Ava Valianti - Buttercups [Music Review]

“Ava Valianti is a talent that shines on any stage or demographic, but I’d be remiss if I did not mentiont he fact this rising star is but fifteen years old and already establishing herself as a musical force. I’ll turn of my voice to hers as she talks about this track ...

”‘Buttercups’ is a song that encapsulates the experience of love, loss, and searching for purpose. It’s a song that’s centered around memories that are hard to let go of - the cinnamon smell, the creaky doors, the buttercups - and how even when things are complicated, those memories remind me why I cared in the first place. This is one of my favorite songs I’ve ever created, I truly had so much fun making it, and I hope that comes across when you listen!” ~ Ava Valianti

The tender love that went into writing and performing this track shines as you listen.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Zev - How To Hurt [Music Review]

“Folk Pop just might have a new star in Zev. This former professional jump roper has transitioned from winning athletic championships to the musical stage. ‘How To hurt’ is an emotionally charged track about the bumps and bruises we all take over the course of life in the pursuit of meaningful love. Of course the physical is easier to deal with than emotional wounds and that is the true crux of this song.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

googly eyes x Joy Oladokun x Allison Ponthier - Jesus and John Wayne [Music Review]

“Inspired by the NYT Bestselling novel by Kristin Kobes Du Mez, ‘Jesus and John Wayne’ is a bold, soul-searching anthem about reclaiming faith from the grip of politics and exclusion. Written by googly eyes reimagines spirituality as a source of healing, belonging, and radical love, especially for those the church has pushed aside.

Joy Oladokun and Allison Ponthier jin googly eyes to bring this thoughtful track to life. This is a track you can vibe to by feeling the music and hook ro you can truly reflect and feel the full power by diving into the poignant lyrical build.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Eva James - The One You Lose

“Unrequited love is an emotional roller coaster and Eva James unleashes a torrent of emotion about that very thing on her latest single, ‘The One You Lose.’ The tender and vulnerable delivery is paired with a tempo and beat that feels like the hammering of your heart as you feel it ache.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Ava Valianti - Distant [Music Review]

“Ava Valianti is one of those rare talents that seem to defy age. Both in her performance and writing she comes across as more savvy and wise than any fifteen year old ought to be. ‘Distant’ is a track about losing that tight bond you have with friends as you grow older. Sometimes the shift is about growing different directions and sometimes its about logistics but either way it can be tough and bewildering to let go of what once was so magical and important. Valianti captures the spirit and emotions well n this tender heartfelt song.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Sean Skyler - Follow You [Music Review]

“Chicago singer/songwriter Sean Skyler has been carving a place in the musical landscape while honing his craft. His latest track, ‘Follow’ You’ is a an upbeat and energetic ode to love and reckless abandon that only love can bring. A perfect feel-good summer track to put some bounce in your step and a whistle in your lips.

Or hey ... it could be a jaunty song about a stalker. Only sort of kidding but the track made me smile so I hope it does the same for you.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Bonfire - Tide Shadows (Feat. Ellysse Mason) [Music Review]

“Bonfire joins forces with Ellysse Mason to give us ‘Tide Shadows.’ An emotional Indie Rock track with hints of Folk, the song features Mason’s haunting and vulnerable vocals as well as the added layers as the track builds to give it even more emotional depth and power.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Kylie Rothfield x The Rare Occasions - Where The Diamonds Hide [Music Review]

“Kylie Rothfield is ready to take the unexpected path on ‘Where the Diamonds Hide.’ The track has an Indie Pop Folk vibe and was co-written and recorded with the band, The Rare Occasions.

This is one of those track you’ll swear you’ve heard before because it so seamlessly enters the musical landscape and will leave you ready for another listen as soon as you finish the first time.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Kito Rayburn - Thunder [Music Review]

“Lonely nights of retrospection out beyond the glare of city lights. That’s what Kito Rayburn’s latest track, ‘Thunder’ brings to mind for me.

Actually the track has hit me differently each time I’ve listened to it. The songwriting is superb and the emotion tangible so sit back and listen and let your mind dance along with this calm storm of the heart.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Emily James - Suburbia [Music Video Review]

“Dripping with nostalgia, this track tells an emotional story of thinking you have more time. Emily James sets the stage of ‘Suburbia’ with young love and the false notion created by naivety that said love will be eternal with nothing but good times ahead.

