Better Angels, the latest effort from Lauren Calve, skillfully calls back to mid-1990s country like Martina McBride and Shania Twain while incorporating a bit of Sheryl Crow and Jewel. Rich vocals unite with a Seger-meets-steel guitar approach. Calve’s vocal range is huge here, as she is able to not only tell fans a story but provide further finesse to the backing instrumentation. The guitar / drum dynamic at around the…
Hot Shot Kixxx create a fascinating brand of rock music with their Tadpoles. Intense guitar work calls back to the post-hardcore style, while the slinky sound of the act links together Muse, Jane’s Addiction, and System of a Down. The intense instrumental section encountered during the 1:40 mark builds upon the framework of acts like Tool and The Deftones. Tadpoles is a hard-rocking track that easily moves through a number…
On Maybe, Tina Tara is able to refresh the pop and dance styles of performers like Jennifer Lopez and Amber to the modern era. Confident vocals and a robust, bouncy beat unite to create a song that will have fans singing along long after the effort ceases to play. Tina Tara is able to differentiate herself from the rest of the pop scene by showcasing considerable vocal prowess. Adding mightily…
Crushing us under a weighty sonic wallop in tracks like its title cut while employing for more understated methods of attack in songs like “Drama Bomb,” “Más” and “Bloodsuckers,” Juán Tigre are leaving no stone unturned in their quest to turn zany patches of white noise into thick bands of rhythm and rhyme that anyone can fall in love with in their debut album, The Dream Catcher. Though skewed with relatable…
At times droning in the background like a stream that will meet no end, in others as well-defined by jazzy complexities as it is a violent muscularity, the grooves that power songs like “Fall in Love,” “Commonly Known” and “You Don’t Do Nature,” are as potent a force as any other you’ll find when listening to People Years’ debut album Animalism this April. A good beat is often the cornerstone of any…
In her latest single, titled “Sunday Driver,” Casey Ahern continues to shine from behind the microphone with her unique fusion of pop pleasantness and humble country harmonization, with her voice unsurprisingly taking center stage amidst a colorful musical backdrop. Ahern approaches her verses with a gentle energy in this track, lending agency to the words with a style of execution that takes as much from traditional Americana as it does…
On Earth, Algorhythm is able to craft an immersive effort that ties together free-form jazz, Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, Gil Scott-Heron, and contemporary jam music. At any second during this single, the band can set off on a bold new trajectory from what they had previously utilized. The glue that binds together these disparate elements is the act’s tremendous musical skill. Fans can do little but be entranced by this…
On VIP Death Squad, Bunny Blake is able to create an immersive pop track that has some serious chops to it. The dynamic established between BB’s vocals and the synth lines pushes each to higher levels. Each section of VIP Death Squad has a fairly distinct feeling; part of this performer’s skill comes in marrying together each element to create a cohesive and coherent composition. The chorus of Bunny Blake’s…
On Greyhound Bus, Jefferson Thomas is able to call back to 1980s country in the vein of Alabama and Earl Thomas Conley. Listen close enough and one will pick up hints of Tom Petty, John Mellencamp and early Billy Joel. With an ear for pop, Thomas is able to establish a crossover single. Keeping fans on the edges of their seats with a cogent narrative and a hooky chorus, Jefferson…
I Am More Than A Conqueror is the new single by Tonya Lewis Taylor, and it immediately brings a jovial sound and hopeful lyrics to the fore. Robust instrumentation provides for a big sound to Taylor’s latest. Blending female and male lyrics throughout the track, Taylor is able to build up an authoritative sound that reverberates loudly long after the single ceases playing. Over the course of four-plus minutes, Tonya…
AV Super Sunshine create a laid-back dance effort in Smile. The song brings a hint of the folksy singer-songwriter style of performers like Iggy Pop and Leonard Cohen, while infusing sweeping synths and a solidly sequenced percussion into the mix. Charismatic vocals leisurely lay on top of Smile, engaging listeners as simultaneously, the instrumentation does much to create a vibrant soundscape. AV Super Sunshine’s multimedia approach to Smile provide further…
He’s Worthy has Pastor Todd Curry craft a timeless gospel sound. With soulful brass and a talented backing choir, the message laid forth during He’s Worthy is clear. Filling out the backing instrumentation, the on-point walking bass line and synths create a robustness to the composition that will stick around along after the song ceases to play. The song is deceptively deep, as subsequent listens to He’s Worthy will showcase…
D WADE calls back to the stripped-down, sultry approach of 1990s rap music with nods back to Kid Frost and N2Deep. The intricate wordplay will require listeners to play back the single multiple times before hearing every twist and turn laid out here. The lyrical insistence here pushes the track to a quick conclusion, but the backing instrumentation is hooky enough to ensure that D Wade will resound with fans…
Daydream has The Aces call back to the 1980s. There’s a powerful vocal side to the act that is bolstered mightily through competent synths. Daydream has a bit of Mariah Carey and Tiffany mixed together, all while sizzling guitars interplay with the synths to make for something wholly unique. The Aces have made the perfect distraction for the current world lockdown. Reinvigorating mall pop from the last few generations, The…
Waking Up Down is a dreamy pop track that blends together airy EDm synths with drum sequencing. What results is something that calls back to the early 1990s dance scene while possessing a vibrancy that works well in the current. A catchy chorus will bury its way deep into listeners’ minds. Waking Up Down is a powerful multimedia statement; the video (attached below) showcases a brilliant visual palette. Yaeji is…
On Stuck in Quarantine, Clayton Sturgeon is able to make an emphatic rock track that chugs along. With fuzzy guitars, booming drums, and a bit vocal sneer that marries together Vince Neil and American Idiot-era Billie Joe Armstrong, Sturgeon’s latest will bury itself deep into fans’ minds and hearts. The tautness of the instrument ensures that each note fits perfectly, a track that could easily garner radio and Spotify playlist…
During Somebody, Aditi is able to refresh the singer-songwriter / pop style of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Heavenly vocals blend with emotive pianos to make for something that will resound loudly with listeners long after the song ceases to play. With additional musical layers bringing in a percussive clap track and strings, Somebody will undoubtedly keep its replay value high through the summer. A solid production allows each…
Galliano Sommavilla has crafted another album-length track in the aptly-named one song 2. The composition starts out in a very calm and collected fashion. A traditional (mid-century modern) piano line blurs the line between classical and new age music. There is a wonderful amount of emotion that is showcased through the first few minutes of the composition, as Galliano’s piano both establish the track’s overall melodies as well as lay…
DvffleBvg Ruggv (D.C.-area rapper) has came forth with some fire with his 2020 release, Addy. The track is easily able to demand attention with a booming bass-led bed, hints of strings, and rapid-fire sequencing. There’s nods present here to both the production approach of Hypnotize Minds and Scott Storch. The electric approach taken to the backdrop here ensures that the single remains fresh from its first note until the song…
On Copper Queen, Mark Winters is able to deftly meld together the singer-songwriter pop of the 1960s with a bit of the alternative music that hit college radio during the 1990s. Hints of Chris Isaak and Harry Connick Jr can be discerned here, but there’s a bit of the surf-infused sound of Beach Boys and Roy Orbison that can be discerned here. The production fo the track far outstrips anything…