When someone is looking to really delve into music, they aren’t always looking for something that is lyrically emotional and powerful, but rather for something that is rhythmic and captures an atmosphere, as if setting the scene of a film that builds and builds until its big climax. That sense of atmosphere is what drives the latest single from industrial goth band Flowers for Juno, titled “My Bloody Kisses.”
Formed in 2023 by Benjó James, Flowers for Juno has released a single that speaks volumes while focusing less on lyrics and more on tone. The atmospheric nature that envelopes the reader when “My Bloody Kisses” first begins allows the reader to feel the drum beats in their chest, slowly vibing with the guitar synths and vocals that are audible yet purposely blurred to enable the listener to feel both surrounded and immersed in the scene this song is bringing to life.
I loved the gradual way the song elevates and changes the tone of the synths and vocals to match the changing landscape of the music itself, forgoing the traditional structure and path that a song would follow, and instead building an intensity and emotional push that feels almost cinematic in quality, as if bleeding out of an indie film scene. Moody, haunting, and an indie vibe that refuses to quit, “My Bloody Kisses” is a compelling single that naturally blends the goth rock band’s sound with industrial and lo-fi tones, and naturally builds to a thrilling crescendo across the song’s 3-minute run-time. If you haven’t yet, be sure to stream the single today!
The music that makes an impact and leaves a lasting mark on the soul is that which resonates deeply and transcends multiple genres in an effort to capture a story that moves the listener. That is the impact American band Big Sexy achieves with their latest single, “Here We Are.”
The story of the song follows two dairy farmers from Minnesota, who meet as teenagers and grow together through the years until they reunite in their golden years. The lyrics are powerful, evoking the human connection that can occur when two people least expect it. The story also speaks to growth, both as individuals and together, as they each take on their respective paths and, through the good times and the bad, find one another. The story is a journey through life, friendship, and something more as two people grow together.
The music itself was also moving. The vocals do a great job of blending the emotional progress of a singer/songwriter vibe with the familiar twang and heart of a country single. Yet the power of the song itself lies in the fusion of genres, bridging the gaps between the singer’s and songwriter’s styles of melodies, rock guitar riffs, and country bass and percussion that help drive home the more emotional aspects of the song. This balance of genres achieves something even more remarkable, though, which is to convey a story through the combination of powerful lyrics and heartfelt music. A song that speaks of love, friendship, and what it means to be human in this world, this song is the perfect song to lead into the fall season. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
When a great band or artist comes around with a unique sound and a heartwarming voice, it doesn’t matter where the band comes from. Great music transcends borders, barriers, and languages. In artist Eyal Erlich, listeners can rest assured that a striking and powerful voice is ready to make a splash for international listeners.
Hailing from Israel, the artist has made a name for themselves in the country, performing small, intimate shows that showcase a range of songs that are both heartfelt and engaging from the get-go. The artist does an incredible job of embodying what makes the singer/songwriter genre of music so great. The music feels personal, speaks to the everyday person living life, and explores what it means to be human in an ever-evolving world.
The soft melodies are the first thing that draws listeners in. The songs themselves, which include “Already In”, “All in All”, “Jenny”, and my personal favorite, “I Wish I Knew”, all strike a balance between soft/classic rock, with narrative-driven lyrics that evoke the singer-songwriter vibes of the artist. The song “I Wish I Knew” in particular is a powerful song of love and loss, and the yearning we all feel to go back to the times in a relationship when that love was stronger and more deeply felt, but how too often pain and love lost on both sides make that an impossible future.
The song “Already In” is a great song that showcases the powerful draw of love, whether at first sight or in that first meeting, and how that kind of powerful connection can draw a person in quickly and blindly, sometimes for good, and other times for naught. The song “Jenny” was a powerful song about that initial loss in a relationship. At the same time, “All in All” changed the tone of the song list with a grittier tone to the guitar riffs, showcasing the price of pursuing fame and what a person would do to be with the person they love most. The storytelling and melodic atmosphere each of these songs creates pierces the soul and stays with the listener long after these tracks end.
