Category: Reviews

Reviews of music albums, singles or videos.

Categories
Artists Worth Checking Out indie music Live Concerts Reviews Women in Entertainment

The Americana scene is kicking at Highland Park Bowl

For quite a few years, the Americana scene has thrived in the area around The Grand Ole Echo near Dodger Stadium.  While that area still exists, Americana has found an additional home at the Highland Park Bowl, thanks to Prickly Pear Presents.  The event occurs every Wednesday night through at least the end of July.  We were fortunate enough to attend on May 15, which featured Nikki O’Neill, Manda Mosher and Emily Zuzik.

Zuzik and Mosher are both winners of the LA Music Critic Awards and will be featured at the next Winners Showcase on June 18 at The Mint LA.  This year’s Showcase will honor Women in Entertainment and features 10 female performers.  The event benefits Sweet Relief Musicians Fund.  Tickets are available on the Mint’s website or through PayPal using “lamusiccritic@yahoo.com” as the payee.  Tickets are available in advance for $10, and if available, at the door for $15.

The event was held in Mr. T’s Lounge at this vintage bowling alley.  First up was the R&B infused Americana sound of O’Neill.  She was the only act we had not heard previously, and her set was an unexpected pleasure.  Her sound was diverse, with elements of Alabama and traditional R&B, skillfully delivered by her four-piece  band, which included Joshua Pessar on guitar and backing vocals, Rob Fresco on bass and backing vocals, and Rich Lackowski  on drums and percussion.  Her last album, Love Will Lead You Home, was released in 2017, and their new album will be released shortly.   O’Neill has also been a contributing writer for Guitar Player magazine and is the author of the e-book Women’s Road to Rock Guitar, published by Alfred Music.   Although Pessar turned in some impressive guitar licks and Lackowski and Fresco kept a steady rhythm,  the set suffered from a lack of interesting stage banter.  The music itself was impressive, especially their closing song “That’s how you Lose Her,” which featured the Janis Joplin-like vocals of Halina Janusz from the Grateful Dead tribute band Jerry’s Middle Finger. 

Next up was Mosher, formerly from CALICO the band.  She and her husband Eric Craig, along with Dan Wistrom on pedal steel, guitar and backing vocals, Aaron Stern on bass and Jesper Kristensen on drums, put on a clinic of how to mix rock and Americana, are truly a sterling example of the influence of Tom Petty on the entire Americana scene.  Mosher’s voice is so smoky and strong that is perfectly suited to Petty’s musical style, while her stage presence reminds us of a younger Emmylou Harris.  The overall sound of the band is head and shoulders over their peers.  Unfortunately, like O’Neill, the set suffered from the lack of banter between the songs, , leaving way too much “dead air” between songs.   Once they tighten up the set with appropriate banter, we think they will be unstoppable as a premier concert destination. 

Wrapping up the evening was the sterling sound of Zuzik and her amazing band, which included Wistrom, Topher Allis on drums and the incomparable Ted Russell Kamp on bass, who was taking a break from his recent touring with both Shooter Jennings and Duff McKagan.  Kamp will also be producing Zuzik’s forthcoming album.  Zuzik is even rockier than Mosher, but neither of them has forgotten their roots.  Zuzik reminds us of a combination between Chrissie Hynde and Sheryl Crow.  The band also turned in an impressive cover of The Faces’ mega hit “Stay with Me,” delivered in a style that was part James Brown and part Mick Jagger.  All in all it was an impressive end to this incredible night of Americana music.  Can’t wait until June 18 to see them again.

Categories
Artists Worth Checking Out indie music Reviews

The Cerny Brothers were looking for the good land and found success

On their latest album Looking for the Good Land, Bob and Scott Cerny aka The Cerny Brothers, bring an epic edge to their music, expanding far beyond the folksy acoustic based sound of early albums to embrace the storytelling, supersized hooks and cinematic punch of American rock ‘n roll.   In a recent article by Rolling Stone , their music is described as “Heartland Rock in the vein of working-class heroes John Mellencamp and Tom Petty but distinguished by a power-pop sheen.”

