Riddle & the Stars – Indie Voice Blog

Happy Monday – it was a very busy weekend between my full-time job, ushering at the Griz game (which we won), and auditions for A Christmas Story, the Musical at MCT. But we’re back with another edition of Get it or Forget it, and we think you will love these artists as much as we do. Grab your coffee and let’s dig in.

Artist Name: Ray & Remora

Album Name: Startle it Up

Label: Aeronaut Records

Genre: Indie Pop, Electronica

Track Listing: 1. The Happening; 2. Hearts do Change; 3. It’s Just; 4. Startle it Up; 5. Soft Brown Heart; 6. Don’t Shoot me Down; 7. Histories; 8. Honey Beware; 9. Creep Up; 10. Skinned Knees; 11. Baby Please

Publicist: Redeye Worldwide

Review: It is a rare feat for a band to have a killer debut album, but Ray & Remora have achieved that difficult task. Composed of Dan Crane (Ray) and Amanda Walker (Remora), along with new additions Jeff Liffmann and Damon Kellard, Ray & Remora have created a sound that is the perfect soundtrack for your day. Remora’s vocals are the treat of this duo, spread across the delightful package of the band’s extreme musicianship. This CD will have you doing the happy dance, as every song is wonderfully produced by Jon Joseph (BØrns) and mixed by Bryan Cook. Best tracks include “The Happening,” the title track, “Don’t Shoot me Down,” “Histories,” and “Honey Beware.”

Recommendation: By any means necessary, you must obtain this CD for your collection. Indie Voice Blog is proud to give Ray & Remora’s debut album a very strong Get It rating.

Artist Name: Riddle & the Stars

Album Name: New Coastline

Label: Songs & Whispers

Genre: Alt-Country Rock Americana

Track Listing: 1. Running Back to You; 2. I may Never Know; 3. Long way Down; 4. Apples & Knives; 5. New Coastline; 6. Mexican Home; 7. Valentines Day; 8. Tracks; 9. When we Ride; 10. When the Weight is Gone

Publicist: None

Review: Orange County, California based duo The Fallen Stars met Australian singer-songwriter Ben Riddle last year when they were both touring in Europe, and the result was the creation of a new and dynamic band which is currently touring Germany. Their latest release New Coastline has been garnering critical praise, and this reviewer agrees with the hype – Riddle & The Stars is an amazing band. Riddle’s smooth voice is the perfect addition to the rocking musicianship of Bobbo and Tracy Byrnes, and creates music that spans the genres of alt country, indie rock, country rock and Americana. All three share the lead vocal duties, resulting in an album that never gets boring. Best tracks include “Running Back to You,” “I May Never Know,” “Apples & Knives,” the title track, and “Valentine’s Day.”

Recommendation: German label Songs & Whispers recognized the greatness of this band, and signed them to their label. America needs to wake up to this international American-Australian treasure, and cherish their music as well. We are proud to give this album a rating of “Get your ass out and get it now.”

Artist Name: Earwig

Album Name: Pause for the Jets

Label: Anyway Records/LFM Records

Genre: Indie Rock

Track Listing: 1. Wisdom Teeth; 2. Lover’s Chords; 3. I Don’t Want to Go; 4. Bring Yrself 2 Me; 5. Silverheels; 6. Medusa Head; 7. High Wasps; 8. Holy Ghost Letter; 9. Wasted on you (ft. Lydia Loveless); 10. All my Sins are Blotted Out; 11. Shine; 12. Badr Moon

Publicist: Noisy Ghost PR

Review: This latest album from Columbus, Ohio based indie rock band Earwig won’t be released until October 14, although you can get a sample of what’s in store with their latest music video for “Wasted on You.” The band has joined with Americana darling Lydia Loveless (currently on tour with Drive By Truckers) to create a fun and exciting single that gives just a taste of the awesomeness contained in the full album.

Led by the amazing guitar and vocals of Lizard McGee, Earwig is one of the best indie rock bands you need to know and follow. Add to that the incredible bass lines from Constantine Hondroulis and the percussive base of drummer Nick Nocera, and you have a sound that is truly worthy of major attention. Best tracks include “Lover’s Chords,” “I Don’t Want to Go,” “Wasted on You,” “Shine” and “Badr Moon.”

Recommendation: What starts out as a solid indie rock album morphs into something strangely different in the middle before returning to its indie rock roots at the end. Despite this shortcoming, there is enough juicy material to make it worthwhile, and to earn Pause for the Jets a rating of Get it.

Women in entertainment: Tracy Byrnes, keeping the beat alive

Happy Monday. Let’s take a break from our remembrances of Pearl Harbor Day and take a moment to shine the Women in Entertainment spotlight on another incredible indie musician, Tracy Byrnes, one-half of the alt-americana band The Fallen Stars and the keeper of the beat for others, including Riddle & the Stars and the Leaves on the Wind Music Project.

Growing up to the soundtrack of folk music of the 70’s and her parents’ love of Tom Rush, Bonnie Raitt, Janis Ian and Bruce Springsteen, Byrnes always seemed destined for music, whether performing in high school musicals, internationally-touring folk groups or college choir. This background culminated in her current role as the bassist and vocalist for The Fallen Stars where she combines her narrative songwriting style with the power of a Springsteen delivery.

Byrnes was drawn to the bass by its design and function as the one that holds it together and keeps everyone grounded. Her bass of choice is a Rickenbacker 4001 that was made the week after she was born. “I love how the bass is both rhythm and melody and I’m in control of the heartbeat of the song,” explained Byrnes.

She and her husband, Bobbo Byrnes, co-founded The Fallen Stars, who have earned the titles “Best Live Acoustic Band” and “Best Country/Americana Band” from the OC Music Awards’; “Best Live Acoustic Band” and “Best Live Rock Band’ from the SoCal Live Music Competition, and most recently, “Best Live Band” from the OC Weekly. They have released a total of five albums while completing multiple tours throughout the United States and Europe, including stints in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Besides her work with The Fallen Stars, Byrnes has also released two CDs and toured with Riddle & The Stars, a band consisting of both Tracy and Bobbo as well as Melbourne, Australia’s Ben Riddle, whom they met while touring together in Europe.

Byrnes’ most recent collaboration is the creation of the Leaves On The Wind Music Project, a fan project striving to write, record and release an original song inspired by each and every episode of the cult sci-fi TV show Firefly. As a result of this project, The Fallen Stars have become a global sponsor for the fan-based charity organization Can’t Stop the Serenity, which helps raise money for Equality Now, an organization dedicated to the protection and promotion of human rights for women and girls around the world. A portion of the proceeds of every Leaves on the Wind Music Project sale will be donated by The Fallen Stars to Equality Now.

What inspires Brynes? “I’m always inspired by the next song and seeing where it will take us.”

What does Byrnes plan for the future? “To continue following Bobbo from one disaster to another! No! Our tours are not disasters! We’re going to write the third installment of our “Leaves On The Wind Music Project”, release a new Riddle & The Stars CD in the spring and tour the United States in the spring before heading to Europe in the fall.”

To find out more about this amazing artist, click on the links above, visit their website, follow her (and her projects) on Twitter, and subscribe to their various YouTube channels.

Share this:

Share this: