Wow, the race for the LA Music Critic Award 2018-2 Fan Favorite has come to a close, and the final results may surprise you when they are revealed next Friday, along with the rest of the winners for the second half of 2018. Next week we will also reveal our favorite albums of 2018 and our final Monday Mashup, as well as our Ten Great Singles and Ten Amazing Videos released in December. It’s going to start the new year off with an indie bang, so make sure you catch every article by subscribing to our blog. In the meantime, here are our final reviews for 2018.
Artist Name: Head Honchos
Album Name: Bring it on Home
Label: Self-released
Genre: Blues Rock
Track Listing: 1. Not for Me; 2. Old and Tired; 3. Work; 4. Come Strong; 5. Next to You; 6. Mean old World; 7. Fire on the Bayou; 8. Lucky’s Train’ 9. Whiskey Devil; 10. That Driving Beat; 11. 99 1-2 Won’t Do; 12. Going Down; 13. Soul Free
Publicist: Doug Deutsch Publicity Services
Review: The blues are a dynamic art form, and when they are rocking they are even better. Head Honchos truly deliver on both accounts in their latest release, Bring it on Home, with 13 outstanding blues rock tracks. Every one is worthy of attention, making these songs perfect for radio airplay and placement consideration for television and film. The blues guitar will grab your attention while the smoky vocals will keep your toes tapping and your ears on full alert. This one belongs on repeat. Even though it was released back in July, we think it will become a timeless part of your collection.
Recommendation: Definitely Get this one if you love a rocking blues beat.
Artist Name: Ben Rice
Album Name: Wish the World Away
Label: Self-released
Genre: Roots/Americana
Track Listing: 1. Dirt Road Home; 2. Peace will Overcome; 3. Retreat; 4. Mojo Hand; 5. Wish the World Away; 6. The One That Got Away; 7. Hard Times; 8. If you Ever Change Your Mind; 9. Higher Ground; 10. Run Around; 11. Oh Lord; 12. Get There; 13. Don’t Worry Mama
Publicist: ABIK Radio Promotions
Review: Although this album was likewise released back in July, it is still on the major roots charts, and was #9 on the Roots Music Report released on December 22. This album is down home roots, from the resonator guitar to the foot tambourine to the soulful vocals and folky lyrics. He has strong lyrical content, with such on point songs as “Peace will Overcome.” Other songs we loved include the soulful country pop tune “Retreat,” the delta blues sound of “Mojo Hand,” the amazing duet “Wish the World Away,” the bluesy “Hard Times,” the remarkable reworked cover of Stevie Wonder‘s hit “Higher Ground,” the harmonica laced “Run Around,” and the driving “Get There.”
Recommendation: Run out and Get this one! It is becoming a classic!
Artist Name: Americana Kitchen
Album Name: Come and Get it
Label: Junk Records
Genre: Music Compilation (various genres)
Track Listing: Side 1: 1. Hard Love (ver 1); 2. New World; 3. You Better Think Twice (ver 1); 4. Blood of the Blues (ver 1); 5. Run Little Red; 6. In Real Life; 7. Living Out Loud (ver 1); 8. The Christmas Song (ver 1); 9. Catch That Train (ver 2); 10. Blood of the Blues (ver 3); Side 2: 1. All Dressed Up; 2. Hard Love (ver 2); 3. Living Out Loud (ver 2); 4. Just Fine for Now; 5. The Christmas Song (ver 2); 6. So Tired of Running; 7. You Better Think Twice (ver 2); 8. Jesus, I’ve Got a Friend in You; 9. Catch That Train (ver 1); 10. Blood of the Blues (ver 2)
Publicist: Doug Deutsch Publicity Services
Review: Danny Johnson wrote all of the songs on this amazing compilation that features “the best local musicians in San Gabriel Valley and Los Angeles,” according to the album’s cover. Johnson brought these musicians together to explore different sounds for his songs, two of which we previously shared with you in last week’s Monday Mashup. “Hard Love,” “Better Think Twice,” “Living out Loud,” “The Christmas Song,” and “Catch That Train” are featured twice while “Blood of the Blues” has three different versions. The remaining seven songs are each featured once. There are a myriad of musical styles represented, ranging from Pop Rock, Cabaret Jazz, Funk and R&B to to Modern Jazz, Broadway, Blues, Bluegrass and Rock ‘n Roll. These resulting 20 songs show that Johnson is a prolific writer who sounds great in any genre. Our favorites include “Blood of the Blues” (ver 1), “In Real Life,” “Living out Loud” (ver 1), “Catch That Train (both versions), “All Dressed Up,” “Hard Love” (ver 2), and “So Tired of Running.”
Recommendation: Definitely Get this one. It has something for everyone.
Artist Name: Scarlett Taylor
Album Name: Crystal Poles
Label: Self-released
Genre: Alt Pop
Track Listing: 1. Crystal Poles; 2. Lakehouse; 3. July 2nd; 4. Independent; 5. Left him at the Party
Publicist: Self-promoted
Review: We discovered this amazing artist back in 2016 when we reviewed her second album Churches. We reviewed her again in 2017 when she released her EP III, and featured her music video for “I Can Fly” (from III) in our third Monday Mashup of this year. Hard to believe she’s only 21 and already has recorded two albums and three EPs since turning 18. She continues to blossom with each subsequent project, and still has not reached her potential. As we previously pointed out, her music is dark but still pop, and worthy of consideration for placements in television and movies, although her lyrics this time around are more explicit than they have been in the past. We still love them, as they are the perfect complement to our current collection.
Recommendation: This artist continues to mature and deliver powerful songs. We highly recommend adding her to your collection.
Artist Name: SKAND
Album Name: DIVE
Label: Self-released
Genre: Pop
Track Listing: 1. Stuck on the Floor; 2. Shake me Up; 3. Peaceful Love; 4. Cycle Cycle; 5. Down to my River; 6. Have you Play with Me (live)
Publicist: Self-promoted
Review: This dynamic duo has amazing harmonies that lift these well-crafted songs into the pop stratosphere. The songs have a classic rock sound underlying the soaring vocals, with lyrics that tell a story about the various cycles of our lives. The songs stand on their own but taken as a concept, they each tell a portion of the story, enticing the listener to pay attention to each individual track. This one is going to take numerous listens to capture all the nuances of their lyrics and their spectacular vocals.
Recommendation: Don’t miss this one – this duo is definitely going places!