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Artists Worth Checking Out Get it or Forget it Reviews

Get it or forget it – The Elwins, Tout, John LaFayete Ramey, Noon

Happy Friday the 13th.  Hope you have a spooky good time today.  We have four reviews for your today, two of which are instrumentals courtesy of Trestle Records, which specializes in that genre.  We are proud to welcome them to our family of music enablers.  We hope these albums put you in the weekend mode.  Since we are going out on tour with Jerad Finck, this may be our last Get it or Forget it for a few weeks, but we will do our best to continue to enlighten you on the amazing indie artists we meet.

Artist NameThe Elwins

Album NameBeauty Community

Label:  Hidden Pony

Genre:  Indie Pop/Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Hey! Ya, You; 2.  Don’t Walk Away From Me; 3.  OMG; 4.  Hocus Pocus; 5.  Dreamgirl; 6.  Looks Like You’re Hiding; 7.  Never Felt so Good; 8.  Your Very own Beauty Community; 9.  How do you Feel; 10.  Watercolour; 11.  Grind you Down; 12.  C’mon C’mon; 13.  This is It

Publicist:  Auteur Research

Review:  The album kicks off with “Hey! Ya, You,” which is also their first single.  It is a powerful pop/rock song that will play well on the radio, with its cool beat, hooky lyrics and impressive sound.  The album delivers hit after hit, all of which deserve serious industry consideration.  Our favorite tracks include “Don’t Walk Away From Me,” “OMG,” “Dreamgirl,” “Never Felt so Good,” “How do you Feel,” and “Grind you Down,” as well as the superb first single.  We have been seeing some impressive Canadian acts recently, and The Elwins top the list.  The band is headed out for a tour of the northern United States and Canada, and we only wish we had known they were just down the road in Bozeman last weekend.

Recommendation:  This one is super catchy and fun, and belongs in your music library.  Get it.

Artist NameTout

Album NameLive

Label:  Trestle Records

Genre:  Instrumental

Track Listing:  1.  Have set the Trees A’Sobbin; 2.  Tis Munny in his Purse; 3.  I Pictured Him; 4.  My Condition Can’t be Worse; 5.  So Here I’ve Stood

Publicist:  Trestle Records

Review:  Tout brings us prog rock instrumentals that are interesting and complex, with a steady beat and impressive guitar work.  They provide an excellent background for your daily life, with music that will keep your ears and mind alert.  This live album follows their first three studio albums, which have garnered industry praise and created a huge fan base for this thoughtful and reflective tunes.  All five tracks are noteworthy and unique.  Take time to be reflective – just add these songs to your daily routine.

Recommendation:  If you love prog rock and instrumentals, take these tunes for a test drive.

Artist NameJohn Lafayette Ramey

Album NameExposition Lines

Label:  Self released

Genre:  Roots Rock/Americana

Track Listing:  1.  Cheap Rent (Move On); 2.  Guadalupe; 3.  Amelia; 4.  Jenny; 5.  Troubled Soulful Mama of the Deepest Blue; 6.  Parnell; 7.  Let me Down Easy; 8.  Sad Song, Sad Town; 9.  I Don’t Believe You; 10.  Still with Me

Publicist: KB Music Press

Review:  John Lafayette Ramey is a multi-talented Americana artist that brings the total package to the genre.  His songs can be rocky, like “Cheap Rent” or heartfelt and sincere, like “Guadalupe” and “Amelia.”   He even throws in his own version of the blues with “Troubled Soulful Mama of the Deepest Blue.”  His album shows a firm understanding of the many facets of Americana music, and Ramey has the chops to make it in this very competitive marketplace.  He also shows a healthy respect for classic rock with a pair of songs that feel heavily influenced by the Beatles (“Parnell”) and Tom Petty (“Let me Down Easy”), as well as the country feeling “Sad Song, Sad Town” and “I Don’t Believe You.”

Recommendation:  Check this one out if your love the variety of sounds incorporated in the Americana genre.

Artist NameNoon

Album NameDisquiet

Label:  Trestle Records

Genre:  Instrumental

Track Listing:  1.  Use on Floor; 2.  Wow Ashen; 3.  Imani’s Call; 4.  Living Above Visions; 5.  Disquiet; 6.  Plastic White; 7.  Llangrannog; 8.  Obviously Having it Believers; 9.  London Swims

Publicist:  Trestle Records

Review:  The album is aptly named as this album is chock full of discordant notes, eerie and spooky undertones and an overall feeling of unease, making it the perfect soundtrack for the horror movie industry.  Amazingly, it was recorded live at conversational levels during their show at Netil House.  The band incorporates a myriad of styles and tones in creating their unique sound.  This one is not for the faint of heart, but the audiophile in search of something totally different.

