Tom Eure - The Coin, the Prayer & the Crow

URL: https://www.tomeure.com/

The imagery contained within the album title The Coin, the Prayer & The Crow, singer/songwriter Tom Eure’s sixth release, promises a poetically charged music collection and the North Carolina based recording artist doesn’t disappoint. His influences from both Celtic and Appalachian musical traditions definitely embraces classic tropes of the style, including its language in many instances, but the effect is never too artificial or studied. Rather than sounding like someone attempting to recreate the past for a modern audience, Tom Eure comes off as a performer and writer who sees continuing vitality in this musical style as a way of expressing his own internal narrative. He’s joined on the release by the talents of Amelia Osborne and this vocalist and multi-instrumentalist scores big as a partner thanks to her obvious from the first sympathy with Eure’s own talents. The Coin, the Prayer & the Crow promises much and delivers on it all.

Dynamos – Knowledge

URL: https://www.dynamosmusic.com/band-bios/

Nadia E, lead vocalist for Los Angeles based five piece Dynamos, spent the first eleven years of her life in the wilds of New Jersey before her family decamped for the sunny climes of Southern California and it’s there where she discovered the clarion call of rock music after a youth spent pursuing training as an opera singer. She soon discovered her classical training proved no obstacle for making a mark as a rock singer and she soon brought in a variety of influences to color her own highly individual way of approaching her craft and sought out similarly minded musicians with the hopes of making music a lifetime career. She’s found those ideal collaborators in her Dynamos band mates – the band’s guitar duo of Jacob Mayeda and Carlos Barrera play with the same on the mark abandon we hear from the rhythm section of musical director/bassist Nick Schaadt and drummer Ian Nakazawa and the four are obviously keyed in to Nadia’s vocal pyrotechnics on the band’s new single “Knowledge”.

CK and the Rising Tide – Friends

SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/ckandtherisingtide/friends-single

“Friends” is the first single from CK and the Rising Tide’s soon to drop debut album and it heralds the arrival of an important new band on the alt-country/indie scene. The mix of CK Flach’s impressive songwriting with musical contributions from Danny Boudreau’s violin and keyboards, Wayne Flach’s guitar playing, and bassist Chris Brant’s virtuosity fully realizes the talent present on CK’s earlier solo effort Empty Mansions. Instead of taking a side step or diversion, CK Flach has opted to further open the sound for his songs by bringing these additional musicians into the picture and the four of them frame “Friends” in satisfying colors. The vividness of the performance hints at even greater songs in store on their first album. This is a powerful and unique effort that gets under the skin from the first listen onward.

Kim DeVine - Broken Bird (Klvr Grl Remix)

Severine - Down the Rivers

SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/severinemusic/down-the-rivers/s-A6o6z

Born in the US but raised in France, singer/songwriter Severine has launched her own solo career after playing and touring with bands for many years prior. She’s performed live everywhere from Paris to New York and has established a career based upon being driven, focused and dedicated to accomplishing her musical goals.

2016 brought change to her career as she split from group musical activities for the time being and buckled down to learn the recording software Ableton. These modest beginnings brought the fruition of an unexpected solo career with Severine writing and recording on her own for the very first time. Tapping into producer extraordinaire Anthony “Rocky” Gallo, a popular producer that has worked with everyone from Bon Jovi to rapper Common, Severine set about the task of laying down her second single “Down the Rivers” which draws inspiration from multiple musical sources including Radiohead and Portishead.

Surreal Nation - I Know Better

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/surrealnation/

The five songs included on Surreal Nation’s I Know Better establishes the Delaware five piece as one of the sharpest alternative rock acts working in the indie scene today. Vocalist Nikita Yvonne (Nikki Nation) is a singer with rare musicality and a natural wont for artfully expressing emotion, but the grit and gravel she can whip up with her voice matches up nicely with the rock style the band works in. I Know Better has a songwriting point of view that’s Surreal Nation’s own and never suffers from indulging hoary clichés or pouring old wine into new bottles – instead, they employ a point of view all their own for even time tested subject matter that imbues the songs with a surprising level of freshness. I Know Better’s track listing shows focus and the brief release unfolds for audiences in a dramatic, but never overwrought, way.

Leo Harmonay – Lharmonic

URL: https://www.lharmonic.com/

LHarmonic, the third studio platter from singer-songwriter Leo Harmonay, is a six song collection that finds Harmonay’s considerable songwriting powers reaching heights that his great previous efforts scarcely touch. Harmonay calls the Hudson Valley area in New York State his home and he’s built quite a regional legend for himself as one of the most talented and diverse songwriters working today. He accomplishes a great deal without ever sounding overwrought and his audible influences never risk imitation despite the fact. The EP includes one bonus cut, a live performance of one of the new studio songs, but it does nothing to mar the completeness and well rounded aspects making the release one of 2018’s best yet. Leo Harmonay has built a loyal following for good reasons and this release poises him to expand it exponentially. Get in on this artist today because he’s far from his peak and only getting better each time out.

Sule - Love Me

URL: https://suleheitner.com/

Canadian singer/songwriter Sule’s new single “Love Me” is another high point in the rapidly blossoming solo career of the latest musical export from our northern neighbors. He’s already achieved an appreciable level of notoriety thanks to his Season Three appearance on La Voix, a Canadian version of America’s The Voice airing out of Quebec, and this latest recording is the likely catalyst for Sule to further expand his profile and gain a bevy of new followers. He’s achieved some fame as a compelling live performer as well and there’s every indication in “Love Me” that it will prove a powerfully entertaining concert number for him. All the necessary ingredients for worldwide fame are here – he’s a charismatic, considered, and intelligent performer who brings passion to intensely human experiences and shows no signs of slowing. “Love Me” is definitely an early contender for single of the year.