Once again, reality got in the way of our best intentions. Work was crazy yesterday and we couldn’t finish our Get it or Forget it column, so we are finishing it up today.
Happy Valentine’s Day! We appreciate all our readers and consider you family. We wanted to give you a special day with five more indie reviews to consider. Please let us know what you think. With the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival kicking off on Friday, we will be busy covering events and volunteering. We’ll post as often as we can.
Artist Name: Danny Gochnour
Album Name: The Despair of Summer
Label: Self-released
Genre: Indie Rock
Track Listing: 1. Prelude; 2. The Bell; 3. Take me Tonight; 4. Crazy Linda J.; 5. Better Off; 6. The American Dream; 7. I Can’t Tell you Why; 8. The Sound of us Breaking; 9. The B-Side of Me; 10. Better Things to Do (Epilogue)
Publicist: Self-promoted
Review: Danny Gochnour is an extraordinary guitarist and the lead guitar for Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers. This is his first solo release and we felt the same excitement the first time we heard Tom Petty. He kicks off the album with an incredible guitar instrumental before showing us the rest on “The Bell.” The entire album is radio friendly and deserves heavy rotation, especially “Take me Tonight,” which could be a mega-hit. You can’t go wrong with this amazing debut release. Other noteworthy tracks include “Better Off,” “The American Dream,” the brilliant cover of The Eagles‘ “I Can’t Tell you Why,” “The Sound of us Breaking,” and “Better Things to Do.”
Recommendation: Don’t think about it – just go Get this one!
Artist Name: Combings
Album Name: It Seems Everything I Got is Broken Anyway Why Should I Mind
Label: Self-released
Genre: Indie Folk
Track Listing: 1. Fallow Deer; 2. Turpentine; 3. So Long, Oxytocin; 4. I Can Not be Found in This; 5. Push & Pull; 6. 52 Hz Whale; 7. Paul; 8. A Constant Taste of Blood; 9. Penrose; 10. Dwellbings; 11. Hekla
Publicist: Self-promoted
Review: With the exception of the strangely dark spoken word “Fallow Deer” that opens the album, the music of Combings is upbeat, energetic and bright, This German band has captured the essence of American indie music and created songs that would fit well on American radio. Some of them are introspective, like “So Long Oxytocin,” but for the most part, they are happier tunes, especially “Turpentine,” “I Can Not be Found in This,” “Paul,” and “Penrose.” The album closes with the eerie “Hekla.”
Recommendation: Definitely worth checking out.
Artist Name: V’Nuss
Album Name: So Far From the Mirror
Label: Self-released
Genre: Folk Rock
Track Listing: 1. Fly Away; 2. So Far from the Mirror; 3. Lonely Death; 4. Call Me (I Miss You); 5. City of Dreams; 6. Des Couleurs Sur la Mer; 7. Bandrui; 8. Still You Dance; 9. Freedom (It’s Alright Now); 10. Rouge Sang; 11. Secret Garden; 12. Stranger
Publicist: Self-promoted
Review: V’Nuss is a French artist with a unique hybrid folk rock style that is reminiscent of Stevie Nicks meets Joan Baez. We love the power in her vocals, the smooth instrumentation and the retro 60’s-70’s folk rock sound. She kicks the album off with the high-flying “Fly Away,” and the album just takes off from there. There is not a weak track on the entire album, and we really love hearing her French on “Des Couleurs Sur la Mer” and “Rouge Sang,” as well as her jazzy side on the 8-minute long “Still You Dance” and the bluesy goodness of “Stranger.” Nevertheless, we think “Secret Garden” is the best cut.
Recommendation: This one is worthy of your collection.
Artist Name: Godsleep
Album Name: Coming of Age
Label: The Lab Records/Three Chords Records
Genre: Psych Rock
Track Listing: 1. Ex-Nowhere Man; 2. Unlearn; 3. N.O.U.; 4. Celestial; 5. Poku Dom; 6. Basic (The Fundamentals of Craving); 7. Karma is a Kid; 8. Ded Space
Publicist: Viral Propaganda PR
Review: Led by the blistering vocals of Amie Makris, Godsleep gives us hard-edged “Stoner Rock” that borders on metal. Makris’ vocals are instantly memorable, putting her into the same class as Amy Lee and raising the bar on hard rock. This Greek band just might give the American rock scene a run for their money, and deserve serious industry attention. This is music that grabs hold of your eardrums and refuses to go away. You will remember these songs long after the record has quit playing. We wouldn’t be surprised to see them touring the States soon with the likes of Halestorm, In This Moment and Evanescence.
Recommendation: If you like your rock hard, this one is a must. Go Get it.!
Artist Name: Christopher Lockett
Album Name: Between The Dark and the Light
Label: Self-released
Genre: Country/Americana
Track Listing: 1. Ashes; 2. Ask the Dust; 3. Drag the River; 4. Jacarandas; 4. Phalaborwa; 5. Shake It; 6. Some Sharp Turning; 7. Between the Dark and the Light; 8. Song you Forgot you Knew; 9. Old December; 10. Thunderjaw; 11. There is a Darkness
Publicist: Self-promoted
Review: Christopher Lockett is a country/Americana singer-songwriter who writes songs in the style of classic artists like Steve Earle and Townes Van Zandt. His music is a throwback to the days of classic country before the genre went pop, and his lyrics are thought-provoking and memorable, with plenty to think about. His vocals are rough, but perfect for this kind of classic country tunes. This is country for intellectuals who like to have substance in their music, not just a dancing beat. There are still sweet songs in this collection, including the breezy fiddle and sweet harmonies on “Jacarandas” and the incredible instrumentals “Phalaborwa” and “Thunderjaw.” We also love the delta blues sound of “Shake It.” We think you’ll like this one from start to finish.
Recommendation: If you like your country classic and love meat in your music, then this is a great one for your collection. Go Get it.