Shawn Phillips’ latest album offers a series of compelling stories and profound ideas by means of a musically masterful array of soundscapes. Phillips’ presents some brilliant melodies and an overall warm and full aura as this playlist pours through.
Blues Rock
A stunning project, his best yet without a doubt, and as always – a total joy to write about. There’s a classic or timeless feel to the entire playlist and it’s well worth losing yourself within for a while.
The Live Sessions is music for music’s sake, and if mainstream culture has made you forget what that sounds like, Torelli and the Fuse are here to remind you.
“The Conrad view of the human condition and trials of the human spirit makes his work still relevant today, and to have the opportunity to ask him to break down modern society would be very enlightening and entertaining to say the least.”
Let’s start this off with a big thank you to Thomas Resurrection for keeping the gravel and grit of soulful blues-rock alive. DIRTY is one of a few recent releases that present his sound in a memorable yet partly nostalgic manner.
Nothing ever goes quite the way you expect it to, and yet that quickly becomes one of their most enjoyable characteristics. Expect big things from these guys, both recording-wise & in the way of live shows.
In among the musical majesty, Galanos pours his personal turmoil & truth into his writing. Rarely do you get such a musically compelling act who simultaneously hold nothing back in their songwriting.
Sempre Caoz make music that screams out for you with its gritty, passionate, nostalgic & anthemic embrace. Still Alive is a huge song, one that incorporates the perfect balance between influences from the various sub-genres of rock.
Chris Ising gives country music a blues-rock revamp with this latest single Stomp. The title matches the content pretty well, the song bursts into the room with distorted weight and melodic vibrancy – alongside of a clear and consistent energy level perfectly well designed to uplift and motivate.
Jahmings Maccow brings something fresh to the scene – this fusion of genres, the reggae vocal style and the organic blues-rock ambiance, combined with writing of social depth and unwavering honesty, is a blessing to stumble upon.
The intro paves the way with power, the verses fall back a little, then the hook smashes onto the stage with absolute vibrancy & weight. And when you consider the delivery, you genuinely notice & appreciate how effective the singer is at meeting the requirements of each of these moments.
Its a subtle & classic feeling, alternative rock hit – and it’s interesting. It intrigues, lyrically & in terms of the build-up. There’s something very mysterious & authentic about that leading voice that delivers things well.