Browsing Tag

70s

Tim Briggs – The Long Fall from Grace: A Folk-Rock Sanctuary for the Soul

Posted on 12 November 2024

After decades of carving out soul-stirring melodies across various genres and scenes, Tim Briggs converged all his experience into his latest triumph, The Long Fall from Grace LP.

The title single exhibits the raconteur’s evolution from an eager singer-songwriter in 70s Ohio to a revered figure on the folk rock and southern rock circuits. After years of touring the states and rubbing shoulders with the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Marshall Tucker Band, a southern rock grit was naturally embedded into his folk-rooted melodies as Briggs sharpened the emotive potency of his vocal harmonies and guitar licks.

The single ‘The Long Fall From Grace’ encapsulates Tim’s adeptness in suckering your soul into submission.  With every steady, sticky-sweet clash of the strings, you’re increasingly convinced your emotions are safe in the deft hands of the artist whose consolingly pure vocal lines enable him to become a confidant, someone to trust with your most visceral emotions.

While nostalgia may run deep in its veins, ‘The Long Fall From Grace’ stands leagues away from being a mere artifice of antiquity. With the natural breeze of 70s folk, the intimacy of college radio rock and the commercial appeal of Nada Surf, It is a modern classic, a testament to Tim Briggs’ enduring impact and artistic integrity.

Tim Briggs’ The Long Fall from Grace LP reached all major streaming platforms on October 27; stream it in full via Apple Music and Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lovers in Sepia: The Hearse Paid Homage to Bygone Eras with ‘AS HOPELESS ROMANTICS DO’

Posted on 30 August 2024

After forming in June 2024, The Hearse is gearing up to gain reverence as one of Manchester’s hottest breakthrough new wave indie rock acts. Filtered through a dreamy, sepia-tinged lens of nostalgia, their sophomore release, featuring the single, AS HOPELESS ROMANTICS DO, melodically strips away the decades which stand between the present epoch and the soul of the 60s and 70s.

With guitar chords which sweep through echoes of Joni Mitchell, vocals which capture the quintessence of dreamy diehard romanticism, authentically orchestrated crescendos of euphonic bliss, and hints of western indie folk breezing through the progressions, AS HOPELESS ROMANTICS DO is a route to the past never taken before.

If their sound is this sweet on record, the live experience will be enough to give you an aural sugar rush.

AS HOPELESS ROMANTICS DO will be officially released on August 30th with the B-side single, I’D LOVE TO BE YOUR GIRL. Stream the single on SoundCloud and connect with the Hearse on TikTok and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Todd Hearon echoed arcane serenity through his folk-pop-meets-alt-country-reverie, Looking Glass

Posted on 15 June 2024

The warmth of 70s folk-pop radiates through the arcane aura of Todd Hearon’s latest alt-country serenade, Looking Glass, taken from his eagerly-anticipated forthcoming album, IMPOSSIBLE MAN. The rendered with holistic resolve release almost seems out of place in the modern era of music; rarely do new singles so organically pure in their sense-awakening and placating catharsis surface, making Hearon a diamond in the digitised rough.

Very few artists can match the rugged-with-emotion soul-exhilarating appeal of Cat Stevens, but the way the melodies in Looking Glass ascend until they touch nirvana gave the Texas-born, North Carolina-raised and New Hampshire-based singer-songwriter almost exclusive access to that affectingly sincere pantheon.

The lush-with-reverie production, with trippy psychedelic aesthetics in all the right places, pairs shimmering organs with evocative piano pop rock progressions, vintage-hued guitar chords and a vocal register so euphonic you can’t help but melt into it.

With the imminence of his third LP, IMPOSSIBLE MAN, due for release in August, you won’t want to tear your attention away from Todd Hearon for too long. Get a taste of what is to come by streaming Looking Glass on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sebas De Varona Opened a Portal to the Psychedelic Soul of the 70s with ‘Preachers’

Posted on 30 May 2024

The gospel in Sebas De Varona’s latest single, Preachers, opens a portal to the psychedelic soul of the 70s; it’s a doorway into the mind of a visionary artist you’ll never want to close. As an architect of melodies you instantly melt into and a lyricist that captures your mind as much as your soul, there are few artists of this generation as affecting as Sebas De Varona,

Thankfully, with the impending release of his new EP, Dynamics in the Fourth Dimension, you’ll have plenty more opportunities to trip with Varona’s dynamically electric vocal timbre that rests easy in the rooted-in-emotion synthesis of genres which illustrates the singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and producer’s expansive bedrock of influences. Primed to soak fans of Tame Impala and Pink Floyd alike in celestial euphony, the EP will easily be one of the most cultivated releases of the year.

After hearing the Hendrix-esque fret wizardry which blazes through a divine connection to the soul of blues in Preachers you’ll want to flock to the Floridian artist’s live performances like a moth to an arcane flame.

Preachers was officially released on May 15; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Be a (Bar)Fly on the Wall with Jude & The Strangers’ Standout Single Beggar’s Tavern

Posted on 10 April 2024
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Some tracks ensnare you with hooks, others dig to the depths of your soul; Beggar’s Tavern by Jude & The Strangers dug into the trenches of the latter camp.

Imagine sinking beers with Bukowski, drinking in the sanctifying feeling of listening to Journey, experiencing the panoramically artistic gravitas of Father John Misty, and getting your blues rock licks as a courtesy of the Black Keys simultaneously, then you’ll get an idea of what this era-spanning Tour De Force delivers.

With all the infectious charisma of Jim Jones himself, singer-songwriter Aiden Jude doesn’t just command attention, he drenches his work in kinetic emotion. With a sonic iteration of a borstal breakout to conclude the single, it’s safe to say we’re beyond desperate to hear the rest of the Beggar’s Tavern LP which will arrive in May 2023. The New Jersey music scene won’t know what has hit it after the launch.

Beggar’s Tavern is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Western Skies delivered lyrical virtues to live by in their kaleidoscope of 60s and 70s rock nostalgia, Always Another Song.

Posted on 24 February 2024

Western Skies’ latest single, Always Another Song masterfully revives the golden era of rock, blending 60s and 70s energy with a modern flair while proving no sonic cocktail is more potent than arcanely uplifting vocal harmonies and raw rock riffs. The Journey-esque chord progressions instantly pull you into the soul of the release before Western Skies show their genre-fluid stripes through their fusion of classic rock, funk and cosmically orchestral instrumentation.

Lyrically, ‘Always Another Song’ offers a refreshing optimism, countering today’s often pessimistic narratives. Phrases like “it doesn’t always have to be as hard as we make it out to be” and “it doesn’t always have to be absolutely everything or nothing” resonate with balance and positivity.

Make the lyrics your mantra while making the band’s debut LP, Awake In Dream, a playlist staple, and you’ll bolster your resilience in an era that is infinitely harder on the psyche than in the 60s and 70s where Western Skies find their folk and rock roots.

It’s an essential listen for classic rock enthusiasts and those seeking music with soul and depth alike. Join them for the ride; you won’t regret it.

Always Another Song is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Meet the mess of mortality in Chris Cummings and the Way’s tenaciously tongue-in-cheek Americana rock instant classic,  I’m Still Alive

Posted on 19 January 2024

In an era when coming to grips with the meaning of life complicates your relationship with your mortality, Chris Cummings and the Way’s latest Americana-entwined 70s rock-tinged single, I’m Still Alive, has all the lyrical makings of a sanity-saving playlist staple.

Chris Cummings, an Easton native renowned for his collaborations with jazz legends and New York artists, embarked on a tenaciously tongue-in-cheek journey with his latest feat of roots-wrapped ingenuity. The prelude to his eponymous album resonates with the nostalgic glamour reminiscent of Father John Misty and Butch Walker while pontificating on the profound. The brash electric guitar chords, coupled with the shimmer of the organ and the subtle honkytonk nuances in the keys and guitar leads, create a soundscape that is both timeless and deeply evocative.

Even though the single touches on the notion that reasons for living and believing often lie beyond ourselves, Chris Cummings and the Way ensure the track never veers too far into the melancholic. It’s a gripping exposition of what it means to be human when we have no fucking idea what the meaning of life is. This existential contemplation is woven seamlessly into the fabric of the song, making it both a personal reflection and a universal query.

The upcoming album, accompanied by a documentary film, promises to be a convergence of Cummings’ Americana and rock n roll roots, offering relatable tunes for our twisted times. Featuring talents like Roger Girke and Shane Nicholas, it’s poised to be a significant addition to the Americana folk rock landscape.

I’m Still Alive is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Take a soulfully psychedelic trip back to the 70s with DENIM DAN’s latest single, Guess I’ll Be Alright

Posted on 26 November 2023

“Guess I’ll Be Alright” from Denim Dan is a portal back to the smooth and rich tones of 70s rock and the vibrant psychedelic colours of 60s pop. While it marks a daring step in the band’s sound, it maintains the comforting and straightforward vocal style fans have come to adore from the outfit, which banded together in Boulder, Colorado, in 1996.

There’s an unmistakable soulfulness within the smoky layers of the music, with nods to Northern Soul and a subtle jazz influence that Denim Dan integrates seamlessly; the resulting sound is both nostalgic and fresh, an ambitious blend that pays homage to the past while forging its own path.

Following the international recognition with their sixth album, their seventh, Santa Maria’s Dome, from which Guess I’ll Be Alright is prised, resounds as a cultivated new beginning. A track which focuses on two friends trying to get the other over addiction could all too easily become a sombre sonic feat, but via the depth of the storytelling, the texturally upbeat musical backdrop and the signature vocals, which always portray melancholy as an option you need not take, Guess I’ll Be Alright is a realm of captivatingly uplifting intrigue.

Stream DENIM DAN’s latest album, Santa Maria’s Dome on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Susan Ritchie lit a beacon of tranquillity and wisdom in ‘It’s High Time’

Posted on 22 November 2023

Susan Ritchie, whose name has become synonymous with authentic artistry on the Central CA Coast, lit a beacon of tranquillity and wisdom in the standout single, It’s High Time, taken from her debut album, Life is for the Living. So much more than solely a musical score, it’s a journey into the heart of what it means to find peace and meaning amidst the chaos of modernity.

Ritchie gave the adage ‘live and let live’ brand-new potency within It’s High Time by speaking chapter and verse on how it takes nothing to accept trans men and women who are just looking to align their minds with their appearance. Her ability to weave everyday experiences into her songwriting, while giving a nod to the universal experiences we all share, is on full display here. The song is a reminder to pause, reflect, and embrace the moment, a message that resonates now more than ever when it is too easy to be consumed by the insanity which breeds on every corner of the internet.

The influence of her early inspirations, from James Taylor’s finger-picking to the sweet yet sassy blues of Bonnie Raitt, is evident in the song’s composition. Yet, It’s High Time is unmistakably a Susan Ritchie creation. It’s a song that showcases her evolution as an artist, blending soul, blues, rock, and folk into a seamless and captivating experience.

Regardless of how many people find comfort in Susan Ritchie’s soulfully sonorous sound, she speaks directly to you through the intimacy of her lyrics and the magnetically powerful delivery of her gilded-in-introspective-gold lines.

Stream It’s High Time on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Tom Rogers resurrected psych blues in his single, Rise Again

Posted on 16 August 2023

From the first nostalgic note in the debut single, Rise Again, from Tom Rogers, you will bask and revel in the Beatles and the Doors reminiscences and find something brand-new in Rogers’ reggae, blues, folk and psych amalgam.

While the groove-pocketed rhythms take a firm grip of your rhythmic pulses, the kaleidoscopic tones abstract you from the 21st century as the visceral with bluesy soul vocals light a fire under the vintage production.

With Pawala Ariyathilaka on lead guitar, Will Fraser on Drums, Dan Wakeling on bass, and Steve Burholt on keys, Tom Rogers and his backing band delivered a superlative slice of psychedelic blues rock reverence that will allow you to slip back in time and across the Atlantic. They didn’t reinvent the wheel with Rise Again, which carries a flood of second-coming redemption, but the way they gave you a ticket back to the 70s era of blues rock via a route never taken is something to celebrate. If you’ve got the Black Keys and The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club on your radar, you have room for Tom Rogers on your playlists.

Rise Again was officially released on August 4th; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast