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

Get it or forget it – Mantell, Whispering Sons, Elkka, Viva Death, Polly Panic

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and are surviving Black Friday.  Here are five more artists and releases to check out to keep you going through this stressful holiday shopping season.

Artist NameMantell

Album NameThirty-Two

Label:  Marshmallow Pavement Records

Genre:  Indie Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Lulu; 2.  In the Sun; 3.  For Something Else; 4.  Read my Mind; 5.  The City

Publicist:  The A&R Department

Review:  We do love our Australian indie artists, and Mantell is another one of them.  We featured their lead single, “Lulu,” in our Ten Great Singles of September article, and are very happy for the chance to review the entire EP.  We love their indie rock vibe, and think they would do quite well on American radio, especially on the college circuit.  The vocals are haunting and the accompaniment is spot on.  This one will get under your skin and never let go, so give in to the temptation and embrace it.

Recommendation:  Definitely Get it.

Artist NameWhispering Sons

Album Name Image

Label:  Cleopatra Records

Genre:  Post-punk

Track Listing:  1.  Stalemate; 2.  Got a Light; 3.  Alone; 4.  Skin; 5.  No Time; 6.  Fragments; 7.  Hollow; 8.  Waste; 9.  Dense; 10.  No Image

Publicist:  Shameless Promotion

Review:  We have reviewed a lot of post-punk bands this year, and this is definitely one of the best.  Their music has a very new wave vibe with well-written lyrical content that brings these songs to life.  Best tracks include “Stalemate,” “Alone,” “Fragments,” “Hollow,” “Waste,” and “Dense.”  This one has a true Depeche Mode vibe, especially “Dense.”

Recommendation:  If you love post-punk and dark wave music, then this one is a must-have for your collection.

Artist NameElkka

Album NameFull Circle

Label:  femme culture

Genre:  Dance/House

Track Listing:  1.  2000 and F_cked; 2.  We’re Here (Again); 3.  One; 4.  Talkin’

Publicist:  Worldwide Friendly Society

Review:  We introduced you to this artist back in July when we featured her single “Stay (warm edit)” in our Monday Mashup column.  Elkka is also a DJ in her native London and the founder of her own label, femme culture, which supports female artists.  This one will get you off the couch and on to the dance floor, as the rich electronic tones get you in the mood.

Recommendation:  If you love house and dance music, then definitely check this one out.

Artist NameViva Death

Album Name Illuminate

Label:  Functional Equivalent Recordings

Genre:  Alt Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Ready to Go; 2.  Trip; 3.  Sound the Alarm; 4.  Windows; 5.  Don’t Box me In; 6.  Two Hands; 7.  Seasons; 8.  Petitioning the Black Wall; 9.  New Terrors; 10.  Unclear; 11.  Storm; 12.  Slipping Away; 13.  Man in the Street; 14.  Damnatio Memoriae

Publicist:  Shameless Promotion

Review:  This is the band’s first album in eight years, and founder and bassist Scott Shifflett (Face to Face) and producer Chad Blinman keep it rocking hard, just like it says on their first single, “Ready to Go.”  Shifflett and Blinman form the core of the band, which features a revolving cadre of collaborating musicians, including Shifflett’s brother Chris, the guitarist from The Foo Fighters.  Their music raises alt rock to an entirely new level, and do not fail to impress.  Their music is ripe for radio airplay and for placement consideration in television and film.  Best tracks include “Ready to Go,” “Trip,” “Sound the Alarm,” “Two Hands,” second single “New Terrors,” “Unclear,” “Storm,” “Slipping Away,” and “Man in the Street.”

Recommendation:  Run out and Get this one!

Artist NamePolly Panic

Album NameLosing Form

Label:  Write Hook Records

Genre:  Cello Art Rock

Track Listing: 1.  Annie; 2.  Beggar Rose; 3.  Losing Form; 4.  Purpose; 5.  Precious; 6.  Hollows; 7.  The Sidepiece; 8.  To the Bone; 9.  Twisted Up; 10.  Shadow

Publicist:  Shameless Promotion

Review:  Polly Panic is a dynamic celloist who is also part of the popular band Rasputina, and does for cello what Lindsay Sterling has done for violin.  This is her third album and first one in six years, and all we can say is “Welcome back.”  She reminds us of PJ Harvey and Tori Amos in her vocals, although with a slightly harder edge.  She shreds the cello like it was an electric guitar, and throws in a healthy dose of Janis Joplin attitude on top of that, especially on the first track, “Annie.”  Best tracks include “Annie,” the title track, “Precious,” “Hollows,” “To the Bone,” and “Shadow.”

Recommendation:  If you love rock music that is unique, then this is the album for you.

 

 

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

Monday mashup 2018: vol. 27

It’s our final Monday Mashup of the month, and we have some great new music to share with you.  Check out the latest news as well.

LA MUSIC CRITIC TO DEBUT SHOW AT HFF19

Our very own LA Music Critic, Bob Leggett, will be debuting a solo show at next year’s Hollywood Fringe Festival.  Inspired by the amazing productions put on by the Soaring Solo Community, he has hired Jessica Lynn Johnson to help him develop his show, Livin’ the Dream, which will debut at HFF19 next year.  The show is the story of his life and career, focusing on not just dreaming about great things, but accomplishing them as well.  Watch for the Indiegogo campaign being launched in August, and support him on his latest adventure.  We are very proud to be a part of what should be a great show.

VK LYNNE RELEASES AUDIO BOOK OF POETRY

VK Lynne, the lead single of multi-LA Music Critic Award winning band The Spider Accomplice is releasing an audio book containing 35 of her poems, read by a plethora of her friends.  Entitled The Release and Reclamation of Victoria Kerygma, the audiobook is available on Bandcamp.

NEW SINGLES

Our first single this week is from Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, members of the Mountain Home Music family of artists.  They have created a beautiful song that is being released to support the IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) Trust Fund which, like the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, provides support for struggling artists.  We think you will love this beautiful arrangement and we hope you will likewise support these organizations that help indie musicians.

Our next single is an upbeat pop tune from Mike Edel.  He was featured in our March Ten Great Singles article, and this time around, he promises he will “Go With You.”  We think this one could be a huge hit, and look forward to what’s still to come from this amazing artist.

Our third single is being released by Elkka through Femme Culture, and is an upbeat dance tune called “Stay (warm edit).”  We think this one goes hand in hand with our previous single, and should help get your Monday off to a great start.

Our fourth single continues the positive spin as CJ Hooper releases his first track from his forthcoming album.  “When we Rise” is the perfect remedy for the Monday blahs.

Our final single this week comes from Caibedo Island.  They encourage us to be “Stronger,” and we love the sentiment.

NEW MUSIC VIDEOS

Our first music video comes from an artist we reviewed last week, Roger Len Smith, who was introduced to us by a long-time friend Bobbo Byrnes, lead vocalist of The Fallen Stars.  Here is “Raining on a Sunny Day.”

Next up is the latest video from Grammy-nominated artist Janiva Magness for the title track from her latest album on Blue Élan Records, Love is an Army, featuring LA Music Critic Award winning artist Bryan Stephens.  We hope you enjoy this one as much as we do.

Our third video this week is a political statement about gentrification of our great cities.  Nick Ferrio releases “I Don’t Know How Long” and we totally understand his concerns.

Our fourth video has the rhythm of the islands as Constanza Herrero talks about “Packing Up.”  This video should get your juices flowing and get you on the dance floor.

Our final video this week is the R&B and soul sound of Roxanne Tataei.  Here’s “Crimson Eyes.”  We hope this firmly places your Monday in a good place.  Have a great week and we’ll be back soon with our articles on the Ten Amazing Videos and Ten Great Singles released in July.