B. B. Cole’s continuing ascent into the first tier of modern traditionalist singer/songwriters hits its next high point with her sophomore album release. Of Love and Loss isn’t a concept album, but Cole’s twelve songs wrestle with those themes in assorted ways. There’s heartache, joy, anger, regret, humor, and betrayal rife throughout the release. Cole unquestionably proves that she’s capable of conveying material such as this with increased sensitivity and a growing understanding of how to please her audience. Her identity keeps emerging, full force, and you’ll likely finish listening to these songs convinced Cole hasn’t yet reached her peak. INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/bbcolemusic/…
Author: Heather Savage
In “Summer Girl (Redux),” The High Plains Drifters offer a unique take on the summer anthem, subverting the usual carefree beach vibes with a narrative tinged with nostalgia and introspection. This isn’t the sunlit escapade we might expect from tropical rock. Instead, it’s a thoughtful exploration of a summer fling, capturing the fleeting magic of romance and its inevitable sense of melancholy. Led by frontman Larry Studnicky, whose rugged voice carries the weight of someone well-acquainted with love’s highs and lows, “Summer Girl (Redux)” strikes a delicate balance between lightness and regret. The track begins with the unmistakable chime of…
Well now, if you’ve ever found yourself adrift on the hazy, sun-scorched seas of summer, swept up in the intoxicating warmth of a fleeting romance, then you’ll recognize the tune “Summer Girl (Redux)” by The High Plains Drifters as if it were the sound of your own heart thumping against the walls of your ribcage. It’s the kind of song that catches hold of a fella like a fever—one minute you’re whistling along without a care, the next, you’re shaking your head and muttering, “By thunder, how did I get myself into this mess?” Now, this song ain’t your average…
Lena, the rising star in the pop music scene, navigates her way through the music industry, Lena is proving that she’s a force to be reckoned with. Today, we’re excited to dive deeper into her journey, creative process, and what’s next for her career. Your music has been described as fresh and unique. How would you describe your sound, and what influences have shaped it? I see music as an outlet for self expression. My sound embodies me and my emotions. It is vulnerable and provides insight into who I am as a person. I typically write a lot of…
It’s a bold statement. It isn’t a perfect album release, no such beast exists, but the unquestionable excellence of Torchlights is nonetheless clear. Covello builds the ten-track collection on consistent strengths that rarely flag. He discovers endless variations on that foundational template, and the subject matter is never facile. Covello writes and sings about matters of the heart with sincere conviction and an approach that’s certain to appeal to a broad array of listeners. The Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter opens Torchlights with “Time Plays Us All”. Classical influences abound throughout the release, but the first track emphasizes that texture. String-fueled accompaniment complements Covello’s elegant piano…
In her latest slick indie single, “Love Wins,” indie pop humorist and healer DawgGoneDavis gets a little more forceful with her lead vocal, and to me, comes into her own in a fashion we just didn’t experience in her last couple of singles. Don’t get me wrong; her discography contains some fun works from any angle, but there’s something decidedly more mature about the construction of “Love Wins,” and you don’t have to be a professional critic to recognize it as much. DGD is at ease with her narrative in this single, and despite the stylization of her words, she isn’t hesitant in her…
Step into the unique and hyperbolic realm of The Naked City Underground, where the pulsating rhythms of rock and roll collide with the unmatched talent of Las Vegas’s most skilled flair bartenders turned musicians. It’s a funny concept but it really works. I myself go to Las Vegas about once a year and you don’t find too many bands who sound like this so this was a nice surprise to see. Imagine a fusion of unbridled energy and undeniable proficiency as these pioneering individuals set aside their cocktail shakers to embrace their instruments, unleashing a sound that resonates deep within…
With a name like The Refusers, it’s clear that this Seattle-based outfit isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo. I took a deep dive into what this band is all about and suffice it to say it more than just about music. I have to say they seem to delve into a lot of political issues. Some of their songs have to do with COVID, some with Biden and other controversial topics a lot of people stay away from in fear of getting canceled. I have to say I respect that. Even if I don’t completely agree with everything they…
