In his latest single, the playful “Nothing to Lose,” pop singer/songwriter Johnnie Mikel is exploring a strain of vocal showmanship more indebted to the conservative stylings of a bygone era than it is anything in the grandiose-filled modern genre, but I wouldn’t call it a total throwback. Right out of the gate, this song has a bounciness that it expounds through much more than a fluid drumbeat; in all honesty,…
Alien, the new single from ADITI, immediately starts with her alluring vocals and a complementary set of keys. There’s a booming, brooding sound that begins the track. This sound gradually dissipates and allows for a more 1980s-tinged pop sound. The tremendous care that is taken in creating a track that is able to cover such ground over the course of three minutes showcases a maturity that this rare to see…
On Death Or Liberty, Ocean Hills are able to make a supersonic hard rock track that is able to blend the melodic sound of a Staind with the musical fury of a Five Finger Death Punch. There’s a call back to the hair rock ballad of acts like Guns ‘n” Roses with the keys and bombastic drums. The band is able to keep the momentum high all while weaving an…
I Can has Chanique Rogers provide listeners with an inspirational message and a tremendous set of vocals. The backing instrumentation on Rogers’ single highlights this tale while impressing even the most wizened technical music fan. There’s a fat bass line, a sizzling set of keys, and emotive guitar works all crafting a varied and endearing backdrop for Rogers’s inimitable voice. The praise aspect of I Can showcases that everything is…
OK Mayday make an alluring, touching pop tune with their new single, Blossoms. The vocals do more than merely tell a story, adding complexity to the sweeping synths and perfectly-placed percussion. The dynamism of the band during this new cut means that the song can shift through tempos with the greatest of ease. The gradual increase in tempo during Blossoms’s final minute ensures that the single has the same sort…
Look At Me Now, the new collab from Looney Babie and YFN Lucci, links together a laid-back backing beat with smart repetition to ensure that the song’s titular phrase is buried deep into listeners’ minds and hearts. The feature laid down by YFN Lucci here provides the track with enough variation to keep things fresh through multiple plays. The production ensures that the booming bass of the track has a…
Stringz EMB lays out a sexy, sultry reggae-infused beat with his new single, Beautiful Girl. With hints of an EDM influence that is weaved through the booming bass and more Caribbean-infused backing beat, Beautiful Girl feels situated to garner considerable pop airplay. The bit of grit that is present in Stringz EMB’s voice counters the luxurious arrangements well. While the song ceases before the three-minute mark, the track will resound…
Leaving While You Stay has some fire guitar work starting things off. The taut instrumentation that represents the backdrop for the supersonic vocals make for a composition that will stick with listeners long after the song ceases to play. Nods to Jane’s Addiction, Soundgarden, and Queens of the Stone Age can be heard here. Hard rock has never been so catchy. Greg Hoy exudes charisma in this single, bringing forth…
Back In The Neighborhood is a powerful track, as Bruce Sudano showcases the passage of time and how situations continue to change over the years. With a close and cozy production, this single is able to call back to the late 1980s / early 1990s output of performers like Tom Petty. The guitars and drums on Sudano’s latest track combine to make an impacting composition that knows precisely when to…
Anthony Fernando has released Radiate, an eclectic melange of different musical approaches and style. Perhaps most audible here has to be the guitar work, which blends together contemplative arrangements with a style that could easily make it onto college radio. Radiate is a complex effort that will continue to yield new twists and turns with every subsequent listen. The dynamic that exists between the instrumental arrangements and Fernando’s inimitable vocal…
On Miss You, Dušan Mitric is able to create a perfect piece of pop music, blending together charismatic vocals with a catchy snap/stomp instrumentation. The production is able to rise and fall at all of the right points, providing ample highlights to the composition. The song could easily garner heavy rotation in pop radio rotation or Spotify playlists. With Miss You hanging well with releases from acts like One Direction…
Lay Me Down is a sedate, engrossing performance that is accentuated with emotive synths and perfectly-placed percussion. The bit of strings that are incorporated into Lay Me Down is the cherry on top of the sundae, making the composition into something that will remain long after the effort ceases to play. Wai Lana’s ability to both ferry listeners along with her narrative ability while building upon the harmonies achieved during…
Unstoppable, the latest effort from Psycho Village, has a bit of 1980s synth pop, a hint of 2000s rock (e.g. Linkin Park, Skillet, Orgy), and whole heaps of charisma. With a slinky synth creating an insistent backdrop upon which the charismatic vox can rest, Psycho Village is able to play for serious modern rock airplay. THe production of Unstoppable has considerable dynaism; the distinct section experienced during the track will…
Baby Yellow (In A Dream) is a track that is tremendously reverent of acts like Go West and Fine Young Cannibals. The sweeping synths and drum sequences that represent the background for the single bring the track further vibrancy. The dichotomy that exists between the human and machine elements makes for something engrossing as well. JHelix’s statement during Baby Yellow is given a new lease on life as the vocals…
Our Love Is Beautiful has a dreamy pop sound to it that incorporates a set of vocals that draw upon Rivers Cuomo with a sedate, whimsical back instrumentation that feels like an evolution of the 1960s pop-rock of acts like The Beatles. Ethan Gold’s ability to make for a dense and thrushy instrumental backdrop ensure that Our Love Is Beautiful will have considerable replay value. The distinct sections that listeners…
Pay Dirt has Pennan Brae create some angular, bouncy rock that ties together a wide swath of rock performers from Nine Inch Nails to Queens of the Stone Age. There’s a passion and charisma that is presented here during “Pay Dirt” that will have fans falling all over themselves. The inclusion of a 1960s-tinged guitar provides further complexity to the composition, while Brae’s stripped-down and straight-forward approach to music ensures…
During Oceans and Mountains, Nuke The Soup is able to build upon Green Day and The Highwaymen to make one of the most unique tracks we’ve heard. There’s a familiarity present that feels inspired by mid-1990s alternative, but the taut instrumentation and smooth vocals are able to do something special here. The vocals are able to pull double duty in creating a cogent narrative and adding another layer of harmony…
AJ Smith’s Billy Joel showcases a performer that is able to build upon the rich tradition of piano-led pop performers. Beyond the titular musician, Smith is able to draw in the spirit of Elton John and Robbie Williams to create something truly emotional and effecting. There’s little more needed during this single than Smith’s vox and some keys as he is able to utilize a considerable vocal range to make…
Always Lookin’ Fly As Fuck is a confident, fun effort that showcases TripleYoThreat’s considerable faith in himself. Twinkling keys work with quick lyrical patter, building upon the framework of acts like Wiz Khalifa and Soulja Boy. The bit of Three 6 that plays in the song’s backing beat moors the lyrics to a classic rap tradition. A crisp production ensures that each word that falls from TripleYoThreat’s mouth can eagerly…
McCall’s The Unmapped Man has a driving piano / drum dynamic that allows Tris’s dreamy vocals to shine. A taut 3:30 in run time, McCall’s latest easily refreshes the lo-fit alt rock of the mid-1990s with just the right amount of emotive guitar work. A rich narrative is laid down during The Unmapped Man that reads as richly as a Pynchon novel. The keys that join themselves to Tris’s vocals…