Have I mentioned how glad I am that straight-up rock is still thriving? I don't mean to make it sound pedantic, but we live in an age of instant-ready-made-EDM, hip hop, avant-garde bullshit. "No Friend of Mine" is a new track from the Australian group Shotgun Mistress; it's a bare-knuckle assault of a track from its gritty low-end guitars to the screaming (yet melodic) vocals.
It seems that Shotgun Mistress agrees with me, from their press release: "As some believe that the genre [rock] itself has lay dormant, still recovering from a 90's hangover. Shotgun Mistress not only brings back the style but also the attitude you can expect from a bunch of musical degenerates." Judging from the media attention these boys have been getting, it's likely there are more than a few people who agree. See their facebook page at www.facebook.com/shotgunmistress
Jolting rhythms, vocoding, with melodic and fast-spitting lyrics are aspects of I'm Just Dane's new track "I Don't Need 'em" which fortunately comes in a "clean" version available on his SoundCloud page. The song is mostly about not needing trifling women who are often more trouble than the're worth. This is especially true in the era of E-THOTs cyber-begging incels for their paychecks. Men would do well to heed Dane's warning.
From his press release: Hailing from Boca Raton, FL, V12 is excited to release his first solo project. After success in the industry with a music group in high school, the rapper is Im Just Dane is a musician currently based in Los Angeles. While growing up in Chicago, Im Just Dane was influenced by artists like Michael Jackson, Usher and other classic R&B artists of the ’90s and 2000s. Im Just Dane’s signature style blends soul, blues and trap into what he calls "Contemporary R&B."
We're going to have to have a serious conversation as a society about the materialism and rat-race that dominates global culture. Now that competition with East Asia, a recovering economy, and a shrinking job pool have led to a generation of antacid chugging overworked and underpaid professionals who stress to pay back college-loans all the while trying to plan for the future.
This is a powerful and honest sentiment present in DRussellAmerica's new track "WorkAHolic." There is a deep 808 bassline (which I love, I'll never get tired of it) decorated with high piano melody/arpeggios. The lyrics are poignant and very WYHIWYG.
One other notable thing would be Mr. DRussell's style of mask-wearing - there is probably a lot more there and maybe I'll do some investigating and get back to you all.
Turning on "Letter to Cecil," thick samples of choral with more than a bit of Motown flavor cascade through the speakers. Royal (a rapper from Delaware) is a self-reflective poet who isn't afraid to dig deep into issues of faith, life, death, parenthood, and living a virtuous life.
"Letter to Cecil" is a direct contradiction to the overpopular and unsubstantiated notion that Hip Hop is misogynistic and glorifies violence. Royal couldn't be farther from that cliche and guessing from his plays and booked shows, there is an audience hungry for what he has to offer. Access Royal's IG page here
"What You Need"starts out with very shoe-gazing guitar riff, it's very genre-non-specific until V12 starts rapping. It reminds me a lot of they kind of live-backed hip hop which was such a staple in the Phoenix, AZ scene circa 2003 (think Drunken Immortals). But V12 is far more straight up RnB oriented rather than Rock when it turns melodic (which is nice). The rock is there primarily as flavor.
From his press release: Hailing from Boca Raton, FL, V12 is excited to release his first solo project. After success in the industry with a music group in high school, the rapper is ready to release his much-anticipated project "The Commission". The first single from the album "What You Need" is available now.
Listen to a remix below:
It has such a sympathetic quality - a duet, strings, piano - a ballad, and did I mention that the voices are absolutely stunning in the realm of intonation? Shadowfields' (a totally kick-ass name btw) new song "Never Again" is a heartbreaking torch song with a climactic quality that will keep you coming back to it always again (ouch, bad pun, I know).
From their press release: Chicago-based (Americana /swamp-grass, neo gypsy, folk-rock) band Shadowfields began in the summer of 2006 as a songwriting partnership of vocalist Heather Humphrey and multi-instrumentalist Tom McKeown.
Every once in a while I like to do a follow-up blog post about a previous article, mostly just because I feel I have something more to say. A while ago, I wrote about singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Clifton Johnson, also known as Cplus, and his new single "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend."
As I kept coming back to this tune I had a compulsion to research Mr. Johnson a bit more, only to find that it is not just me who has a profound appriecation for this man's talent. He has opened for A list entertainers such as Usher and Mint Condition. He plays in a band "Born in November" in addition to a thriving solo career. Not to mention, "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" is still doing extremely well.
The low end is nowhere near lacking in this track. Boston, Massachusets rap/hip hop artist Hundred Round Kado's new track "Spin the Block" is a quick-tempo, dark, and very orchestral song. Mr. Kado's voice and lyrics are intriguing if not a little myopic; graphic violence and violent narratives seem to be squarely in his wheelhouse.
