A little bit rock, a little bit pop, a little bit of everything, really, Philadelphia based PHNTMS’ new single, Carabelle (seen/heard here) features rich emotive vocals, spare but beautifully played instrumentation, just a touch of reverb, and a melody that is instantaneously infectious. These are qualities of all great songs and PHNTMS has them all here on display. Lyrically, Carabelle, sung by vocalist Alyssa Gambino, is a tale of a toxic, yet intoxicating, relationship gone South. It’s that taste that you get at the end: a sense of loss and relief doing…
Read MoreRock may have taken a back-seat to a lot of newer genres of music, but there’s still a place for good rock and roll as exhibited here by Micky James anthem, Kings, the subject of which is: Take your country back before it’s too late! It’s a simple subject, and a timely message for a world gone completely nuts and politics gone deliberately sour. Though the anthem may be dire, the music is anything but. This is indeed an anthem, a raise-your-fist-in-the-air, singable, foot-stomping, toe-tapping anthem, that will have you…
Read MoreYoung Guv has a feel like an updated late 60′s/early 70′s rock band. It’s slightly retro, but still very much accessible to the here and now. Luv Always (seen/heard here) is an example of that formula. Full of playful guitar licks with a catchy melody, Luv Always is the sort of song that will have you singing to yourself in no time. Just as the band was to embark on a tour this year, it was abruptly canceled due to the Covid 19 virus. They had the foresight to…
Read MoreWhat happens when you are not only faced with a global pandemic and the health issues associated with that, but with a life-threatening disease on top of it? Do you give up or give in? Not in the case of Mike Daly, frontman for Mike Daly & The Planets, a rock band with decided classic-rock edges. Mike has recurring cancer of the lymphatic system, which means that he is doubly at risk during the pandemic. A while back, Mike had an awakening of…
Read MoreOver the next few months, interspersed between normal Vodka mined musical posts, will be Vodka’s favorites of the Austin 100 (in no particular order), NPR’s tracks of musicians that performed at SXSW. This year, of course, the event was canceled, so these artists need a bit more publicity to reach a broader audience. Watch for the tagline Vodka Austin Favorite or if you search for these tracks later, simply put “vodka austin” in the search. Let’s begin! Devon Gilifillian takes soul music to a new level, allowing himself to touch…
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