Tag: R&B

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Reviews and Suggestions

Multi-talented Charley Young Celebrates Release of Remix of “Hold the Moon”

Charley Young is a young individual who has set her sights on several different career paths at the same time. From time to time, you can find Young performing on-stage in theatrical plays and in musical theater. You can also find her in many on-screen roles. She has spent countless hours honing her skills as an actor.

Going along with the actor side of her, Charley Young has been increasing her presence as a singer, a role she puts to use when onstage performing in musical theatre.  As a singer, Young’s vocals are rather reminiscent of Amy Lee of the band Evanescence. As a matter of fact, some of her music contains a slight influence from the Alternative Rock group itself. As of late, Young has been rather busy recently as she has released three singles of her music since the beginning of 2019. Currently, Charley Young is celebrating the release of the Remix version of her track “Hold the Moon”.

As far as the initial track of “Hold the Moon” is concerned, the track features a sound that makes use of EDM (Electronic Dance Music) as the main feel of the music. The track also features a relaxed pace to that music. The track’s music takes some influence from 80’s New Wave and adds a strong beat to it. And while there is a relaxed feel to the music, there is still plenty of energy to the music of the song. What results is a low-key track that would be right at home in any Club settings.

Having already mentioned the fact that Young is celebrating the release of a remix of the track, “Hold the Moon (Retro Mix)” takes that initial track and bumps up the energy level to the beats of the song. While the original version of the song would be right at home within the setting of a dance club, the slightly harder mix creates a track that could be used by the deejays to transition the music from a slow track to much quicker songs. Whether you take the original version of “Hold the Moon” or the Retro Mix of the song, the song is sure to get you dancing along to the music.

Right now, Charley Young is celebrating the release of “Hold the Moon” as her latest single. However, “Hold the Moon” is far from being the only track from Charley Young. To go along with the current track of “Hold the Moon,” Young has also release two other tracks within the 2019 year. Joining the aforementioned track, Young has also released the tracks “Greedy” and “Fiery Storm” since the beginning of the year.

The track “Greedy” from Charley Young finds the musician changing musical directions as the track leaves behind the EDM that had been part of the track “Hold the Moon”. Instead of EDM, “Greedy” contains a rather strong Alternative influence to the track. But just like with the track “Hold the Moon” the song “Greedy” contains a slightly relaxed feel to the music. The combination of the music on the track and Young’s vocals creates a track that brings to mind a lighter version of the style of the band Evanescence. And where the track “Hold the Moon” feels as if it would be right at home within a Club scene, the “Greedy” single would be right at home on any Hot Adult Contemporary and/or Top 40 radio format.

Just like with the current single of “Hold the Moon,” Charlie Young has also put out a remix to the track “Greedy”. The “Jimmy Greco Remix” of the track completely changes the feel of the track. The laidback feel of the initial track is completely done away with. The “Jimmy Greco Remix” contains a quicker pace as well as a strong EDM approach to the music. The result is a track that, once again, would send the music of Charley Young out onto the dance floor. Every so often, you find a remix of a song that not only changes the feel of the original track; it actually makes the song stronger. This is one of those times when the remix is better than the original.        

The final of the three tracks that have been released by Charley Young during 2019 is the track “Fiery Storm”. With this track, Young brings back the feel of EDM that was evident in the song “Hold the Moon”. With this track, Young slows things down quite considerably. This is easily the slowest track of the three released this year. Along with the EDM direction, the track also contains an additional element of R&B flavor. That blend creates the most unique of the three tracks that Charley Young has produced thus far this year.

Charley Young keeps herself busy with the actor side of her personality as well as the musician side of her. The three songs released this year from the musician side of Young are just the beginning. If you count the remixes that go along with the singles of “Hold the Moon” and “Greedy,” you change the number to five tracks. While Charley Young has yet to put out an album, you can find the three songs mentioned and plenty of other earlier tracks from the artist online.

For more information, check out Charley Young’s PR Firm, Whiplash Marketing & Whizkid Management. Click on the logo below to visit their site. 

 

 

 

 

To check out Charley Young’s most recent single, “Hold the Moon (Retro Mix),” click on the cover below: 

 

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Artists & Bands

CD Review: The Aces “When My Heart Felt Volcanic”

All-girl bands have been around for several decades and have included the likes of Bananarama, The Bangles, even the band Fanny who most recently released a new album under the moniker Fanny Walked the Earth. One of the most recent all-girl bands is called The Aces.

