April Jai - Not Like The Movies [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“True love is one of the toughest things to find and can feel like an impossible fairytale at times. Books, movies, and well-meaning friends offer all kinds of advice and theories but there are no rules to love and this track captures that feeling with perfection.

April Jai describes her song ‘Not Like The Movies’ as ... the confused hopeless romantic single girl anthem you need to scream in the car with all of your friends ... and that description is dead on accurate.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock BLogger

JackKane - Something More - [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Jack Kane toes the line between genres with his track ‘Something More.’ The songwriting is strong and the performance emotive so that makes it tempting to call this a coffeehouse singer/songwriter type of track, but the melody has an energy and edge that feels closer to Springsteen in nature and then there are the subtle Americana vibes that the entire package puts off.

Call the song what you will, but make sure to add it to your playlists and feel the emotion for yourself. You will indeed feel something more. More than most music manages to convey and that is a very good thing. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Love Hounds - Lazy Boy [Music Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Punk Country? Yes it is, but there is nothing here that feels anything like the Corporate Mainstream Country most associate with Nashville. Instead Love Hounds, unleashes more of an Outlaw Country sound mixed with heavy Punk influence to give ‘Lazy Boy’ both an edge and a storytelling quality that lands in between genres. But make no mistake, this is not so much a niche type track as it is one that takes the best elements of various genres and turns them into a unique, but broad appeal.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Alisa Xayalith - Devil I Know [Music Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Alisa Xayalith steps out from her role as frontwoman of New Zealand’s The Naked and Famous and takes the emotional forefront all alone on her first solo project. “Devil I know’ is a Pop track with strong songwriting and of course stellar vocal talent. The track is insightful in it’s approach to how our minds and hearts work to move us forward through life and relationships.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Nate Amor - Beautiful [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Nate Amor drops this ode to love and appreciation. The timeless sound and arrangement combines with finely crafted songwriting to deliver the message in perfection step with the emotional build. There are Americana tones and a soft Southern Rock feel but really this is one of those tracks that transcends gerne and simply speaks straight to the soul. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Nick Sanza - Cry [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“A soft emotive track about growing up a nd finding your place int he world. Nick Sanza delivers an emotional vocal performance on this slow building ballad that comes straight from the heart.

’Cry’ is the kind of song you fall deeper in on with each and every listen and staying out of your feels while you do so is nigh on impossible. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

VAVO x Clara Mae - Take Me Home [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“The vocal prowess draws the listener in from the start, before the heavy bass line and build comes in to add another dimension to this track and truly set it off. The first beat drop launches the track forward and sets the hook. VAVO and Clara Mae utilize their talents in tandem to create ‘Take ME Home’ and the result is fantastic.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Gianna Mae - Tease [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Gianna Mae unleashes a sultry ode to mixed signals with her track, ‘Tease.’ The vocals have Britney Pop edge that is not easy to convey but here it is done with perfection. The mood and vibe are strong and the emotion of the lyrical build emotes through with hard-hitting clarity. A fun track, with a dark sinister side as well. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Sani Knight - Ivy [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“We don’t always want what is good for us. Sometimes, we willingly reach for poison especially when it comes to relationships. Sani Knight unfurls this brooding track about taking a dose of pain for the sake of our hearts. ‘Ivy’ is an emotive song of longing and pain and throwing caution to wind. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Xersize - End of Days [Music Review]

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

“When you think Rap you probably don’t think Sweden but Swedish artists Xersize is here to change that. Dropping a rapid fire flow reminiscent of Eminem at times, ‘End of Days’ is a passion-fueled rant about being overlooked and dismissed in a crowded field of artists. It is about having the confidence to stand up and shout look at me because I have something worthwhile to say. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Jagger - Melancholic [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Jagger drops this soft, and yes, ‘Melancholic” track that relies on the emotion and vocal talent to draw the listener deep inside the lyrical build. The slow burn wraps around the soul and conveys the mood perfectly for the duration. The vocal performance is spot on perfect and this is the kind of track for dark nights and the quiet moments of self-reflection that we all need at times.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Kelaska - autopilot [Music Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“I love the line ... All my friends are starting families while I am starting therapy and that encapsulates the meaning of this song very well. An emotive performance about feeling like time and life is passing you by while you are still trying to carve your place out in the world. There are Pop sensibilities but also a deep emotion songwriter vibe that adds an extra punch here.

Kelaska is a talent to keep an eye on and ‘autopilot’ is the kind of timeless track that we will all be listening to for decades to come. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Alta Falls - I'm At A Loss [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“It is so easy to embrace the ‘I’m At A Loss’ attitude in todays’ world. and Alta Falls does a masterful job of capturing the hopeless and/or overwhelming feeling of how to move forward. That alone helps as we listen and understand we are not alone in these feeling, but the track has incredible talent behind it giving it that extra edge.

There are Retro 80’s vibes to the sound and that somehow adds to the dynamics with very contemporary ideas pushing the lyrics, and a nostalgic vibe that lends almost a haunting quality of the past to the mix. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

ILIRA - Clean Break [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“An energetic Electro Pop track with strong Commercial vibes, ‘Clean Break’ is a track that pays homage to Roxette, Ace of Base and the sound of decades past, while still having a fresh contemporary Pop feel as well. ILIRA has the energy and vocal chops to hook the listener and there is that extra spirit and energy to truly make the track stand out from the fray.

Raised in a small Swiss town by Kosovo-Albanian parents, ILIRA struggled to find her place in an environment with clashing cultures. Citing a wide set of musical influences from Nirvana to Rihanna as her first major muses, ILIRA developed a rebellious middle- finger-wagging attitude at a very young age, shaping her into the artist that she is today. ILIRA began cutting her teeth on the live stage in various talent shows on Albanian and Swiss TV, all the while writing songs to beats she had purchased online and posting clips of these songs to Instagram. Flash forward to a move to Berlin, Sony Music Germany snap ILIRA up and she begins penning catchy pop tracks in LA and London. She reached #1 on the German Airplay Charts with her hit collaboration “FADING.” ILIRA rounded of the year with upbeat cuts such as EXTRA FR!ES and PAY ME BACK!, and is currently in the studio honing her debut album.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

CELIIN - Joker [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“What if James Bond were a dark-minded cabaret showgirl?

That was the question artist, CELIIN posed in her submission and it really does sum up this intriguing track. Sultry and brooding. Sexy and sad all at the same time the talent is evocative in all the best ways.

This is a track that ages well and is all the more intriguing with each and every listen. A must add to any playlist with a quirky and definite mood creating vibe. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock

Bad Flamingo - I Won't Let You Die Young [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Few bands can capture the level of allure and intrigue that Bad Flamingo does with their sound. Sure the masks they wear play part of the role in the imagery but the sound and songwriting are every bit as much to do with the mystery and intrigue. landing somewhere between Americana and Indie Rock this duo routinely delivers an outlaw aura of loneliness and desperation that translates into engaging and thought provoking songs. ‘I Won’t Let You Die Young’ ads to their catalogue of strong lyrics and mood setting tones.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Tommy Alexander - Feelings [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Tommy Alexander is a songwriter first and foremost, but that is not to say he doesn’t have the vocal talent and passion to deliver the words he writes. There are Springsteen and Johnny Cash vibes in the delivery and the emotion is palpable in both the words and performance. We as humans all have a myriad of complex ‘Feelings’ coursing through us, and we don’t always understand where they came from, but still we must deal with them. This track does a great job of taking that complex set of thoughts and distilling them into an entertaining and thought-provoking track. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Alle The Dreamer - Lonely Hallucinations [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“A track for the daydreamer in all of us. Life has a way of slipping by faster than we’d like, and this song takes on that dynamic as well as our own aspirations and dreams of what we wish everyday life was compared to what it is.

A dreamscape Pop vibe permeates with a touch of Lorde and Billie Eilish in the overall vocal sound and style. That said, Alle The Dreamer certainly brings a unique tone and delivery that stands our from those artists as well as the fray.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Estella Dawn - Winners [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Estella Dawn has the kind of sultry and inviting vocal style that is timeless and easy to fall all the way in on right from the start. This track has a slow build but it comes with an intriguing build that holds the listener close. Lyrically, the track holds surprises and there is nuance to dig in on that will keep you coming back time and time again. ‘Winners’ is a vibe that grips you hard. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Eddie Island - Honey (You Said Love) [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“A folksy track with Pop sensibilities. A bit like Mumford meets Springsteen with a light airy tone and build that makes it easy to emotional connect with the track. Eddie Island lets the writing soar with a joyous tone and band vocal build that matches the musical vibes of the track. This is the kind of song that delivers the power to change your mood and lift your spirit. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger