Juliana Riccardi is an American singer/songwriter with a flair for combining the best influences of pop, rock, Americana, blues, and more. She has a beautiful voice, and she uses it in top form on Right On Time (seen/heard here), keeping the lyrics up-front and personal. The artist graduated from City College of New York with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Jazz Vocal Performance. From her New York roots, Juliana shifted gears, transplanting herself to sunny California, residing now in Los Angeles. She’s…
Read MoreHailing from Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast of Sudan, Noori & His Dorpa Band perform music reflected in the current state of the revolution there. Through their musical successes, the band tries to draw attention to the plight of the people, whose government over many iterations has denied the people the profits of one of the country’s natural resources, gold. The results for the listener are pure magic, as…
Read MoreIf I had to guess, I’d say that Lia Rye is still searching for a magic formula for her all-genre music. Fever Dream (seen/heard here) is the title track from her new EP and it is fascinating! The EP itself doesn’t feel cohesive as far as musical sound is concerned, but the use of multi MIDI melodies that juxtapose against each other (such as those in Fever Dream) playing minor-key against major-key, provide for a unique sound and drama that kept Vodka listening to the end…
Read MoreSteeped in multi-genre influences, Zaki Ibrahim is a force of musical nature that refuses to be denied. As comfortable on the dance floor as in the living room, and as important as it is entertaining, the music that Zaki Ibrahim creates is moving on all levels. Enter Cut Loose, from Ibrahim’s latest (March 2021) LP, The Secret Life Of Plants. Elements of 70′s styled R&B and pop are everywhere, and yet this is a modern offering, not a retro affair. What those influences contribute, so, too, do modern…
Read MorePop music does not follow a straight line, at least it doesn’t for Kate Bankston, and that is a very good thing indeed. Kate released Valentines For Tomorrow (seen/heard here) as a single last year on valentines day and now it is available as one of the 10 tracks on her new LP, Cry A Little (December 2020). Valentines For Tomorrow explores the circular meaning of life and love, blending the good times with the bad, but reveling in them all with a person who shares all…
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