Sweet Imperfections is led by singer-songwriter Bri Schillings and a collective of some of Southern California’s most talented musicians and writers. Ignorance Is Violence (seen/heard here) takes on climate change and humanity’s unwillingness to do what is necessary to curb or reverse it. It’s a sobering message: Smoke filled hills, covering the earth everywhere I go feels like the whole world is getting ready to explode We don’t to stop, think it’s not our fault, no matter what the cost, we keep on living as it is. We have…
Read MoreWESSON’s second appearance on Vodka, Second Chances (seen/heard here), has the same feel-good vibe as Made Me Happy reviewed back in March. I’m fast becoming a fan of this band. I love music that makes you feel good, removes some of the angst you might have about the world, and wraps you in a blanket of warmth. WESSON (so far) is a great example of such music. A British alt-rock band, WESSON is led by singer-songwriter Chris Wesson. The…
Read MoreNote September 13, 2023: I didn’t get a review ready for this week. Let’s say it was the combination of life happening and laziness! Look for a post next week, September 20. Until then, enjoy The Gulls for one more week. Cheers! The Gulls are a vagabond band, troubadours, anarchists, like bands such as The Grateful Dead or Phish. Their idea of a good time is to create a pop-up concert in out-of-bounds areas and let their fans know where they are. They created The Robin Hood…
Read MoreLucas Jack appeared on Vodka for the first time in 2013 with the mini-review for Don’t Get Carried Away. He’s kept making music and releasing an LP every few years, with his signature style paying homage to an earlier time in music when the piano was king. With Dear Life (seen/heard here), the famous upright piano is replaced with an electronic keyboard, but the musical style is very much 70s throw-back pop. It’s delightful! Joined by bandmates Michael Gomez (drums) and…
Read MorePop singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, Peter Wise makes his Vodka debut with Only Gotta Start (seen/heard here). This is the first single from a forthcoming as yet unnamed 13-track LP. Wise has a beautiful tenor voice, and he’s not afraid to let it ring out. I was torn between using this version, which includes other instruments and backing vocals, and this one with Wise, a microphone, and a keyboard. In the end, I chose the full-instrumentation version, but they are…
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