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.
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.
Happy Monday. We’ve reached our final Monday Mashup for January, and we’ve got some special treats for you today, including premieres of new singles from Lindsey Compton and Illicit Ghost. Let’s get this week off to a great start.
INDIE ARTISTS REIGN AT THE NAMM SHOW
Congrats to all the indie artists who performed during The NAMM Show last week. Thanks for keeping us in the loop with your performances, your photos and your memories. We loved living vicariously through your social media posts.
LINDSEY COMPTON DEBUTS NEW SINGLE
Budding superstar Lindsey Compton is dropping her new single, “Starstruck” today, and we have been chosen to premiere it here. For those who don’t know, Compton is fast becoming a force of nature. She is standing up for the rights of women and taking feminism to a whole new level. She believes women should express anything they choose – and she does it with a ‘do everything for the art’ attitude that expresses all that she is: sassy and witty, flirty and fun, inclusive and edgy, funky and above all else, fearless.
Click on the link above to check out the song. With “Starstruck,” Compton manages to achieve pop bliss by bringing the sounds of Hole, Ariana Grande, and Lykke Li together. The song starts off dark enough to make us believe she might be a grunge-era Queen, but by the time the chorus is repeating out it has become crystal clear that Compton is the new Princess of Pop.
ILLICIT GHOST DROPS FIRST SINGLE OF 2019
Brooklyn-based artist/producer/violinist Illicit Ghost also drops her latest single, “Parties by Myself,” today, a head-bobbing anti-social anthem, but beware, this one is quite explicit. She combines a remarkably raw vocal performance, dirty bass, hip hop machine drums and ominous synths with her signature aggressive violin sound. In her own words, “‘Parties by Myself’ is simply about not trying to fit in, not taking shit from anyone and doing what makes you happy,” says Illicit Ghost. “I think the new year is perfect timing for this message.” We couldn’t agree more.
The inspiration for the song came from an unlikely place. “I used to listen to Third Eye Blind’s ‘Semi-Charmed Life’ constantly when I was 12” explains Illicit Ghost. “I had a Third Eye Blind cassette that I was not allowed to listen to because it was about sex and drugs. But I loved that song so much that I got a small tape player and listened underneath my covers each night. At the time I didn’t understand what it was about at all, but I liked the feeling I got from it. I felt free. I wanted to make something that captured the same feeling.” We think she accomplished her goal.
NEW SINGLES
Our first single this week is from Fort Frances, who we introduced to you back in December 2016 when we reviewed their album Alio. Since then, they have been up to great things and their latest single is another masterpiece. Check out “Double Take.”
Our next single comes from Montreal’s L.A. Foster, and is a beautiful and intimate song called “Honestly.” We think it will soon become your own personal anthem.
Our third single is an upbeat fun tune called “Lonely Loving Me,” and comes to us via the UK’s Hockeysmith. This one has the R&B and electronic pop sound to get your week off to a great start.
Next is the debut single from Denver based R&B band Waxcat. Here is “Oceans.”
Our final single this week comes from the forthcoming album by Damon Mitchell, which will drop on March 2. Here is the title track, and we think it is definitely worthy of a listen. Can’t wait to hear the rest of the album.
NEW MUSIC VIDEOS
Our first video this week is from Blue Élan Records artist The Vegabonds, who we reviewed January 18 upon their release of V. This is one of the best cuts on the album, and we are proud to share “Best I Can” with you.
Our next video comes from recent LA Music Critic Awards winner Jordan Siwek. It is a heart-wrenching and touching video shot in New York City that perfectly captures the essence of his song “Lover and a Giver.” Break out the tissues.
Video number three is the latest from Valerio Lysander, who we reviewed last August. “Little People” is inspired by the 1st movement of Mozart’s Sonata in F major, K. 332, and should raise your cultural awareness for the week. Enjoy the beauty of this video.
Our next video is about coming to terms with who you are, and features the soulful voice of Aaron Sibley. Check out this powerful video for his song, “Falling Through.”
