And we’re back with the first of our final five Get it or Forget it reviews for the first half of 2018 submissions for the LA Music Critic Awards. We have five artist for you to check out. Don’t miss our June 8 announcement of the nominations. Let’s get started.
Artist Name: XSyntax
Album Name: WaterMusic
Label: Self-released
Genre: Electronica/EDM
Track Listing: 1. Happy DanceMix; 2. Aw Yeah!!; 3. Dream On; 4. Technix V; 5. Caravan in the Desert; 6. SynTechys002; 7. Night Airs; 8. Urbanized; 9. Transcendent Mind; 10. Cosmic; 11. Beyond Earth; 12. Lios1
Publicist: Self-promoted
Review: This one is unlike anything we have reviewed before. It is a mixture of club ready EDM tracks, as well as ambient tunes like “Dream On” that are perfect for relaxation, meditation and yoga. Richard Aardenburg, the genius behind XSyntax, is a master of synthesized music, and pulls out all the stops on this incredible treasure. We think he should take the next logical step in his musical career and begin composing music for the film industry. We think he has everything he needs to be quite successful in that endeavor. In the meantime, we will put this one on in the background and more forward with our week.
Recommendation: If you enjoying dancing or relaxing, this one is the perfect choice for you. Get it now.
Artist Name: Wildeor
Album Name: Wildeor
Label: Self-released
Genre: Alt Folk
Track Listing: 1. Northern County Line; 2. Rain on the Moon; 3. The Devil Makes Three; 4. Come Down; 5. Slow Moving Water
Publicist: Magic Tree Productions
Review: Wildeor is an alternative folk band from Los Angeles that makes haunting folk music reminiscent of Enya. The smoky smooth vocals of group founder Megan Brickwood sit perfectly upon the foundation of Celtic and medieval influences of the musical soundtrack. We featured “The Devil Makes Three” in last week’s Monday Mashup, and are thankful that we also get to review their EP. This is an album that belongs on repeat because their music is addictive and needs to be heard over and over again. We think this is one of the finest EPs we have reviewed this year, and hope to see them live at some point in the not too distant future.
Recommendation: This one is a no-brainer. You simply must Get it.
Artist Name: Kira May
Album Name: Sense
Label: Self-released
Genre: Experimental vocal Pop
Track Listing: 1. Taste; 2. Muscle Memory; 3. Heat; 4. Saturation; 5. Sensory Deprivation; 6. Touch; 7. Vibrations; 8. Fear; 9. Forgiveness; 10. Waves
Publicist: Auteur Research
Review: Toronto-based indie artist Kira May uses her voice and an eerie musical background to create amazingly relaxing and ambient songs that are haunting and unique. Like the two artists above, her music is best placed on repeat to provide a soundtrack for your relaxation and mediation time. We previously featured her video for “Muscle Memory” in our list of Ten Amazing Videos from February 2018.
Recommendation: We highly recommend you check out this artist and Get her LP.
Artist Name: News from Planet Kniffen
Album Name: Dreamland
Label: Self-released
Genre: Progressive Jazz
Track Listing: 1. Blackness; 2. Peace Journey; 3. Back in Black; 4. Midnight Drive; 5. Dreamland; 6. Song of Everest; 7. Beautiful Mystery; 8. Inspiration; 9. Tick Tock
Publicist: EMPKT PR
Review: News from Planet Kniffen is an amazing jazz band from Saratoga Springs, New York. They play progressive jazz that is receiving critical acclaim while their latest album keeps moving up the Contemporary Jazz charts, where it was #5 a few weeks ago. Darryl Kniffen has gathered some of the best talent for his band, including Chilean vocalist Natalia Bernal, Emmy Award-winning guitarist and composer Freddy Shehadi, trumpeter Richard Boulger as well as Saturday Night Live saxophonist Alex Foster. The resulting music is a delectable jazz mix that is both uplifting, upbeat and relaxing.
Recommendation: Definitely Get this one, if you are a jazz fan or just like great music.
Artist Name: Abolitionist
Album Name: The Instant
Label: 1859 Records
Genre: Punk Rock
Track Listing: 1. The Instant; 2. Trouble; 3. A Little Animal Liberation Never Hurt Anybody; 4. Up Rising, Together; 5. The Movement; 6. Backlash; 7. Never Wanted This; 8. Everything’s Great (but we’re still sh@t); 9. Failed Projections; 10. Totally Bonkers; 11. What if . . .?
Publicist: Earshot Media
Review: Breaking with the theme of the rest of today’s artists comes Abolitionist, a punk band from Portland, Oregon with something to say. Like most punk music, the songs are high energy, intense and short, but beyond the normal angst, these songs actually have something to say. Although not our normal cup of tea, we give kudos to the band for tackling some controversial issues that plague modern man.
Recommendation: If you love punk music, you should definitely check out these guys.