"My Best Days Are Ahead Of Me"? I certainly hope so, but Danny Gokey could have done with a more attention-grabbing debut.
The genuinely likeable 29-year-old widower had a sterling season on American Idol 8 - sailing through to the final week (where ultimately he lost to Adam Lambert and winner, Kris Allen) and constantly garnering the judges' praise throughout. Gokey continually demonstrated a flair, which added to any of the variety of artists and genres thrown at him, from Aerosmith, to Seal, to Carrie Underwood.
Perhaps it was this last one that led to the choice to market Gokey as a country singer. But on the basis of "Best Days," that doesn't display him at his true potential. Certainly, you hear glimpses of his undeniably awesome power and control, but little can counteract the fact that the song was, from the sounds of it, written and recorded in a hurry. Danny Gokey's strength was in adding... Read More »
To prepare for the next album, you should park yourself next to a twinkling Christmas tree, maybe some hot cocoa in your hand--though that might be overkill. If you don’t have a Christmas tree, fear not. Load this album onto your iPod and listen to it as you walk around rich neighborhoods with brightly lit houses at dusk.
Sugarland’s Christmas album Green and Gold seems made for both scenarios. There’s something about country music that can be both sad and hopeful at the same time. It’s the underlying current of melancholy in country music that keeps me coming back for more. It’s not surprising, then, that even the more upbeat tracks on the record, like “Holly Jolly Christmas” sound almost as if Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush are singing their hearts out in the snow, watching the visions of cheer from outside a fogged-up window. This is a Christmas album for the lonely during the... Read More »
For Under the Radar artist Ernie Halter, there's no need for bells and whistles. Halter's 8-track holiday disc, is precisely that: an honest, raw, and soulfully stripped-down Mayer-Mraz-esque mix.
The opener, "Angels We Have Heard on High," is more drummer boy than classic French carol. Acoustic renditions of "Silver Bells" and "Silent Night" easily transport each listener to downtown streets lined with wreaths and bright lights, while his take on Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas" features enough hand claps to make the Fedora-donning Mr. Mraz tip his hat.
It's a noble effort—but as is Christmas tradition, things don't always mix.
"O Come All Ye Faithful" and "The First Noel" feature crystal-clear acoustics, but Halter overpowers, his near-nasal vocals too heavy for such delicate songs. But he readily recovers his niche with the bluesy, thumping backbeats and tight harmonies of "The Christmas Song" and "Joy to the World."
In the end, Halter pulls it all together—and that alone is... Read More »
With this most successful of public holidays basically around the corner, it is inevitable that every record label, pop artist and his dog will be in a mad rush to release a song for the shopping crowds. A synthed monstrosity with a key change just after the second verse, or a tinny cover of "Last Christmas" sung by a teeny bopper that is just one notch away from being muzak in and of itself. You know the kind. But I'm not writing about those. Nor am I writing about the more valuable Christmas offerings, like those offered by the Killers every other year or so.
No, this is a hug, an ode to some of those Christmas songs that everyone knows. Yes, they plague every department store you muster the courage to enter for your Christmas shopping and yes, they will be pumped out at Christmas work parties and coffee houses. If you are unlucky enough... Read More »
The name Devin Belle probably doesn't sound familiar to you and it really shouldn't, unless you live in the Nashville area. She is a singer/songwriter who has been actively pursuing a record deal for some time now. Although she doesn't have label support (yet) she is still doing some live shows in the Nashville area while she waits for a label to recognize her talent.
She was our first Under the Radar artist featured back in April of this year and we recently caught up with her to chat about growing up in Alaska, pursuing a record deal, her thoughts on filing sharing and some other things in between.
FM: Although you were born in Texas, you were raised in Alaska. What was it like to grow up there?
Devin: Well, I definitely feel like I have both in me. I always say that my roots, my... Read More »
I forget whom, but a British comedian made the joke that Susan Boyle's debut album I Dreamed a Dream would become a success because of guilt: because everyone made a snap judgment based on appearance when she first appeared on Britain's Got Talent, they would feel morally compelled to buy it for their mothers in time for Christmas. Indeed, it is hardly difficult to be cynical about this offering, Boyle being as she is a product of the reality TV show system, and a hugely well-known one at that, but this detracts from what should be the main and only factor: the woman can sing.
No watcher of television (at least on this side of the Atlantic) is unfamiliar with the outline of her background. Born and still residing in a sleepy ex-mining town in West Lothian, Scotland, Susan Boyle was bullied as a child and diagnosed with learning difficulties. She worked as a volunteer, and... Read More »
Piano phenom and Ravi Shankar-bred Norah Jones is a woman of her word. True to its title, The Fall features driving drums, crunching guitars, and enough whimsy to confuse and charm fans in its thirteen-track span. She even dives into satire, offering an ode to man's best friend. Who wouldn't fall for that?
Jones' yellow-brick road has its fortune--and its folly.
The lead single "Chasing Pirates" exposes Jones at her most fantastic. Nod-to-New York "Back to Manhattan" maintains that charm: "I've a prince who is waiting/And a kingdom downtown," she croons, but continues, "I know nothing 'bout leaving/But I know I should do it today." That dilemma resurfaces on the guitar-heavy "Stuck," Jones' words--"Just lost the plot/Got a little caught"--fighting for existence amid the flurry of instruments.
It's easy to see the real-life connection. Classic Jones makes appearances on "You've Ruined Me" and "December," but strays on the electric "It's Gonna Be" and blantantly Hank Williams Jr-esque "Tell Yer Mama."
Jones strives for a balance between old and new, hard... Read More »
We reviewed their EP Sing What You Want in February and wanted to follow up with The Ugly Club. The band hails from Jersey and is comprised of six members. Their influences are... Read More »
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