We close out this week with the amazing sound of We Three, who we reviewed last week. They have been on a tear ever since they competed on America’s Got Talent, and this video shows why. Check out their fans lip-syncing the band’s song “Your Lifeline.”
Track Listing: 1. Nothing Like Ever Before; 2. The Winds of Life; 3. Float Away; 4. Did I say we Were Something; 5. Have you Felt Like This Before; 6. One for you and I
Publicist: The A&R Department
Review: Using a sweet jazzy musical background, the voice of Klara Zubonja soars to the stratosphere on her latest offering, Eye to Eye. We introduced you to this amazing artist last month in our Ten Amazing Videos article, which featured her video for “The Winds of Life.” Every track on this six-song EP is breathtaking, and we love her creative genius as demonstrated in every aspect of her music, including the stunning cinematography in her music video. This artist is primed to invade The States, and we can’t wait until she does.
Track Listing: 1, Lifeline; 2. Timeless; 3. Hold On; 4. Heaven’s Not Too Far; 5. So They Say; 6. Makeup; 7. Fall for You; 8. Running; 9. Sweater Weather; 10. Testify; 11. Paradise; 12. Fairytale; 13. Heaven’s Not Too Far (radio edit)
Publicist: Effectively Immediately PR
Review: We Three came to national attention when they competed on America’s Got Talent and made it to the semi-final round. They performed four of the songs on their debut release during the competition, and released “Heaven’s Not Too Far” as their first single and “Lifeline” as their second. As always, harmonies are king for these siblings from Oregon, and they sound heavenly. Their sound is pure radio-friendly bliss, and we would not be surprised to see them as permanent additions to Top 40 radio. Their music would also be great for Radio Disney, and for placement opportunities in television and film. They have it all, and like their song says, their music will remain “Timeless.” There is not a weak track on this album, and we can’t wait to hear it again and again.
Recommendation: Drop everything and Get this one today!
Review: Sarah P. is a singer-songwriter/activist based in Berlin who believes in feminine power, and it shows in this masterful five-song EP. In addition to her amazing songwriting and vocals, she is also very hands-on in crafting the videos for her songs. She has just completed the video for “Lotus Eaters,” which follows her video for “Mneme.” The power of her songs truly comes through in those videos, and we strongly encourage you to check her out on YouTube. In the meantime, enjoy the power of the feminine mystique through her songs.
Recommendation: We highly recommend you Get this one.
Track Listing: 1. Bonobo; 2. Shit Talker; 3. Guns God & Pussy; 4. Air B n B in Arabi; 5. Big Ass Fish; 6. Strung out Again; 7. Don’t Want to Know Your Name; 8. Old School Jam 23; 9. Mr. Gatekeeper; 10. Old Men on Cocaine; 11. I Don’t Like Selfies; 12. Orange Julius Caesar; 13. Omar
Publicist: Royal Potato Family
Review: Mike Dillon does to jazz music what Henry Rollins did to rock and Lenny Bruce did to stand up comedy. His music is well done indeed, but his rants are extremely explicit and not appropriate for many. In many ways, this is a white man’s attempt to do rap music over intriguing beats, but his rants don’t have the poetic appeal of most rap artists. Despite the beautiful musical background, we think we’ll pass on the rants.
Recommendation: If you can enjoy the music while ignoring the rants, then you might like this one. Otherwise, just forget it.
Track Listing: 1. Buena; 2. Pain and Misery; 3. California; 4. Can’t Take no More; 5. Sin City
Publicist: Ed Donnelly
Review: Los Angeles has given birth to quite a few great Americana bands, and Little Silver Hearts are definitely in that bunch. They were nominated for LA Music Critic Awards for Best CD (Group) and Best Americana/Country Artist/Band back in 2016, and have been busy playing out since then. We welcome their return to recorded music with the release of the five-song California EP, and will continue to enjoy their alt country rocking Americana sound. Grab a beer and a shot and put this one on repeat.
Recommendation: This one is great for enjoying a round. Check it out.
