Kala Farnham offers beauteous sophomore album Samadhi: Home Is Where You Are
Kala Farnham’s second album Samadhi: How Is Where You Are offers bold musical accomplishments and one of New England’s best voices in one of this year’s best written and best recorded works. A folk artist who incorporates many other roots elements, Farnham coats her gems with her astonishingly good vocal applications. The Connecticut singer-songwriter is also still young enough to take her music to a much higher level in the next few years.
Hilton Park strike solid gold acoustic beauty on Moments
The latest Hilton Park CD, Moments, offers much of the acoustic instrument beauty this Maine-based folk-rock trio has relied on in the past. Their singer-songwriter bent continues to sweep the listener away with the more familiar Hilton Park feeling and vibe, albeit more forlorn and wistful this time around.
Rumblecat standout with impressive debut disc ‘Till The Neighbors Shout
Rumblecat’s debut CD ‘Till The Neighbors Shout is loaded with hard driving, goodtime, soulful music. Delivered with talent and explosive energy, this disc shows why Vermont-based Rumblecat won a New England Music Award for Best In State: Vermont only three years after forming. The group has got their roots rock sound down pat and they know how to spread it around a song with cool vigor.
Sugar Ray And The Bluetones come up with a dandy CD Seeing Is Believing
One can never have too much of a good thing. Sugar Ray And The Bluetones have released another fine blues album, Seeing Is Believing. Brimming with powerful blues in all 12 tracks, this winsome album will be playing in many local stereo systems by the end of this year. Most of these songs are originals, as all the band members are songwriters, and that makes this whole thing feel fresh and personal even though this kind of blues music has been with us for generations.
Ilene Springer paints large canvas of words and sounds on Got To Be Brave album
Ilene Springer’s new CD Got To Be Brave offers listeners of seriously good singer-songwriter material plenty to feast their ears on. Springer’s voice gives new meaning to the word lovely and she applies it to several larger than life themes and soundscapes.
Blues scene veteran Bobby Leger scores big with impressive debut CD Imaginary Dream
Bobby Leger’s debut CD Imaginary Dream is loaded with fantastic blues songs and some fine songs influenced by the blues. Leger’s voice is often a plaintive scream. At other times it’s a drawling lead vocal over a slow boil build up. His flair for writing and co-writing the music that best serves his voice is on full display in these ten knock out, drag out original numbers.
Young Frontier offer impressive debut album
Young Frontier is a soulful folk-rock outfit with a good amount of dramatic tension in their songs. Actually, “soulful folk rock” might not even be the best terminology to describe their music. It’s hard to pigeonhole what this trio and their guest musicians are doing here. Vocalist Joe Young, guitarist Daniel King, and cellist Bethany Weiman are doing their own thing, regardless of the number of roots elements they incorporate here. Besides, how often does a roots combo or folk band utilize a cello?
Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki Trio offers sweeping Celtic beauty on Return To The Castle
The Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki Trio first release as a musical combo, Return To The Castle, brings a fresh perspective to Celtic music. Instead of the usual rambunctious party music played on acoustic instruments, the JTW trio play wide, sweeping ballads that immerse the listener in the gentler, softer side of this centuries old folk music from the other side of the pond.
Spiritual Rez offer a fun party vibe with Setting In The West
Spiritual Rez’s latest release Setting In The West offers a lot of fun reggae/ska material that keeps the toes tapping, the heads bobbing, and the hearts singing. Nothing beats good musicians who can make their fans feel good, like they’re having a nonstop party on an eternal beach.
Steve Morgan And The Kingfish offer a lot on Blues In Paradise, a must have local CD
Steve Morgan And The Kingfish have been gaining more attention this past year in greater-Boston/New England blues scene. After winning a Cape Cod talent contest and winning the Boston Blues Society’s Blues Challenge , Morgan and his Kingfish earned larger press coverage as well as the opening slots at major area blues festivals. Their 2013 CD Blues In Paradise gives a taste of what local blues fans have been missing from Cape Cod’s best kept secret.
