Friday, August 29, 2008

“Where Have My People Gone” by Tommy Riddle (Country Artist from Virginia (VA))

"Where Have My People Gone" is an inspiring traditional country gospel EP from long standing performer Tommy Riddle. This five song EP spans Riddle's sixty year career, alternating between new recordings and songs from his classic country and gospel repertoire. The full sound is similar to Johnny Cash and Eddy Arnold, from whom Riddle has drawn inspiration since the dawn of his career. The five songs cover a good deal of subject matter, ranging from America's ugly history, reconciliation to prayer and faith in patriotism. "Where Have My People Gone" is well-produced and successful in its endeavor to remaster older cuts and master the more recent raw cuts, creating an overall timeless quality. The title track, "Where Have My People Gone," is a traditional country ballad that tells the tragic story of the trek of an American Indian warrior back to his native land, in which he finds that his tribe (his people) have been kicked off the land. "Under Your Wings" is an older country gospel recording about Riddle's relationship with Jesus with inspiring lyrics and a great piano, guitar, bass, and drum arrangement. "Where Have My People Gone" is a classic EP from a classic and classy musician. Longtime Tommy Riddle fans and lovers of timeless traditional country gospel are going to want to pick this up.
-Chris & the RadioIndy.com Review Team
Check out Tommy Riddle 's music on RadioIndy.com with link to purchase and links to popular sites

“Hey, Glance & Smile” by Mishu Hilmy (Folk/Country Artist from New York (NY))

"Hey, Glance & Smile" is the full-length debut from eclectic folk artist Mishu Hilmy. Hilmy is a solo artist and creates all of the sounds on the album, drawing from deep within his instrumental repertoire and laying down tracks with piano, acoustic guitar, accordion, banjo, and ukulele. The tracks are simple, relying maximally on two instruments and Hilmy's vocal performance for the fullness of sound, but it is the simplicity that makes it enjoyable. Hilmy's lyrics are quirky and narrative, conveying the wide variety of emotions that come with sleeping in cars and the redundancy of life. The overall sound, vocally and musically, is experimental folk that sounds like a wild combination of Modest Mouse and Bob Dylan. "Hey, Glance & Smile" was recorded at Hilmy's and his friends' houses, and the album has that raw, four-track sound that fits the genre and Hilmy's do-it-yourself mentality. "Front Door/Back Door" is an acoustic-driven track with some accordion, great lyrics, and a catchy chorus. "Road Kills" is a clean acoustic track about a run-in with a deer and features the memorable lyrics, "The world stayed fat/But who's to blame?/So I said, 'Oh my God.'" "Hey, Glance & Smile" is the result of a workhorse's endeavor to create a do-it-yourself, raw experimental folk album. Fans of the genre, show your support and pick up Mishu Hilmy's debut.
-Chris & the RadioIndy.com Review Team
Check out Mishu Hilmy's music on RadioIndy.com with link to purchase and links to popular sites

Friday, August 15, 2008

“Sunrise Forever” by Maurice Mertoli (Country Artist from Pennsylvania(PA))

"Sunrise Forever" is an impressive country pop album from a talented singer/songwriter in Maurice Mertoli. With this album, Mertoli has crafted ten gems with great arrangements that utilize the piano and harmonica to perfection, and feature nice guitar solos and some great vocal layering. Mertoli authored all of the songs, pouring his heart out into these upbeat and melodic songs about love, life, joy and sorrow. Mertoli delivers with a pop country vocal performance reminiscent of Garth Brooks and Alan Jackson, though "I Found My Way to You" and "Life Is What You Make It" feature a great female vocal performance. "Sunrise Forever" is well-recorded and sounds professional and superb. "Running Free" has one of the better arrangements on the album with a great piano line leading the way, a great bass line, and nice guitar solos. Mertoli shines as he sings catchy, positive lyrics about "Running Free" forever with the love of your life. "The Way She Loves Me" is a song about loving someone the exact same way they love you and features a great piano and harmonica arrangement. With "Sunrise Forever," Maurice Mertoli has delivered a solid country album with original arrangements and modern vocals and lyrics. Fans of country pop, pick up this album before the sun goes down.
-Chris & the RadioIndy.com Review Team
Check out Maurice Mertoli's music on RadioIndy.com with link to purchase and links to popular sites

