Ben Labat - Born to Cross Lines [Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“The ability to make a listener truly feel the emotions of what you are singing is a gift, and Ben Labat shares that gift with his latest single, ‘Born to Cross Lines.’ A little Folk, a little soul, and a whole lot of talent are at the heart of the track. that pulls you in and holds you with a smooth melody and vocals that simply feel right and natural. This is the kind of emotion that comes from a life spent living forward and the hard earned wisdom is a gift for all that truly stop and focus on the lyrics and performance. ”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

S.G Goodman - Red Bird Morning [Music Video Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Writing up a personal narrative, and tying it to something more so that it feels personally relevant for others is not easy chore, but S.G. Goodman has done so with ‘Red Bird Morning.’ Written about her time at the Standing Rock Protest the track feels both personally evocative, and intimately inviting. Like an old friend opening the screen door with a steaming cup of coffee in hand, and asking you in for a cup. The vocals are soft and yet ragged at the edges, and in them, is empathy, emotion and a knowledge you can’t help but crave more of. ”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Ryan Cassata - Catcher in the Rye [Music Video Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Dylan, Guthrie, Petty, Isbell. Elements of these great songwriters, and others, come through in the vulnerable raw lyrics of Ryan Cassata. The melody too has been created to covey the inner thoughts of this talented artist.

Sure the masters of the craft have influenced Cassata, but I would be remiss not to proclaim the individuality as well. ‘Catcher in the Rye’ is a song about falling in love after a traumatic past filled with violent hate crimes and bullying in Cassata’s conservative hometown on Long Island. Cassatta explained more by saying ‘In this music video, I go back to my hometown (Bay Shore, NY) and visit some of the places that hurt me the most as a young queer/trans person.’

The video is bleak in the gray tones, but in the words there is a hope, a spirit that is part defiant and part relief, a sense of I’ve survived and now it is my time to thrive.

This recording was done live, without embellishments or retakes and this fact only adds to artistry as we listen to a true songwriter bare their soul. ”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Johnny Franco - Tell Me Something [Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Folk Funk is how I’d describe this track from Brazilian Johnny Franco. Franco now calls Portland home and you can hear influences ranging from the Beetles to Dylan, to the Shakey Graves in his sound.

’Tell Me Something’ is the kind of single that just takes over and forces you to sing along and move. it is the kind of song that you will be singing the rest of the day.

Franco is having a good time on this track, and you will too while listening. ”

— 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)

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

Ryan Cassata - Extended Vacation [Music Video Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“The attitude here is what is so captivating. The lyrics, written from the heart, are belted out without a care in the world, and the result simply feels like an artist having fun by saying exactly what is on their mind without regard to getting every note perfect, or creating a flawless performance. This is music from the heart and it spoke to mine.

Sound wise, it feels like the Country Rock that came out of California in the 70’s,. Something in in the vein of Gram Parsons and the Flying Burrito Brothers with a modern flair.”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Freedom Fry - West Coast [Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Freedom Fry are one of my favorite discoveries since joining LA on Lock as a reviewer. They often surprise me and this track is no different.

’West Coast’ delivers nice harmonies over the top of a classic California sound, and lyrically the track is sharp and twisty, in the way that Freedom Fry’s lyrics usually are. As you listen, the emotion permeates the air and warms you like the golden rays of a setting sun. There is both hope and trepidation here, and that so perfectly captures the feelings of chasing a dream.”

— 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)

Arielle Silver - Lonely Time of Year [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“This holiday anthem presents a different side of the cheery odes of yuletide celebration. Bordering on Country, this singer/songwriter track, stays this side of melancholy with a sense of truism and a classic holiday melody. ”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Shandel & Samuels - Heroine [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“The duality works very well on this track. The blend of voices brings an emotional thread to a well-written song about being stuck in the rut. This is two songwriters delivering their well-honed craft with precision and feeling.”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Corey Durkin - Rest My Bones [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“This is a nice road song in the traditional Folk kind of way.

The heartbeat of Dylan, the bones of Guthrie, the blood type of Kerouac.”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Grayson Ty with Fleuke - One Regret [Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“A beautiful folksy song about that one love that slipped away.

’One Regret’ is a song of heartache, but also one of hope because the emotions are so universal and it always gives us hope to know what we are feeling is shared by others. ”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Hudson Rainer - Country Home [Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Bringing a throwback sound, Hudson Rainer has channeled the vibe of vintage Neil Young and The Band to give us a track that feels both nostalgic and fresh.

Stripped down emotional music at its best. I like it! ”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Horace Holloway - King Of Diamonds (feat. Fleurie) [Review]

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

“There is a nice wordplay to the writing, and the vocal performance is a natural for such a song. Landing somewhere in the Americana, Singer/Songwriter spectrum of Folk music, ‘King of Diamonds’ is a track that is easy to fall into. I do wish we had heard more of the female voice that came in at the end.”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Brothers Page - Back To You [review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Intricate harmonies combined with a perfect pace and tempo make this a fun song fall into the groove.

Folk Rock EDM is not a thing as of yet, but Brothers Page has a hand in all three genres here. Motivational without being cheesy ‘Back To You’ is a song that gets you moving while putting a smile in your face.”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Dante Mazzetti - Hey Now [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Folk Yeah!

A sprinkle of Prine, a dash of Dylan, a hint of Guthrie ... the final recipe is damn sure satisfying, but the flavors of the past are evident in every bite. Sit down and savor this one and welcome Dante Mazzetti to your ears.”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Faultlines - Heartfire [Review]

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

“Faultlines brings us a folk/pop fusion complete with meticulous harmonies and a nice, even melody proving that Heartfire > Heartburn.

Seriously, I can’t wait to hear more from this LA Folk trio as talent abounds vocally, musically, and in the songwriting.”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Lucy & La Mer - Blue Dress [Review]

Rating: 5 out of 5

“This is a fun song long before you figure in the touches of irony.

Billed as “Indie Pop” it carries a decidedly folk sound, but genre really is bend and manipulated throughout this single.

The choice to utilize chords and a melody far more prevalent in country music to make a statement about Bisexuality feels like a subtle social statement. People are people. Love is love and lust is lust. Dividing and lumping various elements of humanity into genres is wrong and so too is it a shame to limit the scope of well-written music.

The fact that this story, detailing our heroines infatuation with the “Blue Dress” clad women of her desire, is musically a country song ... makes me smile and appreciate the emotion and vocals all the more.”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)