Tag: John Mayer

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Artists Worth Checking Out Get it or Forget it Reviews

Get it or forget it: Float Here Forever, Ian Mahan, Banditos

Happy Sunday.  Hope you’ve had a wonderful weekend, and you’re ready for another super week starting tomorrow.  We thank you for your support of our Get it or Forget it series.  We thoroughly enjoy introducing you to new artists, and for the opportunity to help you decide which ones to support.  Here are three more for your consideration.

Artist Name:  Float Here Forever

Album Name:  Inexhaustible

Label:  ALP Music

Genre:  Alternative Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Inexhaustible; 2.  Tranquilize; 3.  Goliath; 4.  Echolocation; 5.  Cobra Eyes 

Publicist:  None

Review:  Float Here Forever sounds like so many other alternative rock bands – lots of passion but an unrefined musical presentation.  While the drumming of Nick Marco is first rate, nothing else truly separates these guys from their peers.  Judging from the number of fans they have on their Facebook music page (42), they also haven’t yet learned the art of marketing and building a fan base in their native Detroit, which has always had an intense love for indie music.  Hopefully their new tunes will help awaken the sleeping fans around them.  All the five songs on this upcoming EP, which will be released on June 20 are good, but not outstanding, with the exception of “Goliath,” which sounds like it would make a great live performance.  We think that this band has potential to break out of the crowded alternative rock scene, but simply needs more time to hone their skills and develop a dedicated fan base.

Recommendation:  Keep your eyes out for this band in the future.  They remind me of the Not Ready for Primetime Players that used to be an integral part of Saturday Night Live.  They eventually became powerhouses, and we think these guys may yet attain that status.  In the meantime, unless you are a die-hard alt-rock fan, you should just Forget them.

Artist Name:  Ian Mahan

Album Name:  Rockford

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Singer-songwriter pop

Track Listing:  1.  Come Around; 2.  I’m not Me; 3.  Dear Louise; 4.  Rockford; 5.  Bet and Pray; 6. Elmhurst (feat. Stellan) 

Publicist:  None

Review:  We discovered this Denver-based artist when he opened a show for our friend Nina Storey at The Soiled Dove Underground.  His storytelling blew us away, with outstanding musical arrangements that perfectly complement his soaring vocals.   This is Mahan’s sophomore release, and we feel like he will be a player on the indie music scene for many years to come.  He opens up this strong EP with the amazing “Come Around,” and then proceeds to make each successive tune better than the previous one.  His vocals are reminiscent of John Mayer, and his songs are radio ready and perfect for placement in television and film.  The EP will be released on June 23.  By all means, if you have the chance to see him perform live, we highly recommend you do it – you will be sorry if you don’t.

Recommendation:  Ian Mahan has been added to our short list of the best male singer-songwriters in indie music today.  If you don’t rush out and Get it, we think you should have your head examined.

Artist Name:  Banditos

Album Name:  Visionland

Label:  Blood Shot Records

Genre:  Indie Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Fine Fine Day; 2.  Strange Heart; 3.  Visionland; 4.  Thick n’ Thin; 5.  Healin’ Slow; 6.  Lonely Boy; 7.  Fun all Night; 8.  When it Rains; 9.  Still and Quiet; 10.  DDT 

Publicist:  Josh Zanger

Review:  Nashville/Birmingham based indie rock band Banditos are not scared to rock your world.  With just enough “southern style” rock to make it interesting, they have a unique sound that provides the perfect chill factor for a hot summer night under the stars.  We were especially blown away by the voice of Mary Beth Richardson, who took us by surprise with her Janis Joplin meets Lynyrd Skynyrd sound on “Strange Heart.”  Trust us when we tell you that this band will blow away any preconceived notions of what an indie band can deliver.  We think they are poised to take their music mainstream, and think they would be a fun band to see perform live.  Make sure you are first in line to purchase the new album when it is released on June 23.  Other worthy tracks include the title track, the stirring ballad “Healin’ Slow,” “Lonely Boy,” “Fun all Night,” and “Still and Quiet.”

