So much music, so little time. Yesterday’s reviews were so much fun to write and we can’t wait to share today’s five eclectic artists with you. Here we go . . .
Artist Name: Moist (ft Maria Marcus)
Album Name: Lavine
Label: I/O Music
Genre: Electronic
Track Listing: 1. Saga; 2. Traces; 3. Stars; 4. Firefly; 5. Words; 6. Berlin; 7. Cold; 8. Worlds Collide; 9. She; 10. No One Knows
Publicist: Shameless Promotion
Review: David Elfström Lilja is a producer, artist and remixer who goes by the moniker Moist. On his sophomore release he has joined forces with singer-songwriter Maria Marcus to create this incredibly dreamy mix. What makes his songs unique is that they are perfect for active listening and meditation, as well as ambient background music. The hauntingly sweet voice of Marcus brings these electronic sounds to life, making the songs radio friendly as well as perfect candidates for placement in film and television. There is so much good stuff on this album you will want to listen to it again and again.
Recommendation: You simply must add this one to your collection. Go out and Get it.
Artist Name: The Hots
Album Name: The Hots
Label: Marshmallow Pavement Records
Genre: Hard Rock
Track Listing: 1. Please Me; 2. Before You; 3. Shame the Devil; 4. Nice Boys
Publicist: The A&R Department
Review: Australian transplants Foxie Kelly (vocals) and Ronnie Simmons (guitar) aka The Hots bring a sound reminiscent of such bands as Divinyls, Joan Jet and the Runaways. They have set the bar high on their debut EP, and we expect great things from this dynamic duo. Featuring the blistering guitar riffs of Simmons and the soaring vocals of Kelly, The Hots deliver a rocking good time and deserve extensive airplay from such stalwarts as KROQ and other progressive radio stations for both “Please Me” and their debut single, “Before You.” We bet their live show is just as entertaining and high energy.
Recommendation: Get on this train early. This band is about to hit the big time, and you need to go Get their EP now!
Artist Name: Amina
Album Name: Anacord
Label: Self-released
Genre: Experimental Rock
Track Listing: 1. Intro; 2. Regular Haunts; 3. Across the Wasteland; 4. Swamp Around; 5. Caprichos; 6. Mujer; 7. Jinni; 8. Connabalize; 9. Bad Spirits; 10. (It’s Happening); 11. New de Lune; 12. Under my Eyes . . . ; 13. Bloody Rag
Publicist: Self-promoted
Review: Amina is not only a musician but an artist as well who has showcased his paintings in such cities as Seattle and his home base of Los Angeles. In fact, the cover art is part of his collection of paintings entitled “Far Far Away.” His voice is raw and reflective of the experimental rock soundtrack he uses to convey his message. While not radio friendly, his music could find placement in film or television, or even the next iPhone commercial. It is as unique as he is, and we hope that the world will stand up and take notice of this very eclectic musician.
Recommendation: Definitely worth checking out.
Artist Name: Bad Columbus
Album Name: More UNABASHED Rock from Bad Columbus
Label: Self-released
Genre: Rock
Track Listing: 1. Wyalusing; 2. Benihana; 3. I’ve Never Played This Version of Cards Before (Even the Stars); 4. Asian!; 5. Cooler by the Lake
Publicist: Self-promoted
Review: Wisconsin based band Bad Columbus are a group of friends from Illinois that are college seniors at Northland College. Their music mixes elements of punk and ska into their rock and roll, creating a unique blend and sound that is uniquely theirs. Best tracks include “Wyalusing” and “Cooler by the Lake.”
Recommendation: Check them out.
Artist Name: Defanico
Album Name: In the Realm of Possibilities
Label: Etna Recordings
Genre: Rock/Electronica
Track Listing: 1. Caravans; 2. No Horizons; 3. Integrity; 4. Light Side of the Sun; 5. Man from Another World; 6. Someday We’ll Know; 7. Theta; 8. Fuego Interior
Publicist: Self-promoted
Review: We introduced you to this artist back in September when we featured his video for “You Make me Feel,” which featured the amazing voice of Avanti, in our August edition of Ten Amazing Videos. The album hits the ground running with “Caravans” and “No Horizons,” and continues to shine and impress the deeper into the album the listener delves. The sound starts off as pure prog rock before seguing into a more rave/electronic sound on “Integrity,” and is truly worthy of radio airplay, especially “Light Side of the Sun,” which brings back memories of some of the great songs of ELO.
Recommendation: Worthy of your consideration. Get it.