Tag Archives: Compact Disc

C’È – Cosimo Erario

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Cosimo Erario

Artist: Cosimo Erario ( Italian guitar player/singer songwriter living in Cologne /Germany).

Album:  “C’È”  ( it could be translated as “To Be There”).

What’s inside: Basically it’s a pop rock music project (Italian lyrics)

Listening to the operatic arias of composers like Verdi and Bellini  made me appreciate songs that aren’t in English at an early age. For me, though lyrical content is necessary in songs, I feel that beautiful music will always transcend language. Well, these days there’s Google translate and it is easy to look up non-English songs so that we can get the general idea if not the correct translation.

The  album  is called  “C’È” by Italian singer/songwriter Cosimo Erario. The first track Senza  Bussare confirms one’s reason to listen to this album. The optimistic rushing of sonic tide washes over you. The CD has thirteen tracks and plays to a total of 52:34. If you know Italian then the lyrics are something you can look into with gusto. If you are just listening for the sake of pleasure then have a go. This is a pleasurable CD with pop/rock sound that’s radio-friendly but at the same time interesting.

The artist also gives huge thanks to his musical influence Duke Ellington in the CD liner notes. I love the colors of orange (back) and aquamarine(front) on the CD artwork because they convey the sentiments behind this album. It’s like gazing at the sky and letting that joy seep into your veins. I haven’t heard any ‘joyful’ album as this one in months and it just sparkles with different shades of moods. The textures of the tracks seem to mesh flawlessly into these interlacing lines of his diverse musical influences.

Production wise I give this a 4 star out of five for clarity of every instrument and the emphasis on brightness of the mixing. My table speakers love this album!  I really enjoyed Passato Prossimo because of the reggae influence. Hey, everything in this album sounds awesome. Really worth your time, ears.

Cosimo Eratio has given us an album filled with instrumental cornucopia that continues to overflow as you listen again and again.

Walk Laugh Live Die by Alex Pardini

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Alex Pardini

Alex Pardini gives us slices of life though Walk Laugh Live Die

My idea of  good music is something that  becomes part of your life. I think songs become part of our existence because we listen or use them to convey different things. We play songs to tell someone what we feel inside, especially when we can’t say it. Songs are time machines that take us back to that  time when we felt safe and loved. It could also be for dancing or relaxation. We also use songs  to channel whatever negative emotions we have inside. With their different uses in our lives, musicians are magicians casting spells to transform our reality into something bearable if not totally beautiful.

Walk Laugh Live Die by Alex Pardini is like a musical essay about what life is all about and what it should be. This isn’t just your typical funky lounge music. This is an album of songs that challenges listeners to either agree or contemplate. What I admire about Walk Laugh Live Die is this sense of cohesiveness that embraces the ten tracks. He is a great mix master and producer. The overall tempo seems to melt into each track and yet the individuality is preserved in terms of styles across songs.

The vibe is for slow dancing. It’s easy but not slow, elegant but has rugged edges courtesy of the funky guitar embellishments.  It’s an album of urban landscapes. That moment when you are done with work and you hangout with your crew and party the night away. My favorite tracks are Unknown Girl and Make Me Feel This Way. The former reminds me of Suzanne Vega’s Caramel (from Nine Objects of Desire) due to the classic synth sounds. Make Me Feel This Way gives me the feeling like I’m  floating at dusk.

Walk Laugh Live Die is a stylish album with a stylish music video. This is expected from an artist with photography as his other passion. This is an album that will linger in my playlist for a long time. Official release date is September 30.

Track listing:

Live to Live

Trouble in Paradise

The Storm

Beautiful Liar

No One is Like Everyone Else

Make Me Feel This Way

Unknown Girl

Sad Little King

Lost

You can buy the single from iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/live-to-live-single/id684958332

As for his complete catalog: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/alex-pardini/id269952993

Album notes:

 Promo Text

Alex Pardini’s album “Walk, Laugh, Live, Die“ starts where “Made of Diversity“ ended a little over two years ago (2011). Though, it creates a world of it’s own by fortifying old paths and discovering new ones.

„Walk, Laugh, Live, Die“ is a colorful musical journey that will make you travel way further than from a to b.

Hop on!

About Alex Pardini

Alex’ musical world is a living and breathing playground of magic and surprises. His wide musical output is astonishing, but more importantly, a personal necessity.  A philosophical approach to music – a metaphor for his life.

Alex is constantly perfecting his art, experimenting and expanding his musical diversity, in order to find that all-embracing and unifying golden middle.
His photography takes his music one step further and extends his creative work into the visual realm.

A true one man operation flourishing in his cozy apartment studio. From the first shy sparkle of inspiration to the mastered song – always accompanied by his visual art.

Discography

http://alexpardini.com/readdiscography.html

Contact

alex@alexpardini.com

Hello World by John Munnelly

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Hello WORLD CD Music by John Munnelly aka ‘LaughJohnLaugh’Artist: John Munnelly

Album: Hello World

Genre: Alternative rock

Sounds like: Melodic pop rock in the vein of The Cranberries, Lifehouse and The Proclaimers.

 

HELLO WORLD – Track Listing

  1. We should go blind
  2. People Die
  3. Nowhere Without You
  4. Legends
  5. Did I leave the cubicle
  6. Make my move real soon
  7. Price of the medicine
  8. Disappointed Me
  9. Things Change
  10. Mess Up
  11. Father (why’s it such a secret?)

2 Bonus Tracks are on some releases – (Download Card/Online/CD)

The Bum Song
Antigua

From the onset of the first track We Should Go Blind, listeners know right away they are in for an exciting and catchy sonic ride. Hello World is the new album from this New York based singer/songwriter by the name of John Munnelly who originally came from Ireland. The carrier single is called Legends which is about finding that greatness in ourselves that make us legends in our own right.

I have to admit his vocal style of yodeling on high notes really works because he reminds me of how a uilleann pipe sounds like when it becomes human. The second track People Die continues the build up with its harmonies and also delicious drums. I think I already know this song by heart because it is easy to sing along with. Big nod to the guitar solo.

The production is flawless. Hello World is a recording of high quality collection of musicians and production team. “I’d rather be in Ireland hiking in the rain’..goes the first verse off Nowhere Without You. It has an echo of old Cranberries albums.It highlights John’s breezy and easy rock vocal style coupled with really awesome melodies. He is clearly a songwriter of everyday scenes. When he writes a song it feels like you are living inside it because his prose is detailed without being sickeningly sweet.

We Are Legend is a perfect single because it is radio friendly taking focus on social commentaries. It is a wonderful pop song of the times. This is something radio has been missing for a long time. It seems that Hello World makes one believe in the transforming power of alternative ballads again. Did I Leave the Cubicle is a track you might have heard of before the release of this album as John already uploaded this on youtube but to hear this among the mix is a good thing.

All of the tracks off Hello World are solid and deserve multiple spins. There are comedic things(which he is good at) in songs like Make My Move Real Soon, Things Change and of course the very popular Does My Bum Look Big in This? I’d say you give Hello World a spin and I know John Munnely will be the name that sticks in your ears for a long time.

 

You can now buy Hello World from itunes. : https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/hello-world/id662903275

The only thing is that itunes doesn’t have the bonus tracks like the bum song (released as a single 2012) but they are available and included as extras via download on his site: http://johnmunnellymusic.com/hello-world-cd/

You can also check out my interview with John Munnelly which appeared in Expats Post:http://expatspost.com/entertainment/music/john-munnelly-on-music-and-comedy/

Additional links:

VIDEOS on youtube.com
https://twitter.com/laughjohnlaugh
https://www.facebook.com/laughjohnlaughmusic
http://johnmunnellymusic.com
BLOG laughjohnlaugh.com

Winner of the ASCAP Jay Gorney Songwriting Award for a ‘song with a social conscience’.

