Happy Friday! We’ve been working hard reviewing this year’s releases, and will be caught up as of this edition of Get it or Forget It. That’s 140 albums/EPs we have reviewed so far this year, including this edition. Next week we will bring you our Monday Mashup, a deluxe set of new singles and music videos and hopefully a live performance review, in addition to next Friday’s Get it or Forget it reviews. With that in mind, here are another five artists to check out.
Artist Name: The Skullers
Album Name: Meet the Skullers
Label: Self-released
Genre: Blues Rock
Track Listing: 1. Meet me in Memphis; 2. Pressure Face; 3. Eyes Open; 4. Peace With You; 5. One Foot in the Grave
Publicist: Moot Management
Review: A few years back, we reviewed Jack Skuller, the frontman and guitarist for The Skullers. At the time Skuller was only 18. Now, four years later, he has created a band that is taking New Jersey and the east coast by storm. This debut five-song EP is a treasure, and exhibits so much potential for this band. All five of these songs are great, with just the right amount of attitude, guitar, drums, and the amazing rock and roll voice of Skuller. We wonder what the next four years will bring. We can’t wait to see what’s next for the Skullers. It is an honor to meet them.
Recommendation: Don’t waste time – Get this one today.
Artist Name: ROCKET
Album Name: Get Huge
Label: Exploited Music
Genre: Alt Rock
Track Listing: 1. Giants; 2. Hey Baby; 3. Fading Out; 4. Remain; 5. Fever
Publicist: Powder Finger Promotions
Review: Lead singer Janelle Barreto has been a staple of the LA rock scene for many years, fronting such bands as Exploiting Eve and serving on the other side of the industry with Warner Music Group and Universal Music Group before joining ROCKET. The band has received much critical acclaim, including multiple LA Music Critic Awards and made the semi-final round for the WARPED Tour Battle of the Bands. This EP is just the first fruits of the simply amazing music that pours from the stage whenever they perform. The band is planning a huge EP release party at the world-famous Viper Room on the Sunset Strip on April 21. If you live in Los Angeles, we highly recommend that you make it to the show.
Recommendation: Do we really need to tell you to Get this one? It’s just so painfully obvious that you need it in your musical library?
Artist Name: An American Forrest
Album Name: Ol’ Yonder
Label: Eat Local Records
Genre: Folk/Cowboy Blues
Track Listing: 1. Alberta IV; 2. More Than Enough; 3. Bed & Board; 4. Pastures of Plenty; 5. Darlin’ you Weren’t One (Rawhide); 6. Quarter ’til Tomorrow; 7. Diamond Joe; 8. Yonder Mountain; 9. Chehalis River #1; 10. Hard Times; 11. Lovesick (Did ya Read the Letter?); 12. Room to Dream; 13. Don’t Take Nothing’ (Ma and Pa); 14. Wedding Song (Sam & Jessica, Lostine, May 20, 2017); 15. Yonder Lies Heaven; 16. Alberta Oregon
Publicist: Self-promoted
Review: With a voice similar to Tom Waits, An American Forrest brings us the “cowboy blues.” This collection, recorded on an old cassette recorder, includes first drafts, covers of such artists as Woody Guthrie and Gillian Welch, traditionals and instrumentals he has written between jobs while out in the great outdoors. It is a very eclectic collection with something that should appeal to just about everyone. This one would make a good soundtrack for a documentary, so music supervisors, check it out. For the rest of us, just put it on and let it fill the quiet with interesting stories and music.
Recommendation: Definitely worth checking out.
Artist Name: LadyChild
Album Name: LadyChild
Label: Self-released
Genre: Indie Rock
Track Listing: 1. Out of Breath; 2. Man Overboard; 3. Lazy Girl; 4. Fooled Again; 5. Just Fine
Publicist: Behind the Curtains Media
Review: LadyChild is like a cross between Janis Joplin, Grace Potter and Led Zeppelin, a fireball of a performer that is comfortable mixing genres to create her own very unique style. Her vocals soar to the stratosphere while a perfect guitar and drum musical base provides the perfect landing zone. “Out of Breath” is pure rock before she shifts gears to a more electric and soulful jazz sound on “Man Overboard.” “Lazy Girl” is straight ahead progressive jazz that morphs into rock before returning to jazz and would be perfect for airplay on numerous smooth jazz radio stations, as well as be perfect for the next James Bond movie. Likewise, “Fooled Again” is a lively jazz tune that would likewise appeal to the smooth jazz crowd. She closes out the EP with “Just Fine,” a more traditional jazz song that soars and soothes, and is the perfect ending to this dynamic collection.
Recommendation: If you are a serious progressive jazz lover, then you owe it to yourself to Get this one to complete your collection.
Artist Name: Super Hi-Fi
Album Name: Blue and White
Label: Self-released
Genre: Reggae/Rock/Dub
Track Listing: 1, Gone; 2. Keep it Dirty; 3. Dub to the Bone; 4. Fergie; 5. Revenge of the Whales; 6. Blue and White; 7. Little Black Book; 8. Space Needle; 9. Gale Caution; 10. Hole in my Life; 11. Biking to Bushwick; 12. Son of Revenge of the Whales
Publicist: Behind the Curtains Media
Review: The horns and discordant chords that are heard on the first track, “Gone,” are very reminiscent of 80’s ska bands like No Doubt and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, while the reggae beat that permeates the songs give it that true island feel. Throw in some rock guitar and a driving beat and you have the makings of their second track, “Keep it Dirty.” Super Hi-Fi continues like this throughout the album, mixing genres in the process of establishing themselves as experts at a myriad of musical tastes and styles. It is impossible to be bored with this release, as your ears are constantly adjusting to the creative waves of sound from reggae, rock, world music and jazz influences. We can only imagine how much fun they would be to see perform live. “Fergie” almost sounds like something Jimmy Buffet might do, while “Revenge of the Whales” has that ELO/prog rock feel. We really love the title track, as well as “Little Black Book” and “Gale Caution.”
Recommendation: You simply must have this eclectic album in your collection, for those times when you can’t decide exactly what you want to hear. Definitely Get it.
