MCOct14

Production
7
Lyrics
7
Music
8
Vocals
8
Musicianship 7
Yung Citizen
Contact: dlwilliams@choose2succeed.org
Web: yungcitizen.com
Seeking: Label, Distribution, Film/TV,
Advertising, Booking
Style: hip-hop
This North Carolina artist delivers an unusually
forthright, optimistic message. And
while he tends to be too obvious in his lyrics,
we like his phasered synth beats on the
tunes “Dreams” and “Success,” and how
he craftily adds subtle synth lines (even a
floating flute sound) and backing vocals
to keep us entertained. On “Hope” he adds
neo-classical strings and a female lead
vocalist and the results are what you could
call “cinematic hip-hop meets gospel.” But
this song, like his others, fails to lift us to
the promised land, so to speak. And it is
this aspect––a lack of climax/arrival––that,
if corrected, could really add impact to this
artist’s work.
Production
7
Lyrics
7
Music
7
Vocals
8
Musicianship 8
Bordertown Saints
Contact: Deaner13@gmail.com
Web: bordertownsaints.com
Seeking: Label, Booking, Film/TV, Distrib.
Style: Alt. Country/Americana
Ruben Rivera’s whiskey-worn vocal rasp
and yodel-yelp is what paces this seasoned
honky tonk outfit whose music will play
well to maturing festival crowds along
the Americana circuit. Material such as
“Lock n Load,” the laid-back “Every Song
Reminds Me of You” and the vivid “Down
In The Delta” exhibit nice touch and twang,
but we can’t overlook the anemic rhythm
section, particularly the drumming. While
the guitarist’s husky, low-neck fretwork and
the fiddle player’s dexterity are a pleasure,
the skinsman keeps a timid, way too low
profile. (Sack up, fella!) Though we can assume
that energy is not a problem at their
live gigs, these undercooked recordings
won’t help the band to lure new fans.
218
Contact: dkellyukatu@yahoo.com
Web: soundcloud.com/r3ptr-3
Seeking: Label, Booking
Style: Hip-Hop, Rap
VYD
Contact: info@vydmusic.com
Web: vydmusic.com
Seeking: Mgmt, Label
Style: NuDisco/Rock
Production
7
Lyrics
7
Music
8
Vocals
8
Musicianship 7
Hip-hop act 218 have no intention of hitting
the mainstream; you won’t find commercial
hooks here. What you will find is some
satanic, relentlessly dark beats whose
giant-sized bass tones are meant to rattle
your chassis. “Never” is a case in point:
an insane, menacing bass beat over which
218 lay their flow. We especially like how
each of this act’s vocalists possesses a
distinctive tone at the mic. We only wish
the song’s beat had more clarity––without
so much muddiness. “Please” continues
the bass tone bonanza while “Nonsense”
breaks the format a bit, varying the vibe
back and forth. This is a talented bunch
who would do well to get a handle on their
wildly fluctuating mix levels.
Production
8
Lyrics
7
Music
7
Vocals
6
Musicianship 8
What couldn’t be more obvious about these
promising songs is that the lead vocals
do not measure up. Overall the tracks are
consistently solid—mostly synth-driven
with the occasional analog instrument,
such as the ‘80/Slash-like guitar solo on
“Heaven Hold Me Still.” We only wish the
arrangement, including its hand claps,
delivered a gust of energy for the grand
finale. On “Telepathic Lover” we dig the
snapping bass licks, bluesy/jazzy piano fills
and overall funky flavor whose playfulness
reminds us of Chromeo and even Capital
Cities. Dance party tune “Mysterious Ways”
shows that these guys want to get the
crowd on its feet. But, right now, it is quite
clear that it’s time to hire a singer.
Black Valentine
Contact: frankyanno@social.rr.com
Web: soundcloud
Seeking: Label, Distrib., Booking
Style: Hard Rock / Metal
Mixologist Mikk
Contact: mikko@mixologistmusic.com
Web: MixologistMusic.com
Seeking: Reviews, Booking, Collabs
Style: Futuristic Urban-Pop
Production
7
Lyrics
7
Music
7
Vocals
7
Musicianship 7
From the first notes of “Fallen Angel,” Black
Valentine state their chosen purpose—to
deliver raw, sturdy, sludgy hard rock a la
Velvet Revolver. Problem with this track,
though, is that the frontman is presented
entirely without an ounce of reverb, and it
kills the overall effect. Vocals fare better on
the fire & brimstone themed and Alice in
Chains influenced “Salvation Game,” but
are especially strong on “Enemy,” which is
far and away the band’s best outing. Propelled
by a slithering bass line, bolstered
by good backup singing and a guitarist
who shows his chops on a wailing solo, we
came away feeling this well-named band is
probably a strong live act whose recordings
do not yet do them justice.
Production
7
Lyrics
7
Music
7
Vocals
6
Musicianship 7
The quality of this artist’s tracks underscsores
the inadequacy of his vocals. The
melodies are fine––it’s the singer that
limits their appeal. “Black Hole” has a good
concept, and the addition of a female vocalist,
Andrea, is a good one, even if she tends
to flat out at times. “Miss Universe” has
an accessible beat and the lead vocal has
swagger and confidence but simply doesn’t
bring enough energy. It’s a sterile sounding
product. A bright spot here is the guest vocal
on the pop-centric “Starstruck”; though
it again is hampered by a lack of energy,
there is an innate singing ability from guest
Rex D Moral that might be developed into
something effective and urgent. We urge
Mikk to find a singer who can kill.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: There is absolutely no charge for a New Music Critique. We critique recordings that have yet to connect with a label or distributor.
To be considered please go to http://musicconnection.com/get-reviewed. All submissions are randomly selected and reviewed by committee.
October 2014
musicconnection.com 51