Those who follow Vodka (you are out there, right?) should know that we have a deep love of harmonies, and female group harmonies are all the better. Enter I’m With Her and their very first self-penned single as a trio, Little Lies. The interplay here is so nice! There is a seemingly effortless exchange of leads, vocal bits and instrumental mini solo’s that then blend together to help make the whole of Little Lies. While I’m With Her (Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz, and Aoife O’Donovan) have managed a host…
Read MoreMusically accompanying a 1963 short film by Roman Davydov called “Shareholders” The Souljazz Orchestra, offering up an additional socio-economic and political commentary of their own, hammer home a decidedly poignant opener to their latest long-player, Under Burning Skies (September 2017) with Dog Eat Dog. Musically powerful and funky, this band is making a danceable statement about our world gone horribly wrong-not in 1963-but today. The Souljazz Orchestra has been making great music for 15 years. Their sound is a blending of soul, jazz, afrobeat, and more. The Canadian…
Read MoreA wall of rock and roll and layers of sound fail to obscure the vocals and the melody here on New York Made Me (seen/heard here) and on other tracks on the band’s debut self-titled long-player. There is something hauntingly familiar and yet very much original in the sound of The Heroic Enthusiasts. There are hints at David Bowie and maybe just a bit of the now ancient Cars in the sound, yet overall it is very much a sound unique to them. Each track is…
Read MoreThea Gilmore’s brand of in-your-face pop anthem often feature a fast pace and a melody that is infinitely singable. In fact, this song, New (seen/heard here) one of 17 and change from the new LP Counterweight (June 2017), nearly commands that you sing along-it’s just that infectious. In some respects, Thea Gilmore might be described as this era’s Joan Baez. Her songs are often riddled with political and social commentary and contain anger at the status quo that lies just at the surface. That the tunes are so accessible is…
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