TexMex Shaman has just released a new single, Peking Bass, that is able to draw from a wide swath of distinct EDM styles to make for something memorable. The production of Peking Bass allows for this distinct collection of approaches to work separately or as disparate pieces contributing to a coherent whole. A booming bass line is weaved throughout the entirety of Peking Bass, allowing TexMex Shaman ample opportunity to…
2019 has been an exceptionally good year for independent musicians, and not very many in the bunch know this as well as AV Super Sunshine does. It wasn’t enough for AV to drop the remix LP Candyland on us over the summer; in his new single, which is also titled “Candyland,” the artist and his eponymous band prove to be the most diverse act in their scene with two mixes of a…
Jon Patrick Walker has never been one to back down from an ambitious project, and with the release of his latest album, the aptly titled Welcome to the Edge Times, he enters uncharted sonic waters with a carefree attitude that is as infectious as it is endearing. Flamboyant grooves adorn the backdrop of “Like a Rose” while stoic vocals colorize an otherwise black and white “Blues for My Baby.” Rambunctious rhythm…
Nineteen-seventy’s power pop never sounded so good. Portland-based four piece Daystar may borrow inspiration liberally from bands like Big Star, Wings and Badfinger, but their songs still manage to smack of originality. The Complete Recordings is a masterclass in building, taking the foundation of some of the best post-Beatles bands to ever commit to wax and then erecting a wildly satisfying modern take on those sounds. Comprised of veterans of…
The five-song EP release New Language from the band TLA is a meeting of the minds with long term potential. TLA has a core of Jon Sortland from The Shins, The Pleased’s Jason Clark, and paper cut artist Tahiti Pehrson and their songwriting talents come together in a tight wound guitar-driven pop confection held together by sharp musicianship and superior songwriting. The material has to the point punch that makes this a…
Adrift in the shadows, wandering through the misty dark with a surgically-precise slashing, we discover the nature-esque sounds of “Dream Symposium,” the drum-clad tour de force from the Toronto Tabla Ensemble out now everywhere that quality independent music is sold and streamed. The percussion delivers crushing blow after blow, guiding us into the night with a luxurious textural expression that cannot be replicated on stage or in-studio ever again. Every…
Gold Light’s fourth album release Zephyr and frames Joe Chang’s songwriting talents in sharper relief than any previous collection. There’s nine songs included spanning a wide variety of thematic concerns and imagery but are anchored by an assortment of character types familiar to anyone who has followed Chang’s career to date. Chang has developed his songwriting talents by leaps and bounds with each successive release. His opening track “Cannon Street” is a…
A rollicking beat is adorned with crushing riffage the size of a skyscraper as we listen in on the first couple of bars in Lesibu Grand’s “Miranda,” but as the track presses on, what starts off as a Seattle-style grinder evolves into something that can only be described as pure, unadulterated Pixies worship. In Lesibu Grand’s debut record, The Legend of Miranda, this kind of string-powered thunder is par for the…
A Beginning provides listeners with an introduction into the album’s narratives while layering the vocal content with emotive, new age-inspired keys. The effort provides a microcosm of the distinct styles and approaches that one will find as they continue to progress through Reconstructed Memories. Memory One establishes a keys / strings dynamic that is punctuated through a bit of jangliness that is reminiscent of a locomotive bell. Hints of female…
“When it was over it was mighty bad it was mighty bad / It was a heart attack / It was the worst damn time I ever had” croons the voice from beyond our speakers in the first three lines of Streaking in Tongues’ “Inside out and on My Ass,” one of the more seductive songs on the new album Oh My Darlin’. There’s a sense of apathy in this vocal,…
The ethereal, electronic-infused rock of The Odd Neighbourhood will immediately draw listeners in on Spill Your Drink On Me. This single shines with stretched-out synth and haunting vocals ceding the spotlight to each other. One can just imagine a neon-lit, rainy city street when they put on this effort. A thick, ropy bass line calls back to Subdivisions-era Rush, while there is the same infectious instrumentation that hasn’t been heard…
There is no venue more appropriate for Old Crow Medicine Show to record their live album in than Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, the 125 year old historic landmark that was once formerly known as the Grand Ole Opry and is essentially mecca for Country, Bluegrass, Americana and all of the various offshoots. It also happens to be the local venue for the brilliantly talented Nashville-based Americana String Band Old Crow Medicine…
Bang Bang has a very traditional sound to it, looking back to the earliest decade of the 20th century. With more overt overtures to Sonny & Cher and Switchblade Symphony, this lead-off track to the Noir EP will garner some serious attention. The deliberate, sultry approach taken to Nomad & Lola’s take on Pink Floyd’s classic The Wall is unique, further differentiating the duo from radio-friendly acts. The march of…
Don’t You Dare is a pop track that incorporates a bit of dubstep and trap. What results is a very stunning effort that is able to adopt a number of distinct styles, joining them into a comprehensive and cohesive effort. The rising and falling action present in Don’t You Dare keeps fans firmly planted on the edges of their seat. It is the considerable vocal range achieved here by Red…
On Didn’t Know I Was Fallin’, Kim Cameron is able to blend a beautiful piano roll with an emphatic drum beat. The tender beginning of Cameron’s latest single gradually shifts into a track that draws upon the dance / electronic styles of the 1980s and 1990s. Kim is able to pull double duty here in both telling fans a story and adding considerably to the backing instrumentation. Extended synth and…
Blessing is the latest cut from Jae Mansa. Adding the skills of Tee Grizzley and SL to the mix ensures that the finished effort hits the same standard which Jae Mansa is known for. Hitting listeners over their heads with a tremendously infectious hook, the trio are able to make a track that will appease those like hard-hitting rap fare, those that want a good song to go out on…
Take You There goes all the way back to the early 1990s for inspiration. Mix up a bit of Jodeci, a heap of “Mr. Ice Cream Man” and DJ Jimi’s “Where They At”, and a luxuriously layered composition, and MSC Jay has a hell of a hit on his hands. Bouncing between street-wizened rap flow and a hook that is infectious as all get out, Take You There will have…
Gang Starr and J.Cole go back to the 1990s with their latest collab, Family and Loyalty. Vibrant visuals combine the NYC before the millennium’s turn with a vibrant community. The laid-back flow of Gang Starr represent the framework of this cut as J.Cole as a bit of intricate lyrics and rapid-fire patois to the mix. Together, these two distinct approaches make for one of the strongest rap cuts we’ve heard…
On Cold Heart, Luh Kel is able to tie together the R&B style of performers like The Weeknd with performers from the mid-to-late 2000s, including both Trey Songz and The Dream. The amount of work that Luh Kel puts into Cold Heart far outstrips similar performer. With a production that is fairly spartan, only reaching a crescendo at those moments where LK becomes silent, Luh Kel ensures that each note…
Yearwood has a huge hit on his hands with his latest single, Teddy Massacre. Listeners will immediately be confronted with a booming bass and downright evil synths before Yearwood’s flow reaches its full glory. The blending together of grime with 1990s NYC is truly inspired, making for an effort that lays out a soundscape that hasn’t been approached since the horrorcore genre shook things up back in the mid-nineties. The…