Chris Chitsey “Last Time I Saw You”

Classic country tonality can be a profound source of inspiration, and it’s obvious the inspired backdrop of the American landscape had a fair amount of influence over Chris Chitsey when listening to his new single “Last Time I Saw You.” Much like the last couple of tracks we’ve heard from this singer/songwriter, “Last Time I Saw You” has a pastoral simplicity that steers away from traditional Americana towards something a bit more cathartic, and no matter how big a country fan you happen to be, it’s got the melodic footing to turn you into a Chris Chitsey supporter after even the most cursory of listening sessions.

 

There’s a lot of charm to Chitsey’s natural delivery, which is part of the reason why I like this vocal-centric mix as much as I do. Instead of spreading the love between the instrumentation and the lead, my man is owning the spotlight with his serenade whilst creating a balanced harmony with the guitar parts that sends chills down my back every time I listen to this song. 

He’s found the right medium of expression, and his relaxed attitude at the mic is indicative of just how emotionally invested he is in the subject matter he’s singing about. The rhythm of the instruments backs up the romantic tone of the lyrics brilliantly, and I would even go so far as to say that the slower tempo is the main framing that gives Chitsey’s lyrics so much depth here. 

He could have approached us with a slightly higher sense of urgency to his words and still have come across to the audience with a healthy dose of sincerity, but it’s only at this easy beat that we’re able to appreciate just how much is weighing on his heart, despite the fairly light presence of the harmonies in this mix. I would love to hear what Chris Chitsey sounds like in a live performance as if it can hold up to what he’s putting forth in this piece, he would probably have an even greater following on the road than he does as a recording artist restricted to the four walls of the studio. 

He’s got an ease about him when he’s singing this song that makes me curious to see him in an intimate setting, where there’s nothing but the spotlight between his place on the stage and everyone in the audience hanging on his lyrics. Although I only just recently came across Chris Chitsey and his music, mostly because of the buzz that his previous works have been racking up, I think what he’s putting together as a signature sound in “Last Time I Saw You” is going to be strong enough to get a lot of listeners interested in hearing more of his work soon. He’s got a lot of potential that still needs to be worked out and grown into something a bit more complete, but for what he’s letting go of in this performance, I think a lot of country singers need to take note of this rising star.

Jonathan Klee 

JoZie “Perfect Enough”

 

JoZie’s latest single “Perfect Enough” is a pop anthem for owning who you are. JoZie got her start when she was just 8 years old when she found musical magic through a karaoke machine given to her by her dad. At 18 JoZie moved to Music City, where she’s teamed up with writers Thornton Cline and Lacie Carpenter. JoZie has already reached number one on the World Indie Music Top 100 charts and Euro Indie Network Top 100 Charts with her first radio single, “My Lucky Song.” JoZie’s second single, “Perfect Enough” highlights her vocal power and her pop-star persona. 

In fact, that’s what is so refreshing about “Perfect Enough,” is JoZie’s encouragement that whatever you naturally given doesn’t need to be altered. Any young person out there knows that there are unrealistic beauty standards all over social media. There is constant social pressure from the media to change your appearance to the latest trend, because in some way, how you naturally look isn’t enough. JoZie comes in with strong vocals that challenge this thought with “Perfect Enough.” JoZie confronts the tendency to follow the trend by offering a counterpoint that timeless beauty is what matters more. “Close enough to perfection/What dreams are made of,”  JoZie takes a compliment we all wish to receive at some point in and our life and claims it as her own. JoZie is a pop singer who is already looking to keep things real with her listeners. She inspires a healthy outlook for young women in particular with lyrics, “She’s like a fine sunny day/Sprinkled with a brain.” Its not often that intelligence is celebrated but JoZie is making sure of that. 

The production of “Perfect Enough” is powerful and upbeat, in the same way Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl” is. The most intriguing aspect of this track is when JoZie foregoes belting for talking. “She’s a warrior/A conqueror/Her strength never wavers,” comes in between the chorus. This talking section reminds me of Lana Del Rey’s talking in “National Anthem.” Make no mistake, “Perfect Enough” is all JoZie’s. The choice to add these moments of talking imbues a sense of risk and creativity into the track. Its a pop song that doesn’t do what you expect it to, which is exactly what the theme of “Perfect Enough” is doing. JoZie aims to celebrate our differences because they make us who we are and last a lifetime. My favorite talking section is when JoZie says, “She’s got all the qualities/No need for apologies/Imperfections cloud her reflections/Of all the beauty she can’t see.” 

JoZie’s message is loud and clear, if you don’t look like everyone else, that’s okay, that’s enough. Timelessness is the true aim, a look that never goes out of style. Getting lost in the sea of trends breeds feelings of inadequacy. These insecurities can keep you from realizing your own strength, beauty, and power. “Perfect Enough” reminds listeners to not fear “irrelevancy” if you don’t look like what’s trending. You don’t need all of that to be considered “perfect” or “beautiful,” you just need to be you. You are worthy enough as is. This is an impressive and empowering new single from JoZie, who is already nailing the pop-anthem by exploring her creativity. The talking sections of “Perfect Enough” are edgy and unique, JoZie nails them, leaving the door open for where her sound could go. I’m impressed that she is already so willing to explore poignant topics and melodies. “Perfect Enough” has me curious about what direction her EP is going to take, since the anthem is her bread and butter.

