VOL. II is a new album from hip hop group, Pomagranite. They’re actually based out of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and perhaps their name is a reference to New Hampshire being known as “The Granite State.” The album however, was written and recorded while the group was on a recent trip to Los Angeles. VOL. II is an impressive release that just oozes with style. They utilize unconventional beats that are phenomenal musically and often sound like something out of a 60s sci-fi film or old Twilight Zone episode (particularly the case with FUH BIDDEN and SMART DOLLAH.) You get a sense of Pomagranite’s talent right off the bat with the first track, DUFFLE, which is probably my favorite song on here. The delivery is quick and precise, indicative of rappers that are really skilled verbal acrobats and not just going through the motions busting rhymes or posturing. These guys also make creative use of production, experimenting with some interesting processing and vocal effects I honestly haven’t really heard anywhere else. This album really does capture the cool and out there vibe of Southern California ambiance. The whole package of this release comes together quite nicely. It has a great album cover to live up to, and the music won’t let you down.

For more info:

Crazy is a new single from TonAsh and Judah the Lion, two artists from the Bahamas. The song has a fresh analog style intro complete with vintage guitar, crackle and tape hiss before the track kicks into full effect. One can detect some subtle Caribbean vibes in the backing beat, accented also by a unique whistling sound. Musically the song has a very summer afternoon groovin feel. The vocal delivery is very light and peppy yet genuine, making could usage of vocal layering for the backups. The front vocals come across as lively, energetic and surprisingly sensitive. The repetition makes the song very catchy, with the phrase “I feel like I’m going crazy” getting stuck in your head within the first listen, and I can certainly relate to the sentiments. Crazy also has an excellent little outro (again featuring the whistle.) This jam should have a nice, balanced international appeal.

For more info:

http://www.242tonash.com/

TonAsh: IG: @KingTA242 FB: @TonAsh Twitter: @KingTonAsh
Judah Tha Lion IG: @JudahThaLion

Kingdom of Moments is a new single from Astroblue Express, a band from New York. The spacelike, ethereal ambiance is fronted by some absolutely dreamy female vocals. It’s like if you combined Erasure with Olivia Newton John or Princess Chelsea. There’s enough of a backbeat that you can dance to this. I can only imagine elevated level of consciousness one would experience if hearing this in a club setting. The song is very abstract and lyrically and spritually helps separate the listener from the material world, taking us on a journey to a kingdom with more to offer. I really enjoyed this jam. The vocals are hypnotic and practically magical.

For more info:

http://www.youtube.com/c/AstroblueExpress
https://www.astroblueexpress.com
http://www.soundcloud.com/astroblue-express

Modesty is a new single from Kentuck based singer/songwriter Charles Ryan Davis. It song appears on the EP, Five. Modesty is aptly titled as the track laments the loss of modesty as a “lost art” in sharing one’s opinion on social media. It reflects on the increasing polarization of politics and the argumentative nature of people in general. Musically the song is quite enchanting, though difficult to pin down into a genre. It’s indie pop/rock with some exotic vintage organ sounds to give it some flavor. Charles Ryan Davis is an impressive singer. With this style of music, you can sometimes get away with mediocre vocals as part of an organic, quirky and avant garde package, but Charles’ voice goes above and beyong thee call of duty, giving a top tier performance. Like I said, the music is difficult to classify, but the best way I could describe it is like an folkish, psychedelic indie rock version of R.E.M. or They Might Be Giants. This guy’s a talented songwriter, and we could all do with a little more Modesty in our lives.

For more info:

https://music.apple.com/us/album/modesty/1471682922?i=1471682926

That’s What Crazy Lovers Do is a new, original jazz standard single from vocalist Kathy Ingraham. The song also features critically acclaimed jazz icon Pete Levin on piano, and he does deliver. The mix is fairly minimalist, with mostly just piano, percussion and vocals, but this is definitely a case where quality is better than quantity. Kathy’s an established singer, and her voices carries the song effortlessly. She’s so good, she makes it look easy. The track has a very lounge-like feel to it. It’s swingin’ but more mellow and romantic than the more fast paced swing revival stuff which was popular in the 90s. This is more classy and elegant. Another interesting thing about this song is that it has a narrative. While Kathy sings she occasionally breaks into more casual, conversational story telling before diving deeply back into the music. This type of interlude heightens the climactic moments of the song. That’s What Crazy Lovers Do is cool and professional and may even win some awards.

