“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.”
“LA is a long way from Iluka’s home of Sydney Australia but this talented artist has found her place here in California. Sadly her neighborhood in Altadena was recently decimated by the spate of fires. This track diving into themes of resistance, strength, and solidarity while she navigates the current state of the world. Her vocals are razor sharp and cut your emotionally with skilled precision in this Alt Pop track.”
“Matt Sahadi weaves a tale of lost love and a journey to rekindle the spark in the hauntingly beautiful track, ‘Halfway to Charlotte.’
Love is one of the the few things that can shake us up enough to rush headfirst into the last place you want to go. This song is about that leap of faith and facing your fears to chase after the thing you need the most.
The stripped down feel matches the emotions perfectly and you can feel the rubber meeting the road on this engaging song. ”
“Jelly Crystal and nicole Saboune team up on this Pop infused Country ode to the beautiful fragility of life and the anxiety we all fear of our impermanence. The vocals are loving and tender and this track will no doubt be shared among loving couples as a stand in for their love and fear that forever simply isn’t long enough.”
“Juliet Hawkins has that kind of raw and tender vocal talent that grabs a listener from the very first word. Fans of Brandi Carlile will hear some similarities especially in the heartbreaking tender moments. ‘What If’ is a question we’ve all asked so the emotions are highly relatable and well delivered.
I did feel a bit less of the emotion as the track progressed but this is still a track I will return to for subsequent listens.”
“Despite the masks, the mysterious duo, Bad Flamingo are not strangers to our regular listeners. We have featured a number of tracks from this Indie Rock/Americana pair of talents. Quite often the track have a spaghetti western meets Rock seductress vibe and description certainly fits their latest offering, ‘Frying Pan.’
The lyrical nuance is matched byt he vibe and spot on performance to give this one the perfect balance of grit and seduction.”
“Tom Mackell is a songwriter with a country sound though not that Mainstream pablum that comes out of corporate Nashville. Mackell fits in the Alt Country/Americana scene that is ripe with good music. ‘Where The Wild Things Go’ has sort of a Flatland Cavalry vibe for fans looking for a comparison.
This is an emotive, strongly written track performed with an emotive style that pulls the listener along for the full ride.”
“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.”
“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.”
“Eric Hagen gives off Nathaniel Rateliff vibes on the track ‘Accuse Me.’ The track has a Bluesy Soul vibe, with some Americana thrown in for good measure. The song feels like a sit at home drinking while pondering how it all went wrong vibes. But rather than wallowing in despair, the lyrics take on a bit of righteous indignation to create an IDGAF brand of attitude.”
“Ingrid Avison unleashes her debut single, ‘Time Travelling Cowboy.’ The emotive delivery highlight Avison’s songwriting and vocal talent.
With a slight tremble at times that sells the words well, Avison has that classic Americana vibe that feels like a kinder softer Lucinda Williams mixed with some of the strong emotion of a Brandi Carlile.
I did at times crave a stronger sense of build and escalation from the arrangement.”
“PArty Nails conjured memories of vintage Sheryl Crow for me on this track. Warm glowing vocals tell the story of looking for your former self out among the treesa nd coming to grips with who you are in the here and now.
The track rides the line between Indie Rock and more of a Songwriter/Americana vibe. The emion is nostalgic and poignant enough to hold the listener from the first listen, but there is certainly the depth to keep them coming back time and time again.”
“Raw and emotional, Jake Dillon delivers this track alongside talented vocalists Giavanna. This track has an Indie Rock Singer/Songwriter vibe, but is also right at home in the the world of Americana. Well-written and delivered by both parties with an emotive force, ‘Winner’ is indeed exactly that.
Stripped down and spare in the best of ways, this is a song to both feel and listen to over and over again.”
“John Calvin has just enough gravel and grit in his vocals to keep things interesting without that being all you can hear. ‘Saint Innocent’ is a heartfelt and well-written Americana track and the emotions are tangible in a way few songs manage to pull off.
This is a song to feel as much as hear and I am eager to experience more offerings from this talented artist. ”
“Kait Madison unleashes a soulful bit of Gospel inspired Americana on her uplifting track ‘House of Love.’
The energy and passion are evident in her every word and she has just enough rasp to her vice to make the performance that much more interesting.”
“Kenny Sharp’s latest track ‘Coming Back To You’ was recently featured in the latest season of Love Island and I suspect you’ll be hearing the song in a lot of other places as well. Sharp has that vocal sound that is hard to defne to a single genre. A little blues, some roots rock, Americana, Pop. It’s all in there on this track, and the writing has clever word play as well as deeper meaning to ponder on subsequent listens.”
“LA singer-songwriter Lily Kershaw offers a poignant reminder to connect with the important people in our lives on her new single, ‘Call Whoever This Makes You Think Of (Except Your Narcissist Ex).’
The vocal style is reminiscent of Brandi Carlile and the two talented artists share an impressive range as wella s emotive delivery that hooks the heart.
Kershaw’s upcoming album, Pain & More, will be released September 13th. and promises to be dripping in the emotions of humanity. ‘I’ve been struggling for so long,’ says Kershaw, who wrote and recorded it over two years. ‘This record is like a new cycle of my life.’”
“Goldie channels the spirit of freedom and perseverance on ‘The Angel and The Saint.’ The track has a FLorence and the Machine vibe for sure but you can’t discount the influence Goldie’s idols Tammy Wynette and Dolly Parton had on creating her sound. There is an edge and attitude and empowerment to this track and the imagery of the video is pretty dang enjoyable as well.”
“Greyson Chance straddles the line between Rock, Pop, and Folk on this track. The Oklahoma native can be compared to acts sucha s Mumford or the Lumineers, but ‘Haymaker’ also feels in line emotionally with Americana in the vein of Jason Isbell, or even a more traditional Country sound such as Tyler Childers.
Emotionally raw and vulnerable, the track is masterfully written and performed. ”
“I often struggle to connect to vocals delivered in a high register but not this time. Lily Meola has a very emotive delivery that works for her higher, softer tone.
’Gasoline’ is the latest release from Meola who has captured the attention and mentorship of Willie Nelson. The track leans slightly to a Pop Folk sort of sound that feels alive and vibrant.”