MUSIC REVIEWS

The sinewy understated groove of Thermal and a Quarter’s latest single “Leaders of Men” might prod some listeners to recall Dire Straits finest songwriting due to Bruce Lee Mani’s near deadpan vocal and Tony Das’ tight economical guitar work. The similarities end there however. Culled from their eighth studio album A …

With a swift kick in the drums and a heartily swinging guitar riff to lead the way, Mike Dekleva’s Psychedelia opens up with a title cut that is as entrancing as its name would suggest it to be, and inside of the song’s three minutes and change, we’re introduced to a funkier …

Though as powerful as the riffs beside it in “Fuck Yeah” and yet approachably melodic in the title track from Kingdom Illusion, the lead vocal in Whiskerman’s all-new album is hardly the conventional linchpin some would expect it to be in a record as ambitious as this one is, but it’s …

In the aptly-titled “Envisage,” one of the eight songs available to us on the new album Reach Out from jazz collaborators Envisage Collective, melodies come slipping out of the darkness like shadows beneath the city lights, luring listeners into a haze of scattered harmonies that are dreamlike and lush (to put …

In a powerful stomping beat as potent as any I’ve heard this year, Tonne’s new EP Bridey Murphy kicks into gear with its opening cut, “Jesus, Julie Christie!,” and instantly fills the air around us with a textured, riff-driven melody that could make anyone into an indie rock fan. The rolling …

As physical as any of the instrumentation guiding it is, the lead vocal in Greye’s new single “Lucky,” provided by one Hannah Summer, is easily one of the most important components for us to zero-in on in this hot slab of crossover rock, but if you think it’s the only …

Schaus’ artistic lens is quite unique. His new album Grinding portrays what he calls seeing the world through the touring musician’s viewpoint, eyeing that success, clawing and reaching for the popularity. And, the other, through the eyes of a person in love, the physical love attributions. Grinding, a 14-track spectacle, …

Fearless vocals and a raunchy good time – the song “Flies Like Whiskey” is an infectiously-fun track from The Guitar & Whiskey Club band. While some might find the sound something out of the past, leave it to a band from Ventura, California to keep the melodic guitars and heavy …

Finally – that’s the overall feeling hearing that the new album Calendar from electro-pop band Baseball Gregg is out. With previous tracks “The Movies” and “Hong Kong Hike” already released, the build-up to the remaining 10 tracks on Calendar felt palpable. Samuel Regan and Luca Lovisetto, who comprise Baseball Gregg, …

True grit has always been an important element in the creation of a solid country album, but for that matter, so has pastoral melodicism, with the best kinds coming from a songwriter who can sing as well as they could compose – taking that into account, Carlos Washington’s Steel Horse …