With effortless vocals, Andrea von Kampen spins a folk web of intimate pop-influenced musical magic. She has been on the music scene in Lincoln, Nebraska, since at least 2015, when she issued her first EP, Another Day. Her clear, bell-like voice lends instant beauty to her thoughtful lyrics. Portland (seen/heard here) is from Andrea’s just-released (February 2019) debut long-player, Old Country, which contains eight slow to medium tempo stories, six of which were penned by von Kampen. Actually, the unvaried tempo of these tracks is my only complaint, and it’s…
Read MoreVodka has always had a soft spot for close female harmonies and the wonderful three-piece, Lula Wiles, does not disappoint. Steeped in the traditions of folk music, Lula Wiles bandmates, Isa Burke, Eleanor Buckland, and Mali Obomsawin, add just a hint of a more modern indie sound that keeps their music fresh and delightfully accessible while remaining true to the story-telling traditions of folk music. Love Gone Wrong (seen/heard here) is the lead-off track to the band’s sophomore long-player, What Will We Do (January 2019). So what does a track-by-track…
Read MoreA couple of years ago, Vodka reviewed Belgium-based, Pavlove, and their EP and single, Because Of You. I’ve occasionally gone looking for updates on the band, hoping for a long-player, but I’ve either missed out or failed to report to their Facebook site at the right times as they have released a couple of singles, Give Me All You’ve Got and Keira, since the release of Because Of You. Enter Anything But Cupid (seen/heard here), a single released on Valentine’s day 2019, and a sign that the band continues to expand on love…
Read MoreThe wonderful Flagship Romance duo released Lemonade from their Tales From The Self-Help Section long-player over a year ago now (August 2017). We didn’t post it back then, although we posted a couple of other tracks, Friends and Scare Yourself, and got a chance to see the duo perform live at a house concert here in Nebraska. That said, we have been covering Flagship Romance since the beginning, so it should come as no surprise that we continue to support their work. So why a video for a song from…
Read MoreIt’s been a few weeks now since I first introduced Vodka readers to Lydian Collective with the review of East and a nod to the LP. With the single release of High 555, I’ve got high hopes for another LP in the future. I’d like to highlight the joy with which these musicians play their music. Pay particular attention to the beaming smile of Sophie Alloway (drums). The bandmates obviously love performing their music-all of them-but Sophie is the picture of pure joy here. Lydian Collective’s embrace of everything…
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