Tag: Blues Rock

#MusicMonday: Jonny Lang’s fourth album is a bluesy depiction of the ‘signs’ of the times

Posted on by The Smart Cookie

Called the best blues album of 2017 by AllMusic, Signs is Lang coming back from previous works that had a more gospel feel to his blues roots that got him a record deal at only 16.

Song by Song Review

Make It Move: A bluesy rock song about the mountains in your life and how you got to make it move and stop waiting around for things to happen.

Snakes: Bluesy rock and roll song reminiscent of “Hound Dog” by Elvis Presley about snakes in the grass or the things in life that try to get you off course.

Last Man Standing: A fast-paced bluesy song about fighting through the hard times.

Signs: Soulful track about the signs of the times we are living in may be end times.

What We Are Made Of: A song about how the trials of life help show what you’re made of.

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Bitter Ends: A soulful song with a gospel feel questioning the various motives of humans; the why behind what we do.

Stronger Together: A cheerful gospel like track about how we’re made to love and be loved.

Into The Light: Another gospel like track about the struggle between good and evil.

Bring Me Back Home: A soft piano ballad about coming home to the person you love.

Wisdom: A slow song about the power of wisdom

Singing Songs: An acoustic finale to this album

#MusicMonday: Fight For My Soul by Jonny Lang is a Blues Music Masterpiece

Posted on by The Smart Cookie

Jonny Lang is no stranger to professional music. He got signed in 1997 at the young age of 16, but with a musical maturity and sound that made me and many others, take note. It is no surprise that his 2006 release Turn Around won a Grammy.  Seven years later comes a brand new rock n soul Lang signature with themes of heartache, bluesy emotional musicality, and love and loss.

Fight For My Soul was released on September 7, 2013.

Song by Song Review

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Blew Up (The House): A bluesy guitar heavy track [Lang’s signature style] paint a metaphorical picture of burning down the house or leaving the man you were yesterday.

Breaking In:  A song about temptation (metaphorically or literally) breaking in between you and the person you love, and how you will no longer stand for it.

We Are The Same: 

A song about how God’s love could free each of us to all live with no more disguise.

What You’re Looking For: 

A song about how what you are looking for most in life will eventually chase you down, and find you at the right time.

Not Right:

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A soulful song about being & staying blind to the needs of this world.

The Truth:

A song with guitar interludes that remind me of Carlos Santana with emotional lyrics about wanting to be with someone but you aren’t right for one another, and not wanting to face the truth of that at all.

River:

Jazzy blues musicality about the sanctity of the river and letting it wash away the shame and wrong away.

Fight For My Soul: 

A soft song about a young girl caught up in the wrong stuff and the fight for her soul.

All of a Sudden:

A song about the moment you fall in love with someone & your life is forever changed

Seasons:

A song about the various seasons of life as he reflects during Christmas Time.

I’ll Always Be:

A love song about being your loved one’s biggest fan.

 

 

 

 

 

#MusicReview: Loaded with Potential; Loaded Gun EP

Posted on by The Smart Cookie

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Originally hailing from Toronto, Crystyna Marie sings with a powder keg
voice over a cocktail of grungy blues and pop. The classically trained
Canadian-born singer has supported Ontario acts and been featured as a
demo singer on indie labels from as young as 18 years old.

Marie has taken first place in various categories in the Kiwanis Music
Festival 2 years in a row. She’s taken lead roles in local community
plays; West Side Story as Maria and Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. Over
the years, she has racked up a long list of smaller roles in music
videos, television and was also the lead singer in an LA founded pop
group called Greencat. Writing and releasing her own music, with her own
unique voice, however, is where her true passion lies.

Believing the classics are just as essential as modern favorites, she
finds musical inspiration in everyone from Janis Joplin, Ottis Redding
and Etta James to Selena and Christina Aguilera.

Although Crystyna has been represented by several independent labels
over the years, she decided that in order to shape the sound she wanted,
releasing music on her own was absolutely necessary. Her first solo
single, “Loaded Gun”, is proof that this was the right choice, revealing
the first taste of Marie’s gritty take on the blues.

The EP was released on Feb 29, 2016.

Song by Song Review

“Loaded Gun”: Starting out with a staccato drum beat and bluesy guitar chords, this track with vocals that remind me of Miley Cyrus (at her best) discusses love that has you all over the place emotionally.

“Down The Road”: True to form bluesy rock with gut wrenching raw emotive vocals, this song has the total potential to be as powerful as a Jonny Lang song.

“No More”: Totally reminds me of a pop rock song from bands such as 3 Door Down, Marie sings about feeling so numb after someone breaks your heart. Favorite lyric: “No more I feel of you.”

“The Tower”: The musicality of this track is by far my favorite, as well as the lyricism and songwriting.  Favorite lyric: “There will be no breaking down only breaking through.” Strength penned so succinctly.

Overall, if you haven’t downloaded Marie’s Loaded Gun EP your Itunes library is probably not living up to it’s potential and is definitely lacking for some of what Chrystyna Marie brings to the table.

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