While they’re not overly physical in any fashion, there’s no getting around the textured presence of the guitars in Shane Britt’s terrific new single “I’m Not Well.” In more ways than one, the string play in this track is the perfect complement to Britt’s warm vocal, which conveys lyrics in a way that no other voice could have. “I’m Not Well” is a sleek country song with strong pop/rock overtones, but make no mistake about it – though it lacks a defined loyalty to a specific scene on the surface, the substance of the songcraft here is undisputedly top-notch. There’s…
Author: Heather Savage
In his new single “Best of Me,” Drew Cooper establishes himself as a traditionalist in the country singer/songwriter genre while steering clear of the mundane attributes that have plagued his peers in recent years. Right off the bat, Cooper’s honky-tonk and Bakersfield influences are present in the style of his melodies (not to mention the swing of his beats). He straddles the groove of the drums with surgical precision, but while his delivery is quite charming indeed, I believe it’s his voice that will bring listeners back to this song time and after time this summer. The rhythm is a…
UK math/post-rock auteurs One Day We Will Be the Trees’ debut collection Brink announces the arrival of a major creative force. The band directs their musical inclinations in a largely instrumental direction with impressive results, but their smattering of vocal and lyric contributions reaches the same lofty standards. Despite their obvious ambitions, One Day We Will Be the Trees never succumbs to pretentiousness. Their playing, singing, and words are full of immediacy and conversational language certain to connect with a wide swath of listeners. Moreover, the band eschews any grandiosity in their arrangements. Brink’s longest track is a little less than five and…
Peter MacDonald’s debut EP Nothing is an intensely personal collection that achieves more over five songs than many full-length albums manage. Drawing from a gamut of influences, MacDonald concocts an idiosyncratic and irresistible musical brew that grows on listeners with each additional listen. The five tracks work individually and yet hang together as a cohesive thematic statement sharing first-class production values at every turn. First release or not, it’s obvious after a single airing that MacDonald has honed his craft to a fine edge before committing these tracks to the recording process and it results in one of 2023’s most notable debuts.…
The sting of raw emotion can be softened by a sterling lyric in the right setting, but in his new record Inner Path, turning to verses for a solution isn’t the primary theme Guillermo Marigliano is contending with, but instead, the introspection playing without the pressure of lyrics getting in the way can provide. There’s perspective as rich as an afternoon sunset in Inner Path’s best moments, and although you could say that the jazz music has been turning out some amazing content lately and be 100% right, little that I’ve heard has featured the heartfelt performances used to make up the…
Throbbing drums. An eruptive bassline. A lush serenade. Diane Gentile & The Gentle Men incorporate all three of these elements in the new single “Walk with Me,” but beneath the hypnotic components of the song’s surface charm, there lies a multifaceted composition more intriguing than most any other in this band’s discography. The much acclaimed Diane Gentile & The Gentle Men have been making music together for a while now, racking up accolades for 2015’s Caught in a Wave, but in their latest release, we hear a variation of their sound that seems almost untethered to the stylistic parameters it was…
When discussing his collaboration with veteran graphic novelist and comic illustrator Gan Golan and William Rosado, Harvard Law professor Alan Jenkins is straightforward and honest. This is fitting given the nature of the trio’s recent accomplishment, the first issue of a comic strip revolving around an alternate timeline where the events of January 6 turned out…differently. “…I love comics and I love democracy,” Jenkins states, in an interview with Comics DC. “…(Writing) (1/6: The Graphic Novel Issue #1: What if the Attack on the U.S. Capitol Succeeded) was a mix. I would say we got more Marvel style as we…
Bill Owens, the lead singer of Blunt Objects, can be described as an avant-garde pop artist. His musical style draws from various eras, including the 1960s (The Beatles, The Velvet Underground, The Zombies), the 1970s (David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Roxy Music), the 1980s (Brian Eno, The Cure, Talking Heads), and beyond. Despite being influenced by a wide range of artists, it is challenging to find a well-known comparison for the distinctive sound of Blunt Objects. Their indie music stands out as exceptionally unique in today’s scene. As the album begins, a distant and haunting train horn captivates my emotions, evoking…
Lyrically speaking, Cedars’ new single “Empire” is probably the most provocative of any that you’ll discover in their present discography, at least from a poetic perspective, but that isn’t the only reason why I would tell you to give this song a close examination at the moment. Sandeigh Kennedy handily weaves harmonies together in a flamboyant patchwork of hard rock melodicism in this supercharged indie anthem, and just when we think we’ve heard just how virtuosic a voice she has, she turns around and surprises us with an intimate verse even more passionate in tone than the one that just…
John Dorsch joins an ever-growing list of gifted Canadian musicians whose work finds global acceptance. The longtime guitarist only recently turned his attention to a role as a singer, but he’s written songs and played guitar for decades. His wealth of ideas and inspiration has borne fruit in recent times collaborating with his wife Dani in a duo with a couple of releases to their credit. His latest full-length album Elevation mixes instrumentals with a wide variety of lyrics addressing several subjects over the course of the collection’s fifteen songs. The instrumentals, likewise, aren’t content rehashing a single theme but, instead, have…
Flordia’s Sobak are readying for the release of their new album A Little More Time and the world is on notice. The Sunshine State’s Anthony Sobak pushes a personal vision for modern hard rock that owes many debts to the past while still laying down a thoroughly contemporary take on the style. There isn’t a single track among the album’s ten songs that qualify as filler. It’s the latest turn in a musical trip that’s been ongoing since Anthony Sobak was fifteen years old. A former music student at both the University of Nevada Las Vegas and Ball State University, he’s long…
Teresa Eggertsen Cooke, hailing from Park City, Utah, has been a musician most of her life. Her journey as a performer began during her high school days, and since then, she has been captivating audiences with her live performances. Her musical style encompasses a fusion of jazz, Americana and rock, resulting in a diverse repertoire during her live shows. In the year 2016, Cooke collaborated with Janet Holroyd and the late, extraordinary Andy Jackson to release her inaugural solo album, titled Fooled Again. During the period from 2014 to 2017, she held the prestigious position of being an artist in…
BAkeR is the work of M.J.Baker (vocals/bass/guitars/keyboards) from Auckland, New Zealand. The artist recently released Eternal Now which is a five-song EP. I found the music to be introspective and cerebral but still have some great grooves to hold on to. The opening track, named “John,” captivates with its intriguing use of synthesized sounds reminiscent of crystalline formations. As the bass and drums join in, faint guitar melodies resonate in the background, evoking a distinct shoegaze ambiance. The vocals enter the mix, impressively delivered and immediately captivating. A noteworthy moment occurs around the two-minute mark when a well-executed breakdown takes…
Blistering regardless of the tempo they’re set to, the most melodic parts in High Charisma from The Extensions are definitely reason enough to give this record a listen as soon as you can, but I don’t think they’re the sole element in “Casual Day,” “Big Tree” or “My Turn” that will keep you coming back to this tracklist time and time again this season. The Extensions are coming out of obscurity intending to revive true indie rock for a new era of listeners to get into, and while their goals are lofty, they don’t seem out of reach here at…
Pop superstar Baker Grace will be a featured guest on The Happy Hour Podcast on Sunday, July 23rd, 2023 at 7:30 PM ET/ 4:30 PM PT on YouTube Live. With her debut EP in 2019, “Girl I Know”, Baker Grace emerged as an artist with undeniable confidence. She stretches the boundaries of pop music and with each new release shows a new level of musicianship and introspection while maintaining her integrity and singularity. The 23-year-old singer-songwriter from Weehawken, NJ is working to create her own charming reality aside from the masses. Her sophomore EP, “Yourz Truly” illuminated her inner world…
In his lead single from the album Talking Loud, “Don’t Want the Phone to Ring,” up-and-coming pop singer/songwriter Ajay Mathur makes a point of setting the pace for himself early on in the track almost as a means of demonstrating his efficiency through execution, and what follows is nothing short of spectacular. While not quite as reliant on the hook here as some of his peers might have been, Mathur pays homage to classic pop elements while steering clear of predictable metaphors in his poetry, inevitably yielding something that I would deem alternative music at its most gentle and accessible to…
Sisters J, Elisabeth and Lily Jackson, are based out of Nashville, but their talents extend far past any labels. They’ve honed their vocal talents since early childhood and are veteran performers despite their youth and the lessons they’ve accumulated along the way imbue them with flexibility shared by few other similar duos. They are adept with original material and are prolific composers, but they are also skilled interpreters of folk, pop, Broadway-styled music, and classical compositions. They’ve likewise shown a talent for praise and worship music that hasn’t gone unnoticed. Their new single “Breathe In” finds them working in the…
There aren’t many music scenes in the world that are as competitive as the one in Texas. The lone star state is a confluence of mainstream and independent artists, and for a country singer/songwriter by the name of Kaitlyn Kohler, it’s a place she calls home. Kohler’s music is as surreal as it is sharply emotional, and in the new single “Everywhere I Go,” she uses her fusion style of play to make it known just how heavy a contender in the Nashville scene she’s looking to become in 2023 and beyond. Her compositional wit is impressive, but perhaps not…
Band Announces New Tour Dates with Rehab and Scotty Austin Columbia, MO based Heavy Rockers Dark Below have delivered their powerful new single “Make Believe”. What began as a humble trio making music for their friends in the Midwest has grown into a promising force on the national scene. LINK TREE: https://linktr.ee/darkbelow The song features a massive, wall of sound vibe – Thanks to award-winning producer Malcolm Springer (Matchbox 20, Collective Soul, Fear Factory, Josey Scott). The song was recorded at East Iris Studios in Nashville, TN. The band is influenced by Chevelle, Breaking Benjamin, and 10 Years – and that heavy alternative sound shines through on this…
Red Matter’s Northbound Train serves notice that the jam band scene has a new colossus striding across festival stages and beyond. This isn’t a band content with regurgitating the past glories of their betters but, instead, picking up their mantle and carrying extended multi-genre music into a promising future. The Greenwich, Connecticut-based septet serves up a dizzying potpourri of stylistic turns and dazzling instrumental performances without ever forgetting what we’re here for: songs. Songs such as the first track “Light of the Moon” make it abundantly clear they know what they are doing. Hundreds of live performances sharpened their songwriting skills, as…
Full-length studio albums are never easy to put together, no matter what the genre or how talented the act might be. That said, some might find it a little unfair how simply Twilight Muse makes it sound in their latest release, the formidable yet wholly proper A Moment Out of Time, which dropped this June to a warm reception from critics across the spectrum. While Twilight Muse might be the new kids on the block, they aren’t acting like it in songs like “Destination You,” “Electrify Me” and the dedicated “Oh Mama;” in my estimation, they’ve got a lot more moxie…
Step into room, and you will see Henri Cainglet’s work. The Filipino native has an undeniable, visual aesthetic that inspires both delightful bewilderment, and a sense of all-encompassing, wild-eyed immersion. There’s something refreshingly modern about his style, whilst simultaneously displaying a kind of timelessness. Mr. Cainglet’s mixture of his cultural roots with elements of key American painters creates this kind of uncanny valley viewing experience. You feel like you are witnessing individual stories with each of his works, with a distinctive beginning, middle, and end in one moment captured in paint, pastel, and sculpture. FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/henri.cainglet/ Due recognition has followed…
Jason Freddi’s Dreaming Australia is a nine song collection quite unlike anything else you’ll hear this year. There may be some trepidation on the listener’s behalf diving into a work that, on its surface, seems so tethered to the Australian experience. Plumbing deeper into the work, however, reveals songs and lyrical craft that extend far past the borders of the island-bound nation and speaks to universal, rather than national, experiences. Attentive listeners will discover all sorts of relevant antecedents in their own culture and humanity. The music, as well, has a certain amount of exotic flavor, but Freddi grounds it in recognizable…
Hearing Rob Alexander for the first time restores some of my wavering faith in substantive pop music. The thirteen songs on his new album Young Man’s Eyes cover a gamut of genres while sharing the common characteristics of strong refrains, relatable subject matter, and often memorable melodic foundations. His influences are obvious to anyone well-versed in pop music history, but he’s not engaging in artful pastiche. Instead, Alexander has taken the work of his predecessors, too numerous to mention, and used them as a springboard for creating his own legacy. It isn’t too strong of a word. His legacy is a work…
A smokescreen of melodicism is all that separates us from Sasha Prendes in the opening bars of her new single “Shake This,” which is out now everywhere that independent R&B is sold and streamed. The beats come out of thin air and start assaulting us with their gentle sway. “Shake This” is a game of contrasts; on the one hand, we’ve got this dynamic synth part that is swarthy and full of instability just waiting to come undone in the left channel of our speakers, and on the other, we’ve got the velvety vocal track entrancing us with its psychedelic…
A pendulous but warm melody. Burning emotions simmer to the surface courtesy of a layered-attack vocal that comes together slowly but surely. A sense of continuity extends itself well beyond the limitations of sound and melodicism altogether. In the new single “worst of times,” pop singer Ava Della Pietra is joined by a stacked arrangement for what feels like one of the more powerfully honest tacks of its kind to debut in 2023, and though I had never heard of this singer before coming across her new track this summer, I think she set the bar pretty high for herself…
Jay Middleton is a name that may be unfamiliar to many but for over four decades he’s performed many times with his bands at some of the best clubs and venues around, and shared stages with renowned musical names. His new EP release Forward is the latest entry in a long musical career and, even if he is almost three decades removed from his last Top 40 hit in the United States, you can’t tell. He sings with the vigor of a much younger man and the six songs included on this new EP release deliver a wise and well-earned message of…
Menacing melodies float around us as the slow-churning synth play of “I’m Here Forever” fills the air with an ominousness that, although muted by the shadow of the rollicking beat, plays an understated role in the moodiness of “By Your Side” as well. “A Different Way” aches like a long-forgotten ballad refashioned in millennial moxie, while “If I Ever” screams in silence, muffled by a synth-filtered rhythm that is as intoxicating as it is nauseatingly complex. “Dark Side” has a multifaceted progressive pop finish that is as embracive of experimentalism as the black-and-white melodies crushing us in “Enemies” could be,…
From the very first moments of Snailbones’ music, I was immediately struck by the sheer audacity of their dissonant and chaotic sound. It was as if they had harnessed raw energy and unleashed it in a concentrated burst. The track “Mouse Clap” solidified my conviction that “Keelhaul ’em All” was going to be an album that resonated with me. It’s unique blend of aggressive instrumentation, unorthodox song structures, and fearless experimentation assured me that I was in for an exhilarating musical journey. That’s what I got. Songs with zero pretense and unfiltered release that creates waves of cathartic release over…
Hailing from Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, alt-rock outfit Kickstand Jenny unveils their latest musical offering, the album “Between The Lies.” Setting the stage with an electrifying opener entitled “Love It Or Leave It,” the band’s expansive genre allows for eager anticipation, gravitating towards the grittier side of rock. The sonic tapestry explodes with a scorching electric guitar riff, emanating both hard rock and metal influences, immediately captivating the listener’s senses. This attention-grabbing riff embeds itself as an irresistible earworm, wasting no time in ensnaring the audience’s attention. The drums unleash a powerful impact, beckoning head-banging, while the vocalist effortlessly delivers…