The Banjo Man

Nervously playing with her hair, Annie pulled up his quiet, mountain drive. On the passenger seat next to her sat three grocery bags, cans rattling within until the car stopped. Sweet Annie opened the door of her like-new car and delicately grabbed the food as Uncle Eddie sat predictably unmoved, at ease on the front porch picking his banjo.

Like always, she approached his house, smiling, let herself in, and put everything away. The music rolled towards her, and closing her eyes briefly, she slowly, deeply inhaled. She reappeared and took the seat next to him.

“Good morning.”

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Kalen and the Sky Thieves Soar with “Island”

Describing themselves as “moody rock,” upcoming band Kalen and the Sky Thieves unveil “Island”, a single that expresses a soulfulness, and maturity that has been missing from the genre for some time. “Island” is a soft but powerful ballad about a relationship affected by one half’s inability to overcome their emotional hesitancy and insecurities. It specifically resonates though, through its honesty in both lyrics and execution. Moving through different tides of such a relationship, Kalen croons for a connection and hopes for the other’s potential growth, but eventually, she accepts the “salvation in letting go.”

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Treat Your”sElf” to Another Awesome Cat Video

Fun, catchy, and immediately lovable,“Runaway” — the new single from sElf’s first album since 2005’s Porno, Mint and Grime — reminds us of everything we loved about alternative music of the 90s, combined with the electro-pop and cat-featured fun we love about today. Unforgettable in sound, content and the cute cat-focused direction of the music video, “Runaway” could swiftly become an internet sensation.

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Rock for All: Four New Singles for the Classic or Post-Modern Rock Fan in You

Beating its way into your heart with its jazzy drums, and grungy guitar and vocals, Stereo Off’s first single “Bullet Time” is just simply awesome. With synth backing, reminding you of the eighties — without being too overused — this song is electric and captivating, much like the common romantic situation that the band explains inspired it: “the song is about lovers— that feeling when you get to an impasse, and instead, you both slow down and are drawn back together.”

Stargroves, Nick D’ and the Believers Release Catchy, Refreshing Pop Singles

Following in the banjo-playing trend, “Westfjords” — the catchy new single from New York indie pop band Stargroves — proves why it is an ever-popular and growing trend; uniquely blending folk, pop, electronic, and fantasy elements, charmingly fun is the only way to describe this new single.

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Echo Bloom Stuns with their Live Performance Record ‘Blue Shift’

With this being my first experience with Echo Bloom and their music, I am considerably awed by the never-ending beauty and power of the lyrical writing and eclectic arrangement of instrumentals in Blue Shift. An incredible, fun, humbling, emotional performance, Blue Shift illustrates what band-leader, guitarist and song-writer Kyle Evans terms “folk-estral” music. Intoning lyrics rich with biblical allusions– lending the album a subtle, overarching theme of personal spirituality– and backed by a variety of instruments such as the oboe, violin, and banjo, this live performance album is articulately and fantastically arranged, a truly magical experience.

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‘Hacia el Sol’ Has Sold Me On Allison Strong

A little explanation regarding this review- I had initially meant to cover Allison Strong’s new single “One and Only,” but after an amazing conversation with the artist herself, and a few dozen plays of her single, I just needed to hear more of her beautiful, captivating music. Her truthful, relatable lyrics shine with Broadway strength vocals as she is accompanied by a symphonic variety of instruments and styles. Varying between …continue…

Sarah McGowan, The Dirty Gems Unveil Fun, Passionate Singles

Sarah McGowan’s “Williamsburg Boy” In her lament about a star-crossed crush on a hip “Williamsburg Boy,” Sarah McGowan shines in this new folk-pop single. With some humorous irony on the cheesiness of love songs- stopping, for example, midway to speak “I would literally fucking die [if he changed his hair]”- this upcoming singer proves that she not only has the talent to write relatable, lovable songs like Taylor Swift or …continue…