Ronnie Ferguson penned each of the fifteen songs included on Streaking in Tongues’ Einstein’s Napkin. However, the chemistry he shares with his son and musical partner Elliott Ferguson is the essential ingredient that gives these offbeat compositions durability and distinction. The Marquette, Michigan-based pair produced, recorded and mixed the collection themselves. The level of intimacy resulting from this hands-on approach is another strength. Each of the album’s fifteen recordings is similar to brief yet lively dialogues with the listener alone, and the unity underlying the track listing underlines the clarity of their musical vision. Einstein’s Napkin, inspired by the poetry of Marty…
Hannah Summer’s scintillating vocal presence is enough to sell Greye as one of rock’s keepers of the flame. However, her cohorts ably back her with the balance between old-school fundamentals and a fresh, contemporary sound. Evidence of this abounds on the band’s seventh full-length album entitled VII, and there is plenty of proof of progress on this collection. Their songwriting has not stood pat or relied on formula. The Florida-based quartet does use consistent ingredients to produce such a tasty blend. They are eternal verities such as passion, conviction, and skill rather than assorted flavors of the week. Instead of disposable, the…
If you value songwriting that you can sink your teeth into, look no further. Universal Dice’s “Curse” from their latest album Misfit Memoirs isn’t your typical retro-minded classic rock knockoff. The narrative-minded nature of the song gives listeners plenty to latch onto for the track’s duration, and the accompanying arrangement accentuates the memorable lyrical content. It’s one of the most well-rounded rock/pop efforts you’ll hear in recent memory. It looks to the past for musical inspiration, or at least some will hear it that way, but there’s another point of view that says Universal Dice freshly uses timeless strengths. Their songwriting engages…
I’m left a little awe-struck after listening more than once to Society of the Silver Cross’ “Wife of the Sea”. The collaboration between Seattle’s Joe and Karyn Gold-Reineke gains added luster from vocalist T.J. Cowgill’s one-of-a-kind vocal presence. The latter, working under the name King Dude, cast spectral powers over the lyrics and surrounding sonic landscape of this track that has an almost magical effect on listeners. I am sure that some listeners might find his touch a little pretentious. However, I will admit that while it takes some getting used to, the whispery atmosphere his vocals bring to this…
Bill McBirnie’s Reflections (For Paul Horn) pays tribute to the Horn family instead of Paul alone. McBirnie’s eight compositions honor Paul’s whole family, his wife, and two sons, but Paul is the focus. Choosing 2024 for such a tribute isn’t an accident. It marks a decade since Paul’s 2014 death and, as such, seems to be a fitting time for such a laudatory evaluation of his influence from one of his more fervent self-avowed disciples. McBirnie’s solo and alto flute performances spanning the entirety of this release more than live up to the lofty standards set by the album’s subject and further…
In the hands of a lesser talent, Stephanie Bettman’s “Be Big” could be sentimentally driven rubbish. With seven releases already under her belt and over fifteen years as one-half of the Folk/Americana duo Bettman & Halpin, “Be Big” is a very different fare. She explores a thoroughly adult point of view regarding self-empowerment while eschewing the standard platitudes about the subject. The writing throughout “Be Big” has lean power that’s undeniable. URL: https://www.stephaniebettman.com/ Rarely will you ever hear a singer as committed as I hear her during the single. Bettman never plunges overboard into overzealous wailing though. She modulates her…
Ride On is a full-length album release from Kalamazoo, Michigan five-piece Roots Asylum, and one of the most buoyant releases I’ve recently heard. The band favors up-tempo pieces, but there’s a healthy amount of variety that drives the eleven-track collection rather than it sounding encumbered by an one-note approach. One of the chief factors setting them apart from similar bands of their ilk is the dual vocal presence of vocalist/rhythm guitarist and songwriter Jimmy Macaroni alongside harmony vocalist Katy Velten. The duo has obvious chemistry and their respective voices blend and contrast with gripping qualities that help sharpen the effect each…
