Tag: LA Music Critic Awards

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

Get it or forget it – Tommy Emmanuel, Maria Schafer, Carolyn Gaines, Lex Grey and the Urban Pioneers, Frank Hannon

Since the winners of the LA Music Critic Awards for the second half of 2017 will be announced tomorrow at 6 p.m. MST, today will be our final Get it or Forget it for the week.  We have five more reviews today and then we’ll be back next Tuesday.

Artist Name:  Tommy Emmanuel

Album Name:  Accomplice One

Label:  CGP Sounds

Genre:  Americana/Bluegrassd

Track Listing:  1.  Deep River Blues (w/Jason Isbell); 2.  Song and Dance Man (w/Ricky Skaggs); 3.  Saturday Night Shuffle (w/Jorma Kaukonen & Pat Bergeson); 4.  Wheelin’ & Dealin’ (w/J.D. Simo & Charlie Cushman); 5.  C-Jam Blues (w/David Grisman & Bryan Sutton); 6.  (Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay (w/J.D. Simo); 7.  Borderline (w/Amanda Shires); 8.  You Don’t Want to get you one of Those (w/Mark Knopfler); 9.  Keepin’ it Reel (w/Clive Carrol); 10.  Looking Forward to the Past (w/Rodney Crowell); 11.  Purple Haze (w/Jerry Douglas); 12.  Rachel’s Lullaby (w/Jake Shimabukuro); 13. Djangology (w/Frank Vignola & Vinny Ranioio); 14.  Watson Blues (w/David Grisman & Bryan Sutton); 15.  Tittle Tattle (w/Jack Pearson); 16.  The Duke’s Message (w/Suzy Bogguss)

Publicist:  MSO PR

Review:  Tommy Emmanuel is a one of a kind musician who has consistently received critical praise.  We just reviewed his last CD with David Grisman last December, which earned him an LA Music Critic Award nomination.  He’s back already with an incredible album of duets with some of the elite members of the Bluegrass and Americana community.  From Jason Isbell to Rodney Crowell, Emmanuel plays with the best because he is the best.  This is an album you put on and just sit back and relax.  You cannot go wrong with this set of 16 amazing genre spanning songs.  Especially impressive are the covers of some very well known songs, like “(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay,” the amazing fiddle and vocals of Amanda Shires on Madonna’s “Borderline,” and Jimi Hendrix’ “Purple Haze” with the one and only Jerry Douglas, another nominee for an LA Music Critic Award and a recent Grammy nominee.

Recommendation:  This one belongs in the music library of every music lover.  Get it now!

Artist Name:  Maria Schafer

Album Name:  To Know Love

Label:  Marsch Music

Genre:  Jazz

Track Listing:  1.  You Don’t Know What Love Is; 2.  The More I see You; 3.  Estrada Branca; 4.  I Fall in Love too Easily; 5.  Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered; 6.  In Summer (Estate); 7.  You’d be so Nice to Come Home to/Alone Together; 8.  Body and Soul; 9.  It Could Happen to You; 10.  Almost Like Being in Love; 11.  Lush Life; 12.  S’ Wonderful/They Can’t Take That Away From Me

Publicist:  Self-promoted

Review:  This unbelievable debut album shows so much maturity for a young vocalist.  To tackle these jazz standards and deliver says a lot about her talent and potential.  This is the sound you would expect from a seasonal veteran, not someone just releasing their first album.  As an avid jazz lover, this album will definitely go into our top tier of jazz greats.  We love the concept of an entire album full of love songs, just before Valentine’s Day.  This album will make a great soundtrack for your celebration, especially her rendition of the Loewe and Lerner classic “Almost Like Being in Love.”

Recommendation:  Don’t hesitate – Get it now!

Artist Name:  Carolyn Gaines

Album Name:  Beware of my Dog

Label:  Polka Dot Records

Genre:  Blues

Track Listing:  1.  Beware of my Dog; 2.  I’m Your Cat, Baby; 3.  Stone out Your Raggly Mind; 4.  Catch That Train; 5.  Hoochie Coochie Woman; 6.  Done got Old; 7.  I Want Your Money, Honey; 8.  Mr. Dill Pickle; 9.  Jerry Rice “Busy Man;” 10.  Charlie Mae & Chicago; 11.  Something on Your Mind

Publicist:  Blind Raccoon

Review:  Another amazing debut album and it quickly becomes apparent that this lady can definitely sing the blues.  Her husky register is custom built for the blues, and floats effortlessly on the incredible musical accompaniment, highlighted by bursts of incredible tenor sax, harmonica, organ and guitar.  Check out her sexy raspy voice on “I’m Your Cat, Baby” and even though her voice is unique, her style shows that she has spent considerable time studying the blues vocalist that have come before her.  This is down and dirty blues, and we couldn’t be happier.  This album will make all the traditional blues lovers feel the same.  Put this on as a musical backdrop for your weekend celebration.

Recommendation:  Don’t think twice – just Get up and Get it!

Artist Name:  Lex Grey & the Urban Pioneers

Album Name:  Usual Suspects

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Blues Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Usual Suspects; 2.  Chow Down; 3.  Dirty Secret; 4.  Srv; 5.  Warrior Squaw; 6.  Sunshine and Blue; 7.  Cheap Thrills; 8.  My Jelly Roll; 9.  Renegade Heart

Publicist:  Frank Roszak Promotions

Review:  Listening to Lex Grey is almost like listening to Janis Joplin playing the 1960’s style of Rolling Stones, with a healthy mix of rock, jazz, and blues, and those smoky vocals that grab your attention and never let go.  From the first notes of the title track until the final note of the album, Grey gives notice that she has come to rock the blues.  Quite frankly, we can’t get enough of this artist, and can’t wait for the opportunity to see her and her amazing band perform live.  Our favorite cuts were “Usual Suspects, “Chow Down,” “Srv” (her rocking homage to Stevie Ray Vaughan),  “Warrior Squaw” (because it’s just so different from everything else on the album), “Cheap Thrills,” “My Jelly Roll,” and “Renegade Heart.” (I know – basically everything.)

Recommendation:  If you love the blues, you definitely need this one in your collection.  Get It.

Artist Name:  Frank Hannon

Album Name:  From One Place . . . to Another Vol 1

Label:  Red Hawk Records

Genre:  Americana/Roots Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Blue Sky; 2.  Call me the Breeze; 3.  Under the Milky Way; 4.  Jim Dandy to the Rescue; 5.  You’re my Best Friend; 6.  Garden Party; 7.  Sunrise in Texas; 8.  I Hear you Knockin’; 9.  Joy to the World; 10.  Four Letter Word

Publicist:  The Syndicate

Review:  This is the first of three albums to be released in 2018 by Tesla guitarist Frank Hannon, consisting of cover songs that have influenced his life.  His guests on this album include Paul Jackson (Blackberry Smoke), Duane Betts (son of The Allman Brothers Band member Dickey Betts, Matthew and Gunnar Nelson (sons of Ricky Nelson and Roger Fisher (Heart), among others.  It is only fitting that The Allman Brothers Band’s classic “Blue Sky” be the first song on this album, which captures the essence of what made them so great.  The artists covered on this album include JJ Cale, The Church, Black Oak Arkansas, Queen, Ricky Nelson, Blackberry Smoke, Fats Domino, Three Dog Night and Lukas Nelson.  Every song brings back memories, and we love Hannon’s arrangements.

Recommendation:  Make sure you Get this one and the other two as soon as they come out.

 

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

Get it or forget it – Ghalia and Mama’s Boys, Modesta, New York Electric Piano, Noah Aire, U-N-T

OMG – It took us 825 days to reach 40,000 views, but due to the popularity of the LA Music Critic Awards (over 255 views per day), we have already reached 50,000 views in only 51 days.  Thank you for your response to our blog.  We love bringing you the best in indie music, and shining the spotlight on the worthy, hard-working indie artists around the world.  Speaking of which, here are reviews of five more artists.

Artist Name:  Ghalia and Mama’s Boys

Album Name:  Let the Demons Out

Label:  Ruf Records

Genre:  Blues/Rock

Track Listing:  1,  4 am Fried Chicken; 2.  Let the Demons Out; 3.  Press That Trigger; 4.  Have you Seen my Woman; 5.  Hoodoo Evil Man; 6.  Addiction; 7.  All the Good Things; 8.  I’m Shakin’; 9.  Waiting; 10.  See That man Alone; 11.  Hey Little Baby; 12.  Hiccup Boogie

Publicist:  Frank Roszak Promotions

Review:  This young lady and her band have truly captured the spirit of the blues.  From her home in Belgium, she has relocated to New Orleans and added her talents to the existing sound of Mama’s Boys.  She has been a part of the blues scene across the South since her arrival in 2013.  She met the band in 2016 and they began collaborating, resulting in them being signed to Ruf Records.  Thus began a partnership which has resulted in this amazing album, which fuses together traditional and progressive blues to create a sound that will have you rocking from the first note.  Ghalia’s voice is perfectly suited to the blues, with all the passion and grit of every great blues singer before her.  We love every song on this album – it’s going on repeat!

Recommendation:  We are sure that this band and this album will quickly become one of your favorites.  Get it now and spread the word.

Artist Name:  Modesta

Album Name:  VHS

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Indie Pop-Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Broadway to Bombay; 2.  VHS; 3.  Walking Through the Moon; 4.  All That Shines (is Golden)

Publicist:  Self-promoted

Review:  As a huge fan of 80’s pop music, it is so awesome to hear this new duo pay homage to that music, while at the same time adding in contemporary electronica to the mix.  This four-song EP is simply not long enough to whet our appetite for the amazing sound of Modesta.  i\It’s easy to understand why they have almost half a million spins on Spotify.  The groove starts with “Broadway to Bombay,” slows down to a cool vibe on the title track before stepping it back upbeat with “Walking Through the Moon.”  They close their EP with the upbeat and fun “All That Shines (is Golden).”  What a fun EP!

Recommendation:  Jump onboard the train – Get your copy today!

Artist Name:  New York Electric Piano

Album Name:  State of the Art

Label:  Fervor Records

Genre:  Jazz

Track Listing:  1.  Road to Joy; 2.  State of the Art; 3.  Wish for a Thousand Wishes; 4.  Ignite It; 5.  Reverence; 6.  Mama Bear Love Army; 7.  Dig the Whole; 8.  Reggie ‘n Rex Express

Publicist:  Noisy Ghost PR

Review:  It’s been a while since I heard great jazz music, and New York Electric Piano is being added to my list of great jazz artists.  In Los Angeles, we had a piano bar called Howl at the moon that featured dueling pianos playing cover songs.  This album is even better than that because there are three electric pianos collaborating with their amazing drummer to create beautiful original jazz music.

Recommendation:  If you love jazz music, then this is a must-have for your collection.  Get it.

Artist Name:  Noah Airé

Album Name:  I Shine Brightest in the Dark

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Pop

Track Listing:  1.  It’s Dark out Here; 2.  U Don’t Know my Story; 3.  We are not the Same; 4.  #IPray4DBest; 5.  Thank GOD I’m up Today; 6.  Hey! I’m the North Star; 7.  U Know I Need U; 8.  It’s a Miracle (13 Clouds); 9.  I Wrote a Love Song; 10.  . . . and Then There was LIGHT; 11.  I Shine Brightest in the Dark; 12.  Call me Sometime (ft. Chain TraQ) (with Wonderboy)

Publicist:  Self-promoted

Review:  Nigerian singer-songwriter Noah Airé is a true gift to the pool of talent comprises international artists.  His beat heavy pop is positive and upbeat, telling the stories of triumph over adversity, and should serve as a lesson to those who have it easy.  Several of the songs would do quite well as placements in film and television, while several more would be worthy additions to the playlists of radio stations across America.  These songs would also work well for DJs preparing their dance mix for the next dance.  Our favorites include “U Don’t Know my Story,” “We are not the Same,” “#IPray4DBest,” “U Know I Need U,” “It’s a Miracle (13 Clouds),” “I Wrote a Love Song,” “. . . and Then There was LIGHT,” and the title track.

Recommendation:  Grab this treat now.  He belongs in every American music library.

Artist Name:  U-N-T

Album Name:  Y.Ni.Te.

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Ne Plus Me Voir; 2.  Présent Passé; 3.  Superhéro; 4.  Je M’enfuis; 5.  Again and Again

Publicist:  Presstown Media

Review:  U-N-T hails from Toronto and is composed of Michel Scotta Delorme, Rick Smith and Marc-L Porter.  Although most of their songs are in French, the music comes through in any language, with screaming guitar riffs and vocals that proclaim their chosen message.  The band has been recommended for lovers of Black Sabbath, Queen, Rush and Yes, and we could not agree more.  This is their debut EP, and we can hardly wait for the next installment.  They close the EP with “Again and Again,” written in English.  It confirms our suspicion that their lyrics are wonderful in any language.

Recommendation:  Take a chance on this foreign language rock band.  Even if you can’t understand the words, the music is worth it.

 

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Artists Worth Checking Out Awards LA Music Critic Awards Monday Mashup Women in Entertainment

Monday mashup 2018 – vol. 4

Hope you all got to watch the Grammy Awards last night.  That was an impressive show, especially the performance by Kesha, Cindy Lauper, et al. of her song “Praying.”  It really brought tears to my eyes with its sheer beauty and power.  Let’s all try to honor the message that came through loud and clear – no more harassment and discrimination – just work together in unity.  Here’s our column today.

INDIE ARTISTS WIN GRAMMY AWARDS

While most of these indie artists didn’t get credit, several of them were instrumental in helping someone else get a Grammy win.  Kyler England co-wrote five of the songs on Lisa Loeb’s winning Best Children’s Album, while Ross Hogarth was part of the production team that worked on Taj Mahal and Keb Mo’s winning Best Contemporary Blues album.  Great work indies!

In addition, LA Music Critic Award nominee The Jerry Douglas Band lost their Grammy bid for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album to Jeff Lorber, while fellow LA Music Critic Award nominee John McLaughlin won his Grammy bid for Best Improvised Jazz Solo for “Miles Beyond” from the album Live at Ronnie Scott’s, which we previously reviewed in December.

The winners for the LA Music Critic Awards will be announced at 6 p.m. on Friday, February 2, 2018.

LYNN CAREY SAYLOR WINS SONGWRITING COMPETITION

Congratulations to indie songwriter Lynn Carey Saylor, who recently won the Song Door International Songwriting Competition in the Hard Rock/Alt Rock category for her song, “Tidal Wave.”  Saylor has been a hit songwriter for many years,

NEW SINGLES

It’s been a busy week for indie artists, including several past and present nominees for the LA Music Critic Awards.  Here are a few of the latest singles to be released.

The first one is from former nominee Crimson Calamity, which released their latest single, “Fool’s Gold.”  We love their sound and think you will too.

Next up is past LA Music Critic Award and Grammy nominee and Blue Élan Records artist Janiva Magness with her new single, “Down Below.”  We expect this one will qualify her for additional nominations.

Next is the latest from Austin band Signy, featuring Delaney Gibson, with their single, “Human.”  We love how different this is from her solo material, and think you will too.

Multiple LA Music Critic Award winner and nominee Katie Costello has lent her voice to the new single “Bon Air” by Hardsoul.  This one is an amazing dance track that will have you on the floor in no time.

Last but not least this week is the latest single from another multiple winner of the LA Music Critic Awards, Keaton Simons.  His new EP 1-2-3 Go will be released on March 9, and he is whetting our appetite with “Crane City.”

MUSIC VIDEOS

Our first video this week comes from Italian rock goddesses Black Mamba, who we reviewed last week.  This video is for their single, “Loop.”  Get ready to rock out.

Next up is the latest from the songwriting guru, Kari Kimmel of her song, “Voices.”  Check out the amazing cinematography of this one.

Our third video this week is from former San Diego Music Award winner Gayle Skidmore for her song “Pale Ghosts.”  Once again, the cinematography is first-rate.

Our next video comes from first-time LA Music Critic Award nominee Ryan Sims, who we also reviewed earlier this month.  Here is his vision of his song, “Black and Blue.”

Last but not least is the new video from Lucy Levinsohn, former lead singer for Lily’s Siren and Waiting 4 Wyatt.  She has returned to a solo career and brings us “Dear God.”

Thanks for joining us today.  We’ll be back tomorrow with five more Get it or Forget it reviews.

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Artists Worth Checking Out Reviews Women in Entertainment

Suzanne Santo at the Top Hat – live performance review

Last night we attended the solo show for Suzanne Santo of honeyhoney, who performed to a packed house at the Top Hat Lounge in Missoula, Montana.  Mapache opened the night for her.  They are a duo of acoustic musicians on guitar and dobro who possess some of the best harmonies we have ever heard.  They just released their debut album in October, and we will be reviewing it next week.  These guys were so good that Santo brought them up during her set to do a trio with them that was breathtaking as they did a cover of “Helplessly Hoping” by Crosby, Stills & Nash.  We highly recommend you check them out.

Santo took the stage about 10:35 p.m., along with Blaine on rhythm guitar and foot bass and Paul on drums.  Santo used three different guitars and her fiddle during her nearly 90 min set, which included a two-song encore.

Santo previously released her debut solo album Ruby Red back in August, and we reviewed it here on our blog on August 23.  She released a music video for the lead single, “Ghost in my Bed,” which garnered a nomination for the LA Music Critic Awards for Best Video Official (Female), while Santo was nominated for Best Roots/Americana Artist (Female).

Santo and her band played nearly all of the songs on her album, as well as an amazing cover of Johnny Cash’s “Give my Love to Rose,” and a medley of honeyhoney songs, including “I Don’t Want to Fight,” “All on You,” and “Burned me Out,” which she performed solo.

She apologized for her late start, and explained that they had played the Tractor Tavern in Seattle on Thursday night and had a hard commute over, arriving after their scheduled sound check.

Among the highlights were performances of “Ghost in my Bed” (featuring some outstanding fiddle), “Blood on Your Knees,” “Bullets,” and “Yours or Mine.”  Blaine was also amazing on guitar and playing bass with his footboard.

Santo talked about her performances last year with honeyhoney, including stops at the Top Hat Lounge and a performance at the Bob Marshall Festival in Seeley Lake.  In fact, there was a large group from Seeley Lake at the show that had gotten hooked on her sound when she performed there.

Santo also informed the crowd that Ben Jaffe, her partner in honeyhoney, would be releasing his solo project soon, and encouraged everyone to check it out.

It was an amazing evening of music.  We strongly encourage you to check out both Santo and Mapache the next time they stop in Missoula.

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Artists Worth Checking Out Awards Best of 2017 LA Music Critic Awards Women in Entertainment

Announcement of LA Music Critic Award nominations for second half of 2017

We think that 2017 will go down as one of the most prolific years in outstanding music being released by indie artists.  We received and reviewed so many that we had to change the review period.  Consequently, we considered more than 235 albums and EPs that were released between July 1 and November 30, 2017, in compiling our nominations for the LA Music Critic Awards.  Albums and EPs released from December 1, 2017 through May 31, 2018 will be considered for the first half awards of 2018.

Fans are encouraged to vote for the Fan Favorite Award.  To vote for your favorite,  simply leave a comment below in the following format:  “I vote for (name of artist) for Fan Favorite.”  No other comments will be counted toward the Fan Favorite Award, and each reader may only vote once.   Comments made on other social media sites will not count.

Fans are also encouraged to comment on other award nominations, and those comments will be reviewed by the Awards committee.  However, they will not count for the Fan Favorite Award unless the comment specifically says that the artist is being nominated for the Fan Favorite Award. 

The deadline for voting for the Fan Favorite Award is Wednesday, January 31, 2018, at midnight MST.  The full list of winners will be announced at 6 p.m. MST on Friday, February 2, 2018.

Without further delay, here are the nominations.

BEST EP (Male) – Ryan Sims, My Side of the Story; Sam Marine, Big Dark City; Ben Anderson, YouTopia; Matt Westerman, Life Out Loud; Vinnie Paolizzi, Kids

BEST EP (Female) – Jacquie, The Only One; Katie Costello, New World; Cara Frew, Dance; Helen Culver, Seven Year Glitch; Libbie Schrader, Red Thread

BEST EP (Group) – Mare Island, Eponymous; TYA, No Money, More Love; RVBY My Dear, Cycles; Social Repose, Empress; Surf Rock is Dead, We Have No Friends?

BEST EP (International) – House Hounds, Saturate; Wolf & Moon, Frames; HUNDREDS, Wilderness; The Raft; Orion; The Raft, A Lullaby

BEST CD (Male) – Canyon City, Constellation; Chuck McDermott, Gin & Rosewater; Case Garrett, Aurora; Rusty Young, Waitin’ for the Sun; Bryan Stephens, Village of Dreams

BEST CD (Female) – Monica Chapman, Small World; Chelsea Williams, Boomerang; Cindy Alexander, Deep Waters; Marina V, Born to the Stars; Katie Costello, Twice the Love; Amilia K. Spicer, Wow and Flutter

BEST CD (Group) – The Commotions, Vol 2; Great Willow, Find Yourself in Los Angeles; Andrea Harsell and Luna Roja, Something for the Pain; FreeWorld, What it Is; Chris Daniels and the Kings, Blues with Horns

BEST HOLIDAY ALBUM – Katie Garibaldi, Home Sweet Christmas; Balsam Range, It’s Christmas Time; Jennifer Hanson, Under the Tree; Beth Marie Anderson, Christmas with You; Bloodshot Records, 13 Days of Xmas; Blue Elan Records, A Blue Elan Christmas

BEST VIDEO (OFFICIAL) (Male) – Matt Hawkins, Steel Ya Blues; Brandon Bonine, Remember my Name; Canyon City, Midnight Flight; Josh Johnstone, Just What it is; Rod Melancon, Dwayne & Me

BEST VIDEO (OFFICIAL) (Female) – Janey Street, Undone; Dree Mon, Rebel Soul; Lexie Rose, Wrong; Katie Costello, Hearts on Fire; Rachel Ariana, Imperfect; Suzanne Santo, Ghost in my Bed

BEST VIDEO (OFFICIAL) (Group) – FlecHaus, Tell me Something; Satellite Citi, Undead; Elizabeth and the Catapult, Ambrosia; Oh Geronomo, No More Stones; Pet Fangs, Gold Coast Dreaming; The Flatliners, Indoors

BEST VIDEO (LIVE) – Sierra Blanca, Paint the Road; Bernie Faulkner, Potbelly Stove; Calico the Band, The Leaving Kind; Rosi Golan, Underneath; Chelsea Williams, Anything Worth Saving

BEST VIDEO (LYRIC) – Mellott, Shooting Stars; Rachel Price, Love is War; The Rebel Light, Where did all the Love Go; Chris Chilton, Adonai; Jared Finck, New Kids

BEST VIDEO (HOLIDAY) – Redhead Express, Love is Christmas; Chelsea Williams, Peppermints and Mistletoe; Kate Steinway, White Christmas; Pam Taylor, Let’s Get it on for Christmas

BEST VIDEO (INTERNATIONAL) – Straw, Bang Bang; Straw, 1965; Captive (ft. Hannah Trigwell), I Could be the One

BEST VIDEO (COLLABORATION) – Blue Elan Artists, Shine Down on Us; David Garfield and J. Paris, I Lied; Beckett and Claire Ridgely, Butterflies

BEST SINGLE (Male) – Mikey Wax, “Spaceman;” Zvchvivh, “Think of Me;” Tim Maiden, “So Far Gone;” Matt Zambon, “Blue and Yellow;” Jason Crosby, “Final Step”

BEST SINGLE (Female) – Hannah Lucia, “Your Love;” Heather Bond, “Keep it Quiet;” Ashleigh Watson, “Little Love;” Liz Kennedy (ft. Taj Mahal), “Everyone Knows how it Goes”

BEST SINGLE (Group) –   Featurette, “Upside Down;” Delsinki, “Wishing Upon a Star;” Echo City, “Burn Me;” Astral Queen, “Take it all the Way;” The Sound of Ghosts, “Train to Nowhere”

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST/BAND – The Fisherman and the Sea, Belle Miners, The Raft, HUNDREDS, Wolf & Moon

BEST COUNTRY ARTIST – Case Garrett, Tim Bennett, Whitney Lusk, Kaylee Keller, Ryan Sims

BEST COUNTRY BAND – CALICO the Band, Steve Azar and the Kings Men, Honey County

BEST BLUES ARTIST – Pam Taylor, John Verity, Stacy Jones, Alastair Greene, R. D. Olson, Dave Hunt

BEST BLUES BAND – Paradise Kings, FreeWorld, Andrea Harsell and Luna Roja, BB and the Blues Shacks, Chris Daniels and the Kings, The McKee Brothers

BEST POP ARTIST (Female) – Marina V, Cindy Alexander, Katie Costello, Alex Mabey, Maggie McClure, Rosi Golan

BEST POP ARTIST (Male) – Curtis Peoples, Fernando Perdomo, Matt Westerman, Bryan Stephens, Ben Anderson, LeRiche

BEST POP BAND – Flood Coats, Seasonal Beast, Elizabeth and the Catapult, Warbly Jets, High Dive Heart, Laini and the Wildfire

BEST ROCK ARTIST – Billy Burnette, Rusty Young, Ben Lorentzen, Russ Carrick, Robert Francis, Peter Simpson

BEST ROCK BAND – The Khourys, Surf Rock is Dead, Social Repose, The Slants, Xs and Arrows, Dopapod

BEST R&B/SOUL ARTIST – Ray Goren, Leslie Clio, Zoey Clarke, Louise Lemon

BEST R&B/SOUL/RETRO BAND – The Marias, The Commotions, Burgess Meredith

BEST ROOTS/AMERICANA ARTIST (Female) – Lydia Loveless, Shannon McNally, Liz Kennedy, Chelsea Williams, Amilia K. Spicer, Suzanne Santo

BEST ROOTS/AMERICANA ARTIST (Male) – Rich McCulley, Marc Berger, Chuck McDermott, Jason Hawk Harris, Sam Marine, Vinnie Paolizzi

BEST ROOTS/AMERICANA BAND – Great Willow, The County Liners, JD and the Straight Shot, The Empty Pockets, Dead Rock West

BEST BLUEGRASS ARTIST/BAND – The Jerry Douglas Band, The Grascals, My Girl My Whiskey and Me, Tommy Emmanuel and David Grisman

BEST JAZZ/INSTRUMENTAL ARTIST/BAND – Tout, Noon, Monica Chapman, John McLaughlin, KRON, Dave Yaden

BEST DANCE ARTIST/BAND – The Innocent Bystanders, TYA, Elephant Stone, Niteshifters, Cara Frew

BEST REGGAE ARTIST/BAND – Never Ending Fall

BEST PUNK BAND – Franks and Deans, Emmer Effer, Hang Tight, The Paranoid Style

BEST HARD ROCK/METAL BAND – SBK, Vacant Home, Aviator, The Black Hand, Downfall 2012

BEST FOLK ARTIST – Ben Bostick, Canyon City, Garrison Starr, Fred Smith, Sierra Blanca, Brandon Luedtke

BEST FOLK BAND – Tony Lovato and MEST, Fire Chief Charlie, Amber Run, Nescora, FXRRVST

BEST TRADITIONAL FOLK BAND – Storywrens, The East Pointers

BEST PROG ROCK ARTIST/BAND – Orissa, Dave Kerzner

RISING STAR – Ray Goren, Kaylee Keller, Rachel Ariana, Gina Sicilia, Chelsea Williams

We encourage to subscribe so you can keep up with the Awards and with our blog year-round.  We’ll be back tomorrow with the first reviews for the next cycle.

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Artists Worth Checking Out Best of 2017 Women in Entertainment

Best American EPs of 2017

Continuing on with our “Best of” lists for 2017, here are the Best 15 EPs released by American artists, as well as a few more that deserve mention.  You can find the complete reviews of each EP in our Get it or Forget it columns.

Honorable Mention – Red Hymns self-titled EP; Helen Culver Seven Year Glitch; After Hours Radio What Happened?; Broken Bellows The Card Table; Life Lessons Best When in Motion

15.  Sam Marine, Big Dark City – Definitely a surprise, this five song EP was obviously the result of an artist who has learned how to become part of the local community and reach out to them for help when needed.  We think you’ll be hearing a lot more from this artist in the future.

14.  Surf Rock is Dead, We Have no Friends? – A perfect combination of American and Australian ingenuity, this was another surprise this year with a huge potential.

13.  Eli Raybon, Green – This 20-year old Southerner has risen to the challenge and has set the bar high for subsequent projects.

12.  Mare Island, Eponymous – Likewise this Bay area band has some large footprints to fill in the future with this amazing debut EP.

11.  Ben Anderson, YouTopia – Indie label Chromodyne chose wisely in signing Anderson, and his four-song EP shows great promise.

10.  Riley Smith, self-titled – Riley Smith has made quite a name for himself as an actor on such beloved programs as Frequency and Nashville.  He can now add accomplished musician to his resume, as this EP was simply amazing.

9.  Ryan Sims, My Side of the Story – Another rising star in the country music field had a lot of help from his friends, including Jason “Slim” Gambill, Darryl Jones, Kenny Aronoff and Kim Bullard.  They helped him achieve a breakthrough sound that will have him rising up in Nashville in no time at all.

8.  Jacquie, The Only One – She survived NBC’s The Voice and a bad experience with the music industry to come back stronger than ever as an indie artist.  Can’t wait to see what’s next from this future superstar.

7.  Social Repose, Empress – Nearly 300,000 Facebook fans can’t be wrong about this one, and their latest EP proved just how good they are.

6.  Matt Westerman, Life Out Loud – One of LA’s brightest rising stars, Matt Westerman has a very promising future ahead.  We truly believe the sky is the limit for him.

5.  The Khourys, Good Stuff – Sisters Guila and Jahnna will surprise you – imagine one doing vocals and one doing rap – the combination is heaven’s nectar.  They are just as good in concert.

4.  RVBY My Dear, Cycles – Australian born and Brooklyn based musician Gabbi Coenen blew us away with her sophomore release.  Watch out for this one.

3.  Alex Mabey, Enough – An alumni of the Durango Songwriters Expo, Mabey seems destined to follow in the steps of another famous alumni, Meghan Trainor.

2.  Katie Costello, New World – A perennial winner of many awards, including the LA Music Critic Awards, Costello brought us both an EP and an album in 2017, and both were superb.  Here’s of taste of what makes this artist so great.

1.  Vinnie Paolizzi, Kids – Biggest surprise of the year was receiving an EP from this young self-promoted artist that simply blew us away.  We are dying to see what comes next from this young man.

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Artists Worth Checking Out LA Music Critic Awards Monday Mashup Women in Entertainment

Monday mashup 2018 – vol. 1

Happy Monday.  Time for our first Monday Mashup of 2018, and there’s lots of new stuff for you.  Here we go!

FORMER INDIE ARTIST MILCK CONTINUES HER 2017 SUCCESS

MILCK has continued her myriad of successes as 2017 closes out by being named to two important lists – Buzzfeed‘s “The 17 Biggest Baddass Women of 2017 You Probably Never Heard Of” and Billboard Magazine‘s “The 20 Best Protest Songs of 2017.”  Both of these additions stem from her creation of “Quiet,” which was written as a protest to the Inauguration of President Trump, as well as MILCK’s refusal to not talk about past mistreatment, and ultimately resulted in her being signed to a major label.  That song was considered to be the #1 protest song of 2017.  Congrats to MILCK!  We can’t wait to see what she does next.

NEW SINGLES

First up today is the latest single from Jay Katana entitled “When She Dies.”  It is an impressive bit of instrumental guitar magic.  We can hardly wait for the release of his album, which we will review shortly.

Next up is “The L Word,” the latest single from Ellee Ven (featuring Prodeje).  Check it out and get your groove on.  This one will make you want to get up and dance.

Our final single today comes from the band Lesser Pieces.  “Texas” is a grooving and soulful song that should give you a sweet chill time soundtrack.  Let us know what you think.

NEW VIDEOS

Blue Ēlan Records has a pair of artists releasing new videos this week.  First up is brand new artist Polly Baker, who has released the lyric video of her first single, “Scraped Knees.”  We simply love this video and the song, and can’t wait for the upcoming release.

The second artist, Cindy Alexander, has released the official video for her song “Book of Love,” from her just-released Nowhere to Hide album.  This song is simply beautiful and is acoustically driven, as are all the songs on the new album.  Enjoy!

Last but not least is the latest from perennial LA Music Critic Award winners The Spider Accomplice.  They released their latest video “Swallow” on Christmas Day, and it was the best present we received.  Let’s rock out with TSA!

 

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Artists Worth Checking Out Get it or Forget it Reviews

Get it or forget it – LeRiche, The Raft, Vinnie Paolizzi, Tall Men Group

Hope your first week of 2018 was a success. We have now arrived at the final reviews for all submissions for the LA Music Critic Awards for the second half of 2017.  Here are the final four.  Watch for the return of Monday Mashup tomorrow, and our Best of 2017 lists later this week.  Have a great day!

Artist Name:  LeRiche

Album Name:  X-Dreamer

Label:  Big Story Entertainment

Genre:  Indie Pop

Track Listing:  1.  Nomadic Heart; 2.  River Runs; 3.  Under Covers; 4.  Come Around; 5.  Dreamers; 6.  Roam; 7.  Briefcase Full of Booze

Publicist:  Auteur Research

Review:  LeRiche has such a dreamy voice that it makes his songs float on air.  His accompaniment is first rate, with a great singer-songwriter style.  From the first note of “Nomadic Heart,” we were hooked.  His music fits in with Andy Grammar, Jason Mraz, Ernie Halter, Tony Lucca and similar artists, and would be perfect for pop radio, as well as for placement for a myriad of television, film or commercial use.  This is his debut EP, and we are totally jazzed with his potential.  Our favorite tracks are “Nomadic Heart,” “Come Around,” “Dreamers,” and “Roam.”

Recommendation:  Definitely give the new kid a go – Get his debut EP now!

Artist Name:  The Raft

Album Name:  Orion

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Pop

Track Listing:  1.  Blue and Blue; 2.  Orion; 3.  Into You; 4.  My Elusive Friend

Publicist:  Self-promoted

Review:  Phil Wilson aka The Raft has released a trio of EPs in 2017, and we think he saved the best until last.  We reviewed his previous efforts in July and September, and consider ourselves privileged to get to do it again with his third EP, Orion.  The songs are so upbeat and happy they bring a smile to our faces, especially the title cut.  We truly believe that the sky is the limit for this amazing and talented indie artist.  All four songs are wonderfully written and performed, making The Raft one of our favorite discoveries of 2017.  You can’t go wrong with this one.  Check out the amazing vocals of Claire O’Neill on “Into You” – they will definitely change your perspective of indie artists.

Recommendation:  The Raft should become one of your favorite indie performers and a household name for indie perfection.  Get all of his EPs ASAP, especially this one.

Artist Name:  Vinnie Paolizzi

Album Name:  Kids

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Americana

Track Listing:  1.  Ugly Drunk and Scared to Death; 2.  Over the Limit; 3.  Scarlet Sky; 4.  Kids

Publicist:  Self-promoted

Review:  Vinnie Paolizzi has been making a name for himself in his hometown of Philadelphia and his adopted home of Nashville.  He is garnering lots of local radio airplay in Philadelphia and being compared to such diverse artists as Jackson Browne, Jason Isbell and Ryan Adams.  Upon listening to his latest EP Kids, we can easily understand why he is being met with such critical acclaim.  All four songs are great and worthy of more expanded radio airplay, especially “Ugly Drunk and Scared to Death, “Scarlet Sky” and the title track, which has “HIT” written all over it.  We look forward to the release of his follow-up EP Grown Ups.  This one is a keeper.

Recommendation:  Get it now – you’ll thank us later.

Artist Name:  Tall Men Group (TMG)

Album Name:  Feast

Label:  Tall Records

Genre:  Americana

Track Listing:  1.  Hey Loner; 2.  Unloved; 3.  Grandma; 4.  When we were Bad; 5.  Time Stands Still; 6.  Storm; 7.  The Night I met George Jones; 8.  Eggshells and Tears; 9.  California Soul Man; 10.  L’Amour; 11.  Surf the Mississippi; 12.  Baby Sleep

Publicist:  Self-promoted

Review:  What started as a request from acclaimed Los Angeles indie musician Jimmy Yessian to five of his friends to get together monthly for food and music has developed into one of the premier indie bands on the Folk Alliance circuit.  Composed of Marty Axelrod, Severin Browne, Jeff Kossack, John Stowers, Ed Tree, and Yessian, this “supergroup” has just released their third album, and it is a work of pure genius.  Every member contributed two tracks, and the combination of their musical, writing and singing skills make TMG the “Travelling Wilburys” of the indie world.  With traces of country, Americana and classic rock, the musical sound of TMG is second to none.  Lead vocals are shared, with the writer becoming the dominant voice.  Each of them have their own vocal style, but  Yessian’s vocals remind us of a cross between Gordon Lightfoot and Jim Croce, and highlight “Unloved.”  Other tracks we really love include “When we were Bad,” “Storm,” “The Night I met George Jones,” “California Soul Man,” “Surf the Mississippi,” and “Baby Sleep.”

Recommendation:  If you love just good ole music, then this one is a must have – we highly recommend you rush out and Get this musical feast.

 

Categories
Artists Worth Checking Out Get it or Forget it Reviews

Get it or forget it – Burgess Meredith, Wolf & Moon, Hundreds, Rick Shelley

We are winding down our coverage of indie albums released within the first 11 months of 2017.  We have four reviews for you today and the final four will be released tomorrow.  All reviewed albums are being considered for an LA Music Critic Award.  Here we go.

Artist Name:  Burgess Meredith

Album Name:  A Dimension of Sound

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Retro Pop/Rock

Track Listing:  1.  When we Were Born; 2.  Wendy; 3.  Olivia; 4.  In and out of True; 5.  Outside; 6.  Welcome Home; 7.  The Leaver; 8.  Summers End; 9.  The man from Abilene; 10.  Just One, Cool Daddy; 11.  After You

Publicist:  Behind the Curtains Media

Review:  Burgess Meredith, named after one of American’s greatest supporting actors, is an Austin-based band that plays retro-style pop and rock music.  They are heavily influenced by such 70’s icons as Harry Nilsson, The Flaming Lips, Ricky Nelson and The Beatles.  Listening to them for a baby boomer is like stepping back into our childhood, evoking beautiful memories of a much simpler time.  Besides the familiarity the retro-style adds to their music, it is very much their own and they have infused that style with their own wit, amazing musicianship and incredible vocals.  Their music should be added to the musical catalogs of every music supervisor looking for retro material.  Our favorite tracks include “In and out of True,” “Outside,” “Welcome Home,” “The Leaver,” and “Just One, Cool Daddy.”

Recommendation:  If you love the retro sound, and great music in general, you simply MUST Get this one.

Artist Name:  Wolf & Moon

Album Name:  Frames

Label:    Embassy of Music

Genre:  Dream Folk

Track Listing:  1.  Like a Shotgun; 2.  War; 3.  Wake Up; 4.  Home to Me; 5.  Stones

Publicist:  Guerilla Music Promotion

Review:  The quality of music coming from Scandinavia these days is unbelievable, and Wolf & Moon are no exception.  The harmonies are glorious, the accompaniment heavenly and the vocals contributed by Stefany and Dennis are some of the best we have heard all year.  This five-song EP barely whets our appetite for their full length album which will be released later this year.  Every song is a treasure, and would make a worthy addition to American radio.  You can not go wrong with this EP, which is by far one of the best released anywhere in the world in 2017.

Recommendation:  Don’t think twice –  Get onboard this train before it pulls out of the station.  Get this EP ASAP!

photo by Andreas Hornoff Fotografie

Artist Name:  Hundreds

Album Name:  Wilderness (Akustik Edition)

Label:  Embassy of Music

Genre:  Dream Pop

Track Listing:  1.  Unify; 2.  Spotless; 3.  Flume;  Black Sea; 5.  Lily

Publicist:  Guerilla Music Promotion

Review:  Hundreds has become one of the most successful indie bands from Germany, all without the advantage of radio or publicity.  This new EP features four original acoustic versions of their songs as well as an acoustic cover of Bon Iver’s hit, “Flume.”  This band has so much potential to crash into the American music scene, and we can hardly wait to see what comes next.  The haunting vocals, and ethereal quality remind us of the music of Enya, and are relaxing and nourishing to our artistic souls.  This music is perfect for evening chill time.

Recommendation:  A great EP which should be in the library of all music lovers.  Definitely Get this one.

Artist Name:  Rick Shelley

Album Name:  Hope Wrapped in Razor Wire

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Americana

Track Listing:  1.  Sing Waiting on a Friend; 2.  All she Really Wants; 3.  Dead Horse Hollow; 4.  Easy Lies; 5.  Home to the Bed I Made; 6.  Hope Wrapped in Razor Wire; 7.  Highway 99 (Bakersfield); 8.  Kisses Bitter; 9.  Long way Around; 10.  Right Back in my Arms; 11.  Sweet Poetry; 12.  Heart I Never Had

Publicist:  Self-promoted

Review:  We had the pleasure of seeing Rick Shelley perform at the Songwriters at Play showcase back in October in Paso Robles.  We were so impressed we simply had to review his CD, and we were not disappointed.  Shelley has a strong masculine voice that is perfectly suited to Americana music.  His instrumentation is first rate, with everything you’d expect from an Americana band, including guitar, dobro, lap steel, fiddle, upright bass and pedal steel.  His voice is like a cross between Chris LeDoux, Clint Black and Vince Gill.  His songs will definitely get your feet to moving around the dance floor, while his lyrics give your mind something to chew on.  Country and alt-country/Americana radio needs to stand up and take notice of this amazing musician.  Special kudos to Chris Unck, who not only provided guitar, bass, lap steel, drums, percussion and vocals, but also produced, recorded, mixed and mastered the album.  While almost every track is well done, several truly stand out, like the Steve Earle vibe on “Dead Horse Hollow,” the Eagles-like vibe on “Easy Lies,” the amazing fiddle on “Home to the Bed I Made,” the lonesome and soulful sound of the title track, the Dwight Yoakum feel of “Highway 99 (Bakersfield),” the Goyte-influence on “Kisses Bitter,”  and the Vince Gill take on “Right Back in my Arms.”

Recommendation:  This one is first rate and deserves your consideration and addition to your musical library.  Get this one now!

 

Categories
Get it or Forget it Reviews Women in Entertainment

Get it or forget it – Ben Anderson, Miller Campbell, Sam Marine, The County Liners, Ryan Sims

Happy first Hump Day of 2018.  We’re back with five more reviews for you, leaving only 12 more which we’ll get out by Sunday.  Once that’s complete, we will prepare our list of Top American Indie Albums of 2017, Top International Indie Albums of 2017, and Top EPs of 2017, before preparing our nominations for the LA Music Critic Awards for the second half of 2017.  In order to be considered, the album, EP, single, or video had to be released between July 1 and November 30 of 2017.  We had to cut back on this cycle’s eligibility period because of the surplus of submissions.  The eligibility period going forward will be December 1 through May 30 for the first half awards, and June 1 to November 30 for the second half awards.  Now, back to our reviews.

Artist Name:  Ben Anderson

Album Name:  YouTopia

Label:  Chromodyne

Genre:  Indie Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Clay Pigeon; 2.  Absentia; 3.  Goodbye Serenity; 4.  Lukewarm

Publicist:  Chromodyne

Review:  With a bevy of interesting sounds and textures, the music surrounds you in its complexity.  Although discordant at times, somehow Ben Anderson makes it work together.  Add to that the amazing lyrical content and the strong and smooth vocals and you have music that is commercially viable and suitable for placement in television and film.  His tunes begin acoustic, but build layer upon layer until they reaching their satisfying climax.  We also love that the four songs are all part of one concept, and that the accompanying music videos will be released as three parts of a trilogy.  Definitely give this guy a chance.  “Goodbye Sereny” is our favorite track.

Recommendation:  He’s worth the risk – we recommend you grab his EP.

Artist Name:  Miller Campbell

Album Name:  Sweet Whiskey

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Country

Track Listing:  1.  All Summer’s Breaking Loose; 2.  Obsession; 3.  Ghosts of Fidalgo; 4.  One Step; 5.  Emmeline; 6.  Baby Back off of Me; 7.  Sweet Whiskey

Publicist:  Ever Kipp

Review:  For a young lady from Washington State, Miller Campbell has taken to classic country like she was raised in Nashville.  Her lyrical content reflects her youth, but the music is downhome country, and suitable for country dancing, drinking and partying all night long.  Campbell performed at our Western Montana Fair this year, and totally wowed the crowds with her country sound.  This young lady has a tremendous future ahead of her, and should definitely consider moving to Nashville to further pursue her goals.  She has some of the same feistiness of early LeAnn Rimes and Taylor Swift, without the pop music influence.   Check out the fiddle on “Ghosts of Fidalgo” and the Linda Ronstadt vibe on “One Step.”  Our favorite track is “Baby Back off of Me.”

Recommendation:  Hop on the train early before it leaves the station – this one’s a keeper.

Artist Name:  Sam Marine

Album Name:  Big Dark City

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Roots Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Big Dark City; 2.  Dawn Come and Gone; 3.  Freeze em Out; 4.  I’ll Soon be Gone; 5.  Mike Lee

Publicist:  KG Music Press

Review:  Sam Marine has been creating a name for himself on the California Country scene, playing alongside such indie greats as Rod Melancon, Jamie Wyatt and Sam Morrow.  Consequently, it only made sense that Marine would choose Brian Whelan to produce this EP, especially considering Whelan’s track record this year with mega hits for Rod Melancon and Chris Shifflet, as well as his pedigree as the lead guitarist for Dwight Yoakam.  His songs are pure roots rock, his lyrics are well written and his raspy vocals have been compared to Tom Petty and Springsteen.  The bottom line is this EP rocks, and we are proud to add it our list of the best EPs of 2017.

Recommendation:  Don’t hesitate – Get this one today!

Artist Name:  The County Liners

Album Name:  Mary Jane Dunphe & Chris McDonnell in the County Liners

Label:  Wharf Cat Records

Genre:  Americana

Track Listing:  1.  Love Letter; 2.  Walkin’ Out; 3.  Maria; 4.  The County Line; 5.  Oklahoma

Publicist:  Promo Juke Box

Review:  Very strong effort, with top-notch guitar rifts, soaring and unique vocals, and a total package that keeps your toes a-tapping and makes your body want to get out and cowboy boogie.  Both sets of vocals are haunting and draw the listener into the story line and the mood of the song with hook after hook.  We just wish they could get the notes right!  Great job, however, on the cover of  Lucinda Williams’ hit “Maria.”

Recommendation:  In a year of some many great alt-country and roots rock artists, and the amazing albums they have generated, you should probably just Forget this one, unless tonal quality is not a priority for  you.

Artist Name:  Ryan Sims

Album Name:  My Side of the Story

Label:  High 4 Recordings

Genre:  Country Rock/Americana

Track Listing:  1.  Get Away; 2.  American Things; 3.  Black and Blue; 4.  Tragedy; 5.  Red Head; 6.  Before I Sell Myself; 7.  Little Ms. Bad Decision

Publicist:  MSO PR

Review:  We must admit that we have been waiting to review this one ever since our friend Jason “Slim” Gambill, the guitar player for Lady Antebellum, raved about working with this artist.  Ryan Sims has been paying his dues for quite a few years, but finally broke out in 2011 when he was chosen to perform on The X Factor.  For this EP, he had help from the aforementioned Gambill, as well as Darryl Jones (Rolling Stones), Kenny Aronoff (John Fogerty, John Mellencamp) and Kim Bullard (Elton John).  The result is a dream come true for true music lovers.  Sims has a voice that squarely puts him alongside his superstar peers like Brad Paisley, Diercks Bently, and Florida Georgia Line.  These songs have “HIT” written all over them, starting with the rocking tracks “Get Away” and “American Things.”  “Black and Blue” has that Tim McGraw feel while “Tragedy” reminds us of one of Collin Raye’s tearjerkers.  “Redhead” is a beautiful waltz with a sweet story.  Sims closes out with a pair of rockers, “Before I Sell Myself” and “Little Ms. Bad Decision.”  Truly one of the great EPs of 2017.

Recommendation:  Add this one to your list of must-haves.  Get it now!