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Artists Worth Checking Out Get it or Forget it Reviews

Get it or forget it – Burgess Meredith, Wolf & Moon, Hundreds, Rick Shelley

We are winding down our coverage of indie albums released within the first 11 months of 2017.  We have four reviews for you today and the final four will be released tomorrow.  All reviewed albums are being considered for an LA Music Critic Award.  Here we go.

Artist NameBurgess Meredith

Album NameA Dimension of Sound

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Retro Pop/Rock

Track Listing:  1.  When we Were Born; 2.  Wendy; 3.  Olivia; 4.  In and out of True; 5.  Outside; 6.  Welcome Home; 7.  The Leaver; 8.  Summers End; 9.  The man from Abilene; 10.  Just One, Cool Daddy; 11.  After You

Publicist:  Behind the Curtains Media

Review:  Burgess Meredith, named after one of American’s greatest supporting actors, is an Austin-based band that plays retro-style pop and rock music.  They are heavily influenced by such 70’s icons as Harry Nilsson, The Flaming Lips, Ricky Nelson and The Beatles.  Listening to them for a baby boomer is like stepping back into our childhood, evoking beautiful memories of a much simpler time.  Besides the familiarity the retro-style adds to their music, it is very much their own and they have infused that style with their own wit, amazing musicianship and incredible vocals.  Their music should be added to the musical catalogs of every music supervisor looking for retro material.  Our favorite tracks include “In and out of True,” “Outside,” “Welcome Home,” “The Leaver,” and “Just One, Cool Daddy.”

Recommendation:  If you love the retro sound, and great music in general, you simply MUST Get this one.

Artist NameWolf & Moon

Album NameFrames

Label:    Embassy of Music

Genre:  Dream Folk

Track Listing:  1.  Like a Shotgun; 2.  War; 3.  Wake Up; 4.  Home to Me; 5.  Stones

Publicist:  Guerilla Music Promotion

Review:  The quality of music coming from Scandinavia these days is unbelievable, and Wolf & Moon are no exception.  The harmonies are glorious, the accompaniment heavenly and the vocals contributed by Stefany and Dennis are some of the best we have heard all year.  This five-song EP barely whets our appetite for their full length album which will be released later this year.  Every song is a treasure, and would make a worthy addition to American radio.  You can not go wrong with this EP, which is by far one of the best released anywhere in the world in 2017.

Recommendation:  Don’t think twice –  Get onboard this train before it pulls out of the station.  Get this EP ASAP!

photo by Andreas Hornoff Fotografie

Artist NameHundreds

Album NameWilderness (Akustik Edition)

Label:  Embassy of Music

Genre:  Dream Pop

Track Listing:  1.  Unify; 2.  Spotless; 3.  Flume;  Black Sea; 5.  Lily

Publicist:  Guerilla Music Promotion

Review:  Hundreds has become one of the most successful indie bands from Germany, all without the advantage of radio or publicity.  This new EP features four original acoustic versions of their songs as well as an acoustic cover of Bon Iver’s hit, “Flume.”  This band has so much potential to crash into the American music scene, and we can hardly wait to see what comes next.  The haunting vocals, and ethereal quality remind us of the music of Enya, and are relaxing and nourishing to our artistic souls.  This music is perfect for evening chill time.

Recommendation:  A great EP which should be in the library of all music lovers.  Definitely Get this one.

Artist NameRick Shelley

Album Name Hope Wrapped in Razor Wire

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Americana

Track Listing:  1.  Sing Waiting on a Friend; 2.  All she Really Wants; 3.  Dead Horse Hollow; 4.  Easy Lies; 5.  Home to the Bed I Made; 6.  Hope Wrapped in Razor Wire; 7.  Highway 99 (Bakersfield); 8.  Kisses Bitter; 9.  Long way Around; 10.  Right Back in my Arms; 11.  Sweet Poetry; 12.  Heart I Never Had

Publicist:  Self-promoted

Review:  We had the pleasure of seeing Rick Shelley perform at the Songwriters at Play showcase back in October in Paso Robles.  We were so impressed we simply had to review his CD, and we were not disappointed.  Shelley has a strong masculine voice that is perfectly suited to Americana music.  His instrumentation is first rate, with everything you’d expect from an Americana band, including guitar, dobro, lap steel, fiddle, upright bass and pedal steel.  His voice is like a cross between Chris LeDoux, Clint Black and Vince Gill.  His songs will definitely get your feet to moving around the dance floor, while his lyrics give your mind something to chew on.  Country and alt-country/Americana radio needs to stand up and take notice of this amazing musician.  Special kudos to Chris Unck, who not only provided guitar, bass, lap steel, drums, percussion and vocals, but also produced, recorded, mixed and mastered the album.  While almost every track is well done, several truly stand out, like the Steve Earle vibe on “Dead Horse Hollow,” the Eagles-like vibe on “Easy Lies,” the amazing fiddle on “Home to the Bed I Made,” the lonesome and soulful sound of the title track, the Dwight Yoakum feel of “Highway 99 (Bakersfield),” the Goyte-influence on “Kisses Bitter,”  and the Vince Gill take on “Right Back in my Arms.”

Recommendation:  This one is first rate and deserves your consideration and addition to your musical library.  Get this one now!