“Perfect Enough” is an exciting new song from JoZie, that promises to empower you with one listen. JoZie’s voice is effortless and timeless, marking an exciting beginning for the singer. I can’t wait to see what avenues she chooses to explore, her voice and her songwriting team are onto something. Its clear that she’s interested in being an artist all her own. If you’re not feeling good enough, put on “Perfect Enough” it’ll remind that you are perfect as you are.

Lauren Millar 

“Instincts” by Talon David

The definition of the word ‘talon’ has two meanings: a claw, especially one belonging to a bird of prey; the part of a bolt which the key presses to slide it into a lock. Newcomer Talon David has two defining moments happening with her new release “Instincts”: she proves she can both sing and write a gripping pop song; she’s just the bolt of lightning the music world needs right now. “Instincts” is a shoo-in and has its claws locked in for one of 2022’s best songs. And it’s only January. 

URL: https://www.talondavid.com/

“Instincts”, co-written with Thornton Cline, is the Nashville-based David’s follow-up to “Not My Problem”. Cline, a Songwriter Hall of Fame Inductee, is a multiple Grammy nominee and has well over 1,000 published songs to his name. Cline is also a Young Adult and Children’s Author. He certainly has his pulse on what teenagers are thinking, how they are feeling and the emotions they are facing – making him the perfect partner for David’s easy-going, and humble vocals. She’s young and you can hear it in her voice, but that’s also her strength. I wanted to hear these words mirror mirror on the wall, you think that you see it all – from her perspective. It's an altogether different experience to hear that from a seasoned, dare I say it, older artist. David reveals an entirely new level to the concept of ‘trusting your instincts’ to her listeners. I think, too, that even if you didn’t realize her youth, you would still feel transfixed by her voice and have that instant trust. 

As the song moves along, so does David’s transformation. The drum work and the piano arrangements don’t swallow her vocals. The final mix is dripping with moments of elegance and intimacy. The piano keys sparkle and glisten. The drums beat their way to the top. Her voice emerges as a lovely, guiding light. She’s a siren that breaks through the murkiness of the jazz and pop rhythms. I hear glimpses of Adel and even Olivia Rodrigo in “Instincts”. But it’s all David and her expressive patterns that make such a wonderful patchwork of adult contemporary, pop, jazz and Americana by song’s end, I felt very appreciative that “Instincts” doesn’t sound like just every other single on the radio these days. That’s the beauty of music discovery – indie artists like David are why music continues to evolve and challenge our viewpoints. David readies the listener for a wonderful sonic journey – she takes the listener in her arms and she’s easy to embrace in “Instincts”. 

APPLE MUSIC: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/talon-david/1510397019

Artists might wait a lifetime for validation or crave a connection with their fans. What David communicates in her new single “Instincts” is that she’s finally free and she’s happy looking in the mirror each day and trusts what she sees. I believe in her too. “Instincts” is out-of-the-gate one of the truest pop songs I’ve heard in a very long time. She truly lets go and lets her instincts take over in this gem-of-a-song. I’ve surrendered to the great work found in “Instincts”. 

 Jonah McPherson

“My Lucky Song” by Vocalist JoZie

Layered up in the mix but still sporting a virginal melodicism that only comes about in an organic pop single, JoZie’s vocal in her new track “My Lucky Song” is undeniably one of the sexiest elements you’re going to discover in this upbeat three-minute jam. Instead of centering all of the magic around her linguistic delivery exclusively, JoZie doesn’t mind taking the bassline out for a walk in “My Lucky Song” like she was born to groove harder than the status quo calls for, and despite a simplistic compositional structure, she plays quite the sophisticated role as the leading lady in this stunner of a single. 

JoZie is filled with an easy-going spirit in this performance that beckons us closer to the hook with every verse she swings in our direction, but she doesn’t ever come off as arrogant in these lyrics. She poetically rejects four-leaf clovers and horseshoes in favor of celebrating the titular song she’s singing with supreme pride, and the statements she makes undisputedly translate through the happy-go-lucky lens of the instrumentation and rhythm. This is the right setting to be swaggering, and her lyrical wit couldn’t have a better backdrop through which to shine. 

This springy beat in the background is reflective of the positive vibe JoZie is working off of from the get-go in “My Lucky Song,” and had it not been executed with as much panache as it is in this piece, I can’t say whether or not her vocal would sound as supported as it does here. Details are more important in pop music than any critic would ever like to admit, but this is an instance where the subject isn’t rejecting the rulebook in favor of going her own way - she’s actually living within the model, but simply adding her own spin to the finish. 

The warmth of the harmonies in this single had my attention the moment I listened to “My Lucky Song” forward, and I don’t think they could have been sourced from synthetics and sounded as sharp as they do here. JoZie is investing as much of her voice into the melodic foundations beneath her as possible without sounding overindulgent from behind the mic, and to me, her efforts are more or less what makes this is such a dynamic and provocatively artist-centric sampling of her work. She’s not a household name, but she’s going to get there as long as she maintains this kind of attitude in the studio. 

“My Lucky Song” is a fine introduction to who JoZie wants to be as a pop singer, and I think that, provided she sticks with the aesthetical framework she brings to fruition so seamlessly in this performance, she’s going to continue to evolve as an artist with each release she puts together. There’s not a lot of self-control in this genre of music, but based on the disciplined approach she’s taking to the finer points of this single, I have a feeling her abilities are going to put her well ahead of the competition in the near future. 

Mark Druery

Gravity by Paul Mark and The Van Dorens

Gravity by Paul Mark & The Dorens, is an album that comes with an abundance of originality and current topics plus a Yardbirds cover which is a must hear. These songs all follow the quality level of the great songwriters of the same level in which Mark and company are. I had just never heard this great band before, so it was also fun to listen to some other titles from the past to bring me up to speed with Gravity and get some of that ground itself covered. And what I discovered was a seminal artist and producer that really delivers. 

“Gravity Is Failing” works to get the whole show on the road for an album that rates very high within the first listen and grows with every listen from there. Fans might find similarities with Leon Russell, Willie Nelson at times and even Bob Dylan. Paul Mark is clearly a virtuoso musician and a maestro producer in the studio, so he’s totally in control of his work, but accompanied well as usual by the band. “Forever” and “Spin Of The Wheel” are as good of examples as any to back that and keep you interested for more magic. That magic happens the second he starts singing “The Next Fight,” as it is perfectly placed in the track list, as if to come to this point in what is loosely story based without being too progressive. But that is not to say the next cut doesn’t bleed some progressive undertones as an instrumental that pushes the album’s musical boundaries with some crazy organ work.

It’s all enough to remind you there is a concept going on here and “Con Man VIP” is at the epicenter of it and where the album truly delivers the business it may or may not have set out to in the first place. I really like this album, especially the piano, keyboard/organ playing of Paul Mark, as well as the songwriting and vocals for that matter I am happy to be turned onto this release and his prior work. “Friend Gone Astray” is another thing of beauty and it even tends to remind of Bruce Springsteen or even Bruce Hornsby. 

You Can’t Take It With You” keeps the ball rolling with more of a Sunday reflection song but worth a mention. But the Yardbirds hit song “Heart Full Of Soul” is revisited with much integrity, and I like it so much it’s going on my covers playlist. This should bring the band some attention because it’s so good it’s worth the price of admission. “Waiting Round For You” and “December At The P.O.” come last but not least with the former being the least to write home about, but the closing track on the level of everything else to be heard on Gravity, which is a remarkable album by a band I’m glad to know about. 

Paul Mark deserves top songwriting and producing praise for this enormously satisfying musical statement in a time well needed for it.

Jonah McPherson

Alonzo Interview

Hey Alonzo! Thank you for your time. Tell us what has been your favorite cheat food in quarantine?  

Hey! Thank you for this interview. I think I’ve been enjoying food a little too much during this quarantine haha. I’d say my recent cheat food has been cookies. There are these Sea Salt Carmel Chocolate Chip cookies I’ve been baking a few nights a week. I’m going to try not to buy anymore because they are addicting LOL.

Any exiting news you want to share with us? 

Exciting News…Hmmm…Well my Album is DONE! We’ve been planning our next moves but it has definitely been difficult during this time. I think our biggest focus is now the fall and 2021. New Music is definitely on the way!

Any loves other than music? 

I loveeeee going to concerts. Does that count? Haha. Honestly my life revolves around music. Im really loving Tik Tok right now as well. 

Do you ever get nervous before you play music live?

YES! I always have the most random thoughts before going on stage. What if I forget all of the words? What if I fall off the stage? Haha I definitely have to keep my nerves under control before I play. The cool thing is that almost instantly when I walk on stage and the microphone is in front of my face my nerves are gone.

What is your next goal as a musician?

I’d say I have many goals but my biggest one right now is to secure I opening slot on a major artist tour. If there are any major artists out there looking for opening acts please keep me in mind.

What is your favorite song to belt out in the car/for karaoke? 

Omg this is so embarrassing but right now I am obsessed with Jessie J’s version of “Part of your world” from The Little Mermaid. Don’t judge me hahaha

Name one your strengths? 

I think a great strength of mine is leading

What is your own definition of happiness?

Ahhh I love this question. My definition of happiness is the feeling of Love, Gratitude and Peace occupying the space of Anxiety and Fear.

How do you see yourself in 5 years? 

In 5 years, I will be headlining a world tour and I will be one of the most known entertainers in the world. I will have opened a arts school in my hometown Rockford, IL and I will be inspiring people around the world.

How would you describe your fashion style? 

I’m still discovering my style. It changes often. Sometimes I’m very Chic, clean cut and classy. Other times I like a little edge more on the Sexy Rock & Roll side. Just depends on my mood. 

Where we can follow you on social media? 

Please follow on my Instagram @StoryOfAlonzo https://www.instagram.com/storyofalonzo/

Press Inquiries:  bsquaredmgmt@gmail.com

End of Interview 

Leo’s Guitar (EP) by Izzie's Caravan

As its title implies, Leo’s Guitar is all about artistic expression via an electrified six-string courtesy of Izzie’s Caravan, and in four fantastically engaging songs, this EP does everything its creators designed it to. Izzie’s Caravan come in blistering hot at the start of the tracklist with “Two in the Bush” before ripping through the slow-rolling “Lightnins-A-Howlin’,” crushing “Dorian’s Lament” and the instrumental juggernaut title track. Inside of just twelve minutes’ time, these blues-rockers manage to dispense one fiery eruption of tonality after another whilst making use of every melodic tool at their disposal. A great example of what can come from dedicated songcraft meeting passionate players in their prime, Leo’s Guitar is as top shelf as electric blues records get in the contemporary age.

The strings are mightily textured throughout the whole of this EP, and I’m not talking about the guitar parts alone. The basslines in “Lightnins-A-Howlin’” and the title track are bursting with detail upon closer inspection, and though they never come even close to stealing any of the spotlight away from the leads at the top of the mix, their sonic contribution makes this material as chill-inducing as it is. Most everything in the mix is arranged as to create additional tension through the physicality of tone and harmony, and while there are moments that sound almost nauseatingly crisp, nothing here feels overproduced to me. Izzie’s Caravan are putting some serious effort into making this a meticulous sampling of their talents, and for my money, they couldn’t have done much better.

The almost conflicted, hesitant rhythm in “Two in the Bush” and “Dorian’s Lament” allows for maximum melodic exploitation in both of these songs, which won me over in right out of the gate when I sat down with Leo’s Guitar for the first time. Nothing in this extended play seems even slightly rushed or thrown-together, and even in the case of up-tempo tunes that require ridiculous dexterity, you can tell that no one in Izzie’s Caravan was sweating the task at hand. They’ve got a great energy in this disc, and if it’s something I can expect to experience in their live performances, I’ll make a point of checking out their stage show the next time they’re in my neck of the woods.

I’ve been a guitar buff for the better part of my life, but I don’t think you need to be to fall in love with what Izzie’s Caravan are doing in Leo’s Guitar. Fiercely streamlined but not lacking in any of the compositional bells and whistles that diehard blues fans expect in a modern release, Leo’s Guitar is a credible offering from a band clearly capable of getting a lot done in the studio. A full-length album of this crew’s blues style would be quite enticing indeed, and if given the right space to record it, I think such a record could make a serious impact both in and outside of their native scene. I’ll be looking out for more, and I’d recommend you do the same.

Jonah McPherson

Chords of Eve release EP

Bursting at the seams with grooves as lush as they are intoxicatingly cerebral in “Brightside,” evenly distributed in a stony deluge of moderate distortion and crisp string harmonies in “The Future’s Not What It Used To Be,” the musicality that Chords of Eve are throwing down in their new extended play Dear Engineer is nothing to scoff at, and for critics like myself who have been lucky enough to score a sneak preview of the record’s five fabulously surreal tracks, it’s enough to get quite a buzz storm going.

From the electropop title track in Dear Engineer to the rambling rhythm of a beefy “Rebuild Ourselves Tonight” and haunting rhymes of “Evelyn,” Chords of Eve deliver a relentlessly dreamy debut in this EP that draws reference to some of the more ambient offerings in modern electronica/rock fusion, but make no mistake about it – theirs is a sound that stands on its own without question. There have been a lot of exciting new hybrids making headlines in the American underground in the last few years, but I can’t say that I’ve come across very many that have held my attention quite as well as this disc recently has.

ABOUT SKY TITAN MEDIA: https://skytitanmedia.com/

The vocals in “Evelyn,” “Brightside” and “The Future’s Not What It Used To Be” are ironically utilized as a frame for the lustrous instrumentation that each of these tracks contain rather than the other way around, and although this might seem like a complicated way to induce textured chills, I think it’s partly what makes Dear Engineer so hard to peg using conventional artistic terminology.

There’s a great use of contrast in “Rebuild Ourselves Tonight” that dispels any tethering of the song’s conceptualism to trends in progressive electronica, and while “Brightside” and the title track share a certain duality that would seemingly make them prime fodder for rock radio over a commercial pop format, the tension in their individual grooves make them plenty danceable just the same. On paper, a lot of what Chords of Eve are doing here could qualify as black and white experimentalism, but upon closer inspection, the indulgent cosmetics they liberally employ in this record make it a much more elaborate offering to decipher.