All in All (no pun intended), artist Eyal Erlich is a powerful vocalist and great musician that people should be listening out for. The emotional, compelling lyrics lend a great narrative tone to the overall music, and the steady, melodic rhythms will stay with audiences as the artist strives to bring their first full album to life in the coming years. If you haven’t yet, check out each of these tracks as they are performed live on the artists’ YouTube page, and be sure to follow the artist and stream their music now.
One of modern music’s greatest pastimes is that of the singer/songwriter. In the United States especially, indie artists have found a way to weave their unique sound and passion into iconic genres like folk and singer/songwriter to create a heartfelt and relatable album or EP that resonates with many people. One such artist out of Idaho named Andru Gomez is set to do just that with the upcoming release of his EP, “Drunk at Church.”
It has a voice and a sound that blends the soulful tones of artists like Bob Dylan while still appealing to modern audiences with a grit and tone that evokes lighthearted fun and a depth of soul that speaks to the heart. The way this artist can shift from a simple yet prolific melody into a more thoughtful and nuanced vocal harmony will instantly draw listeners into the mix, eliciting the listener to get lost in the lyrics that straddle that line between humorous and profound.
When listening to a new artist and their music, I often close my eyes and try to imagine what kind of other media I could imagine this music being utilized in. Songs off the upcoming EP, such as “In a Dream” and “75 75” could easily be used in shows such as Sons of Anarchy or Peaky Blinders, capturing both the wildness and gritty tones those dark dramas hold in such reverence while also capturing the cinematic quality of the songs, while other songs on the EP such as “Pope Song” had a very storyteller driven vibe, which almost reminded me of The Man Comes Around by Johnny Cash, which was featured in the introduction of 2004’s Dawn of the Dead.
If you want to become enraptured and consume great lyric-driven and soulful indie music that is both singer/songwriter and Americana-driven, then look no further than Andru Gomez’s upcoming EP, “Drunk at Church”. The heart and passion the artist poured into the music and the rich diversity in each song’s delivery will stay with audiences and have them yearning for more from this artist. This EP’s release date is TBD, so follow the artist and be on the lookout for this EP soon.
One of the many joys of working with and reviewing great musicians and artists worldwide has to be the awe and wonder that comes from that initial discovery or first listening to a new piece of music. The adrenaline that pumps through your blood as the track plays and the music strikes like an arrow hitting a bullseye, capturing the energy and tone we, as listeners, look for in our music choices. That feeling drew me to the EP “Stage One” by Life Stage.
Right out of high school, the progressive rock group first released this EP in 2009. The album perfectly reflects the exhilaration and thrill of a band discovering its place in the music scene. The ease with which each track transitions from heavy guitar riffs and heart-pounding drums to more cinematic, thoughtful tones of reflection made this a remarkable and heartfelt album. Each track captured the spirit of “epic” musicianship with introspective songwriting.
The adrenaline-fueled guitar riffs and larger-than-life metal influences brought to mind bands like Metalica. In contrast, the softer, more progressive sounds and songwriting brought to mind bands like Pink Floyd, Coheed and Cambria mixed in a perfect fusion that is impossible to ignore. The album certainly keeps listeners on the edge of their seats, as the album challenges them to find the intricate details in each song while also keeping the pace of head-banging action that these songs elicit.
While youthful in spirit, the album also captures a sense of maturity in its theme, which revolves around identity and showcases a sound and tone that screams originality. The tracks are each lengthy and keep the audience invested. One minute brings an almost late 1970s to early 1980s California rock vibe, and then the song transitions into a late 1980s and early 1990s heavy rock sound that is both entertaining and captive. If you want a new sound and a beautiful yet face-melting fusion of rock genres, you won’t miss Life Stage’s “Stage One” EP. Stream on your preferred platform today!
Whenever people are confronted by grief or loss, they often turn to memories to return to a time when they felt closest to that person. Those seemingly small, everyday moments that resonate with people across time after that person is gone make a deep impact on those who are left behind. That is the driving force behind artist the moment between’s first single, “Jersey Nights”.
The single hits a deep, emotional tone throughout the entirety of the song, delving into the artists’s inspiration for their music, the sudden loss of their soulmate. The song begins with an almost bluesy, jazzy soul vibe as the singer on this track captures the tone of the lyrics so perfectly. Quickly the song transitions into a more uptempo, whirlwind of a melody, showing a clear fusion of almost Amy Winehouse meets Tegan and Sara and an almost nostalgic tone.
