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Post by ListenToItTwice on Apr 10, 2014 10:17:14 GMT -5
Hey everyone! I've just started reviewing independent music for an online blog called indiemunity. The music I'm assigned is really quite good, so I'm happy to share it in this thread with all of you.
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Post by ListenToItTwice on Apr 10, 2014 10:20:08 GMT -5
No Instrument Off Limits for Jazz Master deleted Embon: 'Perennial Sounds' "To many contemporary listeners, instrumental music just feels like background noise, or “elevator music.” I think jazz multi-instrumentalist deleted Embon knows this, and hears the mainstream listener’s unspoken challenge of “Impress me,” as ‘Perennial Sounds’ plays like a celebration of everything that sound can do..."
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Post by ListenToItTwice on Apr 13, 2014 2:32:13 GMT -5
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Post by ListenToItTwice on Apr 13, 2014 2:34:38 GMT -5
Juliane Jones Takes Us to ‘The Space Between the Telephone Lines’ "What makes The Space Between the Telephone Lines special is its remarkably delicate touch. Ethnomusicologist and polyglot (she sounds cool already, right?) Juliane Jones gently explores the vast expanse of pop music in 11 magical tracks, switching between English and Mandarin Chinese effortlessly and naturally throughout..."
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Post by ListenToItTwice on Apr 22, 2014 16:43:16 GMT -5
"Oh, What a Country It Is" - A.S. Swanski: Deckare "This one’s chilling, from concept to implementation. And it should be, with a title like Deckare: Music Inspired by Swedish Crime Fiction. Sometimes its the mood, sometimes its a stylistic choice in the composition, and sometimes its the lyrics themselves, but A.S. Swanski’s latest album is pulled (metaphorically, of course) from the pages of a vast and unique literary tradition."
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Post by ListenToItTwice on May 10, 2014 23:22:45 GMT -5
Leslie DiNicola Hasn't Lost Her Unique Emotional Touch: Some Greener Yard "The latest effort by college radio darling Leslie DiNicola enters the market at an interesting time for country-oriented female artists. Some Greener Yard isn’t a country EP per se, but DiNicola’s voice, which approximates what Sara Evans might sound like if she had Kelly Clarkson’s range, makes her easy to pigeonhole. Country listeners aren’t exactly embracing female singer-songwriters right now (though the critics are: look no further than Kacey Musgraves’ awards success and radio failure for the most relevant example), but one can only hope that Some Greener Yard, for all its genre-crossing, can reach the audience its deserves."
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Post by ListenToItTwice on May 10, 2014 23:45:55 GMT -5
Plastic Yellow Band Keeps Classic Sound Alive on 'Breathe Air' "'Breathe Air' sounds like anything but a debut album. It seems to come to us from a veteran act, or at least from a different decade. But no, Plastic Yellow Band, here in 2014, is making the kind of music that makes every music lover of a certain age lament, “They just don’t make it like this anymore.” (Turns out they do, Dad.)"
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Post by ListenToItTwice on May 12, 2014 12:49:24 GMT -5
CalatrilloZ Unleash Hellish Trilogy At face value, CalatrilloZ might seem no different from any other metal act: their frightening and inventive costumes and make-up honor the genre’s tradition, as do the obligatory lyrical references to Hell, Armageddon, and blood, so much blood.
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Post by ListenToItTwice on May 15, 2014 18:03:06 GMT -5
Tijuana Love Brings the Party on Self-Titled Debut Like the Mexico metropolitan area that its name evokes, Tijuana Love’s self-titled debut album is an adult-only, high-energy destination party. The Guatemala City-based act has been a mainstay in their home city’s nightlife, building a following for their fusion of house music with gentler Latin elements, creating an innovative sound that remains endlessly danceable without alienating lovers of a more traditional sound.
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Post by ListenToItTwice on May 16, 2014 19:19:58 GMT -5
Joe Tripp and the Hops Bare All, Still Sound Cool on '6 Songs' Bringing together a love of classic jazz and funk with a rock star sensibility that is unmistakably contemporary, Joe Tripp and the Hops have a truly singular swagger on 6 Songs, their latest EP.
Don’t be fooled by Tripp’s leading man confidence (the man wears a pocket square) and the album’s riff-heavy sense of attitude: 6 Songs isn’t all cool-guy bluesy bluster; it’s actually an emotionally vulnerable and lyrically adept work.
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Post by ListenToItTwice on May 17, 2014 17:13:32 GMT -5
Cinco Santos Teach Amor 101 on 'Duplicidad' I’m not exactly fluent in Spanish, so when I can listen to a Latin pop album and understand every word, my initial instinct is that there must be something wrong with the songwriting. That was my experience with Cinco Santos’ Duplicidad: are these lyrics just too simple, too clichéd?
In the case of this album, I’d be lying if I said that simplicity wasn’t a defining characteristic, or that a trope or two doesn’t find its way onto the lyric sheet. But that doesn’t mean that Duplicidad is a weak effort by any means; rather, it’s quite an appealing one. Actually, it’s one that I’m having a blast listening to, both for its seamless combination of musical styles and the timelessness of its wonderfully-expressed sentiments.
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Post by ListenToItTwice on May 19, 2014 2:27:09 GMT -5
Dylan, Simon, Cash, Falbo? Eron Falbo - 73 The cover of Eron Falbo’s debut album is about as humble as it gets; he allows himself just two characters for a title, and doesn’t exactly give himself full credit: on 73, the artist’s name is modified with the somewhat-cryptic phrase “attributed to.”
There’s a reason for this: Falbo knows that the album came not only from his own greatness, but from that of one of the true unsung heroes of music history: producer Bob Johnston.
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Post by ListenToItTwice on May 25, 2014 13:31:08 GMT -5
The Falling Birds Attempt Unusual Cross-Over on Native America You can probably combine the names of any two genres to create a subgenre of music that someone, somewhere, is making. “Country punk” wasn’t one I had ever come across, but that’s exactly what The Falling Birds say they’re creating on debut EP Native America. If that doesn’t exactly seems like a perfect description, then that’s because, honestly, no two-word label could be. Country-western, classic rock, grunge, and jam-band rock all find their way onto the lively and balanced set. ...
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Post by ListenToItTwice on May 29, 2014 17:11:27 GMT -5
War Poets Will Have You Seeing Double on Dulce et Decorum Est Along with a covers album or a live album, the double-album is something that it seems every artist tries once in their career. Minneapolis rockers War Poets get that out of the way with their debut, Dulce et Decorum Est. The rising stars – and I mean that; this is a group with some serious momentum behind them – split their first album into two parts: rock songs and ballads. ...
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Post by ListenToItTwice on May 30, 2014 17:02:45 GMT -5
Lara James Takes Leap of Faith on Why Wouldn’t I? Lara James makes a bold choice on her debut EP, starting the very first song with only finger snaps and sparse piano and bass to back her up. The risk pays off, as a brassy and theatrical side of James’ vocals are beautifully showcased on the seductive jazz tune, “Tick Tock.” ...
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Post by ListenToItTwice on Jun 12, 2014 15:31:13 GMT -5
Peter Calandra is Finally Star of the Show on Inner Circle
... On his fourth studio album, The Inner Circle, Calandra proves to have an exquisite touch as a composer. While the instrumental album leans classical, Calandra’s versatility is such that it’s not hard him as a successful pop or hip-hop producer. The rhythmic construction of the title track would surely attract the likes of Jay-Z. ...
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Post by ListenToItTwice on Jun 16, 2014 11:33:42 GMT -5
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Post by ListenToItTwice on Jun 21, 2014 10:43:35 GMT -5
Matty Ride Celebrates “The First Day of Summer” in Classic Style
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Rising pop artist Matty Ride just might be the “next big thing,” but his debut EP, Matty Ride, shows his appreciation for all things retro.
Take, for example, lead single “First Day of Summer,” which sets out to capture a snapshot of a certain seasonal joy we’ve all experienced, one that’s hardly faded from childhood. “First Day of Summer” successfully builds upon of the “throwback sound” recently popularized by hits from Bruno Mars and Pharrell Williams, and has drawn comparisons to the R&B classics of the 70s and 80s.
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Post by ListenToItTwice on Jun 25, 2014 9:57:02 GMT -5
Ships Have Sailed Longs for Someday on Debut EP
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“Just another day.” So begins Someday, the debut EP by Ships Have Sailed. But Someday isn’t about just any day. It’s about the day when you choose to change your life for the better. After all, “only you can live your life,” as wise-beyond-his-years singer/songwriter Will Carpenter offers on “Clouds.” This is hardly just another day.
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Post by ListenToItTwice on Jun 29, 2014 11:39:10 GMT -5
A is For Atom Has a Song For You
You’d think you’d know what an EP by an former Julliard student with an Ben Folds vibe and a love for composition and electronic music would sound like, right? Turns out you probably don’t. There’s nothing expected or predictable about Song For You, the latest effort by A is For Atom, an alt-rock band fronted by singer-songwriter Mike Cykoski.
