rescuing musical virtue in distress.
This latest scorching slice of alt-pop from Wingman works on many levels. Firstly, there is the fact that it is a song written during, and rooted in, the heart of the pandemic and so seeks to offer both a positive vibe and a distraction for everyone who is having a hard time dealing with recent... Continue Reading →
Pop music is an ever-changing beast, something that quickly moves in and out of various shifting fads and fashions as taste dictates. But the smart pop creator knows that whilst they need to build something that is appealing to the audience of today, pop music is always built on some pretty strong basic tenets too.... Continue Reading →
You showed a creative talent at a very early age. Can you expand a bit on how you went from "singing and writing songs for all the flowers in the yard by the age of 4" to making the move to LA to where you are today? Pollux King: Oh man, those flowers sure got... Continue Reading →
Move over Southside Johnny, here comes West Side Joe! And like his peer, WSJ and his Men of Soul, also trade in an upbeat and euphoric blend of Soul, R&B and Rock 'n' Roll. And why not? It's a style that never goes out of fashion, not with the true music aficionados and discerning sonic... Continue Reading →
The two previous Because Villains singles to pass under my pen have shown just how broad a sonic palette main man Travis James uses to colour his songs. If Goodbye offered us stadium-ready indie then 9 pm was the sheer opposite, a slow and sultry piece of brooding creativity. Yes delivers three more deft and... Continue Reading →
The section of the Venn Diagram where country music and philosophy or bluesy-folk music and metaphysics meet isn't a particularly crowded intersection. But Phil Robinson's latest release is certainly the king of that domain. Imagine if Dylan had majored in Existential Philosophy or if Springsteen had embraced yoga only occasionally playing with the local bar-room... Continue Reading →
The name says it all really. Both the artist name and the album title reflect the positivity and courage which runs through the music that this duo makes. It is music that blends smooth R&B, sensual soul and more urban deliveries together but more important than the sound is the message that their music carries.... Continue Reading →
Few artists seemed to take as many risks during their career as David Bowie. And, sadly, for every sonic high of ‘Hunky Dory’, Station to Station’ or ‘Heroes’ there was a misjudgement in the shape of ‘Never Let Me Down’, ‘Black Tie, White Noise’ or his foray into the band that was Tin Machine. But... Continue Reading →
Although the original version of the song became popular after being featured on the hit tv series Grown-ish, that doesn't mean that there isn't room for it to change and evolve, and so Naomi August has returned with a new remix of the track courtesy of Kameo. And if the original was a sparse and... Continue Reading →
Stalwarts of the Spanish language indie music scene, twenty years in the game and with 13 albums to their name, Love of Lesbian release Viaje Epico Hacia la Nada or Epic Journey Towards Nowhere. V.E.H.N. is a gorgeous blend of rock urges and indie cool, addictive melodies and memorable sonics. It is also an album... Continue Reading →
At a point where hip-hop grooves meet R&B cool, where understated deliveries merge with more energetic beats, where smooth and sultry soul slow dances with pop infectiousness, where past music references are reinvented for a whole new generation, that's where you find From Cozy With Love, the fourth music project from Jonah. Opening with the... Continue Reading →
Most of the world has spent the past year just wondering how to get through these isolated and locked-down times. But, with some light finally glowing at the end of the tunnel, the question seems to be more about who you want to be as you emerge blinking into the light of the new normal.... Continue Reading →
Why limit yourself to working in just one genre when you can let the songs that you write do that for you? Why continue to push at one set of musical boundaries when you can wander freely across the sonic world? Why keep using the same musical template when the whole point of being creative... Continue Reading →
As the liquid bass lines pull you in and the dark grooves and slightly hypnotic sonics flash by, I Am Your Queen feels like music from another time. Perhaps even another, parallel world. Bands such as Jefferson Airplane and The Doors caught glimpse of such a place and tried to express what they saw through... Continue Reading →
The sun is shining, I have had the jab and the pubs are open…sort of…it does feel as if we are finally getting somewhere. So why not start checking out some new music and making sure that those artists are still in the game when you want to go to a live gig by buying... Continue Reading →
To try to define an album like Seeker generically is a difficult affair. Although rich in blues textures and folk tones it also seems to pulse with soulfulness, an old school Americana sound and plenty of country licks. And, like any album worth its salt, it is more than the sum of those parts too. Much... Continue Reading →
As much as I love a well-turned-out tune and shapely melodics, I would be the first to admit that it is subtle lyrics and supple wordplay which do it for me. Thankfully, Down With The Creeps has plenty of both, it's just such a blend that The Flying Chaucers have built their good name and... Continue Reading →
Music can always be a channel for issues and ideas, even when on the surface it seems just another fun and funky slice of pop. And those are the opposites that make The Gap so attractive. Blending jazzy vibes, soulful tones and pop infectiousness, The Gap is also a platform for an important issue. It... Continue Reading →
Although you might associate Billy Roberts and The Rough Riders more with foot-on-the-monitor, fist-in-the-air, low slung rock and roll sound, we shouldn't forget that this sonic posse is just as deft at wielding poised and poignant music too. And that is the vibe to be found on this latest sonic slice. It's clearly a song... Continue Reading →
With a solid background in film and also having spent his formative years opening for alternative rock and pop-punk stalwarts such as Blink 182, Jimmy Eat World and Incubus, it is no accident that Trey Warner writes songs that blend both melodic drama and a sort of wide-screen and filmic bredth. The opening title track... Continue Reading →
There is a wonderful echo of the classic singer-songwriter era which emanates from Lucky*, the new album from Colin Roy Monette, that and a slice of campfire country vibes for good measure. Presented in a fairly unadorned fashion, mainly just guitar and voice with the occasional beat or sonic embellishment, there is a lot to... Continue Reading →
As soon as I heard the track This, I thought that I was going to be presented with an album of busking style songs. Not that there is anything unprofessional about the production but there is a sort of ragged glory to that song. But check out the full album and you realise that there... Continue Reading →
The real charm of Thrillchaser's sound is their ability to start with a smooth soulful take on modern pop and blend it with the echo of poised, synth-pop past. And with those sleek 80's tones making a real comeback at the moment and the overall vibe of Fantasy offering mass appeal to dancefloor divas and... Continue Reading →
Music and books! Those are the two things that feature highly in my day to day life. I live in a house that is as much a library as a place of residence and from one of its crumbling garrets, I spend my time putting virtual pen to digital paper on behalf of new, interesting... Continue Reading →
There has been a slew of reunions of late by bands who were an important part of the post-punk and indie landscape and who perhaps didn't get the recognition that they deserved back in the day. Band such as Candy Opera, Modesty Blaise and delivering their first new music in 40 years, Cult Figures. I've... Continue Reading →
Given Jane Jensen's past musical endeavours, particularly as part of the all-girl "spunk band" The Dolls, and her close association with the likes of Troma Entertainment and the world of comic books, Enchant, might come as a bit of surprise. But there is one thing that links all of those projects, not to mention her many roles... Continue Reading →
Small Talk is the latest in a string of singles that beat a sonic path towards a planned debut album later this year and it is a perfect slice of restrained modern pop. Over a tumbling beat and some understated vocals, it talks of those difficult conversations and encounters that happen after a relationship has... Continue Reading →
Give Your Heart Away, the latest single from Jypsy Rose, is certainly a song that is brimming with country vibes. But like any song worth its salt, it is so much more than that too. After all, why confine yourself to just one genre when you can dance across many? And dance she does, sure-footedly... Continue Reading →
It's safe to say that hip-hop, like most genres, has come a long way since it took its first creative steps. What grew out of the dissatisfaction and street culture of South Bronx fifty years ago has travelled all around the world. And whilst those first pioneers made their music by re-wiring sound systems into... Continue Reading →
As soon as the music kicks in, it is clear to see why Marlon Boone is so well respected by saxophonists and jazz aficionados alike. He has rubbed shoulders and shared stages with everyone from Kim Walters, Will Donato and Pamela Williams and during the last 17 years has travelled extensively through both musical genres... Continue Reading →