Browsing Tag

jazz

Ellen Mara Band sparked jazz-fusion liberation with ‘Burnout’

Posted on 29 November 2024
Ellen Mara Band

‘Burnout’ by the Ellen Mara Band transcends unravelling as a sign of the times; it liberates the listener from the exhausted frustration of feeling as though there aren’t enough hours in the day to tend to the excessive demands of modernity.

While there was once a time when burnout was considered an individual problem, consciousness of the systemic social issue is starting to become a major part of the discourse. Exemplified by this all-serotonin, no-brakes jazz fusion tour de force. The track wraps you up within the technically proficient sonic emancipation as the band’s ability to balance consolation with euphoria and affirming lyricism is proven to be superlatively second to none—if their sound is this sweet recorded, you better prepare for the sugar rush if you see them live.

Recently rebranding from a solo project to a full band in preparation for their 2025 album release, Ellen Mara still takes her place as the frontwoman, sharing heartfelt life learnings through carefully crafted melodies, intricate arrangements, and playful grooves. In collaboration with her partner and co-writer Will Sutcliffe and their talented band members, the Ellen Mara Band offers an authentic fusion of Soul, R&B, Rock, and Jazz. They’ve earned a reputation in the Sydney live music scene and have recently captured the attention of renowned U.S. soul singer Allen Stone, making their international debut at Stone’s annual festival ‘Stone Family Field Trip’ in Washington in October 2024.

If you do one thing today, tune into the soul-provoking expression of resilience and join the groove-driven Ellen Mara Band revolution.

Burnout will be available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify, from November 29th;

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jazz underpins electro-pop in NxC’s comeback track, Can’t Get You Out of My Head

Posted on 23 August 2024

From the province of Laguna, NxC, a dynamic pop duo, has re-emerged in the limelight with a comeback that dares to share a title with Kylie Minogue’s famed hit, Can’t Get You Out of My Head. It was a bold titular choice, but that’s nothing compared to the endlessly evolving innovation caged within the progressive anthem.

Nikki Culing and Cedric Patangan, who first harmonised in their high school choir and later in various local bands, entered uncharted territory with Can’t Get You Out of My Head which amalgamates the nostalgia of disco pop with the edge of synth sequences and the spontaneity of jazz, presenting a track as layered as their musical background.

After a brief hiatus after their initial single, Peach Fizz, NxC’s sound is more honed than ever. Their comeback initiates with a tease of classic house pop, swiftly morphing through a spectrum of sounds that defy simple categorisation. With Nikki’s euphorically infectious vocals and guitar alongside Cedric’s multifaceted mastery of keys and bass, the duo navigates through hyper-pop highs and rap-infused rhythms, making each transition a head-spinning hit of serotonin.

Every beat of Can’t Get You Out of My Head promises an adrenaline rush of sonic surprises – brace yourself before you hit play.

Can’t Get You Out of My Head hit the airwaves on August 10th; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: ‘Find Out’ and Fall in Love with Dilly Dally Alley’s Indietronic Jazz Infused Earworm

Posted on 19 July 2024

As lightness meets lyrical depth, Dilly Dally Alley’s latest feel-good earworm, Find Out, opens a doorway to rhapsodic bliss with a juxtaposing key of edgy off-beat style and an all-consuming sense of jazz-collective-next-door soul.

Straight out of Minneapolis, the ensemble, led by Sophia Spiegel, spun every-day awkward moments into sonic sugar for the soul; the single pulsates at the crossroads of indie-pop and jazz-inflected alchemy and unravels as the ultimate affirmation that you’ll always be free to shed your inhibitions and embrace your idiosyncrasies in front of the people who matter.

If there was any definitive formula for indietronica pop perfection, Dilly Dally Alley found it with Find Out; the kinetically weightless rhythms pull together to form a dance-worthy anthem that is equally as liberating for the mind and soul.

With Find Out, Dilly Dally Alley doesn’t just step into the limelight—they grab it, twist it, and weave it into a tapestry of infectious grooves and raw, emotive energy. The track is a testament to their journey from late-night jam sessions to becoming the heartbeat of Minneapolis’ vibrant music scene.

Dilly Dally Alley Said:

“Find Out is about the silly, clumsy moments in a relationship that grow to be the very reasons why you fall in love. It’s a song about running into your crush when you’re too drunk at a bar, or the grocery store without your makeup on or being completely tongue-tied trying to ask them out.

It’s about the love that nevertheless persists between two people because it’s meant to work out. This tune is to dance to – maybe a bit clumsily – so long as you’re doing it with someone you’re crushing on.”

–

Find Out will be available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify, from July 19; shortly followed by the next single in Dilly Dally Alley’s line of sonic succession, This Just In, on August 23.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dry awakened a new era of jazz fusion with his electrifying symphony, Refresher

Posted on 3 July 2024

Dry’s debut EP, Kickback Selections, introduces jazz fusion fans to a bold new talent with the opening single, Refresher. The instrumental score is an unforgettable showcase of the composer’s modernised touch in the jazz scene. Symphonic keys scintillate alongside expressively enthused drum fills, defying the laid-back expectations set by the EP’s title as the loungey nuances invite listeners to lose themselves in a chiptune-esque euphonic universe of electrifying energy.

Despite only beginning his journey into the music industry as a college freshman, Dry’s already attracting a loyal following among virtuoso-seeking jazz fusion fans. His unique blend of traditional jazz roots with electronically augmented elements of neo-jazz marks him as a fresh, innovative force. Refresher is an attestation to how good music speaks to the rhythmic pulses while superlative melodies evoke an emotional response. Dry is firmly in the latter camp; transplanted by the exhilaration delivered by his honed, eccentrically adventurous,  production style.

Fans of Lo-Fi Riders will not want to miss this sonic escapade. Dry’s talents in masterfully melding funk, jazz, and contemporary styles into an authentically modern symphony are sharp enough to enable the independent artist to tear through the mundanity and monotony within the modern industry.

Kickback Selections was officially released on June 29; stream the EP on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jazz Meets Dreamy RnB in No False Ego’s Irridescent Debut, We are the Soul

Posted on 26 June 2024

No False Ego came to iridescent light with their sublime-on-the-senses debut single, We are the Soul. The devilishly clever arcane reprise of “here we are” is the epitome of a statement of intent from the LA-based unreckonable outfit who, true to their name, riff, harmonise, and groove straight from the heart.

The track is an intoxicating blend of free-form jazz expressionism and dreamy RnB vocals, creating a sublime contrast that is as unpredictable as it is cathartically consuming. The time signatures pulse with an unpredictable fervour, giving the track a lively, spontaneous feel while the hazy-with-soul RnB vocals and loungey keys act as a pure, diaphonic anchor, grounding the listener in the midst of intuitively impromptu drum fills, warm yet wild sax lines, and chameleonic guitars which switch from chopping funk through the progressions to injecting nuances of indie blues rock.

No False Ego’s ability to weave together these diverse elements with superlative ease showcases their impressive musicianship and commitment to authenticity. Each component contributes to a cohesively rich soundscape which triumphs on a technical level while connecting with the listener emotionally.

Now they’ve made their introduction on the airwaves, it is time for No False Ego to hold soulful dominion over them; we can’t wait to watch their ascent.

We are the Soul is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

NYC’s MG & the Orbs delivered a remedy for self-pity with their timelessly swanky jazz blues alchemy in HELP is What You’re Needin’

Posted on 31 May 2024

With Maria Giorgio at the helm, MG & the Orbs is a peerless ensemble, revered throughout the Big Apple and beyond for their soul-imbued brand of jazz blues. Their latest single, HELP is What You’re Needin’ is enough to make you want to turn back time to add them to your radar earlier.

The resolute rejection of an invitation to a pity party is the ultimate remedy for anyone who finds themselves perpetually employed to do other people’s emotional labour. The soulful defiance in the blues shuffle which Giorgio penned after a writer on a movie set she was working on started to sing his own relationship blues. After instantly finding the inspiration in the exchange, Giorgio enlisted her cultivated collective to breathe life into the upliftingly unreckonable single that proves just how dangerous it can be to bring out the hellcat in a conduit of soul.

MG & the Orbs don’t just believe in music as a healing force, they deliver the cure in their timelessly swanky jazz blues alchemy.

HELP is What You’re Needin’ was officially released on May 24; stream the single on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

NYC’s Summer Fling put the soul in funk-rock with ‘Blissful Haze’

Posted on 25 May 2024

NYC’s Summer Fling broke their two-year spell of silence by conjuring an elemental force of feel-good furore in their single, Blissful Haze, which delivers exactly what it says on the titular tin.

Using high-energy funk-rock as the stylistic bedrock of the release and finding room to inject soul, blues, pop, and jazz, the seven-piece powerhouse ensured Blissful Haze transcends sound to visualise a state of mind you can enter simply by hitting play on the single which filters nostalgia through a modern indie pop lens.

Few vocalists could match the electrifying energy of the dynamic instrumental arrangement that layers shimmering organs over funk rhythms and hard-hitting horns, but Eddie Kam, an indomitable emissary of charisma, went supernova on the infectiously zealous soul.

With each member of Summer Fling a recently graduated jazz musician, you can rest assured that you’re in rhythmically safe hands as you get taken through the helter-skelter ride of rapture.

Blissful Haze was officially released on May 10th; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Michel Héroux Orchestrated Synesthetic Euphoria in the Serenity of His Jazz Fusion Installation, Folk Song

Posted on 24 May 2024
Michel Heroux

Montreal-based guitarist, composer, arranger, and educator, Michel Héroux allowed his latest instrumental piece, Folk Song, to become a paragon of his fusionist prestige. His ability to translate technical skill, while balancing jazz, blues, rock, pop, rock, classical and experimental elements, into profoundly evocative sensory experiences which transcend auditory bliss is superlative – to say the least.

With each progression an explosion of vibrant, almost tropical, soul, you can’t help but be enveloped by the synesthesia-bestowed hues which blossom around the complex layers of the creatively uninhibited melodies which serenade you away from the mundanity of material reality and implant you in a sonic scene of utopia. If you need to be reminded of the capacity for fret-carved beauty, hit play.

Folk Song will be available to stream on all major platforms from May 24th. Discover Michel Héroux via his official website and Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

NYC’s Jazz-Punk Raconteurs of Rancour, Goldbloom, Stridently Blossomed in Their Fusionist Revolution, Redneck

Posted on 21 May 2024
For Money and Power by Goldbloom

The protestive pulse of punk and the rhythmic rebellion of jazz went hand in hand in ‘Redneck’, which is just one of the seminal singles from the Texan-born, NYC-based jazz trio Goldbloom’s sophomore LP, For Money and Power.

Channelling the jazz-punk flair of icons in the same vein as Acoustic Ladyland, with this sax-led riotously smoky tour de force, the outfit which originally connected at NYC’s New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, pushed visceral momentum into an aural arena hallmarked by sophisticated syncopation and inaccessible pretension.

The synergy trio’s triadic power is on full display in Redneck, as is the dualism between the technical skill and the intensity of a garage rock band riffing out a sonic resistance that you will want to join them at the vanguard for.

Redneck is now available to stream and purchase on Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

David Seymour constructed a euphonic paradise in his jazz-folk piece, What a Life

Posted on 20 May 2024

Easy listening doesn’t come much easier than, What a Life, a standout piece on David Seymour’s jazz-folk fusion EP, Shelter. The elegant-with-soul slice of euphonic paradise doesn’t allow sophistication to get in the way of the accessibility of the release which prises minds open to the possibility of utopias lying wherever your rose-tinted perception looks for them.

The Latin guitar flourishes which beckons the outro adds another layer of auditory serenity to the organically free-flowing release after the female vocalist spills her equable graceful beguile over the score written and composed by David Seymour who has been integral to the London music scene for the past three decades. Following his position as a world music agent at Jenako Arts, he studied with the one and only Amancio D’Silva before studying at the music department at New City College with Chris Wilson.

By filtering jazz through a lens of folk and ensuring soul spills from every note of the instrumentation, David Seymour established himself as an essential artist for anyone who seeks the spiritual sanctity of folk and the expressive fluency of easy-listening jazz. With more music in the pipeline, Seymour is undoubtedly one to watch throughout 2024.

Stream What a Life with the rest of David Seymour’s seminal EP on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast