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.
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!
Madysin Hatter is a classic hard rock vocalist, a singer whose powerful voice is fully fluent in hard rockin’ howls and screams. She uses her vocal tool to great effect on “Wild & Strange.” The musicianship is tight and interesting throughout, not surprising given the pedigree of the musicians joining Madysin on this recording: Tyler Bryant (Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown), Frank Ferrer (Guns N’ Roses), Rob Bailey (David Johansen), and Brett Bass (Gregg Allman).
image courtesy of Madysin Hatter; photo by Brandon Ripley of Sleepless Pictures
“Wild & Strange” begins with an instrumental build. Not a slow build, per se, but first crunchy drum, then guitars, and then a relatively unadorned vocal line through the opening chorus before the vocals get a little meatier and the music bed gets a bit fuller. By the second verse, the occasional guitar flourish changes things up some more, and by the end of the second chorus, it’s time for a sassy vocal bridge (“I’d need a lobotomy just to give you a shot at me…”) that leads into some brief guitar shredding. From there, the song ends in power – vocals, guitars, drums.
photo courtesy of Madysin Hatter; photo by Kamera Shoots NYC
In summary, “Wild & Strange” is a true, crunchy rock song with a bit of an updated ’80s swagger. Well-structured, catchy, memorable, with excellent musicianship. Of course, that’s how I would describe the song as a reviewer. As a music fan, I’d just say “Dude, this song rocks!”
More About Madysin Hatter
To find your way to any and all things Madysin Hatter – interviews, recordings, music videos, press releases, and more – you can start with her “link tree.” As for live shows, there aren’t any currently scheduled, but if any are added you’ll likely find them on the “live” page of Madysin’s website.
“The Sun Will Shine” was released in the spring of 2021 by John Lodge, bass player, songwriter and vocalist of The Moody Blues. The song was recorded remotely by John and his 10,000 Light Years Band during to the pandemic and also features Jon Davison from Yes on background vocals.
photo by Brian Aris; photo courtesy of Glass Onyon PR
Musically, “The Sun Will Shine” duplicates the rich harmonies of the Moody Blues, stylistically a potentially good pairing with The Moody Blues’ hit single “Your Wildest Dreams” from the band’s The Other Side of Life album. “The Sun Will Shine” has the same lush music bed, though perhaps a slightly more understated lushness – but only by comparison, of course. John’s voice remains full, smooth, and precise. Indeed, this song would seem to be a must-have for any fan of John Lodge or the band for which he’s famous.
In Addition
“The Sun Will Shine” was designed to be part of an On Reflection EP to be incorporated into John’s live album, The Royal Affair and After. However, neither John’s website listing nor the Amazon page for The Royal Affair and After mentions anything about an On Reflection EP, so your guess is as good as mine if one exists… unless you have a copy, of course. (Then please let me know in the comments.) However, you can find the song “The Sun Will Shine” available for purchase on John’s website. In addition, several other ways to purchase or stream the song are available at this link: https://lnk.to/TSWS.
The song opens aggressively with a driving, slightly off-center guitar sound, supporting a kniving, edgy vocal akin to what you might have expected from Pat Benatar as she was rising to prominence decades ago – not the same sound, of course, but a similar vocal approach and attitude. It’s a timeless power that Jennifer maintains throughout the song, a power the song never relinquishes, even when her vocal isn’t present during late-song bridges that should feel less intense but don’t.
When the vocals aren’t aggressively edgy they’re still hauntingly so, while the guitar line and drums are practically incessant and unrelenting.
photo by Tim Rice; photo courtesy of Jennifer Tefft
If you don’t have this song on your playlist or in your collection, grab it now and make it a frequent listen. It has been a song I’ve looked forward to hearing during every trip through my review queue, even as I went through more than a year and a half without finding an opening in my daily schedule to pen a review. “A Little More” should be considered a staple of any music collection and can be expected to have staying power.
Check out the “Shows” tab of Jennifer’s website to see scheduled performances. There are a few shows already scheduled around Massachusetts this summer, so see if Jennifer will be performing near you and, of course, check the page again later to see new dates as they’re added.
Stormstress is a hard rock/heavy metal trio, with ties to Boston and Detroit. Mirror image sisters Tanya Venom (guitars/vocals) and Tia Mayhem (bass/vocals), along with Maddie May Scott (drums/vocals) are riding high off the success of their independent release Silver Lining in 2022. This is their first foray into new material since that album, and it presents a perfect balance of raw power and vocally orchestrated bliss. Amid a white background, the band erupts, with a scream and a swath of crunchy guitars, pummeling bass and sparse, meaty drums. Their hair and garb are a mix of black and white, fiery reds, icy blues and extreme face paint that all add to the drama of their message.
“Buried You in the Snow” takes on the demons and situations in life that haunt us, whether that be an addiction, a personal impasse, or just any barrier that stands in the way of you emerging as your best self. The song is all about letting go of that seemingly insurmountable albatross and finally finding vindication and freedom in one’s own skin. Here’s a taste of some of the lyrics that set the scene: “I could feel the bite of winter in the air. Not a single star to shine on my despair. By the candlelight, I drew the 13th card, the Reaper spoke I had to break your heart.” And the second verse really cinches a first person account of the loneliness one feels enmeshed in a problem, with “The bliss in your eyes, faded away… oh! Dusk beckoned while you begged me to stay. But when midnight struck, I made a vow I’ve gotta learn to be strong somehow… alone.” Cut from a similar cloth as Dio, Epica, and Heart, Stormstress delivers a powerful treatise on self-actualization, blended with supernatural and gothic imagery. It’s a combination that truly resonates, via Venom’s superb guitar work and the stunning call and response vocals of counterparts Mayhem and Scott.
photo by Fuel Heart Productions; photo courtesy of Stormstress
The song resolves as Venom’s imagery involving the darkness of night and the shimmering white of snow is culminated this way: “All I could see was shades of white, I swear it was the hardest night, but I let the dark take you away (I had to let you go)… I buried you in the snow… until you were gone!” And with that, mission accomplished in a heart-wrenching and poetic song destined for these modern times.
Kudos go to co-producer/engineer Doug Batchelder of the Den Studios for his masterful and meticulous handling of the delicate frequencies and elegant captures of the band’s multi-dimensional vocals. The overall sonic palette as well as, of course, the song itself is truly a work of art!
photo by Fuel Heart Productions; photo courtesy of Stormstress
Keep an eye on the “Tour” page of Stormstress’ website for upcoming concert data. Currently, it lists two upcoming shows in Provincetown, MA: Friday, July 21st; and Friday, October 13th. The trio just rocked Detroit and Chicago a couple weeks ago – and Provincetown last weekend – so I’m sure more dates will be added to the calendar soon.
Anissa Lea is a talented and versatile young vocalist from Detroit, Michigan. As the world knows, the city of Detroit has an esteemed reputation for producing some of the greatest rock, jazz, pop and soul music of all time. And Anissa Lea embodies all of that and then some. She possesses vocal skills and a sense of music history that extends way beyond her years. With a love for everyone from Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Washington to Peggy Lee and Billie Holiday, she has an uncanny knack for stylistically borrowing from these musical legends while simultaneously evoking an approach that is all her own.
One artist, in particular, that really made an enormous impression on Lea early on has been the recently dear and departed Veronica “Ronnie” Spector. Spector, of course, was one of the progenitors of the “girl group” concept as frontwoman for The Ronettes. The Ronettes had a string of early ‘60s hits, including “Baby I Love You,” “(The Best Part of) Breakin’ Up,” “Walking in the Rain” and, unquestionably, one of Spector and The Ronettes’ biggest smashes “Be My Baby.” And that is the song in question here.
