MUSIC REVIEWS

Brian Shapiro follows the beat of his own drummer. The unique confluence of life experiences and musical talent always produces interesting, if nothing else, results. Los Angeles born Shapiro is no exception. His signature synthesis of punk, new wave, singer/songwriter, and a smattering of rock would be enough to set …

A gentle tempo frames a muted, moaning melody as we listen to the first couple of bars in “The Struggle to Live,” the new single and music video from Ian Bouras, but we’ll soon discover that the layers in this track come together one at a time. There’s a hesitant …

The Wandering Off are much more than just another husband/wife musical duo. It definitely isn’t a new phenomenon – many musical partnerships are formed on the basis of matrimony. Emily and Kyle Corner are just debuting under this moniker, but their single “Hey There” sounds like they’ve been making music …

Thomas Howell is one of the most prominent young actors of the 1980’s, known for his generation-defining role in the classic The Outsiders, among other fine films. He continues working in film and television today, but his artistic interests broadened with time. He’s taken on the name Tommy Howell for his …

Tundra Music Collective aren’t playing out old formulas and watered-down concepts based on their idols’ greatest hits in the explosive album Rawk On. There are no big props, filler, or synthetic harmonies to adorn simplistic lyrics of love and loss upon. In tracks like the record-starting title cut, the blustery “Modified” …

An earnest beat engages a melody at the start of “Ancient Cosmic Truth,” the title track of Louis Siciliano’s all-new experimental EP, and though the rhythm of the instrumentation is pendulous, there comes a quiet urgency in the distant vocal element that pushes anyone within earshot to the very edge …

The faint noise of a helicopter’s fading blades is broken apart by the decadence of a piano, its keys echoing into the background and extending a warmth that was absent only a few moments prior. There’s a light hum from the bassline starting to enter the frame beside them, but …

Indie pop tends to be more emotional than straight-up pop music is, but this genre provides a platform for contemporary balladry that is virtually unmatched in western music today. Players like The High Plains Drifters are giving audiences quite the revolution in melodic songwriting in 2023, and despite a plethora …

The art of being a rock band in a modern music industry generally means conforming to an idea that the masses have of what you should be; as rock slowly grows away from being one of the undeniably biggest genres in the world, weaning in favor of hip-hop, pop, and …

It’s been quite the journey for Kimberlye Gold, starting with the release of her debut album back in 2004. She’s navigated through what would eventually become three unique eras in the history of pop music to come out on the other side of things sounding a lot more focused than …