Tag: Eden Espinosa

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Artists Worth Checking Out Hollywood Fringe Festival indie music Monday Mashup Women in Entertainment

Monday mashup 2019: vol. 15

Happy tax day!  Two weeks from today we’ll be in Los Angeles to begin rehearsals for my solo show, Livin’ the Dream (a journalistic journey).  We open on June 7 at studio/stage in Hollywood, and will be doing five performances during the month of June.  If you believe in the arts, and want to help us put on this show, please visit our fundraiser page at GoFundMe and donate.  Thanks.

We are also making our final preparations for the third annual LA Music Critic Award Winners Showcase on June 18 at The Mint LA.  Tickets are on sale now at the venue website, as well as through PayPal.  If you want to purchase tickets through PayPal, use lamusiccritic@yahoo.com as the payee and indicate how many tickets you want.  The cost is just $10 per ticket.  Please help us showcase these amazing indie artists and raise funds for the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund.

NEW SINGLES

Our first single this week comes from LA Music Critic Award winning country trio Southern Halo, who has been featured on numerous occasions in this blog.  We simply love their new single, which truly sets the stage for summer.  Give it up for these three young ladies, who are bringing us the “Sunshine.”

Next up is a band from Stockholm that will put you in a party mood, even though the words are nothing to laugh about.  The sound is so infectious and upbeat that you will enjoy it, even though it’s about sadness.  Check out “Cryin’ (such a disgrace)” from Delsbo Beach Club.

Our third single is the title track to the new album by Field Guide.  It’s called “Full Time,” and we think it demonstrates that this artist is ready for prime time.  We love the accompaniment and the honesty and integrity of the lyrics.  Enjoy it.

https://soundcloud.com/user-574887665/full-time-master

Next up is the sweet simple acoustic stylings of Hong Kong born singer-songwriter Allman Brown.  This artist has a perfect radio-friendly sound and we think he is on his way to the top of the charts.  Check out his single, “Lonely Hearts, Los Angeles,” and you’ll see what we mean.

Our final single this week is from the ever-impressive Jess Ribeiro, who consistently delivers quality music.  This is from her recently released album LOVE HATE, and describes her love/hate relationship with “Dylan.”  We’re sure you can relate.

NEW MUSIC VIDEOS

Our first video this week comes from Broadway legend Eden Espinosa (Wicked), and is an incredible video for her single “Bed for 2.”  Her voice is electric and her songwriting is some of the best we have heard this year.  Enjoy this one – we think she’ll be riding the top of the charts in no time.

We think our next video, “Ring Ring” will definitely get you up and ready for the dance floor.  We love the sound of Nikki Paige, and were impressed that she has been a paid songwriter since the age of 11!  Let us know what you think about her.

Our next video is a well-shot film for the latest from Taveeta, “Chasing Feelings.”  She has an amazing voice and and hip-hop/R&B sense of style to her sound.

Our next video is the perfect segue and features R&B artist Àkin.  Check out the smooth sound of “Green Light,” with just the right amount of reggae goodness to take it over the top.

We close out this week with a beautiful remake of the classic Minnie Ripperton song “Loving You.”  We think T’Melle has the perfect voice for the song, and captures it perfectly.

 

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

Get it or forget it – Woman’s Hour, Nominjin, Bony Macaroni, Leslie Becker, Eden Espinosa

Happy Wednesday – it’s our longest day, and we’re thankful to have such delicious music to wile away the hours.  We hope you continue to enjoy our reviews, and we’ll keep bring them unless you tell us to stop.  Sit back and enjoy these next five artists.

EDITOR’S NOTE:  Although started on Wednesday, this article is being completed on Thursday.

Artist Name:  Woman’s Hour

Album Name:  Ephyra

Label:  Practise Music

Genre:  Indie

Track Listing:  1.  Don’t Speak; 2.  From Eden to Exile Then Into Dust; 3.  I Can’t Take you Seriously; 4.  Luke; 5.  Mirrorball; 6.  Heathen; 7.  It’s a Blast; 8.  Removal of Hope

Publicist:  Practise Music

Review:  We introduced them to you back in February when we featured their single “Luke.”  This amazing London-based trio is a band in flux, having already broken up once, and their future remains in doubt.  What’s not in doubt is the legacy they have left with their amazing music, a dreamy and delicious mix of pop, ambient, electronic and other elements of indie music.  You will not soon forget their sound, regardless of whether or not this is their swan song.  Listen to every track a few times and you will discover exquisite nuances each time.  This one is truly special.

