I'll be the first to admit that I haven't been much into r&b and/or hip-hop in some time. If I'm being honest, I haven't really been into it since the early part of the 1990's. To me, this genre was the first to fall into the big record trap of putting out the same bland artists that sounded like the same bland artists that were already all over mainstream radio. Only recently have I rediscovered my love for r&b. You'll be seeing several r&b/hip-hop artists gracing the pages of this blog, and I'm very excited to introduce you all to London, England's very own Richie Ashwin!
Take a listen to to this insanely talented artist and hear everything that was right about r&b and hip-hop from back in the day... with a twist that makes him relevant in music today. From Run DMC to Babyface to The Beastie Boys to Keith Sweat, you get the entire package wrapped up in Richie Ashwin. Synth-infused drum beats mixed with lyrics about life, love and relationships tied together by one of the smoothest voices today, welcome to the future of r&b- perfect for today!
It's not often that I'm blown away by a new (to me) singer. I usually have to have a listen or two to get a feel for the artist, to let the music seep in. That is until the first time I listened to singer/songwriter Collette Andrea.
Coming to you from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Collette is a throwback to an era when music touched your soul. Intelligent lyric writing combined with innovative arrangements and one extremely melodic voice instantly take you back to the golden days of the singer/songwriter in the 60's and 70's, but with a fresh, now feeling. Now is your time to discover one of the brightest hopes for the future of music!
Got a question for you. What do you get when you cross one of the top front men in rock n roll today with a genuine drive and passion for his craft? You get Saints and Sinners, thanks to Kingdom of Few front man Curtis Butala!
Mixing equal parts acoustic rock, alternative rock and just flat out blow-up-your-earholes nasty, dirty rock n roll, Saints and Sinners is a project that Mr. Butala first put out about 6 or 7 years ago... and is already, in my book, one of the finest examples of music ever recorded. Period.
"This ain't no symphony. This is a rock n roll epiphany. This IS Blackdog Ballroom!" Those are pretty big words for a band to use to describe themselves. But never fear, Blackdog Ballroom has the rock n roll cred to back them up... and then some!
Hailing from Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, Blackdog Ballroom is lead singer Michael Stanfield, lead guitarist Mike Spriggs, Bob Crane on bass and Rob DeSimone on drums. Mixing equal parts rock and funk, with some pop and punk influences thrown in, Blackdog Ballroom is 100% edge-of-your-seat rock n roll badassery at its absolute finest!
How is everyone tonight? Ready for some new music I hope... cause tonight, I got the goods for you!
That picture speaks volumes for what you're about to get into. Trust me on this one. I had the pleasure of discovering this band just recently when they reached out to me via Twitter about getting a spot on this very blog. If you're an indie artist reading this, it really is that simple. Getting a spot on this blog isn't going to launch your career into the stratosphere. What it will get you is an honest fan review of your music. That's what I am... a fan. If I like what you do, you will end up here and I will help promote you in any way that I can. Once I become your fan, you're stuck with me! Now, let's get on with the music, shall we? Varna is an edge of your seat, you better hold on tight rock band based out of Los Angeles, CA, USA. As female-fronted rock bands go, there are far too few of them in music period these days. The ones that are out there seem to have fallen into that big record label cookie-cutter mold. Let me assure you, Varna is that farthest thing from this that you will find. Made up of Tiana Woods on vocals, Rossen Pinkas on guitar and Rob Shin on drums, Varna is not your run-of-the-mill rock band. Drawing on influences from pop to hard rock, they've found a way to meld them together in perfect harmony and sound like a band that's been together far longer than the 3 years they have under their belts together. I myself am the proud owner of their latest EP This Time It's Personal and I encourage you to do the same!
Happy Monday everyone! What makes this a "happy" Monday you ask? Well, you get a bonus post this week... and trust me, you're gonna like this one. A lot!
Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you for your listening pleasure, Chaser Eight ft *AUDRA*. New Haven, CT, USA is where *AUDRA* and Pat Walsh have been making music together since 2004. While I've only recently discovered this indie rock duo, listening to their latest EP Up and Up I get a sense of familiarity, like I've been listening to them from the beginning. At the same time, it's like listening to nothing else you get on mainstream radio today. Chaser Eight ft *AUDRA* gives you what once was right about mainstream radio and mixes in exactly what is right about indie music today. From the opening tune Take Me Higher to the last Never Alone, you're taken on a roller coaster of emotion listening to the soulful renderings of *AUDRA* accompanied by the tuneful musings of Pat. As they state on their bio page on their website, they aren't out to redefine a musical genre. What they hope to accomplish is to simply sing and play about what is close to their heart. They accomplish this like not many others can.
Do yourself a favor and head over to their website NOW to download their EP Up and Up. While you're there, grab their debut EP Late Night Companions too... and become addicted to Chaser Eight ft. *AUDRA* just like I am!
Good Sunday evening everyone! Who's ready to discover another indie artist with me? I thought so! For your listening pleasure, I give to you Irish alt/folk/rock artist Adam Geraghty.
Written, recorded and produced by Adam, Revolve is a 4-track EP of raw, honest emotion. Haunting melodies, intelligent lyrics and beautifully stylistic instrumentals, Revolve is already on my favorites play list.
I'm now looking forward to more from this talented Irishman, and you should now be too! Adam Geraghty on BandCamp
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