The Aces (a name that was shortened from the original name of The Blue Aces) is a Utah-based pop-rock quartet composed of Singer and guitarist Cristal Ramirez, guitarist Katie Henderson, bass player McKenna Petty, and drummer Alisa Ramirez (Cristal’s sister); the members of the group came together to create the band after having known each other for most of their lives. Together, the resulting band creates Alternative Rock music with a strong Pop-Rock edge. That musical combination is featured on the band’s 2018 release entitled When My Heart Felt Volcanic. The album was released under the record label of Red Bull Records, one part of the energy drink company Red Bull GmbH.

When My Heart Felt Volcanic from The Aces begins with the “title track” of the release, “Volcanic Love”. The first thing that the listener will notice is that the feel of the track. The guitar-driven Pop/R&B blend of the song takes the listener back to the decade of the eighties as the music as well as the instrumentation itself has a rather retro feel to it. The next thing that you will notice is the vocals from Cristal Ramirez bring to mind artists like Kim Wilde or Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles. Take all of that and blend it together, you end up with a track that has a strong Pop-Rock feel that is ready-made for radio airplay.

The next track on the release is the song “Stuck”. Having been released on the band’s 2017 EP entitled I Don’t Like Being Honest, the band includes it here on their newest album. While the previous track featured a musical direction that felt rather familiar because of earlier musical influences, this track takes a more modern approach to the music. The track’s much stronger Alternative Rock direction makes the song “Stuck” feel like it fits into the Indie Rock category. And while there is an Indie feel to the track, the song still feels like it would fit on any Top 40/Hot Adult Contemporary radio format.

With the next track of the album, the quartet continues their blending of the old and the new with the track “Fake Nice”. The band creates a track with a very current feel to the lyrical content while the music of the track finds the band once again drawing inspiration from music of the eighties with a little of the seventies thrown in for good measure. The lyrical content on “Fake Nice” finds the band creating a track that is very current. Having to do with being someone you’re not, the track should register well with today’s music fans.

As the band continues their release, they create a track called “Lovin’ is Bible”. The track features a strong musical feel that is equal parts R&B and Rock and Roll. The blend creates a sound that is rather reminiscent of the Scottish band Wet Wet Wet, the band that made a name for themselves back in the eighties when they created their sound blending together equal parts R&B and Rock and Roll. “Lovin’ is Bible” from The Aces feels as modern as it does retro because of the musical blend contained within the track. At the same time, it’s easy to imagine the track being featured on today’s Hot Adult Contemporary radio formats.

One of the songs off of the When My Heart Felt Volcanic release from The Aces that is getting the band some positive attention is the song “Last One”. Like the track “Lovin’ is Bible,” the track blends together equal parts R&B and Rock and Roll. Along with the strong groove created by the four members of the band, the call-and-response that happens throughout the track adds an interesting element to the song, as does the inclusion of gang vocals on the refrain where the band mates all lend their vocals to the track. The strong groove on the track, as well as the other previously mentioned elements in the song, help to create one of the strongest moments on the release. “Last One” is easily the standout track on the album.

The Aces return to the eighties on the track “Strong Enough”. The guitars and the keyboards as well as the production on the drums on the track transport the listener back in time with a style that screams eighties. Add on the vocals from singer and guitarist Cristal Ramirez, and you get a track that will make you reminisce about that period in music.  

Most of the new album from The Aces comes with a strong Pop-Rock feel to the music with plenty of energy to the music. All of that changes, however, on the track “Hurricane”. A track that comes rather late in the album, “Hurricane” features a much slower pace to the music as well as a piano comes in to create a completely different feel to the track. That piano mixes well with vocals from singer Cristal Ramirez as well as Katie Henderson who adds plenty of harmony to the track. The song about a relationship that keeps the singer spinning as she tries to figure things out adds plenty of beauty and emotion to the release.

As you make your way through the dozen or so tracks on the When My Heart Felt Volcanic release from the all-girl band The Aces, one of the main things you notice is the quick pace at which the songs go by. With the majority of the tracks being under three and-a-half minutes, the resulting album is one that is very listener-friendly. That quick playtime on the tracks goes along well with the pop-rock music that is produced by the quartet that is The Aces. With the help of Red Bull Records, this album has already begun to garner some well-deserved praise for the band. Keep an eye out for The Aces as they make their way through the music industry. 

For more information, check out the band’s record label, Red Bull Records. 

For a taste of the music from The Aces, check out their video to the track “The Last One”. 

To check out the When My Heart Felt Volcanic release from the all-girl band The Aces, click on the album cover below:

 

 

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Reviews and Suggestions

CD Review: Xavier Toscano “Feels So Good”

Several years ago, Guadalajara native Xavier Toscano made his debut with the single “Tonight, Tonight”. With the success of that single, Toscano went about creating a full-length release. And now, Xavier Toscano is in the middle of releasing his debut album. The new album from Toscano blends together Electronic Dance Music (EDM) with other musical influences to create an album that contains a lot of energy. The new album from Xavier Toscano is entitled Feels So Good.

Even before Feels So Good from Xavier Toscano had been released and the public had been able to experience it, a few of the album’s various songs were making noise of their own. The songs “Never Wanna Leave,” “Apologies Wasted,” “The Remedy (Feel Alright)” and “Runaway” found their way onto the MTV program of “Keeping up with the Kardashians” while other tracks have been used for other programs. But now, the album as a whole is available.

Feels So Good, the new album from Xavier Toscano, begins with “Feels So Good (Intro)”. The beginning track to the release lasts not even fifty seconds as it features a strong EDM feel to the music while the lyrics featured contain only a few words about feeling good before they repeat through the length of the short track. To help bring the lyrics of the track to life, Toscano called upon the singer Raquela to provide the vocals, which she does with style. The short length to the track truly leaves the listener wanting for more. 

Xavier Toscano continues his release with the track “Never Wanna Leave”. The track finds Toscano staying in the EDM frame of mind which works perfectly coming out of the intro track of “Feels So Good”. “Never Wanna Leave” has a strong danceable quality to the music and brings to mind other EDM artists like Diplo and Paul Oakenfold. The track produced by Toscano ensures that he can absolutely hang with the aforementioned artists and others that make up the EDM genre.

Speaking of EDM, the next track of the Feels So Good release brings to mind yet another name that falls into the EDM genre. With the track “The Remedy (Feel Alright),” Xavier Toscano seems to channel the feel of the French duo known as Daft Punk as Toscano brings a deeper feel to the music. The song also features a mechanical feel to the vocals that begin the track and those mechanical vocals and the hard beat that flows through “The Remedy (Feel Alright)” brings to mind something like Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger,”. The rap breakdown late in the track also shows off Toscano’s Hip Hop influence.

With the track “Runaway,” Xavier Toscano adds a little more danceable feel to the music. The keyboards in the song give the track more of a commercial feel to the music. While the track of “Never Wanna Leave” brought to mind someone like Diplo, the track of “Runaway” brings to mind the lighter, easier, more commercial feel of someone like DJ Sammy or even Robbie Rivera. In fact, the song of “Runaway” contains such a danceable and commercial feel to it that the track not only brings to mind Robbie Rivera, it would feel right at home on one of Rivera’s albums, right alongside something like Rivera’s “Float Away”.   

After several dance tracks, Xavier Toscano changes things up in a major way on the track called “Castles in the Sky”. While the previous tracks all contained the sound of the synthesizer, the sound of “Castles in the Sky” revolves around the sound of the piano. In fact, it is the piano and only the piano that makes up the music of the track. Gone away is the danceable feel of the earlier music as this track sounds more like something from Elton John than it does something from Diplo. And while the use of a solo piano sometimes brings to mind a rather romantic feel to a song, “Castles in the Sky” is simply a song with a piano as the solo instrument. The sparse instrumentation allows for the vocals to come though clearly. The easy feel of the track gives the listener a bit of a breather before the energy level rises back up.

And speaking of a stronger delivery, the next track changes the feel of the music once again. However, instead of taking the music into an EDM frame of mind, Toscano goes in a completely different direction on the very next track. In fact, with the R&B base to the music of the song entitled “Nas-T-Nize,” Toscano seems to channel Prince. And it’s not just the music that brings to mind the style of “the purple one”; the vocals on the track also suggest that it is Prince that was Toscano’s influence for the track. While it is nothing like anything that had come before on the release, “Nas-T-Nize” helps to show off the various influences that Xavier Toscano draws from. Plus, the track shows off his willingness to create something that is completely different from the rest of the release.

For the rest of his new release of Feels So Good, Xavier Toscano brings back the feel of EDM. In fact, it is that musical style that flows through the final track of the album.

For the song “Made It Look Easy,” Toscano creates the music of the song with plenty of EDM style. Plus, he adds a generous amount of Hip Hop into the music. Altogether, “Made It Look Easy” combines two different forms of dance energy into one track. The result is a track that would be welcome in any dance club.

Throughout the eleven tracks that make up the Feels So Good release, Xavier Toscano creates tracks that a guaranteed to get the listener moving their body. And while most of the album consists of strong EDM influences, it’s the tracks that don’t contain that influence which give the album variety. Feels So Good from Xavier Toscano is one album that today’s music lovers will enjoy; especially if they are looking for music that will get them out of their seats.

To get a taste of the music from Xavier Toscano, check out the video to his song “Runaway”: 

To purchase a copy of Xavier Toscano’s Feels So Good, click on the album cover below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information, check out Whiplash PR & Management by clicking on the logo for the company. 

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Reviews and Suggestions

CD Review: Christian Heath “One”

Many times in the world of music, when one band comes to an end, the various members of said band go their separate ways, either to create another band or to continue on their own. It was after the band that shared his name came to a close that singer-songwriter Christian Heath decided to go it alone. While the music from his now-defunct band was group with a rather heavy musical delivery, Heath decided to go in a different direction with his new solo music. With his new music, Heath took a more Pop-Rock approach to the music. That new musical direction can be found on the musician’s new EP called One. 

The first track of the new EP from Christian Heath is the song “I’m Yours”. The track has a strong Pop-rock feel to the music. In fact, the song brings to mind the sound of bands like U2 or Coldplay. The song features a gentle pace as well as rather melodic quality to the music to create a song that would be perfect for any Adult Contemporary music format. “I’m Yours” also seems to have an uplifting quality to the lyrics that would make the track perfect for more “family-friendly” radio formats.

One from Christian Heath continues with the EP’s first single which also happens to be the title track of the release. “One” takes the music in a different direction than the style that was included on “I’m Yours”. With “One,” Heath creates a track with a strong R&B delivery. Into that sound, Christian Heath incorporates a light EDM feel to the music. To bring that style to life, Heath is joined on the track by Producer INFIDELIX. The combination creates song that would easily fit on today’s Top 40 radio formats. The song’s lyrical content is as listener-friendly as the EP’s first track. Except with “One,” Heath takes the opportunity to promote the idea of human unity as the lyrics suggest that we are all one on the same planet.

Christian Heath’s One EP continues with the song “Tonight”. Just like with the first two tracks, Heath changes directions once again. The Hispanic feel of the track is combined with the lyrical stylings of singer Nixi. Together, the duo create a duet of sorts that brings to mind a song like “Nobody Wants to be Lonely” by Ricky Martin or “Mouth to Mouth” by Enrique Iglesias and Jennifer Lopez.

For the song “No Good For You,” the music takes on a more Rock and Roll feel as the track features a beat that is reminiscent of something from New Wave / Alternative band OMD. The synth-heavy track of “No Good For You” takes Christian Heath’s sound back to the mid-nineties. The track would have fit right in on the British band’s 1990 release called Sugar Tax. This track is probably the most commercial of the songs as it would easily have fit on Top 40 radio in the nineties, 2000’s, or even today.

With the next track, Christian Heath’s One EP slows down on the track “Paradise”. The song features lyrics about spending time with the one you love. For this song, Heath incorporates a strong piano base into the music of the track. The track was produced so that the piano stands out as the main instrument on the song. While the focus of the music is on Heath’s voice and the piano, the track also features guitars that help give the song depth. The easy pace of the track mixes well with the romantic feeling of the lyrics. Like the rest of the EP, “Paradise” has a sound that is very radio-friendly.

The One EP comes to an end with the track “Magic”. The track contains a Pop-Rock feel that brings to mind music from the eighties. The track would easily have fit on the radio on Pop-Rock during that time period. Just like the rest of the album, “Magic” contains a very listener-friendly feel and brings the EP to a close on a gentle, yet infectious sound.

While Christian Heath’s earlier music with the band that shared his name featured a sound that felt rather heavy, his new One EP features songs that never stay in one musical groove. The ever-changing feel of the music helps make a release that features six songs ready-made for radio airplay. Each track feels like a single on its own. And when combined together, those six tracks make for an EP that guarantees that you won’t be skipping any songs as the music plays out.  

 

Christian Heath’s One EP is currently available on Spotify. 

Click HERE for Christian Heath’s hit single, “One (A World Song)”

For more information, check out Christian Heath’s PR firm, WHIPLASH PR.

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Reviews and Suggestions

CD Review: Lord Nelson “Through the Night”

Lord Nelson is a Rock and Roll band that calls the state of Virginia home. Specifically, the band hails from the city of Nelson, which is most likely where the band’s name comes from. The quintet consist of: lead singer and guitarist Kai Crowe-Getty, multi-instrumentalist Henry Jones, Calloway Jones on lead guitar, Andrew Hollifield on bass, and Johnny Stubblefield behind the sticks. Together, the ensemble creates a musical style that can only be described as Modern Rock.

The sound from the band Lord Nelson consists of a timeless blend of styles that incorporates both Soul and Americana into it. That musical approach would fit as much with music from the eighties as it would with today’s sounds. Taking that classic sound, the band has created two releases: 2015’s The Country and 2018’s Through the Night.

Through the Night from Lord Nelson begins with the track “Second Chances”. The track begins with a strong drumbeat from Johnny Stubblefield that is then joined by lead guitarist Calloway Jones. The two instruments combine to create the backbone for the straight-out Rock and Roll track. The track’s driving feel to the song mixed with that straight-out Rock and Roll sound makes for a strong tune that moves along rather easily, creating a song that ultimately becomes a jam. “Second Chances” sets the album off with a bang.

The new release from Lord Nelson continues with the album’s first single, “Tail Lights”. Just like the previous track, the band creates a track that has a solid Rock and Roll feel to it. The track also features a strong R&B backbone to the music. While the previous track feels rather timeless in nature, the musical blend on this track creates a style that put the song somewhere in the nineties. “Tail Lights” could easily have been played on Alternative playlists at that time.

With the next track of “Black Hills,” the band’s sound changes a little. The music of the track contains a slight twang to it while the overall feel puts the song somewhere the late eighties/early nineties. The track brings to mind music from the likes of Big Country or even Bruce Springsteen.  Like the earlier tracks, “Black Hills” contains a musical direction that makes the track feel as if it should have easily been a hit back in the eighties.

Speaking of the eighties, that’s where you can imagine the track “Fingertips”. In fact, the track features a guitar part that seems rather reminiscent of something from John Mellencamp from that era. The inclusion of the horns, the band adds a lot of Soul influence to the track. “Fingertips” has a strong groove to it and once again feels very commercial in its musical direction.

While most of the tracks on the new release from Lord Nelson have a quick delivery, the band slows things down on the track “Good Time”. Along with the slower pace, the band gives the track a lot more Soul direction than any of the previous tracks. To go along with the overall Soul feel of the track, the horn solo in the middle of the track adds a bit of New Orleans Jazz to the track. The lyrical content of the track reminds the listener that nothing is forever and that your life will eventually come to an end. So have fun while you can.

Lord Nelson continues their new release with the track “Safety Meeting”. The song begins with a strong organ riff created by multi-instrumentalist Henry Jones. That riff contains a certain amount of Soul flavor to it and that Soul flavor gets incorporated into the body of the track. As lead singer and guitarist Kai Crowe-Getty delivers the vocals that Soul feeling shows up in his delivery. Together, the band creates a track that features lyrics getting together in order to create change when change doesn’t come on its own. While the track’s light, soulful musical delivery makes the track feel, there is a slight fun feeling to the track. But the serious nature belonging to the lyrics makes the overall feel of the song rather somber.

In the same vein, the very next track of “Southern Discomfort” digs a little deeper into the serious sides of things. The track’s lyrics speak of the current mood of the country as people are looking to change the way certain areas of the South are perceived. The track’s serious nature is matched up with a strong beat and a melody that makes for an interesting mixture.

Through the Night from Lord Nelson comes to a close with the song “Running on Back”. With this track, the band brings a bit of the fun back to the release. Like several of the earlier tracks on the release, “Running on Back” features a musical delivery that brings to mind straight-out Rock and Roll from the eighties. And while there is that eighties feel to the song, it also has enough of a modern feel to it that the track would feel right at home on today’s Modern Rock formats.

Through the Night, the newest release from Virginia-based Lord Nelson features a mix of styles that blend together to create a strong album from beginning to end. If you are a fan of straight-out Rock and Roll, this is one release that will satisfy your desire for the style.

Through the Night from Lord Nelson has yet to be released. Lord Nelson will be celebrating the release of the album on May 18, 2018. Until then, the band has released the track “Tail Lights” as the album’s first single.  

For more information, check out the band’s PR firm, WHIPLASH PR. 

 

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Reviews and Suggestions

CD Review: Stereo RV “Human”

Portland, Oregon-based husband and wife duo of Gabe and Myra Gleason had, at one time, been two separate musicians creating their own music. It wasn’t until the two found each other during a mutual performance that they decided to blend her keyboards with his guitar and beatboxing. Together, the  two musicians ended up creating a style that incorporates a lot of R&B influence with plenty of Pop-Rock. The result is a musical duo that creates pop music that is readymade for commercial radio formats. Together, the Gleasons make up a musical outfit known as Stereo RV.

 
While Gabe and Myra Gleason make up the musical outfit of Stereo RV, the duo had a little help in bringing the potential of the music out. It was with the help of John DeGrazio and Stan Chan that the sound of Stereo RV was truly realized. DeGrazio and Chan helped in the production and remixing of a combination of studio demos and new tunes.  Those tunes would become the debut EP for Stereo RV. Together, the four individuals just recently completed the new release called Human.

 
Human from Stereo RV begins with the EP’s title track. “Human” begins with a quiet piano gently played by Myra Gleason’s. Gleason’s vocals join the piano as she sings about trying to fit in. Eventually, the song builds and becomes an R&B –influenced pop song. The inclusion of Gabe Gleason’s acoustic guitar and beatboxing helps to make “Human” a strong track with an unforgettable sound that would easily fit on any Top 40 radio format.

 
With the very next track, the feel of the music from Stereo RV changes drastically. “Runaways” begins with a strong bass groove that gives the music a much more infectious feel to it. While the track “Human” was rather laidback, “Runaways” adds a lot of energy to the 2017 release. The song of “Runaways” brings to mind music from someone like KT Tunstall or even Natasha Bedingfield. With the strong beat to the song, the acoustic guitar from Gabe and the keyboards from Myra, “Runaways” is yet another track that would fit well on radio.

 
As quickly as the style of the music changed for the song “Runaways,” the music’s feel changes once again for the next track. “The One” is a slow-paced track that focuses on the music being created by John DeGrazio’s piano. And while there are strings that have been added to the sound of the track, it is the piano that stands out. As DeGrazio plays the gentle part on the piano, Myra adds her vocals to the track and sings to the listener that they are important in the grand scheme of things. “The One” from Stereo RV may very well be interpreted as an anthem of sorts for those looking for positive feedback.

 
Stereo RV brings the energy of their music back up on the track “Free”. One of the more interesting tracks on the five-song EP from the duo, the band creates a track that that feels as much like Indie Rock as it does Pop-Rock. “Free” features an equal amount of Myra’s keyboards and Gabe’s acoustic guitar. And while the track feels rather laidback as far as the energy level is concerned, the song still contains a certain amount of musical magic that draws the listener in and seems to hook them. Of the five songs that make up the Human EP, “Free” is the track that really brings out the true ability of Gabe Gleason as a beatboxer, as well as the talents of John DeGrazio and Stan Chan as producers. The track contains a strong beat that flows throughout the entire song. And when you realize that that beat was created entirely by a human, the song becomes that much more impressive. And with the production quality from DeGrazio and Chan, that beat truly feels as if it had been created by an instrument or machine and not by a man who was just using his mouth.

 
Human, the debut release from Stereo RV, comes to a close with the song “Who Am I”. Yet another laidback track, “Who Am I” has a slightly sparse feel to the music as the instrumentation from the keyboards of Myra Gleason is not layered very thickly, which gives the music a rather simplistic musical approach. That simplistic feel is complimented by the easy feel of the vocals from Gleason as she sings of self-doubt. Like the song “The One” a few tracks earlier, “Who Am I” comes across as an anthem for those looking for meaning in their lives.

 
On their debut release, Stereo RV creates an EP in Human that features lots of infectious songs in a relatively short amount of time. While only five tracks, Human from Stereo RV contains many moments that could find the duo on their way to bigger and better things in the near future.

 

 

HumanHuman from Stereo RV will be released on April 7, 2017. Until then, enjoy this preview of the EP will the title track of “Human“. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information, check out the band’s PR firm, XO Publicity.

 

 

 

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Reviews and Suggestions

CD Review: Group S/T

Cleveland-based singer-songwriter Taylor Lamborn is a pop-rock performer who is making a name for herself in the Greater Cleveland area. As a solo performing and recording artist in the area, Lamborn has been getting plenty of attention as she performs regularly. But about one year ago, Lamborn took a different path in the career as she also joined forces with three other musicians to create a band that features original music with a solid Rock ‘n’ Roll sound. Along with Taylor Lamborn on vocals, the rest of the relatively new ensemble consists of Luke Pernici on keys, guitar and vocals; Joe Botta on bass and vocals; and Dom Williams on drums and vocals. Together, this musical ensemble came to be known simply as Group. While the band’s moniker may leave much to be desired, Group’s music stands out as the band is a solid ensemble that creates some of the strongest Rock ‘n’ Roll in the Greater Cleveland area.

Group’s recently-released self-titled EP begins with the track “Trouble Sleeping”. As the track begins, the listener experiences the sound of Blues-flavored Rock ‘n’ Roll, a style that is rather hard to find in today’s musical landscape. As the band creates a strong driving feel to the music, Lamborn’s vocals are just as strong as she seems to come across as a modern-day Janis Joplin. Together, the strong vocals from Lamborn and the Blues-based Rock ‘n’ Roll from the rest of the band create a song that stands out when compared to the rest of the musical offering out there today; especially when comparing “Trouble Sleeping” to the majority of what makes its way to Top 40 radio today.

The self-titled release from Cleveland’s Group continues with the track “Don’t Mind Me”. It is the sound of Luke Pernici’s guitar that starts the song off with a strong and catchy riff. That Blues-filled riff is soon joined by Taylor Lamborn’s bluesy vocals. The two create a musical approach that is filled to overflowing with a Blues sound. When the drums from Dom Williams and bass from Joe Botta join in, the track becomes equal parts Blues and Rock ‘n’ Roll. The track is very infectious and the groove created by the band almost begs the listener to get up and dance. “Don’t Mind Me” is even catchier than the EP’s lead-off single of “Trouble Sleeping”.

After two tracks that allow Group to show off their Rock ‘n’ Roll side, the band changes the direction of the next track. With the song “Happy,” Group incorporates generous amounts of both Jazz and R&B into the one song on the self-titled release from the band that stands apart from the other four tracks. Along with the different musical approach, the song also features the keys from Luke Pernici instead of his guitar that was so present in the first two songs on the EP. The resulting track of “Happy” is so different that it feels like a completely band. And while that is the case, that change in style and sound proves just how capable and versatile the three musicians and Lamborn are as an ensemble.

The self-titled release from Cleveland’s band known as Group continues with the song “Tangles”. Just as soon as the band had changed pace for the song of “Happy,” The change directions again and bring back some of the Blues approach that was present on the first two tracks. For the song of “Tangles,” however, their approach feels a lot like something that could have been produced by someone like the band The Black Keys. On the track of “Tangles,” the guitar and the bass seem to have been recorded so that they are equally strong. The track feels more like an Alternative Rock track rather than a Blues-based Rock ‘n’ Roll track. Like “Happy” before it, “Tangles” stands out on the EP, but in a much different way. Group’s 2016 self-titled release comes to an end with the track “Maybe I”. With this song, the band once again changes directions. This time, however, they create a musical approach that seems very familiar. The pop-rock track with Lamborn’s vocals comes across as something that sounds like very much like something from the band No Doubt…when that band was at the top of their popularity. The pop-rock track of “Maybe I” from Group is perhaps the most radio-friendly song on the five-song EP.

Throughout the five tracks that make up the new EP from Cleveland’s Group, the band shows its versatility from one track to the next. And because they change their style from track-to-track, they leave no time for the listener to get bored. The five-song release from Group is a strong debut and only hints at what the band is capable of.

To check out the music of Group, click HERE for the band’s song “Don’t Mind Me”.

Click on the album cover below to check out the latest release from Group:
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CD Review: Syre & Fresko S/T

Syre & Fresko are a husband and wife duo from Melbourne, Australia. Within the band, Syre plays the guitar and keys while also providing the male vocals and Fresko plays the keys and provides the female vocals for the duo’s songs.

The duo creates music that could easily be compared to the likes of another husband and wife musical duo, of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart who were known as Eurythmics. But unlike Lennox and Stewart who created music with a pop/rock feel to their music, Syre & Fresko’s music is centered within the Alternative Rock genre. While Syre & Fresko have released a few singles throughout the time they have been a duo, they just released their first real EP.

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