Recommendation:  Definitely add this one to your collection.

Artist Name:  Nominjin

Album Name:  Free Soul

Label:  Radonai Records

Genre:  R&B

Track Listing:  1.  Kiss me at Midnight; 2.  Eternal Romance; 3.  If They Knew You; 4.  Woman Like Me

Publicist:  EMPKT PR

Review:  We introduced this Mongolian princess to you back in January when we featured “Kiss me at Midnight” in our Ten Great Singles from December, which went on to become a smash hit for her in Europe.  We are so happy to be able to bring you three more great songs from her.  The EP kicks off with “Kiss Me,” which will compel you to hit the dance floor, with the sound that combines the best of Bollywood and American disco.  The mood changes on “Eternal Romance,” which is a slow and sexy R&B song that will leave you in heat.  “If They Knew You” is likewise a smooth jam that is more on the jazzy side of the house, but no less incredible.  The EP closes with the upbeat “Woman Like Me,” and leaves us with hope that this phenomenon will continue.

Recommendation:  Go Get it.

Artist Name:  Bony Macaroni

Album Name:  Bony Macaroni

Label:  BERT Music

Genre:  Punk

Track Listing:  1.  Piece of Shit; 2.  Doom; 3.  Bony the Philosopher; 4.  France; 5.  Stranger Feeling

Publicist:  TCBYML

Review:  As soon as the first song started playing, I had to look again because it almost sounded like Flogging Molly, with a touch of Fun. thrown in for good measure. The Dutch punk band Bony Macaroni has obviously been heavily influenced by those bands, and it permeates every song on this amazing EP, which breathes new life into the punk genre, allowing it to cross genres and become more appealing to a larger cross-section of the music-loving public.  They totally shift gears on the third and fourth tracks, and sound closer to the Plain White Ts and/or Snow Patrol.  Other than the occasional explicit language, this one would be a fun additional at work.

Recommendation:  This one is worthy of your collection.

Artist Name:  Leslie Becker

Album Name:  Taboo

Label:  AP Music Group

Genre:  AAA/Adult Contemporary

Track Listing:  1.  Taboo; 2.  Slow Burn; 3.  Confidential; 4.  I Don’t See You; 5.  More Than All You Got

Publicist:  Crawford Promo

Review:  Leslie Becker is what they call a Triple Threat – she can act, sing and dance, and has done so on and off stage.  Her first single, “Slow Burn,” made it to #4 on the Billboard Hot AC Charts, and just a casual listen will have you hooked.  The songs are short and sweet but pack plenty of punch, especially “Confidential.”  “I Don’t See You” is an anthemic ballad that would be a great fit as a placement in film or television.  She saves the best for last, and her final track is radio friendly and commercially viable.  What a rocking way to end the EP.  Can’t wait for the next one.

Recommendation:  Definitely worthy of your attention.

Artist Name:  Eden Espinosa

Album Name:  Revelation

Label:  Borderlight Entertainment, Inc.

Genre:  Pop

Track Listing:  1.  Deadly Sin; 2.  Easy; 3.  Master of my Life; 4.  Bed for 2; 5.  Superman; 6.  The Answer; 7.  Ready; 8.  Keep On; 9.  The Night; 10.  Fireworks & Stars

Publicist:  Crawford Promo

Review:  While you may not recognize the name, you have definitely heard Eden Espinosa, who played the green-skinned witch Elphaba in the Broadway show, Wicked, taking over for Idina Menzel for the Los Angeles and San Francisco runs.  Her vocals are incredible and her musical style is radio-friendly pop.  In addition to her multitude of amazing roles on Broadway, she could be a huge pop star as well.  At any rate, this collection also shows her creative side, as she wrote eight of the ten songs on this, her sophomore album.  We simply can’t get enough of her voice and her musical style, and will be  playing Revelation on repeat for the next few days.

Recommendation:  Drop everything and go Get this one – it just might help you when you try “Defying Gravity.”