Highway Wolf’s Purdie’s Dream is the debut EP from Mick Hellman’s collective project incorporating members of his family and a small coterie of the Bay Area’s finest roots-oriented musicians. The five track release includes covers from Fleetwood Mac, Cat Stevens, Joe Walsh, and Steve Winwood organized around emotional themes, rather than a linear story, that reflects thoughts close to Hellman’s heart. He has not picked the most obvious covers either, a reflection of his deep knowledge of the past, but he nonetheless shows zero interest in Memorex versions of the originals. URL: https://www.highwaywolfmusic.com/ You’ve never heard “Back in the High Life” like…
Author: Heather Savage
Rebel Kicks opens “Past Life” with a bit of sleight of hand. The tentative keyboard notes opening the track seem to signal that we’re about to venture into ballad territory or at least explore delicate textures, but Rebel Kicks explodes the moment. “Past Life” launches in full and we’re traveling light with this effervescent collision of rock and pop influences. It’s an instant winner for this young New York City-based band from their soon-to-be-released EP somewhere.in.between and promises to be one of that collection’s marquee moments. If you’ve been captivated by their sound and energy, there’s good news. Rebel Kicks are…
The video for Brooke Josephson’s “Good Kinda Tired” may seem, on first viewing, like an inventive bit of conceptually driven fun. It’s more, however, and successive viewings reveal its depths. Michelle Bossy’s expert direction does a classy job of bringing the life of a 1960s housewife to life without a drop of irony or breathing life into the video as a gimmick and nothing else. It is a concept video, without a doubt, but dovetails into the track’s message rather than existing as strictly eye candy for viewers. It depicts a tired housewife unwinding at the end of the day…
After a long time reigning over the rock n’ roll lexicon with pleasure, alternative music is arguably back in the underground place from which it came exploding some thirty years ago, and bands like Bad Veins are giving it the righteous homecoming the genre deserves with songs like “Wendy.” “Wendy” sees Bad Veins going even lustier after the melody than they did in previous outings, and while I enjoyed what they initially released as an intro to their sound, I think they’ve grown exponentially in the time that has passed between the pair’s first performance together and this latest gold…
New York City has always served as a hub for talented rock bands and King Falcon is ready to join that select company. Michael Rubin, Tom Diognardi, and James Terranova constitute themselves in the power trio format often preferred by modern rock outfits, but their classic rock influences never mean you should ready yourself for their mimicry of bands such as Cream and or Rush, to name a few. King Falcon, with eleven songs, is already well on their way to carving out territory for themselves alone in the current musical landscape. Their self-titled debut release provides ample evidence of…
Andrew Kerr, Alan Norman, and the Scarborough Connection’s For the Record won me over with a single listen. Each additional pass through the album’s eight tracks only solidified my initial impression that the aforementioned performers/songwriters/musicians have locked into a mutual groove they will be able to sustain for many albums to come. It’s an auspicious first release. The project is careful to never bite off any more than they can chew relying on a little more than thirty minutes of music, but the individual weight of each song adds up to a significant, rather than disposable, listening experience. It’s Americana through and…
Woody Russell’s This is Son Solitaire is a brief release, clocking in at three songs, but the EP makes a more substantive statement with that trio of tracks than many full-length releases accomplish. The Austin, Texas musician/singer/songwriter doesn’t boast an extensive discography, but his slender slate of offerings thus far sets a high standard for modern songwriting that This is Son Solitaire continues in splendid fashion. We’re served notice of that fact with the EP’s first track. “Swinging for the Fences” does just that as Russell inflates the track with rhythm section bombast that’s certain to garner any listener’s attention. His lyrics for the…
Jazz-accented rock has been getting its due time in the press lately, and in my opinion, indie acts like Project Grand Slam are the primary reason why. A perennial underground project led by the incomparable Robert Miller, Project Grand Slam put together an interesting cocktail of light fusion-style beats and crooning that openly flirts with psychedelic-pop influences in their latest record, the EP The Singles Project, and though the aesthetical combination isn’t necessarily the most groundbreaking in music today, it certainly possesses a certain revolutionary vibe that you don’t hear very often on the FM dial. The Singles Project consists of five seriously…
