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7.6
New Music Critique: Adam Robert Thomas
Jazzy pop crooner Adam Robert Thomas dishes up some tasty slices of sound that seem to glow with the breezy, carefree vibe of summer. “Feel ... -
7.6
New Music Critique: K. Link
Pittsburgh rapper K. Link impresses us with his raspy, higher-consciousness flow, full of harsh words (“Mark 8:36”) for an array of society’s ills (materialism, celebrity ... -
7.8
New Music Critique: Karen Tobin
With a voice that emits a forthright, classicfolk resonance, Karen Tobin lures you into her world, one which is full of wistful, reflective moments filtered ... -
7.2
New Music Critique: Prosspekt
NY-based synth-driven Prosspekt wear their Euro origins boldly on these tracks, which follow a dual lead-vocal format. And it’s in the voice department that the ... -
7.2
New Music Critique: Good Luck, Ugly!
Punk-rock trio Good Luck, Ugly! is incredibly tight, handling both the intensity and the dynamics of these brisk, solidly crafted tunes. The lo-fi style is ... -
7.2
New Music Critique: Clara Bellino
San Francisco artist Clara Bellino has a soft, whispery voice that she wisely backs up with a confident, well-seasoned group of musicians, including singers who ... -
8
New Music Critique: Band of Liars
Guitar-driven six-piece Band of Liars perform like a well-oiled machine and singer Rae Rae (though a bit screechy at times) certainly brings a strong, confident ... -
7.6
New Music Critique: Shakes Lo
Blessed with a confident, compelling flow (reminding one of us of Camp Lo), NY artist Shakes Lo is a promising young rapper. It also doesn’t ... -
7.6
New Music Critique: Honey River
This Americana outfit are solid players with an appealing sound, right down to the lead vocals, whose tone is a consistently natural fit. The group’s ... -
7.6
New Music Critique: McMains
Affable and consistently entertaining, McMains is “a California cowboy on a rocketship to Mars” who brings a goodnatured vibe to everything he does. “Time Well ... -
8
New Music Critique: Empty Suns
Spearheaded by Travis Weatherred, Empty Suns’ atmospheric songs will reward patient listeners who are attuned to the pleasures of eerie psych-rock excursions. “A Lonely Place” ... -
7.4
New Music Critique: Western Automatic
A guitar-driven quintet from Chicago, Western Automatic have a familiar alt-rock sound, solidly executed, especially on group vocals, which make a confident, consistently powerful statement. ... -
6.6
New Music Critique: Vincent Poag
Long Island, NY-based artist Vincent Poag is not a gifted vocalist; he is, however, a communicator with a nonchalant informality, a directness that can be ... -
8
New Music Critique: Splimis
The welcoming, positive and sometimes heavenly vibes of these instrumentals by Splimis display his confident handle on arrangements that vary in pace and dynamics, but ... -
7.6
New Music Critique: Jesse Magenta
Drawing from a palette of sounds that’s maximum synthetic, Jesse Magenta combines super-simple elements into something much more––catchy little ditties that stick. In “Hero” a ... -
7
New Music Critique: Polymorph
Right now, the ambitions of prog-rock foursome Polymorph outweigh their abilities. Yes, the band are tight, solid players. The solos–especially by guitar–are respectable. But to ... -
7.6
New Music Critique: Taylor Taylor
Singer-guitarist Taylor Taylor has a nimble, natural voice that is immediately likeable, and she presents herself minimally––just voice, guitar and occasional backup vocal that adds ... -
6.8
New Music Critique: Dove Vega
We don’t often hear a singer whose tracks burst with so many sonic elements as these by Dove Vega. Unfortunately, her audio ambitions diminish Vega ... -
7.4
New Music Critique: Sin Amor
Sin Amor’s combination of ambient mystery and ethereal falsetto makes his songs transporting and evocative, ideal as cinematic accompaniment. One can feel the influence of ... -
6.6
New Music Critique: Proper Einstein
We give Proper Einstein a thumbs up for his arty, imaginative, sometimes neo-classical beats, but not so much for his voice and overall flow. “Welcome ...
