Tag Archives: Ambient

Exclusive Artist Review: Rebels In Stereo – “Smear Campaign” LP

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Rebels In Stereo is a female-fronted powerhouse quartet hailing from the Chi-Town metro area and exhibits a signature sound that hits the realm of rock, punk and melodic power metal influences. Since 2014, the band has hit the ground running since their inception and has evolved into a supergroup that has garnered an insatiably loyal following and reputation among the industry as a fully, hard working independent unit. And after a few lineup changes and additives, the group embarked on recording their sophomore effort Smear Campaign, a record that showcases the band at the top of their game without any indication of slowing down anytime soon.

Smear Campaign is a punk-driven punch in the face. From melodic verses, gang vocals, an in-your-face rhythm section and furious guitar gains with harmonic melodies to compliment the fury, this record serves up an explosive sensibility that any early 2000s punk fan will resonate with. Opening track “LFG” is the perfect song to set this tone. All of the above mentioned elements are ever present and really foreshadow what’s to come throughout the record’s duration. Meanwhile “Cease & Desist” gives off more of a pop punk aura with a Distillers vibe that meshes together in a way that maintains the band originality, all while delivering that sense of nostalgia that any punk fan will appreciate.

Then we come to the more in-your-face “Silence Is Violence”. This furious number has a Bad Religion and Suicide Machines complex with all the female fronted charm you’d expect from this band. The diligently placed gang vocals are an incredible standout and really set the bar high for today’s more modern punk sensibility all encapsulated by the band’s ability to be meticulous with their execution when it comes to incorporating a much more older school song – all without straying from their signature sound that is made clear since the start of the record’s duration. Seriously, these songs are furious, well paced, driven and leave no stone unturned when it comes to their visionary regarding their approach on the punk genre.

One last notable banger is closing track “Conspiracy Gold”, a song lyrically that does justice to the title. This is another straight punk song with pop punk elements that compliment the rest of the song’s structure. The vocal harmony additives and gang vocals once again tie into the rest of the album and this ending number will easily have you starting the record from the beginning again. Each song is solid, doesn’t overdo themselves and keep the song durations of time more short than most punk bands before any kind of boredom can strike. Each song flows diligently to the next and the production value is top notch, easily paralleling with the performance value that kicks this record into overdrive. If you’re a fan of female fronted punk, there’s no possible way you could go wrong with Smear Campaign. It’ll also easily entice you to do a deeper dive into the entire Rebels In Stero discography. You will not be disappointed.

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Exclusive Album Review: Yes Daddy – “Dumb Blonde” LP

Posted in Alternative, Careers, Dance, EDM, Electronic, Experimental, Indie, Music Review, Pop, Press Release by

Emerging from Alabama’s dynamically vibrant music sector, rising indie/pop powerhouse Yes Daddy began hitting the ground running about six years ago when he started his musical exploration from the confines of his own bedroom at the age of 15. Since that time he has not slowed down in the least and has single handedly formed an insatiable street buzz since his inception into the market; drawing initial inspiration from industry heavyweights like HUNNY, The Beach Boys, Mac Miller among several others.

His captivating signature sound pays homage to artists greats like LCD Soundsystem, The Strokes and MGMT, all while maintaining a raw sense of authenticity, realness, originality and familiarity putting Yes Daddy into a calibre that is completely his own. His electronically infused indie approach is diligently characterized by its emotive depth, blended with an eclectic mix of indie and alternative measures and uniquely crafted landscapes; delivering an immersive auditory experience for his listeners. And his most recent 11-track juggernaut Dumb Blonde encapsulates this musical vision full circle, bringing Yes Daddy’s undeniable versatility right to the forefront.

Opening track “Hands” is an inventive high energy banger that introduces YD with absolute relentlessness, catchiness and his signature almost spoken-word like vocal explosion. This party track is not only cleverly executed, but also captures the simplicity needed to keep YD’s essence and aura right at the forefront. Follow-up track is the more sing-songy “Flatline”, another less-is-more drums and bass stylization that cruises this song into anthemic bliss and catchiness. The verses are comprised of top notch melody choices, gang vocals and even points of subtlety that perfectly transition the song into subsequent measures. This is definitely a standout of the record, and the many elements and angles throughout the track’s duration make it very apparent.

One more noteworthy track is the banger “Bleach Blonde”, another track with a more subtle approach lyrically but continues to maintain its sense of atmospheric rhythms and sequences as the chorus merges in. This hauntingly ominous and visceral track is one of the best written ones on the album altogether, and even though it’s one of the record’s shorter tracks, it’s also one of the most memorable. It has swells and touches of the mid 2000s era while still delving into today’s more hypnotic modern sensibility. This track is definitely one you could have on repeat for days simply for the nostalgia factor. It presents a perfect balance of both originality and familiarity, giving the audience a listening experience that is a taste of something fresh while still being able to sink into something they have come to know and love,

Overall, Dumb Blonde is an absolute banger for today’s modern indie/electronic market and will take you on an eclectically versatile journey into a sea of tracks that will have you anticipate what’s coming next when it comes to Yes Daddy’s future releases. It will also entice you to do a deep dive into YD’s discography altogether, researching his story and see just how he has evolved into the artist he has become today…all while still evolving. Dumb Blonde is available now on Apple Music, Spotify and many other digital music streaming platforms. We highly recommend this one, it’ll easily be one of your favorites for 2024 thus far.

•Website: https://www.whotfisyesdaddy.com

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Exclusive Artist Review: R Squared – “Different” EP

Posted in Album, Careers, Electronic, EP, Experimental, Hip Hop, Indie, Music Review, Press Release, Rap by

Emerging from the prominent Cleveland-based Midwest music scene, fresh faced Rap group R Squared have quickly began to hit the ground running with their distinctively catchy and innovative signature sound. Comprised of rising Rappers Khizzy and Robishbob, the duo has put together a debut EP of brilliantly crafted tracks that effectively showcase their musicianship factors and production value; bringing their artistic merit to the forefront while garnering complete creative freedom and artist independence by self-producing all their material and releasing it through their indie platform R Squared Studios.

Featuring five versatile songs with insatiable catchiness, R Squared’s debut EP, titled ‘Different’, brings a fresh Hip Hop sound to fruition with a futuristic aura that is cleverly executed and lyrically captivating. Opening tracks “Different View” and “Crooked” diligently combine nostalgic 90s vibes with a modern twist that puts R Squared into a calibre that is completely their own; balancing equal parts originality and familiarity to give their audience a taste of something fresh yet still identifiable. Both tracks effectively showcase both rappers with their wordsmithy tactics and duel verses that compliment each other throughout the songs’ durations. Subsequent songs “Who Am I” and “For It All” however serve up a much more modernized approach with inventive beat structures and lyrical intellect. The beats are hauntingly ominous and hypnotically visceral, enhancing the listening experience from the very moment each rapper distinctively demonstrates their multifaceted and multi layered flow through every measure. These tracks in particular really delve into the musical identity of R Squared and the undeniable versatility that is displayed throughout the EP’s duration. Closing track “Vision” ties the record together and shines a spotlight on their signature style. It’s anthemic, atmospheric and really reaches new heights in today’s more contemporary market. You can hear both artists truly deliver exceptional songwriting structures and really bring their best A-game to the project without outshining one another. The unique lyrical bars on this song have a powerful intellectual presence that is seldom heard in today’s world of Hip Hop. The sound is collective and shares equal grounds when it comes to showcasing both artist’s strengths, which truly helps deliver an EP that is a standout in its own right.

For a debut EP, R Squared sets the bar high and delivers up a finished product that will easily exceed expectations. It showcases several angles of both artists in a way that shines a spotlight on both their individual abilities as well as their collective ones. You can listen to the record now on SoundCloud, YouTube and several other digital music platforms. ‘Different’ will easily become one of your favorites in 2021’s Hip Hop spectrum.

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Exclusive Artist Review: Earleybird & Maria – “Everything Is Imaginary” Album/LP

Posted in Album, Careers, Hip Hop, Indie, Music Review, Pop, Press Release, R&B, Rap, Soul by

Kevin “Earleybird” Earley’s love for hip-hop goes back decades, as he wrote and performed his first raps in elementary school at the age of seven years old. His rap name was given to him by a childhood friend, a pun based on his last name. Now, several decades later in the game, Earleybird has teamed up with female pop starlet Maria to put out a breed of melodic Rap and R&B that diligently combines a duet of perfectly balanced blend of old school sensibilities and today’s modern aura on his newest record Everything Is Imaginary.

This ten-track juggernaut meshes a signature sound that touches on equal parts originality and familiarity; giving the listener a dose of old school Hip Hop countless Rap fans still yearn for along with today’s more modern calibre. Earleybird‘s meaningful, wholesome and undeniably real lyrics are cleverly executed with a mid-range approach with poetic justice often at the helm of his witty lyrical punchlines. Meanwhile, after some straightforward verses, in comes feature artist Maria with her higher-range vocal approach that is blissful and beautifully crafted. Each artist compliments the other, and ultimately resonates into a full-on duet album with a formulaic and multifaceted nature. Each track is supercharged with powerful vocals and versatile melodies rarely heard in a combination comprised in this way. It has a futuristic overtone with every old school component from the past that made Rap the genre we’ve come to know and love today.

Everything Is Imaginary is an absolute gem that deserves all the impact it can muster. It’s an album that invites you into a world that is nostalgically identifiable but also freshly crafted with top notch production and performance value doused with more versatility than one could ever expect between a duo like Earleybird and Maria. This album is a true soundscape of atmosphere and will be held in high regard by anyone who comes into contact with it.

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Exclusive Review: Freddie Bourne – “The Troubled Boy At The Bonfire Disco” EP

Posted in Album, Alternative, EDM, Electronic, EP, Experimental, Indie, Music Review, Pop, Press Release, Rock by

Review by: Justyn W. Brodsky

Cover Art of Freddie Bourne’s New EP

When it comes to versatility, next level production value and attentiveness to detail, Freddie Bourne‘s EP “The Troubled Boy At The Bonfire Disco” really raises the bar and brings a huge, wholesome sound to the table. It’s his fifth studio release and features four larger than life tracks that explore many facets of Freddie‘s talent, and is the farthest thing from a disappointment.

Self proclaimed as “Conscious House-Pop”, Freddie‘s EP, produced by Stephen Horning of Dirty Dogg Productions, gives great nostalgic callbacks to the 90s and early-2000s era with his electronically infused Pop/Indie Rock sensibilities topped with House Music textures and elaborate song structures. Starting off with opener “I Hope You Don’t Forgive Me”, we get a great acoustically-led guitar progression that builds up to something much more climactic and anthemic as the song plays on. Freddie‘s mid-to-high range vocals are strong, effective and presents this song’s chorus with absolute conviction. The Pop razor edge really works here and could easily be heard as a chart topper among many other artists of a similar caliber. The standout of this EP is definitely “Jeni”, a song with beautiful electronic and guitar textures, solid rhythmic structure and story-telling lyrics that really bring Freddie‘s songwriting ability to the forefront. This song is very busy, but not convoluted in the least; everything fits in its proper place. The 3-4 part harmonies in this chorus are very notable and big, and really encapsulates Freddie‘s precision as a vocalist. This track also has that classic 90s Alt/Rock feel reminiscent to REM, Goo Goo Dolls and Coldplay.

“Pale Blue Sky” (feat. E. King) and “Spacedust” (also co-written by producer Stephen Horning) are very ambient songs with innovative synth additives and bassy layers that drive both tracks into multifaceted territories. Freddie‘s vocals continue to shine and really showcase his ability to choose his vocal melodies wisely. His strength and projection really gives his vocal textures a wide array of techniques for both songs and really solidifies this EP’s signature sound. All four tracks of this record are diversely different, but you can still tell it’s coming from the same artist. Each song is carefully crafted, handled with absolute care and really paves the way for other artists that hone similar styles. “The Troubled Boy…” is a must-listen by all accounts and you will definitely be enticed to dig further into Freddie Bourne‘s career and discography. You can currently grab a copy of this EP on Spotify, Apple Music and other digital music streaming platforms. You’ll be more than glad that you did.

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