Sound Cloud Sunday February 21, 2021
Sound Cloud Sunday February 21, 2021
Another pandemic Sunday finds us with a lot of new music to share, and once again, we are seeing hopeful signs with bands and artists listing up-coming shows in actual music venues. That may still be a far-away dream in LA, but we are seeing more and more concerts on calendars, even if that means limited capacities in outdoor (cold??? is it cold outside??) venues but it’s like the crocus, the first signs of spring where everything that died back will once again bloom. Enjoy the music and enjoy your coming new life! This episode will appear below, after tomorrow evening’s 11pm encore performance.
Cassandra Jenkins – Michelangelo
Hometown: New York City
Album: From the album/EP “An Overview of Phenomenal Nature” released February 19 on Ba Da Bing! Records.
Review Snippet: Filled with people, stories, and dialogue, the New York songwriter’s second album flows like an emotional breakthrough, tying together disparate observations into a serene and unified vision.
Website: https://cassandrajenkins.com/
The Dinallos – Kiliminjaro
Hometown: Nashville, TN
Album: New album The Dinallos out March 26
Review Snippet:
Fewer still deliver lyrical punch as succinctly as the album’s lead single “Kilimanjaro.” “Think I’ll go climb Kilimanjaro,” the chorus chimes with harmonies from the legendary McCrary Sisters. “Then I’ll let you go.” “The inspiration for ‘Kilimanjaro’ came from watching a story about a news reporter who overcame breast cancer and then went on to climb Kilimanjaro,” Juliet says. “The song then became a metaphor about letting go of a toxic relationship, summarizing the difficulty in moving on from a bad place.” Listen. You’ll hear new found freedom resonating.
Website: https://www.thedinallos.com
The Gravel-Aires – Bitter Man
Hometown: Vancouver, BC
Album: From the album “headlights In The Mirror” released January 28 on Sketchy Records.
Review Snippet:
Kaitlin Butts – How Lucky I Am
Hometown: Oklahoma City, OK
Album: Self-released debut single! Have at it!
Review Snippet: Kaitlin Butts does an excellent job here writing a song to fit her incredible range. Her vocal ability is often showcased in her live performances, but until now, no studio recording has really shown off her voice, and that’s a strength she should display more in her songwriting.
Website: https://www.kaitlinbutts.com/
Hosty – Stoned
Hometown: Norman, OK
Album: From the album “Which Way To Tulsa” released last November on Hosstone Records.
Review Snippet: Hosty — known for his wit and eclectic blend of blues, jazz and folk genres.
Website: http://hosty.com/
Hither – This Road
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Album: Self-released single on February 1
Review Snippet:
Website: https://hithermusic.com/home
Joshua Henry – Stand Up
Hometown: Winnipeg, Canada
Album: From the EP “Guarantee” released in January on S-Curve Records
Review Snippet: If you watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, you got a glimpse of Joshua Henry. He was there reprising his theatrical turn as Aaron Burr in the performance of “The Schuyler Sisters” from the Tony Award winning play “Hamilton.” Henry displayed his hip-hop flow on that song, and he showcases his range as a singer on the excellent “Hold Me,” the lead track from his debut EP Guarantee, which drops on Feb. 12.
Website: https://joshuahenry.com/
John Paul Keith – How Can You Walk Away?
Hometown: Memphis, TN
Album: From the album “The Rhythym of The City” released in January on Wild Honey Records.
Review Snippet: The over-riding descriptor of John Paul Keith’s fifth solo album is, “Vintage”. With twelve years’ experience as part of the Memphis music scene, plugging away as a session player and live act, there is a pleasing bluesman authenticity to The Rhythm of the City. Recorded mostly live-to-tape at Electraphonic Studios, the album is awash with classic Stax soul arrangements, electric blues licks and even a hint of Merseybeat swagger. Pleasingly, these throwbacks don’t feel like pretension or self-conscious hipster appropriation, rather John Paul Keith is just an old soul.
Website: https://johnpaulkeith.com/
Elaine Lucia – You Can’t Save Me
Hometown: San Francisco
Album: From the album “Twist Run Road” released last October.
Review Snippet: HER LATEST RECORDING, “TWIST RUN ROAD,” IS A COLLECTION OF MEMORY SONGS AND THE BEAUTIFUL, HEALING MUSIC SENT TO HER IN HER DREAMS. ELAINE CONSIDERS IT AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO RECORD HER MUSIC WITH HER CHERISHED MUSICIAN FRIENDS AND TO SHARE IT WITH ALL WHO WANT TO LISTEN TO SOME MAGICAL MUSICAL MOMENTS.
Website: https://elaineluciamusic.com/
The Accidentals – Wildfire
Hometown: Traverse City, Michigan
Album: Self-released single.
Review Snippet: It wasn’t all that long ago that the qualities valued most highly in the youthful sectors of folk-pop and folk-rock were earnestness and simplicity. This was music made with minimum fuss — all four-on-the-floor foot stomps, straight-ahead strumming and spirited sing-along choruses.
Website: https://www.theaccidentalsmusic.com/
The Gravel-Aires – Shipwreck
Hometown: see above
Album:
Review Snippet:
Website:
Spencer Burton – Things I Can’t Do
Hometown: Ontario, Canada
Album: From the album “Coyote” out April 9 on Still Records.
Review Snippet: ‘Coyote’ is not merely a hankering for a simpler life but an affirmation of nature’s healing powers. Burton has benefited from these and if a couple of listens to this expertly crafted album sends the listener to at least throw open the windows then his message too has weight.
Website: https://www.spencerburtonmusic.com/
The Nova Hawks – Run Wild
Hometown: Midlands, UK
Album: From the album “Redemption” released February 12 on Frontiers Records.
Review Snippet:
Hailing from The Midlands of England, The Nova Hawks is the songwriting duo of vocalist Heather Leoni and guitarist Rex Roulette. Drawing influences from British rock, Indie and alternative music, blues, and Gospel roots, the duet deliver their debut long-player, Redemption for the Frontiers Music label.
The Nova Hawks
I suppose every several years to a decade another White Stripes must appear. Perhaps that’s not a fair comparison for The Nova Hawks, but that was my musical mind went to first. Yet there are some similarities. One specifically is The Nova Hawks minimalist approach to song craftsmanship. Largely, across Redemption the songs consist of Ms Leoni’s voice over Roulettes guitar, mostly a wall a riffage with shots of guitar leads. You can add a rhythm section, but I’m not sure if that is real or synthetically generated. My difficulty was finding the blues and Gospel references in their music. It took a few spins to find them.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/thenovahawks/
Tom McElvain – Empty Bottle
Hometown: Texas somewhere frozen tundra
Album: From the album “Lost Whiskey Tapes” released in November on Sol Records.
Review Snippet: McELvain, who has written for artists like Cody Jinks (“Rock and Roll” and “Grey”) offers listeners a generous serving of sensational vocals, energetic presentation, honest songwriting, and unrestrained music. There’s a lot of lively instrumentation, a lot of range, a lot of depth, and…every bit of it is good. The album plays out more like a 13 track performance, rather than an album. Sometimes it’s in your face, sometimes it lures you in, and sometimes it’s a dance back and forth between the two.
Website: https://www.tommcelvain.com/
Corb Lund – Horse Poor
Hometown: Alberta, Canada
Album: New single released February 12 on New West Records
Review Snippet: Canadian country and western singer-songwriter Corb Lund is a funny guy. He’s also smart, good with wordplay, and knows how to tell a story. On Lund’s latest album, Agricultural Tragic, he addresses a wide range of topics from grizzly bears to tattoos, hunting rats to hunting elk, the meaning of author Louis L’Amour’s fiction to the meaning of life, and that crazy friend who might just get you killed, with a wry smile and an earnest heart. More importantly, the songs do so in a variety of musical styles including rockabilly and western swing that keeps things from ever getting boring. The only thing tragic about the new album is that it’s only 12 short songs long (they average about three minutes each).
Website: https://www.corblund.com/
KB Bayley – Cold Rain
Hometown:
Album: Self-released album “Little Thunderstorms” came out last October.
Review Snippet:
Website: https://www.facebook.com/kbbayleysongs/
