Yayvo - Champagne [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Pop the cork on this track and you will be sipping on the tasty sounds of Yayvo. ‘Champagne’ offers a bit of sweet bubbly for the soul with its smooth groove and easy flow.

The hook is easy to dial in and song along with and the verses offer enough to connect it all and keep you savoring the sound long after the bottle is first opened. So raise your glass as you add this track to you playlists and expect others to toast your fine ear for being one of the first to discover great new music. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Original Son - The Turnaround [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“This three piece Punk band out of LA comes at you with an energetic edge that hooks you in from the start. Leaning to the Pop Punk side, ‘The Turnaround’ has a hint of Celtic flair to the sound that works well.

Lyrically the band offers enough grit to keep the track from feeling solely like a party anthem, though it does have that motivational get you stoked kind of aura. The vocals are emotive and passionate and the music shines in this raucous arrangement. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Cloud 9ine KO - I Can Tell [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Cloud 9ine KO delivers confidence, wry humor, and a sweet little groove on ‘I Can Tell.’ There is a hint of old school Snoop to the delivery, though the tones differ for sure and the beat has just a tinge of R&B giving the smooth build a mellow vibe despite the pointed lyrical build. The combination works well, giving the listener the chance to make this track anything they want or need it to be.

The talent behind this one shows in subtle ways that lifts it above the crowded fray. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Connor Kauffman - Hate You For A Lifetime [Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Nineteen year old Connor Kauffman is a self-taught and self-produced artists that is far ahead of the curve in comparison to his peers. This track is well-written and has an infectious hook that will have you singling along long after the last note. The lyric video makes it easy to stay tethered in and connected to the flow of the words.

The musical and lyrical build are perfectly balanced and created and Kauffman’s emotive delivery adds to the grip this track has over the listener. This track is radio ready and feels like an anthem we will all be quoting and singing for years to come. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Evan Blair - Sleepwalker [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Watching someone you love suffer and twist in the wind is a tough experience. Evan Blair was in such a relationship, only he was the one stuck in a bad place and despite his efforts to shake off the doldrums he remained a ‘Sleepwalker’ despite their best efforts to pull him out.

This song is his Indie Rock ode to that time and experience. There is a bit of 90’s nostalgia, but the track still feels relevant and contemporary as well. Reminded me a great deal of Weezer, with feeling overtly derivative. ”

— Travis Erwin ~LA on Lock Blogger

Rich Robbins - It's Not Your Fault [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“This track truly finds it heart around the :40 second mark, but the writing and passionate delivery of the flow make it engaging right from the start.

Rich Robbins takes on toxic masculinity with this well-written song. The creativity and shifting sounds does conjure up comparisons to Tyler the Creator, but the groove of this track adds a musical vibe that not many track manage to pull off.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Marcey Yates - Shitte Dae [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“It could have been a shitty day, but I won’t let it ... so says the intro and chorus of this track.

Marcey Yates takes an attitude and mindset and pours it into lyrical form here on this track. ‘Shitte Dae’ is a mood, and a groove, and through several listens it held me and kept me leaning in to feel these lyrics and remind myself my own outlook plays an outsized role in what kind of day I’m going to have.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Anjulie - Big Bad World [Music Video Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Anjulie is a Canadian singer/songwriter and performer that possesses the power to hook her listeners and keep them invested in whatever she is singing. ‘Big Bad World’ is a slow building Electro Pop track with lyrical power tp go along with the wide ranging and talented vocals. The comfort of the performance stands in contrast to assertions that the world is at war and a scary place. The juxtaposition makes for engaging art. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Dan Miraldi - Are We Gonna Hang Out? [Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“This just might be my favorite pandemic inspired song. A Punk anthem capsulizing the angst, hope, and longing of Covid inspired loneliness, ‘Are We Gonna Hang Out?” from New York rocker, Dan Miraldi delivers an edge and rawness that sweeps the listener up and along with the track’s progression.

There is a bit of Punk roots to the sound, but still a nice Commercial driven quality that makes this track transcend any one genre and feel like a true rock and Roll banger and a song for the times.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Rachel Bochner - hating myself in the summer [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“I like the fact this otherwise light and airy Pop track takes on a complex personal issue such as body image. Rachel Bochner captures the anxiety and fear that summer time and swimsuit season brings on for a lot of people. Her vocal tone is engaging and the writing pointed, without ever slipping into a heavy handed kind of message.

This is a nice entertaining track, with something vital to say. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Dominic DiTommaso - Long Haired Hippie [Review]

Rating: 5 out of 5

“The piano intro is peaceful as it leads into the soulful vocals of Dominic DiTommaso. Dominic’s new single “Long Haire Hippie” is about falling in love with someone who most expensive gift is their heart. This song is pure jazz and soul together. ”

— Kreadiv Kesh [LA On Lock Blogger]

Kill My Coquette - L.A.'s Gonna Tear You Apart [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Kill My Coquette unleashes this track which sounds like the Go-Go’s meets Foo Fighters with a hearty bit of of the Ramones influencing it all.

’L.A.’s Gonna Tear You Apart,’ is a high energy Punk track that motivates you and pisses you off a the same time. Which is pretty much what all quality Punk should do.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Adeline x Joshua J - Eternity [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“This track is not an easy one to categorize as there is a little bit of of Funk, some soul, a hint of R&B, and all of it comes with good a blend of retro and new vibes.

Adeline gives us a groove and a ride here that is easy to fall in and stay with for the duration. ‘Eternity’ captures the sentiments of summer, and especially this summer, very nicely. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

AJ Smith - Double Vaxxed [Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Hot Vax Summer, finally has an anthem!

AJ Smith drops this catchy track that at times reminded me of Jack White, and of Prince at others. This track is simply fun and energetic and well-written in a punny and ironic sort of way that works, because it mirrors the times we are in.

The world might not have known it needed a ‘Double Vaxxed’ Electro Pop song, but now that it’s here ... we clearly all needed this release. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Confetti - Boring [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“We are transitioning out of a difficult time for all of us and people are restless and sick of isolation. ‘Boring,’ from Confetti, takes those stuck feelings of being trapped and our desires to venture out and find some excitement and fun and turns them into a fun track. The song delivers a poppish, almost Reggae vibe at times that gives this track an chantlike feel to its hook and makes it feel like a true anthem for the times.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

CAROLINE - Special [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Lyrically, this track is simply dazzling while also being dazzlingly simple.

The honest, straight forward approach to the writing is refreshing and the vocal tone is light and airy in a Pop kind of way, even as the lyrics have a bit of darkness or at least sarcastic wit. The juxtaposition makes the track all the the more interesting and makes me want to listen over and over again to pick up on every last nuance.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

TITUS BANK - Hide Me Like You Do [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Titus Bank captures the emotional distress of a lover not as fully open and committed about your relationship as you are. The track has a tender Pop build and feel, with an emotional underscore that feels very real and vulnerable.

Making a comparison to another artist is not easy as I do hear subtle influences, but nothing that overshadows Bank’s own talent and spirit. This is a well-written track that hits ground not a lot of other music covers.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

ItsMeHowl - Le Sigh [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Need something to put on while you relax or focus on another task at hand? ‘Le Sigh,’ from ItsMeHowl is just the track you need for such playlists.

Low key and calm, but still with a true sense of purpose and direction, the track carries you along like a gentle river toward wherever it is you wish to go. This piece is all about setting a mood in the background, and it achieves that task very well. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Will Kline - Anywhere [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Electro Folk? That might not be an established genre, but this track certainly delivers both elements. On this track, Will Kline sounds like an Avicii/Mumford collaboration.

Lyrically, the track is hopeful and earnest in its wanderlust, and musically it is right at home as a low-key dance number. The end result is a light airy track with a solid beat and a progression that keeps you leaning in for more.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

indy. - okay [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“The ragged edge of emotion is the trademark of this track from indy. ‘Okay,’ teeters at the precipice for the duration and every so often the rage and angst bursts forth. It is those moments that hold this track together and make it truly stand out.

The verses are delivered in a measured, almost controlled way, devoid of emotion, much the same way many of us go through life until something hits and it all explodes. This track puts that dynamic in musical form with the single walking that Commercial/ Alternative edge in its sound.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger