Matt Westin Stomps On
Matt Westin’s story so far has taken him from an engineering desk in corporate America to cattle calls in Hollywood. Eventually he landed back in his hometown of Pittsburgh, PA. There he began pursuing his lifelong passion for music. That is Country music, thank you very much. Matt’s new single “Stomp On” is made for […]
That FaB Pop Sound
Fitzsimon and Brogan (FaB) is a songwriting team on a mission, “to produce pure pop for now people.” I don’t know if I qualify as a “now” person. However, I can say that this songwriting duo knows Pop music. For example, their single new “This is Love” is a study in Pop Music 101. It […]
Darrell Kelley’s Beautiful Jam
In Darrell Kelley’s bio (below) he recommends to the listener, “leave your preconceptions and baggage behind.” It is good advice. I was not sure what to expect when I first queued up his new video, “Beautiful.” Kelley is a restaurateur, a minister, and an author. I wondered what kind of music this guy was going […]
Caitlin Nicole Sings for Autism Awareness
On the rarest of occasions, I receive an email which brightens my day. It happened yesterday when I opened my inbox and clicked on a link to my new favorite YouTube video, “Differently Abled Man” by Caitlin Nicole. First, a little background. There is a non-profit group in Pittsburgh, called “Band Together Pittsburgh.” Their stated […]
James Lee Baker Remembers The First Time
I can tell you from experience, singer-songwriter is a tough gig. It is basically a one-person show. The artist may be a lone performer in a coffee shop, guitar in hand, trying to wrestle the attention of otherwise disinterested patrons. Or maybe they are in a recording studio with session musicians, who are paid to […]
Carina T Gets Too Real
I was first introduced to Carina T a few months ago, when she asked me to review her single “Inside Your Mind”. It was a well crafted song, performed by a talented singer. However, the lyrics dug a little deeper than the average Pop song into the psyches of the characters at the center of […]
Book of Shame – Hope and Glory
BOOK OF SHAME is Peter Boyd-Maclean and Gary Bridgewood. The London-based duo were originally drawn together through their mutual love and appreciation for Captain Beefheart, Talking Heads, Bowie and Velvet Underground. These influences are apparent on their new single, as are other names from the history of alternative and psychedelic music. “Hope and Glory” moves […]
Kolten Gets No Chill in the Summer Shade
Kolten’s “Summer Shade” is the sound of a man hiding out from an unforgiving world. If only for a minute, he finds peace “getting high in the summer shade.” The rapper’s tale is carried along by a mellow Lo-fi Jazz-hop loop. The low notes of a tenor saxophone play a bluesy line that sets the […]
Your Friend Jaden – Massive
I don’t really remember what I was doing at 14. It is unlikely there was anything useful on the daily agenda. My friends and I walked around the mall a lot. I remember that. Also, I am fairly certain that Led Zeppelin and Atari were each a big part of every day. I think I’ve […]
Brady Novotny – Passions Collide
I have friends like Brady Novotny… guitar people. I do not simply mean guitar players. Guitar players are everywhere. I am talking about the guys and girls who live and breathe guitars. Brady is a guitar player’s guitar player. They are the kids who practiced scales when the rest of us “guitar players” were learning […]