It’s something magical about music that images a person, a place, a feeling so perfectly that it seems to be a world on its own. The new EP, *The Manic Phase, by Tom Minor does just that, it is a colourful, somewhat crazed postcard straight out of the centre of Soho and is devoted to a character as memorable as […]
COUNTRY/Review Westingway – Grace
The new single by Westingway, titled Grace possesses certain warmth to it. It does not smack you across the face with a lightning bolt, it just sort of rolls out like the warm hug of an old friend and sinks in with such earnestness it seems extraordinarily natural. It is not simply a song about heartbreak, this is a visceral, […]
Pop/Review TR3VON– Wake Up The Night
The song Wake Up The Night by TR3VON embraces you within the first seconds of the music. It begins nearly in an intimate way, a sketch on acoustic guitar casting a spell before a thumping rhythm establishes itself, like a heartbeat sped up with excitement. And then there is that voice, a smooth charisma/raw power combination that seems to effortlessly […]
FOLK-POP/Review Sam Garrett – One Family
Singing over a soul stirring instrumental, Sam Garrett drops “One Family”, a subtly potent track that doesn’t yell unity, it merely breathes it into existence in a world that (often feels) broken and loud. This track is more than just the first taste of his forthcoming 5th album, it feels like a sacred pause, as gentle a hand on the […]
ROCK/Review Delta of Venus – Intertwined b/w Intertwined (acoustic)
Listening to the same song exhales through two entirely separate skins is something quite magical about it. Exactly that is achieved by Delta of Venus with their stunning double single “Intertwined b/w Intertwined (acoustic)”. There’s not just a release; there’s an experience, it’s an invitation to feel the same emotional core run through contrasting sonic worlds and it’s mesmerising. “Intertwined”, […]
ROCK/Review RISE – Dreams
Liverpool’s RISE has always shone brightly with some sort of hopeful energy, but on their latest single ‘Dreams’ they’ve held onto pure, effervescent optimism and let it loose. Forget subtlety – this track drags you up to the sky with a hook laden euphoria over a synth driven field of dreams that sounds both nostalgic and brand new. It announces […]
Electronic/Review Larry Karpenko – The Horizon
‘Combining such elements as world music and electronics and more like opera and classical music in the way it is performed, Larry Karpenko’s ‘The Horizon’ is one of those songs which move beyond a typical song.’ A deeply philosophical audio experience blending electronic soundscape, historical document and spiritual inquiry, it demands attentive listening and lingers on long after the final, […]
EDM/Review Michael Gabriel– Heart & Soul
Michael Gabriel (formerly of avant garde pop giants Men Without Hats) has been emerging from Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley in creative solitude and his latest single, ‘Heart & Soul,’ packs pure, sun dappled euphoria. This is not a nostalgic call back but a beautifully constructed piece of current day nu disco and synth pop that sounds instantly familiar but excitingly […]
Pop/Review Katie Belle– Cigarette
Katie Belle of Atlanta comes back with the single ‘Cigarette’ — a track that smolders with raw emotion and sophisticated, pop craftsmanship. Her second release is another step forward, laying down a track that is both intimate and expansive, all that and powered by an infectious hook with LA producer Fabio Campedelli. With its first breathy notes ‘Cigarette’ lulls the […]
ROCK/Review Rosetta West – Circle of Doubt
With ‘Circle of Doubt,’ Rosetta West proves solidifies their status as underground visionaries. In sync with ancient rites, released, the single puts listeners into a headspace exhausted but resolute. A cyclical, heavy riff conjures up soul crushing fatigue on existential battles and spectral solos soar upward like desperate prayers for transcendence; all anchored by Joseph Demagore’s guitar work. Co crafted […]
FUNK/Review ZOOLOOK – Power of the People (Radio Edit)
With “Power of the People (Radio Edit),” ZOOLOOK sparks a sound evolution powered by soul groundedness, funk swagger and the electronic unknown. This isn’t nostalgia either: it’s a rebirth of the protest music’s activist spirit, refocused for todays dancefloors and movements. Vibrant organic percussion and cinematic horns grab you from the first beat and throw you into a groove that […]
ROCK/Review Coolonaut – Dark Energy
After a lauded, debut album in the form of Displaced, Australian artist Coolonaut was lauded, born in Scotland and now rural Australia based returns and with Dark Energy, he stares unflinching at a world in crisis, with a potent follow up that crackles with raw, analogue urgency. Sounding recorded only on an 8 track tape machine, this isn’t a throwback […]
FOLK-POP/Review The New Citizen Kane– TEMPLE. BEACH. DISCO. DADDY.
The New Citizen Kane delivers the ultimate auditory escape with TEMPLE. BEACH. DISCO. DADDY., a masterfully curated remix album that transcends the typical “greatest hits” rehash. Kane takes the classic standout tracks from their evocative Tales Of Morpheus era and seamlessly weaves them into a sun drenched journey of unadulterated beats and two sparkling new compositions perfectly designed for getting […]
ROCK/Review Rare Seed – Ethereal Enclave
Rare Seed doesn’t make an album, they create an otherworldly sonic universe. Their debut, the 41 minute odyssey Ethereal Enclave, is a masterful, though not so easily categorizable suite of post punk intensity, psychedelic dreamscapes, jazz modal shifts and hip hop rhythms coalescing into a cohesive, utterly captivating whole. The album is vast and intimate, experimental and yet deeply accessible. […]
FOLK-POP/Review Ava Valianti – Distant
Ava Valianti is at just 15 years old and her song writing maturity doesn’t show her age, with latest single Distant being a stunning testament to this. After a string of great releases, Valianti’s place as one of indie pop’s most promising new voices is cemented on a song that strikes the perfect balance of raw, emotional depth and vibrant, […]
Pop/Review DALE– Waves
Emerging from Milan, artist DALE delivers a poignant, atmospheric fifth single, ‘Waves’, which cements his place in the modern pop landscape. DALE’s mastery in his signature sound shines through by keeping it true to his way of blending contemporary sensibilities with a warm reverence for 80s sonic aesthetics and the result is a track that is at the same time […]
Pop/Review Michellar– LET’S GO MOVE AROUND
Michellar hues the psychedelic of “Dreaming” in San Francisco and straight into pure pop effervescence with a sun drenched shift on “LET’S GO MOVE AROUND.” An instant mood lifter, this latest single is a meticulously crafted invitation to chase personal bliss through change all wrapped in a sound that is refreshingly modern, yet warmly familiar. The track begins invitingly enough, […]
ROCK/Review The project – death of me
No sterile studio, no overproduction. The first Project single, Death Of Me, comes down the saloon doors of modern rock like a welcome kick. Created as a constantly shifting unit of current scene grizzled veterans by guitarist, songwriter James Davis (Shameless) this first offering isn’t one song, it’s a statement of intent, full throttle. It’s loud, it’s honest and it […]
ROCK/Review The7thGatekeeper – The Hoard
Hailing from Barry in South Wales, The one man force of The7thGatekeeper has a name fit for such a formidable one man force and ‘The Hoard’ is a truly immersive and unsettling experience. It isn’t just a hard rock song, this is a tightly constructed, darkly atmospheric journey that just won’t let you go, this is an artist writing and […]
ROCK/Review Deflecting Ghosts – Broken
Deflecting Ghosts don’t just release music. They exorcise demons. It’s with their latest single, “Broken,” that they’ve taken their first fullband shot as the solidified Hutchinson, Kansas trio of Luke Fitzgerald, his wife Rhema on bass and drummer Austin. It comes out as a masterclass in emotionally charged alternative rock/metal, that hits with visceral intensity and stays with haunting vulnerability. […]
ROCK/Review Para Lia – Neverland
Germany’s Para Lia returns with a powerful, critical statement in ‘Neverland’ which rocks and simultaneously resonates. This is no escapist fantasy; it’s a rich, guitar driven psychedelic rock tour into the sonic intensity and social commentary; the band has solidified its place as a major force in today’s German scene. As early as the first couple seconds, “Neverland” is powerful. […]