Anissa Lea puts her own spin on “Be My Baby” that blends a contemporary jazz-pop sensibility, with a funky spirit and groove. She’s joined on the song by some of the best side men and session artists in the biz, including Kurt Krahnke (bass), Rob Emanuel (drums), Adam Allen (guitar), Stefan Kukurugya (piano), Keith Kaminski (saxophone) and Justin Garrett Walter (trumpet).
The track sizzles with sincerity and respect to Spector’s original version. But, then, the song elevates to a surprising smooth and jazzy feel, as Lea’s dulcet Billie Holiday-meets-Peggy Lee-type phrasing thoughtfully delivers the song’s urgent message, Kaminski and Walter’s rich wall of sound envelopes your senses. The addition of Allen’s mid-song acoustic guitar solo is icing on the cake. Lea cleverly sings just a tad behind the beat, thereby not only giving the song a thoroughly fresh perspective, but adding to the danceable syncopation of the rhythm section. It’s a sweet and reverent tribute that deftly walks the line between contemporary and nostalgia.
Anissa Lea’s version of Ronnie Spector’s “Be My Baby” is now available on all streaming platforms. For more information just go to www.anissalea.com.
Guitarist Robert Lee Balderrama hails from Saginaw/Bay City in the “thumb area” of Michigan. It was there that he was instrumental in the launch of the seminal proto-punk/garage band Question Mark and The Mysterians in the early ‘60s. The teenage Mexican-American quintet scored a #1 hit with the organ-driven classic “96 Tears.” The song has been a staple in popular culture and on oldies radio and Sirius XM in perpetuity. And Rolling Stone magazine deemed it one of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”!
Over the years, Balderrama went on to play with Tex-Mex rocker Joe “King” Carassco and also fronted his own blues band and smooth jazz ensemble. Over the last decade or so Balderrama has partnered with Mysterians’ keyboardist Frank Rodriguez and has concentrated on the jazzy side of things. Under the moniker “Robert Lee Revue” he’s released two albums: For the Love of Smooth Jazz and City of Smooth Jazz. One of his compositions “Happy and Go Lucky” reached Top 30 on the Billboard Smooth Jazz Chart.
Currently, Balderrama has formed an alliance with multi-faceted songwriters/producers Mike Rogers and Gary Lefkowith. The duo call themselves Le Sonic and have created a legitimate modern jazz hit with the video and audio single “Any Moment.” The tune is based on a fairly simple two chord vamp that is hypnotic and seductive. Balderrama is a student of Wes Montgomery, George Benson, and Carlos Santana, and he weaves the essential melodic elements of said mentors into his silky smooth guitar lines. Rodriguez lays down a billowy bed of velvety piano tones that are the foundation of the tune. Topping things off are vocalist Dennis Collins and trumpeter Jim Hynes. Collins, who sings the ethereal song title’s refrain, has worked with Roberta Flack, David Bowie, Billy Joel, Al Green, George Benson and Bob Dylan. And Hynes can be heard on themes for Masterpiece Theater, CBS This Morning, NBC Sunday Night Football, and CBS Evening News.
“Any Moment” is vying for #1 spot on the various music industry charts, including Billboard, Media Base Smooth Jazz and Smooth Jazz Network.com . For more information on Robert Lee Balderrama just go to www.facebook.com/robertleerevue.
We at the Blog are big fans of the unique, original, memorable style of Bridget Davis and the Viking Kings. They have an easily identifiable, pleasant, rolling, laid-back Americana style but with a constantly-present, persistent rhythm that varies from song to song yet makes even the most mellow song seem energized. Bridget Davis and the Viking Kings are the perpetual motion machine of Americana. And their songwriting and delivery style is such that, if you heard them on the radio, you’d say to yourself, “Self, it’s Bridget Davis and the Viking Kings.”
Well, it has been a while since BD and the VKs graced our headphones with something new, nearly five and a half years between I Wasn’t Planning on the End and the new single “Highways,” released earlier this year. In all that time, the band hasn’t missed a beat.
photo courtesy of Bridget Davis
Opening with a warm texture and bass-guitar interplay (cool to listen to on headphones, since they reside in different ears), “Highways” utilizes many of the ingenuities in the band’s familiar, favorite bag of tricks to support Bridget’s soft, sweet, yet surprisingly dynamic vocal style. Those familiar with the band’s previous work will find the tempo most similar to that of “Transient,” as “Highways” differs from much of the band’s song catalog in that it’s actually as slow-tempoed as its music makes it seem, though it’s sonically more kindred to the faster-paced “Elizabeth” or the slower-paced “I Wasn’t Planning on the End.”
In the end, “Highways” is a welcome reintroduction to Bridget Davis and the Vikings Kings’ easily recognizable, original, trademark sound. If you’re unfamiliar with the band, let this be your introduction. There’s a hint of folk styling and country-leaning Americana energy in Bridget Davis and the Viking Kings’ music, an energy built on and originality, tempo, detailed songwriting, and deliberate performance structure that will appeal to a broad swath of musical tastes. To the band: Welcome back to our playlists. We’ve missed you.
Looking Back
Those who have been with us here at the Blog from the beginning will remember our other two Bridget Davis and the Viking Kings reviews. First, I reviewed one of their live Rockwood Music Hall shows as item #8 in my 9-part “Road Back to Music Journalism” series, in which I chronicled events that led me back to writing – and starting this blog – after a dozen years away. A few weeks later, I reviewed their album I Wasn’t Planning on the End. So if my review of this song interests you, be sure to check out the other words I’ve written about this talented ensemble.
Looking Ahead
Bridget Davis and the Viking Kings hinted in this Facebook post this spring and confirmed with me just recently via e-mail that there is more music coming; “Highways” was just one of several songs recorded live at the Figure 8 Recording studio in Brooklyn. They’ll likely be released one at a time in advance of an eventual EP release. Whether the songs are released individually or all at once, we can’t wait to hear them!
Boston-area singer-songwriter Kristian Montgomery is not one to let grass grow under his feet. When the pandemic hit in full swing last year he dove into his inner psyche and soul, coming up with enough fresh material for an album’s worthy triumvirate of creative output. The result of that labor resulted in 2020’s The Gravel Church, 2021’s Prince of Poverty, and the soon-to-be-released A Heaven for Heretics in January 2022.
photo courtesy of Kristian Montgomery
Surely, Montgomery’s blend of reflective blues and country rock songs combined with his rich, slightly worn and emotive voice is starting to catch fire with fans and critics alike. Montgomery was recently nominated by the prestigious New England Music Awards on the strength of his Prince of Poverty release. “Secret Watering Hole” is a brand new single from the aforementioned upcoming A Heaven for Heretics and continues his blend of an Americana aesthetic, mixed with vivid imagery and detailed storytelling. The song is draped in southern gothic charm and Cajun-laced magic. References to New Orleans and Mardi Gras are supported by a soothing bed of layered guitars and a relaxed, swampy back beat. It’s kind of a meeting of classic styles that match the melodic poetry of The Band, with the groovy laid back sounds of The Allman Brothers Band.
“Another crawling out of the American gutter record” is a quote, found on Montgomery’s own bandcamp page, in response to his last full-length release. Other references to his current single and his previous catalog suggest the slightly outsider world view of like-minded compadres such as The Highwaymen, Sturgill Simpson, Steve Earle, Townes Van Zandt, and Chris Stapleton.
The current single “Secret Watering Hole” was produced by Joe Clapp at Ultrasound Studios and captures a sound and mood that is contemporary, yet intimate and timeless.
Looking Ahead
Of course, the album A Heaven for Heretics, which contains “Secret Watering Hole,” is scheduled for a January release. [I’ll be writing that review on or after the album’s release date. -GW] Also keep an eye on the “Events” page of the band’s website for future performances and on the band’s Facebook page for the latest news about Kristian Montgomery & the Winterkill Band.
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