It is really, really, really hard to categorize UK songstress Bev Lee Harling. She is one part avant-garde, one part 20’s or 30’s jazz singer, one part alternative pop queen, and two parts musical history lesson. Stick all of that in a blender, open the lid, fire it up on full and see what element hits you the hardest. That is evident on Buy Me from the May 2012 long-player, Barefoot In Your Kitchen. Bev Lee Harling has been making crazy, yet…
Read MoreFolk-Americana-Country artists Jonathan Byrd and Chris Kokesh team up for a full-length of duets called The Barn Birds (December 2012) which includes this humorous look at love, Sundays Loving You. Jonathan has a strong weather worn voice which is the perfect compliment to Chris’ feather light and pure pipes. The long player uses essentially the same vocal mix throughout, and it works very well. You can find more information on Jonathan Byrd (including social links) by visiting his web site. Chris…
Read MoreBack in December (2012), I reviewed the fun-loving Courtney Barnett’s single, History Eraser. It’s no accident that this song made the Best of Vodka 2012 list in January. Courtney combines elements of blues-rock with alt-pop to create a totally unique sound used extensively in her music creation. Case in point is Courtney’s Scotty Says from her April 2012 EP, I’ve Got A Friend Called Emily Ferris. Courtney Barnett knows how to weave humor seamlessly into her songs. More importantly, these songs are…
Read MoreIn the genre’ of alt-pop, there is a tendency to come off sounding the same as other practitioners, borrowing formulaic styles to fit within a neat, oversimplified context. That’s why it is so pleasant to run across an artist such as She Makes War (a.k.a. Laura Kidd) that borrows, extends and adds to the context, making it accessible within the genre’, but keeping it totally unique. Here on Exit Strategy from She Makes War’s April 2012 long-player, Little Battles, Laura makes…
Read MoreEnter Making Marks (formerly My Little Pony – the band, yeah I know) from Oslo, Norway, and the jangling upbeat single, Ticket Machine (October 2012). Making Marks are on their way to doing just that. The band is tight, vocals and harmonies perfectly blended and instrumentation alternating between quiet fills and bold choruses. No one-stop-shop for the band just yet, but you can find them on bandcamp.com, Facebook, Twitter, and other hot spots. Wish there were more info to…
Read More