It Came From ReverbNation #23 - featuring Gamal, Firebug, The Controversy, Ryan David Orr, Alex DePue, and CJ Garton
From April 4th to June 4th The
Ripple Effect ran a campaign on the excellent online music website ReverbNation
(www.reverbnation.com). This campaign allowed any artist or band
registered with ReverbNation to submit their music to The Ripple Effect for
possible review on the site and airplay on The Ripple Effect radio shows. When all was said and done we had received
4,799 submissions! Incredible! The purpose of this column is to highlight
those artists and bands whose musical submissions I accepted as being worthy of
consideration. While these are not
reviews per se, I’m going to provide a brief rundown of what to expect from
each artist/band, a sample when available, and a link to check out more on
their corresponding ReverbNation page.
Gamal – Waveriders,
you might not know it yet but I love hip-hop.
Socially conscious hip-hop especially.
So when I come across an emcee with a positive outlook or a distinctly
sobering non-fiction approach to their music I take notice. This gentleman from Laurel, MD impressed me
with his clean, straightforward flow and the subject matter he chose to rhyme about. Similar artists include Mos Def, Common, and
Mannrock. Check him out.
ReverbNation Page – http://www.reverbnation.com/nysbgamal
Song Sample – Just Life
Firebug – Ah,
heavy throwback rock and roll. It really
gets my blood pumping! This quartet from
New Orleans, LA has clearly internalized the main points from the book of heavy
blues rock. Their song submission
strongly reminded me of Clutch’s “Electric Worry”, especially the main guitar riff,
but the feisty female vocals really excite and make this an entirely different
animal. Similar artists include Queens
of the Stone Age, Led Zeppelin, and The Duke Spirit. Have a listen.
ReverbNation Page – http://www.reverbnation.com/firebug
Song Sample – Used To Be
The Controversy
– There’s no controversy here. The two
songwriters in this Los Angeles, CA band clearly know what they’re doing. Their song submission is one of the most
compelling indie rock songs I have heard in quite a while. Laura Vall’s powerfully emotive vocals are
stunning, and the musicianship supporting her performance is rock solid. I am very impressed! Similar artists include PJ Harvey, Fiona
Apple, and Radiohead. Click the link and
hear for yourself.
ReverbNation Page – http://www.reverbnation.com/TheControversyBand
Song Sample – Real
Ryan David Orr
– The song submission from this Lakeside, AZ artist and his band snuck behind
my defensive listening fortifications and insidiously became lodged in my
mind. It was upbeat alternative
folk/indie rock and I liked it! I
sampled a few of his other songs and found each totally ear pleasing. One ultra-funky number really threw me for a
loop! Similar artists include Dave
Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, and Yusef Islam.
ReverbNation Page – http://www.reverbnation.com/ryandavidorr
Song Sample – Carry Me Home
Alex DePue – Let’s
see waveriders. What we have here is an
incredibly talented violin player who began his classical training at age
five. Despite excelling in the classical
arena he developed an interest in ‘fiddling’.
It would take far too long to list the mountain of awards his playing
has won him. Basically, he can play all
kinds of music, and it all sounds really good!
His song submission was a fantastic Latin-flavored fusion number. Similar artists include Itzhak Perlman, David
Garrett, and Jean-Luc Ponty. Trust me
folks. You want to hear this man play.
ReverbNation Page – http://www.reverbnation.com/alexdepue
Song Sample – Paganini Into Yes/Michael Jackson
CJ Garton – Anybody
like outlaw country music? Oh you
do! Well then, do I have an artist for
you to check into. His name is CJ Garton
and he calls Nashville, TN home. Prepare
to be impressed by both his deep, rich voice, and also just how much southern
rock he can pack into his music. His
submission was country through and through, but it also featured some pretty
mean guitar riffs. If you’re looking for
some real down home tunes look no further!
ReverbNation Page – http://www.reverbnation.com/cjgarton
Song Sample – Hunting Trophy Whitetail
--Penfold
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