Browsing Tag

Blues Rock

Harry Baker Opens Up Conversation with his Jazzy Soul Pop Track ‘Talk to Me’

Posted on 2 December 2020

To affirm the belief that there is always a silver lining in any given situation, breaking Alternative artist Harry Baker has released their lockdown-inspired and lockdown-created single ‘Talk to Me’ which celebrates the sense of community which has transpired from physical isolation.

While many people within the industry have been hit hard by the pandemic or have simply resigned to apathy, other artists are using music for its true purpose; to communicate wisdom and offer connection.

With their infectiously soulful approach to the soundscape which mixes elements of Blues, Pop and RnB with lashings of nuancedly accessible Jazz, it isn’t only the sentiment of the single which will leave your soul sated.

To extend the distinction of their sound, Harry Baker tends to lend from a non-linear timeline when it comes to their influences. You’ll find 90s grooves alongside even more nostalgic elements of Blues and Jazz. Yet, nothing about Talk to Me feels archaic.

With the subject matter address in this compassionately essential single, each and every component feels raw and urgent. From the dreamy hazy shimmering guitar tones to the robustly blaring yet succinctly melded sax solos, each component amps up the level of emotion while simultaneously offering resolving catharsis as you lose yourself in the lyric-less verses which have been left bare to emphasise the state of loneliness we’re all feeling now.

Everything in the production neatly and synergistically falls into place thanks to production help from Alex Linder (Flood for the Famine) and mastering from Pete Maher (The Rolling Stones, The 1975 and U2).

Talk to Me is far from the UK and Spain-based artist’s first achievement. With three albums under their belt, plenty of attention from BBC introducing and having played with the likes of Jamiroquai and Yolanda Charles, they’ve certainly made their mark on the industry, but it is easy to feel like the best is yet to come.

Talk to Me is available to stream via Spotify. Or, you can check out the community-created official music video which released on November 29th via YouTube.

To keep up to date with the artist’s future releases you can follow them via Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Feeling lonely in this distant world: Ireland’s Dubh Lee evolves her sound on ‘Carousel’

Posted on 20 November 2020

Set for audio release on the 20th November 2020 and with the music video dropping in December, this has an honest Bluesy-Rock feel that means you are hooked tight, with the intimate feel presented. The start is full of rhythmical melodies that you feel are so pure and fresh, just the way you like it. Soon we are thrown into a story of loneliness that is so way too normal this year, with the exquisite voice of Irish singer Dubh Lee’s new song called ‘Carousel‘.

Her voice grabs you and feel her pain, the year has been a whirlwind of emotions that has tested the patience of even the most chilled person in the world. The story of being by yourself, trying to be smart and keeping safe, soon you just can’t take it anymore, and you desire that human touch again from friends and your future lover.

With a Blues-Rock Garage style that has so much appeal, the bass-lines are so hot you might need to have a cold shower to cool off. You can’t help but feel the sadness attached, the frustration paramount, in this wild year of 2020. Her voice echoes through your soul, this is a musician that has evolved from Indie-Folk, to a more edgy and gritty sound.

‘Carousel‘ has that extra bit of quality attached and that fat bass is a blessing to our lonely hearts, the cries are heard loud and clear as Dubh Lee is so honest as so many of us can relate to her current predicament.

Life has been turned upside down so we need to find good habits to hold onto, and keep them close when the world resembles some sense of normality in 2021.

Hear this tremendous talent on her Soundcloud and follow her Facebook for more releases.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

The Kleyla Family Band – Cursed: Spellbindingly Soul-Laden 70s-Inspired Pop Rock

Posted on 5 November 2020

The Kleyla Family Band – three siblings, one in-law, and ‘one friend’ – hail from Providence, Rhode Island; “Cursed” is a beautiful mix of classic rock, seventies country-influenced pop, and bluesy distorted guitar hooks, all underpinning the stunning, statuesque vocals of classically trained soprano Katie Klayla.

Scorching blues-rock guitar parts, searing vocal harmonies, and a rhythm section fully in the pocket, “Cursed” is equal parts Fleetwood Mac, Santana, Carole King, and Alison Krauss, at once modern and classic, soulful, heartfelt, and rocking.

Hear “Cursed” on Spotify; check out the Kleyla Family Band here.

Review by Alex Holmes

Breaking artist DiLisio blooms in their latest Alt Rock Hit “Flower Bed”

Posted on 25 October 2020

Pittsburgh-based artist DiLisio (Mark Jeffries) may be renowned for his ability to cook up rock n roll earworms, but that barely alludes to what is on offer in their standout single “Flower Bed”.

Yes, you’ll want to listen to it again. Yes, it has all the infectious appeal which will leave you itching to hit repeat, but there’s so much more to the mind-melting feat of Alt-Indie Rock. The guitar tones in Flower Bed will tear right through you. DiLisio’s approach to Garage Rock which incorporates nuances of Blues, Pop and RnB is one of the most cutting sounds we’ve had the pleasure of being lacerated by in 2020.

While you try to keep up with the sonically seismic changes in momentum, you’ll become aware of just how intrinsically arrested you are by the artist’s rhythmic prowess. Then there’s the vocals, the unpredictable volatility of them and the sheer level of emotion which will crawl under your ribs as you listen to the candidly introspective lyrics. I have an overwhelming amount of awe for any artist willing to bleed their soul into a soundscape. Naturally, I’m awe-struck with DiLisio.

There are some aural nods to The Black Keys and Jack White, but the visceral full-throttle nature of the track affirms that assimilation had very little to do with the orchestration of this unforgettably eruptive release.

You can check out DiLisio’s track Flower Bed via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Fiddle Revolt serve a cinematic smorgasbord of Blues, Indie, Reggae and Funk in “Disconnected”

Posted on 25 October 2020

Hit play on the latest single ‘Disconnected’ from The Fiddle Revolt and slip into a cinematic smorgasbord of Indie, Blues, Reggae, Funk and Soul.

The drawn-out notes in the prelude which slip into offbeat rhythms in the preceding verses are all too efficacious at drawing you into the intensely direct soundscape which is lyrically-led to start. But once the semi-orchestral instrumental arrangement starts to amass momentum, you may find yourself divided between the confrontationally resolving lyrics and the alchemy which is breathing between the melodies.

With such a distinctive sound, Disconnected isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea. Yet, anyone who appreciates less than archetypal time signatures and progressively rewarding tracks will definitely want to drink in the ingenuity.

You can check out Disconnected for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Be Colony – Free at Last: Mellifluously Ascension-Aiding Rock

Posted on 25 September 2020

There are few things sweeter than freedom, one of them is the seminal single by up and coming Alt Folk Rock trailblazers The Be Colony.

Free at Last has a mellifluously ascension-aiding feel which is perfectly paired with the enlightened lyricism which will allow you to melt into your own introspection. The shimmering choral tones give Free at Last a celestial and psychedelic vibe as the Old School Alt Folk Blues instrumentals chime and groove through the progressions. As the track evolves, the band’s virtuosic skill starts to shine even brighter as the intricate solos leave you transfixed in pure soulful alchemy.

You can check out The Be Colony’s standout track Free at Last by heading over to YouTube

Review by Amelia Vandergast

ali3ns – In between: Enigmatic Alt Rock Aural Alchemy

Posted on 4 September 2020

Up and coming Alt Rock trailblazers ali3ns packed some serious charisma into their debut EP “Second Coming”. The perfect introduction to their enigmatic aural alchemy has to be the funky, bluesy track “In between”.

In between explores the full tonal palette with ease, sweeping across Old School blues licks before venturing over to cold Post Punk tones with plenty of funky melodious ingenuity for good measure. One thing which remains as a constant is the up-vibe intoxicatingly magnetic vocals which pour good vibes all over the experimental feat of Alt Rock.

It’s the kind of track you’d need a significant brain injury to forget. I feel like this exactly what Robert Smith would sound like if he took some happy pills and found an affinity for Funk.

You can check out In Between ali3ns by heading over to Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Cultural Vultures offer Alt Rock fans smooth bluesy redemption with a view of their ingenuity in action

Posted on 29 August 2020

Any true audiophile of the Alternative inclination will be as enraptured as we were by the invitation to watch Cultural Vultures live in the studio.

The voyeuristic view into their ingenuity starts with striking classical strings before the smooth bluesy, funk-deep Louisiana swamp sound takes hold of the seriously nuanced soundscape in the first track. If you thought Jim Jones was charismatic, just wait until you get to hear the redemption which the ‘live from the studio’ video has to offer.

Offering discernible talent is one thing, but Cultural Vultures offer so much more than a showcase of talent. Their magnetically captivating sound is an absolute pleasure to get lost in. I think I nearly forgot the real world existed.

You can watch the aural alchemy being weaved for yourselves via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Prepare to be Arrested by FOLSOM’s Vicious Masterpiece of Heavy Blues Rock “BONZAI”

Posted on 25 August 2020

French Heavy Blues Rock band FOLSOM almost left us speechless with their latest single BONZAI.
It took a while for our rhythmic pulses to recover from the arrestive state they were in for the entire duration of the progressively dynamic track.

With vocals switching from blisteringly raw Hetfield-style screams to Bluesy Rock n Roll magnetism, Peter Cattet’s vocals match the influx evolutions which the instrumentals seamlessly make. At this point, I thought I’d heard it all with guitar solos. My jaw literally dropping at the crystal clear tones as BONZAI drew to a close proved otherwise.

BONZAI is pretty much the definition of aural sex appeal. If you’re not dead from the waist down, you’ll be inclined to agree.

You can check out the official video to FOLSOM’s latest single BONZAI for yourselves via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Orange Animal – Here I See: Soulfully Compelling Semi-Orchestral Alt Rock

Posted on 26 July 2020

Here I See is the latest single to be released from US Alt-Rock artist Orange Animal. Their visceral combination of Blues, Rock and Folk in Here I See offers the kind of sound which the word ‘phenomenal’ should be reserved for.

The energy and the atmosphere allow you to almost forget that you’re listening to what started out as a melody and some lyrics. Their ingenuity brings rare intensity to the aural experience which won’t fail to leave you arrested. You lock into the resonance which spills from the all too compelling, low, gravelly vocals and the angular precision of the guitar notes as they lead the way through the semi-orchestral single.

It’s as stylistic and as contemporary as what you’d expect to hear from the likes of the National, but the roots of each of the genres which were weaved into the evocative mix are still audible. In short, I can’t see any Rock-inclined music fan being unimpressed with Here I See.

If you’re aurally sensitive, be prepared to feel a little bruised by this soulfully compelling melodic masterpiece.

You can check out Orange Animal’s single for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast