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.
Prezident Brown – Hey waveriders. Do you know a genre of music that I have incredibly little working knowledge about? That’s right, reggae! I can tell you however that I find the song submitted by this Jamaican artist and his three musical cohorts to be quite good. It sounds earthy and hypnotic and I think the vocals really accentuate the whole affair. Check it out.
ReverbNation Page – http://www.reverbnation.com/prezidentbrown
A Ton Of Blues – Apparently I need to visit Worchester, MA because this is one heck of a mean blues quartet. They use the template set down by classic artists like Buddy Guy and The Fabulous Thunderbirds and drench it in attitude. Just a flat out dirty, glorious sound these guys produce. I dare you to listen and tell me I’m wrong.
ReverbNation Page – http://www.reverbnation.com/atonofblues
iNFiNiEN – Now this submission was something totally different! This four member outfit (with guest musicians) bills themselves as rock/psychedelic/experimental. The tune I listened to was a very trippy Indian flavored affair that underwent a pretty serious musical shift around the 2:30 mark to become more atmospherically heavy. I totally dug it! Plus, name me another band that counts Bjork, Radiohead, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Tool as similar artists. Go ahead, I’ll wait.
ReverbNation Page – http://www.reverbnation.com/infinien
Song Sample – “Aquatica”
Kathryn Caine – You know, I’m always surprised by how much I like listening to well-done bluegrass music. This lady out of Charlottesville, NC is just what the doctor ordered if you need a shot of the good stuff! Her song submission was fantastic. A couple of her other songs I listened to were great too showing that she casts a wide musical net incorporating a more traditional country sound, some southern rock, and even a hint of soul. Recommended.
ReverbNation Page – http://www.reverbnation.com/kathryncaine
Song Sample – “The Last Thing On My Mind”
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Hanna Barakat – Two things stood out to my ears while listening to the song submitted by this young lady from Beirut, Lebanon. First of all I really dig the whole Middle Eastern hard rock/metal sound the song has going for it. Second and more importantly this artist has supreme control over her voice, and she uses that control to great effect. If you like Amy Lee’s voice you’ll really dig this powerful vocalist.
ReverbNation Page – http://www.reverbnation.com/hannabarakat
Jolly – You know, the four men in this picture sure look focused and intense for a band named Jolly. Want to know something else? If you like your rock progressive you should really check out this Howard Beach, NY quartet. They name drop Porcupine Tree, Karnivool, and Faith No More as similar artists. That sounds right to me. Also they scientifically engineered their music to elevate your self-awareness. Seriously, I’m not kidding. Hear for yourselves.
ReverbNation Page – http://www.reverbnation.com/jollyband
--Penfold
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