CD BABY: https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/chrissabatino4

Singer/songwriter Chris Sabatino has a rich background in the entertainment industry. He interned with Sony Pictures and the series The People’s Court while cultivating and caring for his musical career. Sabatino is a hard-working man that wasn’t born yesterday and his journey is shown in full force on his new EP, Maybe Not This Time. This is his fourth release and he has shown considerable growth as he continues to carve out his place in the pantheon of rock n’ roll.

URL: https://www.marybue.com/

Duluth, Minnesota native Mary Bue is tough to pin down across the eight tracks of her latest slab Holy Bones. She certainly has a grasp on the rock fundamentals that many would be jealous of and knows how to infuse catchy pop where it matters as well. Besides that, she doesn’t shun her blues, country and punk influences and they clearly define her as an artist on the edge willing to take chances. Not all of her experiments work but they work more often than not and when they really hit the mark, they REALLY hit the mark.

REVERBNATION: https://www.reverbnation.com/nervousgermans

In the worldwide indie music scene, Germany isn’t prominently represented. There are, however, a number of acts who have enjoyed widespread commercial success. Nervous Germans first formed in 1979 and earned considerable acclaim as an intelligent purveyor sophisticated musical palettes. The band’s initial run ended in 1984 and its membership dispersed into successful, lower-profile musical careers. From Prussia With Love is a reunion album, but the band wisely places new material side by side with choice selections from the band’s back catalog. This return to full-time activity is highlighted by a band sure of their own sonic signature and still adept at blending pop and rock with arrangements varying from the subtle to the bombastic.

BANDCAMP: https://emilygoldrecluse.bandcamp.com/album/recluse

It’s almost impossible to pin down current California native Emily Gold and her twisty, turning debut album platter Recluse. Is it trip-hop? Not exactly, but it does have that kind of tangible beat. Is it rock n’ roll? Nah, not quite although it does have a few sizzling moments of riffage. Is it indie? Probably, but it’s got so much more scope under the hood. It’s not easy to describe and not necessarily easy to sell, but it’s just good music.

EP: What it Takes

URL: https://www.reverbnation.com/zachlinley

Zach Linley and the Rebel Daredevils is a guitar driven Rock band from Illinois. This latest What It Takes EP delivers and will reveal all the a-typical conventions of today’s modern country-rock so many adore. This creates a solid sonic space for the listener to bask in.

The first track the bold “Cold Dead Hands” pretty much says it all. This song will ring true for many who don’t exactly want to part with their Smith and Wesson. This intro track lifts off the ground smoothly and is in itself an impressive kickoff statement to say the least. It’s remarkably easy to listen, and gravities you right away like a magnet. All songs present a stunning collection of music that slowly runs the gamut and has much to offer insofar as impressive music and captivating vocals and lyrical content that say a lot about the artist. One cannot help but admire artists with strong songwriting skills and truthful conviction all the while demonstrating a strong a level of creativity. One senses a growing ambition as this EP advances. Linley’s appealing voice hits the mark and with soul stimulating lyrics and a hooky vibe provides a very real and powerful source of inspiration. The musicianship is rock steady and the overall production value tows the line. All in all a great set of songs with a lot of character. Speaking of which notable standouts for me include: “Cold Dead Hands”, “Honkey Tonk Heaven” and “Sick and Tired.” If you want a rock-steady country-rock staple there’s something on this EP for you. Once again, the band backing him up is rock solid. Let me go on record by saying Zach Linley and the Rebel Daredevils are doing all the right things, any way you look at them. Obviously many will fall head over heels over these 5. The thing I like the most about him, he’s not trying to be something he’s not. This is one band that’s set up rather well for mainstream success this year. Some of this plays into strong marketability potential world wide. Some pieces present more modern sounding overtones but despite all this this, it still possesses a traditional Rock n’ Roll textures with some Americana thrown in. This is really what makes these guys so enticing to me personally. Music reminded me of Montgomery Gentry, Tim McGraw, and Brad Paisley. This CD is entertaining overall and the vocal style and songwriting touch are straight from the heart via well-crafted movements and top tiered musicianship. The overall production value is professional grade – no issues there.