The Review: Southern California blues rockers “Hunter and the Dirty Jacks” just released their new/debut CD entitled “Single Barrel” (2014).

Brandon Hess’ music will throw you for a loop. Get in touch with nature and listen to “The River.” It has a slow start but then when the lyrics start coming in you get a mixture of Country cool with singer/songwriter chic. Then comes “2Maui” and while it tries to have an island feel, it falls a little flat with that. That Country thing is stripped away and no longer relevant when you roll into “Peaceful Life.” This is more for those who like to sit and think about life in a psychedelic sense. At this point in the listening experience with Brandon Hess I’m leaning more towards this is a guy who just makes music he’s feeling at the time. Like with “Fly Away.” You can tell here that he was in a very calm and chill mood when he recorded it, but then those Country vocals kind of creep back in. I definitely appreciate the rock and the pick up in “I Will” at the start of it. When all is said and done, this one is the cream of the crop for all Brandon Hess has to offer right now. So we’ll end on that note and I’ll leave you with this…If you’re a fan of Country with a twist, check out the moods and all the sides of Brandon Hess. (https://www.brandonhessmusic.com/)

Franman is a Country man from up north in Canada who likes to folk around. “A Tender Moment” is a heartfelt love song. Right from the start you can hear the honesty in the lyrics and you can tell that this singer/songwriter really put his all in it. I’m pretty sure the US and Canada do not share the same holiday schedule but because it’s almost time for is here, “Thanksgiving” is a timely track. Although it’s timely, it’s an odd one to listen to after that tender one. The voice is rough as a story is told like an old folktale around the campfire. It sounds like something you’d listen to in elementary school to learn the history of the holiday. Wait a second, speaking of timely…We have the spooktacular “Halloween.” Again, another odd duck in the mix but if you’re eccentric you’ll appreciate the effort. Going through Franman’s titles a little more closely though you’ll notice a theme - he loves to write with the calendar in mind. He has songs for mom and dad, “Thanks Mom” being a sweet treat for the woman who carried you nine months. That song also gets back into the Country ways of Franman’s musical style. I really love “The Spirit of Christmas” thanks to the chorus element. It makes you not only think of that time of year but the togetherness that it’s all about. We’ll end with a true blue sounding Country tune though, “The Birth of Spring.” We started out with the heart, roamed around the oddballs and landed at the base of what makes Franman pop. If you’re a classic Country fan or just love holiday themed music, check out Franman now. (https://www.jango.com/music/FRANMAN?l=0)

JawKo is a pop artist from Ithaca, New York that does things a little different. “Horn-Rimmed Glasses” has a funky side to it that makes it one you can’t really ignore. It’s definitely a song a girl like me could appreciate as I am a gal with glasses and we don’t get enough light shined on us. I can also tell you that it’s a great one to listen to because it’s not like a lot of overprocessed pop that’s out there right now. From funky to a more dreamlike stance. That’s the route we travel to get from the first to “Better Run Now.” The intro took me back a bit but then you get into it and move. I think we’re ending on the best note though with “Wake Up to You.” It’s a great pop song that reminds me of an innocent beat from the mid-’90s. It has this pureity to its pop that makes it the cherry on top of JawKo’s sound. If you’re a fan of pop that does things differently, check out New York’s JawKo now. (https://www.reverbnation.com/jawko)

Jordan’s “Solace” is a treat for fans of New Age delights. The record opens with a wonderfully constructed piano piece called “My Dear.” That gently glides up into a sentimental one, “Just for You.” You can hear every emotion loud and clear and the songs weave from one to the next. It’s a record that flows without flaws. From the rightfully titled “Serenity” and “Majestic” to the natural sounds of “Spring Flow,” “Solace” is definitely a grand listneing expereience. For those who are more into the moods of the music and not so much the lyrical content, then this is for you. Jordan has captured a number of humanistic elements and placed many of them on “Solace.” So if you’re a fan of artists like Yanni and Vangelis, check out Jordan now. (https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jordan13)

Sapphire Nine is an electronic artist whose music sounds more human than machine. “Bamboo” gets the adrenaline pumping right from the press of “start.” Then things simmer down as you follow this same beat for awhile .It slowly builds and then goes into a light feeling that brings nothing more than a smile to a listener’s face. With “Glassmaker” you get a more industrial feel. If that genre mated with a happier tone of the ’80s. It has more energy than the last and sounds like something you’d hear in a Japanese arcade. I didn’t really feel “Contact.” I felt that it was lacking compared to the previous two. There was a consistency but nothing ever popped off and made an effect. Then you had “Alleluia” to pull me back in. The smoothness of it and the soothing ways of the beat was untouchable. We have to pick this back up again though. Which I thought was going to happen with “Field of Lightning” because the imagery alone from the title says “action,” but it was a slow start here. The anticipation was worth it as the beat quickened. Finally, “Release” is where we cap things off and say our goodbyes to Sapphire Nine. It’s a good closer and has finale written all over it. If you’re into the electronic scene but like beats that are more natural sounding than say Skrillex, check out Sapphire Nine now. (https://soundcloud.com/sapphirenine)

Band: Deborah Henriksson

CD: Traces