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Music Reviews
“A Word to the Wize”
I always love listening to local hip-hop artists. Artists like Sir Mix-A-Lot or Blue Scholars rap about the people and places I know, making me feel closer to the music. Such is true about local spoken word/hip-hop artist Josh Rizeberg. Straight out of Hilltop, Rizeberg started out as a spoken word artist, earning local acclaim in many Pacific Northwest slams. Though he has transitioned using more traditional rap music methods and sounds, Rizeberg has stayed close to his early genre and still utilizes it in many of his tracks. Read more...
“Sting In The Tail”
Back in the glory days of radio-friendly ‘80s metal, the Scorpions were riding high at the top of the charts, cranking out hit song after hit song and giving arena shows among the most memorable anyone had seen. To the delight of their dedicated fans old and new, the Scorpions never really stopped making music since their debut album in 1972, “Lonesome Crow,” even though radio airplay remains limited to the band’s timeless classics such as “Rock You Like A Hurricane” and the international anthem “Wind of Change.” The lineup has changed, too. Original members include frontman Klaus Meine, lead/rhythm guitarists Rudy Schenker and Matthias Jabs. Drummer James Kottak joined the band in 1996 and bassist Pawel Maciwoda arrived in 2004. Read more...
“City of Clowns”
Singer/songwriter Manda Mosher’s newest work, the “City of Clowns” EP continues her musical journey as a rootsy, seductive songstress telling tales of growing up in Los Angeles, where people are not always as they seem. Read more...
“September Sky”
Tacoma-based musician Raymond Hayden, who is signed to local label Maurice the Fish Records, used the breakup of his marriage for lyrical inspiration on “September Sky.” Musically it combines the spacey, progressive rock of bands like Pink Floyd with the piano explorations of George Winston. Read more...
“Reaching Serenity”
Local record label Maurice the Fish is known for diversity among its artists, and singer-songwriter Savannah provides a unique roots sound to the mix on her debut album “Reaching Serenity.” Complex and much more than meets the eye, the images of sweet looking, girl-next-door Savannah on the CD cover belie the maturity in her writing and vocals. She is an “old soul” with musical footing in R&B, pop, ballads, blues, folk and classical. Some of her songs are comforting like memories of home and times when life was much less complicated. Others reveal a vulnerable side of Savannah with her feelings on the surface and tender to the touch. Read more...
“City of Blight”
Santa Barbara-based atmospheric post-rock group The Depths have a signature dark sound that is hard to fine-tune and come by these days, yet these intentioned musicians make it work for them, and well. Read more...
“The Happiest Lamb”
Originally from Oklahoma and now based in Los Angeles, Audra Mae is a singer/songwriter with vocals that are beautiful and heartfelt. Her debut album displays a range that should appeal to fans of rock, country or pop. Read more...
“Guitar Farm”
Olympia native Rikk Beatty has been wowing musicians and audiences with his technical guitar prowess since he picked up his first axe at age 13. His most recent album “Guitar Farm” continues his technical exhibition in a hard-rocking style. Read more...
“High Violet”
Ohio-raised, Brooklyn-based band The National released their fifth album, “High Violet,” this month. Read more...
“The Measurement Problem”
With an album title drawn from quantum physics, and musical influences from groups like Pink Floyd and Talking Heads, My Own Invention is indeed an intellectual outfit. The Tacoma-based band is a musical collaboration between John Walker and Chad Hagedorn of GreySlade Music, a home recording and media studio. For this project they are joined by a host of other musicians. The result is an album that is quite unique and innovative. Read more...
