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

Get it or forget it – BOYTOY, Bossie, Olan Monk, Dearist, Lauren Anderson

Happy Thursday.  We’re back with five more April releases as we work our way through the mountain of requests in preparation for the next round of the LA Music Critic Awards.  Hope you enjoy these artists.

Artist Name BOYTOY

Album NameNight Leaf

Label:  PaperCup Music

Genre:  Pop

Track Listing:  1.  It’s Alright; 2.  Mary Anne; 3.  I get Distant; 4.  Stare into Space; 5.  NY Rip Off; 6.  Pretty One; 7.  Get off your Leash; 8.  Juarez; 9.  Want; 10.  Cold Love

Publicist:  The Syndicate

Review:  This band has a retro sound similar to The Bangles, with three-part harmonies over a 90’s pop soundtrack.  They are set to launch their latest release with a European tour, and we think that the Continent will simply adore them.  The songs are fun, upbeat and worthy of industry attention.  They could form the perfect soundtrack for television and film.  The songs are short and sweet and radio ready.  We love the album, but really dig the sound of “It’s Alright, “Stare Into Space,” “NY Rip Off,” “Get off your Leash,” “Want,” and “Cold Love.”

Recommendation:  If you like the fun pop music of the 90’s, then this is the band for you.  We recommend you get their latest and have some fun.

Artist Name Bossie

Album NameNot Pictured

Label:  Culvert Music

Genre:  Pop/Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Mild at Heart; 2.  Meteor; 3.  Strawberry Moon; 4.  There will be Time; 5.  A lot like Love; 6.  The Outsider; 7.  As Good as it Gets; 8.  Tell it All; 9.  Post Teen

Publicist:  The Syndicate

Review:  Combining elements of new wave, glam rock and synth-pop into her own upbeat style, Toronto-based Bossie brings us high energy, fun pop/rock music that has a very retro feel.  Like BOYTOY, Bossie’s music is radio ready and suitable for placement in television and film, and is just plain fun, starting with “Mild at Heart” and continuing on with “Meteor,” which has a Katy Perry meets Madonna feel, and “Strawberry Moon,” which is pure 80’s new wave.  We featured her video for that song in our first Monday Mashup to kick off April, which coincidentally also featured BOYTOY,  There isn’t a weak song on the album, which we think you will want to listen to over and over again.

Recommendation:  Do yourself a favor – Get this one and put it on repeat.

Artist NameOlan Monk

Album Name:  INIS

Label:  C.A.N.V.A.S.

Genre:  Electronica instrumentals

Track Listing:  1.  Drum 2; 2.  Love World (ft Elvin Brandhi); 3.  Unrequited; 4.  Failure Dance (ft. Maria Sommerville); 5.  Sisyphus; 6.  Paradise; 7.  Zones; 8.  Drone Island; 9.  Yin Yang (ft. Maria Sommerville)

Publicist:  Worldwide Friendly Society

Review:  Irish artist Olan Monk returns with his sophomore album INIS (Irish for island), an set of electronica-laden meditative instrumentals which provides the follow-up material to his debut album ANAM (Irish for soul).  These tunes are more meditative than entertainment, providing a relaxing soundtrack for those times.

Recommendation:  Although not our cup of tea, we’re sure there are people that would use this music for meditation.  Unless you’re one of those individuals, we recommend you just Forget this one.

Artist NameDearist

Album NameSonder

Label:  Spartan Records

Genre:  Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Front Matter; 2.  Beaches; 3.  Fool’s Heart; 4.  Drowning; 5.  Demuto; 6.  Essex 1820; 7. Part of You; 8. Half Light; 9.  Shame; 10.  Pentonville; 11.  Colours

Publicist:  Spartan Records

Review:  This UK rock band brings us the latest in hard-hitting rock and roll, the British way.  The album opens with the instrumental “Front Matter” before exploding with the amazing sound of “Beaches.”  The rest of the record only gets better from there, with music that screams for placement in television and film, as well as inclusion on harder rock radio stations, especially college radio.    Other songs that we like include “Drowning,” “Demuto,” “Part of You,” “Shame,” and “Colours.”

Recommendation:  If you are a die-hard rock fan, then you need this one.  We recommend  you Get it today.

Artist NameLauren Anderson

Album NameThe Game

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Blues Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Make a Mistake; 2.  The Game; 3.  Scream; 4.  On her Own; 5.  Sing; 6.  What If

Publicist:  ABIK Radio Promotions

Review:  Wow.  We’re blown away by the sheer power of Lauren Anderson’s voice, as well as the amazing musicianship of her band.  From the first notes of “Make a Mistake,” Anderson takes us on an emotional journey, fueled by the raw incredibleness of her voice and the amazingly well-crafted songs she has created.  These songs are so radio ready  that they deserve immediate industry attention.  They would surely make the day for the smart music supervisor who secures them for television, film and commercial application.  Her voice is like a combination of Janis Joplin and Bonnie Raitt, and her music is similar to that of Melissa Etheridge.  The title cut is one of our favorite songs, but all six of them are worthy of your attention, especially the bluesy “Scream” and the guitar riffs on “Sing.”

Recommendation:  Get this one ASAP and put it on repeat – we don’t believe you will ever tire of these songs.

 

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Artists Worth Checking Out Reviews

The Congress’ new album is a game changer

Based out of Richmond, Virginia, the Congress have burst onto the scene with a killer sophomore effort entitled The Game, to be released on September 9 on American Paradox Records.  Thanks to JamBase, you can stream the new album today.

Composed of Scott Lane on guitar and vocals, Jonathan Meadows on bass and vocals, Chris Speasmaker on keys and Raphael Katchinoff on drums, the Congress treads that thin line between folk, Americana and indie rock with a precision that will ensure that fans of all three genres will love this release.  They will also appeal to fans of classic country as well.

From the opening notes of “Home Again” to the closing refrain of “Farewell,” the Congress deliver nine songs that belong on the playlist of every lover of independent music.

The album was produced by the band, mixed by Adrian Olsen and recorded at Denver’s Macy Sound Studios and Richmond’s Montrose Studios.  Among the engineers that worked on the album were Logan Muckler, Scott Lane and Grammy winner John Macy.  The mastering was accomplished by another Grammy winner, Brian Lucey, who has worked with the Black Keys and Grace Potter.

Truthfully, there is not a weak track on the album.  Every song packs a punch and keeps the listener engaged throughout.  It’s no wonder that this band has toured with the likes of Lake Street Drive, the Tedeschi-Trucks Band and Hard Working Americans, and is currently on a headlining tour that includes performances at such festivals as Wakarusa and High Sierra.

Indie Voice Blog is proud to highly recommend The Game.  This album should be in the hands of every serious music lover.  We think they just might become your favorite indie band.

Check out their website and Facebook pages, follow them on Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to their YouTube Channel.

Thanks to Laura Goldfarb of Red Boot PR for the recommendation.