DITTO: https://ditto.fm/the-futures-not-what-it-used-to-be

It’s a highly eclectic effort that requires a discriminating ear to fully appreciate, but if you ask me, Chords of Eve’s Dear Engineer is more than promising enough to bring those who give it a spin this April back to their music when they decide to cut a full-length album (which, judging from the caliber of this content, won’t be too far down the line). They’re coming up against a lot of competition both in their home scene of Austin, Texas as well as throughout the underground in the United States at the moment, but as long as they continue to pursue compositional techniques and stylizations that their peers would just as soon shy away from, I think they’re going to see more and more success as this new decade begins to take shape for all of us.

Mark Druery

Ooberfuse “Call My Name”

Shades of post-punk surrealism are met with hypnotic, somewhat ambient textures as the bassline in “The Noise” remix of “Call My Name” thrusts back and forth, pulverizing the distant percussion with its unimaginable weight. Regardless of where the volume knob sits on your stereo, you aren’t going to stop the physicality of the bass that draws up a foundation for this mix of ooberfuse’s latest composition. Singer Cherrie Anderson’s voice is the only light in this dark, gloomy environment where tonality plays a villainous role in creating as much tension as would be possible within a three minute club song. As intimidating a listen as it can be, it’s got a magnetizing quality that seems to be a bit of a theme among all of the Call My Name remixes that I’ve heard, from the chiming “Hal St John Radio Edit” to the rather muted “Paul Kennedy Radio Edit” and its fiercely indie music video. Ooberfuse have made one heck of a summer melody here, and in these different versions of it we get to see just how talented the British twosome of Anderson and St John really are.

There’s more of an alternative/punk influence in the construction of the “Hal St John Radio Edit,” “Patrik Kambo Radio Edit” and “Push The Frequency Festival Mix” than there is in “The Noise” and “Paul Kennedy Radio Edit,” which lean more exclusively on the electronic tones in ooberfuse’s sound. The mashup of styles doesn’t create any sort of disfluency in the harmonies as we go from one track to the next, but instead makes the entire record feel like a picture window into the band’s history, and more explicitly, the roots of their music.

SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/album/06s7QZxwWcKnJZtFLbTTZi

There’s a little bit of The Cure in the St John remix, perhaps a touch of Kraftwerk in “The Noise,” a dash of strange, Massive Attack-like eccentrics in the “Push The Frequency Festival Mix,” and even a brutish, Ministry-esque industrialism to Kambo’s radio edit (spare the vocal track, that is). I listen to Call My Name and I can’t help but hear bits and pieces of the European underground spanning well over the last four decades, and that’s not something that I see very often as a critic, if ever at all.

Aside from a few minor speedbumps on the soundboard side of the glass, Call My Name is an excellent collection of masterfully made remixes from ooberfuse and their collaborators, Paul Kennedy and Patrik Kambo. These tracks are more than experimental enough to keep the eclectic electropop and ambient fans happy over the summer season while still boasting a streamlined production quality that, I believe, will get a few of them some time on the radio in both the UK and the United States this year. Call My Name is full of richly evocative, heterogeneous harmonies that are anything but easy to come by in 2019, and even if it doesn’t tell us anything that we didn’t already know about ooberfuse, it essentially confirms everything that their biggest fans in the media were already well aware of.

Heather Savage

Ronnue’s Introduction 2 Retro-Funk is wrecking ball

The American underground has been producing hit after hit this summer, and one of its most profound stars comes to us out of the Northwest R&B circuit in the form of Ronnue’s Introduction 2 Retro-Funk, a wrecking ball of an LP that can get anyone grooving inside of its twelve deeply melodic funk tracks. Ronnue is no stranger to the spotlight up in Seattle, where he’s been building a cult reputation for his one of a kind flow and adherence to classic funk rhythms, but in Introduction 2 Retro-Funk, he brings a caliber of content to the studio that tops anything he’s issued in the past by a mile.

Both “17 Days (The Hood Mix)” and “Do It (The Remix) [feat. Roc Phizzle, Soultry]” show this skillful songwriter giving up a huge share of the spotlight to the instrumental swagger that drives the music behind him in what I would call a rare act of selflessness in modern R&B. Ronnue is really good about balancing out every batch of lyrics that he lays out here with a powerful harmony in the backing track, and while he’s always the most commanding presence in any given composition, he never sounds like just another talented artist with an ego the size of Alaska.

“Be Your Freak,” “If We Stayed 2gether,” “Something About U (The Retro-Funk Mix)” and “I’m a Lesbian” use a lot of callous bass tones to get our attention, but it’s the vibrant dispatch of verses that keeps our focus trained on the vocalist in these tracks. As a lyricist, Ronnue has only grown more capable with every release he’s stamped his name on, and if this game really is all about creative development, then I would name him as one of the only Seattle players near the forefront of the “New West Coast” sound at the moment.

SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/album/5pQtFqzcH7qj6e43XGfWcZ?autoplay=true&v=L

Some songs here, like “Why,” “Be Your Freak” and “You Tried Me (The Man’s Anthem)” sound more structured than others, like “In Love,” “I’m a Lesbian” and “Do It (The Remix),” which all feature a more freeform, improvisational feel. Everything on Introduction 2 Retro-Funk is rooted in professional-quality precision, but it’s important to draw a distinction between the loose, easygoing vocal style of Ronnue and some of the duller mainstream poets that he’s challenging for dominance in 2019. This guy doesn’t want to fit in – he’s a rebel, and honestly, this genre needs his kind of attitude now more than ever.

Ronnue’s talent isn’t any news to those of us who have heard his music before, but to the listeners who are finding out about his abstruse but always accessible brand of funk for the first time, Introduction 2 Retro-Funk is the best means of getting into his head. The harmonies are off the chain, the beats never tiresome nor timid, and the lyrical content is consistently more positive than the garbage that major labels have been tasking us with sorting through across FM stations around the country this year. He’s got the Emerald City in the palm of his hands right now, and if this record catches fire on the opposite coast, soon he’ll have the rest of the country as well.

Scottie Carlito

The music of RONNUE has been heard all over the world due to the radio plugging services offered by Musik and Film Records. Learn more - https://musikandfilm.com

Robert Miller’s Project Grand Slam release new album PGS7

Marching to the charged beat of an unmatched percussive section, Robert Miller’s Project Grand Slam dive into “Get Out!,” one of the staple songs of their new album PGS7, intent on getting everyone listening stomping to the rhythm of this electrified protest anthem by the time we hit the ten-second mark in the track. Much like the jazzier “Take Me,” “Get Out!” is structured as to place its captivating grooves at the center of our attentions from beginning to end. There’s no holding Project Grand Slam back on this record – from the absolutely erotic fashion in which they adapt “The ‘In’ Crowd” into their own stylish brand of fusion to the dazzling display of jazz-influenced virtuosities that they unleash in songs like the soulful “Yeah Yeah,” they operate with an efficient (though constantly relentless) intensity that is unparalleled in the American underground today. PGS7 feels like a supersized Band of Gypsys; there’s an improvisational feel to all of its material, and yet the organic passion that the players contribute to every song ensures that they’re never out of sync with each other.

FACEBOOK: https://business.facebook.com/pg/projectgrandslam/posts/

URL: https://www.projectgrandslam.com/

In “Tree of Life,” Project Grand Slam - and specifically singer Ziarra Washington - produce one of the most emotional performances that they’ve ever included on an LP. The breathtakingly melodic vocal from Washington aside, the lyrical content is utterly haunting (especially in the wake of recent events in the news). On the flipside of this song’s brutally honest pleas, we find the band in much higher spirits in tracks like the groove-driven funk jam “Python,” punky “I Don’t Know Why” and retro rock n’ roller “No One’s Fool,” but no matter the tempo or topic covered by our singer’s artful poeticisms, there’s never an instance where the music lacks the sort of raw power synonymous with legends. “At Midnight” sees Project Grand Slam manipulating a relaxed beat into a straight-up jazz juggernaut, while the calculatedly progressive “Torpedo of Love” incorporates a higher caliber of conceptualism than I had previously realized this band capable of experimenting with. Even simpler songs like “With You” and the swaggering “Funk Latino” command a lot of attention, and though PGS7’s hit single “Redemption Road” has been garnering the most praise out of any track on this LP, it’s no more a spellbinder than any of the songs that it sits beside in this flawless tracklist are.

SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/album/4ftaEAv76cOhIsKxA5tiCy

Project Grand Slam were already creating a lot of AOTY buzz with the release of Greetings from Serbia earlier on in 2019, but after dropping this most recent treat, it should be obvious to anyone who follows independent music that they are collectively the undisputed royal family of alternative fusion this year. Robert Miller’s work has never left me feeling dissatisfied, but what he and his players have done with PGS7 is beyond a slam dunk. Whether you’re a diehard jazz enthusiast, a fan of eclectic music or just interested in something that goes against the sonic grain, this is an album that deserves all of the attention it has received and more this August.

Gavin Shaughnessy

The music of PROJECT GRAND SLAM has been heard all over the world due to the promotional services offered by Danie Cortese Entertainment & Publicity. Learn more here - http://www.daniecorteseent.com/

Integriti Reeves - Eu Vim Da Bahia (single)

I confess I am a novice regarding Latin influenced jazz. This doesn’t mean I haven’t heard bands and musicians engaging this style – just that my knowledge of the form is undoubtedly shallow compared to others more engrossed by its sound. This isn’t a slight; there are only so many hours in a given day. Having said that, I am impressed by what Washington D.C. based Integriti Reeves has managed to do with this recording. The single “Eu Vim Da Bahia” from her first recording Stairway to the Stars is possibly the marquee attraction included on her debut EP and its genre and culture crossing appeal is evident from the beginning. Great care, among other factors, distinguishes this performance from weaker run of the mill or cookie cutter efforts – the production captures every nuance of the instrumental and vocal presentation.

