Denver, Colorado native Katie Glassman immediately stuck out to me because of her voice. It’s got a higher, almost squeakier sound when compared to the slew of singers hitting the market today. And for the first time, I mean squeaky in a good way! A soothing and well played fiddle complements her voice perfectly. It adds an element that gives her music a soulful, happy, and almost country feel. The fiddle in her song “Taking My Baby Along” strings us along and shows us a soft and uplifting side to her composition. The duet with the male vocalist only adds flair and excitement to her lyrics. The shuffling song “Uncle John” is a great example of traditional fiddle playing mixed with Katie Glassman’s great singing and musical composition. With little piano trills and an excellent accompanying guitar solo, “Uncle John” has a variety of different sounds that come together under Katie’s supreme talent. “Fly Away Lil’ Girl” is a quieter, softly sung song with excellent country guitar riffs and fiddle playing. All of Katie Glassman’s music displays her talent as an artist and as a composer. Her other music all has a similar sound that can only be described as simple with a flourish of tradition. Country music has never been my favorite, but I can honestly say that Katie Glasman makes it fresh, enjoyable, and just downright fun. Overall, Katie Glassman’s music is professional, well written, and fun to listen to. Having never played fiddle, I can say that listening to Katie Glassman makes me want to pick it up and mess around. None of you want that, so maybe you should just visit her website. Listen to Katie Glassman’s great music here: https://www.katieglassman.com/My_Music.html

Jane McGuffin is a soulful singer out of the Washington DC area. Her range of musical styles varies from pop to blues and soul to country. She even performs Christmas songs! She has an extensive list of songs that all exemplify how passionate she is about her craft. They are all filled with themes of love, heartbreak, and the different emotions linked to relationships.

Songs like “Little Girl Heart” and “Telephone Rang In The Morning” illustrate Jane’s distinct voice. They are simple songs with a similar style. A song like “Razzle Dazzle (No Trees)” is an excellent example of Jane’s abililty to mix her sound and tone with some great sliding electric guitar. It sort of tags on this “Indie rock” feeling that was unexpected when I first began listening to Jane McGuffin’s music. The country song “Daisy Chain” starts out with a strong vocal portion from Jane and a beautiful guitar-picking arrangement. When Jane comes in with her duet, the song only intensifies.

Straight out of the wet and cloudy northern Indiana landscape, Frequency Theater brings an electronic, effects-driven form of rock to the music scene. Their music is rock, don’t get me wrong, but it has a lot of filtered effects that add an interesting element to their music. Imagine if Depeche Mode had a baby with Paul Oakenfold (yeah it wouldn’t be pretty, but it might sound pretty cool, right?). It almost reminds me of the sound in British rock band Muse’s more recent music, but with a tinge of industrial music you’d find on a Nine Inch Nails album. Frequency Theater has molded an excellent genre of music for themselves, and they appear to understand it well. The band also knows how to harness their influences and stream them through their own music, and this makes their songs familiar yet novel. The band’s lineup includes Nathan Butler with lead vocals and guitar, Jeffery Harness with keys and programming, and Josh Wakeman on drums. “Modern Myth” is a great example of Frequency Theater’s style of rock. The synths are powerful and interesting to listen to, the guitar is crunchy and heavy, and the singing is melancholic and soothing. All these elements mix together to make “Modern Myth” one hell of a song. I can only imagine how much better it would sound with full-fledged professional producers working on it. The song “Peace and Safety” starts out with an interesting electronic arrangement, which is then filled in with piano and eventually guitar. Other noteworthy songs to look out for are “Frenzy” and “Like A Star.” If you want to check out Frequency Theater’s music and see what they’re all about, visit their website. See the show here: https://www.reverbnation.com/frequencytheater

Drew Gorman was a mystery to me when I first heard of him. But as soon as I listened to his music and learned he wrote and played adult/contemporary music, everything started coming together. His music is gentle but still has many rock elements to it that I find most appealing. There are multiple classic rock influences that are at work here, and they add an excellent variety to Drew’s sound.

Interested in some great acoustic country rock? Check out David J Hartley, a self-taught guitarist who brings his own flair to the country genre. His debut CD is called Hard Times in Boredom Town, and it’s available at most online music stores. As David J Hartley says on his website, “Action is the watering of a seed’s success.” Nothing could be truer, especially for those who are interested in becoming musicians. Take it from David J Hartley, working hard will do a whole lot to get you towards your goal. David J Hartley’s music is simple country rock. It’s not flashy or extravagant, but that’s what makes it so entertaining. It’s familiar, clean, and beautiful. Some musicians try to dress up their songs with lots of ridiculous, obnoxious effects because their music isn’t that good. David J Hartley does not have this problem. His music is great, and therefore it has no need for fancy effects and numerously layered tracks. His voice is great, too, and he hits all the right notes. His song “Country Fair” is a great example of this clean, country rock style and is worth checking out. It was even in Europe’s top 40 chart for 7 weeks, sharing space with country genre staples Toby Keith and Joe Nichols. David J Hartley performs frequently in Las Vegas at many different locations in the city. Hard Times in Boredom Town has received great reviews from people all throughout Europe. If you’re interested in learning more about David J Hartley and listening to some of his killer tracks, then check out his website. Head on down to Boredom Town here: https://davidjhartley.net/

A volatile mix of reggae and jazz, Christos has hit the market place. His album is called Time to Rise, and it’s even available on iTunes. His music has a very upbeat tone, as most reggae does, and his lyrics demonstrate this, as well. Christos’s use of horns, guitar, drums, and piano all meld together like a great concoction. Come, let me inform you more on this “witch’s brew” of music I like to call Christos.

Want something fresh in the rap and hip-hop world? Try listening to Cash On Demand. This group out of Erie, Pennsylvania is making strides towards becoming popular. “Spending Time” starts with a great musical piece with a female vocalist. “Allstars” starts out even faster with rapid-fire lyrics on top of a great beat. The quick lyrics remind me of something Andre 3000 might spit out. But when you least expect it, “Allstars” breaks down to a slower rhythm with great lyrics that talk about the life of an allstar. Cash On Demand compares themselves to popular rappers like Drake and then talks about how their music is “farm fresh from Germany.” It’s true. Their music is fresh and tasty, like a recently squeezed cup of lemonade from the seven-year-old next door. The song “No Panties On” is a step in a more sensual direction from Cash On Demand’s party-themed “Allstars.” The lyrics talk about a woman with, as the title might have told you, no panties on. But this woman doesn’t only refrain from wearing undergarments. She also knows how to drop her fat bubble butt on the boys and can dance like a siren. These boys talk the talk and I’m guessing have walked the walk because these beats are great and their lyrics are fun. What’s appealing about rap and hip-hop is the party and club-like lifestyle involved. Cash On Demand makes you feel like you’re at the party. These boys may not have an album yet, but they are certainly going to sometime in the future. All their music is available at their website. If you are looking for a handout, then get Cash On Demand here: https://www.gunplayrecords.com/

So who is Balla G? He’s a young new rapper with a strong passion, a high creative output, and a taste for style. Everyone knows it’s tough to get into the music industry in general, but with all the new, cheap recording technology out there now, recording your own material is just a click away. The challenge is standing out among masses of musicians and rappers who have access to these same programs. Balla G clearly has made use of these and has carefully pieced his music together in order to stand out from the crowd.

Baca is an unsigned rap and hip-hop artist out of the deserts of Phoenix, AZ. He has an enthusiastic, fun sound filled with hooks, spitfire lyrics, and pretty decent beats. Baca has a sense of how to build a song, and it’s clear from his music that he means business. He is a serious artist with big aspirations, and don’t think for a second he won’t reach them. Baca has arrived with attitude and he’s ready to spread his word to the masses.