Rockstar Reviewer

 Nashville Singer/ Songwriter Stefanie Joyce released her latest EP Marlboro Reds and Motel Rooms  early last month. Produced by Ryan Manner at Station West Studio in Nashville, Joyce releases an EP that tells five stories on "sin, redemption and everything in between". As a teenager, she trained with the prestigious Alberta Ballet  before earning a degree in Film Production and Creative Writing at th e University of British Columbia . Joyce has continued achieving success as a songwriter for several artists, as well as performing at numerous Music Festivals. She counts songwriters like  John Prine  and Brandy Clar k as influences, as well as authors like Cormac McCarthy and Anne Proulx. Stefanie Joyce combines her love of bluegrass with folk and country through a powerful and gritty sound on 'Marlboro Reds and Motel Rooms'. The EP begins with the Roots Rock of 'Presdio', a tale of loneliness and sin. Joyce sings over the squeals of the steel pedal guitar...

  Detroit Rockers' Vangogo return with a new retro track, entitled 'Get Up to You'.  Produced by Chuck Alkazian at Pearl Sound Studios.  the quartet released a track heavily influenced by John Hughes films ( The Breakfast Club, National Lampoon, Home Alone). The 1980s throwback to dreamy vocals and synth-pop is readily on display. Lead singer Nathan Mackinder explains, " 'Get Up to You” is about the journey to achieve the love you deserve. There are a lot of incredible stories out there about how people ended up together. Seems like for the majority, it didn’t come easy and there were a lot of long hard roads and tall jagged mountains to climb to get to a place where things worked out. But in all instances, it was an extreme desire and prophetic love that made it worth the voyage." 'Get Up to You' is a guitar-driven track that is accompanied by lead vocalist Nathan Mackinder's soft and tender vocals. The song blends hazy synthesisers with infecti...

North East Freakbeat's The False Poets have returned with their third studio album Poetaster: A Miscellany  via Nice Mind Records. The album is the first compilation from the band and marks ten years of their existence. 'Poetaster' draws on material from their original spell between 2012-2014 and other songs from the second spell in 2018, including their 2019 debut album and last year's 'Strange Season' outing.  Formed originally by enthusiasts of 1960s beat music and garage punk, the album features four earlier recordings, as well as the new single 'Shadows of Fear' 'Poetaster: A Miscellany' is 44 minutes of folk, garage rock, progressive rock and retro rock. 'Did It Feel Real?' is a slab of 1960s jangly rock with an earworm chorus that features solid guitar work from the band. The swinging rhythms of the hook-laden 'Stick or Twist' will leave those hips swaying long into the night. The post-gothic 'Shadows of Fear' is ...

Acclaimed British quartet Cazimi released their latest EP Signals last month via AWAL Records. The follow-up to 2019's debut album 'Late in The Day' is mastered by Peter Maher and arranged by Cazimi in collaboration with Steve Wallace from Penetration. Following that initial success, Covid haltered any plans for a new album and tour before the four-piece decided to reunite with a new rhythm section. 'Signals' delivers four tracks of alt-indie with dark melodies and moody music to pique the interest. 'Echo' is the first track on the release with jangly guitars and dreamy vocals. The song evokes memories of indie bands like The Smiths and The Stone Roses. 'Coming Home' is next up and offers another slab of jangle pop with progressive guitar breaks, rolling basslines and vocals that feel like one is drifting on a cloud. 'Fascination' is darker in tone with mesmerising hooks and vocals that are as hypnotic as the band's sound. And lastly, ...

  Americana Starlet Sara Syms released her third album The Darkest Light earlier last month. Recorded at the famed Espalande Studios in New Orleans, Syms opens up about her struggles with anxieties and depression on this 10-track LP. The songstress took time away from the music scene to contemplate life. The LP mixes blues, folk and roots to convey this story to the listener. The self-titled 'The Darkest Light' opens the album. A haunting three minutes of self-reflection. Syms's powerful voice sings over eerie string arrangements and piano keys that make this an evocative and dark track to start things off. The equally majestic 'Fear and Love' combines dark poetry with the addition of a flamenco feel giving this added poignancy. Syms invokes several emotions of anguish, sorrow, love and fears through her ability to engage the listener with strong storytelling and moving music. 'Unknown Road' is one such example, a country blues track with sultry vocals set o...

  Kent-based Alt-Rock trio  Dohny Jep have released their latest single 'Wine and Dine', a follow-up to this year's self-released second album. Produced, mixed and mastered by Rhys May (While She Sleeps, Bring Me the Horizon) in the band's purpose-built home studio, 'Wine and Dine' is an anthemic single about falling in love for the first time. Speaking about the single, vocalist Pete Herbert states, “Wine and Dine in its purest form is about love. It’s about those first moments of meeting someone new and the adventures that you are about to go on together, but also those first moments of conflict and how you pull together to get through those harder moments.” 'Wine and Dine' begins with melodic keyboards before breaking into hazy vocals. The band's pop hooks and catchy chorus provide a pleasant song to enjoy over the hot summer. Words by Anselm Anderson SOCIALS Website: https://www.dohnyjep.co.uk Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dohnyjep/ Twitter...

Brisbane's Alt-Rock Trio The Blackwater Fever have released new latest single 'The Hurt', taken from their upcoming studio album Temptator. October sees the band release their sixth studio album, having amassed over 85,000 plays on Spotify  'The Hurt' is a modern blues ballad steeped in raw emotion and sentiment. The band have built a strong fanbase over the years, supporting acts as diverse as Clutch, The Datsuns, The Black Keys, and most recently, The Hu. 'The Hurt' begins with the thunderous rhythmic stomps of electric guitar. The lead vocalist's husky howls resonate over the eerie screams of the organ before releasing their inner emotions with haunting melodies. The Blackwater Fever infect the listener with warm and soulful swamp music. Words by Anselm Anderson SOCIALS: Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/theblackwaterfever Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/theblackwaterfever Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/artist/1A5oymWstOyE3ZFeELbBtA?si=zt...