Love Ghost, Let It All Burn Review
Hitting the music scene with a big noise is Love Ghost, an indie/alternative/hard rock band based in Los Angeles. The band is Finnegan Bell (guitar and vocals), Nicky Renard (Guitar), Ryan Stevens (Bass and background vocals) Samson Young (drums and background vocals), and Cory Batchler (keyboards). The band has influences of Progressive to Industrial to the Classics with a taste of modern Hip-Hop all rolled tight to form the stage of Love Ghost. They have an energetic live vibe that has electrified one of the mainstages at de Música de Vanguardia Festivalfff in Ambato, Ecuador. They have toured Ireland (where they played Whelan’s, Crane Lane, Roisin Dubh, Spirit Store and Cleeres) and Japan (where they played 11 shows in Tokyo and Osaka). The band won the Hollywood Music in Media Award for Best Alternative Band. Their videos won multiple awards, including Best Music Video at New York Film Awards, London Independent Film Awards, Paris Music Video Underground, and the Jean Lus Godard Award from Cult Critic Film Magazine. The band has opened for Buckcherry, Berlin, Smash Mouth, The Young Dubliners, The Tubes, Fuel, and Irish singer/songwriter Mundy. All that energy and passion is now being channeled into Love Ghost’s latest single titled, “Let It All Burn.”
Positives: With robust frontman attitude and pipes, Love Ghost is a post-millennial band that is also making guitars matter again with the dual drive of Bell and Renard. Bottom Line: “Let It All Burn” has impassioned lyrics written by Bell that deal with real-life emotions and challenges. The 18-year old Bell explains, “The hypocrisy and unwanted advice that weighed me down during my senior year led to this song. My Dad being diagnosed with stage 3 cancer made me more determined- “fuck what they say, I make my own way,” I sing in the verse.” Those raw emotions are supported by crunchy guitars, driving bass, and energetic drums. The band worked with legendary producer Danny Saber (The Rolling Stones, U2, David Bowie, Marilyn Manson, etc.) to form a song that presents multiple feels, sounds, and backing vocals. The subtle use of keyboards and various lead vocal sounds keep the colors changing. The production is solid, with all the tones being balanced and in focus. Love Ghost is also giving back to the community. For three years, they have been feeding the homeless on LA’s skid row. All proceeds from this song will go to their work with the homeless. Love Ghost lives up to their name, spreading the love by helping others and giving us music, we can love as we do the same. What’s better than that? That’s the short of it!Connect with Love Ghost: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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Ghost Coast Choir, Missionary Lover Review
Ghost Coast Choir is a contemporary classical choral ensemble that is pushing the boundaries of choral music. With the prime directive to make beautiful classical choral music accessible to all. The idea started in connection with a live concert at C/O Pop in Cologne in 2015 when Thorben Seierø and Gustav Rasmussen did a show together with the German choir Cantus Domus. The two were inspired to create an album of choral music with a twist, and that would be to write down-to-earth lyrics that could reflect people’s daily lives, hopes, and dreams. Seierø and Rasmussen, together with the Aarhus based Ensemble Edge have created a new contemporary sound for the choir. ENSEMBLE EDGE is the first Aarhus-based chamber choir entirely dedicated to performing contemporary music (with strings). The choir is made up of a selection of the best classical choral singers in Aarhus (European Capital of Culture, 2017). Now Ghost Coast Choir has recorded their debut album in Denmark together with the Aarhus based Ensemble Edge. The second single from the project is now being released, titled “Missionary Lover.”
Bottom Line: “Missionary Lover” pushes the traditional sounds of the classical choir with electronic manipulations, guitar effects pedals, and vintage tape machines. The opening sounds have a repeating voice looped on the vintage tape machine. The sound adds a unique rhythmic layer that the choir begins to build the theme upon. Seierø and Rasmussen have composed a stunningly beautiful composition for the choir. The lyrics are modern, and the harmony is modern, but still based in the classical tradition. Ghost Coast Choir has a new sound with their current lyrics and ambient electronics. The choir’s performance is beautifully in sync, and there is both male and female soloist that expand the vocal colors. The electronic manipulations and post-production add ambient soundscapes. The chorus is the hinge that transitions to the soloist, both are beautifully sung. The singing is stunning with modern world lyrics combined with buzzing choral voicings and sounds of beauty and rawness—the deconstructing elements of the electronics contrast to the uplifting and the worldly sonorities of the choir. Ensemble Edge is the perfect vocal ensemble to pair with the new expression in choral music, which Seierø and Rasmussen call post-classical indie-choir. Ghost Coast Choir’s debut album will be out in March ’21 on ExoPAC/Nordic Music Society. Until then, drink deeply of the sounds of “Missionary Lover.” That’s the short of it!
Connect with Ghost Coast Choir: Website |
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Ghost Caravan, T.O. Confidential Review
Connect with Ghost Caravan: Facebook |Instagram
Shaina Silver-Baird is a vocalist, songwriter and leader of a group of collaborators called, Ghost Caravan. The unique collaboration of “ghosts” is what enlightens Silver-Baird as she writes her music and lyrics. Whether they are the ghosts of specific people, the ghosts of past loves or the ghosts of experience, this caravan of ghosts is the origin of her songs. Silver-Baird explains, “My music is still about dark places, but I focus on finding the light, the moment when you realize your own strength and ability to move forward. I want to be proud to share my songs with young women. There are so many voices in the world telling women how to think and feel about themselves. I want to be the voice that celebrates women. I want to empower and uplift people.” Ghost Caravan is releasing their debut full length album, T.O. Confidential, Silver-Baird has collaborated with members of: the Weeknd, Grand Analog, Hill Kourkoutis of the Launch, Martha and the Muffins, the Four On The Floor String Quartet and many more. The eight tracks run the gamut of emotions and themes with a hip orchestral soultronica musical style, that mixes electronic elements with live instruments. Ghost Caravan is creating a sound that is thought-provoking and truly unique.
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Steep Canyon Rangers, Morning Shift Review
In the ever-widening sonic landscape of country music, certain bands dare to push past the comfortable boundaries of genre, venturing into uncharted territories. A prime example of such audacity is the seasoned band Steep Canyon Rangers. With three Grammy nominations, 14 studio albums, three collaborations with Steve Martin, and an induction into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame under their belt, the band has graced some of the music world’s most esteemed stages.
Their 14th studio offering, Morning Shift, is a storied journey through the band’s continuous evolution. Born in the rustic ambiance of the historic Inn Bat Cave, nestled in the Southern Appalachian foothills, this album dances along the tightrope of tradition and innovation. As the band bravely explores new sonic territories, they invite us to embark on this journey with them. Let’s celebrate their creative boldness, unravel the intricacies of their harmonious structures, and dive headfirst into the vibrant heart of their music; it’s a colorful tapestry of musical storytelling, a journey across the borders of past and present, physical landscapes, and emotional terrain. It’s the auditory equivalent of a cinematic epic – compelling, diverse, and richly textured.
Morning Shift starts with “Hominy Valley,” an intriguing mix of history, folklore, and personal narrative. The song explores the layered history of a single place, touching on themes of cultural clash and change. With a pulsating bluegrass vibe, this opening track immediately grips the listener, promising an emotional journey that traverses time and space.
Other standout tracks include the joyous “Deep End” and the emotionally nuanced “Harvest Queen.” In “Deep End,” we find an energetic celebration of life’s spontaneous moments, showcasing Steep Canyon Rangers’ strong vocal harmony skills and their knack for creating relatable, uplifting narratives. On the other hand, “Harvest Queen” shifts the mood with a heartfelt shuffle ballad, tugging at the heartstrings and underscoring the band’s range in both emotion and style.
Continuing the expedition, “Ghost of Glasgow” and “Alabama Calling” pull from the sounds of Americana and blues, respectively. These tracks show the band’s versatility in fusing different genres while still remaining true to their bluegrass roots.
Perhaps one of the most exciting stops in this musical expedition is the instrumental trio of “Old Stone House,” “Handlebars,” and “Chimney Rock.” This medley offers listeners a delightful, toe-tapping showcase of the band’s instrumental expertise and deep roots in the bluegrass tradition.
The album concludes with “Recommend Me,” an acoustic-driven ballad that leaves listeners with a touching melody and a sense of heartwarming nostalgia. It’s the perfect end to this extraordinary musical experience.
As a cohesive whole, Morning Shift emerges as a multi-layered collection of songs demonstrating the Steep Canyon Rangers’ unending creativity and mastery of their craft. It’s an album that resonates long after the final note has played. It will undoubtedly find a home with bluegrass fans, country music fans, and anyone who appreciates good, honest music performed and sung by skilled musicians.
To listen to Morning Shift is to embark on a series of vivid explorations – through the hills and valleys of Hominy Valley, guided by compelling human emotions through a diverse musical landscape of the Steep Canyon Rangers. It’s a demonstration of the band’s remarkable ability to weave rich narratives, historical and personal, into their music while continuously pushing the boundaries of bluegrass and delivering that much-loved virtuosic instrumental performance as well.
So strap in, sit back, and let the Steep Canyon Rangers take you on a journey. One filled with soul-stirring melodies, rich narratives, and the warm familiarity of the acoustic textures they master so well. Morning Shift is an invitation to embark on numerous journeys, to have the music allow your imagination to shape your journey, just as the Steep Canyon Rangers have shaped theirs through their music. After all, isn’t that what exceptional music is all about?
Connect with Steep Canyon Rangers: Website |
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Angela Sclafani, Bell Jar Review
Angela Sclafani is a New York City-based singer-songwriter who has independently released three original EP’s, HISTORY, YOUR GHOST, BLOSSOM, and an EP of re-imagined Stevie Nicks hits. Sclafani’s original music combines confessional lyrics with enthusiastic and expressive vocals. Her thoughtful songwriting has made her a two-time first-place winner of the Great American Song Contest’s Adult Contemporary category; her music has been praised for its “engagingly original lyrical story, inventively appealing imagery and smartly crafted melodic design.” In addition, she is a 2019 Fred Ebb Award Winner, a 2018 Jonathan Larson Grant Finalist, a 2018 Richie Jackson Artist Fellow, and was awarded the Anna Sosenko Assist Trust Grant. A New York City-based songwriter, performer, and theatre-maker, she is a creative and multi-hyphenate artist that often synchronously performs, writes, and co-produces her projects. Because of her versatile work in music and theater, Sclafani has had the opportunity to perform with renowned artists such as Todd Almond, Courtney Love, Shaina Taub, Heidi Rodewald, and Years and Years. In addition, her work has been performed in venues such as The Beacon Theater, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, 54 Below, Ars Nova, and Rockwood Music Hall. Sclafani earned her BFA at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts after studying within Playwrights Horizons Theater School, the Experimental Theater Wing, and Stonestreet Studios.
Sclafani is now releasing her latest single titled “Bell Jar,” which was produced by Katie Buchanan. “Bell Jar” has an inviting cross of pop with folk and Americana elements. Sclafani’s vocals are warm and convey the folk/pop melody beautifully with the sounds surrounding it, and her experience in theatre has given her lyrics an engaging storytelling element. The song uses vocal backgrounds and a song form that builds and evolves over time and was inspired by Sylvia Plath’s 1963 novel, The Bell Jar. The lyrics reflect their literary imagery, and the instrumentation also caters to a cross-genre appeal. Buchanan produced, mixed, and mastered to serve Sclafani’s vocal style perfectly, with the result that will win your heart and listening time. Overall, “Bell Jar” is a solid single by a creative, multi-talented artist that brings a lot to the listening table; you will undoubtedly want to take a listen to this one. That’s the short of it!
Connect with Angela Sclafani Website |
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