Wolf Gang - Black River

"Raise a glass, looking at the sun"

Oh, lord yes! There is nothing better than when a band with bucketloads of potential but a somewhat underwhelming debut album comes back with something that just knocks your socks off. I adored Wolf Gang's singles Lions In Cages and The King And All Of His Men from 2011, but for me the album didn't quite live up to their potential and I quickly forgot about it. Fast forward three years and I feel like I need to revisit that album because this new single, Black River, hit me like a train. It's massive. I don't even want to describe it much more, just do yourself a favor and LISTEN. It's, quite frankly, most everything I love about music in one song. If the upcoming album is up to this standard, I'll be unconscious by the end of it... knocked out.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy the first album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Jett Rebel - That Place

"I got the only light in the streets still burning"

The world has a new pop personality, and his name is Jett Rebel. Hailing from the Netherlands, Rebel isn't what you'd expect. His music and image hearkens back to the dirty glam rock of the 70's, yet his music is just as informed by funk and r&b. He's a bundle of charisma--the type we don't see enough of in current male singers. He's released some pretty great singles so far (Do You Love Me At All is a pretty powerful opening shot and I love his new Spider-Man soundtrack entry), but I feel like his best music is still in front of him. Despite being a fan of glam myself, I like it even more when Jett goes a little synthier. That Place is a super catchy 80's flavored confection. It opens his second EP and really should have been its single as far as I'm concerned. I can't wait to see where he goes from here, as I feel like this is only the very beginning for a very exciting new star.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy his music here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Darin - Mamma Mia

"My body is losing control"

Another comeback from an artist that I adore today. After less than a year since the last single from his most recent album, Darin is back with brand new material. First off, I'll get it off my chest that this is not the musical direction I was hoping he'd take. After Nobody Knows, which I think will always be his best song, I realized that with his voice, pure euphoric pop is the perfect match. However, he seems intent to follow something more urban and trendy. BUT... with that said, Mamma Mia (which is definitely not a trendy title, by the way) is an excellent representation of his preferred sound. The Latin elements are just enough to give it its own flavor without making it feel gimmicky. And the vocals... the best male vocals in pop right now... are just as polished and perfect as ever. It's good to have him back (even though I still want another Nobody Knows).



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Nowhere to buy the single yet. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Short Stack - Television

"Let's pretend there's nothing good on television"

So I had a nice surprise over the weekend. Not only did formerly broken-up Short Stack release a new single out of nowhere, but I learned that they'd also released their previously cancelled third album as a treat for the fans late last year. So, as a fan who thought the band was totally finished, I was suddenly flooded with new Short Stack music. Luckily, it all seems to be a continuation of their excellent second album rather than a falling back to the teen punk of their earlier stuff. Television is a refreshing piece of radio rock and also the lead single for another upcoming album, titled Homecoming. It's all very exciting suddenly!



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy the single here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.