Archive by Author

NOVI is here to Make A Scene

6 Aug

NOVI

Back in 2011 when Los Angeles-based pop singer Novi released her debut EP Now I’m Here she raised eyebrows with her brazen, imprecation-filled single “Blackbirds.” Underneath the ribald lyric, though, was an artist ready to break out. NOVI, the moniker of Carolyne Neuman, is no stranger to success – her first release, “All the Way” was featured on One Tree Hill – but with the forthcoming release of her second EP Now I’m There I think it is about time that the country started learning more about NOVI.

Remember when Florence and the Machine first released “Kiss with a Fist” in 2008. The debut single went on to foreshadow the success of the band. I mention this track because I believe its brash nature best reflects NOVI. NOVI reminds me of a young Florence Welch – unconventional, fearless, and skilled. Those are three qualities that are particularly necessary if you want to succeed in the industry.

Now, NOVI’s music is different from Florence’s music. While Florence – besides from “Kiss With a Fist” – focuses on creating an ethereal atmosphere with her songs, NOVI mixes an in-your-face attitude with a touch of Lana Del Rey’s sun-soaked voice. The music itself covers the spectrum of effervescent and blunt to emotion-saturated and harmonious. One thing remains constant in all of NOVI’s music – it is good. Yes, this seems rather simplistic – especially in a review – but the music is diverse, stimulating, and, well, good. Let’s put it this way – once you listen to a track you want to continue exploring the esoteric world of NOVI. Let’s listen to two tracks from the new EP.

“Whisky and FireFlies” begins with an infectious whistle opening – much like “Good Life” by OneRepublic – and that bleeds into NOVI’s verse – which almost acts as a singing rap. The percussion carries the song into a Florence-like chorus. NOVI’s voice is deceptively good. The vocal play in the song is skillful.

“Make A Scene,” though, is where I see true star quality. While “Whisky and FireFlies” is a nice song, “Make a Scene” is a powerhouse – a true force that has mainstream and Indie attraction. The beat is ridiculous. The listener is fully drawn into the song from the start and NOVI helps suck the listener further into the piece with her eclectic vocal. The hook is potent. Featuring a Mika-like instrumental rise, the chorus is the song’s core. This is a 2:45 bundle of goodness, and, if it is any indication of NOVI’s future, much like Florence, it looks very bright.

 

Keep in tune with NOVI – Website, Facebook, Twitter

Tags: , , , , ,

Fip Fok Warriors – CoCo and the Butterfields

30 Jul

Warriors

 

 

It should come to no surprise that Coco and the Butterfields is from Canterbury, a historic English cathedral city; the band’s music is downright regal. As the photograph (an eclectic amalgam of Pocahontas and Braveheart) above suggests, the band combines traditional English pop with pastoral folk and gritty hip/hop to create a tremendous sound that has not only sparked its own derivative genre (“Fip Fok” – folk/pop/hip-hop) but also has expanded the ears of listeners while sucking them into an infectious sound. What? Did I look into the picture too much?

It should go without repeating that I am a big fan of what Coco and the Butterfields is creating, but, heck, I’m going to bedizen the group with flashy adornments of praise. The music is fresh and original. Original is an understatement. The five-piece band combines the folk prowess of Micah Hyson (double bass) and Rob Wicks (banjo) with the filthy and fresh beatbox stylings of Jamie Smith. Folk and beatbox? It takes a rare breed of band to pull off that stunt successfully. Just take a listen to the band’s glorious cover of “Just a Dream” by Nelly. It is unconventional (almost humorous in its musical absurdity), but after the initial shock sets in, it is not difficult to imagine the song being a Coco original. This is the mark of a great band.

“Warriors” takes effervescent to a new level. The music is off-the-bubbly-charts. If you do not have the sudden urge to get up, jump up and down, and sing along to the track than something must be terribly wrong with you. In a style similar to fellow countrymen Skinny Lister, Coco and the Butterfields combine a traditional folk instrumental with fresh elements. “Warriors,” though, maintains a unique theatrical feel that creates a big-screen appeal. It also maintains a dangerous contagiousness that invokes constant repetition of the song…seriously. The song is a gem. This band needs to make its way to the Big Apple, so I can hear the song live – yes, I’m selfish. Heck of a song from one heck of a band.

Get on the Coco and the Butterfields train. Follow the band on its Website, Facebook, and Twitter.

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

The Musical Beauty of Beneath Your Beautiful

25 Jul

Labrinth

I had heard “Beneath Your Beautiful” by Labrinth and Emeli Sandé in passing prior to listening to it closely for the first time yesterday. In small pieces of the song, I was able to recognize a pleasant piano piece mixed with a melodious vocal…and that’s about it. While I am partially ashamed to admit it, my first true listen to the song came at the behest of the America’s Got Talent results show on Wednesday night – and, ironically as it is, the musicians who performed it on the show were (and still very much are) from the UK.

