Primary URL: https://www.campdark.com/

This latest 13 track release by composer/arrangers Adam Svec & producer/drummer Graham O’Brien is such a complex, amazing and dramatic album what else can I say in the end? Nightmare in a Day is more than amazing and dramatic, it’s also extremely suspenseful and somewhat impassioned. It has a sort of quirky-dark quality to it as well. Citing from their bio: Camp Dark’s first offering, Nightmare In A Day, (or Beware the Night) started as a song skeletons composed by Adam Svec and Graham O’Brien. The meat on the bones was added by a list of wonderful players (see the list of contributors). The arrangement of the limbs, direction of the hair, and shade of the makeup was largely generated and organized by O’Brien. This collaboration initially started shortly after Svec’s third solo release, Weaks In The Waves, for which O’Brien played the roles of instrumentalist, engineer, and producer. The first installment of their collaboration, in conjunction with the writing and playing prowess of Casey O’Brien, arrived in the form of Proofreader. Zero Squared in 2013. The intro track “Dixieland” is a great intro piece that gives you an invigorating first impression as if you were in some kind of Feature Film or cinematic musical experience if you will. It’s a somewhat emotional charged opener that sort of leaves you breathless for what’s ahead. The music reminiscent of acts such as Julianna Barwick, Ben Frost and Oneohthrix. Svek has really strong tonality foundation coupled with straight forward rhythms, soothing piano, guitar, sytnth and spaced out goodness. The vocals and lyrics are straight from the heart and the lyrics - interesting. If these tracks were more rocked out I could hear a darker version of James Blunt or even John Mayer performing them. That’s good the writing is. Without a doubt, it’s impossible to deny the superiority of this project consisting of other contributors as well: Dan Choma, Matt Friesen, deVon Gray, John Keston, Matt Leavitt, Robert Mulrennan, Casey O’Brien, Chris Salter. Recorded by Graham at Bellows Studio Mixed by Graham and Adam Krinsky at Bellows Mastered by Huntley Miller. Music is epically melancholy and will cause your hair to stand on end at times. You get this feeling as if you are in a life changing musical experience. Sometimes music can have that effect on the soul. The drums and the bass lines just help push the album forward, and the vibe, if you pay attention carefully, has a slightly tragic vibe. As the CD evolves it showcases some dramatic combinations or Synth-Piano-guitar and Electonica overtones on tracks soul stirring “Out for Blood” and “Shoulda”. The drum/synth/vocal combos have an important role on some pieces as well.  On many these tracks as a producer the 2 clearly give a mood assigning to each song. The addition of the ambient tidbits every now and then gives many song a jazzy-poppy yet ambient/eletronica touch.

Primary URL: https://theradiohour.com/ 

Alternative Rockers Tim Hort and company under his musical moniker “The Radio Hour” just released his latest CD entitled “Radio Power” in 2015. Hort hails from Chicago of all places. He brings a dark yet comical spin on life, and we all know how well music reflects life. With this kind of comical approach to modern day alternative rock we’ve seen similar bands like The Horrors, Wall of VooDoo, Stan Rodgeway, Miles Kane and Manic Street Preachers achieve huge scale success. On “Radio Power” you’ll hear the A-typical Punk/Americana concoctions with a hint of Alternative Folk Rock via some enticing piano/guitar driven groves. I like to call this kind of genera mind numbing rock. Personally it’s my favorite style of music to listen to. Hort combines all of the above with an above average vocal style and a solid signature sound. A highly anticipated CD from a singer songwriter, featuring all original heartfelt songs via standard 4 piece delivery. Hort began focusing his already dramatic, moody and emotionally charged material in a theatrical format. Hort then switched playing live, being recognized as “Best Live On-air Performances,” by 95.1FM WILL, appeared on Chicago’s Q101 and as a live performance finalist for Billboard Music/Discmakers Independent Live Music Showcase. “The Radio Hour” has scored several full theater productions including Chicago DanzThatre Ensemble as well as many other choreographed productions, voiceovers and soundscapes.  

URL: https://www.andriasimone.com/

Rating: 8/10 Stars

Artist Andria Simone releases Evolve in 201 5 (SPECTRA MUSIC GROUP). Andria Simone is a vocalist is an accomplished singer/songwriter recording artist originally from Canada but has roots in Manchester, England and Lviv, Ukraine. Some notable things I saw in her bio: In June 2014, Andria Simone and Those Guys won the Hennessy Talent Quest, a prestigious international competition for new musical talent. The prize was an all-expenses paid week in Cognac, France, during which the band performed several shows at the Blues Passion Festival, a star-studded fest that featured such names as Robert Plant, George Benson and Lily Allen. Andria and Those Guys opened for major French soul star Ben l’Oncle Soul as well as playing their own headline show.