is every bit the encapsulation of identity a lead single should be. There’s a sense of exposure that bleeds from the lyricism into the imagery here and doesn’t leave us alone for the duration of the video’s running time, and similarly, most everything on…
Money Dance is a perfect blend of R&B, rap, and just enough EDM to get listeners out onto the dance floor. The charisma exhibited during Money Dance is palpable. MaxKaella is able to craft something familiar yet completely distinct from the rest of what’s garnering airplay here in the United States. The complex arrangements that play in the background in the lead-up to the single’s chorus further increases Money Dance’s…
Naked Love has the vocal flair of mid-1990s Natalie Cole or Tori Amos. The first minute or so of The Orange Apples.’s new single is soft and sedate, while the track begins to incorporate keys and a bit of distortion shortly after. These two sections battle for dominance during the effort, making for something absolutely engrossing. Each note feels deliberately placed with a greater consideration of its impact than much…
Joint and a Jukebox, the latest single from Lousiville’s Joey Phantom, is a sublimely chill smoking track. The laidback flow presented during the song’s first minute by JP is gradually increased in speed until his flow reaches a blinding speed. The backing instrumentation is fantastic, blending together the 1970s-inspired approach of J Dilla before screwing and chopping the beat in the cut’s final minute. There’s a lot of things occurring…
All Nights is a booming reggae track that has Snypa bringing vocals in the vein of Sean Kingston while incorporating more traditional drum beats. The resulting track is a fantastic blend of old and new, cutting-edge and timeless, making for a song that will grab fans attention from the drop. We love the sea change that occurs in the second half of All Night, as the more leisurely tempo of…
Messed Up World has Greg Hoy blend confident guitar riffs with dreamy 1970s pop-rock vocals. The timeless approach that is adopted here is given other accoutrements (a bit of 1990s alt here, some prog-rock guitars / keys there), making for a fulfilling track that will impress jaded music aficionados as well as people that are all-in with something they can vibe to. Greg’s charismatic vocals are the cherry on top…
On Gone In One, Lauren Hulbert is able to carry the standards of 1990s performers like Courtney Love, The Cranberries and Fiona Apple. Tender and assertive in the space of a minute, Lauren’s range is perhaps the strongest side of her latest single. The backing instrumentation is no slouch, either – there is an intense bass line that plays at the bottom of Gone In One. The tempo rises and…
Lucky You has Justina Valentine create her most expansive effort. This crossover track touches upon drum and bass, ambient, and pop music in a way that will undoubtedly appease a wide swath of fans. The backing instrumentation creates a fantastic canvas upon which JV’s inimitable approach can shine. Imprinting the song with “come” and “lower”, Justina is able to bring the sultry and sexy side of physical content to the…
On Enjoy The View, Papi Shittake blends together surf with lounge music. The vocals are clear and alluring, baked in the late-1990s oven of acts like Weezer and Cake. The guitar / bass / vocal dynamic that represents the nucleus of Enjoy The View will have listeners tapping their feet, all while the airy effort points at a bit of heavy emotional content. Papi Shiitake’s Enjoy The View ends up…
Keep Doin’ What You’re Doin is an effort that has Sudano lay down a mid-tempo, funky approach that is deceptively deep. Each element in Bruce’s latest single is able to contribute something to the coherent composition here. There’s a robust bass line, on-point drums, and smoky blues and rock-infused guitars. While each of these arrangements could be enjoyed on their own, there’s a sense that if taken on their own,…
On Take It Away, Like Machine is able to immediately come forth with some furious guitar work. When the band is able to switch gears and move towards a slinkier sound (bringing in hints of Layne Staley and Scott Weiland), they are able to show exactly how talented they are. The act is able to combine instrumental and vocal sides to make for somethign that could easy garner attention from…
On Yous A Hoe, Sukihana is able to immediately whip up listeners into a frenzy. With a rapid-fire flow that builds off of the tradition of performers like Trina and Mya, Sukihana is able to make one of the catchiest rap efforts we’ve heard so far in 2020. With the chorus taking on early Eminem, Sukihana is able to touch upon rap royalty while creating something wholly different from what’s…
If the oaky-toned melodies of an Appalachian bluegrass sound are what you’ve been craving this autumn, you’re going to enjoy what James Reams has to offer in the new documentary Like a Flowing River: A Bluegrass Passage, which is currently available on Amazon Prime Video and attracting some warm reactions from critics and fans alike. While strictly a documentary and not a concert film, Like a Flowing River features interviews and live footage…
Gamers who were a fan of the fourteenth installment of the Final Fantasy series no doubt remember its soundtrack, and most of all, its vocalist in one Susan Calloway, whose new single “Favorite Scar” is earning a lot of hype around the American underground this season – and rightly so. In this latest release to feature Calloway at the microphone, her vocals are joined by a powerful instrumental framework that is as…
On Turn My Mind Off, Dinzy is able to bring back the glitz and glamour of mid-1980s hair metal rock with all of the intensity of a Lita Ford or Axl Rose. There’s a contemporary punk / rock sound that has Dinzy bringing in hints of Paramore and Halsey. The instrumental side of things – splashy drums and chugging guitars – represent the perfect backdrop for Dinzy’s vox. Joining together…
In their Ned Luberecki-produced debut album, appropriately titled Starry Southern Nights after one of its most moving tracks, Rock Hearts seek to establish themselves as melodic players who can balance the finer points of bluegrass sophistication with a homespun roots sound most anyone can get into these days, and for this critic, they hit a homerun right out of the park. In songs like the namesake and its tracklist neighbor, the agile…
It’s been awhile, but one of my favorite politically-charged commentary songs is Green Day’s “American Idiot”. It seems like a lifetime ago musicians and leaders alike were grumbling about George W. Bush and the Iraq War. Fast forward to 2020, and the world is topsy turvy over COVID-19 and the era of Donald J. Trump. It’s inevitable that singers and songwriters reflect int their music the times, and one such…
I’m So Black has a downright dark, horrorcore-infused backing beat to provide a solid counterpoint to the rapid-fire lyrical flow laid down here by Emcee Monte. The confident, assertive patois of EM will tattoo the song deep into the minds and hearts of listeners. The heartbeat-like beat acts as a solid counterpoint for the spontaneity exhibited here by Emcee Monte. The song is easily able to slot into rap playlists…