Barry Rice has written music for many years leading him to create the group Years Of The Songs. The group is heavily influenced by country, rock, and contemporary christian music. Years Of The Songs is by all means no gospel group, but praise for Jesus is a popular subject matter so is love. Barry Rice is a talented individual and produces and writes all his music. Another talent are his guitar skills. In the song “That’s What Jesus Wants” at the 1:34 mark, we are treated with a riff that will bring you back to the good ol days of rock and roll. Although, his music does not embody that his guitar playing sure does. He is not afraid to throw in some out of this world chops and riffs. The subject matter of the song is very uplifting and needed in these hard times since everyone could use a little helping hand as he sings “Don’t sit and complain about the next man. Just give him some helping hands. That’s the way we always should be, That’s the way Jesus wants us to be.” Years of the Songs has a variety of styles in playing and tones through out his music. If you’re looking for some acoustic music check out “Go On Your Way.” I think I even hear a chandelier sound in there, very intriguing. Another one for the acoustic lovers is “Life Up Your Hands.” The turned down sound of the drums, guitar, and violin create an lurid sound in the background as Barry’s deep voice sings about trusting your faith in Jesus. If you like gospel music with a touch of rock and roll, Years Of The Songs is the band for you. Go to their website to listen to many more wonderful songs https://www.reverbnation.com/yearsofthesongs.

Christina Custode is effortlessly fighting her way into the singer songwriter world. Her voice is angelic, sultry, and full of passion. Her piano driven music is beautiful, full of images, and will separate her from the rest. She has studied and played music through out her life from having graduated from the highly respectable Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, the Western New York music scene has been nothing but kind to her. She has released a few albums that were both praised by fans and critics. With every album, she explores a different genre of music not limiting herself as a singer songwriter who only does love songs. Her most recent album “Mirror” dabbles in the blues genre. It’s a playful album with strikingly haunting ballads. A good mix for any experiment with blues. From the opening notes on Wasting My Time, where Christina’s virtuosity on the piano is presented to the world, a signature sound that can be heard through all her albums. Her piano skills is not her only strength, on the song Nothing, Christina’s magical voice enthralls her audience and holds them hostage in daze of tempting music.A bluesy beautiful setting where you picture yourself sitting on the back porch staring into the mountains is felt from the music and lyrics. The album is a treasure and no sing should be skipped. You might even feel the need to listen to it over and over, it’s really that great. The timeless quality of her music will help her endure through the saturated industry of fabricated singer songwriters. You can scope out her music here https://www.christinacustode.com/

Balliztic, one of Bronx best up and coming MC’s, has released an dope mix tape titled “Crossroads”. After taking a listen, I can honestly say it’s one of a kind. It mixes “old-school” with the “new-school” and does it flawlessly.Coming from the birth of Hip Hop Balliztic has been immersed in music since childhood, which shouldn’t come as a surprise judging from the talents he has. “Till The Sun Comes Up” is one of my favorite tracks on the album. The great flow, style, and originality are impressive. The lyrical content shows how motivated Balliztic is as he says “till the sun comes u[ I be holding sh*t down.” His timeless story telling is enticing and will leave people wanting more. If you want a sample of what the mix tape sounds like, I recommend listening to “Stronger” this has all the qualities of the album in one. The high pitched voice during the voice chanting “I get stronger” is the icing on top of the cake. The track shows the wide spectrum of talent this guy possesses then tops it off skin tingling production. With his new label “Store Manager Entertainment” Balliztic has the outlet to release his own music without anyone to deny him the right to do so. I see great things in the future for him. You can download his mix tape at https://www.reverbnation.com/balliztic.

Driven by the stellar, exciting saxophone playing of their lead man, Don Mark’s Fire Escape is one of the hotter fusion jazz foursomes coming out of the Baltimore area. Chock full of powerful saxophone melodies backed by solid keyboards, funkified bass lines and rock-solid percussion, their latest album In a New Light jams and sizzles throughout each and every track.

Containing 10 exciting songs of modern jazz influenced by some of the true greats such as John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Michael Brecker and others, In a New Light establishes the group as one of the rising stars in the independent scene. Visit their official website and Facebook pages for a taste of a true jazz experience.

As an MC that openly describes himself as a religious person whom has strong faith in Jesus, SS Writum has begun to face an upward battle in trying to make it in the game and grow his career. Religion is unfortunately a taboo topic among rappers. As rap has gone through many phases, the current state of rap is slanging rhymes about sex, money and drugs, so an MC that links himself with religious beliefs (beyond a couple religious name drops) might find it difficult appealing to a wider audience or getting radio time. SS Writum from Shreveport, LA grew up like most MC’S by being involved in the street life. As he got deeper into a dangerous life he began to realize that it wasn’t the life for him and started his musical career.

Refreshing, amazing vocal talent from an underground artist. The clipping drums and awkward sounding guitar strums only make the vocals sound that much more miraculous. Marie is seriously pitch-perfect in what is obviously home-demos, and she sounds like a grown woman though I’m sure she is a kid. This is truly the power of God, allowing people to break boundaries and concepts. Think of a Christian Michelle Branch sounding singer and you will not be far off from the sound Sean Marie has crafted. She also channels a bit of Van Morrison and some older folk artists.

A female Neil Young, with a country, classic rock/folk feel. “Lead A Horse” puts a not-too dazzling spin on an old saying and “Honey it’s up to you, you’re gonna sink or swim” pretty much sums up the concept. The recording of their latest album though is pro, and you can hear the “experience” in all the musicians. By that I mean they are not amateurs, teenagers, or in their 20’s anymore (or 30’s?). There is a pretty heavy country vibe to this track, with a fiddle trading lines with a sliding guitar lead.

An underground genre-blending artist who is really pushing the envelop. Rap, spoken word that sounds like Old Dirty Bastard aboard the Double Duch Bus. “Clocks and Monsters” touches upon many life issues, and also breaks into a slightly “singy” hook for the chorus. This track tastes like a combination of several obscure 90’s tracks like “Mr. Wendel” and “88 Lines About 44 Women” but that is in the harmonic content and beats. There is a strange “too-experimental” outro to the track which made me triple take to make sure I didn’t click somewhere else though.