152 is a new single from Pacoima (Los Angeles) based pop band, Kinda Maybe. The video for this jam contains some impressive vaporwave animations, making for a colorfully ambient, retro-futuristic viewing experience. As for the song itself, it’s pretty straightforward synthpop, which manages to take some surprisingly creative twists and turns along the way. Experiments with alterations in the speed of the recording correspond with the song’s lyrics (which utilize “speeding up and slowing down” as a metaphor). Maybe it’s just me, but I think “Kinda Maybe” is a very marketable group. They have a memorable name and slick aesthetics. 152 is a decent and catchy pop song that grows on you with each subsequent listen. There’s something worthwhile here.
LIVE FULLY is a new single from indie artist, Zelinen. The song is upbeat and spiritually motivational. One can’t help but experience a feeling of momentum generated from Zelinen’s straightforward and unabashed words of encouragement. Her positive mental attitude beams at you like a ray of sunshine, all throughout this humble and pleasant little recording. The synth driven backing music is delightfully quirky and just makes you feel happy, ready face whatever life throws at you. Zelinen has a strong natural singing voice that projects well and comes through with crystal clarity. If you’re feeling unsure about yourself, this song might be just the uplifiting experience you need to reaffirm your potential to live a fulfilling and spiritual life.
Papi is a new album from New York based, Dominican hip hop artist Slakpapi. The album has a very distinctive, funky, sometimes dreamlike sound. In fact, the opening track is actually titled Funky. A good way to describe the ambiance of the intro song is that it’s like listening to an ethereal conversation going on in someone’s head while they’re playing an old school video game. One of the strongest tracks on this release is Sanctuary. In this mini masterpiece, Slakpapi demonstrates he has real skills, demonstrating an impeccable sense of timing and razor sharp delivery. It’s also somewhat refreshing that he’s willing to sing naturally at times without a ton of processing and autotune, and his voice gets the job done just fine. Sanctuary is delightfully melodic and extremely catchy. In my opinion it’s the song with the most potential to score a hit. There’s a surprising amount of versatility on these recordings though, as the artist experiments with all kinds of different song formats, pacing, effects, delivery styles and backing music. No two songs sound quite the same, but all are fun, lively and ocassionally feature memorable titles like Lambo Swervin’.Papi is both an entertaining and respectable album. There’s ample talent on display here.
Rebirth is the debut album from artist/composer, Juan Sánchez. The tracks are largely piano-driven but often incorporate strings and other instrumental sounds, creating an atmosphere of quiet intensity. Emotionally evocative, the music elicits feelings of sadness and solitude, while maintaining a subtly uplifting and deeply engaging ambiance throughout. Artistically, the expression is off the charts. You can just feel the passion in these recordings. Heading to Dreamland and Arctic Solitude are two tracks to me which stood out as particularly powerful and both feature memorably climactic moments. From a technical standpoint, Juan is a very proficient piano player, and everything is very delicately crafted. This guy is a veteran musician and really knows what he is doing when constructing these compositions. Rebirth would make an excellent soundtrack to any film which deals with quietly dramatic emotions and thought provoking material. If I had to characterize the “mood” of this album I’d say it reminds me of the feeling of being outside just after it rains.
Superficial is a new single from Magazine Gap, an alternative pop-soul band based in London. The song is supposedly the “sister song” to (and filmed in tandem with) another release, titled For the Ride. We’ve covered releases from this trio a few years ago, and it’s great to see that these guys are still going strong.
As far as this latest release goes, if I look hard enough I can usually find something worthy of praise in just about any recording, but in this case I don’t even have to look at all. The music is flawless from start to finish by nearly every objective metric. The guitars stand out immediately as being very precise, and you can hear every note in its delicious detail. “Tone” is a subjective element, but the guitar tone on this track is warm, and soulful. It achieves what most guitar amp enthusiasts and tinkerers would characterize as “the holy grail of vintage tones.” The vocals are also outstanding, probably the best singing I’ve ever heard from what is technically an “indie” band. The vocals don’t sound stereotypically British to me though, which is interesting. If you heard this song randomly you might actually assume this was an American band. (I personally would never have guessed that two of the members apparently grew up in Hong Kong.) Like the guitars, the keyboards’ elaborate melodies are meticulously performed, while the drums provide a clean and light rhythm to serve as the backbone of the song. Topically speaking, Superficial is a sentimental jam which deals with themes like relationship honesty and transparency. The lyrics are laid out in a simple and “matter of fact” fashion (“Let’s put it out there baby, and set the record straight” is an actual line from the song). All in all, Superficial qualifies as another stellar release under this band’s belt. These guys are true music professionals.
