Steeped in historical rock, gently tossed with pop melody goodness, and carefully served with attention to detail, Steve Stoeckel’s debut LP, The Power Of And (February 2023), is a careful look at what rock music can be in the age of overproduction. From the lead-off track, Laura Lynn, to the finale, Whistling Past Graveyards, each song is crafted with a simple story, a good melody, Stoeckel’s imperfect but infectious vocals, and instrumentation that offers just enough, without being too much. From start to finish, The Power Of…
Read MoreFormer Beatle and solo-artist Paul McCartney had a lot to say about the benefits of “Silly Love Songs” and artist Kian Blume is right there with him. Blume sings about the girl that he can’t get out of his head on Daphne (seen/heard here). There’s no new ground covered here and Blume proves that sometimes that just isn’t important. Kian Blume is a singer-songwriter, guitarist, and pianist. His music can be delightful, infectious, upbeat, raucous, and more. To get a better feel for…
Read MoreDon’t think that psych-folk sounds like a style you would like? Think again! Enter the debut LP from The Order Of The 12 (February 10, 2023) from Lewes, Sussex. Bundled up as yet another project from prolific electronic artist Richard Norris, the LP includes the ethereal, haunting vocals of Rachel Thomas, and is co-written by Norris, Thomas, and Stuart Carter. Instrumentation is mostly light and provided by Norris (keyboards, drums) and Carter (guitars), while the all-important production falls to the experienced Norris again. When…
Read MoreExploring the musical dynamics between Danish folk music and jazz, Svaneborg Kardyb is a duo that can masterfully bend these genres into modern-day compositions that include elements of ambient, alternative, and more. There are ear-worm melodies in this music as well, such as Op (seen/heard here) which is from the duo’s latest LP, Over Tage (November 2022), and is a great introduction to their music, if, like Vodka, you have never heard of them before. Op is a wonderful, rhythmic tune…
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