“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…
On Give It All Up, viseMènn are able to infuse the alt-rock of Weezer and The Smoking Popes with a vibrancy for the current era. Whether it is through the crooned-out vocals (themselves drawing upon The Smiths) or the intricate guitar/bass/drum dynamics, the act is able to put forward a single that hits on all cylinders. Fuzz and distortion are used to meld together distinct sections. We’re particularly enamored with…
2019 has been offering up some of the most intriguing new hip-hop in a generation-plus, and among the more emotionally-charged efforts that I’ve heard out of the genre’s storied underground circuit on the west coast comes from none other than Hollywood’s Swigga Geovanni. Geovanni is a New York-born newcomer on the scene, but his first single, “DMLY (Daddy Mi Love You),” is a provocative, chicly-mixed power ballad seemingly tailor-made for…
Cairo Liberation Front create a wholly unique sound that is able to distinguish itself from the mass of contemporary music due to whipping in hints of electronic and industrial from the late 1990s and a bit of the stark sound of acts like Little Big and Lords of Acid. Linking together sultry vocals the mold of Garbage with the haunting instrumental sounds of Downward Spiral-era Nine Inch Nails, Cairo Liberation…
Sonja Béets has devoted the better part of her life to creativity, and in her most recent work – the gilded “De Stad” – we get an up close and personal look at the fruits of her labor in high definition stereo sound. “De Stad,” a cut from Muzikale Stadswandeling, asks us to sit at attention amidst the unfurling of melodies that are at once cunning and simple, cruel and comforting,…
Upper Hand is a robust effort from Bblasian that refreshes the R&B approach of performers like Trey Songz and TK N Cash. Upper Hand shines because Bblasian is able to weave a cogent story along with bolstering the bouncy back drop that blends trap-esque drums with haunting synths and guitar samples. Louisville hasn’t had much of popular talent outside of Flame and RA Scion so Upper Hand is a desparately-need…
Long before the current generation of garage rock punks were even birthed, the Dogmatics were pioneers of the genre, with the band’s brilliant 1986 debut and for 30 years, sole release. The Boston band is finally back with the 5-track She’s The One EP and time has certainly been kind to the band. The themes of this album are wildly, pleasantly all over the place, from the title track; the…
Donna has The Inoculated Canaries calling back to the pop and ska-punk of the late 1990s. With nods to acts as widespread as The Dead Milkmen, The New Radicals and Blur, the band is able to firmly ground their current music in a rich and storied musical tradition. The bit of a bouncy bass / drum dynamic that plays at the bottom of Donna will capture listeners’ attentions, as does…
For close to a decade now, Brett Newski has been living the troubadour life. And not, “oh, that guy tours for a month at a time, he’s a real troubadour.” No, the Wisconsin-based musician Newski, began his career in 2011 with a six-month Southeast Asia tour. He followed it up the next year with a 20-date South African tour and has pretty much been on the road ever since –…
I’m All In, the newest single from Michelle Johnson, hits all the high notes. With an approach that touches upon traditional Broadway, R&B, and 1980s pop, Johnson is able to refresh older styles and imprint her own unique approach on this effort. With hints of guitar added into the mix, Johnson’s output here brings in additional fans. Timeless in its approach, I’m All In is good music done right. When…