Lia Menaker - Christmas at Home [Music Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Tis the season! Christmas is full f the same old tired and worn out songs, so why not add some new music to your holiday playlists? Lia Menaker gives us a good one to add with ‘Christmas at Home.’

This track starts with a nice up tempo beat and utilizes it for most of the song. The lyrics are fun and the performance energetic and uplifting. A good vibe to go out and do some shopping, or sit by the fire with a warm beverage in hand.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Gabe Lopez - Long Road [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Gabe Lopez is a successful musician but you might not yet be aware of this solo work. As a music producer for RuPaul’s Drag Race, Belinda Carlisle, platinum KPOP artists and more, Lopez has already made a mark in the musical landscape, and now this new track , ‘Long Road,’ might elevate this talented artist to even greater heights.

The song has an haunting, heavy quality that makes the emotions inescapable. A track that means more with each listen, this is a song that has a timeless sound and appeal.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Devyn Rush - Christmas Everyday [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“It’s almost impossible to create an entirely original Christmas song and still have it sound festive. Devyn Rush leaned into a nostalgic musical arrangement but definitely put a nice Contemporary spin on the lyrics of ‘Christmas Everyday.’

The result is a nice festive track that feels new enough without straying to far from the sound and style we expect for Christmas music.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Tom Mackell - Where the Wild Things Go [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“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.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

xoxodubstep - I Will [Music Review]

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

“xoxodubstep unleashes a Future Bass love song with ‘I Will.’ The track has a big soaring theatrical vibe and would be great as the backdrop of a movie montage scene, but it also works as an emotional standalone track. Perfect for dedicating to the one you love, or getting in your feels out on the dance floor this track is deeply commercial and should find audiences across several gernes. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Radius x Leonora - Plans Tonight (feat. Leonora) [Music Review]

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

“Ready for some German Funk and Soul?

Then it is your lucky day because Radius and Leonora team to give us exactly that with ‘Plans Tonight.’ Though you;d never guess these talented artists are German by the sound of this high energy song.

And ode to being held back by the nine to five of a steady job this is a fun track about letting go and having some fun despite the demands put on you by being a so-called responsible adult.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Remy Reilly - Dirty Work [Music Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“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.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Tessa Dalton - Hit the Lights [Music Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Hey, you up?

The same thought process that leads to those kind of texts is what Tessa Dalton is singing about in ‘Hit The Lights.’

This Indie/Alt Pop track is about that poor decision making we all make as we romanticize and gloss over all the red flags visible in the light of day. It’s a fun track that gets ina nd makes its point with talent and precision and doesn’t carry on too long.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Kenny Sharp - Virginia Slim [Music Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Kenny Sharp delivers this love letter of sorts to his home state of Virginia. The languid blues feel gives the song a Ray Charles vibe and his classic ode to Georgia is certainly and apt comparison for this track. ‘Virginia Slim’ is a smooth and warm and wraps around the soul like a wisp of fragrant tobacco in the still summer time air.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

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