Katie Toupin - Don't Wanna Die [Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“No, ‘Don’t Wanna Die’ is not about the virus dominating the news cycle as well as most of our thoughts, but the sentiment is timely just the same.

Actually, the lyrics were penned about the need for sobriety, and the single comes via a unique vocal tone delivered by Katie Toupin. There is just a hint of Amy Winehouse, both lyrically and musically, but you can feel the genuineness of the words in the performance which strongly suggests personal experience, rather than fandom of another artists is at the heart of this track. That fact gives this single the power to captivate and intrigue no matter what kind of times we are living in. ”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

CocoRosie - Burning Down The House [Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Unleashing the vibe of Edgar Allen Poe, meshed with the musical talent comparable to any Pop Diva, the sister duo of CocoRosie has created a gloriously macabre sound with ‘Burning Down the House.’

This is not cookie cutter music and could frighten the more delicate looking for mindless music to rhythmically tap the steering wheel to while stuck in traffic. This is twisted and bendy and artistic, the perfect soundtrack for all of us looking to dance in the embers of convention.”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Hollyy - What A Shame [Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“This track incorporates a bit of a 50’s do wop vibe into a modern Indie Rock/ Americana sound, making it feel as if the single could be a hit across many different decades.

A slow dance track with soul and introspection behind it. You certainly will not be saying ‘What A Shame’ after giving this latest single from Hollyy a thoughtful listen.

Hollyy is an up and coming alternative soul band from Chicago.”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Onk Lou - Grey Goose [Music Video Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“When an artist is having fun expressing themselves it shines through in the project. Make no mistake, Onk Lou is having a hell of a lot of fun in the video for ‘Grey Goose.’

But of course when you have the mad talent that Lou possesses, it is easy to have a good time unleashing your creativity upon the world. Just when you think you know what this track is and how it is going to progress the vibe shifts and surprises.”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Hotel Mira - Speaking Off The Record [Music Video Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Honest and vulnerable, Hotel Mira drops ‘Speaking Off The Record,” a track that feels as much like a diary submission as it does an intimately written song. Call it a confession if you will, but we are talking about the feelings, thoughts, and actions everyone of us feels, so this track is more about being bold and saying out loud what few have to courage to express. This is not the same as admitting a wrong, which is truly what a confession is. This is an expression of humanity and a damn entertaining one at that.”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Shea Abshier & The Nighthowlers - Take Me 2 Your Hell [Review]

Rating: 5 out of 5

“Some songs just land different, and you know immediately to shut up, lean forward, and listen closer. ‘Take Me 2 Your Hell’ is such a song.

Shea Abshier & The Nighthowlers deliver an emotional set of lyrics that hits you right square in the emotional gut, like a lover in the wake of a toxic breakup, which is exactly what this track is about.

Call this rock. Call it alternative. Hell, call it Americana if you want, but the label doesn’t really matter because when the execution is this intense, the genre is nothing more than a label to slap on to what is in fact, simply damn good music. ”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Taylor Bradshaw - Our First Date [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Taylor Bradshaw has one of those voices that can go soft and emotional, or can ratchet up and hook you with an energetic Rock vibe. Bradshaw utilizes both on ‘Our First Date,’ to bring forth that flash bulb feeling of self revelation when you realize you are about to be madly in love with a person you barely even know. The emotions of being on that precipice and deciding to step off into an unknown come through in both the performance and the lyrics”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

DA BREAK - Miss Rosa [Music Video Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“The imagery of the video is stunningly powerful and sobering, and the scene will no doubt disturb some viewers. So strong emotion is created in the video that it is tough to connect the musical groove to what your eyes are seeing, but the Disco Funk sound of the single is compelling in its own right so i suggest after you have watched the engrossing story unfold to listen to the track once again.

Through several listens, I eventually understood how the two elements fit together to create sort of an Avant Garde art piece that leaves you thinking about it long afterward.”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Furlong - Hate girls [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Furlong comes right at you with this ricking beat and melody. The vocals come in with Pop attitude and edge that matches the emotions of the lyrics. The adrenaline of being face to face with your enemies can get your blood pumping and that is what this song about the same does quite well. Don;t sleep on this Australian band as they have already proven to our readers her at LA on Lock that they can deliver the Rock and Roll goods. ”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

BabyJake - Confidant [Music Video Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“BabyJake drops this in your face breakup song for anyone that has faced betrayal.

The lyrics are gritty and raw and pull absolutely no punches. The vocals deliver an Alternative Rock vibe with a hint of Hip-Hop influence sprinkled in here and there. This is the kind of track that feels like therapy for the songwriter, but also for anyone that is trying to close a door on a relationship they once had high hopes for.”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Von Deckle - Devilish Girl [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“This track delivers a rich and earthly Blues Roots vibe. Hard driving guitar energy backs the vocals, which feels like a ride down a rough gravel road. That is a good thing here, because the vibe fits perfectly with the lyrics and spirit of this song. The songwriting puts a twist on the trope of selling your soul to the devil to gain the thing you most desire. In this case, the love of a woman. ”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

YutaY - Run [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“I do love me some good word play, and anything that makes me rethink and reexamine common words and phrases. We have all ran from more than one thing, but we don’t often take the time to slow down and even realize how much running we are doing.

This song was written about that inexplicable need to run when chasing your dreams, and how if you slow down you might get consumed, but really the words hold a much broader appeal once you begin to consider them from varied angels..

i will confess that at first listen the almost 80’s video game sound of the beat and melody had me distracted, but on subsequent goes, it found the sound hit me as the perfectly odd choice to accompany this well-written track.”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

LPX - New Mood [Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“In a lot of ways, this track feels like a punked-out, anxiety-filled version of Sheryl Crow’s classic rock diary ‘All I Wanan Do.’

LPX is the high-octane alternative solo project of Lizzy Plapinger, and ‘New Mood’ is in her own words a ... ‘visceral take fueled by a post panic adrenaline rush, it’s an anthem for change and breaking habits, committing to yourself and wanting more.’

The track is Pop Punk, Rock, and Alternative all in one.

It is raw emotion and energy and truth.

It is music from the heart soul and body.

It is a track you need to listen to . Not once. But may times over. ”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

LPX on tour:

https://LPX.lnk.to/Live2020PR

4.12 - Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater w/ Carly Rae Jepsen

4.14 - Seattle, WA @ Moore Theater w/ Carly Rae Jepsen

4.15 - Seattle, WA @ Moore Theater w/ Carly Rae Jepsen

4.16 - Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater w/ Carly Rae Jepsen

4.18 - Houston, TX @ Revention Center w/ Maggie Rogers

4.20 - San Antonio, TX @ Aztec Theater w/ Maggie Rogers

4.21 - Memphis, TN @ Orpheum Theater w/ Maggie Rogers 

Cormac Looby - I Don't Need Your Love [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Spirited defiance is at the forefront of the lyrics behind Cormac Looby’s single, ‘I Don’t Need Your Love.” This track is one of those genre bending songs that is tricky to pin down in a few words. Both in genre and in energy. A lively tempo with a decided Irish flair, the single certainly brings influence from the streets of Galway where Looby honed his craft busking, but there is a marked Pop vibe as well that hints at a Rock and Roll heritage. This is a fun little anthem that sticks with you.”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Website: cormaclooby.com

Spotify - open.spotify.com/artist/1UQmrMGtH1xpyS1Sknvocl

Apple Music - music.apple.com/us/artist/cormac-looby/1499440483

All other Platforms - distrokid.com/hyperfollow/cormaclooby/i-dont-need-your-love

Mothica - oh god [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“The morning after regret.

We’ve all been there in one form or another. The cadence and arrangement of this track adds to powerful lyrics to truly deliver that mix of panic and shame as you try to unravel exactly what you did the previous night. Not knowing can be almost as bad as knowing full well you crossed several lines you should not have.

The vocal performance here is spot on and mysterious, though in the track I heard it cuts offs very abruptly and I can only assume that was a glitch in my advanced copy. Nevertheless, this is a track that hits home. ”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Buy/Stream oh god: mothica.ffm.to/ohgod
Facebook: facebook.com/mothicamusic
Twitter: twitter.com/dearmothica
Instagram: instagram.com/mothica

The Mayblues - Modern Nocturne [Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“This track delivers that smooth, almost snakelike Alternative Rock rhythm that Nirvana made famous. here that vocal style comes slithering in over the top of a bluesy beat.

Lyrically, the song details a doomed relationship that was meant to be casual, in the friends with benefits kind of way, but those situations never last long, because invariably one party catches THE FEELS. And we all know once the feels come out, there will soon be a cosmic train wreck that derails what was only meant to be a steady hook up.

Call it commentary of today’s dating world if you must. But what matters here is the single has genuine heart and emotion along with a talented retro vibe. Check out this rock solid single from The Mayblues. ”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Grand Am - Five Days A Week And Twice On Sunday [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Inspired by a storytelling acquaintance in New Orleans, ‘Five Days A Week and Twice on Sunday’ is a bluesy Alternative Rock single about the power and definitive feelings love inspires in us all. The track captures the desperate need and want quite well all with a soulful groove that shines through the beat and melody.

Grand Am has given a track that pulls you in and hooks you with both emotion, and a hint of funk behind their Rock and Roll sound. ”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Soo Line Loons - Dancing at the VFW [Music Video Review]

Rating 4.5 out of 5

“This is an honest, simple song that comes alive do to the true to life lyrics and emotion of the performance.

A nice guitar melody brings it all out. I grew up in Texas and have attended more than one dance at the VFW and I’ve see many a man that this track could have been written about. These men are not obvious heroes to a stranger’s eyes but this song is about the kind of characters that define huge swaths of what this country is.

I will finish by saying this song delivers a realness and a spirit that modern contemporary Country Music rarely does. Call this Folk or American if you will because it does not fit commercial Country these days, but it is straightforward good music. Guy Clark would be proud.”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Stardawg - Runaway [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“This track feels bigger than it is, thanks to the layering both vocally and musically.

As a duo, Stardawg relies on the depth of their talent to achieve such a complex sound. Lyrically, ‘Runaway is the kind of song that can be taken different ways and still have true meaning and emotion. I for one, am eager to get a listen to both the upcoming EP and a live show from this LA based pair.”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Dez Money - I Want Your Love [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“The name Money is no stranger to the music world, and Dez Money carries on with the family tradition started by his father, Eddie. The family can be seen on AXS TV’s show Real Money. ‘I Want Your Love’ is a contemporary song that feels more like Coldplay than his father’s music. At least it does until that guitar rift around three minutes in, when suddenly the DNA seems to come home for just a bit. This is a smooth easy track that is easy to join in and sing along to.”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)