Music of the World

OFFICIAL: http://www.rhettrepko.com/ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/rhettrepko/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/RhettRepko Written by Pamela Bellmore, posted by blog admin Rhett Repko’s upward ascent accelerates with the release of his new EP Thnx For The Ride, a seven song collection of intensely focused rock songs with a sharp commercial edge. Despite their mainstream appeal, the songwriting never comes across like its pandering for audience attention; instead, the songs featured on Thnx For The Ride come across as a witheringly sincere collection of tunes with Repko’s emotional vocals at the heart of each song. It’s a sign of the handcrafted nature of his release that Repko, essentially, supervised every aspect of its production and it results in an EP packing every bit of the wallop we’d get from a full length rock album. The sound is muscular and in your face from the outset, but never threatens to bulldoze its target audience and embraces a lot of nuance alo...

BANDCAMP: https://shofar.bandcamp.com/releases BROADJAM: http://www.broadjam.com/shofar Written by Larry Robertson, posted by blog admin Shofar’s journey back into the world of active recording has been a long time coming, but their self-titled six song EP doesn’t disappoint. The band’s lyrical message, courtesy of main songwriter Larry Hagner, has broadened some with the intervening years out of the studio, but they remain much of the same creative unit they were before their layoff. These are engaging songs cast in an alt-rock setting, but there’s definitely plenty of classic guitar-driven song motifs worked into these compositions. The lyrics are accessible and easy to follow, but there’s no question that Hagner is a writer of rare distinction whose able to push his language into listener’s consciousness without relying on a bevy of poetic flourishes. Shofar’s self-titled re-emergence is one of 2017’s most satisfying releases and definitely positions the band for an...

OFFICIAL: http://blueapollomusic.com/ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/blueapollomusic/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/BlueApolloMusic Written by Larry Robertson, posted by blog admin Formed by the core trio of Luke Nassar (guitars/vocals), Jeremiah Jensen (drums) and Rodman Steele on bass, Texan indie-groovers Blue Apollo got their start back in the summer of 2014.   Nassar and Jensen composed the songs that occupy Light-Footed Hours , Blue Apollo’s official debut release that summer and what began as a home recorded demo turned into a full band within a couple of years and the addition of Steele on bass. The band’s 6-song debut was finally born into the world and released in the summer of 2017.   What we have here is a very ranged and dynamic collection of tunes that somehow feels unified at the same time.   Maybe the circumstances in which the original demos were recorded influenced how the project later came together, I’m not sure, but these ...

OFFICIAL: http://mancallednoon.com/ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/mancallednoon/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/ManCalledNoon Written by Frank McClure, posted by blog admin Taking their sound to the next level, Chicago’s Man Called Noon add new members and unique directions to their latest EP, Everybody Move .   Heightening their attention to melody and meticulous vocal arrangements the band explore fresh ground and further their experimental sonic approach on the three tracks all told here.   While the feelings communicated on the album are good natured, fun and positive they never dip into the realm of cheese and because the instrumentation flat out rocks Man Called Noon manage to transcend the bad karma that sometimes comes with getting labelled as “pop” or “indie rock.”   The band works up a noteworthy sonic sweat across the title track’s frolicking 4+ minutes of engaging happy go lucky rock music.   Swift, agile drumming pumps plenty...

REVERBNATION: https://www.reverbnation.com/michaelaskin FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelAskinMusic/ Written by William Elgin, posted by blog admin As a fan of both acoustic and electric interpretations of southern rock, folk, country and blues, I’m kicking myself for not discovering New Jersey native Michael Askin’s music sooner.   His tunes trade complex playing for deep playing; sweeping passages where texture and multi-tiered instrumental layers are the basis of the sound here and take precedence over flashy, technically astounding soloist fare.   Road by the River is his third recording to date and after previewing his other works it would seem that Askin has reached a level of musical maturity with this album that in turns yields him the most nuanced and fully fleshed out set of songs in his catalog.   Road by the River’s namesake track acts as a gateway introduction number that touches on the songwriting themes and instrumental mel...