Singer/Songwriter
Justin Black Shines Through With The Devil Tree EP
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The Singer/Songwriter genre is the one genre on the site that has been greatly underrepresented (Singer/Songwriters, there is your cue to submit some material). That being said, here is another addition to that genre, in the form of Justin Black.
here is a little background on Justin, taken from Justin Black’s Myspace:
What happens when you have an artist who has battled
throat cancer, a removed lung and was told countless
times he may never sing again? The answer: passion,
determination and conviction. Now team him up with an
explosive band and you end up with something real,
something epic, something that could start self revolutions
and inspire hope in people everywhere.
JBLACK believes the purpose of music is to stimulate your mind, heart and soul. This is a philosophy he lives by. The sound modern classic, The influences range from Neil Young, Ben Harper, Dylan, Fiona Apple, Led Zeppelin, U2, Jeff Buckley, Pink Floyd, Beatles to PJ Harvey, Terry Reid, Black Crowes, Temple of the Dog and The Soundtrack Of Our Lives.
JBLACK is ready to bring a revolution, and with a story like
this and the songs to match he is here to make
positives out of negatives with a sound that is
worthy of your attention.
So, the first thing that can be said from that is that Justin should have all of our admiration for overcoming such huge obstacles. Second, the range of influences is very interesting but seems accurate.
The songs Justin sent to me were from his The Devil Tree EP. The title track channels Gavin DeGraw right from the start. As soon as the song starts, just by the inflection in Justin’s voice, you can hear the influence coming through (I said the same thing about a previous artist featured, Brett Mitchell, so if you like this sound be sure to check out our Brett Mitchell review).
A song like ‘Don’t Think’, on the other hand, has almost a Dave Matthews Band feel to it because of the brass section. However, it is definitely less ‘jammy’ than a DMB song.
I embedded a YouTube video of ‘Don’t Think’ below, but I highly recommend that you visit Justin Black’s website, http://www.justinblack.net/mp3/, because there are about another dozen and a half there.
Also, to anyone in the Texas area, Justin will be playing at the South By Southwest Festival this year -- something I have ALWAYS wanted to go to -- so be sure to check that out as well. For the specific dates and where he will be performing at, check Justin Black’s Myspace.
Justin Black -- Don’t Think
All photos, music, and videos copyright of their respective owners. Used only for promotional purposes and to gain notoriety for the artists featured.
Get Complicated With Hot Streets
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For those of you who may have felt that our previous Singer/Songwriter posts were too blues-oriented (Jammin’ Jay Morton) or too mellow (Scott Valentine), Hot Streets is your answer.
To be perfectly honest, I’m not even sure that the Singer/Songwriter tag is appropriate for Hot Streets. Brett Mitchell also had a pop/rock sound; so I guess this category will do.
David Amezcua, formerly of indie rock group Under the Influence of Giants, is the singer/bassist in Hot Streets. The group -- which releases their full length album in early 2010 -- brings a unique poppy, upbeat feel to their music.
Compared to an Under the Influence of Giants song like ‘In the Clouds’, Hot Streets has the same type of upbeat sound; but doesn’t have that dance music beat going on in the background. The only song that has same kind of bass in the background is the first track, ‘Let’s Get Complicated.’
‘Let’s Get Complicated’ sounds lyrically like it could be a cover of a song by one of the popular female artists on the radio. Based on the idea of this site, that probably sounds like a jab at them, but it’s not necessarily a terrible thing. It will definitely help them catch the ear of a wider audience. My friend Casey (who is a huge pop-music fan [insert collective groan here]) has a formula for songs that grab his attention that I can’t crack, and I can see that song passing his test.
Another song that is sure to grab to grab the attention of a lot of listeners is ‘SNL’ (Saturday Night Life). You can listen to that song below. From what Jon of LikeZEBRA told me, they only have four songs finished right now. All of them are on their LikeZEBRA page (see link below).
Overall, if you are a huge Ben Harper fan (of his slower stuff), you might want to steer clear. If you like to dance around when you hear your music and tap your foot to the beat, give Hot Streets a spin.
Casey, this means you.
Hot Streets -- SNL (Saturday Night Life)
For more information on Hot Streets, visit their page at LikeZEBRA’s site: LikeZEBRA -- Hot Streets
Alternately, you can also visit them at their MySpace page: www.myspace.com/hotstreetsmusic
All photos, music, and videos copyright of their respective owners. Used only for promotional purposes and to gain notoriety for the artists featured. Special thanks goes out to Casey for being a good sport.