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Post by ListenToItTwice on Jun 30, 2014 19:51:49 GMT -5
Catalina Shortwave are the Real Deal on Repeater
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Much of >>Repeater>> sounds as though it were made in a single take, as if recorded live. This isn’t the case: the band has described finding a balance between incomplete sessions and grueling ones, so the “first take” sound can only be the result of the band’s appreciation for a fresh sound, unadulterated by heavy production.
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switch
2x Platinum Member
Take a breath, just listen.
Joined: February 2009
Posts: 2,743
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Post by switch on Jul 2, 2014 19:29:31 GMT -5
Great reviews! Thanks for sharing.
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Post by ListenToItTwice on Jul 6, 2014 16:45:27 GMT -5
Corvus' Never Forget Just Plain Rocks
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Metalheads may not be willing to admit it, but beneath the cacophony of it all, below the raucous surface of the music to which they most enthusiastically bang their heads and wave their arms, there’s something not so different from the pop music that they often despise: an earwormy, melodic quality, that’s (I’m sorry to inform them), actually quite appealing to mainstream listeners. Arizona band Corvus has mastered this balance, creating an album of memorable and accessible songs without losing their rock edge.
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Post by ListenToItTwice on Jul 8, 2014 18:35:01 GMT -5
Poetic Sensibility Defines Broken Quote’s Foreshadowing Sunlight EP
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It’s no small feat to create the most literate EP of the year. It’s even more impressive when you consider that this EP contains only two songs with lyrics. Broken Quote, a project of a solo multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and singer-songwriter David Schrier (who downplays his real name in promotional materials; this is fortunate, as “Broken Quote” is a perfect thematic match to his latest record), has done exactly that with Foreshadowing Sunlight, a stunner of an extended play.
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Post by ListenToItTwice on Jul 12, 2014 10:34:36 GMT -5
Hillary Reynolds Band Helps Us Navigate the "Miles Before Us"
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Hillary Reynolds has a voice as smooth and satisfying as hot cocoa (made with milk, not water, of course), but the album is certainly appropriate for the warm summer months. She knows how to use her gifts, too: she gains vocal power to anthemic effect when the song calls for it, and can scale back down to intonation so delicate that it recalls Norah Jones, with whom her band has performed in their rising career. This summer will see the release of The Miles Before Us, the second album by Hilary Reynolds Band.
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Post by ListenToItTwice on Jul 12, 2014 10:35:37 GMT -5
Great reviews! Thanks for sharing. Thank you! I hope some of you have discovered at least one artist you like from this! If I had to pick two favorites so far, they'd be Wetwood Smokes and Hillary Reynolds Band.
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Post by ListenToItTwice on Jul 17, 2014 18:55:25 GMT -5
Anthony Everest Gives Back With Run to Love Project
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Anglo-African jazz artist Anthony Everest’s latest record, an EP called Run to Love, is a charity record: proceeds will be directed to UK charities benefiting children in the poorest regions of Africa, including Compassion and Children’s Society. Having survived struggles with his physical health, Everest says, “life has a new meaning to me. One [is] being an inspiration and other [is] to give back.”
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Post by ListenToItTwice on Jul 21, 2014 9:26:55 GMT -5
The Morning Birds' BLOOM is a Full-Circle Concept Album
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There’s something to be said for an album that gets away with consisting of just one song, played six times in a row. A new EP by The Morning Birds pull off the feat effortlessly, thanks to a stunningly-executed concept and the work of a top-notch line-up of producers. BLOOM, built around seasonally-themed alternate versions of the title track, is a statement on the role of remixes in the music industry and the power of collaboration to shape and individualize an artist’s work.
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Post by ListenToItTwice on Jul 27, 2014 20:48:50 GMT -5
My Neighbor Is' Funk Offering, Running of the Bulls, is a Mover and Shaker
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Running of the Bulls is an album with swagger, and a lot of it. The funk record from My Neighbor Is, a side project from Grzegorz Ochman (better known as Robot Needs Oil), oozes well-earned confidence. Drawing from the elements of hip-hop and psychedelia, Bulls has the same fresh feeling that a particularly successful (and wild) jam session might, each unexpected piece falling into place just right.
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Post by ListenToItTwice on Jul 30, 2014 15:45:47 GMT -5
Kicklighter Asks the Big Questions on Lyric-Driven The Fascinating Thinking Machine
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In terms of its overall sound, The Fantastic Thinking Machine wears its 80s influence on its sleeve, each chorus already feeling like a Classic Rock radio standard. Lyrically, it couldn't be more original. Young draws from personal experiences - his love for his daughters, his brief career as a professor, and his long quest to find his true passion - to assemble an oeuvre that attempts to meld philosophy with pop music. Machine is certainly intellectual, but it meets us at our own level, leading to a beautifully contemplative listening experience.
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