Single Review: Madyx “Girl Boy”

Madyx is the stage name that singer-songwriter Michelle Blanchard performs under. While she does have other musicians to help bring her music to life, Blanchard is the focal point of the outfit. The resulting musical ensemble (which also includes Pablo Martins on Guitar and Dakota Issacson on Drums to go along with the vocals and keyboards from Blanchard) brings together a pop-rock base with other musical influences to create a sound that would fit on any current Top 40 radio format.  Michelle Blanchard is one of many songwriters who have been influenced by the likes of songwriters such as Pink, Katy Perry and other performers who aren’t afraid to speak their minds and/or go in their own direction instead of being followers. “Girl Boy” from Madyx is a modern-day rallying song for those who fit into the LGBT+ community. The track begins with a musical approach that brings to mind music from the eighties and, more specifically, New Wave music. In fact, the track’s feel brings to mind the eighties version of the track “Tainted Love” which was made famous by British band Soft Cell. “Girl Boy” from Madyx contains a strong synthesizer feel that adds to the New Wave feel of the music. And while there is a strong New Wave feel to the track, there is also a strong Punk undertone that brings to mind songs from Pink. The combination of New Wave and Punk in the track’s music creates a musical feel with a driving beat with an energy level that seems to help emphasize the emotional feel of the lyrics to the track. While Michelle Blanchard and the rest of Madyx released their Worth the Risk album back in 2015, they have been releasing singles every-so-often since then. “Girl Boy” shows off the different mindsets of Michelle Blanchard as a singer-songwriter and is also a good indication of what the band can do.

To hear “Girl Boy” from Michelle Blanchard and the rest of Madyx click HERE. 

For more information, check out Madyx’s PR firm of Whiplash PR & Management by clicking on the logo for the company. 

 

Single Review: Matt Massey “Built”

Matt Massey is a musician who has been making his way through the music scene down in Ft. Worth, Texas. For several years, he has spent time in bands in that area. Whether it was a cover band or a band with original material, the experience helped shaped his musical abilities. That type of musical training started rather early as he got his start playing in original bands when he was only sixteen. During that time, his playing in different bands with different styles and playing different genres of music gave him a well-rounded feel to his playing. After spending time playing in bands, Matt Massey decided it was time to focus on his own music. And now, Matt Massey’s music has taken him in the direction of Alternative Rock. It is that style of music that can be found on his new album called Dear Today. And in addition to that ten-track release, Massey has just released one additional track. The stand alone song of “Built” from Matt Massey finds him exploring his inner musician as he took the solo route when creating the track. The track features guitar, bass and drums, all instruments that are played by Massey. Together, Massey combines these instruments to create an Alternative Rock track that feels as it came right out of the nineties. “Built” has a style that brings to mind a band like Seven Mary Three or Candlebox as it contains a strong, driving feel to the music. The track’s musical approach with the strong guitar base as well as strong vocal delivery also bring to mind songs that would have been right at home on Alternative Rock formats back in the nineties. The feel of the song ultimately helps to keep the sound of real Rock and Roll alive. And as “Built” is only one track from Matt Massey, the lone track acts as the perfect reason to explore the rest of the music that is available from him. While “Built” is only one track, the song is a reminder what real Rock and Roll can sound like when it is created by someone who knows how to put the right influences to work for him.

To hear the track of “Built” from Matt Massey, you will have to wait a few more days as the song is due to be release on October 19, 2018. However, check out the musician’s Soundcloud profile for the music on his Dear Today release. 

For more information, check out Matt Massey’s PR firm of Whiplash PR & Management by clicking on the logo for the company.

CD Review: The Good Morning Nags “No Damn Good”

The Good Morning Nags is a six-piece NYC based ensemble. The band dates back almost a decade as they formed back in 2010. Today’s version of the band consists of Tim Hassler (fiddle, vocals), Ben Quinn (mandolin, guitar, harmonium, and vocals), Titus Tompkins (percussion, mandolin, vocals) and Britt Reagan (guitar, dulcimer, vocals) as well as Mark Spitznagel (banjo, vocals) and Pete O’Neill (bass, vocals). This ensemble of musicians takes their various musical influences and creates a style that revolves around a Folk-Rock/Country-Rock style of music. Having put out a self-titled release not that long ago, they have returned with a new two-song release they have called No Damn Good.

 
No Damn Good from The Good Morning Nags begins with the first of two tracks called “Birmingham”. The track begins with the sound of a vehicle turning over and coming to life. The sound of starting a motor actually works as the song is about traveling as the lyrics deal with getting behind the wheel and going on a road trip. In this instance, the song is about going down to Birmingham, just as the song title suggests.  “Birmingham” from The Good Morning Nags is a track that does a fine job of blending together the Old Timey feel of Bluegrass music with a driving feel to the tempo that comes from a more Rock and Roll-type musical approach. The track would fit right in on any radio format that features modern-day Country music and/or Folk-based music. While the energy level for the music of the track would be great for today’s Pop-Rock radio, there is just a little too much of a Country flavor to the song. That being said, fans of modern-day Folk-Rock/Country-Rock musical blends will instantly fall in love with the feel of the song. And with the inclusion of the clapping near the middle of the track and the rather funky feel to the ending, “Birmingham” has a lot of different elements to combine for a song that is fun to listen to.

 
After the first of two songs comes to an end, the No Damn Good EP from The Good Morning Nags continues with the title track “No Damn Good”. While the first track on the two-song EP blends together Bluegrass with a blend of Country, Rock and Folk, the title track of the EP features a sound that is rather different in sound but is just as varied in its musical makeup. The Bluegrass base that was found on “Birmingham” is joined on “No Damn Good” by a Creole style of music. The result is a track that contains a strong accordion presence to go along with a Country-style approach. The track brings to mind the style of someone like the “Louisiana Man” himself, Doug Kershaw.   “No Damn Good” features a lyrical content that is rather self-deprecating but the strong, driving feel of the track’s pace allows the listener to enjoy the song without truly feeling sorry for the singer. The more Creole approach on this track is a nice contrast to the Folk-Rock/Country-Rock style of music found on “Birmingham”.

 
Having experienced the sound and style of The Good Morning Nags from their earlier self-titled album, it’s nice to see that the band doesn’t seem to be slowing down. The two tracks on the band’s No Damn Good EP add to the music The Good Morning Nags had already produced and let the listener know that there’s more to come from this talented musical ensemble.

 

To hear some of the music from The Good Morning Nags, check out the title track from the band’s No Damn Good EP. 

Find the band’s No Damn Good EP  on SPOTIFY.  

For more information, check out The Good Morning Nags’ PR firm of Whiplash PR & Management by clicking on the logo for the company.

 

Single Review: Oddnote “Mystified”

In only two decades, musician Arman Asadsangabi has done more than most. A few years ago, he picked up the guitar and learned how to rock. As a matter of fact, he took that ability to play the guitar and started a band and it was with that band that he has started to make some noise. Down in Nashville, Tennessee, Asadsangabi and his band called Oddnote have just made a lot of noise as they just created an album. That self-titled album stands out rather loudly as the release contains not Country music, but Rock and Roll. And after making noise with that album, Asadsangabi and Oddnote have returned with one additional song. The new single from Oddnote is entitled “Mystified”. The track features Arman Asadsangabi on guitar and vocals, as well as the rest of the band which includes Nick Huff (drums) and Matthew Millstein (bass). Together, the trio is currently creating a style that seems to take some of the influence from older Classic Rock bands like Cream and combine their sound with newer ones like the White Stripes and the Black Keys.  With that blend, “Mystified” is a quick-paced track that features a strong guitar feel to the music that comes with bass and drums that help to drive the beat of the track. The result is a track that would easily have fit into the same timeframe as the music of Cream but with a a little modern feel to the music as well. And just like many of the songs that had been created back in the mid-sixties to mid-seventies, the track comes complete with lyrics that seem to speak to the listener. With lyrics such as “I know you’re sad inside. Well so am I I’m terrified. The world is burning down…” the lyrics seem to be speaking of the current political atmosphere here in America. And while the lyrics hint in that direction, you can interpret those words any way you want. The track is only one song from a band who already released one album of Rock and Roll. But this new single suggests that the band is far from finished with their music making. In the Country-rich city of Nashville, Tennessee, Oddnote is making their presence felt and “Mystified” is strong enough that Classic Rock lovers both young and old will enjoy this track.

While the self-titled album from Oddnote is available, the band’s new single of “Mystified” has yet to be released. Stay tuned to the band’s website of www.oddnote.net to stay updated as to when the song will be available. 

For more information, check out Oddnote’s PR firm of Whiplash PR & Management by clicking on the logo for the company.

 

Single Review: Scott Smith “I Will Love You/Spinning Around”

The Bay Area is where singer/songwriter Scott Smith creates his music. Smith’s music consists of many different elements of found in different genres of music. Smith takes Country, Blues and other genres and blends them together to form his version of Americana. With this style of music, Smith has already released one album entitled Sum of Life. That album was released back in 2016. Now, Smith returns with a two-song single to follow that release. The new music from Scott Smith consists of the tracks “I Will Love You” followed by the track “Spinning Around”. Scott Smith’s song of “I Will Love You” begins the two-song release. With this song, Smith blends together some Folk and a touch of Rock and Roll to create the song. The mostly Folk-flavored song contains a driving feel to the pace of the music that is courtesy of the banjo that helps to shape the Folk part of the track. And it is the Folk flavor of the music that stands the most when listening to the song. There is also a strong beat that accompanies the banjo on the track. That beat gives the song more of a Rock and Roll feel than Bluegrass feel. The combination of the different genres of music on the song once again re-enforces the reason as to why the music of Scott Smith would it is that his music falls into the Americana genre.  Sometimes when a single is released with two tracks, it is rather easy to tell which of the two songs the single is and which of the tracks was chosen to back the single up. This is clearly the case with the new single from Scott Smith. Between the two songs of “I Will Love You” and “Spinning Around,” it is sadly obvious as to which is which as “Spinning Around” fails to live up to the magic contained within “I Will Love You”. Going from one track to the next, is seems as if the lyrics for the track of “Spinning Around” were written with less effort on Smith’s part. The magic fades from one track to the next. That being said, while the lyrical content on the track is not as strong as on “I Will Love You,” “Spinning Around” does contain a stronger musical approach as Smith focuses on more Rock and Roll flavor and less Folk influence on the track. The “I Will Love You”/“Spinning Around” single from the Bay Area’s Scott Smith finds the singer-songwriter continuing to make use of many different musical elements to form his songs. And while the two tracks may not be as collectively strong as Smith’s Sum of Life release, the track of “I Will Love You”  is a song that finds the writer continuing to create music with an overall appealing feel to it.

To check out the music of Scott Smith, click HERE for the track of “I Will Love You”. 

For more information, check out Scott Smith’s PR firm of Whiplash PR & Management by clicking on the logo for the company. 

 

 

Single Review: Welsh Avenue “Disco Moon”

During his youth, Mark DiLillo took some music lessons that helped to instill a love for Classical music. With that Classical foundation, he also developed a love for Electronica which became part of this music. Mark DiLillo’s part Classical/part Electronica music is matched up with lyrics that have a realistic feel to them as DiLillo incorporates elements from life into them. Taking those various elements and putting them to use with the help of some computer software, DiLillo has created a style that can be found on his music that he has released under the moniker of Welsh Avenue. With that name, he released the four-song EP entitled “The Great Exchange”. Now, only a little bit later, DiLillo returns under the moniker of Welsh Avenue with his newest single. The new track from Welsh Avenue is called “Disco Moon”. Right from the beginning, you notice something different about this track when compared is that “Disco Moon” contains a lot more of an Electronica influence than the EP that had been released last year. Along with the danceable beat that comes from the Electronica music making up the beginning of the track, the intro of the song comes complete with a few Space Program sound bites that add to the ambiance of the track. Eventually, DiLillo takes the track with the danceable feel and expands upon the Space theme that was set into place with the help of the sound bites. Throughout the four and-a-half minutes that make up the track, the Space-related lyrics and the Outer Space sound effects that are present within the song give the track a slightly unique flavor when comparing it to much of the music being released today. While the beat on the track isn’t one of the hardest out there, the gentle feel of the song still contains a nice, gentle feel for those times when you want to slow things down just a little. For his most recent release, Mark DiLillo under the moniker of Walsh Avenue has taken his music and given it a bit of a different feel to set it apart from, not only his last EP, but from the majority of the stuff out there right now.

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

 

 

Single Review: Almost Awake “Cloudwalker”

The Las Vegas-based band Almost Awake may be following in some rather famous footsteps as they create their Alternative Rock music, but it’s because of the influences from bands that came before them that the group’s music is so strong. The band’s members of Vick- Vocals, Guitar; Grady Jones- Lead Guitar; Gabe Conover- Drums; Addison Egelhoff- Rhythm Guitar and Tommy Cochran- Bass combine influences from bands such as Twenty One Pilots, Paramore, 30 Seconds to Mars and others to create their Alternative Rock music that has a strong Pop feel to it. Having already released one 15-song album entitled Until Tomorrow, the band is currently adding to their collection of music. Currently, the band is promoting their newest single called “Cloudwalker”. As the track begins, the listener can hear the Alternative/Pop combination that occurs in the band’s style. The track’s sound brings to several bands like Paramore, but mostly the track seems to contain a lot of influence from the group Evanescence. The track takes that combination and creates a sound that is easily radio-friendly. The lead guitar from Grady Jones starts the song off with a melody that contains a rather strong beauty to it. Soon, the rest of the band joins in and that beauty gets a boost of energy that draws from the band’s Alternative roots. The vocals from Vick contain the same type of beauty/strength as the rest of the song so that the vocals give the song as much energy as the rest of the band. The fact that the band is still rather young seems to not matter at all as their come across as being on par or better than anything from bands with much more experience under their belts. But with that youth comes the possibility that Almost Awake will have a bright future ahead of them. And speaking of bright future that future is almost ensured as the band has just been signed to Tommy Boy Records. So keep an eye out for this talented band of Almost Awake and enjoy their newest single of “Cloudwalker”.

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

Check out the video to the band’s track here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkUO3lh58gs&feature=youtu.be 

Single Review: C.K. Flach and the Rising Tide “Friends”

New York State-based singer-songwriter C.K. Flach continues to make a lot of noise, whether it’s playing drums for other people or it’s creating his own music. After releasing a solo album called Empty Mansions back about one year ago in 2017, the artist makes a return but this time, he brings along a few friends to help create the music. This time, Flach is joined by bassist Chris Brant, Danny Boudreau on violin and keys and his brother Wayne Flach on guitars. Together, the band known as C.K. and the Rising Tide are currently in the middle of creating their first album. However, the ensemble has released their first single off of the upcoming album as a way of promoting the release. The track is called “Friends”. Like the music that made up Flach’s 2017 album of Empty Mansions, “Friends” finds C.K. and the Rising Tide creating a track that falls into the Americana music genre. The track features a rather strong Country vibe to the music but also contains a strong Rock and Roll feel to go along with that Country approach. The Alt-Country feel of the track is matched up with a lyrical content with a rather strong political lean to it. The track’s lyrics deal with the fact that we humans, as a whole species, have different ways of looking at things. And while we may not agree with everything that everyone else has to say, we can, and should, find ways to survive with each other as we look for ways to live side-by-side instead of causing wars. With the current political climate of the nation being what it is, and with recent events in the country being cause for concern, the track’s message of unity through friendship is one we should all get behind. While the song “Friends” is only one track from C.K. and the Rising Tide, Flach’s 2017 solo release of Empty Mansions may be a good indicator of what is to come in the near future from the band.

To experience just a little of the new music from C.K. and the Rising Tide, check out the early release of the band’s song “Friends” by clicking on the link.   

For more information, check out the PR firm for C.K. and the Rising Tide, check out Whiplash PR. 

 

 

Single Review: Reina Mora “Trouble”

Puerto Rico native Leeane Melendez (here on out to be referred to by her stage name of Reina Mora) has spent time in the music industry as part of many bands. But after spending time in other people’s groups, the L.A.-based singer-songwriter has taken on a new role as a solo artist. Having written her own songs, Reina Mora is about to release her first solo album. While Mora is an artist that is proud of the Latin part of her background, the singer-songwriter has just created a release that is largely influenced by the same type of music that she has been singing as part of other bands. That pop/rock-based album is entitled Bird’s Eye View. Before she releases the entire album, however, she is releasing one track as a lead-off single. That song is entitled “Trouble”. The music of “Trouble” focuses on the electric guitar that help to create a very strong Rock and Roll feel to the track. The electric guitar provides a moderate pace to the music. On “Trouble,” Reina Mora’s vocals are strong and focused as she plays out the character she created for the song. To go along with the Rock and Roll music, the lyrics of the song find Reina Mora creating a scene based around an Adam and Eve-type setting where Mora is portraying an Eve-like character who knows the power she possesses over “Adam” and is taking advantage of him as she plays out the forbidden apple scene from the Bible. As the title of the track suggests, Reina Mora declares that she is nothing but bad news. But as it turns out, Adam is no fool and he has a few tricks of his own. While only one song, “Trouble” shows off at least some of the writing style contained within the album as it comes across as a vignette set to music.

The album Bird’s Eye View from Reina Mora is scheduled to be released in the near future. Until then, enjoy the album’s first single entitled “Trouble”.   

For more information, check out Reina Mora’s PR firm, Whiplash PR.

Single Review: The Real Doug Lane “Outlaws, Lovers and Home”

Several years ago, an organization called Operation: Encore, A Veteran Music Project came into being. The Operation: Encore organization exists as a place for currently enlisted, separated and ex-military personnel, as well as their spouses to find peace of mind during and after active duty.

During its time in existence, Operation: Encore has already helped many soldiers and their families. And the result of the encouragement that has come from the organization are several different musical releases that feature members of the organization itself. Members such as soldiers Steve D. Wilson, Andrew Wiscombe and Stephen Covell all have albums that they are promoting while they also represent Operation: Encore. Military spouse Rachel Harvey Hill has also released an album of music.

And now to add to that list of ever-growing releases (which also includes TWO compilation albums from the organization itself), Doug Lane, a Texas native and current resident of Provo, Utah, has self-released his first single under the moniker of The Real Doug Lane.

As part of the military, Doug Lane had been a part of the Army in the 1^st Armored Division. He had been stationed in Germany and deployed in Baghdad. Lane served two tours between 2000 and 2004. During that time, he played the saxophone in the military band; although that was not his first taste of music. And it was while he was deployed that he met his wife of fifteen years.

No longer part of the military, Doug Lane’s civilian job finds him in the Information Technology field where he works as an IT Systems Engineer. And now, ever since gaining the encouragement of Operation: Encore, Lane is now pursuing a career as a singer-songwriter. And that musical career just took a step in the right direction with the release of Lane’s first single. The new single from The Real Doug Lane is entitled “Outlaws, Lovers and Home”.

“Outlaws, Lovers and Home” from The Real Doug Lane contains a gentle Folk-Rock feel to the music. The inclusion of the mandolin on the track brings out the Folk influence to the music while also adding to the easy feel of the track. Like many of the tracks that have come out of the Operation: Encore concept, “Outlaws, Lovers and Home” from The Real Doug Lane consists of lyrics that deal with things that have happened in Lane’s real life after his time in the military. But in this case, the lyrics are very relatable as many of us can find ourselves thinking about things we miss after moving away from the place we used to call home. The track’s lyrics deal with some of the things that Lane misses since he moved out of Texas to build a life for himself and his family in Utah. The slow pace to the music as well as the gentle feel that comes from the mandolin seems to add just a little sadness to Lane’s lyrics as well as his vocals that truly bring the song to life.

While it’s only one track, “Outlaws, Lovers and Home” from The Real Doug Lane gives a good indication of the talent that lies within the singer-songwriter. And this is only the first of several songs from Lane as he is in the process of creating a new EP that will be released in early 2018.

To check out “Outlaws, Lovers and Home” from The Real Doug Lane, click HERE.

For more music from The Real Doug Lane, check out his track from the Operation: Encore album of Monuments called “Faces“.  

 

For more reading about the music from the various members of the organization called Operation Encore, check out the review for the first album, the second release of Monuments, as well as the album reviews for Rachel Harvey Hill,  Andrew Wiscombe, Steve D. Wilson and for Stephen Covell.