Alexis Gerred "Unbreakable"

Tripple threat vocalist, actor for stage and screen, and all-around passionate guy Alexis Gerred is out with a new single titled "Unbreakable." Right out of the gate, this thing hits hard - it's got a lot of 80's rock character to it featuring wailing distorted guitars, wild pulsating drums, and of course, Mr. Gerred's incomparable vocal technique. Where the song is wonderfully modern is the addition of a horn section making for a beautiful in-your-face style track that shouldn't be missed. 

As far as I know, this song, "Unbreakable" is part of Alexis's first EP. His ReverbNation page contains a lot of great music featuring a wide variety of styles. 

VAKERO FT El TiRA LETRA , BETOBEN LA SINFONITA , VARIOS ARTISTAS - MENTE A NA (VIDEO OFICIAL) REMIX

I am absolutely loving the fact that the Spanish-speaking world has made as many inroads into the global popular music as it has; this is especially true when it comes to hip-hop. Truth be told, it seems like the genre was begging to be created with the emphasis on thundering drums, the party (or fiesta) atmosphere, and a healthy love of feminine beauty. 

So this leads me to the above video, featuring Airon el Hijo de Mechi plus a who's who of extraordinary talent in a fantastically shot joint. Indeed it looks like our stars are having the time of their lives, and I don't mind saying I'm a little jealous I wasn't invited. Seriously though, even if you're not a Spanish Speaker, the groove is more than enough to carry you and hype up your senses for an amazing romp. 

Luna Carina "Leave Me Light"

Southhampton gents Jack and Jacob, better known as their band moniker "Luna Carina" have laid down one of the coolest tracks I've heard in a long time. It's a tempting psychedelic vibe featuring crisp drums, heavily effected guitars, smooth RnB vocals, and some seriously stylish production. Complete with lyric video below, we should take a listen:

"Leave Me Light" (which features Tink Beadle and George Ryan lending their beautiful voices) has a very dream-pop/electro texture happening; the sound is very current, but borrows the deeply alluring sonic pallet of the 1960s (think The Doors "Strange Days"). For my money, this thing succeeds on every level - it's the first song I've heard from Luna Carina, but I plan on digging a little deeper now that they're on my radar. 

S.A.E "Millions"

Ethereal and ambient soundscapes surround my ears while I listen on my headphones to S.A.E's newest release "Millions." However, don't let that initial description make you think that this is at all a down-tempo, or as our former president used to say: "low energy." The lyrical content and rapid-fire syllables creates for an energetic and apt performance on the part of these talented gents. 

If I had one word to describe "Millions," I would have to say it sounds very "now." Lush instrumentals with sparse drums, relying on the vocals to carry most of the rhythmic lifting (to great effect, BTW) are all hallmarks of Hip-Hop over the last decade. It's a great tune and a great addition to S.A.E's Spotify lineup. 

Adam McClelland "Down"

One thing I've always appreciated about Country music has been the shared cultural references to the rather stark beauty, and indeed romanticism of what it means to live away from the city. As someone who currently resides in a small rural community, I can tell you, the thought of leaving this place is one of the most unappealing things I can come up with. So, when I heard Adam McClelland's "Down," a love song just as much about a girl as it is about country life, I felt a certain kinship happening. 

McClelland's voice is strong and gruff at times - accompanied perfectly by distorted guitars in the chorus. The rhythm of the song both lyrically and musically keeps a toe-tapping tempo ideal for live situations or blaring out of your pickup why you ignore the speed limit through county roads at 2am. It's a great sound, and something that I hope we get a lot more of in the future. 

PostmodernGypsies "Ages"

Not many people know this about me, but I used to be a college professor teaching Jazz History. When I started writing about music I longed for that time going through the early days of Miles Davis and ending up with modern Jazz/Hip-Hop hybrids and everything in between. This is why I'm so pleased to be talking about today's contribution to CMT, PostmodernGypsies, and their track "Ages." 

In a lot of ways, it's a classic sound of piano, bass, drums, and saxophone - but there is something very, well, current about their sound - it's absolutely rainy-afternoon-cup-of-coffee (or wine) music. Or perhaps the elegance could evoke upscale dinner parties featuring attractive people having intellectual conversations. Truthfully though "Ages" is such a sweet track with some of the purest tone Sax, that it just stands on its own. 

