McCabe - Killer Of Mine [Music Review]

Rating: 3 out of 5

“I loved the emotion and writing of ‘Killer of Mine,’ as well as the old school piano and clap beat. That said, the edges could have been softened and rounded out to better allow the emotions to land.

McCabe has clear and obvious talent and he emotes well, though for me the backing got in the way of me truly feeling the track in places. A softer mix would have lifted this one to greater heights for me but it is still a good, worthwhile track that lets the writing and emotions carry much of the workload.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Dave Murphy - Josephine [Music Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“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.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

PEPTALK - Blind [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Love is a complicated animal, and since no on else is inside our hearts it is often hard to see why a person stays or even what they saw in them in the first place.

’Blind’ from PEPTALK is a smooth groove that attempts to unruly the confusion our brans must unravel before we make any decision to give up on a love and move on. The R&B groove comes with a Pop vibe making this one fit across a few genres.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

The Criticals - Danish Eyes [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Two dudes from rural Tennessee wrote a Rock song called ‘Danish Eyes’ in LA, then went across the pond to record it in England. Yeah, you read that right and that’s the absolute beauty of Rock and Roll.

The Criticals are rock throwbacks ina way as they do things most pop stars and fame chasers are unwilling to do, and they do it to stay fresh and on the cutting edge. This isn’t a band that chases trends, but rather embraces who they are and works to create the best version of themselves on a constant basis.

If you’re not listening to The Criticals already, you should be!”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Ava Valianti - Wishing Well [Music Feview]

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

“The vocal tone and emotive delivery is what held me initially to Ava Valianti’s latest single, ‘Wishing Well.’

That said the writing is poignant and meaningful and offers a melancholy type of nostalgia we all feel from time to time.

The world marches on, and with it change is inevitable, but as we say goodbye to the many little things that were part of our childhoods we also lose little pieces of ourselves. Those losses do as much to shape who we are as the new additions that replace them. We are all constantly shedding our skin, in both a literal and figurative sense and this song captures it so well.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Leo Sawikin - Am I Ever Going To Fly Again [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“We are all chasing something, happiness, contentment, a thrill maybe? Leo Sawiken is no different and his track, ‘Am I Ever Going To Fly Again’ is all about trying to recapture one of the life’s magic moments.

The song starts slow, with a melancholy vibe that replicates the disappointment we feel when we realize that despite our best efforts, this time we failed to find that sparkle and shine. This is a cerebral song that leaves you thinking about your own life and experiences in a meaningful way. Style wise it falls into the Indie Rock plate with a side of human angst. The emotions are real and tangible and highly applicable to most of us have shared the same sentiments. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Jon Vinyl - Feels Good [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Hailing from Toronto, Jon Vinyl blends Pop and Cotemporary R&B vibes to create a soothing sound heavy on emotion and talent. ‘Feels Good’ hits like something Ed Sheeran might create after taking a trip to Motown. The song has a nice tranquility that feels like a warm embrace from a dear friend or cherished love one.

My biggest critique is I wish it was longer and had at least one more verse.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Wisoff - Every 6 Years [Music Review]

Rating: 2 out of 5

“This is a matter of outhinking yourself as an artist. There are great moments to this performance and the premise was rock solid.

The problems were all in the production dynamics and arrangement. Had Wiseoff simply unleashed this track with a steady flow and build I’d have been all in, but the embellishment and add-ons got in the way emotionally for me and left the overall track feeling disjointed and needlessly chaotic. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Shannon Dooley - Make Some Noise [Music Review]

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

“Shannon Dooley has the vocal chops to do whatever she wants and while this track doesn’t showcase all of her range it does offer a nice emotive experience. Perhaps darker than most Indie Pop, ‘Make Some Noise,’ is a grittier ode track that gets in your mind and makes you think as it entertains.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Kailaya - To Be Loved By You [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Unfurling smooth R&B vocals with a hint of Pop sensibility, Kailaya invites the listener in to her intimate world. ‘To Be Loved By You,’ brings some old school sultriness to the contemporary world with a heartfelt build of emotion and vulnerability.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Sehou - Falling Through the Air [Music Review]

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

“Peace and tranquility rule the day on this track from Sehou. ‘Falling Through The Air’ is one of those tracks that could fit the musical landscape over the last twenty years or so.

The Electro/Dance Pop track is smooth and uplifting and will carry you along when you need that pick me up or recharge.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Super Massive - Caught In A Web [Music Review]

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

“Super Massive unleashes a high energy summer time track with their latest single, ‘Caught in A Web.’

Wait, what? Summertime? Yep, you read it right. Super Massive is an Aussie based dance/rock band that blends electro, electro-pop, dance-pop, synthpop and EDM and while here in North America we are the cusp of winter they are ready to bask in some summertime fun down in the Southern Hemisphere.

Th track is a throwback of synth glory and a fun romp.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Tiesto x Soaky Siren - Tantalizing [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Getting out on the dance floor and losing all sense of place and time is what we all need from time to time. ‘Tantalizing’ by Tiesto and Soaky Siren is the perfect track to do so.

Clean production and a tasty build keep you leaning in. No, this offering isn’t going to shatter expectations lyrically, but then again it doesn’t need to. It says and does enough to be perfect for just letting everything go and getting your body moving.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

deathbypeanuts x NanaBcool x Selassie x Dexter Francis Mason - Nightrider [Music Review]

Rating: 1.5 out of 5

“The groove is pleasing and I like that side of this track, but for me the vocals felt a bit melodramatic.

Overall this song was a case of trying to do and be too much. The talent is there and could have shined, but for all the world this one felt like a group of talented people saying ... Hey let’s throw everything we got up against the wall and see what sticks.

The end result felt like an unorganized mess lyrically, and the varying performance style felt at odds rather than complementary to each other.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Lil Primo - STARBURST [Music Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Lil Primo feels anything but lil on this big bold track. ‘Starburst’ has that old school, in-your-face vibe, and Primo infuses that hard flow with fresh linds and a crisp delivery that lands the lyrical punches with skill and precision.

This LA are rapper brings the perfect verve to his flow and the writing hits with grit and emotion.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Hannah Larkin - Girls Like Me (Radio Edit) [Music Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Hannah Larkin escaped a religious cult only to find herself on the streets of LA. Music is therapy of a sorts for the exotic dancer turned Pop songstress, and this track, ‘Girls Like Me.’ highlights her journey as much as it does Larkin’s talent.

The songwriting and performance is tender and vulnerable and still manages to also be gritty and genuine.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Illiterate Light - Montauk [Music Review]

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

“Illiterate Light gives us a languid, thinking man kind of track with ‘Montauk.’

Inspired by the theme of the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the song takes on the emotional and mental game of attempting what you suspect will ultimately go down as a failure.

The track has what I’d called an organized chaos feel and vibe. Which is apt given that is pretty much how our brains function.

The song is long for modern music, and that, along with the deeper subject matter, will probably keep it from reaching hit status. Though it is the kind of Alternative/Indie Rock release that is likely to develop a cult following of very dedicated fans.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Halo Kitsch - BETWEEN YOUR TEETH [Music Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Halo Kitsch has some fun calling out the fake hypocrisy of those who work so damn hard to be perfect. Perfect and predictable is a manufactured illusion fed these days by social media likes and follows. ‘BETWEEN YOUR TEETH’ is an ode to the real ones, the true friends that will tell you not what you want to hear, but what you NEED to hear.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Luci - Loner [Music Review]

Rating: 3.0 out of 5

“Luci began her career as a an EDM producer and that influence is clear on this track, though the vocal side certainly has Pop sensibilities.

’Loner’ is an emotive and vulnerable track in its best moments, though for me the harder drops and production that turned toward a Future Bass/EDM style got in the way of the emotions at times.

For me this track shined the brightest with Luci’s emotive delivery and less production behind it clouding the song. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Tamar Berk - That's Not a Lie [Music Video Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Some songs simply grab hold and refuse to let go. Tamar Berk certainly has talent and a pleasing tone though I can’t fully explain why this one stuck to me so fiercely. The delivery and melody are nice, but the hook and lyrical refrain of the song is what grabbed me and refused to let go.

Like an ear worm in the best of ways!”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger