De Phazz is a delightful combination of jazz, hip-hop, r&B, soul and pop. The music is layered with strings, scratches and found sounds. The end result is beautiful and intriguing. Here on No Jive from the 1997 long-player Detunized Gravity, everything is evident. The brainchild of German producer Pit Baumgartner, the lineup of artists that appear on De Phazz offerings has changed from CD to CD, with some notable regulars given frequent billing. While this track dates back to 1997, the band continues to produce…
Read MoreCombine one part Americana and four parts fun, and you’ll end up with Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three. Here from their 2011 long-player Middle of Everywhere, the band smokes out a foot-stompin’ So Long Honeybee, Goodbye which may be somewhat reminiscent of Squirrel Nut Zippers. It’s a blend of 1920’s style jazz and ragtime and it simply works. The band is from the St. Louis Missouri area in the US but has made itself known…
Read MoreThe video of the song Liars from Beecher’s Fault 2011 full-length self-titled release, features feet. Yes, I know, it’s a bad play on words, but it is an interesting way to look at relationships via foot attitude. Beecher’s Fault weaves alt-pop instrumentation with smooth vocal delivery. The results are perfectly balanced pop-rock fusion with lyrics that are easily heard above the instruments. It’s not like instrumentation is underneath necessarily, it’s just used sparingly to great effect. In June of this year, Beecher’s Fault…
Read MoreTo borrow from the bands web site, You need The Fix! This band is absolutely top notch fun, and they sound awesome as well. Here on Modesty, The Fix make sure you know that this song is actually about the antithesis of the latter. The band combines a CAKE like hip-hop and rapid-fire pop-rock to create a feeling of exuberance and excitement in their music. The Swedish four-piece is scheduled to release it’s first long-player in August. You can find more information on The…
Read MoreAll Mankind makes music in a wall of sound formula-power pop-rock, This formula doesn’t always work, but All Mankind has found a way to make it fresh and new again. Here on Break the Spell from the long-player Simple Desire, the band highlights their chops perfectly, Rich Beeston’s throaty tenor (vocals/piano) is powerful and carry’s the song forward nicely. This is power pop at it’s best. All Mankind was formed out of Sydney, Australia in 2008 and includes Dave Beeston (drums/vocals), Gavin…
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