It’s been a nice return to Matthias Sturm’s voice in Luna Park. After first hearing his debut album Blood and Thunder (2012), his new venture is a bit edgier. Still, something about his voice stays with you throughout the day. It has this veil of comfort like a kindhearted tale. It’s easy to fall under his sweet spell.
Toronto-based rock band The Honeyrunners has just released EP II, and it is the definitely worth a listen. The group has undeniable Motown influences, and paired with the rock and roll riffs and sincere vocals, the EP is a source of auditory delight. One word comes to mind when I listen to this EP – warm. These five songs are a splash of whiskey on the tongue, the heat of a bonfire on a brisk autumn night. The warmth emanating from this EP is no doubt a result of its bluesy, old school vibe, evoking a sense of the past while maintaining modern energy and addictive hooks. You can get up and dance or you can throw back a drink with your buddies, but this EP needs to be playing in the background.
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.
In their latest album, Never Hungover Again, alternative pop-punk band Joyce Manor sticks true to the simplicity and rhythm that have leveled them with artists like Weezer since the release of their self-titled full-length album in 2011. Teeming with emotion, this record is deep enough for listeners to dive into.
Old Hollywood comes alive in the voice of Julie Esposito as she reinterprets a few of the film industry’s lesser-known gems. “I am too young to be old Hollywood,” she says, “but I guess I have always had an old soul.” The songs Esposito features in her 2007 self-produced album, Unsung Hollywood, include the whimsical and the romantic, some from as far back as the 1920s and 1930s. Indeed, an album standout, “Little Jazz Bird,” was written in 1923 and omitted from the 1947 film Lady Be Good. This track in particular embodies the benevolent cabaret-style of Prohibition era speakeasies and jazz clubs with lively horns, deep piano, and Esposito’s slightly sardonic tone.
One of the newest tracks Esposito croons called “What Can You Lose?” comes from Dick Tracy, a 1990 film crafted in the style of a 1930s detective drama.
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Berlin-based trance-pop group Das Flüff are gearing up for the release of their two latest singles, “One Cent Plus Postage” and “Shut the F*** Up,” on July 28th. Reminiscent of 1990s dark rock in atmosphere and the simultaneous experimental alternative movement in the roughness of their electro sounds, the trio’s deep, primal direction is wholly original. With direct lyrics that are untraditionally structured, frontwoman Dawn Lintern sings with her Madonna-esque voice in “One Cent Plus Postage” of how the group’s earlier album, Meditation and Violence, selling on eBay in the United States for only one cent.
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A gentle breeze carried across the dark blue ocean. The scent of saltwater air was a sweet flavor always missed and forever welcomed. Voices were the waves that rolled over each other, and a thousand eyes decorated the sky. The heat was finally simmering, and the promise of rain draped over the falling night. Security stood at the ready, ushering ticket holders to their seats, and the aisles filled with hungry anticipation. Then, her voice rose high like wings soaring, touching down across smooth velvet, and talent lit up the stage.
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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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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…
Self-described piano pop group Jukebox the Ghost recently released a new single, “The Great Unknown,” in preparation for the release of their fourth full-length album this summer. The album name has not yet been announced, but it’s sure to hold all the magic that has catapulted JTB to fame since the release of their debut album “Let Live and Let Ghosts” in 2008. “The Great Unknown” has a cohesive theme …continue…