Hammering us from both channels like a storm about to take control of the stereo, the pummeling riffs of “Down Not Out,” the new single from Greye, are violent but constricted by a forceful bassline that practically suffocates the percussive elements in the track, but southern rockers who dig a guitar-centric riff-rocker can still count on this single for a handful of sonic thrills. There are a lot of overly complicated components to this latest release from the underground crew, but one thing that is spot-on from the jump in “Down Not Out” is the layering of the guitar parts,…
Sporting a playful string melody, springy beats, and a gorgeous lead vocal, there’s no need for debate – the new single “To the River” is a terrific addition to Dorsten’s growing discography of ballads and folk/rock party-starters. Though it’s got a level of balladic reticence, “To the River” has much too poppy an undertow to be an outright brooding, introspective number. Around every twist and turn that the grooves throw in our direction, Dorsten lay down some seriously powerful melodies, lacing together words and instrumentation as though the two elements were never meant to be kept apart in the first…
I hear Harry Hochman the way I think he wants to be heard. One of the primary ways, at least. Hochman places himself as one of the successors to the Southern California singer/songwriter sounds of artists such as Dan Fogelberg, Glenn Frey, or Jackson Browne, to name a few. He draws his foundational reference points from the 1970s to early 1980s in that particular field. I hear him belonging to that tradition. He doesn’t wallow in it, however, or treat his songs as if they’re museum-piece material. “Inside Out” is the title track from his new album and engages both…
When you’ve got the kind of ability in music that some like Alex Lopez does, creating an underwhelming piece of material just isn’t a possibility – especially when it comes to songs like Looking for a Change’s “She.” In tracks like this one, the namesake song, and “Blues They Rock,” Lopez’s Looking for a Change presents us with a weaponized lead guitar from the noted artist and songwriter that is hardly underutilized across the whole of the LP. If anything, I think this album gives him an incredible opportunity to exploit his greatest gift more than he has previously, which is no small…
I hadn’t heard O’Shea before until my first pass through their new single “Everything Means Nothing”. I am impressed. Mark and Jay O’Shea, a husband-and-wife team, will win over many other converts to their artistic cause with this sparkling love song. They avoid the plethora of trite cliches endemic to the love song genre while still imbuing the performance with every bit of the same affection that sets the best examples of this type apart from its lesser peers. The duo has played marquee venues in both their native Australia and the United States, including Nashville’s Grand Old Opry, and I’m not surprised…
How would you describe your musical style? Eclectic Indie chamber folk/rock Who were some of your music influences that inspired your passion for songwriting? Joni Mitchell, The Beatles, Bowie, Kate Bush, Fleetwood Mac, Chrissie Hynde, Leornard Cohen, Lucinda Williams and Hildegard of Bingen What would you like your fans to take away from your songs? I would like them to feel uplifted, inspired and not alone. I hope my music touches their hearts and lifts their vibration. Describe the most exciting highlight of your music career. Having a fabulous review of One Breach a single I released in March in Melody maker magazine…
For those that have never heard about your charity global foundation named One Little Finger, tell us a little about your focus. We aim to take media initiatives by creating musical albums, films, and educational programs and building a worldwide community focused on social causes. We are reaching out to children and artists worldwide to contribute. One of our ideas is to pair up children who live in other countries to collaborate and exchange ideas. Please check www.OneLittleFinger.com Who are some famous names that have supported/worked with your charity? Julian Lennon, Quincy Jones, Dave Mason, Dan Aykroyd, John Wetton, Geoff Downs, Alan…
Buckle up and get ready for a thrill ride. ZZ Ward’s Dirty Shine takes listeners through the wild and wooly musical landscape that the Oregon-raised performer inhabits at this stage in her musical journey and, by god, she’s not making any apologies. You accept her as she is or move on. She’s enlisted a rough and ready crew to realize her musical aspirations for this release and they play with rock-em-sock-em abandon that audibly inspires Ward during every cut. She’s working with outstanding collaborators who match her intensity each step of the way and drive her to heights of creative expression she…
The sparkling poetics of Jonah Leatherman’s sophomore release Ensuring My Uncertainty go far beyond what I normally expect from songwriters still in the formative days of their career. The Fort Wayne, Indiana-based singer/songwriter has grown exponentially as an artist since his first album was released in 2020 without sacrificing any of the daring freshness distinguishing that outing. He courts a wide variety of influences for his work, literary and musical, without ever losing sight of his chosen medium. It results in distinctive yet accessible material. Leatherman’s talents are carving him out an unique space in modern American music that few others can…
OF LIMBO Unleash Controversial New Single “California Demon” Long Beach, CA based Rockers OF LIMBO have released their controversial and provocative new single “California Demon”. The heavy and sinister groove-laden track explores the concept of making a Mephistophelian bargain for diabolical favors to achieve your Hollywood dreams. The song was recorded at Fab Factory Studios and produced by Mike Pepe (Taking Back Sunday, Plain White T’s), withmixing and mastering done by Grammy Winner Jett Galindo. The song features wicked & sinewy dark guitar riffs, thunderous drums, a throbbing bass line, and a chorus as addictive as it is memorable. The band’s influences from 90’s stalwarts…
Piano keys dance around us to a gentle but unsuspectingly eviscerating beat in “Time on My Hands.” Drums crash into the instrumental entanglement fashioned as a foundational harmony in “Lay Me Down.” FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/gelmanmusic/ David Gelman circles us with a vibrant vocal like a shark sizing up its prey before going in for the kill in “Fight My Way,” the leering string number “Maybe Tomorrow,” and the signature “Dusty Highway” while allowing for the other components in the music to take center stage in “Let it Shine,” “Stuck on Broadway,” and the pointed “High Road.” From “Once a Part of…
Going into this song, I was prepared to hear it as a fluffy lightweight throwaway, the musical equivalent of a candy bar, and not like it. I was wrong. LVCRFT’s new Halloween single “Scream for Halloween” is a perfect song for the upcoming witchy season that brings listeners together, thrills us with just enough musical fireworks, and doesn’t waste our time. It’s a professionally packaged entertainment bonanza that doesn’t insult your intelligence and shows genuine craftsmanship every step, or note, of the way. URL: https://lvcrft.net/ We should expect as much from the musical forces behind the project. Evan “Kidd” Bogart,…
I’m not a practicing Christian. I wouldn’t call myself an Atheist, either. I fall somewhere between belief and non-belief without leaning decisively towards any camp. David Shawn Cook’s “In the Spirit” is a tune I can get behind despite my aversion to swearing loyalty to any particular side. The reason I can throw my haphazard faith behind this tune is because Cook means every word he’s singing. It’s obvious that he’s placed the full weight of his life behind his faith in God and he isn’t bashful about conveying that to listeners. It’s born from his acceptance of Christ into…
From the moment we hear that first taste of scalding guitar-born energy his band can muster up, there’s no stopping the sheer might of James Robert Webb’s new single “Gentlemen Start Your Weekends.” Long before the heavier drums or even Webb’s vocal has come into the mix, there’s a sense of adrenaline pumping through the opening melody warning us that we’re in for quite the hot pursuit in the next few minutes of play. Whether you’re a serious country/rock fan or just a casual listener, “Gentlemen Start Your Weekends” is rolling off the tracks and coming for you this August,…
There aren’t many tasks as a recording artist than making that undeniably personal LP, and for the southern rock act Robert Jon & the Wreck, it’s more than obvious that they didn’t come into the project with intentions of giving critics and fans anything less than their best. In their new album Ride Into the Light, Robert Jon and his band set out to cast a declaration of war against the southern rock establishment with some downhome grooves that appeal to the genre’s old school more than they do the alternative new school, and for me, its eight songs add up…