As a result of their recent success, they have been signed to the newly relaunched Cleveland International Records, a label which at one time was run by legendary music business executive Steve Popovich.  Current label owner Steve Popovich, Jr.  announced the signing with these words:  “On behalf of Cleveland International Records, we are beyond excited in welcoming The Cerny Brothers as part of the Cleveland International family.  You’d be hard pressed to find another band with the all -around talent as these two guys.”

The incredible sound of the band should make it easier to pair them up with a tour partner, as they could tour with not only rock or pop acts like Blue October and The Decemberists but also roots and Americana acts like The Lumineers, Mumford & Sons and The Devil Makes Three, as well as  quite a few of the top country acts, like Florida Georgia Line, Luke Bryan and others.

The album was tracked by Nathan Meckel and Mark Niemiec, the production duo The Buzz Brothers at Cowboy Jack Clements’ iconic studio, where they  captured a high-energy sound — including Bob’s pounding piano, Scott’s electric guitar, plenty of vocal harmonies, and the insistent heartbeat of a four-on-the-floor kick drum.  The result is an album with plenty of radio-worthy cuts.  In fact, just about every track is worthy of being released as a single, a feat we haven’t seen since the debut album of Sugarland and Shania Twain‘s Come on Over, which sold more than 20 million copies.

The album’s first single, “I Wanna Love You,” is already receiving national airplay and the track can also be heard at American Eagle and Hollister stores across the country.  We think that “Night on the Town” would be a great follow-up single.

Bob and Scott also had a bit to say about the direction of their sound.  “I think deep down, we’ve always wanted to make an American Rock n’ Roll album,” says Scott.  “While our music will always have roots tradition, our new songs were made to be played with the electric guitar and piano.”  Bob adds, “Most of our songs before this album were songs written for acoustic guitar and banjo.  Our last album, Sleeping Giant, started to see the emergence of electric guitar and a more rock edge to our roots sound.  We grew up playing piano, and when we made the decision to buy a keyboard, we started writing songs for the piano and electric guitar and found a new means of expression that tied our adolescence with our lives now.”

“We’re not looking to push any specific ideology,” says Scott. “We’re just making observations about what we’ve seen. Across the  country, whether you’re a musician or a plumber, you’re looking for your piece of the American pie.  Everyone is engaged in their personal politics in search of where they fit in in such a diverse country.”  Bob explains, “We just need to be honest with ourselves. I think we’re all just looking for the good land.”

The bottom line is that this album is perfect from start to finish, and deserves to be played on repeat.  We guarantee you won’t get tired of hearing this amazing album.

The duo is currently on tour with Blues prodigy Cristone Kingfish Ingram. Stream and purchase their new record here.

Categories
Artists Worth Checking Out indie music Reviews

Jesse Macht lays it all out on Hotel Cafe Second Stage

Several years ago our friend Laura G. Falls (Red Boot PR) turned us on to one of her clients, Jesse Macht.  At the time he had just released what became one of our favorite albums, Suitcase Heart, which we reviewed back in January 2015 on AXS.com.

Macht’s father is actor Stephen Macht, and his brother is Gabriel Macht, star of USA’s Suits.  Although he isn’t an actor, he has still made a presence in Hollywood with the placement of his music in a multitude of shows, including The Next Great American Band, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, LA Ink, The Voice, and much of Viacom’s programming.

Through his publicist, Macht became affiliated with Keaton Simons and his step-father, Eric Roberts.  As a result, Simons placed his song “When I Go” on the Suits season 5 episode “Faith,” while Roberts became a recurring character on the show.

Macht brought his “A” game to the intimate Second Stage at the renowned Hotel Café.  His band included Rob Humphreys on drums Kenneth Belcher on guitar, Jeff Liffmann on piano and Tyler Carroll on bass.

During the show, he played songs from his diverse catalog, including the title track to his latest album, I Was Born, which was become one of his most successful songs, and “Broken my Faith,” which is one of our favorite songs off Suitcase Heart.  Despite some technical difficulties mid-set, Macht and his band turned in a superlative set, culminating in one of the best covers we have ever heard of the Tina Turner classic, “What’s Love Got to do With It.”

All in all it was a wonderful night of great music and catching up with friends, as Roberts and his wife Eliza were among the audience members, as well as Alisha and Dan Kalisher of Sleep Machine, another Red Boot client.  We highly recommend going to his live performance if he ever makes it to where you live.

 

Categories
Artists Worth Checking Out indie music Reviews Women in Entertainment

Casey Ahern brings it home at the Mint

You may not have heard her name, but we guarantee you will in the not too distant future.  Casey Ahern is a 20-year old singer-songwriter who is a multi-talented professional that is a potential game-changer on the country/Americana scene.

The southern California based Ahern, who has been performing consistently with her band since she was 16, defines herself as a contemporary country artist.  Truthfully, her music has a strong resemblance to what came out of Laurel Canyon in the 70s – with obvious influences of artists like Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne and the Eagles.

Photo by Haley Ahern.

Ahern recently released a four-song EP called He was Summer (which we will be reviewing shortly), produced by David Brown, who has worked with Fleetwood Mac (including solo works by Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks), Alice Cooper, Willie Nelson and Frank Zappa.

“David brought out elements of that classic Fleetwood Mac sound that I love so much,” explained Ahern.  “Thanks to my parents, I grew up listening to country, all decades of country music, from Glen Campbell to Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, and so it’s got a unique mix of influences.  As my first EP, the songs represent the different aspects of who I am as a person and artist, and the people, places and values that are important to me.”

Considering the fact that Ahern was just getting over pneumonia, her vocal quality was pretty good, but nothing compared to the smooth sound of her EP.  What truly sets Ahern apart from her peers is her amazing songwriting, which tells elaborate stories that her listeners can truly connect with and relate to.

Photo by Haley Ahern

She performed two of the songs on the EP – the title track “He Was Summer” and “Indio,” as well as four more great songs that included “Bradley” (a song about a town in northern California, “Never Finish Anything,” “Just a Dance,” and “Seeing Eye Dog” (our personal favorite, with our favorite line “Love is blind, but I’ve got a seeing eye dog”).  She was joined onstage by Alex Kawasaki on upright bass and Aaron Rudin on cajon (who had an amazing solo on the closing track, “Indio.”

Photo by Haley Ahern

Ahern is heading to Nashville next month to work on her follow-up EP.  We can hardly wait to hear the result.

 

Categories
Fringe Shows Hollywood Fringe Festival Reviews See it or Skip it

HFF19 previews – see it or skip it

The tenth annual Hollywood Fringe Festival is officially upon us with the first preview of #HFF19.  America got its first glimpse of the potential for this show when they appeared on America’s Got Talent and made it to the quarter-finals, but that was nothing compared to what is in store for attendees at their Fringe show.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Human Fountains

VENUE:  Let Live Theater at The Actor’s Company

REVIEW:  This show lifted physical theater to an entirely new level.  Now pared down to three performers (Benjamin Tillis, Sam Kaufman and Joel Lowinger), they wasted no time to wowing the audience with their “human interpretation of the Bellagio fountains in Vegas.”  The show was magical from start to finish, and told with amazing music and absolutely no words.  Each performer had his moment and the chemistry between the three was palpable.  It was quite obvious that they loved what they were doing, and their audience interaction and involvement weresome of the best we have ever seen at Fringe.  This show may very well turn out to be the surprise hit of the Festival.

RECOMMENDATION:  Don’t miss this show.  There is one more preview on May 21 before it officially opens for Fringe.  Performances are scheduled for June 25 and 26 at 8:30 p.m., June 27 at 9 p.m., June 28 at 3:15 p.m. and June 29 at 12:45 p.m.  Don’t live your life with regret – make sure you see this show above all others.  Tickets are available on their Fringe project page.

Categories
Reviews See it or Skip it Theatre Women in Entertainment

Cherry Poppins and Celebration Theatre deliver a gem

We have been covering the Hollywood Fringe Festival every year since it was started in 2010, with the exception of 2015.  When we returned to the Fringe in 2016, we discovered Cherry Poppins Productions, an amazing troupe of dancers that were so much more than traditional burlesque.  Every one of them could sing, act, and dance, but they were also amazing people both on and off stage.  We quickly became not only fans of their inspiring and truly entertaining shows, but also friends with most of them, including their brilliant co-founders Alli Miller and Sarah Haworth, as well as their “other halves,” Michael Shaw Fisher and Schoen Hodges.  We had been good friends with Fisher since 2012, based on his brilliant work with Orgasmico Theatre Co (Doomsday Cabaret, Exorcistic, the Werewolves of Hollywood Boulevard).  When he joined forces in 2017 with Miller, Haworth and Hodges on the award-winning Shakeslesque:  To Thine own Cherry be True, we knew that this would turn into the greatest entertainment merger of all time.

During HFF18, we witnessed the mastery of a new rock musical from Fisher called Doctor Nympho vs. the Sex Zombies, which combined the amazing burlesque of the Cherries with the brilliant songwriting chops of Fisher.  It was our most anticipated show of the Festival, and we loved reviewing it.  Imagine our joy to arrive for HFF19 and find out that they were doing the show AGAIN before the festival at Celebration Theatre.  We simply knew that we had to see it again, and see what changes had been made to stage it in a bigger and more traditional space.

Celebration moved to The Lex a few years ago, and we had not had the chance to check out their new digs.  We love what they have done with the space, and felt it the perfect location for the return of Doctor Nympho.

For the most part, this new version included the same cast as last year’s Fringe show, with a few notable differences.  Madeline Heil replaced Rebecca Reaney as Dr. Shatz and brought an entirely new sexiness to the role that only a Ginger can.  Likewise, Natalie Masini took on the role of Fisher’s assistant, Stacy, in place of Shannon Glascow, and truly nailed it.  Everjohn Feliciano joined the cast to round out the Zombettes, and was the perfect addition to originals Haworth, Lauren Avon, Amber Bracken, Meredith Lim, Reagan Osborne and Cory Robinson.  Miller reprised her role as Dr. Nympho with Fisher as her husband, and Kim Dalton and Kristyn Evelyn as their children.  Jeff Sumner was outstanding in his return as Jerry, giving the audience a Tony-worthy performance, while Hodges as Adam, Sarah Wines as Eve, and Brin Hamblin as Virus rounded out the cast, providing some of the finest dancing seen on any LA stage.  In fact, Hamblin is one virus we wouldn’t mind catching.

Of course, none of the brilliant stage work would be possible without Fisher’s amazing book, music and lyric, Haworth’s direction  or Miller and Hamblin’s choreography.  Music Director Sandy Chao Wang and Vocal Director Michael Teoli also contributed heavily to the success of the show.

Let loose and enjoy a thrilling night at the theater with the Cherries and Orgasmico.  This one is worthy of multiple viewings, and never gets old.  Don’t miss your chance to see it again or for the first time.

The show runs through May 26, with performances on May 11, 17, 18, 24 and 25 at 8 p.m. and May 12, 19 and 26 at 7 p.m. at Celebration Theatre (6760 Lexington Avenue).  Tickets are available through this link.  Come get infected.

You can also purchase the original cast recording of the soundtrack for only $10, and relive the music over and over again.

Categories
Reviews See it or Skip it Theatre

The legend of Harry Potter lives on Nineteen Years Later

We never seem to get enough of the “boy who lived,” and the M&W Theater Group has crafted a masterpiece that will enthrall every Potter fan.  This is the third time this amazing work has been run since it began last year at HFF18, and the cast is perfectly suited to make the tradition continue.

Incredibly well-written by Kena Worthen (who also portrays Rose Granger-Weasley), Nineteen Years Later is an alternative (and more believable) sequel to the original, and is everything that “Cursed Child” is not.  If you’re like most Potter fans, you detest the stupidity of the “Cursed Child.”  Rest assured you now have a story that works, is much more plausible, and will keep you cheering as the legend lives on.

The only drawback is its length (nearly two and a half hours), but if you can survive Avengers: Endgame, then this one is a piece of cake.  We can promise you that you will be so engaged in this one that the time will fly by and you will never be bored.

The lighting design of Greg Crafts perfectly fits with the sound design of Graydon Schlichter, and the show is well controlled by stage manager Lizzy Hayes.

The cast was led by Frankie Zabilka (Albus Potter), Ryan Lefton (Scorpius Malfoy), Andrew Thomas (Harry Potter), Michael Lutheran (Ron Weasley), Kyle Maraglio (Draco Malfoy), Michelle Grey (Hermione Granger-Weasley) and Justin  Eliot Huff (Neville Longbottom), who brought their individual characters to life as if they’d been portraying them for their entire careers.  The villains were admirably portrayed by Erin Astin (Keres McGuffin) and Tianna Cohen (Cecilia Sinclaire), who almost made you love them as much as the good guys.  Zion Bell (James Potter) Malissa Marlow (Ginny Potter/McGonagall), Tiffany Bobbs (Stella Towie), Ayla Dumont (Lily Potter), Rob Hixon (Frank Longbottom), Bella Phillips (Julianne Rycroft), Jade Rosenberg (Kaylin Blackwell), and Rachel Strysik (Kendall Betcher) rounded out the magnificent cast.

Without giving away the story, suffice it to say that this one is truly worthy of the JK Rowling “Stamp of Approval,” and has great inside jokes to anyone who has seen all of the movies.  They even entertain us with a great game of trivia during the intermission.  This one is worthy of multiple viewings.  Unfortunately, the final performance is TODAY at 5:30 p.m., so grab your tickets before they sell out.  You can purchase a ticket here.

 

Categories
Artists Worth Checking Out Reviews

Music still abides at the Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire

If you know anything about my history, you know that I started attending the Renaissance Pleasure Faire back in 1994 when it was in Devore.  That was the same year that the Poxy Boggards started out, and they are still actively playing the Faire, as are their female counterparts, the Merry Wives of Windsor.  Their private domain is called Rogue’s Reefe and is the only “Adults only” stage at the Faire.

The last time I was at the Faire was 2013 as a participant member of St. Helena’s.  I spent a couple of years before that working at Rogue’s Reefe.  Back in those days, just like today, the primary bands were the Boggards and the Wives, but they had such bands as The   Belles of Bedlam and the Dread Crew of Oddwood to support them and draw a different set of fans to the Reefe.  These days, that support is limited to a couple of sets from Tea and Strumpets, featuring past members of the Belles, and a single set from Sportive Tricks, which are still playing the stage despite quite a few personnel changes over the years.  Still, the rabid fans of both the Boggards and the Wives keep coming back over and over again, as both groups continue their storied tradition of providing a type of music you can’t find anywhere else at Faire.  I was truly impressed by the richness and fullness of the sound at the Reefe, particularly that of the Wives, which seems to  have grown both in talent and vocal ability over the years.

Besides the risqué offerings at the Reefe, there are numerous other stages presenting music throughout the Faire.  Of these, our favorite for the day was the Royal Music Stage, which has moved from the front of Faire to closer to the Reefe.  On that stage you will find “clean” sets from the Boggards, Wives, Strumpets and Tricks, as well as four amazing sets from the visiting band The JackDaws Band, a three-piece group from the East Coast that bring some great Irish rock.  Composed of Buttercup on electric fiddle, Roxy on drums, and Whiplash on guitar and vocals, they are worth the price of admission with their outstanding sound and riveting stage presence.  You can also catch Buttercup out and about the Faire playing her fiddle.

Other music you can find at the Faire includes the Wives and visiting act The Freestylers of Piping on the Golden Jubilee Stage near the entrance, the Freestylers on the Maybower Stage near the food court for three sets, Ad Hoc Consort in Kids Kingdom and the Royal Music Stage and the Washing Well Wenches in their own area throughout the day.

If you love music, you will find plenty of it at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire, regardless of whether you prefer bands that sing or just instrumental offerings and dance, both Celtic and Arabic.  At any rate, get thyself to the Faire before it closes on May 19.

