Review

Art frequently imitates life, and vice versa, and it’s clear from the start of the new single and music video “Two Dogs & a Rat” from singer/songwriter Michelle A. Jones that she didn’t source this story from imagination alone. There’s something very honest and unfanciful about this single; something that …

Michael Dean Hall isn’t putting up a big, pomp-filled show in the music video for his new single “It Really Sucks Getting Old;” he’s taking us through a day in his life, embodying the story in the lyrics and rejecting the notion that you have to include a lot of …

Rebellion in music doesn’t always wind up cultivated in the obvious, and rather than featuring wild haircuts or anarchistic lyrics, Seal Party is getting a little more creative with their rejection of the establishment. The band’s new single “Maison” is a statement all by itself, and it says these players …

Controlling tempo with percussion or a groove-powered bassline is one thing, but to take a verse and use it as an agent of movement and vitality takes skill on another level, which is essentially what B. West is wielding in his new single “The Narrative” this June. While some of …

From the second the beat pounces on the melodic underpinning in “2 Many,” it’s pretty clear to the listener that the groove-powered afrobeat track is out to put us in a mood this June. Neither the chaotic grind of trap nor the artificial bassline of mainstream rap are present in …

Some voices can do anything – from R&B to rock, jazz to country, these singers can cover just about any ground they lay their eyes on, and while I just got turned onto the music of Najjah Calibur this month, I have a feeling he might be one of these …

The concept behind the new music video for AJ Smith’s single “Better” is admittedly more cerebral than what you see in the bulk of indie-pop releases coming out of the underground this year, but its postmodern fusion of self-awareness, humility, and an understated longing that inevitably evolves into a brief …

A lot of acts spend the better part of their early careers searching for an identity, a signature sound, and even a jumping-off point from which to launch a narrative unto their audience, but this isn’t a problem plaguing RM47. “Strangers,” their inviting and fun new single and music video, …

In the truest of blues and jazz music, hiding behind synths and samples isn’t an option – if you’re not able to exploit the credibility of a real harmony, an honest groove, or a heartfelt lyric, you don’t have a show to play. guUs’ sound, which veers between blues and …

Against the shadows, Albert Cummings is standing in the lone ray of light in his music video for “Meet the Man,” and the symbolism of this expression isn’t hard to interpret. In a genre that has contemporarily slid into commerciality a little more each year for the better part of …

Hitpapa doesn’t just want to make another stock rap single, as many of his rivals seem more than content to do this summer, and that could be why he decided to team with another heavyweight indie player in Emtee for his latest single, “I’ll Be There.” In this song, these …

Don’t mistake the visuals in the new music video for Veve C’s “Breeze” to be a seduction sequence – rather than pandering to the standard among a lot of female rappers in her scene, this is one player who is presenting her personality straight-up and without the frills some build …