For more info:

http://www.kathyingraham.com/
https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/kathy-ingraham/870757212

From the Mud is a new single from producer, BoomBox Massacre and is set to appear on the upcoming compilation album, Massacre Muzik. What’s interesting about this jam is how rockin’ it is. The backbeat could almost just as easily be the backdrop for a heavy metal song. Really though the music heightens the action and suspense of the lyrical delivery. The timing in the delivery is really precise and on point, which is especially impressive given the unconventional and irregular beat. Everything flows nicely though and there are some choice lines (“opposite of Atkins, choose to walk the city like I’m lumberjackin.”) I have a feeling this song would appeal to a wide variety of people. It’s just so epic, like a blockbuster fantasy action movie in the form of a hip hop jam.

For more info:

https://soundcloud.com/boom-box-3/3-from-the-mud-feat-2xtim/s-FveLK

Lost At Sea is a new single from artist’s Steve Kilbey and Gareth Koch. I say “single,” but interestingly there are in fact three different versions of the song. There’s an instrumental version, another version where Steve provides vocals solo, and one where both Steve and Gareth sing as a duet. The production is very clean and high quality, with the instruments coming through loud and clear. The ambiance is mellow and contemplative. It’s interesting that the song is titled Lost At Sea as the music puts out a very aquatic vibe, like a pleasant song for a rainy day. The vocals are soft and heartfelt, without any unnecessary processing or effects, just some dreamy reverb. These guys clearly make a good team, and all three versions are worth listening to.

For more info:

Singer/songrwriter Melissa Black’s latest EP, The Eden Project is upbeat and refreshing. Melissa’s sound is peppy, charming and bright. Her vocals are out front in the mix and boldly drive the action. The album itself demonstrates a sensitivity and reverance for nature, with elements of the natural world also serving as metaphors for life’s struggles. Some songs feature components of sadness, but the music is spiritually uplifting. Melissa’s voice really has a lot going for it. It’s very clear and expressive. This is almost like a contemporary folk/pop release, combining an organic performance with state of the art istrumental and production. The Eden Project is a very pure work of art that will leave listeners with a good feeling.

For more info:

https://www.instagram.com/melissablackmusic/

Surrender To Robots is a new album from “The Insufferable Paul Scott” (the stage moniker of Australia based singer/songwriter Paul Scott.) It blends alternative and lo-fi indie pop to create a quirky, yet high quality musical masterpiece. It reminds me of outfits like Ween, although this guy definitely has his own distinct sound, which is largely surreal and synth oriented. His voice resembles that of the singer from a band called The Candyskins that I used to be fond of (they had a hit song called Feed It.) Either Paul Scott is very humble or just being ironic. There is nothing insufferable about this music. It’s catchy and extremely well done. My favorite jam on this album is probably Local Boyz. It has a lovely melody and has the feel of a future indie classic.

For more info:

https://www.facebook.com/people/Paul-Scott/100005878002307

Don’t You Dare! is a new single from singer/songrwriter and recording artist, Red Tan. Inspired by her bouts with anxiety and depression, as well as her experience as a single mother and young widow, Don’t You Dare! is an expressive piece of music, which Red Tan clearly puts her heart and soul into. The track itself is very upbeat and danceworthy, utilizing a creative and somewhat retro-futuristic backing beat. As the title suggests Red Tan sings with passion and charisma, with her voice managing to pack a lot of confidence and assertive authority into the song. She manages to express defiance while at the same time retains sensitivity, revealing enough emotional vulnerability to give the song a soft touch. She’s also a naturally good singer, and her voice comes through quite clear for this style of contemporary pop music, where vocals typically tend to be overprocessed to conceal flaws. This is a solid song, elevated by its personal depth and authenticity.

For more info:

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