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Artists Worth Checking Out Best of 2018 Women in Entertainment

Forty best albums of 2018

What a year for indie music.  We received a boatload of review requests from around the world, and published reviews of nearly 1,000 CDs and EPs.  We culled through those we reviewed first to pick our nominations for the LA Music Critic Awards, and now to compile our list of the 40 Best CDs of 2018.

Due to the sheer volume, we only considered full-length projects for this list, but that doesn’t mean that quite a few of the EPs we reviewed weren’t also worthy of distinction.  We may yet put together another list of just EPs.

In the meantime, while we wait for the winners of the second half of 2018 for the LA Music Critic Awards to be announced tomorrow, here are our favorite CDs of 2018.  You can find their individual reviews by searching for them on our blog.

40.  Kate ReidThe Heart Already Knows

39.  Deb RyderEnjoy the Ride

38.  Jeffrey FoucaultWar on the Radio

37.  Katie HerzigMoment of Bliss

36.  Eric Tingstad – Electric Spirit

35.  Fanny Walked the Earth – self-titled

34.  Wily Bo WalkerAlmost Transparent Blues

33.  Buddy GuyThe Blues is Alive and Well

32.  Walt WeiskopfEuropean Quartet

31.  Mindi Abair & the BoneshakersAll I Got for Christmas is the Blues

30.  YYNOT – self-titled

29.  Peter V Blues Band Shaken but not Deterred

28.  Delta MoonBabylon is Falling

27.  The TextonesOld Stone Gang

26.  Ronny MorrisSweet Silence

25.  Sydney WrightSeiche

24.  GleesonThe Years Have It

23.  Colin DevlinHigh Point

22.  EverlastDon’t Complain

21.  ZsuzsikaStart Again

20.  Michael PetersonFrom Here to Eternity

19.  K. Michelle DuboisAutumn

18.    Broken BellowsI, Kaleidoscope

17.  Rachel SageMyopia

16.  Janiva MagnessLove is an Army

15.  John Flanagan TrioHonest Man

14.  Lee Ainley’s Blues StormShoot me Down

13.  FloodsBad Times

12.  Frank Hannon (From One Place . . . to Another, vols 1 and 2)

11.  Keith HarkinIn the Round

10.  Southern HaloJust Like in the Movies

9.  Cindy Alexander – Nowhere to Hide

8.  Kari KimmelGold & Glitter

7.  Hymn for HerPop-n-Downers

6.  Jordan Siwek Sun Inside You

5.  Slim GambillFake Jazz

4.  Gina SiciliaHeard the Lie

3.  Birds and ArrowsArbitrary Magic

2.  Brigitte Rios PurdyStill I Rise

and the Best Album of 2018 goes to

Norway Reloaded – My Longest Mile

 

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

Get it or forget it – Spurv, Alex Riddle, Deb Ryder, Paul McDonald, Nils Frahm

We hope you all had a wonderful Independence Day.  We hiked the Rattlesnake, and just relaxed.  It was a beautiful day, and we are so thankful we have such great music to return to.  Here are our next five artists for your consideration.

Artist NameSpurv

Album Name Myra

Label:  Fysisk Format

Genre:  Instrumental Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Et Løfte I Fall; 2.  Og Ny Skag Bæres Frem; 3.  Fra Dypet Under Stenen; 4.  Hviler Bekkenes Sang; 5.  Et Blekt Lys Lyder; 6.  Fra Myrtemplet; 7.  Den Gamles Stemme Brister; 8.  Alting Får Sin Ende, Også Natten

Publicist:  Viral Propaganda PR

Review:  Norway continues to rock our world with the latest from Spurv.  This amazing collection of cinematic and sweeping rock instrumentals will color your world with sound.  Music has no language barrier, and these well-crafted songs will fill your ears with the beauty of rock music done right.  The melodies create a sweeping visual and are ripe for placement opportunities in film and television.  This one belongs on repeat because it will take numerous listens to hear all the nuances of the guitars and drums that are contained in these songs.

Recommendation:  You must Get this one – it will provide hours of inspiration.

Artist Name Alex Riddle

Album NameSnow White

Label: Breakaway Records

Genre:  Singer-songwriter Pop/Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Snow White; 2.  Hosting Ghosts; 3.  The Sway; 4.  Miriam (live); 5.  Scout (live); 6.  Truth Fairy (live)

Publicist:  Far Digital PR

Review:  Houston, Texas based singer-songwriter Alex Riddle has amazing vocals which soar in and out of falsetto as he shares the lyrics of these well-crafted tunes.  The mixture of studio and live recordings sets this artist apart from his peers, and gives both an example of what he can do in the studio as well as a taste of what his live performances are like.  His opening number, which is the title track, soars high and is getting a lot of attention from both the public and critics alike.  We think this young man has a lot to offer and look forward to many more amazing albums from him in the future.

Recommendation:  You should definitely Get this one and add it to your favorites.

Artist NameDeb Ryder

Album NameEnjoy the Ride

Label:  VizzTone

Genre:  Blues

Track Listing:  1.  A Storm’s Comming; 2.  Temporary Insanity; 3.  Bring the Walls Down; 4.  Nothin to Lose; 5.  For the Last Time; 6.  What You Want From Me; 7.  Enjoy the Ride; 8.  Got to let it Go; 9.  Life Fast Forward; 10.  Sweet Sweet Love; 11.  Goodbye Baby; 12.  Forever Yours; 13.  Red Line

Publicist:  ABIK Radio Promotions

Review:  Deb Ryder is riding the blues charts with her hard-hitting blues guitar and a sound very reminiscent of Bonnie Raitt.  Her strong and gritty voice is the perfect complement to her intricate and exciting blues guitar, and her songs will leave a lasting impression on your  senses.  We plead “Temporary Insanity” because we love her “Nothin to Lose” style which truly “Brings the Walls Down.”  We have nothing but “Sweet Sweet Love” for Ryder’s music, and we are truly “Forever Yours.”  As we say “Goodbye Baby,” we strongly encourage you to “Enjoy the Ride.”

Recommendation:  This one is a no-brainer – you simply MUST Get this one!

Artist NamePaul McDonald

Album Name:  Modern Hearts

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Singer-Songwriter Pop/Rock

Track Listing:  1.  New Lovers; 2.  Hold On; 3.  Wildcard; 4.  Call on Me; 5.  Modern Hearts; 6.  How Long?; 7.  So Much Better; 8.  Once You Were Mine; 9.  Tell me Something; 10.  Come On; 11.  Caging a Songbird; 12.  Stay Home; 13.  Always on my Mind; 14.  I Ain’t Good

Publicist:  Right Angle PR

Review:  Paul McDonald has a very unique voice that is reminiscent of Bob Dylan, with a very strong pop/rock vibe.  They soar on the wings of the incredible band he has assembled for the project, and never let you down.  These songs belong on the radio, and would do quite well in a Top 40 format.    We hear potential hits in many of these songs, especially “Hold On,” “Wildcard,” “Call on Me,” “How Long?,” “Once you Were Mine” (which reminds us of some of the best Van Morrison hits), and “I Ain’t Good.”

Recommendation:  You simply need this one in your library.  Get it today!

Artist NameNils Frahm

Album NameEncores 1

Label:  Erased Tapes Records

Genre:  Instrumental

Track Listing:  1.  The Roughest Trade; 2.  Ringing; 3.  To Thomas; 4.  The Dane; 5.  Harmonium in the Well

Publicist:  Worldwide Friendly Society Communications

Review:  Acoustic, soothing, harmonious, uplifting – these words and more describe the music of Nils Frahm on his latest outing.  You can almost feel the tension in  your body float away as you sit back and relax to these soothing sounds.  The piano is just perfect for this type of meditative media, and we think that every chiropractor and massage therapist should have this album in their catalog.  Make sure you give yourself enough time to fully wake up after listening, because we are sure you will want to stay in a blissful state for quite a while,

Recommendation:  If  you love instrumental music, and music for relaxation, then this is the perfect addition to your library.  But beware, large doses will encourage a long nap.