Tag: X.Ari

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Artists Worth Checking Out indie music Monday Mashup Singles and Videos

Monday mashup 2021 (vol 15)

This will be our last Monday Mashup this month as we will be on the east coast next weekend finalizing a major deal.  We can’t wait to share the news with you.  In the meantime, here are some great new singles and music videos.

NEW SINGLES

It’s been a while since we heard anything new from LA Music Critic Award winner Gabe Dixon, but with the release of his latest single, it has obviously been worth the wait.  His sound is part Phil Vassar, part Billy Joel and all-in-all extraordinary.  Check out “Something Good.”

Something Good · Gabe Dixon (spotify.com)

She may be a blues goddess, but Gina Sicilia is also a skilled vocalist who brings life to everything she sings.  Her latest is a brilliant acoustic cover of the classic Simon and Garfunkel hit, “Bridge Over Troubled Waters.”  Let her sweet honey vocals pour over you and soothe your soul.

Bridge Over Troubled Water · Gina Sicilia (spotify.com)

We are always happy to hear new music from our favorite rising country friends Honey County, and their latest does not disappoint.  The say they “Got it From my Momma,” and we are glad they chose to share it with us.  This one should be a quick ride to the top of the country charts.

Got It from My Mama · Honey County (spotify.com)

If you haven’t figured it out yet, our favorite indie label is Blue Élan Records.  Whether they are breaking new artists like Chelsea Williams or bringing back great ones like Fanny Walked the Earth, Kirk Pasich and company definitely have a way with recognizing and finding talent.  The latest from The Vegabonds is no exception.  Check out “Juke and Jive.”  This one will hit you like Led Zeppelin.

Juke and Jive · The Vegabonds (spotify.com)

Last but not least is our favorite iconic LA voice, BINX, who has provided us with a powerful song in the fight against depression with the release of her latest, “Bloom.”  Listen carefully to the words of this song and remember, you are not alone.

Bloom · BINX (spotify.com)

This past week we lost an amazing voice from pop radio with the death of Poco founding member Rusty Young.  We wanted to take the time to remember his legacy with this beautiful video released by his Blue Élan Records family for the hit song, “Crazy Love.”

NEW MUSIC VIDEOS

Our first video this week is from another LA Music Critic Award winner, Ted Russell Kamp.  While he may primarily be known for his work with Shooter Jennings, he is a master songwriter and storyteller, and his latest says “You can go to Hell, I’m Going to Texas.”  Enjoy this one.

We follow up that Americana goodness with a new bluegrass tune from Jesse Brock, courtesy of So Much Moore.  Check out the harmonies on “Kiss on a Cold Cold Stone.”  This one will haunt you.

Next up is a rocking tune from the incomparable X. ARI.  It is an ode to her girlfriend called “She Knows It,” and we’re glad she shared it with us.

We introduced you to The Highway Women about a month ago and we are proud to now share the video of their song, “Dead Man Walking.”  Enjoy this taste of the next major indie country cross-over band.  We think you will want to watch this one on repeat.

Our final music video this week is from  relative newcomer Chris Moreno with his beautiful tribute to “Somebody New.”  Enjoy this smooth country pop tune.

 

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Artists Worth Checking Out indie music Monday Mashup

Monday mashup 2020 (vol 16)

We hope you enjoyed our review of The Imaginaries‘ live concert and are ready for some more great new singles and videos.  Here are this week’s selections.

NEW SINGLES

First up is the latest from one of our absolute favorite indie musicians, Nina Storey.  She’s been busy during the pandemic and recently released her third single.  Once again, her heavenly voice and brilliant songwriting have delivered an instant masterpiece.  Check out “The Bones.”

Continuing the theme of arising out of the ashes of this pandemic is the latest from Michael McFarland, an upbeat inspirational pop tune called “The New Contagion.”  We love the energy and the hopeful lyrics.  Let us know what you think.

As we recently celebrated World Mental Health Day, our next song is truly relevant.  Toronto artist X. Ari presents her latest single, “Lifting Up,” from her new EP which is all about mental health issues.  Listen to the words as the energizing beat gets your spirit up.

Our fourth single comes from the smooth blues/jazz/rock sound of Goldflēce, who is planning to “Tie One On.”  This one is perfect for chilling down after a long day of work.  David Goldflies is one half of The Allman Goldflies Band, and we cannot get enough of this solo effort.

We close out our singles this week with the latest sweet treat from LA’s iconic BINX.  This time around, she tells us “I’m in Love With a Rapper,” and is joined by Mata Atoms.  We are in love with her and her amazing body of work.

NEW MUSIC VIDEOS

First up this week is the latest from the reigning queen of the LGBTQ musical movement in Los Angeles, the incomparable Abby Posner.  Check out the debut of Frupert, the amazing bass-playing character in Posner’s video “Where I Wanna Be.”

This next video was released a couple of months ago, but we felt it was perfect for today.  We love the sweet harmonies of sister act Southern Halo, and we stand by the sentiments expressed in this lyric video for their masterpiece, “Don’t Let Another Day Go By.”

Our third video is a rocking lyric video from LA’s infamous rocksters Rocket.  They’re “Losing Breath” over the state of our nation, and encourage you to vote.

Next up is an Americana tune that is sure to propel LA’s sweet Kris Angelis into the national limelight.  It is a timely song called “Ghost (I’m Alive and Breathing),” and makes us giddy with the possibilities.  Angelis has paid her dues and her music is ripe for worldwide acceptance.  We truly dig this tune.

We close out this week with a sweet song about that annual event in the life of each person, their “Birthday.”  We can never get enough of the music of Kensington Moore, and we can relate to the sentiments of this song.  Until the next one, “raise a glass.”

 

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Artists Worth Checking Out indie music Patrick O'Heffernan Reviews

“Magnetic” continues X.Ari’s brilliance with new joy and sparks.

Editor’s note:  We would like to welcome Patrick O’Heffernan to our staff of writers.  He will be covering the Latin music scene and is posting his first review below.  He has been a huge supporter of the LA Music Critic Awards, and is the host of Musica LA and Blog Talk Radio‘s Music Friday.  Welcome Patrick!

I have been following X.Ari for over three years- back when she was Ari without the “X”, and I have watched her change and grow with every new song.  A certified genius with an angelic – and sometimes demonic – voice, her music is unique, addictive, thought-provoking.  Each new step she takes, each new lyric she writes, each new video she makes reveals her depth and her brilliance.

She has done it again with her latest release, Magnetic – a song about love.  She moved into romantic R&B territory in Magnetic, which is about the feeling you get when you fall in love – the polar attraction that happily consumes your life.  The music is sophisticated, as all of X.Ari’s music is, but it also has a familiar feel to it – we know this song in our bones, although we have never heard it before.

Magnetic has its own magnetic attraction, a polar pull on your ears, your muscles, and – if you know X.Ari’s struggles with her own internal polar opposites — on the part of you that can join in sync with another human being and her feelings.

A singer-songwriter-artist and mental health advocate from Toronto currently living in Los Angeles, X.Ari’s driving force is to turn pain into power by using art. Her musical art deftly dances in and out of genre lines, moving from alternative pop to gritty hip-hop with an electronic tinge that is especially apparent in her live performances, which often include a primal scream.

Her costume, stage presentation, album art, and graphics carry her uniqueness and power forward with her sound. Her lyrics are visceral, written in pain and power to bring messages of hope as well as to examine tragedy. The final product vibrates between the two, sometimes painfully, sometimes intensely reflective, always gripping.  Magnetic does all of this, only with joy and sparks.

X.Ari has been on a talent tear recently.  Her songs “Uni-Fi,” “Break-Point,” and “LA LA LA” have all been works of musical and cathartic genius. With Magnetic, she has continued the streak, albeit in a different musical style that is consistent with her legacy, but fresh and invigorating, and hopefully reflective of her state of being.

She has just released a companion video to Magnetic and it measures up to the song and then some.

Magnetic was released September 17, 2019, and can be streamed on Spotify.

 

Patrick O’Heffernan