It Came From ReverbNation #25 - Featurng Dale J Gordon, Morgan Haner, Invisible Target, AtmAsfera, Starar, and Lon Milo DuQuette
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.
Dale J. Gordon
– This artist from Trenton, NJ covers quite a lot of musical ground. His bio labels him as being a
singer/songwriter which is something I had to listen to a few songs to
validate. The submission I first
listened to was fully electric with a Jimi Hendrix vibe, and it sounded
good. Honestly I found the lyrics
somewhat befuddling until I noticed the list of similar artists included Frank
Zappa and Butthole Surfers. Apparently,
this gentleman has released over 90 albums over the past 15 years! Prolific?
I’d say so. Check him out.
ReverbNation Page – http://www.reverbnation.com/dalejgordon
Song Sample – U.S.A. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=iimF1RzGa_c#!
Morgan Haner –
Do you like your folk rock with no pretense?
Fantastic, because this artist from Chicago, IL isn’t messing around
with his music. There are no unnecessary
bells and whistles. What we have here is
simply a man, his voice, a guitar and a harmonica taking center stage. Yes there is a rhythm section at work, but
they never take the attention of the listener away from Mr. Haner. When I listened to his submission I was
immediately struck by how honest and forthright it sounded. Listen and see if you feel the same way.
ReverbNation Page – http://www.reverbnation.com/morganhaner
Song Sample – Changin’ The Locks http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_gfDMDA59sk#!
Invisible Target
– Coming from the musical hotbed of Austin, TX this trio is ready to excite
large portions of the alternative rock community. After listening to their submission I believe
that they are fully capable of this feat.
What inspires this confidence you ask?
Well their song combined indie rock, emo, a little shoegaze, and a hint
of a harder edge to produce a sound that I’m sure will have a very broad
appeal. Similar artists include
Switchfoot, The Killers, and Panic at the Disco.
ReverbNation Page – http://www.reverbnation.com/invisibletarget
Song Sample – Sometimes http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GcQMjyMAVNE#!
AtmAsfera – Well
now, what do we have here? Alternative
world music from Lviv, UA that’s what!
This six member outfit really impressed me with their powerful song
submission. My head was bobbing all
throughout the song thanks to its tribal drumming, the driving guitar/bass line,
and an enchanting flute coupled with haunting vocals. A second song picked up right where the first
left off. Great stuff! Similar artists include Gogol Bordello,
Sting, and Adele. Click on the link and
listen folks.
ReverbNation Page – http://www.reverbnation.com/atmasfera
Song Sample – Bala http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=uLmBA1tOSY4#at=64
Starar – I’m
always impressed when I listen to more than one song by an artist or band and
while there is an identifiable element running throughout, each song sounds
noticeably different from one another.
This brother/sister duo out of Lincoln, UK nails this (as they describe
it) “genre-schizophrenia”. Their newer
material sticks pretty close to the pop country template. Similar artists include Colbie Calliat, Sara
Bareilles, and Carrie Underwood.
Exploring their older music however reveals much more variety.
ReverbNation Page – http://www.reverbnation.com/starar
Song Sample – Flawless http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XbFjiVjess0
Lon Milo DuQuette
– This veteran musician from Costa Mesa, CA provided me with a real breath of
fresh musical air thanks to his submission.
What a wonderful, easygoing, vintage sound! The song built itself around Mr. DuQuette’s
laid-back guitar playing and smooth vocals, but what really set it apart was
the brass accompaniment in the background.
Very enjoyable! Even better,
other songs I listened to sounded just as good.
Similar artists include Leon Redbone, Leonard Cohen, and Tom Waits.
ReverbNation Page – http://www.reverbnation.com/lonmiloduquette
Song Sample – Never Got Over You http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-CXsuQwWVl0
--Penfold
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