Category Archives: Misc Reviews

RaneRaps – Diamonds and Perils

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RaneRaps has a new EP titled “Diamonds and Perils.” It includes some flavorful jams like “You Thought Wrong,” and “Breaking the Ice.” The backing music is particularly good and probably could stand on it’s own even as an instrumental, though the rapping helps give it an identity. Raneraps describes Diamonds and Peril as “his most cathartic project to date, which captures the window of his life from Dec. 2015 – Feb. 2016 – a period of heavy loss.” The songs though come across upbeat rather than depressing, energetic as opposed to lifeless. My favorite track is probably “Memories,” which is a groovy tune that combines light hip hop with subtle elements of disco and has a very early 90s pop feel to it. RaneRaps EP, “Diamonds and Perils” is impressive on multiple levels.

For more info:

http://raneraps.com

http://www.soundcloud.com/raneraps

Destiny Palmer – We Don’t

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Destiny Palmer has a new single out titled “We Don’t.” She grew up in Houston, singing in the church choir and brings that experience to her music, which is as real as it gets. “We Don’t” is a heartfelt jam, and the gospel influence is apparent in her vocals, which are assertive but not overbearing. My favorite part of the song is the line, “We Don’t Mess With Your Kind,” which is catchy and melodic.

You can purchase the song here:
https://itunes.apple.com/album/-/id1154222649

Marwan Maurice – Contin

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Singer-songwriter Marwan Maurice has a new single and video out for his song, “Contin.” You might get the impression from his album art aesthetic and clothing style that Maurice is a hip hop artist. In fact, his music is more of an energetic, alternative pop-rock. Marwan’s vocals a kind of upbeat rock n’roll sound, reminiscent of a lot of 90’s rock, but without any of the depressed or misanthropic vibes. The pacing of the song is just right, and there is an interesting and strategically placed football interlude about halfway through the song which gives the jam a bit of character and shows off Marwan’s imaginative spirit. The video production keeps the viewer interested and makes good use of color to convey the mood and atmosphere.

For more info:
https://www.facebook.com/MarwanMauriceMusic

Stori Brooks – Say Hi

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Atlanta based artist Stori Brooks has released a song “Say Hi” from her upcoming EP titled “Everything is Gr8 (in space.)” She describes her music as “alternative hip hop,” which is good way to put it. It has more of a artistic and melodic quality than most hip hop. I especially like the backing of “Say Hi” which is mellow and futuristic. Without the vocals, this song could easily just be classified as synthwave. Her lyrics are poetic and almost abstract. Stori Brooks’ singing style is eloquent and calming, matching the mood of the music perfectly. I would recommend this song even if you don’t like hip hop, as it doesn’t fall into the stereotypes or cliches of the genre. When one thinks of Atlanta hip hop, this isn’t what typically comes to mind, but it’s actually better.

Christopher Vincent – Don’t Let Me Down

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Singer Christopher Vincent has recorded a cover version of The Chainsmokers’ hit song “Don’t Let Me Down.” Vincent’s vocals take center stage in the song, steering it it toward more of an R&B and gospel sound, while retaining the Caribbean elements as well as the track’s dance club appeal. He draws from an eclectic range of influences, from Motown to hip hop and can be difficult to pin down into a genre. Vincent comes across as a professional in his singing, clearly having some formal training under his belt. The production quality of the video itself is also very good.

Baltimore Ledge – One High

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Hip Hop artist Baltimore Ledge has a new single and video titled “One High.” The song is fast paced and flows easily. It mostly manages to avoid a lot of rap cliches seems to aim for a higher artistic quality. The cinematography for the video is particularly good and illustrates a level of professionalism and seriousness that’s not usually seen in these types of videos. This release strikes me as something that is as good or better than most hip hop you’d heard on the radio. It’s definitely more genuine.

You can follow him on Facebook and Twitter

Stig Gustu Larsen – Lifelines + Echoes

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Artist Stig Gustu Larsen has a new album out called “Lifelines + Echoes.” It’s a very personal album which contains several songs and deals with losing someone close. Though the songs grapple with sadness and have a slow pacing, they don’t come across as depressing. The tone is actually very uplifting. The style of music is sort of an adult contemporary pop, acoustic “singer/songwriter” variety. His vocals are on point and a good fit for this genre. Stig’s many years of musical experience are evident in the overall high quality of the arrangements. Everything here sounds very professional. It’s good music for a rainy day.

Mel – Late Nights

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Hip hop artist Mel has a new jam out called “Late Nights.” It’s very smooth and the jazzy background grooves actually do give the song a feel of being on a late night drive through the city thinking things out. The production quality is very good and Mel’s delivery is measured and easy going. A lot of times, a rapper’s tone or volume doesn’t fit with the mood of the music. This isn’t the case with Mel, whose style lends itself well to the theme and vibe of the music behind it.

You can find more info on Mel and listen to some of his tracks here.

Mikey Shyne – I Really Want

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As of midnight tonight, Queens artist Mikey Shyne has a new single out titled “I Really Want.” Mikey describes his music as a “blend of pop,rock, hip hop and urban” genres. “I Really Want” comes across as a very upbeat and energetic track. Parts of it almost seem to have a Caribbean pop vibe. These are probably my favorite portions of the song. The production quality is top notch, as professional sounding as anything you’d hear on the radio. You can find more info about Mikey Shyne’s music on his website, here.

Big Chris is Back

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Big Chris wants you to know he’s returned after being out of the scene for a few months. He released a mixtape a few years ago called “In One Hand,” which some people might remember. His latest single is called “F the World,” which despite the bleak title, is intended to be motivational and promotes the idea of overcoming the adversity life throws at you. It has an RNB/hip hop club vibe. It has a radio pop quality to it, but the vulgar lyrics would probably preclude it from being played at your local mall’s background music. The track is available to listen to on Spotify, here.

You can learn more about Big Chris and his upcoming album “Good Timing” at http://www.bigchrisrnb.com/