Ersin Secrin is a man with a knack for gently drawing you into a story. “Holding on to You” starts softly, remains intimate for a while, then reveals its larger emotions – and that’s what makes it so rewarding when it pays off. Ersin is not a performer; he is more of a songwriter and lyricist who gives singers the […]
Pop-Rock/Review The Ruffles – Baby Blue Bronco
The Ruffles have created a song like a memory you can play loud. From the first note, “Baby Blue Bronco” is moving with a lively and smooth rhythm and never gets dull. The Ruffles’ family exposed them to music, so Kenzington, Charlotte, and Paris grew up with music and they didn’t want to be in the background, they wanted to […]
Pop/Review Ricky Earlywine – the grace code
Ricky Earlywine has created a sort of pocket universe. The combination of the serious message with the soft, dreamy sound is why “The Grace Code” works so well. Ricky does it all himself from his own bedroom, including writing, singing and creating the finished product. It’s a full ownership that makes the song really sound like one person’s point of […]
ROCK/Review OpCritical – Guillotine
OpCritical is no soft touch. “Guillotine” starts on a powerful note, with guitars jumping in sharp, quick bursts, followed by the low end and the guitars smashing into each other. This is a song that delivers an urgent message about inequality from the opening bars. OpCritical was created with a purpose, to speak out about the world around them, not […]
Pop-Rock/Review One Empty Toybox – Cyberstalking
One Empty Toybox has created a song out of something disturbing and made it music you just want to listen to! Cyberstalking doesn’t shy away from its topic, but neither is it too morbid or dark. It doesn’t take over the whole song, it keeps that idea in the song. The band One Empty Toybox is simply Rob Dreyer and […]
Pop/Review 7FONSO – Nothing to Hold
It’s clear from the beginning that 7FONSO has a purpose with “Nothing to Hold”. The track immediately starts to pulse and then it just doesn’t let go of the room. 7FONSO is active in all kinds of dance styles, incorporating urban beats as well as more club oriented beats. That spectrum provides him with a more comprehensive array of tools […]
ROCK/Review George Styles – How Will I Ever Know
George Styles has crafted a song that starts soft and ends strong. How Will I Ever Know is not hasty to its great moment. It’s theirs, and it deserves it one step at a time. After 25 years apart, George found his old bandmate Tommy Street, and they made this song, which definitely wasn’t lost on either of them. Jeff […]
ROCK/Review Marston and baldi – Hope In The Darkness
Marston and Baldi have composed a song that’s a bit more grounded from the place of doubt. There’s no frantic urgency in ‘Hope In The Darkness’ to say what it has to say. It takes its time and allows the feeling to build up one line at a time, and lets it come naturally. It’s a collaboration between two musicians, […]
Pop/Review Elisabeth Grey – Echoes of Paradise
It’s a good song that proves again that it’s not about how soon you make music, it’s about how good you make music. “Echoes of Paradise” starts off relaxed, as if the songwriter is a seasoned flyer who knows what she’s looking for to say. After years of family and friends, and letting her dreams go, Elisabeth started her recording […]
ROCK/Review Sweet Mess – The Warning
Sweet Mess can hold a room all on their own, and “The Warning” shows that. It’s a band designed for the stage and that live gladiator spirit is shimmering in every moment of the song. Originally from Phoenix, this 4-piece got their chops in the ring playing tribute shows for years before they finally got to their own material. That […]
ROCK/Review Sam Sly – Intwined
On “Intwined,” Sam Sly has created something that is handmade in the best sense of the word. Here you can hear real instruments doing real work. It does not follow any trend. It simply follows the direction of the sound, giving a very natural feel to the song. Sly learned most of what she knows about music on her own, […]
Pop-Rock/Review Noah James Mass – I Am the One
“I Am the One” is a song that definitely stands out from “Misery Winter”. It’s like it’s leaning towards something more gentle, but it doesn’t feel like a complete repeat, more like a change of mood by the same songwriter. He writes, produces and plays nearly all of his music. The amount of control he’s got over his own sound […]
Pop-Rock/Review Matt DeAngelis – Playing God
Matt DeAngelis has created a song that has a strong sense of urgency, but never strays from its form. From the first few bars, “Playing God” seems to have a certain momentum that never abates until the very end. It’s the songs that DeAngelis has been writing since his youth that are here. He has a close studio band of […]
Pop/Review The New Citizen Kane – FREE to FEEL
The New Citizen Kane has assembled an EP reminiscent of waking up slowly and choosing to stay awake. “Free to Feel” unfolds across seven tracks, which build upon one another. By the end of the day, you’ve really been somewhere. An artist who has worked for years to create his own world, not inside the traditional production model, and creating […]
ROCK/Review Andy Smythe – Beautiful Day
This one starts with a guitar sound that’s like stepping out from being inside too long, courtesy of Andy Smythe. Beautiful Day is hardly trying to impress you from the get-go. It simply seems to get into your system and you get into it. Over the years Andy has been working in the UK independent scene, playing a huge amount […]
ROCK/Review Noah James Mass – Misery Winter
Noah James Mass has created something that feels lived in from the beginning. “Misery Winter” doesn’t wait around to get going. It does not hesitate to come forward and does not hesitate to pull you with it. This is an artist who does almost everything himself, from writing to producing to playing most of the instruments. It’s not something that […]
Electronic/Review Max Macready – The Hunt
The band Max Macready have created is like a late night drive with no destination in mind. The Hunt is a track that’s about tension, but not tension that screams. The type that moves around the room with you as you listen. This is a UK duo that construct their own world with their music, using old machines and envisioned […]
ROCK/Review COSMIC SOULS – My Room
There’s a way COSMIC SOULS do it, and they never raise their voice. My Room is the type of song you listen to gradually. It doesn’t try to capture you in the first 5 seconds. It waits, and it’s the waiting that makes it worth hearing. This is a band that has definitely done things their own way. No one […]
ROCK/Review Richard Green – Holey Shoes
Before you even realize it, Richard Green’s Holey Shoes has you hooked. It combines funk, indie and rock and has a soft electronic sound, and somehow all parts fit in where they belong. From the first notes, there is a warm feeling in the song. This feeling remains as it moves along. The spirit of early Red Hot Chili Peppers […]
ROCK/Review Sean MacLeod – Inside Out (Radio Edit)
Here is Sean MacLeod back with “Inside Out,” and right from the beginning, it’s obvious that much care has been taken in the music and the concepts. The song is fast-paced and immediately grabs you. The track is always kept active with a sense of movement throughout. That's When the Earth Becomes a Star by seantmacleod The bass line plays […]
Pop/Review Catlea – Someone’s Got To
Catlea moves into a new environment with “Someone’s Got To,” which is like listening to someone slowly work through a difficult time. The song is about choosing yourself when others can’t do it for you. That simple decision is one of the best parts of the song. The song begins with a gentle and clear guitar sound. It enters softly […]