Roberto Johnson – Riffs & Rhymes
The Artist; Past Release:
Jackie Cohen: last release “Zagg” (May 10th, 2019)
The Why:
As a dedicated music consumer, every year inevitably brings around exciting new voices to latch onto, follow and cheer for. For me, that artist the past two years has been Jackie Cohen, a charming singer-songwriter whose subdued yet whimsical vocal style and poetic ruminations on love, mental health and finding your place in the world won me over from the first time I heard her on record. After a pair of stellar EPs in 2018, Cohen’s 2019 full length debut, Zagg, was a homerun on all fronts – the hooks popped like a pinball machine, the ballads sobbed of heartbreak and resilience, and the lyrics flowed with the finesse of a songwriter settling into their own element. So far, each new step in Cohen’s young career has been highlighted by her increasingly sharp pen and fun production choices. I’d expect her forthcoming work to be nothing less than thoughtful and entertaining. All I know is I’m 100% hooked and wildly confident her next batch of songs will be her best yet.
Top Tracks from that Record:
“Chico Chico”, “It Hurts”, and “Yesterday’s Baby”
Luke Nuttall – The Soundboard (thesoundboardreviews.com)
The Artist; Past Release:
Hot Milk – last release: “Are You Feeling Alive?” (released May 3rd 2019)
The Why:
Few young bands have come out of the gate as ready to dominate prime time as Hot Milk. A touring docket with the Foo Fighters and You Me At Six has already done them a world of good in terms of exposure, but last year’s Are You Feeling Alive? EP easily solidified itself as the jewel in their crown. It’s the sort of tight, almost impossibly infectious EP that’s always sought after in alt-pop, capturing a real exuberance and pairing it with tremendous size and hook-craft, and, in dual vocalists Han Mee and Jim Shaw, a dynamic team that has power but also a unique spice that the scene could desperately do more of. It’s an impressive little package, doubly so as a debut, and considering that their current single Candy Coated Lie$ finds them continuing to hone their craft as they move forward, there’s clearly a band of pop-rock giants just waiting to break out here. New music is already being teased, and the pedigree that Hot Milk have already displayed means it has the potential to be some enormous.
Top Tracks from that Record:
“Awful Ever After”, “Candy Coated Lie$”, and “Wide Awake”
Skylar Cleland- Spinning Thoughts
The Artist, Past Release:
The Band Camino: last release “Tryhard” (August 23, 2019)
The Why:
When I think of bands that deserve all of the fame they’ve achieved over the last few years, The Band Camino is one of the first that comes to mind. The Band Camino has a unique sound and it has already captured the ears and hearts of millions. From having a sold our tour throughout the US, to their upcoming tours with Dan and Shay and 5 Seconds of Summer, The Band Camino has done nothing but hustle over the past few years and it shows. These guys put their whole hearts and minds into making this music and making their live show more impressive with each tour. I cannot wait for new music from this band because the music not only speaks to me, but it speaks to people from every genre of music and that’s something that I personally think is incredibly beautiful. I truly believe that they are on their way to becoming the biggest band in the world and I could not be more excite to watch them achieve it. Tryhard was original, classic, fun, and sad all at the same time and I know their next release is going to be even better, it’s The Ban Camino;s way.
Top Tracks from that Record:
“Haunted”, “Hush Hush” and “See Through”
Genesis Mihalko- What’s So Special About Music Anyways?
The Artist; Past Release:
Four Year Strong: last release “Four Year Strong” (June 2nd, 2015)
The Why:
When thinking about all the artists, who could put out music in 2020, the first artist who comes to mind is the one, the only Four Year Strong. Now, it has been a long minute since Four Year Strong put out a full-length record; 2015, June 2nd: to be exact. Since then, the band has been touring the world on the music that people know and love by them. However, boys, it is time for some new tunes. I am all about musician’s evolving their sound, but honestly, I would be perfectly happy if Four Year Strong would put out a record that was just like the rest that they’ve put out. Four Year Strong is just one of those artists that you know what you’re going to get when you put on one of their records, or you go to one of their shows. You are going to lose your voice, you may break a rib, and you can most definitely count on crowd-surfing and circle-pits, and that is what we like to see. Four Year Strong keeps us nostalgic to the good parts of pop punk while also leaning forward in terms of innovation, for they were well before their time, and people are, kinda, starting to catch up. My hope is for the band to do the same thing as they’ve always done, like I mentioned previously, but I hope they sprinkle just enough innovation to knock the wind out of the world, musically speaking.
**Their newest album review will be dropping sometime soon**
Top Tracks from the Record:
“Wasting Time (Eternal Summer)”, “Who Cares?”, and “What the Hell is a Gigawatt?”
A big “thank you” goes out to all the contributing writers, who participated on this post. It is always an honor and a pleasure to host you guys, and I can’t to do it again! -Genesis
What's So Special About Music Anyways? 