Arlington, Virginia’s Touch the Buffalo has made significant inroads into the vibrant Washington D.C. music scene within a short timeframe. Their outstanding songwriting talents and superior musicianship carry the day rather than cheap gimmickry. The four-piece built themselves from a singer/songwriter-directed unit when first forming in 2016 into the indie grunge-inspired act we hear today. They accomplished that without losing their writing vision, and by successfully incorporating viable components from each iteration into the current unit. Their new EP Bodhicitta reflects that ongoing evolution while firmly establishing them within the competitive Washington D.C. music scene and beyond. “This City’s Burning” opens with…
Nineteen-year-old Santa Barbara native Dawson Fuss’ sophomore EP release Maybe is a five-song collection that seems assured of securing him a place in the pantheon of fast-emerging talents. This coming of age release brims beyond his as Fuss proves himself to be an extraordinarily thoughtful songwriter and performer. He’s shown further wisdom by surrounding himself with first-class collaborators. Multi-platinum award-winning producer Teal Douville helmed the title track and brings the same vibrant aesthetic to bear that distinguishes Douville’s past releases from artists as diverse as Panic! At the Disco, David Guetta, and Gwen Stefani. However, the heart of the release is Fuss’…
The combined talents of Kayden Gordon and Bob McGilpin make the new single “Achieving is Succeeding” one of the young year’s must-hear country music songs. The young songwriter Gordon has rapidly established himself as a force to be reckoned with in country music circles thanks to the growing popularity of his “The Kayden Gordon Show, Today’s Best Country Mix” which appears on over 150 radio stations across the United States. His show helps push modern country performers while playing a mix of both music from today and yesterday. “Achieving is Succeeding” was inspired by his recent graduation from high school…
At times both minimalistic and potent where it counts, as conflictive as this might seem, the cello parts that we find scattered throughout the seven songs in Marbyllia’s Uncountable Spheres are undeniably agents of evocation when we’re least expecting them to be. Similarly to the piano element, but not nearly as great in value in the big picture here, Margaret Maria’s acrylic contribution to songs like “Exiting Exosphere” and “Unexplored Worlds” is a statement-maker, informing us of just how profound a musicianship Marbyllia is wrestling with in these recording sessions. Uncountable Spheres is an LP that stokes the flame of old-fashioned experimental with ambient…
Pacific Northwest-based Johnny Wheels and the Swamp Donkeys’ new collection Keep on Pushin’ find Wheels and his bandmates guitarist Brandon Logan and bassist Taylor Frazier doing just that. The trio has played or shared a stage with truly impressive names such as Jim Belushi and Dan Akroyd, Great White, Cheap Trick, and Robert Cray, to name a few, and such august company clearly points to the regard with which this band is held. They aren’t writing, recording, and performing disposable fluff. The nine cuts included on Keep on Pushin’ illustrate a diversity in style and a deep substance that’s the stuff lasting achievements are…
San Francisco’s Bray has carved out a growing renown as one of the best indie songwriters working today thanks to his output with The Dens. His impressive streak continues with the new single “Oceanography”, a near ideal presentation of his strengths that furthermore shows, for those familiar with his output, consistent advancement. It is not a paradigm shifting recording for Bray, but it nonetheless shows how this capable musical artist continues reinventing his craft with each new foray and resists easy categorization. His influences are readily apparent, but it’s interesting to hear how he subsumes them into something unique without…
Over one million streams, nearly one million social media followers, and a growing discography are ample evidence of Ava Della Pietra’s rapidly evolving talents. Her theatrical roots give her an immediate foundation for connecting with listeners, and there is an unabashed willingness to lay her heart bare in each new release. Recent songs such as “talk it out” and “ego” supply undeniable testimony of that bravery, and her new single “sick” is no exception. You might think pursuing a thriving musical career while studying in a dual degree program at the Berklee College of Music and Harvard University may spread…
