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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 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 […]
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 Laji George – This is my World
Laji George goes solo with ‘This Is My World’ which is like a door opening after being closed for a while. The song is about standing up to problems. This sense is present throughout the song, from the initial quiet intro to the more powerful parts of the song later. The song begins softly with only the voice and something […]
Pop-Rock/Review Allan Jamisen – Milk & Honey
This is a new song from Allan Jamisen, which is somewhere soft and true, like a hand laying gently on your shoulder. He lives in Phoenix and is a musician and painter, and that painter’s eye is apparent in the tender way in which this track is constructed. All sounds are well considered. The guitar and synth glide in like […]
ROCK/Review Rumour Den – All In This Together
All In This Together is a new song from Rumour Den, and it’s attention-grabbing because of its honesty. The song refuses to ignore difficult topics or pretend they don’t exist. It just shares its message in a straightforward and clear way. The guitars immediately stand out with a rough and natural sound. They feel warm and real. It feels like […]
Pop-Rock/Review Bardi Johannsson X d’Ant – Staring at Nothing
Bardi Johannsson and d’Ant have released their first collaborative song, and it’s one of those songs that slowly seizes you. It doesn’t have to be loud and demanding. Rather, it grabs your attention naturally and holds it as it progresses. The song has a soft and dreamy feeling from beginning to end. It is slow and quiet rather than hurried, and […]
ROCK/Review The Spitting Pips – Green Eyes
The Spitting Pips have released a track named Green Eyes, and it’s one of these which instantly makes you feel better. It is vibrant and brings a sense of “enjoy the moment”. The band from Llandudno have put their heart into every aspect of the song, as you can hear. The song is so engaging that it immediately captures you. […]
FOLK ROCK/Review Arn-Identified Flying Objects and Alien Friends – John in Roses’ Deep
Arn-Identified Flying Objects and Alien Friends’ new song, John in Roses’ Deep, draws you into its narrative from the first bars. It is like reading an old story that has been told many times and is being shared again with sincerity. It’s a book that feels like it’s been waiting a long time to be read. The vocals are one […]
ROCK/Review Teanko – We still believe the voice
We Still Believe the Voice was a pleasant surprise from TEANKO. It’s honest from the start, which is something you’ll notice almost immediately. The song doesn’t try too hard to impress. Rather, it gently draws you in and stays with you even after you have stopped listening. The song’s heart is the vocals. TEANKO’s singing is confident, coming from years […]
Pop-Rock/Review Reetoxa – Demand Perfection
The new song from Reetoxa is fun from the start with the title Demand Perfection. It’s light and easy, even though it’s discussing some modern issues. It’s a song that makes you smile before you even realise what is making you smile. The song wouldn’t be nearly as effective without Jason McKee’s vocals. He sings with a relaxed and personal […]