The fast pace of the song and the pop rock sound that it encapsulates is a perfect juxtaposition to the grief and emotion that the song’s lyrics convey, and speak to the feeling of being overwhelmed and lost as the bright memories of the past collide with the harsh, hurtful realities of the present. Audiences will tune in for the soulful melodies and fast-paced tempo, but stay for the realatability and heart that the story found in this song seems to bring out in people.
The artist behind this song found the perfect balance to capture this emotional trauma while also creating a song that is heartfelt and highlights the personal memories we hold onto when confronted by a sudden loss, where even an ice cream cone can hold a powerful memory to our hearts. This is a must-listen single that speaks to the creativity and the heart of this artist.
If there is one thing that evades so many of us in this world, it is the art of expression. Whether through creative means or everyday life, the need to express our feelings and emotions and the struggles we face on a daily basis is one of the biggest battles a person can face in their life. One such experience is with anxiety and fear, both of which can be suffocating or debilitating in their own right. They can make the world feel as if it is shrinking around you, or as if a battle is just waiting on the horizon. That battle comes from taking the steps to face our fears and overcome our anxieties. The fight within us to tackle these emotions is an internal fight that so many people face in their lives on a daily basis, whether they want to admit it or not.
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That is the powerful message and theme that British music producer and artist Good Spells hopes to bring to life in his powerful new single, “Beyond”. The single is an emotional yet moving blend of heavy synth and pop influences. The single captures a gritty tone that speaks to the hardships and struggles the song touches upon through its lyrics. The grit of the synth is cut through with the soulful vocals and the steady climb of the underlying beat that feels like a call to arms of sorts, giving the listener a harmonious and inspiring anthem to march to as the artist captures the everyday struggles of people while promoting the fight to see past the fear and into a brighter tomorrow. If you haven’t yet, be sure to listen to this amazing track today!
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About the Artist
Music producer, artist and songwriter, Good Spells, works out of Spells’ Lab, based in Cheshire, England. Neon lit walls inspire nostalgic nuances in solo synth and sample work, mixing ambient sound design with dark-pop aesthetics.
ARTIST: Good Spells
RELEASE: ‘Beyond’
GENRE: British solo artist and producer, making ‘dark pop’ / ‘alt pop’ / electronic music.
I am so excited to be sharing with my audience a new addition to the Author Anthony Avina website, which is a new type of review. My website has been and always will be primarily a book review and book-centered website and blog, but there are so many other interesting avenues worth exploring that I decided to expand this year into those other avenues.
One such avenue is music, something I have several years of experience writing about and reviewing with the online publication, On Request Magazine. One thing I thought would make my takes on music, YouTube channels, movies, tv shows, games and more would be to approach them the same way I would a book, and that is from a narrative perspective. To see what the story holds within each project, what themes or messages they hold, and the emotions they evoked within me, as well as who the project will resonate with.
Our first music review on my website is going to be for a band I have loved listening to over the past six months, and that is Halocene. I discovered them myself this past summer, and after listening to both their covers and their incredible originals, I knew I had to subscribe to their Twitch and YouTube channels. Their dedication to their craft, their incredible talent, and the sheer amount of creativity they pour into their music, as well as the connection they share with their fans as they live stream 3-days a week via Twitch, makes them the perfect band to begin this year with.
Their latest album, Vita Nova (Deluxe Edition), is the best marker of their evolution as a band over the years. Having begun in 2008 and has toured and opened for bands like Fall out Boy and Blink-182, the Phoenix, AZ band hits fans with an epic, haunting, and beautifully written and performed album that delves into everything from mental health struggles to looking for a new future through the next generation and the battles we all have with the demons that reside within us. Tracks like Rage will get the blood pumping, while others like the titular track Vita Nova will not only strike a thoughtful chord with audiences but bring about an almost cinematic quality to the music that makes it feel right at home in some heroic quest on your television screen.