Recommendation:  You simply must Get this album.  It is head and shoulders above its peers in the indie rock genre, and we believe this band will go far.  We encourage you to hop on their bandwagon now.

 

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Artists Worth Checking Out Get it or Forget it Reviews

Get it or forget it: Jack Spann, Gold Casio, David Ryan Harris

Only two more Get it or Forget it articles left in our review of the indie music submitted to us for the first six months of 2017.  After that we will be focusing on the Hollywood Fringe Festival before announcing the nominations and winners for the next round of LA Music Critic Awards.  Then we will start the whole process all over again.  We already have nine submissions for the second half of 2017.

Artist Name:  Jack Spann

Album Name:  Beautiful man from Mars

Label:  Big Boo Music

Genre:  Indie Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Beautiful man from Mars; 2.  Time; 3.  Lies; 4.  She Makes Pornography on the Weekend; 5.  Songman; 6.  Fear or Loyalty; 7.  Deep Inside; 8.  Just Another Version of You; 9.  Jack Around; 10.  Man From Mars (reprise) 

Publicist:  KG Music Press

Review:  Jack Spann has long been considered the consummate keyboardist, and a huge fan of David Bowie.  In fact, Spann performed the demos that became Bowie’s final album, Blackstar.  On Beautiful man from Mars, it becomes quickly evident that Bowie’s influence permeates the album.  The song titles, the musical approach and the sound all reflect the strong presence of Bowie.  On an album that contains simple arrangements and the solo voice of Spann, he shows that like Bowie he can carry the load.  When he does employ additional musicians, they are simply the best, as reflected on the amazing track, “She Makes Pornography on the Weekend,” with its amazing horns and a vintage sound like Louis Armstrong.

Recommendation:  If you are a Bowie fan, then this album is a must have.  We highly recommend you go out and get it next Friday when it is released.

Artist Name:  Gold Casio

Album Name:  Fever Dreams

Label:  Self-release

Genre:  Dance

Track Listing:  1.  Fever Dream; 2.  Socialites and Singer Types; 3.  She’s Bored; 4.  Delirium; 5.  Gold Mine (feat. Coco Columbia); 6.  Colors of the Wall; 7.  Last Song 

Publicist:  Noisy Ghost PR

Review:  When you first start listening to Fever Dreams, you might feel like you’ve been teleported back to the 70’s, when disco and the B-52’s were king.  Keep listening and you can feel those influences and more.  Gold Casio perfectly captures that mood and puts its own spin on it, resulting in an EP that delivers the goods, repeat after repeat.  This album sounds great whether you just want to listen and remember or get up and boogie.  We see great things ahead for these guys, and look forward to the next chapter.  We especially love the title track, the first single, “Socialites and Singer Types,” and “Gold Mine.”

Recommendation:  This EP will be released on June 23 and we highly recommend you be first in line to Get it.  We think it will sell out quickly, so don’t delay.

Artist Name:   David Ryan Harris

Album Name:  Songs for Other People

Label:  Peace Pourage

Genre:   Indie Rock/Soul

Track Listing:  1.  Fascinated; 2.  Coldplay; 3.  Good; 4.  Kerosene; 5.  Darling; 6.  Red Balloons; 7.  Average Joe 

Publicist:  Red Boot PR

Review:  David Ryan Harris, or DRH, as he is known to his fans, has been a huge part of indie music in Los Angeles for the better part of 20 years.  In the early 2000’s, he provided guitar support and backing vocals for John Mayer, and has returned to that role for the current John Mayer tour.  His new album is scheduled for release on June 23.  His new release is powerful, showing one and all that he deserves the same spotlight as Mayer.  His first single, “Fascinating,” is a true hit, in the same vein as Keaton Simons’
“Currently,” and his new single, “Coldplay,” brings back memories of going to see our own favorite band.  Every song on the album has the potential to be a smash hit, both on radio and as placement in our favorite television shows or movies.  We are so proud of the treasure that DRH is becoming, and foresee even more accolades and stardom for this amazing musician.

Recommendation:  This album is an instant classic and definitely belongs in your music library.  Rush out and Get it as soon as it is released.  We strongly recommend you preorder it ASAP so you’ll have it as soon as it is released.