Decemberish Music and Album Review

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‘Til I’m Back Home
by Eric McGrath

Before checking out my album review below, have a taste of this holiday inspired song from the same singer/songwriter. I love it!

This review originally appeared in Expats Post Online Magazine.

From Ireland, Spain and to the rest of the world, Little Ripples by Eric McGrath creates bigger tides to captivate listeners.

One of the arresting things in Eric McGrath’s album cover is that big splash of orange paint.He looks at the camera almost Zen like. The CD artwork has that Jackson Pollock style. Little Ripples has 11 tracks released during the summer of 2012 through White Cliff Records. Album tracks: Let’s Get Curious/ A Lost Romance/ Abuelo/ Alone We Stand/ These Are The Good Old Days/Alluring Lady/ And Here’s Me Thinking…/Carousel/ Before You Left/ Sixty Seconds.

Photo taken by Alex Hutchinson Photography

Photo taken by Alex Hutchinson Photography

Being brought up in an Irish household, Eric McGrath has mastered the guitar, bass, violin, piano, banjo, mandolin, ukulele and keyboards. It is known that in Ireland, anyone knows how to play more than one instrument. It is this genetic connection to music that flows in his creativity. But apart from his Irish roots, he is also one half Spanish. It is the Latin side of his bloodline that shows its dominance in the compositional style of Little Ripples. There are also traces of 60′s surf music (reminiscent of Mamas and Papas or The Beach Boys). His songwriting structure is very much universal that appeals to a wider audience.

My personal favorites are: Ripples into Waves, A Lost Romance, Abuelo,These Are The Good Old Days and Before you Left. I like them due to their rich atmosphere and captivating melodies. Most of the songs in Little Ripples are like ambient landscapes. They make you forget the stressful realities of the world if you allow yourself to just get lost to the music.

I think that the album is maximized for head phones. I listened to both ways and the headphones make you notice little details. For instance, the piano or guitar parts sound like you are transported into a languid afternoon siesta while everything around you is covered in sepia.It has a sunny characteristic and positive vibe. The sound mixing also attempts to mimic the warm analog sounds of the 60s and 70s. I swear it feels like I am listening to a vinyl LP. If you love reggae, bossa nova and acoustic rock then Little Ripples is for you.

Watch out for my exclusive interview with Eric McGrath soon.

Web: http://www.ericmcgrathmusic.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ericmcgrathmusica
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/EricMcGrathMusic
Bandcamp: http://ericmcgrath.bandcamp.com/

Junk Jewellery EP by Reese Robinson ft. Slim

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Junk Jewelry.A soulful EP combining talents from both ends of the musical spectrum creating a perfect sound that’s smooth and timeless.

I think the test of a good musician is to be able to play whatever genre and play it good. This is the case of Andrew “Slim” Black whom I featured on my other publication about Celtic music because his album Gallows Tree Tales is really definitive of folk rock and traditional music. Then came this collaboration with Reese Robinson which is a pleasant surprise. She has a strong soulful voice with a great looks to match. She is definitely a diva and hearing the two talents of different musical backgrounds collaborate and make an amazing musical connection is very rare these days. It is rare because  there are listeners and labels that expect to hold you down to whatever genre or market you are tied to.

According to Slim “ I’ve been playing soul and jazz with Reese for a few years – she’s amazing. and we finally recorded some stuff! she’s a superstar.” Indeed she is. The songs go down easy like fine wine.
For now we have two tracks, Junk Jewelry and Moody. The second one is very pretty and sophisticated that is also timeless. It is a kind of song that doesn’t grow old but rather grows on you after several listens.

CD with full EP artwork (Front cover photography by Nathan Bartlett for UK Effect Media / Back cover photography by Deanies Photography / Album artwork by Andrew Black). Released 19 November 2012. Lead and background vocals by Reese Robinson / Acoustic guitar, bass and programming by Slim / Lyrics by Reese Robinson / Music by Reese Robinson and Slim / Produced by Reese Robinson and Slim / Mixed and mastered by Slim at www.myspace.com/studioslim

Andrew “Slim” Black