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Artists Worth Checking Out Get it or Forget it Reviews

Get it or forget it – Nicholas Merz, Tulipomania, Lower Automation, Lucky 757, Robert Cellucci

What an amazing time we had in North Carolina at the Richardson Family Reunion in Fayetteville.  There were two aunts, one sibling, five first cousins, and a slew of second and third cousins.  It was a day of great BBQ (thanks Damon!), food, sweets and the best conversation, as memories flowed like wine.  It made me remember what I loved most about being around family.  We also got to see an afternoon performance by our friend Jason Adamo, who recently scored his first platinum album as he co-wrote the recent #1 song by Brett Young, “Beautiful Believer.”  Can’t wait to go back again, but in the meantime, here are five more artists for you to check out.

Artist Name:  Nicholas Merz

Album NameThe Limits of Men

Label:  Aagoo Records

Genre:  Folk Rock

Track Listing:    1.  Generation; 2.  Fashion; 3.  Man Without Woman; 4.  Bulled Rose; 5.  The Empress Of The Garden; 6.  Neon Figures; 7.  Domestic Dispute; 8.  Down Range; 9.  The Great American Tail

Publicist:  Shameless Promotion PR

Review:  The first thing you notice is the deep voice of Nicholas Merz and the soothing folk rock soundtrack that supports these songs.  This is his debut solo album after recording six albums with the Seattle indie rock band Darto.  The songs have an almost Americana feel, especially “Man Without Woman,” and a serious singer-songwriter vibe.  Among the best tracks are “Fashion,” the first single “Bulled Rose,” “Domestic Dispute,” and “Down Range.”

Recommendation:  This one is definitely worth checking out.

Artist NameTulipomania

Album NameOff the Map

Label:  Sursumcorda Recordings

Genre:  Alt Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Off the Map; 2.  On the Outside (Spinello remix); 3.  On the Outside (Spinello remix instrumental)

Publicist:  Shameless Promotion PR

Review:  This EP contains two songs (and an instrumental version of the second song), showing two entirely different sounds, albeit both are in the alt rock family.  “Off the Map” is very dark, moody and melancholic, while “On the Outside” is more upbeat but with the same dark and melancholic vibe.  The band also simultaneously released music videos for each song, which have received critical acclaim and resulted in the video for “Off the Map” being selected for the Aesthetica Short Film Festival in York, UK.

Recommendation:  This band is definitely not for everybody.  If you like your music different, and you are adventurous, then give this one a spin.

Artist NameLower Automation

Album NameShoebox Companion

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Mathcore/Punk

Track Listing:  1.  Coax; 2.  Cattle Prod Hypochondriac; 3.  Tethererd; 4.  30 Second Song; 5.  Phil and Phyllis Philler; 6.  Swing Flesh

Publicist:  Viral Propaganda PR

Review:  We can safely say we have never heard anything like Lower Automation.  It has the high intensity of punk with the chaos of psychedelica, and a healthy does of hard core rock.  The lyrics are difficult to understand both sonically and literally.  This is not music for the masses, and we hope they can find an audience for this entirely different type of music.

Recommendation:  This one is only for the truly adventurous.  For the rest of us, forget it.

Artist NameLucky 757

Album NameLonesome Lagoon

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Surf Rock Instrumental

Track Listing:  1.  Spanish Shore; 2.  Mar Agitado; 3.  Cross Steppin’ 4.  Reflecting; 5.  Belvedere Banzai; 6.  Fernando; 7.  The Voyager; 8.  MONSTA!; 9.  Mugsy; 10.  Lonesome Lagoon

Publicist:  Working Brilliantly

Review:  If you say instrumental surf rock to most music lovers, they will immediately think of the incredible Dick Dale and his song forever associated with the movie Pulp Fiction.  Trust us when we tell you the legacy of Dale will live on in the work of Lucky 757.  They not only continue his rich tradition, they actually improve upon it.  This is an amazing set of 10 songs that every lover of surf rock will enjoy, and you will want to hear this one over and over again.

Recommendation:  By all means, rush out and Get this one.

