Dasha : Anna Review
By Steven Miller
YUNGBLUD is the kind of artist who lives like a flame, too unruly to cage, too luminous to ignore. On Idols, YUNGBLUD lights the match and dares us to watch him burn. Part rock opera, part Britpop homage, and part raw nerve confession, this album flirts with chaos and invites listeners to scrawl its lyrics across the walls of their minds and scream into the night until the neighbors feel seen.
From its grandiose opener to its quieter farewells, Idols is a rallying cry for the misfits, a record drenched in yearning and reclamation. It’s loud, it’s theatrical, it’s flawed, and in a few moments, it’s [...]
By Steven Miller
In The River, pianist and composer Silvano Monasterios offers a suite of textured Latin jazz. His ensemble writing and musical storytelling are framed by the metaphor of a river. The seven-part work unfolds as a dialogue between the written and improvised contemporary Latin jazz language. It is a flowing, textural narrative brought to life by a Venezuelan Nonet of exceptional caliber. Rather than spotlighting one or two star voices, the album thrives on a collective approach where every instrumentalist adds to the music’s feeling and precision as it becomes musical poetry.
From its tranquil beginnings to its [...]
by Shannon Smith
Megan Moroney’s “6 Months Later” is a country glitter-dipped goodbye you’ll want on repeat. Leave it to Moroney to turn heartbreak into a hair-flipping power move. With “6 Months Later,” she closes the book on an old flame as she dog-ears the page, adds glitter, and turns the whole thing into a summer anthem for anyone who’s ever gotten that “you up?” text from the past. Spoiler: she is not.
Built on a sweet tangle of acoustic picking, strumming, fiddle flares, pedal steel moans, and a glint of synth sparkle, “6 Months Later” walks that delicious line between modern country radio and something you might blast [...]
by Shannon Smith
Ava Max’s single “Lovin Myself” is tailored to integrate into your pop listening patterns. From the very first breathy coo, Ava Max’s “Lovin Myself” draws you into a glittering affirmation of personal power with equal parts synth-pop strut and engaging vocal phrasing. It’s bold, beat-driven, and brimming with finesse and pop intelligence. Underneath the neon sheen lies a well-crafted pop song.
Max’s performance walks a thrilling tightrope between vocal muscle and vulnerability. Her technique shines its range and how she maneuvers between chest and head voice, with each [...]
by Steven Miller
Adding to his ever-expanding canon of contemporary jazz compositions, Gregg Hill’s work continues to captivate discerning musicians and listeners alike. Pianist Rick Roe’s latest offering, Tribute: The Music of Gregg Hill, released by Cold Plunge Records, underscores Hill’s distinctive compositional brilliance, interpreted through a compelling trio setting. Alongside bassist Robert Hurst and drummer Nate Winn, Roe approaches Hill’s repertoire with profound sensitivity, celebrating its inherent versatility and emotional understanding of styles.
Roe’s thoughtful arrangements [...]
By Steven Miller
After the raucous triumph of Death Wish Blues (2023), which earned her a Grammy nod and solidified her place among today’s blues-rock elite, Fish returns with an album filled with her gift for songwriting. Produced by Detroit garage-rock icon Bobby Harlow and released via Rounder Records, Paper Doll has layers of sonic framework to reveal Fish’s truest weapon: her voice. Yes, her guitar still snarls and struts. But it’s her vocal performance that is attention-grabbing in its elastic, expressive, and electric character that drives this record straight into the hearts of modern blues, Americana, and roots rock fans.
The [...]
Pat Metheny continues to build a catalog that is diverse and focused on making music from a space of creativity and love of sounds that elicit emotions. Metheny’s latest album, From This Place, is no exception and features ten compositions by Metheny that have the Hollywood Studio Symphony supporting a traditional jazz quartet. Metheny is joined by his long-time drummer, Antonio Sanchez, Malaysian / Australian bassist Linda May Han Oh, and British pianist Gwilym Simcock. The Hollywood Studio Symphony is conducted by Joel McNeely. Also, special guest Meshell Ndegeocello (vocals), Gregoire Maret (harmonica), and [...]
Tom Keifer, former front man of the rock band Cinderella, has an instantly recognizable voice. The singer and his #Keiferband are releasing their second album titled, Rise, on Cleopatra Records. The album presents eleven tracks that feature Keifer’s gritty vocals with blues-infused hard rock. The album has a theme of overcoming challenges with the music being written by Tom Keifer, Savannah Keifer and Kendra Chantelle. The band line up is, Keifer vocals, his wife — percussionist, pianist and singer Savannah Keifer — and backing singer/percussionist Kendra Chantelle and the #keiferband, which is lead and rhythm guitarist Tony Higbee, bassist Billy Mercer, [...]
Martin Hayes and Brooklyn Rider are releasing a new album via In a Circle Records titled, The Butterfly. The album contains twelve tracks, ten are traditional melodies and two tracks are original compositions. Recorded in 2016, the album celebrates a decade-long musical friendship between renowned Irish fiddler and New York’s omnivorous string quartet. In addition to featuring the premiere recording of “Maghera Mountain,” (written by Hayes as a teenager), The Butterfly sought to define a common ground through the inclusion of several of the most widely known tunes within the repertoire, such as “O’Neill’s March” and [...]
Hilary Hahn is a three-time Grammy Award-winning violinist with international recognition for her probing interpretations, compelling stage presence, and commitment to new music and the commission process. Hahn fills her days with extensive tours and is very active on social media. Hahn’s dynamic recordings have made her one of the most sought-after artists of this era. She appears regularly with the world’s elite orchestras and on prestigious recital series in Europe, Asia, and North and South America. Hailed as one of the greatest violinists in the world today, Hahn’s latest project is a recording of 6 Partitas for Solo Violin by Spanish [...]
