And the cycle begins again. Now that the LA Music Critic Award nominations for the second half of 2017 have been announced, we can start reviewing the first of the submissions for the first half of 2018. We have five of them for you today. Hope you enjoy them. Don’t forget to vote for your Fan Favorite. Voting closes 1/31/18.
Artist Name: Miss Freddye
Album Name: Lady of the Blues
Label: missfreddyesblues
Genre: Blues
Track Listing: 1. Miss Freddye’s Gonna Fix Ya; 2. Luv ya Baby; 3. Lady of the Blues; 4. Don’t Apologize, Recognize; 5. Home Improvement; 6. Use the Back Door; 7. Chain Breaker; 8. Doorway to the Blues; 9. These are my Blues; 10. Freight Train Blues; 11. A Losing Battle
Publicist: Broads 4 Blues
Review: Traditional Blues are a special kind of awesome, especially when the vocals are throaty, sexy and female. Miss Freddye is the perfect kind of blues singer, and she brings it all to the table when she sings, kind of like a combination of Aretha Franklin and Bonnie Raitt. She has an amazing band that provides the perfect accompaniment to her down home sound, complete with an amazing horn section and a dynamic keyboardist. The harmonies are also perfect, especially on “Luv ya Baby.” The title track is a perfect representation of the quality of this whole album, and should hook you on Miss Freddye. Other tracks we love include the amazing duet “Don’t Apologize, Recognize,” the jiving “Home Improvement” with its screaming sax and piano, “Chain Breaker,” and the more traditional “These are my Blues” and “Freight Train Blues.”
Recommendation: Definitely a winning combination, you simply MUST Get this one.
Artist Name: Amanda Mair
Album Name: To the Moon
Label: Despotz Records AB
Genre: Pop
Track Listing: 1. Stay you and I; 2. Rush; 3. Wednesday; 4. Hopes; 5. Empty Blockings
Publicist: Mystic Sons PR
Review: Amanda Mair comes to us courtesy of Stockholm, Sweden, and we think she is just what American pop radio needs to survive. Her sound is dreamy, airy, upbeat and truly radio ready. Her sound lifts your spirits and gets you ready to face the day. She should be required listening for everyone who has to go out and work. The EP chronicles her personal struggles and encourages her fans that they can successfully overcome them as well. “Rush” would make a great house mix for the dance floor. “Wednesday” and “Hopes” are light and airy reminiscent of Enya, before closing out the EP with the upbeat and danceable track “Empty Blockings.”
Recommendation: A great start, this is definitely one of the best International EPs we have ever reviewed. This one is a no-brainer – Get it now!
Artist Name: The Rigs
Album Name: World on Fire
Label: Sain Rogue Records
Genre: Indie Rock
Track Listing: 1. The Brave; 2. Fault Line; 3. Runaway; 4. Fall or Fly; 5. The Hunted; 6. White Flag; 7. World on Fire; 8. When we Were Young
Publicist: Magic Tree Productions
Review: We fell in love with this band when we previewed their latest music video “When we Were Young” in our last Monday Mashup. The EP is even better, as it shows a dynamic range of musical talent beyond that in the single. This band hits the ground running on “The Brave,” and proceeds to blow their listeners away with strong vocals, well-written lyrics and a mind-blowing musical accompaniment that swells and grows to its climax. The next track “Fault Line” continues that awesomeness, leaving no doubt that this band is ready for serious radio airplay, with a sound similar to Imagine Dragons. Other songs that we loved include “Fall or Fly,” “The Hunted,” and the title track, basically everything on the EP.
Recommendation: Don’t think twice – Get it ASAP!
Artist Name: Marmoset Music
Album Name: Transference
Label: Marmoset Music
Genre: Miscellaneous
Track Listing: 1. Hot Time in the Old Town (Ural Thomas and the Pain); 2. April Showers (Shaky Faces); 3. Where the Glories Glow (Dear Nora); 4. Play a Simple Melody (Trimountaine); 5. Out Among the Sheltering Pines (The Helio Sequence); 6. Wildflower Flower (Bouquet); 7. The World is Waiting for the Sunrise (Distance (ft. Frankie Simone)); 8. Beautiful Dreamer (Patternist); 9. Shine on Harvest Moon (Mree); 10. Me and my Gal (Hot Bloods)
Publicist: Noisy Ghost PR
Review: What makes this compilation so special is that every one of these songs came out of the public domain and have been reimagined and redesigned by this amazing mix of eclectic artists, through the oversight of Marmoset Music. The result is a fun album of songs that have been modernized and brought back to life for modern music lovers. Our favorite tracks include “Hot Time in the Old Town,” “Where the Glories Grow,” “Out Among the Sheltering Pines,” “The World is Waiting for the Sunrise,” “Beautiful Dreamer,” and “Harvest Moon.”
Recommendation: This one definitely deserves a spot in your musical library.
Artist Name: Demons
Album Name: Embrace Wolf
Label: Spartan Records
Genre: Punk
Track Listing: 1. (telebrothy); 2. Always Your Own; 3. wish; 4. Nobody Loves you the way you Are; 5. Dig; 6. Decibel Farmer; 7. 17:9; 8. Arranged Marriage; 9. Assured Retribution
Publicist: Spartan Records
Review: The album begins with the instrumental track (telebrothy) before launching into the full-blown punk track of “Always Your Own.” Unlike other punk we have reviewed, the lyrics are understandable and the music is low key but highly effective. The volume and feedback go up starting with “Nobody Loves You the way you Are,” “Dig” and “Decibel Farmer,” making it more difficult for a non-punk lover to enjoy the music. Our favorite tracks are “wish,” “Arranged Marriage,” and “Assured Retribution.”
Recommendation: If you are a true punk lover, you will enjoy this one. If not, you should probably Forget it.