Reality hits us all at some point but this song also offers hope of redemption and frankly could be taken a number of ways depending on your own experiences and mindset. Which is always the case for truly great art. This is an artfully delivered story song and video that will have relevance for anytne with a beating heart.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Madisyn Gifford - Die Happy [Music Review]

“We all go through some lulls in life and it is those dark places and times that lend to the good and hopeful times feeling all the more uplifting. Madisyn Gifford gives us a soundtrack for those transformative moments when the clouds lift and the sun finds its way to our smiling faces once again. ‘Die Happy’ is a Pop Folk track that feels like emerging from a heavy, emotional cocoon. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Kurt Lee Wheeler - Hesitant Father [Music Review]

“Our views of our parents definitely change as we age and experience our own turn as the head of a family. Kurt Lee Wheeler captures that journey brilliantly with ‘Hesitant Father.’

The acoustical track is emotive and emotional. You can call it Folk or simply Singer/Songwriter but really the heart of this one is universal. The reflective and personal nature is one that we can all fall in and feel.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Damien McFly - I'm getting older [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Italian singer/songwriter, Damien McFly wrote ‘I’m Getting Older’ as a letter to his younger life. The track is meant to mark his feeling ten years into his music career and despite the personal nature of the track the lyrics have a broader relevance we can all understand and appreciate.

Life’s journey is fraught with ups and downs, and we all need to take some time to celebrate the growth and miles we’ve put behind us. This song does a great job and I dare you to listen because we all should take stock of our lives from time to time. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Joshua Golden - The Moon Is A Spaceship [Music Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Loving someone and watching them struggle with mental health issues is a gut-wrenching thing to do. Joshua Golden highlights the track with a touch of wry humor and a whole universe worth of compassion. ‘The Moon Is A Spaceship’ takes a tangible look at a journey fraught with pitfalls and dangers, but man is it absolutely full of humanity.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Eastcliff - Kaleidoscope {Music Review]

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

“This track starts as a melancholic slow burn about the end of a relationship, but the build follows the same pattern most of us go through post breakup. So as the song build it shifts in tone to a more hopeful array of emotions.

Eastcliff does a great job of allowing the emotions to dictate the pace and build. ‘Kaleidoscope’ is a journey and one well worth taking.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Remy Reilly - Dirty Work [Music Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Nothing is quite as dark and gritty as love, or at least love gone awry. Remy Reilly does the ‘Dirty Work’ of unraveling not only the emotions, but the aftermath and toll on self worth when a relationship goes wrong.

The track has an Indie Pop songwriter vibe that almost hits the Americana/Folk realm in tone and style. The talent of the vocals, and an arrangement that dials in and sets the vibe, meshes so perfectly to form a complete well-rendreddsong that hits as hard with subsequent listens as it does the first.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Dave Murphy - Josephine [Music Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Few things stir the emotions like a lonely night in a dive bar. Dave Murphy captures that brand of isolation with his Americana track ‘Josephine.’

Utilizing the dynamics of last call to rely the end of a relationship, Murphy perfectly captures the raw emotion of both and how the sand slips through the hourglass even faster at the end as the final grains settle down.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

aedie - Bozeman Baby [Music Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Sometimes the onlyw ay to feel free is to get outside and rediscover yourself via nature. ‘Bozeman Baby’ is an ode to aedie’s time in Montana and Big Sky Country.

Style wise, the track has an Indie Folk Rock kind of vibe and the result is a timeless sound that would have fit in the 80’s musical landscape as well as it does the current times. A fun easy track that I get something new out of with each listen.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Ethan Buckner - Wavering [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“LA troubadour Ethan Buckner comes with a smooth Indie Pop Folk vibe on ‘Wavering.’ The musical side has a tasty and evocative feel that ranges from smooth oceanscapes to a mor theatrical brand of brooding and though that build the lyrical progression pulls the listener along for the ride.

This is a track to listen to on repeat to pick up on all the emotions and nuance and I am here for it.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Bad Flamingo - Parked in the Lot [Music Review]

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

“I have shared a nu7mber of tracks fromt he talented Bad Flamingo duo and they always bring that spaghetti western air of mystery to their tracks. This one starts out slow with a deep gravel and slowly grows into more of a simmering bit of attitude that grabs the listener by the throat.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger