MUSIC REVIEWS

When you get the ball rolling as hard as skinsNbones does in their new single “Is There Meaning,” it’s a decent likelihood you play alternative rock the right way. The frills, the fluff, the flat out fatty tones that we used to get away with some ten years ago have …

New Zealand’s Arun O’Connor follows up his recent success with “Too Far Gone” with a new single entitled “Star of Your Own Show”. His continuing exploration of Americana influences may seem a bit incongruous on the surface, but O’Connor’s ability to meld an accessible pop approach with musical authenticity sets …

We’re not more than a few bars deep in the song “Owner of This Heart” before it becomes more than apparent how important hedonistic riffing is going to be to Starfire in their new album Dreaming of Your Destiny. There’s not much to the construction of this piece – instrumentally speaking, …

There’s something devilishly addictive about the giant beat that kicks off “Way Far Back,” and even without the presence of Steve Hill sitting in with Wave 21 for this performance, it would nonetheless feel like one of the hotter tracks on the band’s album Brace Yourself. The vocal harmonies are …

Illuminaut’s self-titled EP doesn’t start with a lot of fireworks, but instead an insistent beat soon joined by a brittle but undisputedly pristine vocal that comes in strong contrast to its instrumental backdrop. Blaze Powers is owning the verses with a delicate command in “The Grey,” but her counterpart in …

Greg Hoy’s EP Old Man and the Cinnamon Girl is a four-song collection of Neil Young covers. It’s fortuitous for the San Francisco, California-based singer/songwriter for this collection to emerge at the same time when Young’s music is a focal point in the recent Joe Rogan/Spotify controversy. Hoy’s a seasoned veteran, however, …

“Like Home” is the new standout single from Houston’s power duo, Wild Fire. Capitalizing on a universal theme, and honing in their fantastic harmonies, this sister team continues to dazzle the country pop scene with their talents. Comprised of Kelli and Kayla Iutzwig, Wild Fire has the hopelessly unfair advantage …

Chad Bushnell got more than he bargained for when he and his lady love took a break. That break turned into a long, larger than Texas time off. “Outa Style” is a fun, upbeat country rocker with loads of melodic changeups, gregarious lyrical style and some perfectly-placed steel pedal. Bushnell …

Dagan Thogerson’s nearly two-decade run as drummer for indie rock vets Murder By Death isn’t enough for the talented musician. He’s found another outlet for his restless creativity with the instrumental project Go to Space Die and the eight-track debut Red Air Don’t Care. He’s written vigorous progressive rock composition for …

It all starts with the beckoning of the acoustic guitar, and before we know it, SONIK’s “Back Home in Ontario” has launched into a galloping rhythm that could pull us down with it at the right volume. Intensity is the name of the game for this performance, but that doesn’t …