Tag: Afterglow

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

Get it or forget it – Soviet Shiksa, Strunz and Farah, Kate Reid, Yamaneko, Katmaz

Happy Thursday – hope  your week has been going well as we close in on another weekend.  Here are five more artists to check out while you wait.

Artist Name:  Soviet Shiksa

Album Name:  Songs About Sex, Death and God:  Pt II

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Gothic Americana

Track Listing:  1.  Goodnight; 2.  Venge; 3.  Dolores; 4.  Island; 5.  Rise; 6.  Zeal

Publicist:  Neoteric Nashville

Review:  Soviet Shiksa has a completely different sound that incorporates heavy guitar and a gothic feel with an Americana vibe, resulting in high energy music that is also reminiscent of post-punk.  This is the second part of their three-part EP series on Songs About Sex, Death and God.  According to their website, their sound is inspired by late night horror films, and we can definitely tell that from the lyrical content and the overall vibe.  Our favorite track is “Zeal,” with an amazing trumpet on top of spectacular guitar and a bluesy feel.  Regardless, it is a most worthy effort, and we look forward to part 3.

Recommendation:  Definitely give this one a spin.

Artist Name:  Strunz & Farah

Album Name:  Tales of Two Guitars

Label:  Selva

Genre:  Instrumental World Music

Track Listing:  1.  Butterfly’s Wing; 2.  Bolero #3; 3.  El Regalito; 4.  Peaks of Alborz; 5.  Vision Vine; 6.  Aire Carineño; 7.  Cirrus; 8.  Firoozeh; 9.  Two Moods; 10.  En los Montes; 11.  Clavo y Canela; 12.  Vals Tico; 13.  Carara

Publicist:  Guitarz Forever

Review:  If  you love the sound of the Gipsy Kings, then you will simply love Strunz & Farah.  They are two virtuoso guitar players and the variety of styles will truly amaze you.  Their music is heavily influenced by Latin and Middle Eastern  cultures and has a strong jazz feel.  From the frantic strumming on “Butterfly’s Wings,” the album just takes off, and is one of the best albums we have heard this year.

Recommendation:  Don’t think twice – Get this one today!

Artist Name:  Kate Reid

Album Name:  The Heart Already Knows

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Jazz

Track Listing:  1.  Something to Live For (ft Paul Meyers); 2.  Confessin’ (ft Larry Koonse); 3.  No More (ft Fred Hersch); 4.  Two Grey Rooms (ft Larry Koonse); 5.  Endless Stars (ft Romero Lubambo); 6.  Busy Being Blue (ft Taylor Eigsti); 7.  I’m Just a Lucky So and So (ft Paul Meyers); 8.  Secret o’ Life (ft Taylor Eigsti); 9.  If I Should Love You (ft Fred Hersch); 10.  Minds of Their Own (ft Romero Lubambo); 11.  Lazin’ Around (ft Fred Hersch)

Publicist:  Mouthpiece Music

Review:  The Heart Already Knows is a collection of duets with some of the finest guitarists and pianists in the world.  Kate Reid is an accomplished pianist in her own right, and her smoky, sexy voice is the perfect vehicle to convey this amazing group of jazz standards, original compositions and pop tunes.  Her scatting seems so natural, and she brings life to these songs with just her vocal abilities.  It doesn’t hurt that her accompanists are some of the best in the business, resulting in a jazz masterpiece.

Recommendation:  Definitely get this one if you love jazz.

Artist Name:  Yamaneko

Album Name:  Afterglow

Label:  Local Action Records

Genre:  Electronic Ambient

Track Listing:  1.  Afterglow; 2.  Second Encounter; 3.  Oslo House Sunrise 4K; 4.  Unreachable Feeling; 5.  Hydrokinesis

Publicist:  Worldwide Friendly Society

Review:  Yamaneko is a London-based producer who mixes electronic and ambient sound into a truly original musical form.  The music is so soothing that you will want to put it on whenever you need to relax or meditate.  Every song will soon become a favorite, and would also provide a perfect soundtrack in combination with your photos.  Give this one a listen, it is definitely worth it.

Recommendation:  Definitely Get this one!

Artist Name:  Katmaz

Album Name:  Tremolo Love

Label:  Nordic Records//PaintedBlack

Genre:  Indie Pop/Rock

Track Listing:  1.  One More; 2.  Tremolo Love; 3.  Don’t Change; 4.  Hello; 5.  Each Other

Publicist:  Nordic Records

Review:  If you are a fan of the TV show Empire, you know that after his near-death experience, Lucius Lyon (played by Terrence Howard) could “see” music instead of just hearing it.  That is the experience the listener receives from this new EP by Katmaz, a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who brings his songs to life in such a cinematic and dramatic way that you can visually “see” the music.  Music Supervisors need to take immediate notice of this amazing artist, whose songs would be perfect for placement in television, film and commercials.  These songs also have potential for radio airplay.