Artist NameRobert Cellucci

Album NameThe End of a Rainbow

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Country

Track Listing:  1.  The End of a Rainbow; 2.  I Love You Today; 3.  20 Years Ago; 4.  I’m so Sorry; 5.  I’m Sure About This; 6.  Me & You; 7.  Who I Want to Be; 8.  The End of a Rainbow (acoustic)

Publicist:  Self-promoted

Review:  We don’t normally review albums that are more than six months old, but we were so impressed with this young man that we are making an exception in his case.  We met him last Sunday while attending the Jason Adamo show we talked about earlier.  His voice is crystal clear and perfect for country music, with a sound similar to Darius Rucker and Dustin Lynch.  The title song is clever and strong, and would be a great candidate for extended airplay on country radio, as would “I Love You Today.”    Cellucci is a natural storyteller, and we can’t understand how he hasn’t been discovered yet.  With his talents, he could easily make it in today’s country music scene.  There is not a weak song on this album.  Nashville needs to definitely take notice of this artist.

Recommendation:  This artist is heading for stardom.  Jump on this bandwagon now, and Get his debut EP today!

 

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Artists Worth Checking Out Get it or Forget it Reviews

Get it or forget it: Oak House, Omega Vague, Desert Culture

Our second Get it or Forget it article today features three more bands from the Noisy Ghost PR roster.   Sit back and check them out as we review their latest releases.

Artist NameOak House

Album NameHot or Mood

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Indie Rock/Psychedelic

Track Listing:  1.  Damp Eyes; 2.  Reticence; 3.  Spirit; 4.  Cut That Out; 5.  Esque; 6.  Seventeen; 7.  Mundane; 8.  Song of Myself; 9.  Around the Room; 10.  Spring 

Publicist:  Noisy Ghost PR

Review:  Oak House is a band that cannot be pigeonholed into any particular musical genre.  With elements of rock, psychedelic, grunge, and experimental, their music is in a category all itself.  With the release of their sophomore album, Hot or Mood, on April 7, the world will soon be able to taste musical greatness from these Georgia boys.   Be warned – this is not your typical indie rock album, and we are excited to see where their career takes them from here.  Every song brings out a different nuance of their music, and keeps the listener occupied with its creativeness.  We believe their music should be enjoyed by every true audiophile, and only wish we could check them out at a live show to see how it translates in concert.  We especially like the tracks “Spirit,” “Cut That Out,” “Esque” (which is their first single), “Mundane,” and “Song of Myself,” which are all different and unique and provide a good representation of the total package.

Recommendation:  If you like more than the average indie release, and enjoy music that separates itself from the rest, then this is the album for you.  We recommend you go and Get It.

Artist NameOmega Vague

Album NameAversion/Reversion

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Dream Pop/Prog-Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Afraid; 2.  Awake; 3.  Drown; 4.  Hideaway;  5.  Cringe; 6.  Forever; 7.  Resolve 

Publicist:  Noisy Ghost PR

Review:  Omega Vague is a project created by Craig Douglas, who wrote, sang and played all the instruments on the album, as well as producing it.  It is a modern take on anthemic indie music, incorporating portions of dream pop, shoegaze, darkwave, minimal ambient and prog-rock.  It is well conceived and performed, creating a wave of musical sounds that envelope the listener with a sense of peace and dreaminess, providing a worthy audio backdrop to daily life.  We think it would make a wonderful addition to any music lover’s library.

Recommendation:  We simply love this album, and highly recommend you Get It when it is released on April 14.  It should be a necessary part of your daily life.

Artist NameDesert Culture

Album NameThey’re Not Gone

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Indie Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Buffalo; 2.  Elva; 3.  Terlingua; 4.  Badlands; 5.  Desert Theme; 6.  Matagorda; 7.  C Minor; 8.  Texarkana 

Publicist:  Noisy Ghost PR

Review:  One of the best things about Texas is that so many of their artists are unafraid of combining different musical styles into their own creations.  Desert Culture fits that description to a “T,” combining surf rock, country, and Latin into a unique combination that is reminiscent of Dick Dale and the music of the movie Pulp Fiction.  From the first notes of “Buffalo,” it becomes immediately obvious that this is a work of musical genius.  It is clearly the type of album you put on and then listen straight through, as every song builds on its predecessor, culminating in a musical climax that is worth the wait.  All hail to Daniel Vega and Desert Culture, who are setting the bar extremely high and whose music is like an oasis in a desert, providing much needed audio relief to our day-to-day dreariness.

Recommendation:  This one is a true no-brainer – you simply MUST Get It.  This album is scheduled for release on April 28, but we highly recommend you pre-order it today.