“Beneath Your Beautiful” is the sixth single released from Labrinth’s debut album Electronic Earth. Labrinth is the stage name of English singer-songwriter Timothy McKenzie. While proficient in numerous instruments and keen to a R&B/Pop sound, Labrinth’s debut release focused much attention to a unique electronica blend. “Beneath Your Beautiful,” which features the wonderful voice of Emeli Sandé – a Scottish recording artist – is a more traditional piano ballad, although it does feature some well-placed electronic elements.

To be honest, this song has so many elements that strike a chord with me. Yes, I just went there with a terrible music joke! The opening piano riff is candid and simple. It is unbridled musical pulchritude (I’m a sucker for piano, I know). Labrinth’s vocal features a contained emotionality that is refreshing. The man has a tremendous voice, and he is not afraid to use his pipes when the time is right. But, while the voice is excellent, it is tender, and this helps establish its candor. The song adds strings and percussion when Sandé begins to sing, and she carries the verse perfectly. The harmony established by both voices is dulcet. It’s one hell of a song. And…apparently more than 50 million people agree on YouTube.

Note: The grammar mistake in the title was a jab at grammar nuts by Labrinth – or just a sneaky way of covering up a mistake – :). Initially, I took it to mean that the singer wants to see beneath the beautiful (metaphorically) and into the soul of his/her lover (I’m cheeky like that).

Tags: , , , ,

The Folk Monsters of Yellow Red Sparks

21 Jul

Yellow Red Sparks

Speaking about the self-titled debut album of his folk band Yellow Red Sparks, Joshua Hanson said, “I don’t believe that it’s possible to share everything a writer is feeling or trying to convey within 3 ½ minutes of a track.” Wise words from a singer/songwriter who comes close to doing the impossible with each of the emotion-packed pieces on the album. Hanson, and fellow band-mates Sara Lynn Nishikawa (upright bass/vocals) and Goldy (drums/vocals), pack in so much Indie/Folk goodness in each song that hitting play is much like popping the cork of an expensive bottle of champagne.

Yellow Red Sparks originally started as the moniker of Hanson, a solo musician from California. After adding two members – which accentuated the Indie sound – the band released its debut album in January of this year. In the Spring, Hanson was notified that his song “Monsters with Misdemeanors” won the Grand Prize in the International Songwriting Competition (ISC). The song was selected from more than 20,000 entries. High praise for a rising folk songwriter – and a totally deserved reward for a folk song saturated with raw emotion.

A soft acoustic riff sits over light percussion and Hanson’s mature vocal. Hanson’s style hits with a similar force as singer/songwriters like Greg Laswell, Ben Gibbard, and Joshua James. The strings help add to the song’s powerful melancholy. The song’s melody, which has a DeVotchKa feel, climaxes during the bridge in a similar manner – with rising strings and crying vocals. It would be a crime to not discuss the award-winning lyrics of the piece. The lyrics tell a story of relationship turbulence, but do so in an original manner – almost minimalistic in the short verses that feature such gems as “there’s a parked car that won’t let me over
And there’s one thing I’ll regret, but you’d be the last.” The song is true tour-de-force.

Make sure to check out the rest of Yellow Red Sparks’ excellent debut release here. You can track the band on its Facebook, Twitter, and Website.

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Song Dogs on the Prairie

17 Jul

Song Dogs

Is it wrong to get giddy when I come across new bands like Song Dogs? Well, if it is, I don’t want to be right. Ok, I admit that was a cheesy lede, but the sentiment it expresses is not facetious. Song Dogs’ throwback brand of true Americana blues elicits visions of The Band, The Allman Brothers, and Neil Young. The music is as pastoral America as Hardee’s and Apple Pie. By the time you are finished listening to Song Dogs’ debut LP Wild Country, you will be fully satiated and Americanized!

At first listen to the whining guitar in “Buffalo Crossroads,” you may be inclined to think that the 6-piece rock band resides in Missouri or Tennessee, but the dogs of song reside in the City of Brotherly Love. Yes, the Song Dogs have brought the open prairie sound to the Liberty Bell. The band successfully blends southern blues, western twang, and northeastern rhythm into a smooth sound that carries each of the album’s 10 tracks.

One of the most impressive aspects of the band is the talent of each member. With three lead vocalists, every song has a particular style – both vocally and musically – and this establishes variety. The band features Michael Southerton (vocals/guitar), Ryan McCloskey (vocals/guitar), Sam Conver (vocals/bass), Dan Cooper (Drums), Mariama O’Brien (Percussion), and Emily Southerton* (Keys – Emily is currently away from the band as she is traveling the country teaching poetry)

“Buffalo Crossroads” is carried by a persistent pop/rock rhythm and southern-style electric guitar. Much like Tom Petty, Song Dogs makes the bluesy sound mainstream accessible by implementing a catchy rhythm and melody. It’s a neat, content song that makes you smile about returning home.

“Careless” immediately strips the pop feel with the opening bass riff and the granular vocal that is so southern soul it’s scary. While the classic blues vocal clearly carries this piece, the electric riff, intelligent percussion, and effective soloing allow the song to thrive. Let’s be frank. The song kicks ass. It’s Allman blues at its very finest.

Make sure to keep tabs on Song Dogs by following the band’s Facebook and Twitter. You can buy the full album on the band’s Bandcamp

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →