It’s a special weekend for us, with the birthdays of my granddaughters Kira Belle (12) and Konstance (13) and my daughter Grace (35), as well as Grace’s wedding anniversary. Looking forward to seeing them when we visit Los Angeles in a few days. Until then, we will continue to work our way through the indie releases, and have four more reviews for you today.
Artist Name: foreverandever<3
Album Name: Late Walk/Spacewalk
Label: Self-released
Genre: Electronica, dance
Track Listing: 1. drnk b t be@ch; 2. feel smthn (with Sameblod); 3. you/blind; 4. so guud (with Summer Heart); 5. gn (with Ingrid Witt)
Publicist: Mystic Sons
Review: Stockholm based producer and songwriter foreverandever<3 continues the Swedish tradition of delivering electronica/dance music that is unique in its sound while still being attractive to those who just want to groove. This five song EP ushers in a new level of thoughtful electronica, what the artist calls a “sweet synth-world.” All five tracks use multi-layered instrumentation, coupled with intriguing and thought-provoking lyrics to create an interesting sound that lingers long after the track ends. We really love both of the tracks that have been released as singles, “So Guud” and “Feel Smthn.” We could definitely dance to these grooves.
Recommendation: This one is a definite Get for lovers of electronica. If you like your music straight up, then you might want to pass.
Artist Name: Megafauna
Album Name: Welcome Home
Label: Danimal Kingdom
Genre: Metal, hard rock
Track Listing: 1. Desire; 2. Doubt; 3. Panpsychist; 4. It’s so Simple; 5. Interlude; 6. Gaia; 7. Hogs Out; 8. Keep Learning the Same Thing; 9. Don’t Ask Questions; 10. Welcome Home
Publicist: Neon Tetra
Review: Megafauna bills their music as “the thinking woman’s hard rock,” and we would tend to agree. The music is so much more than just hot guitar licks and discordant notes as Dani Neff’s voice rises above it all to deliver well-thought-out lyrical content. In addition, some of the tracks are just straight ahead indie rock, offering a broader appeal than your typical metal band and more akin to the style of Evanescence. We especially like the tracks “Doubt,” “Panpsychist,” the instrumental track “Interlude,” “Hogs Out” (with its Metallica feel, and “Keep Learning the Same Thing.”
Recommendation: For all you metalheads, this band should definitely be on your playlist. For the rest of you, if you like to be challenged in your music, and like bands that push the boundaries of rock music, then you should Get a copy and expand your musical taste.
Artist Name: OOLALA
Album Name: The New RockRoll Cosmology
Label: The Giving Groove
Genre: Space rock
Track Listing: 1. Falling out of the Universe; 2. Whatever can Be; 3. Get yo Ass in that Space Camaro; 4. Universal Travel
Publicist: Glow Marketing
Review: This is the debut release for this Philadelphia based band of rockers. What makes it unique is that the band is donating half of the proceeds to the musical charity MusiCares. According to their press release, the band uses their influences from such diverse genres as psychedelic jazz, stadium glitter rock and heavy soul to create this montage of sounds. In truth, this is pure rock and roll, with screeching guitars and throaty vocals that hit you like a hurricane of sound, unleashing your inner desire to play air guitar. We think “Whatever can Be” is the best track, while “Get yo Ass in that Space Camaro” evokes memories of a harder version of Steve Miller’s “Space Cowboy.” We look forward to your opinion.
Recommendation: If only to help the efforts of MusiCares, we believe that everyone should grab themselves a copy of this EP. Regardless of your philanthropic desires, this EP stands as a worthy addition to your music library.
Artist Name: Kiriyama Family
Album Name: Waiting for …
Label: Record Records
Genre: Electronic pop
Track Listing: 1. About You; 2. Light Years Away; 3. Apart; 4. Innocence; 5. Chemistry; 6. Push Further; 7. While you Wait; 8. Anywhere but Here; 9. Waiting for Your Love
Publicist: None
Review: Considered to be one of Iceland’s best kept secrets, the band is in the midst of a Continental tour to expand their already tight fan base. The music is dreamy and fits perfectly into your chill time. It is easy to see why two of their first four singles went to #1 on the Icelandic music charts. Both “Apart” and “Innocence” could easily make a mark on the American charts as well, and are two of the best tracks on an overall worthy effort. In addition, we totally dig “Chemistry,” “While you Wait,” and “Anywhere but Here.”
Recommendation: We are truly impressed by the quality of international indie music hitting the airwaves, and would love to see more like Kiriyama Family. We believe they have a world-wide appeal and highly recommend that you Get this album.