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Artists Worth Checking Out Get it or Forget it Reviews

Get it or forget it: Onesie, Coincidence Bizarre, Jim Roberts and the Resonants, Lizard McGee

And the review requests keep coming!  It has been a joy to receive so much indie music so far this year, and to discover some unknown talents.  We are blessed for the opportunity to review this music and to share it with the public.  Here’s another four artists we had the pleasure of listening to.  Please let us know what you think.

Artist NameOnesie

Album NameLeos Consume

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Indie Pop

Track Listing:  1.  Karaoke Killers; 2.  Credit Score of 666; 3.  Pillow Sail; 4.  Daytime King; 5.  Hotelekinesis; 6.  Husbands in Finance; 7.  Ballad of the Boomerang; 8.  This Minstrel; 9.  Life Coach Infinite Scroll; 10.  Everything you Want and More; 11.  Understudy 

Publicist:  Behind the Curtains Media

Review:  We shared the band’s latest music video for “This Minstrel” in this week’s Monday Mashup, and were intrigued enough to want to review the entire album.  We’re glad we did, cause this band combines some of the best elements of ’90s power pop with a touch of punk rock to create their own brand of Indie pop.  While the lyrical content is not of the thought-provoking kind, it is fun and chill and fits the music.  This is the kind of album you put on in the background for a party with your friends, where the notes can keep your mood going in the positive direction.  Best cuts include “Pillow Sail,” “Daytime King,” “Hotelekinesis,” “Husbands in Finance,” “Ballad of the Boomerang,” and “This Minstrel.”

Recommendation:  Now that summer is here, you should definitely Get It and share with your friends.  It will provide the perfect backdrop to a fun evening.

Artist NameCoincidence Bizarre

Album NameInvisible Man/Shapeshifter

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Hip-hop

Track Listing:  1.  Invisible Man; 2.  Shapeshifter 

Publicist:  Working Brilliantly

Review:  This too-short two-song debut foretells a band that is intent on being unique.  It presents hip-hop with a definite eastern mysticism sound that will take your senses captive as the multi-layered music takes hold, leaving the listener in a state of perpetual chill.  They even provide instrumental tracks of both songs so that you can just listen to that without the lyrics.  Any way you slice it, we definitely want to hear more from this unique west coast collective.

Recommendation:  Although short, this EP is a worthy addition to your musical library.  Take a listen and we think you’ll agree – Get it.

Artist NameJim Roberts and the Resonants

Album NameBeneath the Blood Moon

Label:  KKP Records

Genre:  Blues, roots

Track Listing:  1.  Beneath the Blood Moon; 2.  Dog Done bit my Baby; 3.  Tupelo Fool; 4.  Bayou Beau; 5.  May all Your Regrets be Small; 6.  Gold Train Fever; 7.  Red Lips and High Heels; 8.  Southern Hospitality; 9.  Dark Down in the Delta; 10.  The Hell Hound’s Due 

Publicist:  Frank Roszak Promotions

Review:  This is what down-home blues sounds like.  Roberts has a smooth voice that fits perfectly with the steel sounds of slide guitar to create a full sound perfect for a night with friends and moonshine, sitting around a blazing bonfire while the crickets chirp and the bullfrogs croak in the background.  The title track sets the mood for the rest of the album, which is simply a work of art.  Every song delivers a strong vibe that resonates and draws the listener in, a true music lover’s album.  There are no “bad” songs on the album, making it the perfect one to simply put on and listen to from start to finish.  This band has the potential to rocket to the top of the blues genre, and we are certain they will become a household name.  We especially love the accordion on “May all Your Regrets be Small,” as well as the sentiment behind the song, and the southern rock sound of “Gold Train Fever.”  This one’s a keeper.

Recommendation:  Run, don’t walk to your nearest music outlet and Get this album.  You will never regret that decision.

photo by Ian C. Powell

Artist NameLizard McGee

Album Name:  Spooky Jets at a Distance

Label:  LFM Records

Genre:  Singer-songwriter

Track Listing:  1.  Wisdom Teeth; 2.  Lover’s Chords; 3.  I Don’t Want to Go; 4.  Bring Yrself 2 Me; 5.  Silverheels; 6.  Holy Ghost Letter; 7.  Wasted on You; 8.  All my Sins are Blotted Out; 9.  Badr Moon 

Publicist:  None

Review:  Lizard McGee is the force behind Earwig, a band on the rise that won an LA Music Critic Award last year for its music video collaboration with Lydia Loveless.  On this solo acoustic album, McGee has the ability to convey simpler versions of his band’s tunes on their Pause for the Jets album, allowing all the force behind the music to burst forth.  The album was recorded live in one take, the result of McGee’s frustration with the release of the band’s album.  It is the consummate combination of acoustic vocals over a single guitar, which truly brings these songs to life.  It is the type of album that makes the listener stop what they are doing and concentrate on the songs, which convey so much more meaning in this simple arrangement.  Even though he recorded it in 2015, it was well worth the wait to have the privilege to listen to these raw, unproduced tracks.  Every track is worthy of your attention, so put it on, grab a beverage, and simply listen to the truth of his words.

Recommendation:  This one is a no-brainer.  If you love music that moves you, with lyrics that tell a story you want to hear, then this is the album for you.  Get it by any means necessary.