Canada has been producing some really exciting talent this year, and among the brightest stars that I’ve had the pleasure of taking a look at lately is none other than Rebecca Binnendyk, the sultry singer/songwriter whose 2016 album, Some Fun Out Of Life, won the hearts of critics and fans across the country and beyond when it first debuted. 2019 sees Binnendyk returning to the spotlight once more with the release…
Caracol’s “Flooded Field” from the album Symbolism is the work of an engaged and top notch recording artist intent on providing listeners with a worthwhile listening experience and abundant entertainment alike. Caracol has enjoyed a career a little over a decade long and, rather than repeating herself with each successive release, This new single continues tilling much of the same fertile ground that has paid enormous dividends for her on previous releases,…
During Endless Seconds, FerrariLover is able to make an expansive effort of little more than atmospheric noises and a light, ethereal guitar. The resulting effort is heady and will continue to yield more as listeners strap on their headphones and focus on in. This effort is able to further a narrative without the slightest in lyrical content. The dynamics that are established during Endless Seconds will resound with listeners long…
With a mild rattle at the center of its rhythmic swing, “Give in 2 Me” is easily one of the more seductive songs for us to behold on Ronnue’s Introduction 2 Retro-Funk, but it’s not the only sexy set of bass-driven beats in this tactful funk twelve-pack. The vintage “You Tried Me (The Man’s Anthem)” and “Do It (The Remix),” the latter of which features Roc Phizzle and Soultry stepping up…
Sidewalk showcases a taut sort of alternative rock cast in the vein of acts like Weezer and Golden Smog. Sizzling guitar solos are interspersed with charismatic vocals and all-in choruses. The resulting song will have listeners’ toes tapping while Scoville Unit makes something special. Beach Song refreshes the math-rock sound of the Descendents and Pup as Scoville Unit brings in a bit of the sadness and weariness of life. Truly…
6 (Ignited) has a touch of 1980s Latin dance flair with layered vocals that will require a few spins to hear the entire scope of what’s happening. This bouncy, dense effort will continue to yield new twists and turns even after one keeps it on replay for weeks, if not months. 2 Worlds (Remember) is a traditional R&B track crafted in the vein of a Whitney Houston or Toni Braxtojn.…
Take You On A Trip is the ultimate slow-burn single. Starting with a beautiful blend of vocals and a snap / percussive-heavy backing beat, the cut is able to gradually gain momentum and sweep fans on a truly beautiful voyage. The paired vox of Luke and Graves pushes each to an entirely higher plateau; the chiaroscuro of pop and R&B makes for a sultry, sensual effort that reverberates with one…
Our Hearts, the current single from Vitasun takes an impressive approach to things. With hints of U2 and The Cure playing in the background, Our Hearts links together hints of new wave and electronic to make an effort that will get fans out on the dance floor while considering some of the headier sides of things. Including a sizzling horn line during the track’s final half-minute is precisely what is…
Kodiak is able to call back to the emo-rock of the early 2000s with their new single, Alone. Whipping in hints of hair metal (e.g. Enuff Z’Nuff, Winger) into the mix is something we’ve not heard before, but it turns Alone into one hell of an effort. Taut instrumentation builds a wall of sound that allows the supersonic vocals to shine brightly. There’s a ton of interactions here between the…
Remixes, particularly when they’re boxed together in a single disc, allow for us to look at a song from a litany of different angles, but the new extended play centering on ooberfuse’s “Call My Name” composition goes well beyond that. From the abrasive sounds of “The Noise” remix to the fundamentally simple “Hal St John Radio Edit,” each version of “Call My Name” gives us a unique insight into the…
In his latest album, the long-awaited Vertigo, Nicholas Altobelli delivers an eclectic collection of alternative Americana via songs like the brilliant “Runaway Trains,” “Red, White, And Blues,” and “Don’t Let the World Get You Down” whilst redefining his artistry with an experimental aesthetic that just wasn’t present in previous offerings bearing his moniker. Altobelli pulls out all of the creative stops to make Vertigo as unflinchingly honest and endearingly melodic as possible, and…
Plunging percussive thrusts are joined by a gush of distorted melodies in “Butterfly Joint,” one of the eight songs comprising King Ropes’ exquisite sophomore album, Gravity and Friction. In “Butterfly Joint,” and really all seven of the tracks that it’s accompanied by on Gravity and Friction, a mind-bendingly surreal soundscape is utilized as a forceful canvas atop which the band can colorize the otherwise simplistic beats. The music is unrepentantly experimental, but…
Although Mike Jacoby offers hints of Americana and even rockabilly throughout his third solo offering, the record is still firmly planted in the world of rootsy rock and roll. Jacoby cites folk troubadour Todd Snider as an inspiration for Long Beach Calling, but it’s just as easy to pick out influences from folks like John Fogerty and The BoDeans here. The opening song, the rollicking title track with its Johnny…
During Gamble on our Dreams, Paul Kloschinsky is able to make a country and western infused rock track that will keep listeners eagerly focused on what Paul has to say. There is little more to this composition than Paul’s voice and guitar, but the space that Gamble on our Dreams takes up is considerably greater. As the song moves to a quicker tempo, Kloschinsky is able to call back to…
Though its sway can be, at times, both nauseating and cerebrally entrancing, Jaco’s “Say Goodbye” is nonetheless one of the most evocative tracks that you’ll encounter in the debut solo affair from the noted Birmingham scene stalwart, You Know. Released this past July 19th to critical acclaim, You Know is built around stylishly heavy tracks like “Say Goodbye,” the crushing “Shoe” and monolithic “For Myself,” all three of which contain as many pop facets…
On A/B Vision, THESE PEOPLE are able to make a dreamy track that builds upon the tradition of Ziggy Stardust-era Bowie and the dreamy progressive rock of Donovan and early Genesis. Beautiful instrumentation continues to yield new twists and turns for listeners long after the song ceases to play. With vocals that touch upon Wayne Coyne and a more space-focused Perry Ferrell, THESE PEOPLE make a truly epic sound to…
Jade Gotti is able to bring listeners to her side thorough the lyrics of her new song, Nik Nac. The track is short and sweet but is able to bury itself deep into the minds and hearts of listeners; with there being so much in the way of lying and cheating in modern married (and dating) life, what Jade Gotti shines a light onto is something that likely most fans…
On On Purpose, The Peculiar People come forth with some tremendous beats and spat-out lyrics forged in the fires of Kanye and Meek Mill. The rapid-fire word play on this single puts traditional gospel music on its head while cutting up some hard hitting lyrical content. The Peculiar People use a bit of screwed and chopped sound to separate the two distinct sections of On Purpose. With a crystal clear…
Nothins Changed is a hard-hitting rap track that blends together a robust flow with an in-your-frace backing beat. The bit of thoughtful pre-chorus bars that issue forth during Nothings Changed allow for switching out between the distinct vocal approaches of 88 Lo and 88 Goldie. This single is able to refresh the rap approach of the late-ought while calling forward to performers like Migos and Young Thug. It’s this desire…
On Sad Summer, Baker Grace effortlessly blends together modern pop music with the electro-pop of the mid-1980s. With nods to Gloria Estefan and Madonna, Baker Grace is able to bring to bear all the sultriness and coy sounds of her inimitable take on modern music. Mixing together a bit of Lily Allen and La Roux with Halsey , Baker Grace is able to transform Sad Summer into something that deserves…