WESSON’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 Tour,…
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…
Read MoreAt the beginning of August, Maria Wilman released her debut LP, Dark Horse, which is chuck full of interesting melodic creations, that stray from modern music’s tried and true formulas. That is an excellent thing! Mastermind (seen/heard here) is one of the singles from the new LP. Maria has a beautiful alto voice that she uses at times with a Grace Slick or Chrissie Hynde sort of slide-in bent-note instrument. In fact, Maria Wilman has more in common with those…
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