Semi Precious Weapons - Scream To The Sky

"This is the best night of our lives"

So, Semi Precious Weapons' new album is streaming on soundcloud, and I'm on the edge of really liking it. On one hand, I'm digging this new dancier sound they've developed. It's really interesting when set against Justin Tranter's rock-glam vocals. They've definitely taken some influence from their oft-touring partner Lady Gaga. On the other hand, none of the songs are reaching out and grabbing me quite like I want them to. Now, I haven't delved deeply into the album yet, but from first listen, my thoughts were that everything was quite pleasant but kind of samey and trendy and unsurprising. That could easily change with more listens. The production is there. The vocals are definitely there. It's the songs themselves that I can't quite make my mind up about yet. Scream To The Sky was one of my early favorites, and a pretty good indication of the sound of the album. If you like this, give the entire album a stream and let me know your thoughts. I'm determined to be wowed by this, because it's totally my kind of thing.



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

Sigma - Nobody To Love

"I know you're tired of loving with nobody to love"

This track is currently riding high on the charts in certain parts of Europe, and it's easy to see why. While the dance/club music scene is getting a little stale and self-replicating as it grows in popularity, that doesn't mean there aren't any gems that break through the monotony. This drum and bass production somehow retains a sense of warmth and emotion that sets it apart from similar sounding radio fare. It helps that the constantly repeated hook is both instantly addictive and compulsively re-playable. That's a hard balance to strike. It actually evokes a sense of nostalgia in me because I feel like it hearkens back to the club music that was popular around 2006/07, when I lived in the UK. A little bit of Sunblock. A touch of the Attic. I don't know... it's just got that little extra something that's missing from a lot of today's EDM.



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

Ruth Lorenzo - Dancing In The Rain (Stormby Mix Edit)

"Open up, you never know what you will find"

What could make Ruth Lorenzo's sublime Dancing In The Rain even better? Why, a storming dance remix, of course! I've learned I can always count on Stormby to give us propulsive dance versions of Scandinavian and Eurovision-centric songs. Now, one of my favorite things in the world is a big ballad-turned-club track, and ballads don't come much bigger than this track in 2014. Ruth's vocals are IMMENSE. Let me say that again... I.M.M.E.N.S.E. Dear god, get this woman on international stages pronto! I really wonder how well this'll do in Eurovision next month. I have a feeling it'll get lost in the pack of ballads this year, but it certainly doesn't deserve to. Now, where's that long-promised album, Ruth? Isn't this honestly the best time to release it?



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

Jutty Ranx - Lover And A Fool

"I've always been a lover and a fool"

I featured American band Jutty Ranx's debut single I See You early last year and really enjoyed it throughout the summer and beyond. In fact, on second thought it probably could have found its way onto my top 50 singles list. For whatever reason, though, I neglected to realize that the band released their debut album late last year. I suppose it was due to the fact that it was a very limited release in only a handful of countries. I hate when this happens. In this day and age, I really wish artists would give worldwide customers a chance to enjoy their albums, especially the digital versions. I get that bands want to build a strong base in one or two countries before growing the brand, but it's frustrating to fans of international music such as myself. Anyway, since I See You, the band have released a couple more tracks, the most recent of which is Lover and a Fool. This is an amazing piece of breezy electro pop with a wicked chorus. I can't say if the rest of the album is of similar quality, as I haven't heard it, but I wish this band great success.



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