It is very catchy though; Hundred Round Kado can spit quickly and still enunciate enough to be easily understood. For those fans of the "gangsta" rap genre, this should be a gem - I for one, would be interested to see what Mr. Kado would be capable of if he expanded into other subjects (to be fair, my exposure to him is rather limited and he may very well have a broader repertoire of style).
With warm weather approaching and summer vacation brings the promise of early afternoons garnished with cold beer and white wine, it might be time to update your road trip playlist. Might I suggest the new album by Ivey titled "Take This to Heart?" I just finished listening to/viewing their music video for "Through the Keyhole" and it's the perfect tune for sunny driving with the top down.
The song has more than a little emo edge to it but the video is whimsical enough to show these guys don't take themselves too seriously (thank God). It's pretty straight-up rock and while the singing is a bit pitchy at times, it actually adds a bit of realism to the band's sound (think Bright Eyes or Modest Mouse). See their website at www.iveymusica.com
MW: Tell us more about your new music.
KM: My new music is from Pop, Hip Hop, Electronic to Dance Music.
MW: Where are you from?
KM: I am from a small town called Payson Utah. Born and raised.
MW: When did you know music was going to be your passion?
KM: As soon as I could reach the keys of the piano. I had this wanting to not only play. But wanted to play for everyone. I would spend up to 10 hours a day playing the piano before I even took piano lessons.
MW: What memorable responses have you had from your audiences?
KM: I have many people tell me that my Because I'm Happy song brightens up there day and I have many people that use this song in their classrooms.
MW: What would be your dream musical tour? I want to go to Europe.
KM: One stop I'd love is to play for the Queen of England.
MW: How do you see the future of independent music?
KM: As the music industry has and is evolving. I see more and more people finding their audience easier and easier by social media.
MW: What are you most looking forward to in the rest of 2019?
KM: Recording and releasing all new music. And starting to branch out of my home state. I want to explore new circles and cool venue's. I'm always looking to expand my tribe.
The sounds of cinematic sound design combined with steel slide guitar and acoustics in a purely country setting is really engaging. This is the impression I get from the new release of "Ghose" by Rob Georg. I'm taken back to the Sub:marine Records (now defunct) release of the similarly named "Henry's Ghost" which was a beautiful combination of country and electronics.
The tune is a soundscape of beautiful instrumentation with top-notch singing. Although the song itself is rather dark and communicates a helplessness in grief recovery; it's about an individual being haunted and unable to move on. I imagine there is something rather sympathetic about hearing the pangs of separation penned by Mr. Georg. Hear "Ghost" on Spotify here.
MW:So, I have to ask, where did the name @if come from?
@if: That’s my real birth name. Lol. Looks like “@“ the right time, “If” I was there. Moreover, it has high recall value and more importantly it emerges on top of all artists and playlists- “@“ before any alphabets. Means even before A or any number. So a marketing/promotional tool too.
MW:Do you think your song “Prickly Heat” is representative of your greater catalog?
@if: Honestly speaking, it is quite tough to say that. Because when I was setting the playlist for Sexcursion- every song was eligible to be on top as the first single. There are pop rocks songs like Prickly Heat and Instacrush. And then there is Hard Rock like Valentine, Serpentine & Frankenstein and Prank U. There’s blues/rock n roll like If I Was a Girl and finally Gothic Rock/Metal Rest in Pieces. But I admit Prickly Heat is catchy and sounds sweet to everyone in general.
MW:Can you name some of your influences musically or lyrically?
@if: So I am a lost soul from mid 60s who woke up in early to mid 90s. Queen, The Doors and AC/DC as my general rule of thumb. Then there is GnR, Velvet Revolver & Audioslave with contemporaries such as Sound Garden, STP and then my generation includes SOAD, RATM, Limp & Linkin’.
I grew up as hopeless romantic songwriter/poet listening to MJ, Phil Collins, Bryan Adams, Sting, Rod Stewart, Richard Marx and George Michael. But ever since I lost my religion- I learnt sadness and romance is waste of time. Fun and party is my way of life now. Life’s too short to not enjoy every moment.
MW:Kind of related to #4, is there any music out now that you’re enjoying?
@if: So I am digging Dubstep- I did a dubstep version of Valentine, Serpentine & Frankenstein that has a video on You Tube and audio on Apple Music/Spotify and rest of the aggregate platforms. Dubstep is the first real heavy electro sub-genre that has connected with me.
Apart from that you will find a huge variety because I like to conceive and write beyond genres. These days I am also into Smooth Jazz, Arabic and Lounge music. I also love following guitarists such Satch, Beck and Vai.
MW:Are you playing live these days?
@if: Yes I am pretty active in NY scene. You will find me performing at one of the local joints in Long Island and sometimes in Manhattan too. Still looking though for America wide and European shows.
MW:Where can people learn more about you and your music?
@if: My music and me is about letting go. Laugh a lot about fallacies of life and when life’s good put your foot on accelerator. Having been to the darkest side of the spectrum- I believe it ain’t worth it at all. With so much information sharing there is content that will keep consumed all the time. Amazing documentaries, stand up comedians, experimental films, Audible/Blinkist and so much more that we even don’t know about that has not become mainstream yet. Of course the entire catalog of music history is also available at your finger tips. Is there any time for tears, depression or melancholy? I don’t think so. Just stay active, workout daily, don’t do drugs and you’ll find that every moment in life can be better than sex. That’s me and you can find that echo in my music. So pump up with volume and relish the puritan rock.
DavidMichael503 is a producer hailing from Oregon (like me) who's recent remix of Halsey's "Bad at Love." The original was notable for its gentle and serine beat complete with square-wave synths and high end plunking pianos replete with sparse drums.
DavidMichael503's version is much more hard-hitting with a much more percussion centered instrumentation. There is also a dark undercurrent going on with a much more minor feel and edgier synths. Both certainly have their place where the original is much more friendly in a pop setting and the remix being more club/dance-appropriate.
The music video also has more than a few additions of thong-clad young ladies shaking which the male readers of CMT should appreciate.
It's just so glam! Seriously vintage in tone and in style, Love Stallion is channeling the late 80's in a very genuine and yet mildly comical way. you won't find too many lead vocalists who can soar in the upper register the way this guy can (he's super pretty to boot). He's supported by equally talented musicians with one hell of a lead guitarist who understands it's what you don't do that matters just as much as what you do. Overall, I'm thrilled to see so many acts exploring genres that I had just assumed were long departed. Get in touch with your inner hair-band fan and give these guys a shot.
James Lee Baker is a classically trained musician operating in the realm of blues, acoustic, and singer/songwriter tunes. His song Cowtown Blues is an upbeat but growley tune about growing up country. Maybe it's the harmonica or bass that genuinely sounds washtub but this is real Americana. With skill like this it's not hard to see why Mr. Baker has played some of the U.S.'s finest venues like The Walnut Room in Denver, Colorado and the Whiskey a Go Go in Los Angeles. See more about James Lee Baker here: www.jamesleebaker.com
Rock ensemble WOOD has a new music video out for their song "Shelter." Directed by Billie Butler, it's a fairly simple narrative about a man determined to see/save his love interest during an epically bad series of tornadoes.
The song would be a pretty straight up rock-ballad save for some very unique high-end guitar countermelodies happening during the verses. It's passionately done and the vocal harmonies are tight, almost like a folk-group. Overall, Shelter proves to me that pure Rock music has a strong place in the American cultural landscape - it's a fixture, now and forever.
Laxed notions connected to intimacy in our modern age have really created a division between the sexes. Through thinking that sex is purely a physical activity for recreation has created a generation of girls who end up feeling used and objectified. Pop duo Meghan and Caitlin are tackling the tame attitudes towards hook-up culture in their new single "Midnight." It's a catchy tune using "those magic changes" chord progression, expertly and passionately sung, not to mention the poignant lyrics not easy to pull off in an uptempo electronic piece. www.facebook.com/meghanandcaitlin
Scandinavia is Metal's holy-land. More than any other European culture, it's been the Swedes and Norse who have cultivated a brand of Rock that countless others have tried to emulate. It's no surprise that Sweedish Metal band Grave Robbert delivers a hard-hitting tune titled "The Ecstasy of the Night" - there are all the normal trappings that fans will enjoy (screaming vocals, virtuosic guitar, double bass kicks...etc) but there is a super cool friendliness to the song; almost as if it has a pop sensibility. This isn't to say that it's toothless, far from it, it's just to point out that this music can have a wider appeal than just the hard-liners.
One thing that music enthusiasts get way too hung up on is genre. Is a track folk-country, alt-country, country-rock...etc. I can't imagine that the old timers who laid down the groundwork for American music really thought about genre all too much, it was more style they were concerned with.
Ranzel X Kendrick's new track "Seguin Son of a Gun" is a twangy quick tempo song complete with anthem-like lyrics - an homage to country living. There is an incredible fiddle going on in the background and all backed up by a simple strummed acoustic guitar. The vocals are unrefined and very raw - the kind you would hear around a campfire which is where my tastes lie. Overall, it's really nice to see country music starting to make its way back from the pop-incursions of the late 90's and early 2000's; Ranzel X Kendrick is such an artist.
