Bears of Legend alternate between the tender and quiet to the bold and powerful on Let Me Be, from their December 2012 long-player, Good Morning Motherland. Stitched together with strong folk influences and laced with indie-rock and pop, this is very complex and textural music. Instrumentation is multifaceted, with accordion, cello, electric piano, guitars, and drums, all working flawlessly together and enhancing the powerful vocal lead. Finding info out about the band is a bit difficult. I know they are French Canadian,…
Read MoreHaunting and odd, the reggae influenced pop trip of Keep You, from Chicago based brother/sister duo, Wild Belle, is at once captivating. The music will have your head bobbing and weaving, while the vocals induce an almost trance like quality. The subject matter of the video is a bit disquieting but the music is anything but. There’s a lot going on in the music just beneath the surface. Aside from the obvious pop and reggae, there are elements of electronica and understated jazz. The…
Read MoreBallyhoo’s Walk Away is one of the funniest ‘almost got married’ videos that I’ve seen. When the vows are not said, the post ‘wedding’ party goes on anyway, borrowing most of the fodder I’ve seen before at other wedding parties. Walk Away is from Ballyhoo’s 2011 long-player Daydreams, which you can pick up for a lousy $10 on bandcamp.com or from the band’s own store (see web site link). Ballyhoo is one of those bands on bandcamp.com where there is more than one location…
Read MoreLioness is one of several singles released by popster Scott Mellis in 2011. It’s a simple love song but has some nice textures. Scott has a beautiful voice that lends itself to such moderate tempo numbers. Lyrically this is a strong song too, with some nice wordplay. “I will abide, and caress. I’ll be your hunter, you my lioness,” sings Scott at the beginning of the song. Scott Mellis recently released a six-song EP, Live and Acoustic, in December 2012. You can find more information on Scott Mellis by visiting his all-inclusive (except for the bandcamp.com link) website. Check out Scott…
Read MoreWhile perusing bandcamp.com, I came across the Canadian pop-rock of Half Moon Run and this delightful gem, Full Circle from the band’s March 2012 full-length, Dark Eyes. The melody is haunting and the rapid staccato vocal delivery is a great contrast to the instruments. Think of this music as a strange melding of 60’s folk and pop with today’s alternative and then combine a progressive rock element with that, and you will be close to the recipe for Half Moon Run….
Read More