No Pressure is from the odd Clockwork Orange (ish) band of Sofia, Bulgarian misfits known as Babyface Clan. Combining retro sixties and seventies styles, modern rock, progressive rock and their own interpretation of pop music, Babyface Clan ends up being infectious and delightful. It’s not necessarily new, but it is definitely different, and the fun that Babyface Clan brings to the table here is worth every penny of admission. As the lead off track to the December 2013 long-player, You’re Not Wearing Your Tie,…
Read MoreJenny Mayhem infuses pop sensibility with ethereal compositions to create lovely soundscapes that are perfect vehicles for her light and airy vocals. On first listen, if you are like me, you will be captivated by the composition and production. It is only on second listen and on that the lyrics and imagery kick in. Instrumentally, Alice In Wonderland, seen and heard here from Jenny’s Ocober 2011 self-titled EP, is spare yet full. Tinkling piano and plucked strings, add to the songs textural feel,…
Read MoreEvery once in awhile on Vodka, you are going to get a surprise. For instance, Pharrell Williams is not one of the struggling artists that we normally feature. Mr. Williams is a successful, Grammy award winning musician, beat maker, entrepreneur and force for ecological change. In short, he’s made a name for himself and probably doesn’t need my promotion. That said, Happy (the single from Despicable Me 2) is so fun, so friendly and so, well, happy, that it deserves special mention. Pharrell Williams…
Read MoreVera Jonas has had the long-player Game (October 2013) in the planning stages for awhile, it would seem, as this video of the title track reveals from two years prior. None the less, it’s not how quickly you release music, it’s how well you do it and-even better-how you do it differently than everyone else. Vera Jonas, does, in fact, do it differently. Game uses a bluesy melodic hook, combined with strong rhythms and Vera’s dynamic and expressive vocals to paint a musical picture…
Read MoreMarcellus Hall is a sometime illustrator, cartoonist, writer and yes, musician. Here, he and his band, The Hostages, turn out rock and roll with just a hint of retro. It’s fun stuff, as seen / heard in Soul Mate (above). There’s a bit of rockabilly, a little folk-rock, some pure pop-it’s all in there, and all on his latest crowd-funded long-player, Afterglow (December 2013). Vocally, Marcellus has a similar tonal quality and delivery to that of Dan Zanes. The band is…
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