Recommendation:  Check it out, if you dare.

 

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Artists Worth Checking Out Get it or Forget it Reviews Women in Entertainment

Get it or forget it – Curtis Peoples, Lydia Loveless, Standing Before Kings, The Oxford Coma

Time is quickly running out and there is still so much to do.  Spent all morning going through my emails and found a ton of review requests.  Unfortunately, they will have to wait until I return from tour with Jerad Finck.  We should have time for one or two more articles before then, so here we go with four more reviews.

Artist NameCurtis Peoples

Album NameFive-Nine

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Indie Pop/Rock

Track Listing:  1.  All Hands; 2.  Love on Fire; 3.  Last Night my Favorite Band Broke Up; 4.  Damage Control

Publicist:  None

Review:  Curtis Peoples has been a favorite of this reviewer since he first saw him perform at the Roxy on Sunset when he was signed to Maverick Records.  Peoples has been spending most of his time recently penning hit songs for others (including Pierce the Veil), and it is with much joy that we have received this latest offering, even if it is only four songs.  Lucky for us all four are amazing and ready for radio.  Peoples has a strong smoky baritone that lifts his carefully crafted lyrics to new heights.  His musical accompaniment is first rate and shows further signs of the growth of this artist.

Recommendation:  If you love great music, then you must Get this EP.  Hopefully we’ll have a full-length CD soon :).

Artist NameLydia Loveless

Album NameBoy Crazy and Single(s)

Label:  Bloodshot Records

Genre:  Indie Rock/Americana

Track Listing:  1.  All I Know; 2.  All the Time; 3.  Lover’s Spat; 4.  Boy Crazy; 5.  The Water; 6.  Mile High; 7.  Blind; 8.  Come Over; 9.  Falling out of Love; 10.  I Would die 4 U; 11.  Alison

Publicist:  Bloodshot Records

Review:  Lydia Loveless has been making a name for herself, both as an individual artist and a collaborator on such project’s as Earwig’s award winning hit, “Wasted on You.”  Her latest project combines new songs with re-releases of previous material, and is a wonderful addition to this year’s indie offerings.  She has a country-tinged voice that reminds us of Martina McBride, mixed with a rock and roll flavor that is perfectly suited to her music.  From the first notes of “All I Know,” it become quickly obvious that we are in the presence of greatness, witnessing the rise of indie music’s next big star.  On top of her originals, she delivers a stunning cover of Prince’s hit, “I Would Die 4 U.”  While we love every track, we were especially drawn to “All I Know,” “Lover’s Spat,” the title track, “The Water,” and “Falling Out of Love.”

Recommendation:  This one is a requirement for all serious music lovers – Get. It. Now.

Artist Name Standing Before Kings (SBK)

Album Name: Standing Before Kings

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Euro Alternative Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Intro (Explosions); 2.  Explosions; 3.  In Your Eyes; 4.  Your World

Publicist:  None

Review:  Standing Before Kings, formerly known as SIKA, is an alternative rock band begun in Russia and perfected in North Hollywood, California.   They have a heavy but pure rock sound that resonates with the conviction of their faith-based lyrics, similar to the sound of Christian rock bands Skillet and P.O.D.  We can feel the anguish in their song “In Your Eyes” as well as the power in their other tracks.  We would definitely love to hear more from this band and look forward to the release of a full-length album.

Recommendation:  If you love rock, and positive lyrics, then definitely check them out.

Artist NameThe Oxford Coma

Album NameEverything Out of Tune

Label:  Siggy Records

Genre:  Psychedelic Grunge

Track Listing:  1.  Trauma (Maybe I’m Forgetting Something); 2.  Inflatable Patriots (Touching People in their Sleep); Patterns of Though; 4.  Cartoons; 5.  Junkies & God; 6.  Everything is out of Tune My Only Victories are Other; 7.  Reciprocal Damage; 8.  Smack & Temporary Enlightenment; 9.  Good Job Boys

Publicist:  The Syndicate

Review:  The Oxford Coma is frustrated with the current state of our country, and that frustration and angst comes through loud and clear on every dysfunctional track of their new album.  They wanted to create an album that would be the auditory soundtrack for a psychedelic hallucination, and they have achieved that goal.  They are also planning to release a feature film that will provide the visionary aspect of those hallucinations.  We think they definitely have the talent to pull off this multi-media project.

Recommendation:  If grunge and psychedelic music is your thing, then definitely check them out.  For the rest of us, just Forget it.