All Night Long is a new single from Phoenix, Arizona based trio, Radiofix. These hometown heroes represent the Phoenix scene well with this crisp and professional rock’n’roll jam. Having played with one another for many years, these guys have the seasoned sound of veteran musicians, like one of those bar bands that play to a standing ovation every night. Musically, All Night Long blends eclectic elements of 90s alterative, classic rock and contemporary. Vocalist Daniel Martin has a voice that’s tailor made for this style of music. A bit of a throwback (in a good way), he has a gritty, passionate delivery combined with the ability to actually sing well. This song is both down to Earth and professionally polished at the same time. It reminds me of the kinds of bands you might see playing a Tempe dive bar one night that suddenly have a song released on a major label a few months later. Radiofix is clearly building a following the old fashioned way by playing shows and hitting the road. All Night Long is a solid release. Wish these guys a lot of luck.
Las Olas is a new single from artist, Pariz Noir. This contemporary pop/R&B jam has the potential to make some waves. Lyrically and sonically, the song has an aquatic feel. Pariz’ vocals are dynamic and dreamy, drifting softly against the synth driven backbeat. This soulful song is sexually charged, guaranteed to get your heart beating fast. The production is definitely above average. There is some processing on the vocals, but it doesn’t obscure the substance of her voice, which has a very naturally pleasing quality to it. Las Olas is quietly exciting, sensually evocative and should appeal to its target demographic.
The Voice of The Stillness is a debut album from Ramalla, an artist based in Boulder, CO. It’s a serious album which will affect people on a visceral level. A cancer survivor, Ramalla (known also as Catherine Corona) takes musical inspiration from her experiences and her sixth sense awareness with respect to her health condition. Broadly speaking, the songs are meditative and surreal. Ramalla is truly a gifted singer. She performs at a very high level, and her voice is extremely soothing to listen to. Ramalla demonstrates a lot of poise in these recordings, which are emotionally moving, even while the music itself is fairly minimalist. Production quality is solid. It almost feels as though you’re listening to a big budget film score. Yes, it’s really that high quality. The Voice of The Stillness flows with sentimental strength.
On Ya Mark is a new single from hip hop artist, Take1, and appears on the rapper’s debut solo project, Calculated Chances. What’s impressive about this track is that it’s more comprehensive musically than the typical contemporary rap song. Rather than just a standard beat, the vocals are backed by a full and melodically groovin’ jam. Take1 also manages to sing his lyrics instead of just blurting them out like amateur poetry open mic night. His delightfully funky delivery is reminiscent of many of the iconic hip hop artists of the late 80s and early 90s. This, combined with his charismatic “life of the party” personality induces you to sing along with the plethora of lyrical catch phrases and often repeated lines. The vocal pacing is quick and on point, contrasting nicely with the chill and atmospheric ambiance of the backing music. On Ya Mark is sleek and stylish, perfect music for a smooth, late night drive in a slick ride.
Oxygen Tank is the debut single from DJ Paula Frost, an internationally known dance music DJ based in London. This appropriately titled jam is brimming with energizing vitality from start to finish. Featuring elaborately arrannged, futuristic beats that beam through with laser-like clarity, this music is hot. Sound quality of the recording is terrific (even by today’s standards) and would be impressive enough to make even the most discerning audiophile blush. The pace is pulsatingly quick but contains brief mellow interludes to allow dancers to occasionally catch their breath. Vintage vocal samples are peppered into the mix here and there to add some subtle retro vibes. There are so many DJs now, it seems like it would be difficult for an artist to produce something which stands out. However, Oxygen Tank demonstrates that DJ Paula Frost operates at a very high skill level. Whether you’re a dance, rave and/or drum’n’bass fan, this song is vibrantly intense and guaranteed to amp you up. The single is slated for official release on March 20th but is available to preorder.