What makes this band so unique is the independence and heart that they put into their music. Completely produced by the band themselves, the music retains that sense of personal attachment and emotion that great albums often do from the artists themselves. The hit single When Demons Come to Life” plays well into lead singer Addie’s breathtaking voice, highlighting every nuance of the emotions the song evokes both within the audience and the singer herself, including lyrics like “Who Will Save Me?!”, a pivotal and gripping moment in the video and song. Guitarist and music aficionado Brad highlights a command over the harmonious way the music comes together, and his gritty singing and screaming bring the electricity that perfectly blends with Addie’s flawless voice. When this all comes together with Drummer Joe’s heart-pumping and adrenaline-fueled talent that gets fans up on their feet and right into the heart of each song, you get a brilliant band that unapologetically brings their vision to life in the best way possible.
Having grown up in the ’90s and early ’00s, my upbringing was always geared towards rock as far as music was concerned. I grew up listening to classic rock with my parents like Aerosmith, Oingo Boingo, and Heart, while my own teen years saw the emergence of My Chemical Romance, Paramore, and Disturbed, among many others. The nostalgia and heart that that era of music brings me every time I listen to it is what I feel whenever I put on a Halocene song, especially with their album Vita Nova. The power and moving themes found within each song bring a great balance to the songs and narratives being told as the heavy-hitting and head-thrashing music gets playing, and personally, as a writer I always find myself geared towards music that inspires me creatively, which is something Holocene continues to do time and time again. If you haven’t yet, be sure to follow Halocene on all their socials, Spotify, Twitch and so many more.
Rating: 10/10
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About the Band:
We’re a hard working band from Phoenix, Arizona that has been around since 2008. We’ve toured from coast to coast in a beat up van, opening for bands like Blink 182, Fall Out Boy, and the Vans Warped Tour, but we found our stride as YouTube influencers, uploading a new cover every Friday. Halocene is 100% self made. All music production, videos, sites and media are all created by the band.
We have a new original album out called “VITA NOVA” which you can get on Halocene.com or on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, etc.
A powerhouse singer/songwriter who refuses to be boxed into a single label, Andy Michaels wows listeners with his smooth vocals and command of the emotional spectrum in his album, “Revisited”.
The Australian singer/songwriter has crafted a record that fuses an indie pop sound with a classic rock twist. Bringing music that touches the soul, Andy Michaels impresses with his late 80’s/early 90’s vocal talent that embeds itself instantly into your mind. What really makes this artist stand out above the rest is his command over the storytelling of his album. Each song tells a different tale, one that touches on core emotions we’ve all felt at one point or another, and yet he brings these feelings to life almost effortlessly.
Overall this was an incredible album. Whether you love powerful ballads like “Angel” or “Where Are You Now” or more contemporary songs like “I Just Want To Be The One”, this album has something for fans of every genre. Refusing to be defined, singer/songwriter Andy Michaels brings multiple genres and sounds together in an effort to bridge the gap between these styles, and focus on what matters, and that’s the story of the song and the music being played. If you haven’t yet you should pick up your copy or listen to artist Andy Michaels album “Revisited” today!
Rating: 10/10
Artist Biography
“Poet, composer, singer and guitarist, Andy is a wonderful breath of fresh of fresh air in a somewhat cynical and tumultuous musical world.” (Coastal Times, WA, 2016)
With his songs have been described as “True Adult Contemporary Music”, Andy has established a popular following over the years with his works compared with modern contemporary artists “The Script” , “Counting Crows”, and “R.E.M”, as well as international Legends Cat Stevens and Neil Young. His voice is unique and gives passion and vitality to his songs, whilst his lyrics are not only intelligent and profound, but innocent and appealing.
Andy’s arrangements and music style are also reminiscent of Cold Play, Pink Floyd and Peter Gabriel. His voice is unique and gives passion and vitality to all his songs and for added impact on several songs on his new Album, “Revisited”, he also enlisted the amazing, Macey Gray sounding, vocal talent of UK born Kerrie Ironside.
Andy has played guitar since a car accident left him temporarily incapacitated before he was 20 years of age. His poems have been published by the International Library of Poetry, USA. Andy has not lost his passion for performing, with regular performances around Australia as well as in Asia, including China. His songs have received radio play in many countries including Australia, USA, England, Canada, South Africa, Switzerland and Netherlands, where his songs have been syndicated to multiple radio stations
