CD Review: Neil Cribbs

From the start of the strumming, Neil Cribbs grabs hold and moves you to relaxation, to take stock of the journey inside of a single day. There exists a storyteller quality to Cribbs’ voice which lends itself well to the tone of voice accompanying American soul songs. His songwriting is a solid stew of elements including inspirations drawn from Tom Petty’s chord progressions and Bob Dylan’s bluesy style of harmonica and folk tales.

What captures the attention in the songs on Marionette is the spirit of feeling which drives through each track and gets inside the listener. When I first heard the songs, I was hooked. Incredibly busy, but instantly hooked by the solid rhythms and heartfelt lines, unable to break away.

The harp solos reflect back on the lyrics, dynamically building the pressure from the chord strumming and straining vocals. The line, “Well, there’s a banjo playing and there’s dancing in the air and the rock and roll singer can find his roots out there,” in the second track, “Don’t Forget the Mountains,” captures succinctly the mix of Americana and blues stylishly told in the tradition of song. With tracks this easy to connect with and understand, Neil Cribbs is destined to find solace in small towns and fun loving audiences. [Read more]

The Lower 48′s New EP, Everywhere To Go

A beautiful sound has been born. It belongs to The Lower 48, a new band emerging from Minneapolis. This quartet of young musicians, all under the age of 20, have crafted their own very original sound with its roots in folk but decorated with swelling strings, sweet harmonies, mature lyrics, and one of the sexiest female voices you’ve ever heard.

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Loving Will Hutchinson’s New Release, Arrive

With his debut LP, Arrive, Will Hutchinson has stepped onto the music scene with a knock-out album. This ten track collection never lets you down, pounding you with one solid song after another. His voice is beautiful, the melodies happy, the lyrics strong, and the harmonies dead on. When Hutchinson sings on “Without You,” a sad song about losing a loved one, the swelling harmonies give you chills. His music pulls you into the songs and paints vivid images playing out before you through every beat. Arrive is the type of album every singer/songwriter aspires to produce. You will love this album! Will Hutchinson, you keep on singing your sweet melody!

Will Hutchinson’s, Arrive is available now on ITunes.

www.myspace.com/willhutchinson
www.willhutchinson.net

Alex Aaron, Indie Contributor

David Berkeley: The Industry Standard

There has been an overabundance of generic, unemotional, bland and forgettable music perpetrating our radio for far too long. David Berkeley is yet another log thrown onto that wretched fire. His music is boring with lyrics hard to follow because I can’t stay focused on what he is saying. His voice sounds like a million other singers before him and his droning, uninteresting, vanilla music backing him are a perfect mix for success in an industry built on a steaming pile of shitty music. He labels his music as “Alternative”. Alternative to what, I’m not sure? The only alternative to what he is making is good music.

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