Music Publicity

Artist: Lesley Spencer
Title: Moments Musicaux
Genre: Classical-New Age-AC
Label: Gabriella Music
Website
CD Baby Link

Lesley Spencer is a free-lance producer, composer, and pianist with a considerable amount of recorded works. Moments Musicaux is her tenth full length album. Ms. Spencer also has contributed to the San Francisco Opera, Victory Gardens Theatre, Urban Gateways, and Radio City Recording.

Moments Musicaux is a beautiful collection of Classical, New Age, and Adult Contemporary tracks meant for easy listening and relaxation. All of these instrumental tracks would be suitable for a movie soundtrack or commercial use. The original compositions are so strong and appealing that they could be easily used for those looking for a meditative experience. Do not misinterpret that as a suggestion that this music will put you to sleep, it’s quite the contrary. The piano playing that Lesley exhibits on this recording is exemplary and full of life and positive energy, like individual time capsules of poetic exquisiteness without words played especially for you.

The fact that all the tracks are originals composed by the performing artist, scores highly with this listener. Every single track is a work of art that takes shape promptly and then easily leads you down a guided path of “Child”s Play” or “The Dance of Life.”

Right down to every detail and the perfectly named tracks, Moments Musicaux is a foray into instrumental bliss that will delight all lovers of music and those partial to instrumental songs that take elements of classical and turn them into what was classified as new age several decades ago. New Age is not new in the sense of what the music actually sounds like, it was a buzz word coined to give a an age old genre a little more appeal to an audience that it would normally not attract.

This type of collection holds many possibilities for listeners and it has the power to appeal to any age group anywhere in the world. All you have to do is open up the CD and give it a spin, no further explanation is necessary.

5/5 Stars

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

April 29, 2009

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For Questions or Comments On This Review Send An Email To info@muzikreviews.com

Tracks:

01. Dance Of Life
02. Child's Play
03. Fellini Waltz
04. Pirouette
05. The Lost Baby
06 The Path Of My Soul
07. Ode To Harry Potter
08. Good Bye Dear Friends
09. Morning Edition
10. Scherzo
11. Little Jazz Waltz
12. Rainy Day Theme
13. Force Of Nature
14. Inventing Time
15. Waltz For Keegan
16. Raison d'Etre

Artist: No Restraints
Title: Xout
Genre: Progressive Rock
Label: Independent
Website
CD Baby Link

Two years ago I was introduced to No Restraints and found myself captivated by their progressive rock sound on the 2007 release In The Left Lane. Now their follow up Xout has been officially released today.

This release is different but more intense lyrically and musically. The keyboards and vocals of Mark Smith once again lead the way with a touch of gothic and some operatic vocals provided by Christina Terry. She does a good job filling the necessary parts in tracks and it all seems to fit quite well together.

The title of the CD is bit of play on words, one look and it says X Out and the next is Xout, which actually means external output. This makes sense because the meaning can be two fold if you so choose. It is whatever you want it to be and they invite that kind of self examination and introspection with their music. I had some fun with the possibilities. I love the way this album kicks off with a track titled “She’s A Tsunami”, it is an early indicator that No Restraints is going to hold back nothing to get your attention. It comes as no surprise that is exactly the way it turns out as each successive track stands up tall and proud with fantastic piano runs and haunting vocals that are designed perfectly for a theater near you. When you hear the closing track, an instrumental called “Clovis Point”; this becomes clear as a blue sky without a single cloud to clutter the vision that you will hear if you are paying close attention.

Mark Smith is brilliant and his band mates Ron Wood (drums), Mitch Parker (bass), and Christina Terry (vocals) are equally impressive and up for the challenge of each composition.

Xout is taking a step in the right direction and clearly there has been some serious development with their music. They made some changes with members and stepped back and got back to basics so their sound is more defined and poignant than it ever was. People in prog circles really need to start paying attention to this band because they are paving their own way and making a mark with Xout.

5/5 Stars

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

May 1, 2009

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Tracks:
1 She's A Tsunami
2 Makes You Mad
3 Who Cares?
4 Cauldera (3rd Variation)
5 I'm On My Own
6 3 Shadows
7. Clovis Point

Artist: Ed Maly
Title: Guitar Jock
Genre: Blues
Label: Hot Texas Tunes
Website
CD Baby Link

On his seventh release Guitar Jock, Ed Maly delivers a set of scathing blues-rock songs. Maly’s guitar playing on the album is a pleasure to any blues fan, and he is aptly backed by his band to create a smart combination of toe-tapping rhythms and inspiring guitar melodies. The guitarists’ raspy vocals on tracks like “That’s Just How Much” and “Seven Deadly” tops the sound of Guitar Jock off nicely, giving the album a classic blues feel.

Maly does a great job changing out guitar and rhythm styles on Guitar Jock to bring a level of diversity to his songs that keeps each track sounding fresh. The opening track “That’s Just How Much” and the title-song “Guitar Jock” are anchored by the impressive soloing of Maly. However, he adds in a second guitar line that makes the most of wah- wah pedal, giving the tracks an undeniable funk feel.

Maly pulls this funky-blues sound off several times on Guitar Jock with a lot of success, most notably on “Cinderella” and the correctly titled “Wah Wah Eyes.”

Other songs on the LP have their roots in jazz as well as blues. The wailing key melodies of “Seven Deadly” and “Guitar Man” showcase this aspect of Maly’s sound well.

At other times, Guitar Jock uses a more traditional blues sound. The simmering guitar melodies of “If You Were A Guitar,” “Happy Blues” and “History” leave no doubt that Maly is a talented blues musician.

Fans of country music will also find something to like on the record. The twangy melodies of “Country Girl” and “Get-ter Bug” build a rockabilly vibe that country fans will find hard not to get along with.

No matter what kind of stylistic changes Ed Maly uses on Guitar Jock, he has success with all of them. The album is a unique take on the blues that fans of the genre are sure to enjoy.

4/5 Stars

MuzikReviews.com Assistant Senior Editor- Chris Homer

April 30, 2009

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For Questions Or Comments About This Review Send An Email To chomer@muzikreviews.com

Tracks:

01. That’s Just How Much
02. Guitar Jock
03. Cinderella
04. Wants Her Guitar Man
05. Seven Deadly
06. Country Girl
07. If You Were A Guitar
08. Get-ter Bug
09. Wah Wah Eyes
10. Guitar Man
11. Happy Blues
12. Demo
13. You Just Keep On
14. History
15. For A Song
16. I’m So Sorry
17. To Get You On The Dance Floor

Artist: Neil Carswell
Title: Keep You Guessing
Genre: Rock-Blues-Country
Label: Aspirion Records
Website
CD Baby Link

Well it has been a long time Neil, where have you been the last three years? The answer is right here on this CD all tied up in the words and music. Carswell sings the blues about going to hell and back and then the switch to becoming a repentant soul to answer for his sins. And thankfully for all of us listeners, he rocks with country blues oozing out of his pores, like a man born to pick up a six-string and tell his story.

Carswell does it again and makes the long wait worthwhile on Keep You Guessing. Neil keeps good company again in the studio with a roster graced with incredible talent including Stu Kimball (producer, guitarist), Chris Anderson (guitarist, The Outlaws and Blackhawk), Johnny Neil (keyboards, The Allman Brothers and Govt. Mule), Larry Campbell (multi-instrumentalist, guitarist for Levon Helm), Don Herron (multi-instrumentalist, Bob Dylan and BR549) Judd Fuller (bassist, Rodney Atkins), Kevin Rapillo (drummer, Rodney Atkins) Barry Goudreau (Grammy winning Guitarist, Boston) as well as Victor Krauss (bassist), Mike Levesque (drums) and Kim Keyes (vocalist).

Not a bad roll call and certainly every one of these great musicians compliment Neil’s country-blues drenched vocals. To pick any particular track as one that stands above the rest almost seems unfair as all 15 tracks seem to fall together into one story that is genuinely from the very essence of his soul backed with some smokin’ blues-country-rock that only Neil Carswell can set up right and do it justice. There is a good balance of acoustic picking, electric licks, and slide to satisfy anyone’s musical palette.

I have to mention a few favorites anyway, “Gypsy Lady”, the title track and ”Since I Meet You” caught my ear and made me understand the man behind the music a bit more. That is the whole point and once you hear it you will find meaning in the music and perhaps a better perspective of what holds true in your own life.

Neil Carswell keeps on keepin’ on “Till the Blues Come In” and set him off on another trail that leads to the bastards and bitches he runs into during his journey that influence his thought process and choices (as he explains in his liner notes) then he is back in the studio cutting a classic rendering of true life like Keep You Guessing.

4/5 Stars

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

April 24, 2009

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For questions or comments regarding this review email me at info@muzikreviews.com

Tracks:
01. Bright Lights
02. Gypsy Lady
03. Every Sad Song
04. She
05. Keep You Guessing
06. Since I Met You
07. Till the Blues Come In
08. Time to Think
09. Nothing Left to Lose
10. Roll On
11. Carolina Line
12. Big Sky
13. South Wind
14. Temporary Relief
15. Altar Call

Artist: East of Fairfax
Title: Nothing’s Different, Nothing’s the Same
Genre: Pop-Rock
Label: Independent
Website
CD Baby Link

Though highly derided and scoffed at by so-called musical elites, well-written and well-performed pop is a tricky beast to tame. When executed with perfection, it practically ensures stardom; when mishandled, it's worse than karaoke. The LA-based collaborative East of Fairfax falls into neither category, lacking just another coat or two of polish to turn their heart-on-sleeve sensitivity into worldwide domination. Though their sophomore release Nothing's Different, Nothing's the Same presents all the proper pieces, the final product is perhaps a tad too calm, a tad too serene, and perhaps even a tad too derivative (even for pop) to leave a lasting impact. The result is Daughtry on Ritalin – talented and smooth, but stuck in the clouds once too often.

East of Fairfax's double-edged sword is frontman Brian Spain, the perfectly-named crooner whose charisma will either be a priceless boon to the band's career or else its death. Spain and Spain alone is plastered on the paraphernalia, raising questions as to whether the group – which includes a great deal of guest players – is merely a supporting rung for his own talent. That's not to say that the Spain-as-headliner strategy isn't smart; indeed, with ample amounts of confidence and personality behind the mic, Spain has the standard qualifications for an arena rock vocalist. Trouble is, Nothing's the Same doesn't offer that sort of blistering sing-along fare, and is more apt for quiet coffee-house sipping than crowd-spanning idolatry.

The lack of fire is Fairfax's biggest hurdle towards forging some kind of distinguishable identity. Opening track "More Than The Sun" is better for a drive in southern Cal than as an eye-raising introduction, and wastes a golden chance at lasting impressions. Furthermore, the mystique of songs like "Feel This Too" and "Ready For Descent" should theoretically provide a more muscular display than the result allows, as little soul ends up escaping the polished gleam. The overarching impression is that Fairfax has accomplished the latter half of every artist's career hurdle – slick professionalism, solid musicianship, studio presence, and the like – but not the elementary steps; that is, rugged originality and group chemistry that separates shepherds from the flock. The meandering "Time & Space" is a perfect example of this: what should be a splendid piano piece is instead rather murky, rich in everything but a notable melody to tie all the emotions together.

East of Fairfax – and thus, Nothing's Different, Nothing's the Same – are easy to like, but difficult to love. Some of the puzzle pieces work and some do not, which is to be expected, but even the good is often marred by a tendency to hem and haw. The record puts much of its effort into trying to please and befriend its listeners, when instead it should be knocking them onto their backs. That is the general essence of power pop, as even the most radio-friendly of bands know how to put intrigue and volume to good use. Fairfax needs to unbolt and unchain the raw elements if they are ever to finish the oft-started,rarely-completed conquest of pop stardom.

3/5 Stars

Kevin Liedel, MuzikReviews.com Sr. Staff Editor

April 24, 2009

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For Questions or Comments On This Review Send An Email To kliedel@muzikreviews.com

Tracks:
01.More Than the Sun
02.Feel This Too
03.Time + Space
04.Like Ghosts
05.Letter to a Friend
06.Get in the Game
07.I Could See Us Together
08.The Damage
09.For All This Time
10.Ready for Descent
11.Until You Say Goodbye

Philadelphia, PA-April 27, 2009- Meat Dbeatles Vol. 1 is a compilation of Beatles song covers by independent recording artists affiliated with either DMusic.com, an internet music collaboration and social network, or its subsidiary, Lost Gold Records. The project was kick started by a comment on a thread on the site, and the contributing artists were off and running. The entire album was complete in 4 months.

The 18 tracks that comprise the compilation include Beatles favorites such “Come Together”, “Lady Madonna”, “Let It Be”, and many others. Each track has its own personality and will sound nothing like you ever heard before when it comes to Beatles cover tunes. Everything from reggae to bluegrass is covered, with high energy and the undying indie spirit that can be found throughout the DMusic website and their members.

Even though a majority of the music was recorded on a home based computer systems using Protools and various other programs the sound is incredibly good. You can check it out online at http://www.meatdbeatles.com/.

Some of the tracks are takes on rather obscure Beatles tunes like "Helter Skelter" and "Tomorrow Never Knows" and others are the updated versions of more popular tunes that the fab four made famous.

The most important factor for all the artists involved was that none of the tracks are affiliated with the RIAA, or any of the major recording labels. This is good news for the digital age and download generation as the big guys will not be knocking on your door with their hand out if you happen to download any of the tracks.

For more information and media on Meat Dbeatles Vol. 1 visit their website.

Company: DMusic
Contact: Tracy Feldman
Address: 432 Tulpehocken Ave., Elkins Park, PA 19027
Tel: 215-885-3302
Email
Website
Buy Link

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Artist: Drifting in Silence
Title: Facewithin
Genre: Electronica
Label: Labile Records
Website
Amazon Link

It's difficult to classify what constitutes "experimental electronica," considering the genre's increasing penchant for unstructured melodies and general ambience. That established, it can be said with some confidence that the music of Drifting in Silence, the umbrella pseudonym for instrumentalist Derrick Stembridge, is a good example of it. Stembridge's fifth release Facewithin lies somewhere in between cinematic mood music and an adrenalized video game opus, dressed in a muscular mystique that could be likened to soundtracks for Fight Club, The Matrix, and even Half-Life 2.

Thankfully, Facewithin is true to its aura-crafting purposes, laying off the tired crutches of clubbing music in favor of new age theater. For what it is and what it aims to do, Facewithin is undoubtedly a success, despite its tendency to stand more as a testament to Stembridge's talent than any sort of united vision.

Then again, the latter point is somewhat of a relief: though Facewithin often strives to be a "concept album," its overall effect is nowhere as ham-handed. There are no numbered pieces or character narratives, nor some sort of dystopian metaphor beneath all the musical current. Facewithin is instead scattershot: it spreads it tentacles in different directions, preferring gray and airy sounds paired with driving percussion as substitution for recurring melodies. It is thus freer than the music of, say, Outputmessage or Mint Royale, who rely on pop strategies to deliver their electronic bliss.

It is a credit to Stembridge, then, that Facewithin remains engaging despite the noticeable lack of melodic coherence. Dealing in a palette of razor tones and other crisp sounds, one would think that Drifting in Silence could never achieve the sonic glory that bursts forth from fellow instrumentalists like Explosions in the Sky, with their bell-like guitarwork and climbing melodies. Yet the musical handicap never truly cripples Facewithin, with pieces such as "Coming Up For Air" and "Misunderstood" managing to escape the bittersweet designation of "good driving music."

In reality, Facewithin's greatest weakness is its brevity - consisting of five original tracks and three remixes, many listeners may wish for Stembridge to take a breath and expand beyond the rather quick half-hour running time. The cinematic flair is therefore a tad clipped, though it does nothing to drown Stembridge's other talents. For a self-described symphonic project, Drifting in Silence remains unnaturally disciplined and rarely contrived - a welcome, if unexpected, pleasure.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Kevin Liedel, MuzikReviews.com Sr. Staff Editor

April 21, 2009

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For Questions or Comments On This Review Send An Email To kliedel@muzikreviews.com

Tracks:
01. Forever
02. Misunderstood
03. Facewithin
04. Coming Up For Air
05. Virus
06. Facewithin (Drev Remix) 07. Facewithin (Her Odd Fist Remix)
08. Facewithin (Anthony Baldino Remix)