Combine some funk, and a bit of folk, mix well with some pop hooks and a fun lyric, and you’ve got a recipe for success. Or you do if you are JJ Slater and your song is Good News (seen/heard here). Good News is the leading track on his latest EP, titled simply JJ (October 2023), featuring JJ and a host of collaborators. Good News is full of fun, and a joy to listen to, but the entire collection features well-written musical…
Read MoreSinnober is one of Vodka’s favorite duos, and it seems fitting that we countdown to the end of 2023 with their November single, I’d Rather Not Know. It’s a wonderful old-timey feeling song featuring the heartwarming vocals of Natalie Brice, and as with all Sinnober tunes, it is beautiful. Vodka keeps hoping for a new LP from the duo but with their young family, it’s hard to know if that will happen anytime soon. If you are new to Sinnober, consider a stroll back through Vodka’s memories. There…
Read MoreA couple of months into the new year (March 2024), The Northern Belle, a Nordic-flavored folk-country group, is poised to release their latest LP, Bats In The Attic. Astral Plane (seen/heard here) is the lead track on that LP. The Northern Belle are known for their intricate melodies and singable refrains. Currently, this song and the bouncy pop-flavored Merchant Navy Hotel are available as single-track purchases. Partly inspired by a cache of letters sent by her grandfather to her grandmother…
Read MoreIs there a connection between music and space? Is there life out there that only music can connect with? New York City’s Earthquake Lights explore this and more with their latest single, Silhouette (heard here). To be fair, the group feels that this song and its lyrics could mean different things depending on your interpretation. For that reason, I’m glad there is just an audio-only video because interpreting meaning is all about listening and feeling the music. Lead singer and keyboardist Myles Rodenhouse’s sky-high tenor soars,…
Read MoreReleased today, November 8, Far Away (heard here) from JB Elwood is a pop-rock earworm worthy of repeat play! It’s a song about leaving home in search of your dreams. Sure, that song has been written many times, but Elwood breathes a firey breath of new life into the narrative. While his stated influences include Slash and Guns N’ Roses, I can’t hear those influences on Far Away. Instead, I hear a fresh sound, a wonderful singable song, and a refrain that clings to you…
Read More