Category Archives: Reviews

Carrier – When New York Is Drowning

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When New York Is Drowning is a new album from Brooklyn-based rock band, Carrier. Peppy, emotive and melodic, this is classic indie rock. I honestly didn’t even know there still were bands out there making this style of indie music, which was so coveted and loved in the early to mid 2000s, when I was just a budding young scenester, and everyone I knew listened to groups like Franz Ferdinand, James, The Make Up and The Dandy Warhols,.

It all makes sense though when you learn that When New York Is Drowning apparently was a ten year album project. The band cites influences like Japandroids, The Strokes, Jets to Brazil and Green Day, but they’ve essentially carved out their own sound. Lively guitars provide much of the backbone of the songs, while passionately delivered vocals with deep reverberation give the music its evocative soul. The recordings are excellent and pure, without any of the senseless overprocessing or auto-tune effects that taint most contemporary releases. The album’s opening track, Bitter Child is an instant hit and perfectly encapsulates what Carrier’s music is all about.

For more info:

https://www.instagram.com/carrierbk/
https://www.facebook.com/CarrierBK
https://soundcloud.com/carrierbk

Rebecca Jade – What’s It Gonna Be

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What’s It Gonna Be is a new single from artist, Rebecca Jade. Backing by sparkling, colorful and sophisticated melodies, Rebecca’s powerful voice takes center stage. Her vocals are dynamic and professional. She’s truly an exceptional singer, and manages to convey sensitivity and emotional realism in her delivery. With its catchy hooks, What’s It Gonna Be is high class lounge music with 21st century pop/R&B sensibility. The song builds and gets better and better, incorporating crystal clear vocal harmonies and a full, sonically rich that will give you goosebumps. Rebecca Jade has an impressive list of singing credits, having performed in some capacity or another with many iconic artists. What’s It Gonna Be shows that she’s a musical giant in her own right.

For more info:

https://www.rebeccajade.com
https://www.facebook.com/ladyrebeccajade
https://www.instagram.com/ladyrebeccajade

Acid City Nuns – The Habit

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The Habit is a new album from Acid City Nuns. Coming in with crystal clear audio and stereophonic vibes, these jams sound so smooth. Blending elements of jazz, synthwave, and hip hop, the songs have a sophisticated feel. The vocals often oscillate between dreamlike serenades and casual rapping. There’s a lot of variety, with some tracks featuring laser-like synths and aerobic workout tape pacing, while other songs are ambient, mysterious and ethereal. Still other songs incorporate pristine, classic jazz instrumentals, reminiscent of what you’d hear at a late 1970s cocktail party in New York. The music is professional, fun and occasionally romantic, with lyrics that subtly hint at underlying themes of social consciousness. Containing nearly 20 polished tracks, The Habit is an ambitious and impressively satisfying production.

For more info:

https://acidcitynuns.com/

Eddy P – Cataracts

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Cataracts is a new single from Sacramento-born vocalist and rapper, Eddy P. He cites a lot of golden age hip hop legends like Tupac, Nas, and Bone Thugs as influences, and his performance actually measures up to those standards. This guy has an excellent flow and can really rap. Capable of lightning delivery and precision timing, the Bone Thugs’N’Harmony influence is readily apparent in the first few seconds of the recording. Other times he keeps the vibe cool and casual as he goads his adversaries.

Throughout the song, he makes effective use of layering to create a fully stacked, action packed mix. Cataracts with its catchy chorus, unique metaphor and musically colorful backbeat, is itself a kind of instant classic. A lot of rappers have rhyming skills, but Eddy P demonstrates that he is a genuinely talented songwriter, capable of putting together enduring hits. There’s definitely some magic there. Eddy P also offers a link where people can go and download his songs for free, here.

For more info:

Instagram: Eddyp_Ironmessage
Twitter: @IronMessage
Website: www.eddypironmessage.com

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The Orange Goodness – Flying Under The Radar Of Chaos

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Flying Under The Radar Of Chaos is a new album from Minneapolis-based band, The Orange Goodness. Artistic, slick and stylish, this release is like an aesthetic throwback to back when indie rock bands were still cool (and good). Minneapolis has always produced excellent bands (The Siren Six being one of my personal favorites), and this group has really perfected their grooving rock’n’roll sound.

Rhythmic guitars and creative structural arrangements keep the action lively, and the vocalist is truly a gifted singer. His delivery has its own distinctive flavor and personality, which is essential for a band like this to stand out and cultivate a memorable identity. Flying Under The Radar Of Chaos also features a plethora of genuinely killer guitar solos and riffs. There’s terrific musicianship all around on display here. Be sure and check out the video for the track, Love Life Lies, which captures precisely the aesthetic I envisioned while listening to this album.

For more info:

https://www.facebook.com/theorangegoodness
https://www.instagram.com/theorangegoodness/?hl=en

Fires of Denmark – Relativity

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Relativity is a new album from band, Fires of Denmark. Scheduled to for an official release date of November 15, 2021, the album was recorded during a week-long stay in a house that was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in Wisconsin. Ambient, intellectual and retro-futuristic, the songs on here feature some of the best analog synth sounds you’ll ever hear. These recordings are so crisp and clear, they’re like a stereophile’s dream. One of the standout tracks is It Goes On, with its ethereal melodies and dreamlike vocals. Dripping with suspense, it almost feels like it belongs in a club scene of an 80s horror movie soundtrack. My other favorite song is Start Living Outside Of Time which has well-constructed hooks, a catchy chorus and probably has the most potential to be a “hit.” The album has to be taken as a whole though to be appreciated. It offers a complex, meditative and enchanting listening experience that may even propel your mind to reach higher levels of consciousness.

For more info:

Pre-Save: https://smarturl.it/ydrmk9
Website: https://www.firesofdenmark.com
Instagram: @firesofdenmark
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/firesofdenmark/

Undermine – Frost

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Frost is a new single from Austin-based band, Undermine. This song is from their just released album, As Above (which features some remarkably killer covert art by the way). A raw, organic blend of punk rock, country, and folk, Frost could best be characterized as “cowpunk.” Clocking in at less than 2 minutes, the song is short and sweet but still manages to hit you with everything its got. Unlike most contemporary punk releases, this really has a genuine punk sound. It’s noisy, boisterous and messy in all the best ways. The recording makes you feel like you’re right there in the action, at some kind of life affirming basement show that’s packed with people. These guys hold nothing back when they’re performing, and the guitars and vocals on Frost will knock your socks off.

For more info:

https://undermineatx.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Undermineatx/

Steve Williams – Surrey Road

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Surrey Road is a new album from Melbourne-based singer-songwriter, Steve Williams. With its classic guitar rhythms and soulful vocals, this is flavorful funk rock at its finest. The stylish swagger and upbeat bluesy sound is sometimes reminiscent of that of legends like Dr John. This is most evident in the opening track, Addiction. Other jams like Shelter Me take on more of a smooth and ethereal sensibility while keeping with the groovy guitar backdrop. The title track Surrey Road has a loungy, refined and jazzy feel. Steve Williams demonstrates a lot of versatility as both a performer and songwriter. He displays an impressive level of sophistication with this thunderously release. This album is an instant contemporary classic, which actually sounds like it could be a classic from another era.

For more info:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004121351264
https://stevewilliams3.bandcamp.com/album/surrey-road

BlazeDwnJay – Pain Songz

Pain Songz is a new single from Baton Rouge-based artist, BlazeDwnJay. Blending elements of hip hop, R&B and pop, the song’s colorfully melodic beat provides a smooth backdrop for heartfelt vocals. The powerful lyrical delivery is brimming with straightforward honesty, while retaining expressive sensitivity and romantic sentimentality. Written in the style of a love letter (or post-breakup letter), the song conveys genuine affliction in a way that’s sincere, relatable and musically satisfying. The singing is quite good. Combining dynamic, traditional vocal ability with precision hip hop timing and a confident delivery, Pain Songz maintains a fresh, danceably rhythmic appeal even while the content often contains feelings of sorrow. Pain Songz is a therapeutic, emotionally resilient, and surprisingly inspirational jam.

For more info:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/414l3dOr8AJbwsexKAQx5K

The Undecideds – Oldest Story in the World

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Oldest Story in the World is a new single from The Undecideds, a brother and sister musical duo based in Los Angeles. Though these artists are youthful in age and appearance, their music in clearly influenced by classic rock’n’roll styles. Incorporating soulful melodies and emotive sincerity into their sound, The Undecideds emit a level of authenticity rarely seen in contemporary mainstream pop/rock. As one might ascertain from the title, Oldest Story in the World itself puts a fresh spin on the familiar tale of heartbreak and resilience.

Groovy guitar riffs give the song a haunting, James Dean-like coolness factor, while passionate, sentimental vocals offer hints of relatable Americana flavor. Chloe has a dynamic and charismatic voice that carries the song exactly where it’s trying to go. It will genuinely pull listeners’ heartstrings. The band manages to balance professional production and recording quality with organic performances. The result of this tightrope walk is an excellent audio mix which doesn’t sacrifice artistic credibility. Oldest Story in the World is stylish, professional and 100% real.

For more info:

https://theundecideds.com/
https://linktr.ee/TheUndecideds

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