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

“Contemporary Country Classics, Volume 3” by Distillery Dave (Country Artist from Ohio(OH))

"Contemporary Country Classics, Volume 3" is the third installment from singer/songwriter/professor Distillery Dave. What makes Dave unique is his ability to write songs that bridge the gap between traditional and contemporary country music. Distillery Dave fashions his music with crooning vocals at once similar to Conway Twitty and George Strait and layered arrangements with piano, steel guitar, violin, and great backing female vocals. Many of these elements are true to the traditional country form, through Dave adds modern elements with contemporary arrangements and lyrics and rock influenced guitar solos. Dave's lyrics are witty and clever, often adding an aura of humor to otherwise sad songs as he sings about love and heartbreak, loneliness and drinking. The production quality of "Contemporary Country Classics, Volume 3" is crisp and professional, simultaneously true to the traditional and modern country sounds. "Somebody's Needin' Somebody" opens the album with that subtle interplay of witty humor and sadness, great vocal layering and backing female vocals, and a catchy chorus. "That's the Way Love Goes" is a song about finding and keeping love, as Dave invokes cliché images of luckiness, horseshoes, rainbows, and four-leaf clovers, once again using his professorial wit. Overall, "Contemporary Country Classics, Volume 3" is a solid and enjoyable album that intelligently combines traditional country music with contemporary country music. Fans of either of these genres interested in witnessing their interplay should give Distillery Dave a listen.
-Chris & the RadioIndy.com Review Team
Check out Distillery Dave's music on RadioIndy.com with link to purchase and links to popular sites

Sunday, August 10, 2008

"Mercy Road" by Cole/Taylor (Country Artist from Georgia(GA))

Atlanta's own Cole/Taylor has crafted a winner with their Americana/alt-country album "Mercy Road." These guys are a great group of musicians that call out to the blue collar American in the same way Springsteen and Mellencamp do. They write pride-driven songs with a sense of hope and accomplishment, wrapping it all around a big ball of sound. What makes Cole/Taylor unique is their ability to bring a smoothness to their big sound – they can rock you as well as lull you into blues heaven. Much of this ability can be attributed to the variance in vocal style. "Mercy Road" is rather well-produced and ready to hit airwaves. Be sure to crank this one too. The boys come out of the gates strong with "Your Turn Now," the opener, which has a stadium-worthy sound and a great driving piano progression. The title track, "Mercy Road," is a heartfelt song with big, intimate, deep vocals and an unrelenting smoothness. "Ready To Love Again" is another standout, wrapping up the album with a nice jazzy blues feel. If you enjoy blues with a big Americana sound, pick up "Mercy Road."
-William
Check out Cole/Taylor's music on RadioIndy.com with link to purchase and links to popular sites

Friday, August 1, 2008

"Close the Door" by Tracylyn (Country artist from Illinois (IL))

"Close the Door" is the upbeat sophomore effort from contemporary pop country artist Tracylyn. Tracylyn gives a powerful vocal performance with a country twang similar to vocalists such as Faith Hill and Martina McBride. Her backing band is sound and creates solid arrangements that incorporate the violin, piano, and steel guitar into nearly every track complimenting Tracylyn's vocals quite well. The songs are generally up-tempo and are about love, faith and small town life. The lyrics are memorable and the songs are all extremely catchy. The recording quality is very good with a polished vocal sound and clarity of each individual instrument. "Maybe I Made You Up" is a psychological song about falling in love, with a nice melody, a catchy chorus and some nice guitar work. The title track, "Close the Door" is the sole downtempo track on the album, a slow piano ballad with powerful lyrics about a former significant other's "infidelity." Overall, "Close the Door" is a fun album with an impressive vocal performance from Tracylyn, true-to-life lyrics, and great arrangements. Fans of female vocalists and contemporary pop country won't "Close the Door" on Tracylyn.
-Chris & the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
Check out Tracylyn 's music on RadioIndy.com with link to purchase and links to popular sites