Category: Artists (Page 111 of 262)

Steal This Song: Jem, “On Top of the World”

August 17, 2008 /

Ooooh, her music is so dreamy. And she’s not hard on the eyes, either.

The press release for Jem’s upcoming album Down to Earth threatens that it will be a disturbingly eclectic affair, using choirs, banjos, Latin beats and even Cut Chemist doing his thing. Her blog-approved song “On Top of the World,” however, is all about the blissed-out pop. Not that there is anything wrong with that. St. Etienne’s best-of receives near-daily play at Chez Medsker, so this sounds just fine to me. I will reserve judgment on the “funky banjo” track until I hear it, though.


Jem – On Top of the World

Artists, Downloads, External Music, Pop, Songs, Soul

Nick Motil: Everything’s Alright

August 8, 2008 /

This six-song EP by singer/songwriter Nick Motil is sure to please fans of artists like James Taylor. In fact, Motil sounds enough like Taylor on “Butterflies” here that you’d almost have to double-check whom you were hearing if you didn’t know beforehand. Motil’s music is tasteful, acoustic-based stuff that will easily tug at the tender heartstrings of music fans who yearn for something that reminds them of yesteryear. While it’s nice to hear Motil do his thing, it’d be nice to hear him stretch out a bit more. After all, not every tune needs to run at a slow canter. But that’s what you get here, a handful of slower-paced tunes that are well produced, well sung, and are completely contemporary. It’s hard not to imagine females everywhere swooning for the likes of “Cliche” and “Try Harder.” But will the guys like it? It’s hard to say. James Taylor had legions of fans, so it’s probably a safe bet that Nick Motil can capture the ears of anyone out there as well. But again, it would have been nice to hear him do something a bit more adventurous – even just one song, even – instead of staying in his comfort zone for the length of this disc. (self-released)

Nick Motil MySpace page

Artists, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop

Jimmy Lloyd: Jimmy Lloyd

August 8, 2008 /

Ouch. There’s something here that’s just not working. Maybe it’s the way Jimmy Lloyd tends to be way too repetitive in the lyrics to his songs (“Maybe,” “Half Human”), or maybe it’s the way this album sounds like it was recorded quickly and the band doesn’t sound quite as tight as they should (drummer Ian McGlynn almost sounds lost at times on “Half Human”). Then there are the strained lyrical conceits (“Maybe you have a thing for black guys, maybe your mother didn’t love you enough”; “well I never felt as anonymous as I did in the west Texas rain / It sure as hell wasn’t Christ risin’ beneath the billboard of his name.”) Indeed, Lloyd’s strained singing to hit some of those notes on “Siddhartha in a Chevy” is just painful at times. Springsteen this guy ain’t. “cop Bar” isn’t half as tough as it wants to be and “Are You Ready to Keep Some Secrets” is just plain corny. Lloyd seems competent enough, but there’s nothing on this album to really prove it too well. (self-released)

Jimmy Lloyd’s MySpace page.

Artists, CD QuickTakes, Rock

Janelia: I’m an African

August 8, 2008 /

Janelia is a likable African-American artist who explores her pride in her family’s roots on I’m an African, an 11-song semi-concept lbum about her life as a “second generation” African, born in America. The title track is instantly enjoyable, featuring a bouncing, almost tribal rhythm and excellent melody. It’s borderline reggae, but not completely. “Baba Wa” explores the exploitation of such natural African resources as gold and diamonds an d the violent bloodshed the demand for both can bring. “Ashabi” is a chant sung in African, and “Get on Down” is a celebration of life, friends, and love. The songs on this album are quite good. The production of it is another thing, however. Most of the tunes sound a little thin, and the repeated instrumentation and style sounds a little too familiar after awhile. yet the messages and melodies here are strong, and Janelia is to be commended for bringing her spiritual messages to the groove so succinctly. Definitely worth a listen. (self-released)

Janelia’s MySpace page.

Artists, CD QuickTakes, Pop

Broken Poets: Everything in Nature

August 8, 2008 /

The Broken Poets have created an excellent little album here that features a brand of dramatic pop that fans of bands like The Church and artists like Bob Dylan should really enjoy. Such majestic tunes as “To Dream of Another Life” go a long way to cementing the Poets’ sound in the minds of their listeners. This is serious, sweeing stuff. “Last Resurrection of the First Bob Dylan” is thankfully not hokey the way its title might lead one to believe. In fact, these guys successfully hit upon the same sorts of grooves that Dylan did on Highway 61 Revisted in their tone and cynicism. Then there are tunes like the richly textured “Meaningless Heart” that brings a strong rock sense to the table that is at once immediate and exciting. There’s something spiritually righteous about it, too. Sometimes the album can get a little precious for its own good, but mostly this is just great listening through and through making The Broken Poets a band certainly worth keeping both eyes and ears upon. (Wordvendor Records)

Broken Poets’ MySpace page.

Artists, CD Reviews, Pop, Rock

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