Reviews

JRS3 – Shutdown

shutdown

Shutdown is a new track from hip hop artist, JRS3. As the title suggests, it’s a contemporary political song which literally deals with some of today’s hot button issues. It touches upon Trump’s broken campaign promises (how he would pay for the wall, etc) among other things. There is even a reference to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Ultimately though, the message is about being heard, and how “our” voices won’t be shutdown. Setting aside the political messaging, which will resonate with some people more than others, the song is well produced, professional label quality. The song’s lyrically repetitive nature makes it quite catchy. It represents an anthem for all sorts of people who are dissatisfied with the direction of the country and the ever present threats to freedom of expression.

For more info:

https://www.instagram.com/whoisjrs3/

https://soundcloud.com/jrs3-1/shutdown

Reviews

Echoglass – Stories From the North – EP

echoglass

Stories from the North is a new EP / mini-album from Echoglass, a band which originated in Blackburn, Lancashire. It’s important to know that for context because when they talk about the “north,” they’re referring to the Northwest of England, not Canada, the North Pole, the Union states during the American civil war, or North Korea. In fact, if I hadn’t looked it up ahead of time, I would not have guessed right away from briefly listening to parts of their songs that they were from England. I initially assumed they were American. After listening more closely though, their accents are unmistakable.

It’s difficult to classify this band musically as the songs are very eclectic, and Echoglass seems to draw from a wide array of musical influences. There are hints of alternative, classic britpop, adult contemporary, and all kinds of other stuff. The EP contains 4 tracks, but it feels very complete to me, as it’s full sounding and the band doesn’t cut corners. There are no filler or throwaway tracks on here to pad the length. Each song has enough going on to where it could stand alone as a single. I’ll give some brief remarks on each one:

Youth is kind of an upbeat power pop song and a duet. The male vocalist reminds me a bit of Elvis Costello, while the female has a voice similar to the singe from Letters to Cleo.

Sett End strikes me as very alternative. It as a very 90s rock sound. It’s very polished though and not whiny, apathetic or angsty. The lyrics and tone are actually very motivating and uplifting.

Peppermint Place in my opinion is the most britpop sounding track. It’s also my favorite song on the album. Slightly new wave, it has that bell-like synth and deep reverb driven ambiance we’ve come to associate with classic 80’s and 90s British pop songs. Think One Christmas Catalogue.

Belgrave Road is the darkest song on here. Literally the lyrics speak of “the sky growing dark” and how “dreams die here.” Despite the bleak phraseology, it’s a beautiful song and contains an epic synth backing.

Suffice to say this EP is highly enjoyable and punches above its four song weight. From an artistic standpoint, the band’s output lives up to that of the bands and musicians they list as influences, even if they haven’t quite achieved the same name recognition as of yet.

For more info:

https://www.instagram.com/echoglassmusic/

Reviews

Sorrow Sky and Pronto – Percocet

percocet

Sorrow Sky (real name Matt Sowards) is a hip hop artist and producer from New Port Richey, FL. He runs a label and music platform called “Total Damage Records” Percocet is his latest single, which also features another artist, “Pronto.” The song is a straightforward and free flowing hip hop jam, notable for its effective usage of echo and deep reverb. It gives the song a dreamy almost laid back surreal ambiance, despite the lyrical content which speaks of impending aggression and takes a verbal few pot shots at a female he doesn’t seem to like very much. This is an above average indie hip hop jam, and the artist shows some promise both as a performer and producer.

For more info:

http://sorrowsky.com/

Reviews

heno – Fragments of a Memory

heno

London based artist “heno” has been producing music for over a decade. Fragments of a Memory is his latest album. It consists of 13 tracks of artful instrumental ambiance. The songs are very professional and would make ideal soundtrack music for film or video games. Some jams are strictly beats while others incorporate guitars. There’s a lot of variety among these tracks stylistically, though a slow methodical pacing is consistent throughout. The best way to describe this album is that it’s an amalgamy of thematic elements. It’s mood music, often cold, contemplative and haunting.

For more info:

https://heno.bandcamp.com/releases

Reviews

“Wav-Legion” By Wav-Dr and Bonnie Legion

Wav - Legion

Well, here’s something interesting for a change. Wav-Legion is a collaborative effort from (as the title alludes to) Canadian producer, musician, singer-songwriter, “Wav-Dr.,” and California singer-songwriter, “Bonnie Legion.” The album was made over a seven week period after first connecting on the blockchain music site “Choon” (which admittedly I had never heard of until now.)

Comprised of 13 distinct tracks, Wav-Legion offers an eclectic mix of electronic music fused with a variety of musical elements from other genres. The songs often feature a subtly dark electronic backing, though the actual beat style varies widely from song to song. To give you an example of the kind of fusion we see here, the track heavyweight combines a Terminator style retro electro synthbeat with groovy twists, excellent lounge-like female vocals with accents of trip hop and pop. It’s also a duet where the Wav-Dr has vocal parts as well, delivered in a casual yet effectively hypnotic demeanor. This is a true experimental album. People without appreciation for the avant garde will not know what to make of it. That’s okay, the talent and quality of display here make this music appealing to almost anyone, even if the listeners don’t take full advantage of the deeper meditative forces at work here.

For more info:

Choon: https://www.choon.co/albums/0u6e32jkww7/wav—legion
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/1u3axKh2iMVhS3Cb1n29AU
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/wav-legion/1449532878

Reviews

Young Corn – 3

young corn

Now based in Ohio, Atlanta bred artist “Young Corn” has a new single titled, 3. The term he uses to describe his sound is “melodizing.” Young Corn’s delivery is laid back while maintaining a engaging pace. 3 is noteworthy for its catchy and somewhat unconventional lyrical gems like “gonna fly first class to Japan in my UFO.” The song just has a very chill vibe, and Young Corn’s relaxed voice is easy on the ears (no pun intended.) This artist is an ambitious young fellow with dreams of revolutionizing music. Whether or not that happens remains to be seen, but 3 is an impressive hip hop song it its own right, and Young Corn has all the necessary tools to carve out a presence on the national stage.

For more info:

Itunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/album/id1448055228?ls=1&app=itunes&fbclid=IwAR0yMtIimrBT_l8I2nITx9P3_KWUKnYpW1_gQuLLiHzai7pswgzoF1uYYnY
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/6rb2FrEEnt4RWgc4gP4W8J
Twitter: https://twitter.com/YoungCorn98
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BpGKX5HHPuS/

Reviews

Eddie Arjun – Transition

Eddie-Arjun-Transition

Transition is the 5th album from critically acclaimed guitar driven power jazz rock trio “Eddie Arjun.” The album is so impressive that if I had heard it without knowing anything about it, I would have assumed it was made by classic rock legends from another era. Most contemporary musiciansmanship doesn’t even come close to this level of quality. Many years ago I used to work for a company that sold vacuum tube electronics, and I can think of a zillion customers that would have killed to achieve the kind of authentic vintage guitar amplifier tones achieved on this album. Transition gives off a very groovin’ 70’s vibe without sounding like a throwback or novelty. It only sounds retro in the sense that most people just don’t expect people to play guitar this well anymore.

My favorite song on this album has to be the title track, Transition. It’s peppy, lively and dynamic straight from the guitar intro. Some of the speedier technical guitar work about 2/3 of the way through this song is so intense that it gives me flashbacks to climactic boss battles in classic games like Double Dragon (which featured electronic music intended to emulate this style of guitar.) Another notable track is Lavalust. The bass lines in this song would not seem out of place in the archetypal abandoned warehouse rooftop chase scenes of iconic shows like The Mod Squad.

While the band is classified as “power jazz rock,” in some of these instrumental tracks there is plenty of psychedelic rock ambiance and even occasional surf-like tones. The speed of the songs also vary from heart-racing to turtle pacing. Always artful and never boring. They pack enough variety in these jams to keep the listener mesmerized all the way through. It’s actually very humbling to listen to musicians who can operate at this unreal skill level. Totally professional from beginning to end.

The album is officially scheduled for release on February 1st 2019.

For more info:

https://eddiearjun.com/

Reviews

SJ – Dance to Sleep

Copy of SJ3Edited
Photo credit by Bridgett Anderson Photography

Dance to Sleep is a genuine and captivating new song from SJ, off of his EP, Nikki. It’s a well crafted, adult contemporary acoustic rock song. The vocals are clearly what drive the track and SJ’s voice manifests as the perfect balance between working class charisma and romantic sentimentality. He is actually a very good singer and doesn’t employ any production tricks to mask deficiencies in skill (because there are none.)

Stylistically, the song gives off some light bluesy vibes while retaining a slightly upbeat and positive message. Dance to Sleep seems to slow time for us at a particular point, to give us a break to enjoy the moment. As the lyrics suggest:“For now we’ll just dance to sleep.” In the future there will be excitement and adventure and who knows what, but for now let’s just enjoy the quiet moment. Dance to Sleep is ultimately a kind of meditative lullaby for the soul. Not the kind of lullaby that will actually put you to sleep, but the sort which will lull you and your partner into a shared state of momentary reflection, giving you each the chance to appreciate what’s right in front of one another.

Reviews

YaBoiM.OE. – 9 to 5

yaboimoe

YaBoiM.OE’s music is alive and well with a trailblazing entrepreneurial spirit. One of his latest singles 9 to 5 demonstrates how lessons learned while paying his dues in the workforce have enhanced his character and increased his power level. His delivery is oozing with a sense of earned confidence and charisma on this track. Lyrically, he flows synergistically with the chiming back beat while displaying great instincts for timing. 9 to 5 also makes strategic use of echo and layering for emphasis of key points within the song. It’s a good effort from an artist who’s clearly focused on what’s ahead and on overcoming the obstacles to get there.

For more info:

http://www.thespoiledlyfe.com/

Reviews

BlackLight – Bass is Pumpin

blacklight

Bass is Pumpin is a house track from up and coming artist “BlackLight,” who’s based out of Omaha, Nebraska. The song is a classic dance party jam, vaguely reminiscent of the golden era of early 90’s techno songs. It’s well structured and filled with hypnotic, positive energy. Finding just the right balance between repetition and musical dynamicism is difficult with a house track like this, but BlackLight manages to achieve just that by utilizing a wide variety of samples and implementing subtle adjustments in the backbeat throughout the song. BlackLight characterizes his music as being the product of his “sonic vision, kaleidoscopic vision and style.” Bass is Pumpin is a legit release by an artist that is clearly well versed in the art of creating dance music.

For more info:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blacklighttrance/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/blackliteTrance
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/blacklighttrance/bass-is-pumpin-original-mix-1
Instagram: http://instagram.com/blacklightedm/