Pantomime Rebel – “399”: Guest House bassist/vocalist/producer Brian Hodge recently released a solo single under this moniker. In addition to the Central Ohio band’s tunes released this year, “399” marks the fourth individual project from GH’s charter members to drop this year. From beginning to end, this indie rock gem scores with great guitar play and fabulous vocals. Much like his bandmates, Hodge has a mind for laying a solid foundation with experience as a songwriter, musician, and producer. Co-produced and co-recorded by Hodge and new GH drummer Isiah Short, “399” possesses melancholy lyrics against six minutes of catchy folk rock audio goodness. This strong lead-off single is great promotion for the album HONESTY, which is set to drop on Christmas Eve. Fun Fact: On Bandcamp, the song’s somber lyrics are posted along with Hodge’s 2017 debut solo single “Lenore” which is cut from a vastly different cloth.
Letters Of Transit – “Blood on the Road” / “Cults of Personality”: The Central Ohio alternative rock quartet returns with a couple of new tunes as follow-ups to tracks “Don’t Wait” and “Hold Tight”. The band warned that these new tunes were going to be more aggressive than anything from their repertoire and they spoke the absolute truth. 2020 has been rough on a lot of people and it was the band’s mission to take their frustrations out in the studio, resulting in two raucous ragers. On both tunes, lead singer/guitarist Jack Storey’s vivid vocals are high-quality from the first note to the last. The blaring drum work of Aaron Spencer is quite noticeable throughout the songs, further solidifying the intensity. Furthermore, bass and guitar play from Donny Phillips and J.C. Young respectively brings everything together. The lads’ combined efforts make “Blood” and “Cults” a knockout combination that will leave rock listeners’ ears ringing for days.
Jeff Straw – “Smile In Your Pocket”: The highly regarded Columbus, Ohio Master-Of-All-Trades is back with a sensational song under his own name that will blow listeners away. Around town, Straw is known as a respected sound engineer and as a member of admired acts Straw & The Scarecrow, The Devil Doves, and Sussman Can’t Sleep. On his first solo tune in two years, he has delivered an amazing electropop ballad that sounds like a dedication to his beloved, who also happens to be an acclaimed musician in her own right. The beats are bombastic and Straw’s vocals are a mixture of Moby and Canadian musician John O’Regan, known for a time under the moniker Diamond Rings. “Smile In Your Pocket” might last just over a couple of minutes, but after hearing it the listeners’ smiles on their faces will last for a long time.
Demi Michelle – “All I Want This Christmas”: Tis the season for holiday-themed tunes and the upstart singer-songwriter provides an original ballad that means a great deal in our world’s current turmoil. Demi’s terrific take on a practical and thoughtful meaningful Christmas in a pandemic will give even the Grinches and Scrooges of the world all sorts of feels. The Pittsburgh-area multi-instrumentalist is going to take the world by storm and it is only a matter of time. “All I Want This Christmas” displays Demi’s delightful voice and spot-on piano play. Think of her as this generation’s Vanessa Carlton, who herself has had a long and heralded career. For more proof of what Demi has to provide the world, accessing her first single “Into Focus”.
Said Sara – “I Star As You”: This acoustic ditty is courtesy of San Francisco area artist David Benson and is a major departure from his drumming with death metal bands Acephaliz and Depressor. As Said Sara, Benson shows off songwriting chops reminiscent of soloists such as Michael Penn, Angie Aparo, to name a couple. Major kudos to Benson for taking an atypical approach to “I Star As You” from a vocal standpoint. His unique singing voice helps the song stand out from similarly written and performed tunes. The arrangement and flow are superb and they make “I Star As You” one hell of a ballad with the guitar play, drums, and piano interwoven to absolute brilliance. For more from the mind of Benson as Said Sara, it is recommended curious ears stream from the debut EP released earlier in the year featuring three songs written 30 years back.
Shape Of The Sun – “I Was the One”: The sound of alternative rock awesomeness of yesteryear returns thanks to Columbus, Ohio musician Nate Linek. The follow-up to “Where We Go from Here” is a delight that is rarely heard these days. Give the man credit where it is due as he has constructed a masterful song from the ground up. Each musical part along with those Brandon Flowers-esque vocals makes for approximately three minutes of rock n’ roll fun that get the pulses racing, the toes tapping, and the heads bobbing. Once the old normal of live events occurs again, it will be a thing of beauty for SOTS to perform “I Was the One” and his other gems on a big stage in front of what is guaranteed to be a receptive audience.
Valencia James – “All The Waves”: This Australian pop star delivers a very relatable tune to close out the final quarter of 2020. Several weeks ago, it dropped on streaming platforms and was written during the whirlwind that is known as this year. The tune is about overcoming adversity and not letting the circumstances get in one’s way. The on-point vocals and the booming beats make “All The Waves” a prospect to be a Top 40 success story. The song is well-constructed, precisely performed, and is socially relevant. Word is James can be thought of a hybrid of Halsey and Dua Lipa, so those who are fans of at least of one those artists will enjoy what this former New York resident has served up. To get a better grasp of James’ offerings, the masterpieces that are known as “Flames” and “Friend I Can’t Keep” are highly recommended to play until you collapse.
Angela Perley – “All I Want For Christmas is Your Kiss”: The Columbus alt-country singer-songwriter comes up with an original take on the holidays sure to put people in a good mood. Over the years, Perley has been known for fronting The Howling Moons but as of late she has flown solo to much fanfare. Perley has the songwriting knack, guitar playing skills, voice and swagger to keep up with the likes of the iconic Shania Twain. A delightful tune such as her latest offering certainly proves that point. The vocals, drums, and guitars come together in perfect honky tonk harmony making for a sweet Christmas track that gets people longing for love to close out what is seemingly the longest year ever.
M. Byrd – “Mountain”: The day after Thanksgiving, the talented indie rock wonder premiered an aesthetically appealing video for his debut single, which dropped on streaming services a few months prior. The vid features Danish dancer and choreographer Nana Anine effortlessly moving about on the beaches of Normandy. The scenery is breathtaking, the dancing is dynamic, and M. Byrd’s song is the perfect backdrop. He is joined on the remarkable tune by André Albrecht on drums and Doreen Albrecht on background vocals. He has been described as Kurt Vile meets The War On Drugs, two respected indie rock acts in the States. Given both of those artists’ reputations, M. Byrd may seem to have huge expectations to match. On the other hand, given the vivacious vocals and musicianship as heard on “Mountain”, he shows that he is clearly up for the task. The singer-songwriter already has close to a one-third of a million plays on Spotify of this glorious gem. Not much is known about the 25-year-old wonder, but if he continues to release high quality neo-psych-folk music similar to “Mountain” the industry will know more sooner than later.
BRAVADO PRESS 