The guitar and violin playing are musical high points in the recording. “Eu Vim Da Bahia” includes some of the best and cleanest guitar playing I’ve heard in recent memory – it sounds like it is cut live rather than overly rehearsed and there isn’t a single detectable misstep through the song’s three minutes. The violin work only takes up a small amount of space in the song, particularly when compared to the guitar presence, but its effect on the song cannot be denied. It is akin to including contributions from a second voice that, nevertheless, never obscures Reeves’ effect on the performance.

PRIMARY URL: https://www.integritireevesmusic.com/

Her effect is pronounced. She does not enter the song with an assertive or physical tone – instead, she almost slides into the arrangement and brings her voice in lockstep with the instruments. She weaves and wraps her singing around the soft percussion and guitar while knowing to cede ground to the violin during its spotlighted turn in the arrangement.

Concision is an important part of the song’s appeal as well. Like the Gilberto Gil original, Reeves never belabors listeners’ attention and studious avoidance of any self-indulgence reinforces the song’s core strengths. Integriti Reeves maintains an even vocal stance through the song, raising the emotion when needed, and creating a performance her audience will enjoy while it illuminates their mood and spirit. Keeping the focus narrow and on point helps this happen from the first.

It all adds up to one of the best performances in this musical vein I’ve heard in some time. Integriti Reeves’ “Eu Vim Da Bahia” is such a good performance it can headline a full length release as ably as shorter forms and doesn’t take any shortcuts or pander to any low common denominators. Shorn of gimmicks or production tricks, we are treated instead to music as pure as driven snow that lights us up and sticks in your consciousness. It is far from the last thing we will hear from this vocalist; Reeves is possessed with the spirit of song, obvious intelligence, and one gets the feeling she would never stop singing even if she never recorded another note. Her passion is seductive and real.

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Eu-Vim-Da-Bahia/dp/B00J49XLGS

Troy Johnson

The Merrymaker’s Orchestrina - Little King and the Salamander (demos)

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TheMerrymakersOrchestrina/

What Fools We Can Be,” the second song in the 14-track collection of buzzing ballads and righteously rhythmic rockers that is The Merrymaker’s Orchestrina’s new album Little King and the Salamander (demos), isn’t the only slow song that we’ll hear in this retro-style indie fantasy, but its lightly overdriven guitar grooves will make it one of the more memorable along with the chilling “Fade into the Night,” which sets us up for the closing jazz wails of “I Have Always Been Here” better than any other tune could have. In songs like these, as well as the contrition-soaked crooning of “Slip Away (Dreamin’ Again),” the Gallagher brothers-esque “She’ll Do Anything,” and the midcentury melancholy of “I’ll Be (Kisses at Your Door),” we get to experience the acoustic prowess of The Merrymaker’s Orchestrina in a way that I never would have imagined finding on an album allegedly comprised of demo tracks exclusively. The balladic harmonies that these recordings offer us are unlike any other that you’re going to hear this season, and confirm what most critics (myself included) already knew about this deeply talented group of musicians.

The Merrymaker’s Orchestrina doesn’t fail to cut loose just enough to satisfy fans of their edgier stuff in Little King and the Salamander (demos), and ascribe themselves to the experimental rock category in songs like “White Light and Lullabies,” “Particle Craze,” “Definitely Not My Underwear,” the eponymous “The Merrymaker’s Orchestrina” (ironically the one song that I found to be the least cohesive with this entire set) and the agitated “Jeepers Creepers,” which is one of my favorite songs of theirs to date. They got off the rails-eccentric in a couple of instances, but to be perfectly frank, I think that this band wears the crazy look in alternative rock better than almost anyone else in their scene does. A lot of artists have been trying to “go old school” in the past 15 years – from garish indie acts like Wolfmother to more erudite crews like Dead Meadow – but I don’t think I’ve ever heard another band that exploits the framework of tradition with the same honest gusto that these guys do every time they get into the studio. If these really are demos, I can’t imagine how potent a performance The Merrymaker’s Orchestrina could put on if they had an unlimited budget to record with.

Whether it’s their hot harmonies or their ice cold groovers, Little King and the Salamander (demos) has got fans of The Merrymaker’s Orchestrina covered this year with 14 songs that you aren’t soon to forget. There’s a ton of good music scheduled to make delivery in both the underground and the mainstream this spring, but I plan on keeping this staple of 2018 spinning on my stereo well into the summer. There are very few bands that evoke the vivid imagery that these cats can just by laying into a righteously vintage riff, and for what I look for in a modern alternative unit, they meet pretty much every expectation I could have as both a critic and a fan.

SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/album/7b4BcRDjTTaHhvoJ0I0Mgi

Benjamin Gross

Victor PEDRO’s “Call Me, I Miss Ya!”

Within the thick, resonating grasp of a sultry bassline, Victor PEDRO’s voice elegantly penetrates the pristine instrumental backdrop of his new single “Call Me, I Miss Ya!,” a track that is quickly becoming one of the most discussed among underground releases this spring. PEDRO will stop at nothing in his quest to make us feel every ounce of the emotion occupying his heart in this song, and while the beats are inarguably the most spellbinding element in the track, they’re hardly the only reason to give this single a really close look this season, regardless of your familiarity with the artist’s work.