The hum of a melody flows from the title cut and stagers into “Two Hearts (Guitar Rock Mix),” the opening tracks from AV Super Sunshine’s new extended play Sweetwater, and together clear a path for a vocal from AV that instantly sets the tone for everything that is about to happen in the next few tracks with a near-whispered crooning that is as chilling as the first winds of winter. The rhythm of the song ebbs and flows, the strings spinning like a sorcerer’s pinwheel, and without any warning, they give in to the cutting harmony of “Smile (Guitar Rock…
The exuberant and life-affirming energy of the best EDM finds expression in Nik:11’s new single “Pillow Talk”. It’s the latest triumph for the young Detroit native, now a Los Angeles transplant, that solidifies her standing as one of the genre’s budding practitioners. Her fearless willingness to tackle improbable material, in this case revamping Sylvia Robinson’s 1973 R&B cut of the same title, sets her apart from countless faceless peers and contemporaries’ content to produce cookie-cutter dance tracks. Her considerable skills are accompanied by an equally captivating visual sense on full display in the song’s music video. INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/djnik11/ Science fiction…
Dark Side, the new EP collection from Indian-origin musical artist Anjali Ray, takes its place beside Ray’s earlier releases as a stark musical testimony to her talents. Her bracing mix of several disparate styles such as Hindustani vocal techniques, jazz, and classical finds fertile ground when blended with a structured songwriting approach that plumbs her pop songwriting talents. URL: https://anjaliray.com/music It’s never facile, however. Ray has a substantive musical and lyrical message she conveys with each of the EP’s songs and does so in an effortless fashion. There’s an immense stylishness defining these songs, as well, that will exert considerable…
The High Plains Drifters aren’t setting out to remake the musical wheel or provide life-altering experiences through their music with their new single. “Alone on Christmas Day” has relatively modest aspirations, at first listen, but there is something more going on here. On the surface, this is a light and entertaining single where the singer rues his inability to connect with a beautiful woman that he’s longing for over time. A deeper listen, however, does reveal that it’s a curt and often funny reflection on the vagaries of desire around a time of the year when we put a high…
Matt Glickman’s rise in the jam band world as one of its most pre-eminent keyboard players in recent memory continues with the release of Live from Starks, Maine 10.1.22. I’m doubly impressed, however, because these seven songs do more than highlight his playing talents. They likewise shine a spotlight on Glickman’s immense gifts as a songwriter and arranger. The tracks also show his underrated vocal talents. Live from Starks, Maine 10.1.22 documents a Glickman set that is akin to holding a live wire – we hear creation in the process when we’re listening to these performances, both individually and collectively, and even the…
There are inextricable links between Coppe Cantrell’s musical art and personal journey. A longtime supporting player in the music world with appearances on past releases from 2Pac and Coolio, among others, Cantrell is far from a novice to the music world. Still, it wasn’t until she gave her life over to Christ that her musical contributions blossomed in earnest. Naysayers may point to her need for a solid foundation following the death of her husband, but Cantrell’s latest album The Breastplate of Righteousness attests to her sincerity and how thoroughly she’s incorporated Christianity into her life. The thirteen songs on this release…
I’ve been a glutton for great bluegrass most of my life. The most erudite of bluegrass’ many regional scenes that scatter across the entire country is perhaps the one Danny Burns is making his way out of at the moment, and in his new single “Dirty Old Town,” it’s more than evident why so many critics and fans have been burning up with discussion over his artistic wit in and outside of the recording studio. While Burns doesn’t go all out on the arrangement of ”Dirty Old Town” just for the sake of virtuosity, if you’re a student of the…
Amanda Easton’s music career flourishes in her native Australia, but she’s experienced success abroad as well in a variety of venues and capacities. Her new EP release Drama and DooWops takes her away from the traditional electronic-oriented approach she adopts for her songwriting and, instead, dives into the past. Breathing life into popular music arrangements from the 1950s and retrofitting them for modern audiences will require a bit of magic to make it happen in a big way. It doesn’t seem to be Easton’s concern, however. A single listen to these six tracks bears out the idea that she sees these arrangements as the…