Music of the World

OFFICIAL: www.rhettrepko.com/ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/rhettrepko/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/RhettRepko Written by Jay Snyder, posted by blog admin Rhett Repko’s debut offering About Last Night a wonderful introduction to the singer/guitarist’s lush world of sound where pop meets rock and marries happily ever after.   Despite a couple of slightly awkward moments, Repko’s sound is fully-formed and in control of delivery, songwriting and texture in a way that renders each jam catchy and complete.   “Were You Ever Really Mine?” starts things off, using acoustic guitar as the base and allowing Repko’s gliding vocals to melt like butter over bluesy bass lines, thumping percussion and a groovy, sonic guitar workout.   It’s not so tough as to deserve the label “hard rock” but it’s above cut and dry “pop” by a few millions miles.   This natural, organic flow keeps the EP afloat and consistently engaging; well-worth the listener’s time and energy to explore i

OFFICIAL: http://circusofthewest.com/ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/circusofthewest/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/cotw_circus Written by Mike Yoder, posted by blog admin Circus of the West’s We’ll See Ourselves Out entices its audience with a mystical amalgamation of carefully crafted melodic songs that bravely explore the quieter spaces while being unafraid to dive headlong into crisp, bombastic rock n’ roll that frequently goes for broke in terms of the vast amount of ground it covers.   The album is consistently confounding in terms of its complexity.   On one hand you’ll get up-tempo rock meets punk meets Mason Dixon boogie on opener “Birdhand” or the arena sing-a-long wallop of “Looking In.”   In these moments the band are comfortable within the confines of acrobatic, speedy rock riffs, punk rhythms punctuated by heady work on the snare and walking bass lines and a vocal prowess that sees lead man Edwin Caldie form the focal point amidst a tempest of

OFFICIAL: http://jacksonhowardmusic.com/ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/jacksonhowardq/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/Jaxon_Howard Written by Pamela Bellmore, posted by blog admin A solid collection of songs is present on Jackson Howard’s sophomore record, Just for the Mystery , and the tunes represented weave together a number of classic styles with a mainstream touch.   The end result is a wealth of material well-suited to radio and songs that will appeal to music fans who like the real thing without an overabundance of studio trickery and digital manipulation.   Howard can sing, play and write, so he wisely chose to let the music do the talking with the production only reinforcing the above facts. The one-two punch of the title track and “A Place in this World” illustrates his strengths as well as his band’s attributes; the former a busy, high-octane rock jam with rumbling drums, fluid bass plucking, fiery electric/acoustic guitar mash-ups and powerhouse vo

OFFICIAL: http://www.juliamcdonaldmusic.com/ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/juliamcdonaldmusic Written by Jay Snyder, posted by blog admin A 6-track indie/pop/dub spectacle is the fruit of Julia McDonald’s hard musical labor.   The songstress writes her own material and, at 19, is chasing and reaching her artistic goals with immense hunger.   This sweet vibration emanating from these six songs definitely have the pop hooks to catch a lot of ears, but those who listen closely will hear some other sounds developing in her arsenal that sets her apart from the crowded pack.   The title track is all about feeling and how to build on it; beginning as a lone keyboard/vocal arrangement that benefits from an acoustic interjection or two, as the structure of the song congeals digital beats push the chorus to great heights and everything settles into place. It showcases McDonald’s talent for wringing all that she can out of a vocal melody or musical arrangement.   “Games”

OFFICIAL: www.TheSuburbsBand.com FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/thesuburbsband TWITTER: www.twitter.com/thesuburbsband Written by Scott Wigley, posted by blog admin 37 years ago Minneapolis, underground new wave legends The Suburbs released their debut In Combo on Twin/Tone Records.   They built up a dedicated cult following but could never really break it big like some of their scene luminaries.   Since their formation they have released multiple singles and 6 LPs.   Their 2013 return with the album Si Sauvage reestablished the band   and, four years later, The Suburbs present their latest recording; Hey Muse!,  an even stronger album than their last. It's packed with expertly written and produced songs that are from another time.   This could have come out in New Wave’s golden era with nobody batting an eye.   The title track is a swirl of synths, reverberating clean guitars, thick rhythmic textures and smoky melody vocals that meld together in a display of g