Naomi Elizabeth

(This is a review that was published when we first started on our myspace blog, but to the blogspot readers it'll be new, and besides the first one didn't have video.)



L.A. musician Naomi Elizabeth plays electronica with bold and funny lyrics. She’s obviously been influenced by many different styles, and it’s a pleasure to watch her put her spin on them.
Electronica is a Hip-Hop derivative, and it has a similar love of innovative rhythms, and genre evolution. Elizabeth mixes her poison with punk, and maybe a little Lilly Allen pop. She has a real "singer’s" voice, that she sometimes uses for other things(dirty minds be silent), like shrieking, laughing, and cussing. All of which just makes her more fun to listen to. Bring It is a great lazy anthem, it has a laid back authority to it that is a character quality of of most Southern Californians. In the song she chants "This music will Fuck you up", and it sounds like Gwen Stafani. Her voice is her own though, and her unique style is displayed in the song and video for It’s not easy when your me. The chorus line for that is "Do that dance you slut", charming.







There are so many good things to say about her that we should go the other direction for a second. The instrumentals on some of her tracks sound thin, and oversimplified. Sometimes they don’t seem to go with the vocals at all. Her music also has the disadvantage of being poorly produced. If the sounds were crisper, and put out at a better quality they’d be irresistible.
In her blog she has about four CDs up for sale. One of them is a 2008 demo, which has some songs from her myspace on it. I’d say check them out, it’s always fun to own CD’s bought directly from the artist. In fact here's a link to her blog. It tells you how to buy her cd's Naomi's Blog

Myspace.com/NaomiElizabeth

Okra Win Free

Okra Win Free has a serious sound behind it's funny name. The New Jersey rock band got their name from a funny story involving the police; the funniest stories always do. In the band's blog they explain that frontman Michael Deej was arrested because the Okra plant's in his backyard resembled Marijuana. It wasn't untill six hours later that the police were able to discern that the plants were actually not of the smoking species. That story and the resemblence to the name Oprah Winfrey will be plenty to talk about if the band ever becomes famous and makes it onto the Tonight Show.
"Spiral Down" is perhaps the band's best song. It demonstrates all the good things about the song. Deej and whoever else writes music with him are on the border of being true composers. "Down" is a very well arranged song. It also displays the band's awesome rock energy. That energy is what really makes them a rock band. That and there ability to play their instruments really well.
Like I said their sound is only rock because of how they play it. On some song the rock enthusiasm lacks a little. When that happens their music sounds like a musical soundtrack more than a rock album. The other thing that's keeping them from acheiving their best is pretty simple. Mixing. On their tracks the vocals vastly over power the rest of the band, it gives you the feeling that your listening to a singer and his band, and with acts like Daughtry out their I'm sure we can all agree that's a bad idea.
There's no way Okra Win Free isn't awesome live. A room filled with body's stopping in musical ecstasy is all that's needed to wash their few flaws down the drain. For now though you can only catch their shows if you live in or are willing to travel to New Jersey. Fortunately you can buy their music of Amazon. Okra Win Free On Amazon.
I'd say buy an album but that's because I like good music and love unsigned artists even more. Well anyway definitely check them out, and if you decided to buy an disc that's one more for Independent music.



This band's going to be awesome they get a 5.5 out of 10

Myspace.com/OkraWinFree




Do you think you can write reviews? Then do it and send them in maybe we'll publish them.

Any bands that want their music played for on our online independent radio station email us at MusecMail@Gmail.com

Donate some cash so we can do this whole Musec Review thing better. It's really actually super easy, just click the button in the left column type a few things and click another button and soon we'll be doing this bigger and better.

Musec Radio

You can catch us live on the radio tomorrow at 9:30pm. Check it out, the music will be sick and it'll give us a chance to share what we think, live. Plus if you call in you can dispute or agree with our ideas.

Brian Rolland

The guitarist Brian Rolland is of a very different type than the music usually reviewed here, but there is no genre that this blog will not attempt to discern good from bad in.
In 2007 Rolland put out an album entitled The Tide's In. The album is largely Latin-Jazz, carried on the feeling of a shallow coastline current. Fortunately the album didn't go down as another ignored album from a small time musician. It was recognized by those in the genre's circle, and by those with acute tastes. The Tide's In is a brilliant album, and it show cases Rolland's talent, and will probably be part of the reason he'll become more and more widely known.
It's not surprising that Brian is influenced heavily by nature. His music is thoroughly infused with aspects of it's wild and enduring beauty. His music samples feelings from the Jungle and the Beach, admiring the entirity of the earth indiscriminately. Even though there is a blooming freedom in his music it's nothing for die hard Jazz fans to worry about. None of the complexity or precision common to the genre is lost in the slightest. When Rolland plays to the surf he doesn't lose a drop of of his musicianship.
The Tide Is In is still being sold. The price is a little steep, so you should dfinitely give it a good listen before buying. Nonetheless it's a great peice of art, in the way Jazz always is.

Brian Rolland get's a 6.75 out of 10
WWW.BRIANROLLAND.COM

Check out the next band we’re reviewing:
Myspace.com/OkraWinFree

Cue to Eclipse

Cue to Eclipse is another band from the UK that rocks socks. The band is a five piece ensemble, featuring vocalist Dan, Dave on bass, Luke D on drums, and Johnny and Luke B playing guitar. Knowing their names without first hearing there music may seem pointless, but if you take my advice you'll check them out, and then you'll be glad I told you their names. So your freakin welcome.
The band sounds like the Incubus of Metal. Their music has all the energy and the quick guitar riffs of Metal or Hardcore, but it's more artistically aggresive than is common of both genres. "Astral Planning" has an especially astounding sound. In this song, which is the first track on their most recent E.P., "Chapter II", Eclipse alternates between soft waves of guitar and a crushing metal sound. The song is bad ass not just because it would make a great sound track additon, but because it also displays the bands ability to go from hard to soft and then smash the two together.
Front man and vocalist Dan causes some serious mayhem with his microphone. He sings and screams, and he does both well. All the vocal credit can't be given to him though. On occasion other members of the band will pipe in two. Fortunately unlike many other amateur bands when they do, it doesn't cause you to want to rip your ears off and bury them in a glacier. It actually sounds good.
I don't know where to get there album from, but for any fans of rockin' stuffs this is a worthy buy. You might think "well there are plenty of bands with record deals who make music as good or better". If that thought ran through you're head then you shouldn't be reading this blog in the first place. Musec Review is all about introducing audiences to unsigned bands, and putting a fraction of the power with musicians, instead of record labels. Just joking about you not reading the blog though, maybe we can change your mind. Plus we like our readers.

Anyway Cue to Eclipse gets a 5.75 out of 10

Myspace.com/CueToEclipse

Check out the next two bands we're reviewing:
Myspace.com/Brain Rolland
Myspace.com/OkraWinFree

Khingz

Rap is perhaps the easiest genres of music to create music in. All it requires is a microphone and a computer program capable of mixing vocal tracks and beat squences. Even though it's easy to make the music, it's not easy to make it good. Writing rythmic poetry, and designing full-bodied melodic rythms to go with them is a master craft, with a difficulty equal to that of playing any instrument in any band. It's because rapping deceitfully appears easy that so many crappy rappers are out there. It's also the reason that rappers who used to make good music turn out crap before their career's end. Khingz makes rap, and he makes it well.
"No Apology 07" is a slow rap with backed with an amazingly engineered hip-hop hacked melody. The lyrics have so much poetic potency that they could be read on their own. Khingz uses an ingredient that is the both the most important and the most neglected in rap: intelligent articulation. He expresses his views and his culture, without abandoning language, and without distorting his message. In his own words Khingz is "More hood than gold fronts on a 2 year old. Yet with the intelligence of W.E.B Dubois."
Khingz grew up in Washington. Not Washington D.C. but the state. Even though he hasn't blown up yet, he's played shows in a wide variety of locations. He's also put out a couple CD's. When he puts out his next album it will be interesting to see how well it does. His fan base will undoubtedly grow with time, as long as his music continues on the path it's on now.

Khingz get's a 6 out of 10

Myspace.com/Khingz

Slacker73

Alright let’s try and find one thing with this band that doesn’t suck. I’m joking. A large percentage of my readers think that I’m too mean in my reviews. That’s ridiculous. If a band sucks I’m going to say it sucks. Don’t give me that "music is art and art can’t suck" line. That’s bull. Playing music is a talent that is time consumingly cultivated and conceptualized. I’m going to stop before I smother you in my thoughts on the subject. Just let it be known Musec Review will forever be a source of unbiased, honest, and fresh reviews of bands that normally aren’t give the time of day in mainstream press.

Now back to the review:

Slacker73 is the alias of a guy named Steven Simpson. Simpson is a multi-talented artist from the UK. With today's technology it seems like more and more people are opting to be the only member of their band's. The new phenomena has it's pluses and it's down points. On the good side it allows artists to realize their own musical vison, without having to compromise with other people's pesky opinions. One person having complete creative control is also what makes this kind of music unstable. Only a truly refined artist can play all the instruments and supply all the vocals, and even then I imagine the live shows are still pretty strange.
Slacker73's music sounds like a group of Americans roadtripping through Europe in the late summer. If your having trouble translating that image into sound then just listen to the music and you'll get it. It features three different genre's that are pretty evenly spread out over two intruments and the vocals. The guitar strums out country flavors while the drums rumble blues rock rhythms. Simpson's singing is a smooth departure from indie. When I say departure I just mean that if indie was made by happy people more often it would sound llike this.
As mentioned earlier, one downside of a one man band is the lack of overall proficiency. If Simpson teamed up with a few more band members and took his sound into a studio it would be way more listenable. As of now it sounds thin and feeble.
The music's good though, and cool to listen to. I would recomend the CD for the "unsigned bands" section of your music library, but I'm not sure if there's one available. Whenever one comes out I would definitely order a copy.

That last statement gives me the oppurtunity to release the new rating system.

For a CD from Slacker73 I'd spend $4.50 (which if you don't know equals a 4.5 out of 10)


Myspace.com/Slacker73UK

Gettendeep

Gettendeep is a metal alternative band from Florida. They are an explosive symphony powered by relentless ryhthms and raging vocals. Your ears will bleed, and then you'll turn your headphones up.
Like most band's reviewed here the group is unsigned, but they are looking to change that through pure endurance. It's insane how full their booking schedule is. From March 14 to the end of the year there are already 26 shows booked, and they are still looking for more. All the shows they have so far are Florida events, but they make it clear on their page that they are willing to travel. Especially since their fans are requesting shows in other states.
The band's music has as much energy as they do. The four person army consists lead vocalist Mr. Glass, lead guitarist Riccin, rhythym guitarist Cell, and drummer Kelus. They make do without a bassist, but in certain parts the absence can be felt. Without a bass Kelus is left alone in the rhythym section, he steps up with rumbling beats backed occasionaly by a metal spine of double bass ferocity. Their sound isn't pure metal though. When the alternative side of them pops out, you might think Mr. Glass is busting a Placebo or Foo Fighters cover.
"Responsible" is one of the tracks that shows both their metal and alternative sides. It's a rage filled anthem. Riccin supplies both awesome back up vocals and well sustained guitar licks that makes this song start and finish strong. All Gettendeep's songs are omtense listening experiences, all of them rock.

Gettendeep is sick and so get a 6 out of 10

Myspace.com/xGettendeepx

Check out who we're reviewing next: Mysoace.com/Slacker73UK

If you think you can write review send us a message and let us know.

Check out a extended review with pictures and video on musecreview/blogspot.com




gettendeep 07/08 tour