You’ll be forgiven if your initial impression of Brian Seymour’s American Courage is that it’s a folkie singer/songwriter album. The opener “Always Leaving” depends on solid, never flashy, acoustic guitar, Seymour’s weathered yet soulful voice, and a judicious dollop of organ for its success. It’s musical sleight of hand, however. Seymour can turn out excellent songs in this vein, without a doubt, but the remaining nine tracks prove he is much, much more than a folk singer. WEBSITE: https://www.brianseymour.com/ “So Much Love” is full of desire, realized and thwarted, but never defeated. Many of the songs, if not all, included on American Courage acknowledge life’s difficulties in one…
First Full Length Album Set To Be Released on September 1st Seattle Alt.Pop band PRETTY AWKWARD sings about Friends With Benefits in their new single “Woozy”, available now — listen HERE. The groovy, funky track tells a story of the irresistible pull of reconnecting with an ex to fulfill a mutual need when under the influence – even though the relationship can be toxic. The band’s Austin Held says “Lyrically, ‘Woozy’ was inspired by poking fun at the kind of relationships that one can have when they’re a young, misguided adult. When you initially vibe with someone it can seem like innocent young love. But over time it…
Steamy beats come slipping through a wall of bass punctuated by an elasticized electric guitar in the first few bars of “The Soul or the Skin,” the brand-new single from Rob Alexander. Ever so slowly, they build enough strength to balance out the wallop of the low-end quake of the bassline, which recoils at the start of Alexander’s vocalizing of the lyrics. His soft pop vocal is like a cool breeze on a hot day; it’s just what we need to feel like everything is right in the world, at least for this one moment in time. The harmony between the singer…
SILENT SKIES, the cinematic project of EVERGREY’s Tom S. Englund and acclaimed US-based pianist/composer Vikram Shankar (Redemption, Lux Terminus), are releasing their dream-like third studio album, Dormant, on September 1, 2023 via Napalm Records. Continuing on the atmospheric path of Scandinavian melancholy charted on their previous full-lengths, Nectar (2022) and Satellites (2020), Dormant features stunning piano melodies, atmospheric keyboards, lush and expansive soundscapes, and hauntingly beautiful and intense vocals. SILENT SKIES’ third offering is melancholic and calming, yet effervescent and incandescent, expanding the duo’s sonic universe in every direction – it is the result of brave sonic experimentation married to the tastefully artistic aesthetic that defines the…
Tour Dates Announced To Support The Release Rising Country Artist Hannah Ellis is pouring out fun with her new Curb Records single “Wine Country”, available now — listen HERE. Joyfully bringing boujee to the backroads, Ellis is making an impact with the song as it was most added at Radio and is quickly becoming the Country song of the summer. Fans have been showing their appreciation at her live shows, as evidenced by a flash mob in the audience at her recent CMA Festival performance dancing along as she sang on the Chevy Vibes Stage. (Watch here.) The up-and-coming singer/songwriter first debuted the judgment-free anthem this spring…
Vienna, Austria is an unlikely place, perhaps, for an American roots musician to ply their trade. Marc Miner, however, never got that memo. We’re better off that he didn’t. His 2020 release Smile When You’re Wasted introduced his distinctive brand of storytelling filtered through a blues and/or classic country music idiom and its successor, Last Heroes, further refines and expands on its artistry. The eleven-song collection is equal parts a journey through Miner’s heart and a voyage through a distinctly American vision of hell. Miner’s songwriting never compromises personal truth in favor of a lovely lie and the songs are far more than…
West Michigan native John Sanger’s art owes everything to storytelling and personal experiences. His four recent singles bear this out. “Cirrhosis of the River”, “Daisies”, “Lemonade”, and “Sit-N-Spin” cover a wide stylistic ground while unshakable core artistic values. None of the four cuts exceed the three-and-a-half-minute mark reflecting his economic songwriting approach and unwavering focus. The songs likewise ransack a bevy of musical influences ranging from Elvis Costello, Asie Payton, Johnny Cash, Robert Johnson, The Band, and scores of others. Sanger filters those eclectic influences through his consciousness to produce singular work with true staying power. There’s humor, dark and…