Category Archives: Single Reviews

Single Review: Simon Scardanelli – “Fish Out of Water”

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Simon Scardanelli – Fish Out of Water

cover artwork by Bettina Rombout; image courtesy of Simon Scardanelli

Single Review of Simon Scardanelli: “Fish Out of Water”

Multi-talented singer-songwriter Simon Scardanelli recently released “Fish Out of Water,” an eclectic, storytelling-styled, sea shanty-rhythmed romp. I picture the coast of Ireland, a troubadour dressed like a sea captain in an ill-fitting costume, with a scruffy beard, regaling a small dockside audience that sways along to the song’s rises and falls. Then again, I can also picture the song being performed in front of a swaying bunch of drunks at a neighborhood tavern, so this mostly just proves that I have an odd and vivid imagination.

Lyrically, the song is a master class in discouragement, full of clever turns of phrase, something you can dependably expect from a Simon Scardanelli release.

Simon Scardanelli

photo by David Myers; photo courtesy of Simon Scardanelli

Liner Notes

The song was originally penned by Scardanelli from his Lower East Side apartment in New York City in 1993. An acoustic version of the song was released in 2005 on Simon’s HOBOHEMIA album. A 2011 recording of the song failed to meet with Simon’s approval and was never released. However, Simon recently returned to that 2011 version, added flute, violin, and accordion, and with those addition, this fully-instrumented version was released late last year.

Looking Ahead

Simon has a few upcoming live performances currently scheduled. If you’re in France, you can catch him on Friday, September 29 at Maman Poule in Trélevern, on Saturday, October 14 at l’île-aux-oiseaux in Guern, and Saturday, November 18 Ty Gavroche in Saint-Brieuc. For more information on these shows and future gigs, as they’re added, visit the “Concerts” page of Simon’s website.

Single Review: The Baby Breaks – “Dopamine”

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The Baby Breaks

photo courtesy of The Baby Breaks

Single Review of The Baby Breaks: “Dopamine”

Aussie alt-rockers The Baby Breaks serve up a catchy number with potential mainstream crossover appeal with “Dopamine.” Stylistically, on this track, the band showcases a loose, raw sound, with a lot of instrumental interference intruding upon the primary melody. Intentionally so, of course, to create a “party-in-a-song” delivery style. That party-band style arrangement – and the presence of a horn – give “Dopamine” a bit of a ska-meets-college rock vibe. This song itself sounds like something you might hear at a Los Goutos concert here in Boston. (Hey, maybe a great double-bill if The Baby Breaks tour out this way one day.)

Regardless, “Dopamine” is a playful, fun number. I’d recommend giving it a listen and exploring a little deeper into The Baby Breaks’ song catalog, as well.

More Recently

Since the release of “Dopamine” in 2021, The Baby Breaks have dropped three more songs on Spotify – “Carousel of One” in 2022 and “Think” and “St. Lennies Blues” in 2023 – with “St. Lennies Blues” sporting a release date of just earlier this month. That most recent release sports a full-on semi-psychedelic wall of sound, by the way, so don’t necessarily think that everything you’ll hear from The Baby Breaks sounds like “Dopamine.”

Looking Ahead

I don’t see any upcoming shows listed for The Baby Breaks, but you can keep an eye on the “Events” tab of their Facebook account for future gigs as they’re scheduled.

Single Review: Leah Belle Faser – “Trash Talk”

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Leah Belle Faser

photo courtesy of Michael J. Media Group

Single Review of Leah Belle Faser: “Trash Talk”

Leah Belle Faser is going to be one of your favorite country music artists. I already suggested as much in my review of her Hermi’s Bridge EP in 2021. Well, it’s still true.

This fun, catchy single is just more proof. With “Trash Talk,” Leah delivers an energetic pop-country number with a message targeted squarely at young adults who are buried in dating life. And she delivers it with an attitude and a phrasing very Taylor Swift-like. I mean, it’s pure, unadulterated Leah Belle Faser, with her easily identifiable voice and cadence, but she’d definitely fit on a T-Swift-heavy playlist.

Leah Belle Faser – "Trash Talk"

image courtesy of Michael J. Media Group

Digging deeper, Leah’s delivery of the phrase “un-laaa-dy-liiike,” punching the syllables so they jump off the record, is one of the many small details that sets Leah apart from other up-and-comers.

As for the song itself, in very Swift-like fashion, “Trash Talk” obliterates a former beau. And if this is really autobiographical, all I can say to the object of this character assassination is, dude, this may be exaggerated, and it may be unfair, but if there’s even a hint of truth to it, you’d better hope your name never gets out because you’ll be undateable, and deservedly so. Man, these lyrics are scorchin’. Of course, if the song isn’t autobiographical, well, then Leah sure delivers it as if she means it.

If you’ve not yet heard Leah Belle Faser sing, you’re missing out. Hermi’s Bridge was a great EP, and this song, despite its scathing review of an ex-boyfriend, is light, clever, catchy, and memorably delivered.

More Recently

Since “Trash Talk” came out in 2022, there are several more recent videos on Leah’s YouTube page. Slow, swaying crooner “Because” is Leah’s most recent single. And in-between “Trash Talk” and “Because,” it appears Leah released “If He Was a Truck,” a clever, slow-ish but lively-voiced, slide guitar-drenched number. And if you do explore the YouTube channel (rather than Spotify), you’ll find some nice recent covers, too.

Looking Ahead

Leah’s next show is Saturday, September 16th, delivering an acoustic opening set for LeAnn Rimes in Douglasville, GA. After that, she has a lot more performances scheduled around Georgia over the next few months (plus February, July, and September 2024 dates booked at the Chateau Meichtry Family Vineyard and Winery). Outside Georgia (and returning to 2023), she has a Nashville show scheduled on October 18th. Click here for more information and to see additional performance dates as they’re added.

Leah also checks in regularly on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, so if you follow here on one or more of those platforms, you’ll always know what she’s up to.

Single Review: Dead Posey – “Can’t Take Me Down”

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Dead Posey

photo courtesy of DRPR

Single Review of Dead Posey: “Can’t Take Me Down” (Position Music)

Dead Posey is comprised of lead singer Danyell Souza and guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Tony F. The single “Can’t Take Me Down” was a March 2022 release from the band’s then-upcoming EP Blue Monday.

Dead Posey – "Can't Take Me Down"

image courtesy of DRPR

“Can’t Take Me Down” is catchy, hooky, distorted, melodic industrial hard rock. It has the danceable energy of a dance club floor-filler, the raw emotion that has typified the best industrial rock for decades, and a more mainstream hard rock appeal, likely in large part to Danyell’s powerful-yet-clear hard rock vocal skills. And did I mention that hook? Oh, you’ll remember this song, probably sing along to it, and definitely enjoy its raw energy. Of course, as with so much of the music I choose to write about in this blog, this is a song that’ll appeal to listeners both within and beyond fans of its core genre.

More Recently

“Can’t Take Me Down” was the third song released, at the time, for an upcoming “album.” With the release of the band’s cover of New Order’s “Blue Monday” providing the fourth song, a 4-song EP Blue Monday was released in September 2022.

Dead Posey does have a cool, newer March 2023 single, “Bad Things (Come With Me),” which you can find here on Spotify.

Looking Ahead

The “tour” page of Dead Posey’s website doesn’t currently list any upcoming dates, but be sure to check back.

 

Single Review: Paige Davis – “In Good Spirits”

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Paige Davis – "In Good Spirits"

image courtesy of Paige Davis

Single Review of Paige Davis: “In Good Spirits”

You’ve read about Paige Davis here at the Blog before. She’s one of the best of the current batch of talented young country singers to emerge from the thriving (yes, really) New England-to-Nashville country music pipeline. This song, “In Good Spirits,” has a lot more twang and sass than I had heard from Paige before, as she deftly and entertainingly compares relationships with people to relationships with alcohol, then runs through her relationships with alcohol, from Jack and Jim to Stella and brandy.

The song is lyrically clever and musically catchy; I’m sure it must be a regular crowd-pleaser, too. “In Good Spirits” has been out for a while, but it remains Paige’s most recent release (for a few more days), and I can attest to the fact that it has held up to extensive repeat play on my own personal playlist, remaining a favorite during my writing hiatus. (I’m glad to share it with you now that I’m churning through my overdue reviews.)

Looking Ahead

You won’t have to wait long for Paige’s next single – “Growing Pains” will drop on September 8th, and I can’t wait to hear it! To catch this wicked talented Nashville-based New Englander live, keep an eye on her Instagram and Facebook accounts for gig announcements.

 

Single Review: Karen Morand & the Bosco Boys – “Beautiful Scars”

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Karen Morand & the Bosco Boys

photo courtesy of Trespass Music

Single Review of Karen Morand & the Bosco Boys: “Beautiful Scars”

Intense and powerful; that’s “Beautiful Scars.” The rich, powerful music bed will suggest a much faster pace than you’re actually hearing, as you’ll discover when you take a step back with a more thoughtful ear, maybe not on the first listen. What you’re hearing is power, not speed. And Karen Morand & the Bosco Boys also know how to take a step back by stripping back the instrumentation for emotional effect during bridges, when warranted. Background vocals are added for emphasis.

Karen Morand & the Bosco Boys – "Beautiful Scars"

image courtesy of Trespass Music

Stylistically, it’s probably best categorized as heavy folk-based Americana, but Karen’s voice has rock ‘n roll edges and impact, and the rhythm is intensely country-rock, particularly in the more instrumental-filled portions of the song.

I’d definitely consider this a single with crossover potential, appealing to Americana, country, folk, and rock fans, as well as to those who simply appreciate a well-crafted song. (I often don’t look at the promo material until after I write the first draft of my review, and I notice that it also mentions “soulful roots” as one of several stylistic descriptors; yeah, that’d fit, too.)

“Beautiful Scars”, released as a single in November 2021, appears on Karen Morand & the Bosco Boys’ Ghost Hotel album, which dropped in February 2022.

Karen Morand & the Bosco Boys

photo courtesy of Trespass Music

Looking Ahead

Keep an eye on the “Events” tab of Karen Morand’s website for future live dates.

Single Review: Cros – “My Kind of Woman”

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Cros – "My Kind of Woman"

image courtesy of Frank Roszak Promotions

Single Review of Cros: “My Kind of Woman”

Cros‘ single “My Kind of Woman” is a thumping, blues-based, driving, classic rock ‘n roll-based number, mid-tempo but filled with adrenaline, replete with table-setting horns, energetic keys, and a ’70s-’80s rock ‘n roll beat and delivery. You’ll hear blues-soul background vocals in some places, more traditional blues harmony background vox in others. I’m not sure exactly how to give you a soundalike, but in a playlist, I might pair it with Axe’s “Rock ‘N’ Roll Party in the Streets” as a lead-in and maybe a bluesier rockin’ Tina Turner number to follow. Cros wails enough that “My Kind of Woman” is really not a singalong, though you kind of wish it could be – you’re more likely to sing along with the “my kind of woman” background vocal echoes than with the lead vocals.

In any case, if energetic, mid-to-uptempo, blues-based wailing rock ‘n roll songs are within your preferred listening wheelhouse, you’ll probably really dig Cros’ “My Kind of Woman.” It is, simply put, great fun to listen to.

More Recently

Since the 2021 release of “My Kind of Woman,” Cros’ Spotify page lists two more recently released songs – “Christmas Time Again” in 2022, and, more recently, “Sexy Girl,” which also has a YouTube video. Cros’ YouTube channel also has a 2022-dated video for “Touch,” a song that’s listed as a 2020 release on Spotify. So, beyond “My Kind of Woman,” these are some of Cros’ other cool songs you can check out.

Looking Ahead

If you scroll down Cros’ main web page, you’ll find some upcoming tour dates (whatever’s on his bandsintown page), beginning with an October 20th date in Gary, IN. You can also catch him November 1st and 2nd in Las Vegas, NV. He has three dates, November 3rd through 5th, in Arizona, and late November/early December dates in Florida. Be sure to check his website for more details on those dates and others, as they are added. You can also follow Cros’ Facebook page or his Instagram page to find out more about his goings-on.

 

Single Review: Panda Forces – “Tiffany Blue”

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Panda Forces

photo courtesy of Nebula Music Nexus

Single Review of Panda Forces: “Tiffany Blue”

Panda Forces‘ “Tiffany Blue” begins with a shoegaze pop vibe but with a bit more energy, and then the song slowly builds, almost imperceptibly until it becomes apparent, around mid-song, that first impressions were deceiving. “Tiffany Blue” is lyrically interesting, deftly crafted, with a very emotionally healthy message. By the end of the song, some of the vocals could be deemed outbursts, as if for lyrically well-placed emphasis.

Tiffany Blue – "Panda Forces"

image courtesy of Nebula Music Nexus

If you have the opportunity, give this song a listen. Better yet, multiple listens. It’s stylistically both familiar and original, and its coolness reveals itself slowly over the course of repeated exposure; before long this will be one of the favorite songs on your playlist. You might also recognize some Breakfast at Tiffany’s references in the song, so listen closely.

More About Panda Forces

Panda Forces

photo courtesy of Nebula Music Nexus

Vocalist Lucy Claire and guitarist Nathan Hoffner comprise Nashville-based Panda Forces. The band self-describes on its website as an alternative band. Vague, I know, but a little perusal of the band’s Spotify and YouTube pages reveals several other songs significantly more energetic than the one I just reviewed (in particular, I’d suggest sampling “Sex Is Ice Cream”), which only makes “Tiffany Blue” that much more interesting, intriguing, and cool.

I don’t see any upcoming shows listed at the “Events” page of the band’s website, but I do see one upcoming show mentioned on Panda Forces’ Facebook and Instagram accounts – the band will be performing tomorrow night, August 5th, at Drkmttr Collective in Nashville. Also, be sure to check back periodically to see if/when additional live dates are added.

Single Review: Dan Israel – “The Hang of It”

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Dan Israel – "The Hang of It"

image courtesy of Dan Israel

Single Review of Dan Israel: “The Hang of It”

We’ve reviewed Dan Israel‘s music several times at Geoff Wilbur’s Music Blog. Dan is one of Minnesota’s top performing singer-songwriters. He can lean folk, rock, and country, depending on the song and venue. Mostly, though, Dan Israel is a talented singer-songwriter whose song-driven music is fun and catchy, with some of his hookier numbers capable of reaching fans across multiple genre boundaries. On this single, Dan showcases the more rockin’ edge of his musical personality in one of the catchiest songs from his 17-album discography.

“The Hang of It” harkens back to the ’60s and ’70s, but its production value places it in a crossover pop-rock/roots rock lane. I hear a little Tom Petty, some Marshall Tucker Band, a little Creedence Clearwater Revival, perhaps a hint of the Allman Brothers. It’s an energetic pop-rock song with some country guitar twang. This song would absolutely get a country music bar buzzing. It would have appealed to the crowd at Woodstock. And it would get cranked up by beachgoers whenever it came on the radio. This should have been the summer single of 2021. There’s still time to make it one of your summer songs of 2023.

More Recently

Just this past fall, Dan released a new album, Seriously. “The Hang of It” is one of the ten songs on Seriously.

Looking Ahead

Looking at the “Shows” page of Dan’s website, he appears to have 2-3 shows booked in Minnesota each week for the rest of the summer. If you live in the North Star State, you should try to catch a show.

Single Review: The Static Dive – “1986”

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The Static Dive – 1986

image courtesy of Dog Ranch Music PR

Single Review of The Static Dive: “1986”

The Static Dive is the name of music blogger/recording artist Bob Smith’s blog and his nom de plume when he records. The single includes two tracks, first a version of “1986” with vocals, then the vocal-less “1986 (Instrumental Mix).”

The song, “1986,” is a quirky, funky journey, with an electronic beat, a variety of musical outbursts and rhythms, an occasional dancing guitar riff, one-off hints at a groove that are gone as quickly as they arrive, and lo-fi vocals.

The song is playful, fun, and something you’ll not really be able to imagine, though hopefully I’ve given you a head start with what I’ve written, so I’d recommend giving it a quick listen here at any of the websites listed on the song’s Songwhip page. Enjoy!