Music Reviews of World, Adult Contemporary, Jazz, Blues, Country
Band Spotlight
Chiodos
Perhaps no one can explain the sheer ferocity and timid quietness it is better than when vocalist Craig Owens says “we don’t want to let the kids down” when discussing the group’s intense vocals live at shows. Well they never let a single kid down with their vicious assault on the ears and grip on the jugular...
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Current Top Ten Chart
Skinny Puppy - Mythmaker
Converge - No Heroes
The Graduate - Anhedonia
Death By Stereo - Death Alive
Comeback Kid - Broadcasting
The Snake The Cross The Crown - Cotton Teeth
Dear and the Headlights - Small Steps, Heavy Hooves
The Geeks - Every Time We Fall
Limbeck - Limbeck
WinterKids - Memoirs
03.09.2007 by J-Sin
Music Reviews of World Music, Adult Contemporary, Reggae, Jazz, Blues, Classical
Peter Bradley Adams — Gather Up Buy it at Amazon
Nice smooth pop hooks that collide with Americana twang and AAA gliding melodies make up the new album by Peter Bradley Adams. Known for his role in the AAA duo eastmountainsouth, Adams is a committed songwriter who polishes each song with brave brevity and sincere lyrical touches. He also enlists some ladies help with vocals adding the beautiful voices of Susie Suh and Sara Bareilles. You may have heard his songs already as his songs have been used in over 25 films and TV shows, most notably the Cameron Crowe hit “Elizabethtown”. Great stuff.
- J-Sin
Laura Hull — Hullabaloo Buy it at Amazon
Starry eyed songstress Laura Hull turns in a terrific brand of adult contemporary jazz vocals. Swayed with sweeping vocal harmonies and curving verb usage, Hull’s lyrical twists have earned her Honorable Mentions in the 13th Annual Billboard World Songwriting Contest and a 7th Annual Great American Song Contest Honor award. Keeping true to her jazz scene she is one of a trio in a vocal ensemble known as 3 For the Show and serves on the Board of Directors for the New Jersey Jazz Society. Good songwriting combined with fantastic session musicians equals a dynamite AC album.
- J-Sin
Olga — Now Is the Time Buy it at Amazon
Singer/songwriter Olga hums a few bars and you’ll twist your neck as you try to get a better view of this fantastic performer. She employs blues-rock worthy guitar twang and mixes that with a hearty helping of saucy vocals that are inspired by the Delta blues legends. The percussion is light and wispy leaving a ton of space throughout the album. Nicely produced and polished songwriting makes this a very memorable album.
- J-Sin
Cyan — Cloud Buy it at Amazon
Born in Barcelona, Cyan is a singer/songwriter who dons many hats. One is of the traditional singer/songwriter format. And the other is a world music fedora that is weathered and seen the harshness of the deep desert. Fusing rock, pop, and Latin rock, “Cloud” is a fun soul-searching adventure. Cyan lets you inside his head with his intimate lyrics that offer you not just a glimpse but a long peer into his cerebellum. What’s amazing is that many of these tracks could easily be a chart-topper—usually most artists struggle to find one such track.
- J-Sin
Culann's Hounds — Year of the Dog Buy it at Amazon
Celtic music group Culann’s Hounds perform breathtaking and sweeping Irish jigs and some country folk tunes throughout their tremendous “Year of the Dog”. Featuring a diverse selection of instruments including button accordion, mandolin, fiddle, bodhran, and other more traditional instruments, Culann’s Hounds even tackle the old standard “Tennessee Waltz” with a fevered intensity. Named after an Irish epic warrior, Culann’s Hounds tell us of faerie stories and heroic adventures.
- J-Sin
Raul Malo — You're Only Lonely Buy it at Amazon
Former Mavericks frontman Raul Malo offers up his sophomore solo outing “You’re Only Lonely”. The album is a beautiful tapestry of country blues with pretty organ melodies and terrific vocal harmonies. He’s going to tour on this album with only piano, bass, and drums, and these songs will translate very well into that stripped down concept. Setting new standards in blues, country, and rock, Raul Malo boasts his trademark soaring vocals and has encapsulated perfection.
- J-Sin
Breanna Lynn — The Siren Buy it at Amazon
Girl pop-rock with very little bite is the composition of “The Siren”. Essentially an adult contemporary album, it does boast quite good instrumentation. But Breanna Lynn is just the singer/songwriter here, she doesn’t play any instruments. The result is a mostly inspirational pop album that would fit in well with many Christian pop albums though it is not one itself. Not horrible but not original either.
- J-Sin
Debbie Watson — Big Hair Down in Texas Buy it at Amazon
A quick five-song EP by Debbie Watson shows off her country roots from Oklahoma and Texas. Her music isn’t that bad but it’s not awfully inspiring either. Granted the songs are polished and her voice is quite, well, BIG. The instrumentation is fine but some of the songwriting is lackluster and doesn’t stick with you hours after you’ve heard it.
- J-Sin
Vivian Linden — Watch the Light Fade Buy it at Amazon
Americana has been making a bit of a comeback in the past couple of years. Artists like Vivian Linden are part of the reason why. Her sincere songwriting layers passionate lyrics and heartfelt vocals over top of rootsy folk rock with tempting textures and transient sounds of guitar. Twang in the guitar department with slow-paced percussion and melancholy female vocals make for a perfect marriage. She’s joined by some rather accomplished and notorious fellow musicians including jazz organist Wayne Horvitz whose past is speckled with stints alongside John Zorn and Bill Frisell. Brilliant songwriting that spotlights traditional roots rock and Americana.
- J-Sin
qr5 — Pharmakon Buy it at Amazon
While the title suggestively invokes images of some pharmacist conference, “Pharmakon” is a funky reggae alternative pop-rock album. The music is layered with reggae beats and swinging upbeat guitars. The bass lines up a thick groove ladled with saturated tones and intriguing one-offs of soundscapes. Rhythmically it induces dancing even among those of us who have no business within a hundred miles of a disco floor. The vocals are quirky subtly making declarations about the world with R.E.M. worthy lyrics. Fun music from Ontario with a dash of worldbeat and jazzy reggae.
- J-Sin
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