Charlie Christmas - Happy Day

There is more than a tinge of grunge nostalgia in Charlie Christmas's new release "Happy Day." The lyrics are uplifting like "Step into the light; everything's alright." But, the reverbed instrumentation and psychedelic effects make me wonder if the song contains multiple meanings, or at the very least minorly sarcastic (think Flaming Lips or His Name is Alive). Regardless of deeper meanings, it's a damn-catchy tune.

www.charliechristmasmusic.com

Pale Blue Dot - Only Love

Virginia based rock group "Pale Blue Dot" has a new single out - it's an upbeat, four on the floor style anthem (and even features a glorious trumpet part - not unlike a Wynton Marselas baroque solo) titled "Only Love." Male and Female singers are featured for both verses and choruses and both can more than hold their own against the busy instrumentation.

After reading their bio, I'm excited to note their broad range of influence not only from Popular and Rock genres but also Bebop (which almost certainly explains the trumpet) not to mention, their commitment to evolving as artists which is more than laudable. www.palebluedotband.com

Desi Hip Hop releases new Android/Apple App

A brave new world is upon us; now, whatever music we desire is quite literally at our fingertips through the use of the supercomputers we carry around in our pockets. Desi Hip Hop has released an OTT streaming application replete with amazing artists from the Indian Rap community. Readers of this blog may recall the short feature we did on the artist SUN J with his tune "Dehli." Now, find him and tons of other artists right on your phone.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tp.desihiphop.app
http://www.desihiphop.com/desi-hip-hop-music-video-streaming-platform/540306

From the announcement:

Hip Hop overtook Rock as the most streamed genre in the world and is now making waves across Asia. Although Youtube has been North America's go-to platform for music video streaming, Asian audiences are finding it increasingly difficult to discover and consume the vast amounts of content coming from such a diverse region. DesiHipHop Inc, a California based Platform & Media Co just launch a beta app on android "'Desi Hip Hop" to lay the foundation for a new breed of Asian Urban Youth diaspora across India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh to celebrate their culture and create cutting edge content.

While most streaming giants sell Music or Video subscriptions, DesiHipHop wants to focus on the Lifestyle with it’s new OTT Video Streaming Platform. "In the 80's we stood in line to buy music, we waited all week to watch Soul Train. We didn't have Digital, Mobile & Social technology to help us discover Hip Hop culture. I'm an immigrant Indian and when I wanna discover new Hip Hop music from South Asian artists, I have no idea what to look for on Youtube. So we're building a platform solution for Fans, Artists, Brands & Audiences to connect, curate, create & celebrate culture", says "Desi Hip Hop" Founder Hardik Davé.

Hardik Davé, a former Technology Executive has been building Digital Experiences for enterprises and brands across retail and sports and is now turning his focus on music. You can download the app for Android here, or find out more about it at the DesiHipHop official website. 

Green Tea Goblins - Pot Monsters

Green Tea Gobblins have a new anthem out to, you guessed it, cannabis. The song itself sounds quite a bit like the drug feels after smoking for a few hours and you realize it's 3am while Doors or Ravi Shankar is playing in the background. Really, the tune is simply a mishmash of samples over a reverb-laden rock track, not entirely unlike something modest mouse. I'm not sure if GTG intends this track to only be used while consuming the substance it lionizes but you might give it a go, if interested. https://greenteagoblins.com/music

MEMORI - 'CTRL C CTRL V' MV

I never liked the term "J-Pop" as a catch-all for music coming out of Japan - the term seemed to indicate a lack of seriousness on the part of the performers and collapse everything into one monolithic all-encompassing-genre. In truth, there has always been a diverse, and interesting musical landscape contained within the small chain of islands in the Pacific Ocean.

Memori is an artist who is new to me. But she has a style and sound that is not only refreshing but strikingly aggressive for such a feminine and beautiful young woman. The song "CTRL C CTRL V" navigates the space between heavy hitting indie rock and pop-electronica. Accompanied by a French-Themed music video, this is one that I greatly enjoyed. Find more of her at www.remembermemori.com

Woodfish - Damn Thang

Funky beats and the most insane bass part I've ever heard coming out of a rock trio are just two qualities of the new Woodfish song "Damn Thang." The tune is expertly rendered by the group with an upbeat quality that really drew my attention from writing this review - there is also a captivating music video telling a narrative of a beautiful woman's infatuation with her pizza delivery boy. I have to be honest, dear readers, I just can't get over the lead-singer's bass playing, it is just the busiest low-end instrument but it really makes the song - and makes the band rather unique.

www.woodfishmusic.com

Heathcote Hill - Save The Ones You Love

Heathcote Hill's new song: "Save the Ones You Love" is a heartfelt ballad about the priorities we make in regards to how relationships are formed. The beat is a somewhat poppy country-folk pulse. I do wish the song had a bit of grittier edge to it a la Bright Eyes or Calexico; for some reason, the expert production sheen seems to divert from the genuineness of the track (but this is really just me being nit-picky). It is; however, an extraordinary expression of one man's thoughts. For more information, you can visit his website here: https://www.heathcotehill.net/

Jeffrey Halford and The Healers - Deeper Than Hell

I love dark blues licks, probably most so from late Doors albums, you know, the types where Jim Morrison looked like he just gave up on life but somehow that giving up just allowed them to experiment more. It's not to say that Jeffrey Halford and the Healers reflect some lazy ambitions of a bygone era, far from it. But there is a flavor to the tune "Deeper Than Hell." The track is brand new - so new you can't hear it yet (I was gifted a private SoundCloud link because I'm that cool). Take my word for it though; it's cool with expertly played guitar licks and a smooth lead vocalist.

http://jeffreyhalford.com/

The Vics - Proud

The slow-core indie sounds reminiscent of Calexico or 16 Horsepower pump through my headphones while I'm listening to The Vics song "Proud." According to their bio, they are an amalgamation of the new and the old hailing originally from Pittsburgh The song begins with expertly reverbed drums - the kind you would hear in a single microphone 1950's style production session. It's a breakup song but not some kind of sappy "woe-is-me" type thing; actually, for having such an emotional edge, it's rather manly and resolute in it's driving guitar, vocals, and percussion. It's a difficult sound to describe, which is why you should give it a listen www.facebook.com/thevics

Madelyn Victoria - Right Here With You

What do we all really want out of life? It seems to me that for the past 2-3 generations where children are (rightfully) taught to pursue their dreams we have overcorrected in the direction excess. What I mean by that is: Young people dream of riches, fame, and abundance; but what about simpler/nobler paths? There are paths that include finding someone to lean on, starting a family, and contributing in your own way to your society and community. This is a sentiment echoed in Madelyn Victoria's song "Right Here With You" which essentially is an anthem to the apparently simple, yet like all things in this world, the richness and beauty lie deep underneath the still waters. It's a super fun/danceable tune that I could see being very popular in country bars or line-dancing clubs. Her music can be found at her website: www.madelyn-victoria.com

Tia McGraff - Let 'em See You're Strong

There are certainly times in all of our lives where we feel so challenged that success or survival is not guaranteed. For me, this was after my first wife left me - she packed up her bags into a four-door sedan and headed for the East Coast. After ten years of a shared life, I didn't know how I could possibly reassert myself as an individual. At times like that, I think many of us turn to sympathetic music which provides inspiration to keep going. I would have loved to have a tune like Tia McGraff's song "Let em See You're Strong." It's got a lot of country flavor with more than a few pinches of Gospel. It's a power ballad with expertly played instrumental parts (piano, guitar, strings...etc) which all leads to a very satisfying effect. Luckily you can stream all of Ms. McGraff's music through her website www.tiamcgraff.com

Clayton Morgan - Good Love

The dance rhythms are infectious; it's a happy tune, very at home with current Euro-Sounds. The chord progression is nostalgic, they are the (to quote the "Grease" musical) "magic changes, which, whether it's the Delfonics, Taylor Swift, or Clayton Morgan (which it is) never get old. The lyrics and voice are both very gentle and pleasant, singing the kind of tune you could imagine hearing on a low-key summer evening with a special someone. The song features Martone and is available for streaming on Mr. Morgan's FaceBook page here: www.facebook.com/claytonmorganmusic  

Bill Abernathy - Find a Way

The art of story-telling along with music is something that I have always admired. Perhaps it has something to do with my experience as a church musician but I have always felt that when the two were put together the result was always something that equaled "The Whole is Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts." Bill Abernathy is an artist that I really appreciate, and his song/album "Find a Way" is a wonderful synthesis of narrative. In the intro to the tune, Mr. Abernathy tells a story about his father defining all odds to survive WWII, have a family and live a successful life. The personal connection the song has to Bill is obvious from his passionate performance. It's pretty straight-up acoustic rock played on a 12-string guitar, not overly sentimental but very heartfelt which is a hard combo to pull off but it's made a little easier the more genuine it is; and this is plenty genuine.

www.billabernathy.com

Gliffo - Get The Sun In Your Head

The world is dynamic, it always has been; throughout cultural history, there have always been more individuals creating than the gatekeepers could promote. This all changed with the advent of social media. Finally, independent producers of art could go toe to toe with major industry cats. It seems this sentiment is shared by the artist Gliffo, in the infobox of his YouTube video "Get the Sun in Your Head" he writes: "There's a soul of an artist in almost every human being. So it's not surprising that the entrepreneur C.S. had a musical inspiration and a song in his ear almost overnight, which he sings here as 'Gliffo.'"  The hook is a positive-messaged upbeat melody that will quickly become an ear-worm. His backing musicians and singer are all top-notch players, plus it's a whimsical and fun video. 

www.gliffo.net

The Jon Johns - Stories

The Jon John's song "Stories" seems to occupy some strange space in the nether regions of folk, alt-country, and shoe-gazing. The vocals are heavily reverbed which give the song a very ethereal and atmospheric quality which just works - it adds a uniqueness to a tune which would otherwise be a pretty straight up folk sound. On the other hand, the song is decidedly modern with an almost loop-like architecture in the guitar, piano, and drum instrumentation. Let me be frank, I loved this tune and went on to hear the rest of The Jon John's album "Road Trip Mix Tape,' an aptly named title as all of the songs have very specific characters. See links below. 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/5HynWRetQwaVi4v6p6ENPO?si=Nhk3iU4MTFGUIW3_WhbbVA
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejonjohns/

Hro Palyan - 2 Faced (feat. Nazo Bravo)

Self-awareness and self-reflection are qualities that only occur in the mature phase of one's life. Hro Palyan is a Hip Hop artist (accompanied by Nazo Bravo) with a sick flow and a message for examining one's behaviour in a way that demands we live as honestly. "2 Faced" starts out with an admission of being the same and then goes on into an exploration of pain in relationships of all kinds (friendships, enemies, and love). The beat has a very satisfying low end which I loved coming through my Fostex monitors not to mention the creepy-out-of-tune-piano sample. The video is pretty great too. 

Cplus - Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend

Reimagining classic songs from a bygone era is a hip-hop staple which harkens back to the days of sampling breaks as the backdrop for MCs. Cplus is an artist working through the Marilyn Monroe anthem to materialism "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend," in a way that not only makes the song an original but also turns the blatant selfishness of the 1953 hit squarely on its head. Cplus's song is more critical of an era obsessed with friend requests, Instagram likes, and the constant pursuit of ignoble paths. Complete with beautiful harmonies and a soft/gentle contemporary RnB voice it will be interesting to see how well this tune plays out with a public who could very well be counted amongst those the song is critiquing.

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/cplus/272448338
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4uk29j5K8hIVCVj8q4OfUz

SUN J - DILLI (Delhi)

It seems that Hip Hop now (like its predecessor, Jazz) has truly graduated into a global phenomenon. It's not to say that there wasn't Hip Hop and Rap made by people outside the Western World before the current culture, there was; but I'm continually astounded by the level of sophistication and raw talent coming out of the Eastern Hemisphere currently.

Enter Sun J and his tune "Dilli." Sadly, my Hindi is limited to phrases like "Me tola tola Hindi samashtahu - that was my best phonetic attempt) but even though I can't make out the phrases, this song is banging catchy.  Not just that, the video is sharp and well shot with plenty of action and a view would be time well spent.

It's an upbeat track with some spooky keys supporting the fast-paced lyrics. Mr. J seems to be describing life in one of the worlds largest cities (Delhi) and the shots show various members of that communities underclass. Watching this actually sent me down a rabbit hole of Desi Hip-Hop's channel that kept me entertained for about an hour. Find more about Sun J here: http://www.khatarnaak.com/

Rev Peter Unger - “There’s a Spirit”

Something that even in the midst of my insufferable atheist period of life, one principal that I maintained was a notion that we are stewards of what is around us in order to preserve the beauty for the next generation. It's nice to see this sentiment echoed in Peter Unger's "There's a Spirit" - a new single released by the artist. The song is very folk-oriented with a notable absence of drums. The beginning is a chaotic (but pleasant) jumble of plucked strings that almost sound out of time with each other, until falling into place with the first verse. Rev Peter's voice is soft, melodic, and is the perfect vehicle for delivering this message. The song can be heard at https://www.reverbnation.com/revpeterunger

Craymo - Take It Slow (Gotta Say Hey) World

Here's something a little off the beaten path. I have to say that I find it rather heartening that we live in a world where one of the principal messages seems to say "slow down." When you think about it, all of the so-called "advancements" of technology and communication have served to isolate us more now than virtually any time in the past. The idea of stopping once in a while and having some gratitude is something desperately needed.

This is why I appreciate Craymo's song and music video "Take it Slow." Not only is it utterly charming that this middle-aged man is dancing and having fun with millennials, there are also beautiful shots of a beautiful beach landscape (making me envious). It's a fun song with a beautiful message.  

R.W. Roldan - The Color Of

In a world of Taylor Swift and her ilk, long graduating from the Country genre into the more profitable pop domain, it's really nice to see genuine folk, acoustic, and poetic Country music being made. Hopefully, fans will take note of those operating in bars, churches, and (God help us) coffee shops.

One such artist is R.W. Roldan and his song "The Color Of" with the accompanying music video. The lyrics are, well, lyrical. The song is linear and (thankfully) very traditional in many ways, perhaps most so, the low, slightly distorted guitar solo in the middle of the track. The song in and of itself does have a political bent with the lines "What makes the color of man's skin a capital crime?" plus the narrative that goes along with it in the verses. But, the point of the song is somewhat more nuanced than a simple white-bad/other-good dichotomy and it really should be explored. 

Les Fradkin – Summer

So, I remember being quite young and my parents had a series of CDs (transfers from LPs) titled “Classical Beat” where orchestral pieces were paired with popular music-style drumbeats and the effect was quite pleasing. Later in college, I became fascinated with “Switched on Bach” as it was such a staple in the synthesizer world.

Imagine my pleasant surprise when I found Les Fradkin’s awesome rendition of Antonio Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” composition played through what I can only imagine is a guitar-style-midi controller (I may be wrong) pumping out virtuosic synthetic lines that are perfectly representative of the Italian Master’s genius. The track is intense and very worth the listen! Mr. Fradkin and his music can be found here: www.bongoboyrecords.com/lesfradkin 

The BeeKeepers

Today, while scrolling through my recommendations, I stumbled across East-Coast new folk music trio The BeeKeepers. Luckily their website has a host of wonderful/original songs to sample (and buy – of course, I suggest buying). The track preloaded into the playlist was the song “Roots Run Deep,” a languid and empathic tune with acoustic guitar playing slow chord changes over gorgeous voices singing in harmony.  With brilliantly written songs like this, it’s easy to see why major publications have taken note of this group; everyone from Huffpo to Skope magazine have featured reviews on these ladies. If curious, their webpage can be found here: https://www.thebeekeepers.net which includes fun photos, tour dates, as well as streaming music.