Tag: Start Again

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

Get it or forget it – Liz Fawcett, Karen Craigie, Brother Brad, Belly Squad, Ronny Morris

We’re heading into the home stretch for the 2018-2 LA Music Critic Award for Fan Favorite.  Voting ends tomorrow, so don’t miss the chance to recognize your favorite indie artist.  Winners will be announced on Friday, January 4, 2019.  In the meantime, here are five more reviews to check out.

Artist Name:  Liz Fawcett

Album Name:  Start Again

Label:  Lizzard Productions

Genre:  Pop

Track Listing:  1.  Start Again; 2.  Waiting; 3.  New Times; 4.  Why you Gotta Change Me; 5.  Let’s be Gone; 6.  Ohh la La La; 7.  Crazy Land; 8.  I Just Wanna Dance; 9.  It’s all Gone; 10.  Don’t Let Go; 11.  Somehow; 12.  Make it Through the Day; 13.  Never Before

Publicist:  Self-promoted

Review:  Liz Fawcett is an actress and singer-songwriter from Orange County, California.  While we have seen a large number of actors/actresses branch out recently into the music industry, this one truly has the goods to make it as an artist.  Her voice is heavenly, while her musical accompaniment is first rate and truly classy.  From the first notes of the title track, she announces to the world that she has truly arrived.  Although the overall sound is pop, there are so many nuances to her music that we think she could excel in any genre.  Her songs are radio friendly and also perfect for placement in television and film.  Best songs include the title track, “New Times,” “Why you Gotta Change Me,” “Ooh la La La,” “Crazy Land,” “I Just Wanna Dance,” “Don’t Let Go” and “Make it Through the Day” (both of which would make great Disney themes) and “Never Before.”

Recommendation:  Run out and Get this one!

Artist Name:  Karen Craigie

Album Name:  Mountains of Gold

Label:  Buttercup Records

Genre:  Country

Track Listing:  1.  Little Heartbreaker; 2.  Kill me Now; 3.  Bottom Line; 4.  Mountains of Gold; 5.  High; 6.  Game Face; 7.  Happy Ending; 8.  Lonely Town; 9.  So Long; 10.  Till it Gets Done

Publicist:  Self-promoted

Review:  Once again a rising country star has emerged from Australia with the third release from Karen Craigie, who reminds us of such country greats as Mary Chapin Carpenter and Patty Loveless.  Her songs are flawlessly written and should do quite well on American country radio, and have that classic country sound that endures, especially “Little Heartbreaker” and “Kill me Now.”  Other songs worthy of your attention include the title track (the perfect waltz),  “High,” “Happy Ending,” “Lonely Town,” “So Long” and “Till it Gets Done.”

Recommendation:  This one truly belongs in your country music catalog.  Go Get it.

Artist Name:  Brother Brad

Album Name:  Get Around

Label:  A&R Records

Genre:  Soul/Pop

Track Listing:  1.  Gotta Be; 2.  Digital Revolution; 3.  Ger Around; 4.  Yesterday; 5.  I Gave you my All; 6.  My Girl

Publicist:  The A&R Department

Review:  Combining elements of jazz, funk, reggae, R&B and pop, Sydney, Australia-based band Brother Brad create a fun and entertaining sound that deserves worldwide attention.  The horns truly shine through these six amazing tracks and clearly capture the chemistry and amazing songwriting that signal this is the band to see perform live.  There is not a weak track in the bunch, and this one is definitely going on repeat.  We especially love their first single, “My Girl,” and can certainly understand why everyone seems to love it as well.

Recommendation:  Get off your duff and Get this one now!

Artist Name:  Belly Squad

Album Name:  Bon Appétit

Label:  Self-released Mixtape

Genre:  Rap/Afro Swing

Track Listing:  1,  SOS; 2.  Best in Town; 3.  Jumpstart (ft Young T & Bugsey); 4.  Bag; 5.  Wanna Ride (Skr Skr); 6.  Ribena; 7.  Teamwork; 8.  Missing (ft Headie One); 9.  Say Nuttin

Publicist:  Worldwide Friendly Society

Review:  This mixtape clearly demonstrates why Belly Squad has risen to the top of the UK’s rap scene.  Their tracks contain great music and lyrics you can actually understand.  The first single “Missing,” which features Headie One, has amassed more than 8 million streams since it was released, and it is not the only great song in this collection.  Other memorable tunes include “Best in Town,” “Jumpstart” (featuring Young T & Bugsey), “Wanna Ride (Skr Skr),” “Ribena,” and “Say Nuttin.”

Recommendation:  If you love rap, this is a must-have for your collection.

Artist Name:  Ronny Morris

Album Name:  Sweet Silence

Label:  Warner Music Scandinavia

Genre:  Classic Rock

Track Listing:  1.  I’ll Survive; 2.  All About Love; 3.  Still; 4.  Windows; 5.  Sweet Silence; 6.  Purge; 7.  Hey; 8.  Lilly; 9.  Built to Last; 10.  Lost my Way; 11.  Every Time it Gets Real; 12.  So Young

Publicist:  Morris Music

Review:  Ronny Morris has already achieved success with his music, even before the release of his debut album Sweet Silence.  He has secured placements in such television hits as One Tree Hill, Brothers and Sisters and The Ghost Whisperer, to name a few.  Hooking up with Grammy-winning mixer Steve Thompson helped shape this composer into an artist, resulting in this album, which includes a dramatic score featuring the Czech Symphony Orchestra.  This helps give his music the same feel as ELO, making these songs extremely radio friendly.  His vocals are dreamy, seemingly floating on the musical accompaniment.  There aren’t any misses in this dynamic collection, and you just may want to put it on repeat.

Recommendation:  Definitely go Get this one!

 

 

 

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

Get it or forget it – Mark Winkler and Cheryl Bentyne, Chuter, Patiently Awaiting the Meteorite, Zsuzsika, Courchene/Mechlenburg

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and it’s busier than ever, as we try to review all the submissions before the end of the month.  Here are five more from around the globe.  Enjoy.

Artist Name:  Mark Winkler and Cheryl Bentyne

Album Name:  Eastern Standard Time

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Jazz

Track Listing:  1.  Devil May Care; 2.  Rhode Island is Famous for You; 3.  Like Jazz; 4.  The Gentleman is a Dope; 5.  I Could get Used to This (Bumpin’); 6.  The Best is Yet to Come; 7.  Spring can Really Hang you up the Most; 8.  Walk on the Wild Side; 9.  You Smell so Good; 10.  Things are Swingin’; 11.  Ballad of  the Sad Young Men/Lies of Handsome Men

Publicist:  Mouthpiece Music

Review:  While much of the world knows Cheryl Bentyne as the “soaring soprano” of the multi-Grammy-winning Manhattan Transfer, this collaboration with singer/lyricist Mark Winkler is a gem for jazz lovers, as they bring to life some of our best loved standards, and a couple of Winkler originals as well.  The tracks was pulled from the song lists of East Coast jazz clubs of the late 50s and early 60s.  Although most of the songs are duets, each performer also does a pair of solo tunes (Winkler on “Rhode Island is Famous for You” and “I Could get Used to This (Bumpin’)”, while Bentyne gives us “The Gentleman is a Dope” and “Spring can Really Hang you up the Most” ), giving us one of the best pure jazz recordings of the year.

Recommendation:  If you love jazz, this is a no-brainer.  Get this one for your collection today!

Artist Name:  Chuter

Album Name:  Pendulum

Label:  self-released

Genre:  Shoegaze

Track Listing:  1.  Whim (ft Lizzy Maries); 2.  Shapeshift; 3.  Point on the Scale; 4.  Burn the Object Down

Publicist:  Self-promoted

Review:  Chuter is an artist from the UK who compares himself to thisquietarmy, among others.  It is only fitting then that we review his four-song EP, since we just reviewed thisquietarmy over the weekend.  While they share a shoegaze vibe, the music of thisquietarmy is more majestic and cinematic rock instrumental, while Chuter is more true to shoegaze, with dramatic vocals and well written lyrics that pay homage to his eerie and ethereal voice.

Recommendation:  Definitely worth checking out.

Artist Name:  Patiently Awaiting the Meteorite

Album Name:  Canyon Diablo

Label:  Unda in Choc/Believe Digital

Genre:  Pop/Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Hit the Ground Running; 2.  Don’t lay Your Fate; 3.  Strange Intuition; 4.  Everything Under the Sun; 5.  Devil’s in my Car; 6.  Electrified; 7.  Keeping my Head Above the Water; 8.  All This Madness; 9.  Hello Hello; 10.  The Place

Publicist:  Last Tango Media

Review:  This band formed when The Grand Brothers collaborated with solo artist Dee on his album, Day by Day.  Their sound is reminiscent of The Plain White Ts and The Fray, and is truly radio friendly.  The first track accurately reflects the project, as they truly “Hit the Ground Running.”  Their first single, “Electrified” received critical praise both as a single and a video, and the video for their second single, “Strange Intuition” did likewise.  Other worthy tracks include their planned third single, “Devil’s in my Car,” “Don’t Lay Your Fate,” “Keeping my Head Above the Water,” “Hello Hello” and “The Place.”

Recommendation:  Definitely Get this one.  It will become a favorite.

Artist Name:  Zsuzsika

Album Name:  Start Again

Label:  USM Records/A&R Records

Genre:  Pop

Track Listing:  1.  Start Again; 2.  Til the End; 3.  Godsend; 4.  You’re not Perfect; 5.  Broken Heart

Publicist:  The A&R Department

Review:  We previously included her lead single “Start Again” in our Ten Great Singles of September article, and immediately fell in love with her sweet voice.  She is a native Australian with a Hungarian/ Polish heritage.  Her voice soars through these sweet radio friendly tracks, positioning her for world-wide success.  “Godsend” is anthemic and could easily become one of the best “Thank You” songs ever written.  We also love the harder sound of “You’re not Perfect,” which reminds us of Avril Lavigne.

Recommendation:  Get it.

Artist Name:  Courchene/Mechlenburg

Album Name:  Søndag, Søndag, Søndag

Label:  Double Mayjah Records

Genre:  Nordic Noir/Instrumental

Track Listing:  1.  Søndag II; 2.  Søndag III; 3.  Søndag I; 4.  Mandag; 5.  Tirsdag; 6.  Onsdag; 7.  Torsdag; 8.  Friedag; 9.  Lørdag

Publicist:  Double Mayjah Records

Review:  Claire Courchene is an English/American composer living in Copenhagen who has worked with the likes of Kanye West, Lana del Rey, Frank Ocean, David Lynch, Josh Groban, and Madonna.  Jesper Mechlenburg is a Danish composer, songwriter and producer who also lives in Copenhagen.  Their combined talents are highlighted in this beautiful collection of instrumental songs, each named for a day of the week.  The trio of initial tracks reflect that Sunday or Søndag is considered the first day of the week or the last day, depending on your frame of mind.  This album then reflects a soundtrack for your entire week, and we can’t think of a better way to start each day than with a listen to the corresponding track.

Recommendation:  Definitely Get this one.