Categories
Artists Worth Checking Out Get it or Forget it indie music Reviews

Get it or forget it (special edition) – Tony Campanella

In all the confusion of New Music Friday, it seems we missed one of the albums we had promised to review, so we are doing this special edition to make up for our oversight.

Artist Name:   Tony Campanella

Album Name:   Taking it to the Streets

Label:  Gulf Coast Records

Genre:   Blues Rock

Track Listing:   1.  Taking it to the Streets; 2.  Pack it Up; 3.  One Foot in the Blues; 4.  You Don’t Know; 5.  Good Morning Little Schoolgirl; 6.  Finger on  Your Trigger; 7.  Mr. Cleanhead; 8.  Checking on my Baby; 9.  Texas Chainsaw; 10.  My Motor’s Running; 11.  Those are the Times

Publicist:   Doug Deutsch Publicity Services

Review:  Tony Campanella is an incredible electric blues guitarist with an amazing grasp of the genre.  He infuses his blues with electrifying rock and the perfect voice for his well-written blues lyrics.  You can feel his passion in every note, and relate to what he’s talking about.  On “One Foot in the Blues,” he shows that he can sling the traditional blues as well as the late BB King.  He even throws a tribute in for Jimi Hendrix on “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl.”  We also love the jazzy feel of “Mr. Cleanhead” and especially “My Motor’s Running.”  He closes the album perfectly with the traditional sound of “Those are the Times.”  Overall, there is not a weak song on the album, and we plan to listen again and again.

Recommendation:  Don’t even think about it – run out and Get this one today!

 

 

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

Get it or forget it – Meg Williams, Nate Currin, L-space, Steven Blane, Heart Attack Man

Welcome to another New Music Friday.  With our move coming up next weekend, we are scaling back for a couple of weeks.  We decided to post just our Monday Mashup and New Music Friday Get it or Forget it articles, so you won’t miss us too much.  Here are five albums that dropped today.

Artist Name:  Meg Williams

Album Name:  Take me as I am:  The Muscle Shoals Sessions

Label:  Nola Blue Records

Genre:  Blues Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Come on Over to Me; 2.  Tell Everybody; 3.  Shame; 4.  Little bit of the Devil; 5.  Played by the Blues; 6.  Sometimes I Need you, Too; 7.  Take me as I Am; 8.  What About Me?; 9.  Can’t Keep Waiting on You; 10.  I Feel a Heartache Coming; 11.  Make a Move; 12.  Take a Chance on my Love

Publicist:  Blind Raccoon

Review:  We reviewed her previous release back in January 2018, and fell in love with her sound, which has only gotten better since then.  It also earned her an LA Music Critic Award nomination for Best Blues Artist.  In addition, her skills on the guitar are second to none as she teaches her male counterparts how to play blues guitar, while her songwriting skills are head and shoulders above most of her peers.  Whether she’s rocking the blues or bringing you the traditional style, you will be enthralled from the first note to the last.  You can’t lose with this album, which is awesome from beginning to end, and which we bet you’ll be putting on repeat.

Recommendation:  Drop everything and go Get this one!

Artist Name:  Nate Currin

Album Name:  Ashes & Earth

Label:  Archaic Cannon Records

Genre:  Americana

Track Listing:  1.  Ramblin’ Man; 2.  Heart on the Run; 3.  Guilt and Grief; 4.  Wander til I Die; 5.  When I was Younger; 6.  Ashes & Earth; 7.  Desert Skies; 8.  Oklahoma; 9.  Flowers on her Grave; 10.  1979

Publicist:  Self-promoted

Review:  Nate Currin has always been an incredible voice in the indie music singer-songwriter community, but he has outdone himself on his latest release.  This one is raw and honest, and cuts to the bone.  These are songs from someone who has lived, and is unafraid to share that reality.  There is not a weak song on the album, whether it’s the heartbreaking truth of “Ramblin’ Man” or “Heart on the Run,” or the rock n’ roll goodness of “Wander til I Die,” Currin is truly the voice of this decade.  His goodness needs to be on display for all to hear.  We also love the vocal harmonies on “Ramblin’ Man,” “Desert Skies” and “Flowers on her Grave.”

Recommendation:  This one is a no-brainer.  Run out and Get it!

Artist Name:  L-space

Album Name:  Music for Megastructures

Label:  Last Night From Glasgow

Genre:  Electronic instrumental

Track Listing:  1.  [Transport] Approaching an Arcology; 2.  [Transport] The Slow Descent of a Cruise Ship Into Port; 3.  [Transport] Morning Traffic Overhead; 4.  [Transport] Lots of Colorful Lights at all Times of Day and Night; 5.  [Transport] Approaching a Megastructure; 6.  [Work] A Small man Waits While the Rain Sizzles on the Tarp; 7.  [Work] A Sleepy Robot Watches Over a Rarely-Used Car Park; 8.  [Work] The Captains of Industry and Their Interests Outside of Work; 9.  [Work] An Aspiring Actor Works as a Barrista Under Hallogen Lights; 10.  [Work] Free Body Augmentations – No Questions Asked or Answered; 11.  [Health]  Lives are Getting Longer; 12.  [Health]  Biology is so 21st Century; 13.  [Health]  Browsing the Latest Pharmaceuticals at the Hospital Drive Through; 14.  [Health]  Stopping for Neon Ice Cream; 15.  [Health]  Getting Sick and Being Cured; 16.  [Life]  A Brief Moment of Triumph After a Period of Alienation; 17.  [Life]  Gambling in Virtual Reality with Real Life Consequences; 18.  [Life]  A Sense of Unease Descends Upon the Bar; 19.  [Life]  Sitting in a Crowded Basement Watching Automations Approximate Music; 20.  [Life]  Waking up Bathed in the Light of Things you Can’t Afford

Publicist:  Self-promoted

Review:  This one is definitely not what we expected.  The music is other-worldly and perfect for use in movies and television.  These tracks would also work well for mixing house music.  They hit you from all sides and the song titles are so very pretentious.  Our advice is to ignore them and just listen to this album from start to finish and let the waves of musical energy wash over your body and mind, relaxing and refreshing them.  This one needs multiple listens.

Recommendation:  Truly worth of being in your collection.

Artist Name:  Steven Blane

Album Name:  I Walk Alone

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Hot AC/AAA/Jazz

Track Listing:  1,  Look Who’s Crying Now; 2.  Bottoms Up; 3.  Incredible; 4.  I Walk Alone; 5.  Don’t Know You; 6.  My Baby’s Coming Home; 7.  Brooklyn Bridge; 8.  Dressed in Blue; 9.  Walk by Me; 10.  Please; 11.  Sacred Chain

Publicist:  EMPKT PR

Review:  If you’ve always been impressed by the sound of Roy Orbison and Elvis Presley, then you will simply love the latest offering from Steven Blane.  He pulls out all the stops in this retro tribute to the sound of Orbison and Presley, featuring simple accompaniment and Blane’s hearty tenor sound.  In particular, the title track is an homage to Orbison’s “Pretty Woman.”  Blane also does some of his signature jazz sound on “Incredible” and his Americana sound on “Brooklyn Bridge.”

Recommendation:  This one would make a fine addition to your collection.

Artist Name:  Heart Attack Man

Album Name:  Fake Blood

Label:  You Did This/Triple Crown Records

Genre:  Indie Rock

Track Listing:  1,  Fake Blood; 2.  Blood Blister; 3.  Low Hanging Fruit; 4.  Out for Blood; 5.  Rats in a Bucket; 6.  Moths in a Lampshade; 7.  Cut my Losses; 8.  Crisis Actor; 9.  Asking for It; 10.  Sugar Coated; 11.  The Choking Game

Publicist:  Earshot Media

Review:  This hit this one hard with an edgy indie rock sound, well-crafted lyrics and excellent instrumentation that truly complements the overall sound.  This is a band that is different enough to stand out from its indie peers, and deserves industry attention, both from radio stations and music supervisors.  The title track sets the tone for the album, and it never lets up.

Recommendation:  Give these lads a chance.  We think they’ll win you over.