Frisco Blu - This Year Alternative/Alt. Rock, Electronic CO, United States Overall Impression: Frisco Blu is keeping the Emo Pop soundscape alive and well with his latest EP, Dim and Distant. The third track from this EP, This Year, chronicles an emotionally dark time in Frisco's life through honest, relatable lyricism and relaxed vocals. A sonic bed of acoustic guitar and light bass support the narrative with intimate and lonesome tones, making This Year a solemnly gripping song. Strongest Point(s): Great lyrics! Through and through, you've nailed the ethos of Emo Pop with lyrics that paint a specific picture but carry generally relatable undertones. The vocal delivery is on point, too - perfect for the sound. Great guitar work, nice and simple while fully supporting the song. Love the use of bass as well, just to give more gravity without being too heavy. This is really excellent songwriting for the style! Target Audience Appeal: Those that remember the Emo Pop hits of the 00's will be surprised to hear Frisco Blu in 2020 - but they'll be glad to know that the sound lives on! This Year bears a specific flavor of songwriting sensibility that promises to connect with listeners that have enjoyed the genre - and the raw emotional weight and skillful delivery from Frisco Blu stand to make it accessible to listeners from all kinds of backgrounds. Thanks for sending this in, man! Artist target suggestions: The Front Bottoms, Better Oblivion Community Center, Origami Angel, TΕth, Peach Pit, Benjamin Gibbard, All Time Low, Bayside, Mayday Parade
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About the Reviewer: Jon Wright is a trained multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and music educator with nearly twenty years of experience in the field. Working with musicians and their individual sounds is his passion and profession, and he strives to interact with and understand every aspect of the production process - from theory and songwriting to recording and mastering. He continues to teach students of all ages and is currently collaborating with artists in a wide variety of genres.
Flakestate - I Was Wrong to Assume Alternative/Alt. Rock, Electronic FL, United States Overall Impression: Flakestate "I Was Wrong to Assume" brings the rich pleasantries to your ear. Poetically narrative "our" story---the world's story---instead us coming together, decisions help divide the human race. Dreaminess staging for the haunting melody takes you on a undetermined journey that is not just black and white. Scenarios are not always so clear. The haziness of the situation won't clear up demands change from all. The blame cannot be on one side or person. Reflection is needed to identify and acknowledge, admit the errors. Flakestate's I Was Wrong to Assume" inspires all individuals to be upstanding citizens. Strongest Point(s): Great effects. Chosen minor key led to more interesting ways to develop the song. Phenomenal chord progressions that kept the listeners' anticipation for what's next. Thin to thick textures along the increased chord complexities and instrumentation (bells are cool) appropriately created defined sections and climax then resolution. Pretty capable singer and pleasant vocal harmonies (3:53-4:22ish). Vocal melody enhance the chords with the melodic line fitting into the presented chords. The overall music is aesthetically pleasing (even without your vocals) since you have it in the background. Areas of Improvement: In the vocals at the beginning (0:00-0:06), the distortion is noticeable but it dissipates as the song plays on. You may have intended this for the grittiness or rawness. There's a B natural pitch in the bells @ 2:46 that sticks out (2:40 it also but the dissonance resolves later into the chord). I know it's suspension but some people may not notice. This may be intentioned as well.
I love the song as is. Target Audience Appeal: Alternative Rock, Electronic Rock, World Music (healing society); Global Citizen or entity demands hope for society; emotions/feeling: free or carefree, dreamy, reflective, passionate, intensity, warmth, tenderness. Artist target suggestions: Beach House, Bon Iver, Coldplay, David Bowie, Foo Fighters, Gorillaz, Imagine Dragons, Imogen Heap, Lido, OneRepublic, Phoenix, Porter Robinson, Radiohead, Seal, Sigur Ros, Snow Patrol, The 1975, The Killers, The National, U2, Vampire Weekend, Zedd
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About the Reviewer: Ptotia Furlow, classically trained violinist, is an educator and mentor who shares her knowledge while guiding youth in honing their skills in composition, performance, and other creative skills.
Marl0 - Vibes R&B, Pop DC, United States Summer Contest Pick: Marl0's track right here is the perfect way to start your Friday and channel those weekend Vibes!
Rio Glacier - Down Under Folk, Indie Folk St. Gallen, Switzerland Overall Impression: Down under is beautiful! It will appeal to anyone who loves modern folk. In Down under's tempo and melodic guitar, one will find elements of roots rock and rockabilly as well. The lyrics are very interesting, playful, and with its strange metaphors, making Down under a very cool and even mysterious song. Anyone who loves Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, will automatically embrace Rio Glacier's Down under. Strongest Point(s): The lead male vocalist's voice has a real Nick Cave, Van Morrison, Neil Young quality to it, including stylistically in performance. The female voice is wonderful too, as they both sing in perfect harmony. As previously discussed, the lyrics are truly original, with the odd (almost abstract) metaphors and analogies throughout the song -- indeed, grief takes many strange forms. I'd also like to highlight the wonderful instrumental performances (piano, guitar, drums), which I consider to be the backbone of this song. Down under celebrates a collective (band) as well as individual performances. Target Audience Appeal: This song will appeal to anyone who loves Nick Cave, Bob Dylan, Aimee Mann, Emmylou Harris, Neil Young, and all other bands and artists of the same genre. Down under will appeal to people who love to attend live concerts, especially outdoor concerts. This will appeal to a wide audience, but I think it will speak the most to more mature audiences (Gen X and up). It's a great single that deserves to be promoted in both online and FM radio play, and could also be featured in a (Netlfix, Hulu) show or indie movie. This song has potential to appeal to a wide audience, with a foot in the past (in sound) and another in the present. Artist target suggestions: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Van Morrison, Nick Drake, Bob Dylan, Chris Issak, PJ Harvey, Tom Waits, Patti Smith, Aimee Mann, Joan Baez, Pete Seger, John Prine, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Joni Mitchell, Mary Gauthier, Emmylou Harris, Mountain Man, Cat Stevens, Shawn Colvin, Paula Cole, Natalie Merchant, Suzanne Vega, Ani DiFranco, Neko Case
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About the Reviewer: Ama Cruz is an instrumentalist, writer, and has over a decade of professional experience in media production and arts management, including her time working for Sony’s Latin/Jazz PR division. She began working in radio, and has contributed as a music journalist and editor for publications.
Sonic Space Lab - There's no Gravity Alternative, Electronica Dunedin, New Zealand Overall Impression: Sonic Space Lab delivers a sound as immersive and as intriguing as their name suggests, building cavernous sonic spaces from scratch and filling them with hypnotic ostinatos, entrancing effects, and captivating lyrics in order to transport listeners far beyond the confines of their immediate surroundings. Their 2020 single, There's No Gravity is an ideal representation of the depth and draw of this sound - fully engaging from end to end! Strongest Point(s): Fantastic use of spacial effects! The mix is very well balanced and makes plenty of room for each component - no obvious overlapping of frequencies or unnecessarily long reverb tails. Killer part writing - really love the fullness of the bass and the repetitive guitar part. Stellar dynamic development, growing throughout the song to gradually ramp up the intensity. Great harmony at 3:12, and amazing synth solo directly after! The otherworldly whispers are a really engaging element as well - all in all, this is a really awesome song! Areas of Improvement: The only immediate improvement that comes to mind is that the lower-register vocals aren't as engaging as the higher harmony section at 3:12. Introducing that higher register a little earlier on might go far in terms of incentivizing listeners to stick around until the end. Otherwise, this is stellar! Target Audience Appeal: Listeners seeking an escape need look no further than Sonic Space Lab's There's No Gravity! Bearing a wealth of atmospheric development and an emotionally lucid tone, There's No Gravity is the sort of auditory experience that stands to captivate listeners from a wide variety of backgrounds! Thanks for allowing me to listen in! Artist target suggestions: Radiohead, Tame Impala, Neutral Milk Hotel, Deerhunter, Animal Collective, Glass Animals, Spoon, Beck, Yo La Tengo, The Flaming Lips, MGMT
Interested in having your Song Reviewed by our Professional Staff? Head to your RadioAirplay.com dash and click Song Reviews under the Special Offers menu!
About the Reviewer: Jon Wright is a trained multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and music educator with nearly twenty years of experience in the field. Working with musicians and their individual sounds is his passion and profession, and he strives to interact with and understand every aspect of the production process - from theory and songwriting to recording and mastering. He continues to teach students of all ages and is currently collaborating with artists in a wide variety of genres.
ORIONIX - Wanna Be Alternative/Alt. Rock, Rock Ukraine Summer Contest Pick: What a killer song we have come across here! It's like if The Cranberries and Lacuna Coil decided to have a baby and named it ORIONIX. We want more from this group!
No Expectations - Energy (feat. Lucky & Deuce) Hip Hop/Rap MI, United States The groove that's laid down throughout Energy is screaming to be pumping out of speakers at a summer night club. It's outdoors, warm night, palm trees, and everyone is on the dance floor pulsing with the music.
Spark Ezy - New Wave Hip Hop/Rap, Rock, Pop United States Overall Impression: Spark Ezy's original track New Wave carries big energy - the kind of flow that pulls listeners in and keeps them rocking throughout. Vocally distinct and lyrically killer - rhythmically sick bars pour over a massive instrumental foundation while Spark Ezy grinds it out, making NEW WAVE a track that speaks for itself! Strongest Point(s): New Wave has an incredible hook! The vibe is strong, and the rhythmic and lyrical energy make for a memorable and highly repeatable hook - perfect for a sound like this. Really strong vocal approach - distinct and energized tones to distinguish this sound from the rest of the genre. Instrumentally, the sound is classic - pulling from previous eras of Rap to create a new sound with familiar underpinnings. Target Audience Appeal: New Wave is a massive track - full of fire and practically exploding with talent! Fans of the sound should be on the lookout for the official remix to drop soon from GRANDGROOVE UNLIMITED RECORDS, featuring a verse from the late legend FREDTHEGODSON. Thanks for the submission! Artist target suggestions: DMX, Pusha T, Nas, A$AP Rocky, Lil Wayne, Kendrick Lamar, Wiz Khalifa, Jay Rock, ScHoolboy Q, The Game, Gucci Mane, Young Jeezy
Interested in having your Song Reviewed by our Professional Staff? Head to your RadioAirplay.com dash and click Song Reviews under the Special Offers menu!
About the Reviewer: Jon Wright is a trained multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and music educator with nearly twenty years of experience in the field. Working with musicians and their individual sounds is his passion and profession, and he strives to interact with and understand every aspect of the production process - from theory and songwriting to recording and mastering. He continues to teach students of all ages and is currently collaborating with artists in a wide variety of genres.
Mark D tha 100 - Slowride Dance/Electronica NM, United States Summer Contest Pick: Something unique about this track from Mark D tha 100 that has this trippy summer night written all over it. Slowride was a track that stood out to us from the rest of the bunch the very first time we listened to it, and it's grown on everyone here, and keeps growing. I think we are on listen number 20 now?! Hope it's as infectious (in that non pandemic kinda way) for the rest of you!
Twitch Boys - Everybody Knows Rock, Indie CA, United States Summer Contest Pick: There's just something about this tune from the Twitch Boys that reminds our staff of doing ollies in the park or skateboarding at that one house where they never fill in the inground pool! Everybody Knows embodies that 1988 classic Nintendo game Skate or Die. Hope everyone else gets the same vibe!
Back to Earth - Dreams on the Beach World, Instrumental Switzerland Summer Contest Pick: Back to Earth's natural instruments and digital soundscapes makes all of us at Radio Airplay want to be dreaming on the beach!
Carruthers - Come Thru Hip Hop / Rap United Kingdom Summer Contest Pick: We are digging this Hip Hop / Rap release today! Carruthers is definitely on the lists for artists to watch out for. Check out Come Thru if you are looking for a chill beat, with a call and response structure between smooth vocals and hip hop lyrics this track is for you!
Prohibited Items - Say Goodbye Rock, Pop-Rock, Experimental Russian Federation Summer Contest Pick: Feeling Funky? Prohibited Items brings a fusion of hard rock, funk, and experimental to the table today for Radio Airplay's Summer Contest pick!