The reggae influences in PEDRO’s sound are only subtly referenced in “Call Me, I Miss Ya!,” but they play enough of a role in the construction of the song’s core aesthetic that they’re highly noticeable to both the expert music critic and the untrained ear alike. The vocal is smooth, sexy and riddled with a Caribbean swing that adds to the texture of the lyrics tremendously. The bass is as big and bad as they come, but it’s not so cool as to reject a little old school Dancehall flavor in its strut. PEDRO has a lot of different elements working in synchronicity here, but it never feels like he’s dealing with an overly ambitious setup.

Percussion is always a key component in getting people’s hips swaying, and “Call Me, I Miss Ya!” isn’t devoid of a devastatingly handsome beat, driven by nothing short of a blustery, well-defined drum set. The grooves are larger than life, but they don’t steal the attention away from the vocal track at all. The mix is careful to share the spotlight amongst all of the individual parts in the song, and even when there’s one element grabbing you over another, it’s never long before it’s joined by a litany of other textures originating from other places in the track.

There’s little adrenaline in this single – if any at all – but I wouldn’t say that the rhythm of the song is the least bit pendulous. The grooves are really lively and rich with organic vitality, but from start to finish, PEDRO’s relaxed attitude influences the pace of the music more than anything else does. His verses are spot-on as far as timing goes, but there’s not a doubt in my mind that this is his most confident and sleekly arranged material so far.

It’s been six years since Victor PEDRO made his debut, and he’s not showing any signs of slowing down at all in his most recent release, which should be considered one of his best yet. There’s not a lot demanded of us in “Call Me, I Miss Ya!” other than a sliver of our attention, and in exchange for this, PEDRO rewards his audience with a cultured hip-hop experience that is far and away more engaging than virtually anything that his American counterparts and closest rivals in the Old World are producing at the moment. He’s still got a ways to go before he can break out of the underground, but this is definitely a step in the right direction.

Levi Campbell

Francine Honey releases To Be Continued…

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/FrancineHoneySongs/

Francine Honey is far from a newcomer to the music world and her Canadian upbringing has proven to be no impediment for her discovering success on wider United States stages. Her third album To Be Continued… features the best eleven songs she’s committed to a full length recording and her songwriting acumen has advanced far since 2014’s Re-Drawn. She is investing much more of herself than ever before in these new songs and fills the album with extensive variety few of her contemporaries can readily match. Honey has found an ideal manifestation of the sound she hears in her head with the release of To Be Continued… and it will open countless new vistas for her art moving forward from here.

“Snowflakes on My Eyelashes” is one of the finest poetic moments included on the release. The sensitivity Honey exhibits as a vocalist elevates already exceptional lyrics to the level of performed poetry and the nuanced musical backing further reinforces the composition’s clear strengths. It is a note perfect introduction to the album – both musically and lyrically. Another delicate moment on the release arrives with its title track. “To Be Continued” underlines Honey’s storytelling talents without ever becoming maudlin – I feel it is a song you can only relate to past your thirtieth birthday and, with each passing year, its reflections will only gain resonance. The haunted musical arrangement is well suited for such ruminations. The bridge is particularly affecting

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“Honey” takes To Be Continued… in a tasty bluesy direction without ever succumbing to the same tired blues clichés often weighing down such efforts. Much of this can be attributed to the inherent playfulness of her vocal; she owns this lyric with irrepressible personality and, of course, a wealth of talent. The musicians acquit themselves quite well and provide gritty, yet tempered, accompaniment.

There’s palpable pathos in the single “Shacked Up Sweetie”, understated, but plenty of the aforementioned playfulness as well. The song’s video underlines the playfulness without ever dragging the song into outright comedy and reminds me of the top shelf promotional fare often attached to some of the best country singles from the dawn of the genre’s video age in the late 80’s-early 90’s with its celebratory air. It has a light honkytonk sound, again understated but present, and the band keeps things on point while Honey leads the way with her powerful voice.

“Mamas Take Bad Dreams Away” reminds me of the carefully wrought emotional landscape laid out in the opener and title song. It’s a deceptively simple song insofar as it depicts a scene familiar to many, but the well-chosen language and vocal artistry she brings to phrasing the lyrics comes together for one of the album’s most satisfying efforts. The track “Marilyn” is another of the album’s fine points and packs quite an emotional wallop. The writing powering this tune, especially lyrically, has some of the deepest nuance you will hear on To Be Continued… and the band, specifically the acoustic guitar work, frames everything in a compelling manner for Honey’s vocal. Francine Honey should be very proud of this album. It risks cliché, but there is something here for everyone; fun, deadly seriousness, and an abundance of emotion marking every musical and lyrical turn. To Be Continued… is her first studio album in a while, but it is undoubtedly worth the wait.

CD BABY: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/francinehoney3

Trace Whittaker