Tag: Lee Ainley’s Blues Storm

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Artists Worth Checking Out Best of 2018 Women in Entertainment

Forty best albums of 2018

What a year for indie music.  We received a boatload of review requests from around the world, and published reviews of nearly 1,000 CDs and EPs.  We culled through those we reviewed first to pick our nominations for the LA Music Critic Awards, and now to compile our list of the 40 Best CDs of 2018.

Due to the sheer volume, we only considered full-length projects for this list, but that doesn’t mean that quite a few of the EPs we reviewed weren’t also worthy of distinction.  We may yet put together another list of just EPs.

In the meantime, while we wait for the winners of the second half of 2018 for the LA Music Critic Awards to be announced tomorrow, here are our favorite CDs of 2018.  You can find their individual reviews by searching for them on our blog.

40.  Kate Reid – The Heart Already Knows

39.  Deb Ryder – Enjoy the Ride

38.  Jeffrey Foucault – War on the Radio

37.  Katie Herzig – Moment of Bliss

36.  Eric Tingstad – Electric Spirit

35.  Fanny Walked the Earth – self-titled

34.  Wily Bo Walker – Almost Transparent Blues

33.  Buddy Guy – The Blues is Alive and Well

32.  Walt Weiskopf – European Quartet

31.  Mindi Abair & the Boneshakers – All I Got for Christmas is the Blues

30.  YYNOT – self-titled

29.  Peter V Blues Band – Shaken but not Deterred

28.  Delta Moon – Babylon is Falling

27.  The Textones – Old Stone Gang

26.  Ronny Morris – Sweet Silence

25.  Sydney Wright – Seiche

24.  Gleeson – The Years Have It

23.  Colin Devlin – High Point

22.  Everlast – Don’t Complain

21.  Zsuzsika – Start Again

20.  Michael Peterson – From Here to Eternity

19.  K. Michelle Dubois – Autumn

18.    Broken Bellows – I, Kaleidoscope

17.  Rachel Sage – Myopia

16.  Janiva Magness – Love is an Army

15.  John Flanagan Trio – Honest Man

14.  Lee Ainley’s Blues Storm – Shoot me Down

13.  Floods – Bad Times

12.  Frank Hannon (From One Place . . . to Another, vols 1 and 2)

11.  Keith Harkin – In the Round

10.  Southern Halo – Just Like in the Movies

9.  Cindy Alexander – Nowhere to Hide

8.  Kari Kimmel – Gold & Glitter

7.  Hymn for Her – Pop-n-Downers

6.  Jordan Siwek – Sun Inside You

5.  Slim Gambill – Fake Jazz

4.  Gina Sicilia – Heard the Lie

3.  Birds and Arrows – Arbitrary Magic

2.  Brigitte Rios Purdy – Still I Rise

and the Best Album of 2018 goes to

Norway Reloaded – My Longest Mile

 

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

Get it or forget it – Keith Stone with Red Gravy, Shoshy, Birds and Arrows, The Persian Leaps, Lee Ainley’s Blues Storm

Happy Halloween – no tricks for you today, just five new treats.  We hope you enjoy this diverse group of artists.

Artist Name:  Keith Stone with Red Gravy

Album Name:  Keith Stone with Red Gravy

Label:  Self-release

Genre:  Blues

Track Listing:   1.  Ain’t That the Blues; 2.  Love Done put me Down; 3.  You Ain’t got Nothing; 4.  Red Gravy; 5.  Crazy in Love With You; 6.  Don’t Count me Out; 7.  Blue Eyed Angel; 8.  Time to Move On; 9.  Hard to Have the Blues; 10.  Something in the Water

Publicist:  Frank Roszak Promotions

Review:  The music of New Orleans is world famous for its intensity, drive, and style.  Add  the blues into that mix and you have Keith Stone with Red Gravy, a local band that is starting to take the world by storm.  This is blues you start to feel deep down in your soul until it takes over your whole body and leaves you with no choice but to get up and dance.  This music is tailor-made for placement on such shows as NCIS: New Orleans, among others.  This band deserves industry attention and a bigger stage.  Jump on the train before it leaves the station.

Recommendation:  If you love the blues and the music of New Orleans, then you simply MUST add this one.  Go Get it today!

Artist Name:  Shoshy

Album Name:  GAMERGIRL

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Alt Pop

Track Listing:  1.  Intro; 2.  Pansy Dreams Parts 1&2; 3.  What’s the News; 4.  ULTRA MINI // Life me Up; 5.  Clouds; 6.  In Bloom; 7.  Love Crimes; 8.  Melting; 9.  Floating; 10.  The End; 11.  Spirited Away // It wouldn’t have made any difference; 12.  If it’s not the End

Publicist:  Self-promoted

Review:  Inspired by the myriad of games on Nintendo, England based singer-songwriter Shoshy Boo delivers an interesting collection of indie/alt pop songs.  With her sweet voice, Shoshy brings the listener into her world of fantasy, creating mental images that peacefully co-exist with the music and images that Nintendo created for these games.  In fact, some of these songs would make great radio tunes, especially “Pansy Dreams.”  For the most part, the songs are short and sweet.  We also love her mashup within her cover of Todd Rundgren‘s “It Wouldn’t Have Made any Difference.”  She reminds us of indie artist Lenka, and we think she has the potential to do well on the indie music scene.

Recommendation:  Definitely worthy of your time – check it out today on BandCamp.

Artist Name:  Birds and Arrows

Album Name:  Arbitrary Magic

Label:  Baby Gas Mask Records

Genre:  Indie Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Overloaded; 2.  No Hand me Downs; 3.  Adrift; 4.  Stay Down; 5.  All Souls Sell Out; 6.  The Distance that we Drive; 7.  San Jacinto; 8.  Animatronic Heart

Publicist:  Self-promoted

Review:  We have loved this group since we first heard of them, and are so happy that they have finally released an album.  They were nominated last year for an LA Music Critic Award for their single, “Stay Down,” and the album includes a ton of new songs that are every bit as worthy of critical acclaim as that single.  In addition, the album is a political statement of our current government, giving lead vocalist Andrea Connolly and her partner, Pete Connolly, a wealth of material on which to write some amazing songs, including what could become the anthem for the mid-term election cycle, “Overloaded.”  There isn’t a weak track on this album.  All hail the new face of rock and roll.

Recommendation:  Run, don’t walk, and Get this one Today!

Artist Name:  The Persian Leaps

Album Name:  Pop That Goes Crunch

Label:    Self-released

Genre:  Indie Pop/Rock

Track Listing:  1.  See me Unaware; 2.  The Weather; 3.  Firestarter; 4.  Dottie, Queen of the West; 5.  Picture my Reaction; 6.  Pretty Boy; 7.  Under the Lilacs; 8.  Silent Treatment; 9.  Entropy; 10.  Hard Feelings; 11.  About the Lions; 12.  Anthem; 13.  Terribly Happy; 14.  Not That Brave; 15.  Truth = Consequences; 16.  Even Less; 17.  Time Slips; 18.  Sleepless

Publicist:  Behind the Curtains Media

Review:  This album is a remixed/remastered anthology of the band’s five previous EPs and one new single, “Time Slips.”  We previously reviewed the band’s Bicycle Face EP last year.  We must admit that this time around the band has seriously improved on their sound, and are ready to take their next step towards becoming a well-known band.  These songs are definitely radio worthy, and would do well on the college radio circuit.  Best tracks include “Dottie, Queen of the West,” “Picture my Reaction,” “Under the Lilacs,” “Entropy,” “Anthem,” “Not That Brave,” and the new single, “Time Slips.”

Recommendation:  This anthology is worthy of your collection.  Grab it.

Artist Name:  Lee Ainley’s Blues Storm

Album Name:  Bankruptcy

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Blues/Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Bankruptcy; 2.  Lady Loretta (radio edit); 3.  Crosshairs; 4.  Earth Mother

Publicist:  ABIK Radio Promotions

Review:  This new four-song EP comes about six months after their previous release Shoot me Down, which we reviewed back in May.  Lee Ainley proves once again that she is one of the hottest blues/rock singers in Europe and probably the world with her soulful tunes that will appeal to most lovers of rock, soul and the blues.  She gives to the blues what Janis Joplin gave to rock – a true front-woman who knows how to deliver great jams.  You can’t go wrong with any of these four songs, and we bet they will become some of your favorites.

Recommendation:  Don’t waste any more time – go Get this one!

 

 

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

Get it or forget it – Krystal Klear, Sweet ‘n’ Salty, Lee Ainley’s Blues Storm, Accent, Peggie Perkins

We started this article on Tuesday, but time and circumstances didn’t allow us to finish it.  Thankfully, we’re getting closer to the end of the reviews for submissions for the first half of 2018 of the LA Music Critic Awards, because this cycle has been almost overwhelming.  Here are another five contenders, three of which are courtesy of ABIK Radio Promotions.

Artist Name:  Krystal Klear

Album Name:  The Division

Label:  Cold Tonic/Running Back

Genre:  EDM Instrumental

Track Listing:  1.  Neutron Dance; 2.  Division Ave; 3.  Shockzoid; 4.  Moonshake Miner

Publicist:  Worldwide Friendly Society Communications

Review:  From the shores of Dublin, Ireland comes Krystal Klear and he is set to deliver the best instrumental dance music you have ever heard.  According to our resident EDM connoisseur, “This music just makes me want to dance.”  We believe his music would do very well here in the States, and encourage all DJs and mix-masters to check out his tunes for their next club date.

Recommendation:  This one is a must for all EDM lovers.

Artist Name:  Sweet ‘n’ Salty

Album Name:  I Done Told ya

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Blues

Track Listing:  1.  Mr. Sam’s Blues; 2.  Won’t be Worried Long; 3.  Bluesman in my Graveyard; 4.  You Don’t Rock my World; 5.  Worrying Times; 6.  Big Love

Publicist:  ABIK Radio Promotions

Review:  Libby Rae Watson and Wes Lee, both amazing blues artists in their own right, have combined their talents to form Sweet ‘n’ Salty.  Their sound is a throwback to that of such blues pioneers as Leadbelly, Charley Patton and Robert Johnson, with instrumentation on an acoustic guitar, sad lyrics and rough vocals.  They would have fit in perfectly with that early Delta Blues sound, and their artistry is worthy of attention from every true blues lover.  On “Bluesman in my Graveyard,” they shift gears a bit, and Watson’s vocals take on a Bonnie Raitt quality.

Recommendation:  If you love the blues, and especially traditional Delta Blues, then you must Get this one for your collection.

Artist Name:  Lee Ainley’s Blues Storm

Album Name:  Shoot me Down

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Blues/Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Contemplation; 2.  Degenerates; 3.  Tin Star; 4.  Dream Catcher; 5.  Fed From the Bottle

Publicist:  ABIK Radio Promotions

Review:  Lee Ainley and her band bring us blues-tinged rock that sounds great and would provide the perfect soundtrack for  your summer activities.  With a driving bass beat, upbeat and killer electric guitar tracks, and that smooth voice of Ainley joined by perfect backing vocals, Shoot me Down is definitely going on repeat for my next cook-out.  The band also kicks in some amazing soul and funk vibes that mesh perfectly with the blues and rock foundation.  Hard to believe these guys are from the UK, because they rock it like they were born to play.

Recommendation:  You simply MUST Get this one!

Artist Name:  Accent

Album Name:  In This Together

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  A Capella Jazz vocals

Track Listing:  1.  Aux Aurores; 2.  Just Wondering; 3.  Love is Just That Way; 4.  Twilight; 5.  Who You Are; 6.  Only One Love

Publicist:  Mouthpiece Music

Review:  A capella has always been one of our favorite musical styles.  We never missed an episode of The Sing-Off, loved the Pitch Perfect movies, and even supported Pentatonix on Patreon.  Needless to say, we were drooling at the prospect of hearing a new a capella group, and Accent did not disappoint.  They even exceeded our expectations, leaping past our previous favorites like Pentatonix and Home Free, truly establishing themselves as a force to be reckoned with, not only in the pop world but jazz as well.  In addition, these guys hail from five different countries, with only the bassist from America and the rest from Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Sweden.  Talk about a worldwide super-group!

Recommendation:  Run, don’t walk, and Get this one today!

Artist Name:  Peggie Perkins

Album Name:  Influences

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Blues

Track Listing:  1.  Shotgun; 2.  Dust my Broom; 3.  I Need a Little Sugar in my Bowl; 4.  I’m a Woman; 5.  Further on up the Road; 6.  Mama, he Treats Your Daughter Mean; 7.  Dreams; 8.  Baby I Love You; 9.  Hold on, I’m Coming; 10.  Angel From Montgomery; 11.  Alright OK, You Win; 12.  Crossroads Blues; 13.  Since I Fell for You; 14.  Shaky Ground

Publicist:  ABIK Radio Promotions

Review:  This was the perfect album to close out today’s reviews.  Peggie Perkins has been singing for more than 30 years, and chose songs during that period of time that heavily influenced her musical style, which combines elements of funk, blues, R&B, soul and rock and showcases those Janis Joplin-like vocals.  Those influences range from contemporary artists like Jr. Walker & the All Stars, Stevie Nicks, Peggy Lee, Bobby Bland/Eric Clapton, Aretha Franklin, Sam & Dave, Bonnie Raitt and the Temptations to legends like Ella Fitzgerald, Robert Johnson, Nina Simone and Count Basie.

Recommendation:  Don’t miss this opportunity to add some of the greatest songs ever written into your musical library.  Get this one now!