A fresh release from The Elliott Caine Quintet delivers a sort of hard-hitting approach to jazz, which is technically considered hard bop, and I love the way it brings in elements of samba, swing, classic jazz approaches, and the whole thing manages to pack this robust punch that really pulls you into it, and it all comes with such deep-pocketed grooves and rhythms that you can't really hold yourself back. A lot of this stuff makes you want to move your body, and I really dig

A new single release from Michael Lazar comes through with a robust breed of honesty in the form of lyrics that are so descriptive that you can almost paint a picture in your head as the song unfolds. The song has a sort of contemporary pop feel to it, but it's also a bit cinematic, in my opinion. There are parts of it that sort of breathe and grow as the song plays on, and this helps you pay attention to the lyrics, which are a little emotional but not overwhelmingly so. The

The latest album release from Greg Vacca runs the gamut of rock-backed soundscapes and songwriting, blended with elements of folk and singer-songwriter, and throughout it all, you get a robust sense of character, which is something you end up getting attached to a lot throughout the record's course. This is an album that certainly speaks volumes for the artist, and there are certain elements about this record that give you the air of a live performance. It's not every track,

Deithesis just dropped a new EP, and this record delves into classic, thrashing power metal and gives you more than whatever you might expect from a record of this nature by way of memorable guitar riffs, intense energy, powerhouse vocals that lay out boisterous melodies through and through, and, throughout it all, you get a semi-theatrical tonality from it. The album is called Disparity Part A, and it most certainly doesn't waste much time with the first and title track, "Di

A brand-new record from Heaven In Her Arms pulls together such different styles of heavy-handed rock, from emo-driven approaches to what feel like blistering metal riffs, vast shoegaze soundscapes, and loads of melodic drive. This is definitely an LP that you want to do all the way through, simply because there's so much going on. There are so many surprises that sort of keep you on your toes, parts that you don't expect coming, and songs that you get swallowed up by. There's

A fresh new release from LUCIDBLOOM brings together elements of pop, alternative overtone, and drifting but inviting shoegaze soundscape, mostly brought on by these thick laid atmospheres that feel dream like, reverb riddled guitars, and vocals that flow through the ether of the song delivering harmonies that wrap themselves around you and keep you right where they want to. One of my favorite things about this record is the simple fact that it takes you for this journey. It'

With Christmas right around the corner, leave it up to Lennie Gallant to deliver a holiday record of all originals, packed with personality, character, charisma, warmth, and loads of honesty, delivered with descriptive and storytelling lyrics coated in love and portrayed with such a richness that you just can't turn away from any of it. The album is dubbed Christmas Day On Planet Earth, and it brings together elements of folk, singer-songwriter, contemporary pop, light-hearte

An addictive new single from Animal Afterlife brings out a cinematic backbone that blends in with loads of light-hearted funk, some soul, and more, but what really grabs you is the character behind it all. This is a track with a lot of smoothness, and that is delivered by everything from silky keys to wah-wah guitars, and more. But I feel like the sentiment and character behind the track are what you end up getting attached to the most, simply because it's all so relatable. T

A brand-new LP release from B.F. Raid just recently dropped, and this album gives you a sound that walks the line between thrash metal, classic hard rock, driving alternative, and punk. There are songs on this record that showcase how the band is able to definitely branch out and bring in each member's influence so that you have songs that range across all these heavy-handed genres, but the album itself is very confluent. There is an amazing consistency between the songs, and

A new single release from Patriarchs in Black delivers a heavy-handed message along with an edgy, alternative backbone, delivered by doom-style riffs, a gritty tonality coming from those guitars, and robust vocals that come through in powerful layers, delivering just as much of a heavy hand as the rest of the instrumentation does. This is the track that certainly showcases how the band can write a song that feels absolutely robust from start to finish. It's vivacious, slightl

The latest single release from Joel Christian delivers a massive sonic drive and sort of dark underbelly that looks just beneath the surface but shows its face quite a bit. There's something about this track that feels almost gothic. It has a sort of horror story vibe to it, and I think that revolves around how he gets so descriptive in terms of lyrically depicting heartbreak the way he does. It's very interesting because the lyrics do get quite detailed, and they do tell a s

Bgbgb just released a single that takes one of his classic tracks and gives it a fresh reimagining, this time with a bigger, more colorful, and more upswing style, reminiscent of mid-to-late-'90s R&B music. The song is called "Man's Journey", and it delves into what it's like to go through certain chapters of life as a man. One of the things about the track that really speaks volumes to me is the simple fact that he can be so descriptive and a bit open in terms of how it feel

If you are looking around for a little spirited invigoration, then I have just the thing for you, as a brand-new track from Mirby just dropped, and this release displays such a colorful and vivacious approach that breaks into certain kinds of vintage, early-'90s pop aesthetics, and the whole thing is infectious. The vibe of this song is completely addictive from start to finish. The whole track opens up with these sort of Prince-style guitars. They're funky, flavorful, and th

If you are looking for something that leans towards the theatrical and gives bursts of pop sensibility, intense moments of cinematic backbone, and huge, atmospheric soundscapes, then I have the exact thing for you. Charley Geary's latest record wraps up a lot of those elements into one big record, and it does so with personality to boot. Eternal Voice is a robust piece of work that features a lot of almost dreamlike, ethereal piano work that translates into a boisterous, thea

A new release from guitarist and composer Reza Khan, along with some friends, delivers this amazingly filmic and sort of spacious set of vibes and aesthetics that wrap themselves around you and bring you into this almost fantastical world where the soundscapes have a way of swirling around you and inviting you in to dance alongside them. That's kind of the beauty of a record like this one. It delivers the danceable approach because the rhythms are so fluent and addictive, but

Giveton Gelin showcases some amazing chops, not just as a trumpeter, but also as an arranger and a composer, all with his new release, Island Dreamer III of III. Now, as you can tell by the title, this is the third part in a three-part series, so although I'm going to be diving into this record, you absolutely have to check out the first two parts. I personally have not checked those out yet, but now that I've soaked this record in, I'm definitely going to, as this release it

If you haven't heard of FELT yet, then let me be among the first to introduce you, especially if you are into a sort of spacious blend of shoegaze, doom-rock, and more. This band puts out such atmospheres that you have no choice but to get swallowed up by them. They go from expansive tonalities and layers of texture to heavy riffs and doom-rock blending into desert rock, and so much more. This is one of my favorite things about this band. They are able to sort of bend their s

A new single release from Victoria Ivy Embers just dropped, and this track gives me loads of bouts of nostalgia simply because it's produced with such a thick '80s pop approach and soundscape. From the synthesizers, bells, guitars, and even the beat, the whole thing feels like it could have been released in 1989. I really dig this, not just because I'm a child of the '80s, but because it's done well. There was an aesthetic that she was going for, and it was completely nailed.

A new set of tracks from toMMaSPork pulls together elements of Blues Rock, fuzz-toned guitar sounds, and classic rock inspiration, portrayed by deep-rooted and sort of ambient-feeling organs laid out in the background, along with an amazing balance of drive and presence. A lot of the reasons why these songs come through the way they do are because of how the band builds out their tones. The tones of their instruments are imperative in giving the songs the aesthetic that they

What do you get when you have an established jazz drummer who is also a composer putting together a series of original pieces with a quintet? The new album from Christian Finger is what you get. This is a series of pieces that range in dynamics, technical approach, freestyle attitude, and plenty of vivaciousness. Christian is a drummer who performs with character, which is something that really shows throughout the course of this release. Joined by Ralph Alessi just ripping o