And hopefully, this is a harbinger of more Jazz to come. 

Patrick Noel Russ "True Heart"

Hello dear CMT readers, strap in, because there is much to discuss here... I was first introduced to Patrick Noel Russ, not too long ago with his last EP release: "Rise Up." I found the whole album to be a wonderful journey through country/folk/rock stylings and became very taken with Russ's sometimes raspy but always beautiful voice - not to mention his apt lyrical ability. So I was happy when a couple of days ago I was notified that Patrick has a new EP out; this one is "True Heart," a seven-track journey that even out-does "Rise Up." Let's get into it below. 

The EP opens with "Close to Me," beginning with a lovely (and minorly flirty) female vocal. As tends to be the case with much of Russ's music, this track is very folk-rock in its delivery. The charming female singing reappears in the form of backup parts which really made the song from an arrangement standpoint. The track is super upbeat but lyrically, the listener gets a dose of distance-induced-pangs of longing. The Dire Straits-esque guitar solo, is a great touch as well. 

The second track on the album is "The Loneliest Place," and it's a nice contract to "Close to Me." In this song, we get a peek into the more sensitive side of Patrick Noel Russ's writing. Musically, the song shares a lot with reflective ballads of the 60's; think "Blowing in the Wind" by Bob Dylan, but you know... better singing. It's supported by simple, yet lovely cello, which again, from an arranging standpoint is awesome. 

With the next track "Already Won," we're back to the rock-roots. I like the abrasive acoustic guitar riff that's going on in the intro - it's got a very Violent Femmes kinda thing going on, but the style departs from that sound pretty quickly to give us a bit heavier sound with distorted guitars. The vocal style of the melody and repetitive lyrics imparts a punk-rock flavor. It's really in the structure of "Already Won," where we get the sense that Patrick Noel Russ is primarily a life performer first, at least in the way he crafts his songs - while they are perfectly enjoyable to listen to over speakers/headphones, I think we can all tell that it is in the bar/concert hall where these tunes really shine. 

We don't quite get to come down completely by the time "Sad Goodbye" starts. This one is a bit of a blues-rock jam (it's really nice that as of yet, no two songs sound alike, which is always the mark of a well-crafted EP). What really makes my ears perk up for "Sad Goodbye" is the Hammond Organ coming through on the chorus, which is an automatic A+ from me. Seriously though, I think if there were one song in the lineup that I would go back to first, it's this one. 

"Sweet Mother Mary" continues with the Hammond Organ goodness. This song really makes me wonder if Russ is genuinely religious or using religious context for lyrical inspiration, I honestly can't tell and both are perfectly valid (in my opinion). In a way, it reminds me of the other popular rock "Mary" song, "Let it Be" by the Beatles. The lyrics do reflect a life of twists and turns often leading to "sin," but it's hard to tell by the character of the song how truly regretful Russ actually is. 

If "Sweet Mother Mary" is up for interpretation, then "When I Close My Eyes" is starkly authentic. It's a lovely heartfelt tune featuring almost all acoustic instrumentation (guitar, cello, mandolin [I think] and slide guitar). It really is the relaxing ballad that we get on the journey that is "True Heart" before launching into the final track.

And, that final track is the somewhat organic-folk-like-somewhat-disco: "Dance in the Hall," opening with flutes, which again, caught my ears for their uniqueness on the album. Here Russ's lyrics are at their strongest with the charming line "grass grows in the sidewalk; doesn't bother us at all..." which is a somewhat mundane observation but paired with the melody and instrumentation, comes off so successfully. The way the lyrics and rhythm are suspended at the phrase's cadence is truly masterful, and I have to say, that the visual of "skipping down the street" brings a smile to my face. 

"True Heart" was clearly crafted very carefully but there is a sense of spontaneity about it also... like the songs could have emerged out of jam sessions. With as regularly as Patrick Noel Russ seems to put things out, we probably won't have to wait too long for his next release, which is a nice thought. For this album though, all I can really say is: I'm impressed. 

Stream it on SoundCloud here.