Recommendation:  Get up and Get this one NOW!

 

 

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

Get it or forget it – King Washington, Sara Petite, The Wild Now

We are really excited about this edition of Get it or Forget it.  We get to review new material from a rising Los Angeles band, a new album from an old favorite, and introduce you to a new band that we think is going to be huge.  All three albums are also being released on the same date, May 19.  So grab your coffee and sit back as we review these three albums for you.

Artist Name:  King Washington

Album Name:  Potential

Label:  The End Records

Genre:  Indie Rock

Track Listing:  1.  My Reflection; 2.  Superman; 3.  Interval; 4.  Evelyn; 5.  Love be Gone; 6.  Hey Boy; 7.  Nowhere’s Hard to Find; 8.  I Wouldn’t Laugh About It; 9.  The Other side; 10.  Be Where you Belong; 11. The Great Disguise; 12.  Interlude; 13.  New Meaning; 14.  Climb out the Valley

Publicist:  The End Records PR

Review:  From the first notes of “My Reflection,” King Washington reminds us why they have been designated as one of the best live acts by LA Weekly.  The vocal harmonies hit you right off, with a driving beat that propels you into musical nirvana and force your feet to get up and dance.  King Washington forges its own sound from the influences of the masters, like the Beatles, CSN and the Talking Heads.  Their music is uniquely California while still being universal.  The second track, “Superman,” is their latest single, and we think it was a wise choice.  They have also released music videos for those first two tracks, which we previously shared in our Monday Mashup series.  This is definitely an album you want to listen to from start to finish.  Best songs include “My Reflection,” “Superman,” “Love be Gone,” “Hey Boy” (which sounds a lot like CSN), “Nowhere’s Hard to Find,” “The Other Side,” and “Be Where you Belong,” while “The Great Disguise” also shows great promise as a future single.

Recommendation:  We think that the album title is very apropos for this band.  They have always had ‘potential,’ and this album just shows the accomplishment of that potential.  We strongly recommend that you Get It as soon as it goes on sale on May 19.  You might want to pre-order it now to ensure you don’t miss out.

Artist Name:  Sara Petite

Album Name:  Road Less Traveled

Label:  Self-released

Genre:   Country/Americana

Track Listing:  1.  Road Less Traveled; 2.  It was Just a Kiss; 3.  Blackbird; 4.  Getting Over You; 5.  You Don’t Care at All; 6.  Patchwork Quilt; 7.  Good 2 B Me; 8.  Sweet Pea Blues; 9.  Monkey on my Back; 10.  I Will Rise; 11.  Sweet Pea Patch; 12.  Road Less Traveled Reprise 

Publicist:  KG Music Press

Review:  Back in 2010, we feared that we had heard the last of Sara Petite after she released her third album.  She had just graduated from college and was headed down the corporate path.  But fate intervened with the death of her partner, and music provided the only path for her to deal with this.  We are happy to see her return to her musical roots, and she has compiled an extensive musical library since then to convince her that she has a career in music.  Road Less Traveled is her fifth studio album, and it firmly sets Petite within the musical elite of country music.  She is obviously greatly influenced by classic country, which permeates the album from start to finish.  Her lyrics cut deep as she uses her music to talk about life, including brutally honest songs about love and heartache.  Her pure voice provides the perfect conduit for these songs to grab hold of the listener and implant her truth deep within.  Best tracks include “Blackbird,” “Getting Over You” (her first single), “You Don’t Care at All,” “Good 2 B Me” (with its Tom Petty feel), “Sweet Pea Blues,” and “I Will Rise.”

Recommendation:  We are happy to recommend this album, which is surely one of the best country albums of 2017.  The Academy should stand up and take notice that Sara Petite is back, stronger than ever.  You should definitely Get It as soon as it is available.

Artist Name:  The Wild Now

Album Name:  Afterglow

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Indie Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Afterglow; 2.  Run for Your Life; 3.  Spinning; 4.  Troubled Paradise; 5.  Tongue Tied

Publicist:  Noisy Ghost PR

Review:  Composed of Taylor Baker and Drew Walker, this Austin-based duo create music that is upbeat, real and life-changing.  The musical background creates the perfect foundation for the rising vocals of Baker, which create an atmosphere of audio perfection.  The lyrics are thought-provoking and the total package is worthy of a much broader market.  These guys are better than the majority of what you hear on commercial radio today, and deserve their chance to spread their music to the world.  “Afterglow” is a rousing number that kicks the EP off to a glorious start, and foreshadows the taste of things to come.  All five tracks could easily reach the top of the pop charts, and we strongly encourage Programming Directors to add The Wild Now to their regular rotation.

Recommendation:  Definitely Get It as soon as it is available.  We strongly encourage you to follow these guys on all social media platforms and hop on board now.  They are definitely going places.