It Came From ReverbNation #3

From April 4th to June 4th The Ripple Effect ran a campaign on the excellent online music website ReverbNation (www.reverbnation.com).  This campaign allowed any artist or band registered with ReverbNation to submit their music to The Ripple Effect for possible review on the site and airplay on The Ripple Effect radio shows.  When all was said and done we had received 4,799 submissions!  Incredible!  The purpose of this column is to highlight those artists and bands whose musical submissions I accepted as being worthy of consideration.  While these are not reviews per se, I’m going to provide a brief rundown of what to expect from each artist/band, a sample when available, and a link to check out more on their corresponding ReverbNation page.

Merry Ellen Kirk – Let me be perfectly clear.  I am very impressed with this young lady’s voice!  She definitely stood out from the crowd!  Her bio lists Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan as comparable artists, and I would completely agree.  Much of her work has this dream-like quality that I find enchanting.  The songs sound delicate to the touch, but will build to big powerful moments behind her vocals.  Take a listen!

ReverbNation Page - http://www.reverbnation.com/merryellenkirk
Song Sample - “Mosaic”





Ralf Dee – First things first, the vocalist sounds very much like Tom Verlaine from Television.  He uses similar phrasing and word accents.  That’s a plus in my book!  The band is a trio out of Pfaffenhofen, Germany.  The song submitted is full on post-punk.  As their bio suggests however, other songs from this band veer into different musical territory such as alternative, singer/songwriter, and even folk.  It is definitely worth your time to check these guys out.

ReverbNation Page - http://www.reverbnation.com/ralfdee

Song Sample – “Destination Unknown”




Erisa Rei – Wow!  What a versatile, powerful singer!  The song initially submitted is a slow burning, passionate affair with suitably sultry vocals.  Very well done.  Imagine my surprise when I sampled the next song and it turned out to be quite the Americana/roots rocker.  I’m telling you waveriders, keep an eye out for this lady to burst forth from Nashville, TN and take over the airwaves!

ReverbNation Page - http://www.reverbnation.com/erisarei

Song Sample - “Black Ball” (Live)


Matt Suarez & The Movement – Incredibly feel-good mix of blues, soul, and funk from San Luis Obispo, CA.  Mr. Suarez gives a very down to earth vocal performance that I find intoxicating.  The songs I sampled were mid tempo affairs built around Mr. Suarez’s voice and two acoustic guitars.  Simple?  Yes.  Did I ever think of stopping the song before its conclusion?  Nope, and I don’t think you will either.

ReverbNation Page - http://www.reverbnation.com/mattsuarez
Song Sample – “Cardiac Arrest” (Live) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGm-U_whhZE&feature=relmfu

Lewis Harris – This submission captured my interest thanks in large part to how much it reminded me of a song by The Pixies.  I love the description provided for this gentleman’s long running musical endeavor (a band named Bucket).  “Led Zeppelin gets into a fight with Pavement and somehow Jeff Tweedy has to break it up...”  There is absolutely no way I could say it any better than that!

ReverbNation Page - http://www.reverbnation.com/lewisharrismusic

Song Sample - “In Your Doorway”


Secondhand Jones – While the production on the song submitted by this Jacksonville, AL four piece isn’t as polished or loud as some of the other artists I’ve come across, the boundless groove of their song “The Ride” can’t be denied.  This song has a distinct swing to it that I find really appealing.  A second song brings early Pearl Jam to mind.  Alternative rock fans are advised to follow the links below.

ReverbNation Page - http://www.reverbnation.com/secondhandjoneshttp://www.reverbnation.com/secondhandjones
Song Sample – “Look Away”







--Penfold