CD and DVD reviews
The Dallas String Quartet enjoys a reputation that few other musical units of their ilk can claim. The synthesis of classical and pop instrumentation isn’t entirely new, but few bands boast the layered and deeply emotional sound these musicians achieve. They’ve opened for five-star acts such as Chicago, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and Josh Groban. The quartet…
Heat the Silent is a seven track jazz tour de force that takes on any style it likes and doesn’t sweat a second. It’s effortless. It is the latest release from the powerful modern jazz tandem the MUMEx Duo featuring the talents of pianist Louis Siciliano and drummer Mauro Salvatore. Siciliano is arguably the primary…
Opera singer Angela Hench will make you rethink what opera is capable of. Her take on Montserrat Caballé and Freddie Mercury’s cross-over classic “Barcelona” with second vocalist Gregory Markel lives up to its dual billing as a fitting tribute to that one off marvel and a glorious reinvention of the song for modern audiences. The…
Wildfire is one of the models of sustained consistency modern bluegrass fans can point to in the genre and a big reason for that, among many, is they’ve discovered a balance that works for them. They work in a varying number of originals but their ability to re-envision the work of other songwriters as convincing…
King James Boys are a prodigiously talented gospel quintet that originally began life limited to their own church family. They had no intention of traveling to sing and play the music they loved. However, the King James Boys, led by the tandem of lead vocalist/guitarist Randy Spencer along with bassist and backing singer Cole Spencer,…
What hits me right away is the name of this musical act because Achilles Tenderloin certainly stands out and is unique to the bone. Whether you’re craving a Tenderloin sandwich now OR wondering who this Achilles character is, you will certainly be intrigued and inquisitive from the start. Achilles Tenderloin has released a new single…
David Singley is a talented singer/songwriter & guitarist with over 40 years experience in performing music. David has played with many notable acts over the years and with his background in jazz, Singley knows how to make a quality tune. With that being said, “Change Gonna Come” is David’s latest single and what a fine…
Canadian-born and based musician Caracol is back for the first time not attached to remix since her knockout last album Tout est différent, which was released last November, with her latest single and the lead-in for her upcoming still-untitled LP, “Infinity.” Fans might quickly catch on to the fact that the song is, indeed, a…
Greg Hoy & The Boys pen a fine love letter to classic rock on the powerful “Demons At Night EP”. Everything about it radiates defiance. Best listened to loud because theirs is a physical sound they make sure to hold nothing back. Riffs race on through accompanied by some incredible grooves. Much of the atmosphere…
Seattle’s music scene is a long way removed from the halcyon days of grunge and alternative music when record company A&R personnel trekked to the Pacific Northwest hoping to score the next Nirvana. The city, however, retains a strong musical identity and one of its chief exponents in recent years has been the quartet The…
Bright and airy, the celebratory “Something In The Water” shows off JB Elwood’s infectiously good spirit. Everything about it has a strong, purposeful disposition. Country rock, hard rock, and overall party music this is the sort of thing that touches the very soul. Best of all are the vocals that have their own sense of…
Kate & Anna McGarrigle delivers a beautiful slice of classic folk on “Tant Le Monde”. Recorded live, one feels an intimate sensibility that rolls through the entirety of the work. Every track plays off the last for their voices have a tremendous sweetness to them. Instrumentation blooms adding a magical beauty to it. So much…
Harmony rules as king in the new single “Cooler if U Did” from Little Hurt, but if you think this means this solo project is skimping in other areas, you don’t know what you’re in for this fall. Where a lot of pop musicians like to base their identity around a concept today, Little Hurt…
Miami’s Dici is a thoroughly modern performer who, nevertheless, embodies important and timeless fundamentals. He likewise writes about the tried and true subject matter of thorny romantic relationships with a keen understanding of the conflicting emotions we often experience during and after such connections. “Beautiful Collision” is full of understanding that goes far beyond everyday…
If you’re wanting true artistry, then look no further! Stephen Jacques is hitting on all cylinders with his latest album titled ‘Send Them Love’. This is music done right as Stephen Jacques has put together a wonderful project that has so much heart and stellar material. ‘Send Them Love’ is full of potential and will…
A freewheeling free-spirited sound defines D2UR’s “Right Now”. With an insistent sense of questioning, the song has an intimacy that feels quite refreshing. Production further lends itself to the nice raw grit and soul on display here. The many layers intersect to deliver a fully realized approach. Rhythms here have a careful cadence to them…
Paul Nourigat’s demos for Complex Truth will not appeal to everyone. These are three issue-oriented tracks that some listeners will dismiss despite their obvious musical merit. It’s a shame. Nourigat calls these demos but, excepting scattered hints of their sketched-out state, they come across as much closer to finished products than he gives himself credit for producing.…
Raw, unhinged garage rock fury races by on “Migraine” as Clay Kunego pours his very soul into the sound. Volume deserves to be absolutely blasted for theirs is a physical approach. Everything here bludgeons the listener into submission from the hyperactivity of the rhythm section to the searing guitar riffs that blaze themselves upon the…
A purely intimate take on classic folk Andrew Neil pares things to the absolute essentials on “Alien”. Sounding timeless, he keeps it to vocals and a guitar. For those two items however, he manages to make the environment so expressive. Poetry of sorts flows through the entirety of the journey as there is a loveliness…
Pop/rock, especially the harder stuff, tends to start with a big formula, and without robbing their sound of the edgy, anti-rigidity that has become synonymous with the best sounds in modern alternative music, Pistols at Dawn have found their trademark style in the new album Ascension. Aside from the lead single “Under the Surface,” a…
Moon and Aries sculpt surreal soundscapes on “Break The Matrix (Episode One)”. Fully versed in the electronic, they combine electropop, industrial, ambient with hints of dance into a cohesive whole. These are quiet, reflective odes. Rhythms have a motorik aspect, taking notes from groups like Kraftwerk for there is that similar all-encompassing aspect. Atmosphere matters…
Maybe you haven’t heard of Elizabeth Sombart or do not know a lot about her. It isn’t my first exposure to Elizabeth Sombart and I can proclaim with confidence it will not be your last, but understanding why her name may be unknown or scarcely recognized isn’t difficult. Classical music artists have a hard road…
Tahls employs pure indie pop elegance on “Life Is Weird”. Sounds feel lighter than air for they waft on up into the very sky. Melodically rich the many different layers interact to create a magical atmosphere. Everything about it has a grace. Rhythms embrace a gentle pastoral bliss. By allowing each flourish plenty of time…
The music video for Iva Toric’s “Trust Fall” begins with models walking a fashion show runway. While this is going on, Toric sings about someone who is over controlling. Whether this is actually about being a repressed model, or just using that lifestyle as a metaphor, it’s effective either way. The lyric begins: “He wants…
As soon as you hit Play on Brooke Surgener’s new single, “I Hate You The Least”, you are immediately transfixed by the sound that penetrates your eardrums. Brooke has a certain quality about her, a sort of pizzazz that shines through in her music. Brooke Surgener is able to pull you in with her alluring…
Staytus finds beauty in ugliness on the intense industrial folk fibers of “Disease of the Mind”. These nightmarish odes present absolutely spellbinding works. Rhythms here feature a tribal presence to them. Volume is a given for they bludgeon the listener with such fierceness. Beyond the industrial roots, elements of hard rock, punk, and noise enter…
Joe Marcinek Band is a pure extravaganza of sound and production because this group has so many layers and dimensions. Fittingly enough, ‘5’ is the fifth installment for Joe Marcinek Band and the idea behind the record stemmed from an idea to record a live album at the Dunedin Brewery in Florida. Later on, ‘5’…
It’s interesting to discover that Barkhouse formed after a one-night show where the band played some long lost material and previously unrecorded songs. It was this particular event that sparked interest in all three members to perform officially as Barkhouse from that moment on. These bandmates are also no strangers to eachother as they have…
Elam McKnight is a talented singer/songwriter from West Tennessee with many years behind him as a recording musician. Elam’s latest project titled ‘The Walter Gray Starnes Album’, is near and dear to Elam McKnight for many reasons. First and foremost, Elam’s daughter aka Lil Bit is featured on this new album and further proves that…
Phil Hurley is an accomplished musician with an extensive background in music. Phil has been playing in rock bands with his brother since he was eight years old and he started playing professionally in New York at just 14. The art of music obviously runs through his blood and consumes his soul and now we,…
The title of this new track by Spencer Goldman is absolutely perfect because you get the feeling and sense that this is a “Breakthrough” song. The energy is electric on this new song by Spencer Goldman and this composition has “Breakthrough” hit written all over it! As soon as you push play, you will be…
Blind Uncle Harry immediately captures your attention with his earlobe-raising single titled “Burn Down The High School”. One will be thinking to themselves what in the world is this “Burn Down The High School” all about and then you push play and find out. What the listener experiences from Blind Uncle Harry is an intoxicating…
Delicate folk phrases rise up over the course of Chris St John’s tender “When Dreams End”. The arrangements feature a nimbleness. Stylistically he incorporates elements of folk, western rock, classical, and more in this dusty experience. Everything here has an otherworldly presence nicely fitting into the album’s title. Verses here have a sweetness about them,…
A clever intersection of classical meets the avant-garde, Emily Jaworski Koriath & Tad Koriath develop their own musical language on “These Distances Between Us: 21st Century Songs of Longing”. The songs build off each other for there is a kaleidoscopic aspect to the way they quickly work through so many different textures. With a keen…
An inspirational piece of pop perfection, Georgia Jones bares her very soul on “Ruins”. Buildup on here proves exceptional. The song’s rise from its hushed origins is downright joyful. Her voice continues to rest right in the center of the whole thing. Beyond this, elements of EDM, electro, pop, and classical emerge, blending themselves together…
Gordon Thomas Ward is a masterful storyteller, accomplished songwriter and true artist who knows how tap into human emotions like no other. On his latest release, ‘Whispers From The Woods’, Gordon was able to keep it close to home literally by recording this album at his cottage on the coast of Maine at Frog Hollow…
After a career of playing and contributing to some 2,000 of other peoples hits and anchoring Toto, the six time Grammy winning songwriter/keyboard ace has completed his debut solo album. Going on this journey with him are Joseph Williams (Toto) on vocals, Gregg Bissonette on drums, Nathan East on bass, and Steve Lukather and Dean…
Appropriate for their name, NYC’s Noshows accomplishes a lot through implication and suggestiveness. The most popular use of the term “noshows” or “no-shows” is familiar enough to everyone and the Max Satow-led unit immediately cuts against that interpretation. If taken in another way, the project’s moniker can imply that there’s no pretense here despite what…
There are plenty of ways you can tell the story of a person’s life; from studying the broad strokes of their life’s narrative through historical events to gaining personal insight from friends about the kind of person they appeared to be to those around them. The facets of a person’s life contain multitudes and layers…
Xavier Toscano offers a majestic buildup with the pop classical fusion of “Castles In The Sky”. A nice little throwback to the classic trance-pop hit from the 90s, this one too radiates a tremendous amount of emotion. The piece retains a degree of lightness throughout the entirety of the journey. By ensuring that the melody’s…
