Browsing Tag

Arizona

Brian Berggoetz gave hopeless romantics hope in his pop-rock serenade, More Than You’ll Ever Know

Posted on 13 April 2024

Sweet enough to give hopeless romantics hope, the standout single, More Than You’ll Ever Know, from singer-songwriter Brian Berggoetz is a melodious ode to a true love that can be alluded to in words but never fully captured.

Springsteen may have been born to run, but Berggoetz was born to bring warmth and depth to the pop-rock scene; More Than You’ll Ever Know is the ultimate attestation to his legacy. With vocals that caress as tenderly as the simple yet profoundly affecting instrumental arrangement, the single unravels as the dreamiest earworm you’ll hear this year.

With the stunning serenade, Brian Berggoetz emanated the aura that resounds through the soul in inexplicable throws of unflinching affection and passion. Lock into the blissful-bordering-on-arcane melodies, and tune into the affirmation that Berggoetz is a superlatively eloquent conduit of soul.

Between the folk strings, the twang of alt-country, the rugged roots of rock and the hallmarks of singer-songwriter pop lies a synergy which has become synonymous with the Tuscon, Arizona-hailing artist who finds influence in a diverse confluence of styles and genres.

More Than You’ll Ever Know is available to stream on Spotify with the latest LP from Brian Berggoetz, Magical Times.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nikki Hayes proves the power of vulnerability in her sensually captivating RnB evolution, SAFE

Posted on 17 December 2023

Nikki Hayes‘ latest RnB single, SAFE, showcases her unique ability to blend soulful vocals with a rich, resonant soundscape. It’s an aural revelation that resonates deeply with the listener, cutting to the core of the emotions it explores.

From the outset, SAFE captivates with its dreamy yet potent composition. The basslines, infused with a rich funk, provide a robust foundation that complements the ethereal quality of the track. This fusion of dreaminess with funk creates a soundscape that is both soothing and invigorating. The addition of blues-infused guitars adds another layer to the song, enhancing its emotional depth and complexity.

Hayes’ vocal performance is nothing short of enchanting. Her voice, both powerful and delicate, conveys a paradoxically beguiling sense of vulnerability and strength. The lyrics, which speak of finding safety in the arms of another in a chaotic world, are delivered with a sensuality and sincerity that is truly captivating.

Drawing inspiration from legends like Beyonce, Stevie Wonder, and Toni Braxton, Hayes has carved out a distinct sound that is both nostalgic and forward-thinking. Her journey from the basements of Chicago to collaborating with Grammy-winning artists is evident in the polished quality of SAFE. The track stands as a testament to her fearless work ethic, vocal finesse, and unwavering passion for music.

As she continues to evolve and captivate audiences with her unique sound, Nikki Hayes is undoubtedly an artist to watch.

SAFE was officially released on November 29. Stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Can You Help Me: PsychoStar scours deeper for salvation on Awful Kind

Posted on 12 June 2023

Lacerated sharply from the 5-track Enigmatic EP, PsychoStar sends us into a horror-like disposition which shall tear the hair from most arms with an eerie single to shock many cores into a ghost-like world on the brand new visuals for Awful Kind.

PsychoStar is a Phoenix, Arizona-based A51A/BloodFang Records-fused rock band who are the kind of act that summon spirits from the underground and are a forceful outfit that rattles poisonous snakes into submission.

With an abundance of heavy tones to cut nails down to the bone, PsychoStar has brought something different to the plateau to ravenously munch on without a fork. This is the type of song which will put chills on spines and break delicate hearts into tiny pieces.

Awful Kind from Phoenix, Arizona-based rock band PsychoStar is possibly one of the most fierce tracks made so far in 2023. There is a dark energy at play here which will fascinate some and scare many. Conquering all ears with a tremendously hectic single which will shock plugs into a frazzled state and get hearts beating faster, to add an extra blanket of anxiousness to frazzled souls.

If you like music with a knife-like edge, this will certainly hypnotise those who like scary juice at 3 am.

Check out this movie-like music video on YouTube.

See more on the IG page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

The World Doesn’t Make Sense: Brian Berggoetz Band feels the wicked frustration on It’s Gonna Rain

Posted on 7 May 2023

After blessing us with an incredible interview recently, Brian Berggoetz Band is rather lonely and wants to feel the fresh water drizzle all over his tired body with the thunderbolt that is, It’s Gonna Rain.

Brian Berggoetz Band is an Arizona-based alternative artist who loves to fuse in Americana and certainly keeps it sentimental and is quite simply excellent in delivery.

”My sound is a combination of Dave Matthews and Bruce Springsteen. On the new EP, Familiar Sounds there is a touch of the Moody Blues as well. Recently I have been playing with a cello and violin players and that project found it’s way on to the album. There’s an orchestral rock song as well as a straight orchestral piece I did with some help from the Tucson Symphony. I’m very happy with those two pieces.” ~ Brian Berggoetz Band

Blessing all wary hearts with a rather special single to get excited about, Brian Berggoetz Band rips through the carpet and shall be that entertaining act who isn’t afraid to tell us the truth no matter what. This is epic stuff from the desert residing underground legend.

It’s Gonna Rain from Arizona-based alternative artist Brian Berggoetz Band is a booming song to turn up loud and proud when everything seems to be shattering beyond belief. Stunning all veins with a superbly lit performance for the masses to enjoy who love it loud, we are thrilled to the core by this heartbeat of a soundtrack to believe in.

Listen up on Spotify.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Interview: Arizona’s Brian Berggoetz Band tells us all about Wildflower and more

Posted on 2 May 2023
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2yHZduccKYA04PRo6Rb32I

We had a chat with the massively experienced Arizona-based artist Brian Berggoetz Band recently. Showing us the realness of the music industry for the 99.9%, telling us more about the new release Wildflower and fusing through the Dave Matthews inspiration, this is a gem of an interview. Ready?

Thank you for joining us, Brian. How are you doing today and what did you have for breakfast today?
I’m great and thanks for inviting me. Being a starving artist, I had my Costco breakfast sandwich and coffee for breakfast. I try to make my money stretch to pay for the art.

Firstly, where in the world are you based and where was the last show you did live?
My band is based in Tucson, AZ in the Sonoran Desert. We played a show this past Friday at a local bar and it was a great time. The place was packed and the dance floor was too. That’s what it’s all about, connecting with the people and feeling the vibe.

How would you describe your sound to someone you just met?
My sound is a combination of Dave Matthews and Bruce Springsteen. On the new EP, Familiar Sounds there is a touch of the Moody Blues as well. Recently I have been playing with a cello and violin players and that project found it’s way on to the album. There’s an orchestral rock song as well as a straight orchestral piece I did with some help from the Tucson Symphony. I’m very happy with those two pieces.

Please chat with us about your last release Wildflower.
Wildflower is a completely different music genre. It’s Americana and sentimental. Harmonies, violin, acoustic guitar and bass. It did very well. We received so much fabulous press. We made the cover of Lifoti music magazine and a nice feature in ION Indie Magazine, as well as a bunch of blogs, online magazines and Spotify playlists. Because of the album, agent Gene Foley reached out to me and is now working on my behalf. He is one of the top talent agents in the country and a real pleasure to work with.

We’d love to know about your brand new release called Familiar Sounds. Please tell us about the change in the sound and the creative process.
I worked with Jason Damico on this album. He played bass and guitars as well as production. He’s a fabulous player and it’s very special to work with him. My drummer Jeff Browning also worked on the production. It was very easy to do this one. I always start with my guitar and vocals, then drums. Jason adds guitars and then the strings and background vocals. Because of the Wildflower album, I have met some amazing players that were happy to play on this album as well. You know, everyone just took turns being awesome. As far as the sound, three songs are just straight-up rock songs. Familiar Sounds was clear that it should have a string section while still being a rock song. Pieces of Silver was written to be an orchestral song. I love orchestral rock and I really wanted to do this kind of song and it came out so great. It was such a thrill to have some of the Tucson Symphony play on this one.

What is the best perk of being a well-known musician?
I would say just getting to meet some of the most amazing people I would not have met otherwise. Music professionals, celebrities and just all-around excellent company. When I think about coming from a small town in Indiana to meeting and playing with some of the most fabulous people anywhere, I am humbled and inspired to see what happens next.

Lastly, what are your personal goals for the rest of 2023?
I’ve been working on the next album. I hope to work with Jeff Browning and Jason Damico again. I’m choosing the material and concepts now and hope to be in the studio in the summer for a fall release.

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Hear more from this quality band on Spotify.

Interview by Llewelyn Screen

New Wave Indie Came Crashing in Through the 80s Cinematic Atmosphere in LUXTHEREAL’s Latest Single, She Said

Posted on 6 February 2023

The unforgettable Phoenix, Arizona alt-rock outfit, LUXTHEREAL, is on cuttingly sharp new wave form once again with their latest single, She Said. Any fans of Psychedelic Furs and Echo and the Bunnymen will undoubtedly want to add the nostalgic-for-the-80s amalgam of new wave, power pop and art-rock to their playlists.

The soaring vocals add an ardent edge to the sample-driven music universe orchestrated by LUXTHEREAL to abstract us from our own existence defined by our mortal coil and existential dread. With guitars as atmospheric as the ones that ring across Lips Like Sugar between the riffs and guitar hooks that carry as much emotion as the strident vocal lines, She Said is aural escapism at its finest.

She Said was officially released on January 27th. Hear it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

80s icon, Rocketball 007 has made a spacey comeback with his single, I Can’t Look at You Enough

Posted on 10 November 2022

Originally formed in the 80s and with multiple 7” records on the Punk Collector’s List, we’re stoked to have Rocketball 007’s latest single, I Can’t Look at You Enough, in our ears.

With a sound frequently assimilated yet rarely authenticated, the synth-driven, spacey-with-romanticism single would be right at home on the Wild at Heart soundtrack. Through the crooning into the reverb vocals and the scintillating retro analog synths, which stab right into the beating heart of the atmospheric release, it imparts ample neon synaesthesia. Any true 80s pop fans will want to jump on I Can’t Look at You Enough like cats on catnip. It isn’t every day that you get to revel in the real visceral deal.

I Can’t Look at You Enough is now on Spotify, and Rocketball 007’s entire discography is available to stream and purchase on Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Let Go: YungNickyBeamer is still hurting on Deserve It

Posted on 18 October 2022

Knowing that he can’t reverse the past and is probably to blame for everything, YungNickyBeamer senses that he might give up soon if anything else bad happens on the regret-filled single Deserve It.

YungNickyBeamer is an Arizona-based hip hop, RnB, and pop-punk solo artist who makes ear-splitting music that will pierce your heart and get you thinking rather deeper than before.

Sending our thoughts into places that are probably best left far alone, YungNickyBeamer shows us that our minds are actually more powerful that first realized. Projected with passion that will leave many breathless, guiding us through a dimly lit voyage that can be so foggy to decipher.

Deserve It from Arizona-based hip hop, RnB, and pop-punk artist YungNickyBeamer is an emotional track that is a worrying ode to current times in this strangely suffocating world. Displaying such bravery to write such honest music, this is a single that so many will sadly relate to during these dark times.

When you start to blame yourself for everything, the road may turn rather scary if you go too far.

Turn this one up on Spotify and get into the social interaction on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Born Down The Road: Via Skies left this burning desert behind on Home

Posted on 13 August 2022
Home by Via Skies

With a debut album on the way soon, Via Skies shows us that even if you are stuck down a lonely hole, it is actually possible to still reach your destination on the nostalgic single Home.

Via Skies is a long distance Arizona/Indiana-based indie folk band that was formed by the experienced East Valley singer-songwriter Jeff Gonzales.

”Now collaborating with Indiana-based guitarist and producer Chad Cussen under the name Via Skies.” ~ Jeff Gonzales

Taking us into a world that so many have felt in their veins before, Via Skies rises up and shows so much strength with a terrific performance here that will inspire many to reach their chosen path. Sending us into a reflective moment you won’t be able to forget, this might be an underground gem we cherish forever.

Home from Arizona/Indiana-based indie folk band Via Skies is a joyous single that will surely get your feet tapping and is loaded with a genuinely joyous vibe and shall make you think deeper. Sung with a thoughtful energy and backed with a fantastic production, this is a track that might get you closing your eyes and recalling when you felt rather lost.

Home will always be home.

Hear this fine new song on Bandcamp and see more via Twitter.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

WILD JIM and COMPANY knows that the game is up on the outstanding new release, ‘LIE TO YOU’

Posted on 15 May 2022

Taken from the upcoming debut album that is due for release on the 20th of May 2022, WILD JIM and COMPANY remind us that the truth is always a better way to live before it all catches up to you on and destroys everything on, ‘LIE TO YOU‘.

WILD JIM and COMPANY is a James Moench-created project from the Arizona, USA-based avid gardener and indie singer-songwriter.

”I call it the western indie soundtrack to Arizona. It’s a Spanglish folky cowboy expedition through the American Southwest.” ~ WILD JIM and COMPANY

With a quality like this that is packed within a cinematic-like story that so many will surely relate to, WILD JIM and COMPANY has made a tremendously genuine anthem that shall have you looking into the mirror to see if you are actually the person that you wish to be.

”I listened to the sounds of Linda Ronstadt and Marty Robbins, studied Ed Mell landscapes and Goldwater photographs, and poured over the historical allegories of Bob Boze Bell and Marshall Trimble.” ~ WILD JIM and COMPANY

‘LIE TO YOU‘ from Arizona, USA-based indie project WILD JIM and COMPANY is a song for anyone who feels rather terrible for making up a story, that ultimately hurt someone close to who you loved. Sung with a true emotion of a human who has lived in this particular moment, this is a truly ear-warming single despite the sad lyrics. The beat is so catchy and you sense that this is the start of something special, that is definitely a worthwhile play if you are feeling rather reflective.

Sometimes life just doesn’t turn out the way you want it, even if you hoped for the happy sun to emerge from the clouds.

Listen up to this terrific new single on Spotify and see the news happen on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen