Jake Dillon - Camp out at Wal (Mart) [Music Review] December 02, 2024 by Travis Erwin in Music, Alternative, Rock Rating: 4 out of 5 “Jake Dillon has the ability to hook listeners with one or two words. This emotive delivery is a strength of his work though you can’t dismiss the writing which has that simple, yet poignant quality that hooks the audience with its relatability. ’Camp out at Wal-Mart’ is a song about the personal journey that is life and it drips with humanity in all the best ways. ” — Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger
Gabe Lopez - Long Road [Music Review] November 30, 2024 by Travis Erwin in Music, Commercial, Alternative, Pop Rating: 4 out of 5 “Gabe Lopez is a successful musician but you might not yet be aware of this solo work. As a music producer for RuPaul’s Drag Race, Belinda Carlisle, platinum KPOP artists and more, Lopez has already made a mark in the musical landscape, and now this new track , ‘Long Road,’ might elevate this talented artist to even greater heights. The song has an haunting, heavy quality that makes the emotions inescapable. A track that means more with each listen, this is a song that has a timeless sound and appeal.” — Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger
Temptress -What Would You Do [Music Video Review] November 26, 2024 by Kreadiv Kesh in Contemporary R&B, Alternative, R&B Rating: 3 out of 5 “London artists have a distinct sound that I really like. This R&B duo’s video fuses an upbeat yet contemporary vibe, though they linger on the hook a bit too long. Still, it’s a cool retro visual paired with a good sound.” — Kreadiv Kesh [LA On Lock Blogger]
Tessa Dalton - Hit the Lights [Music Review] November 25, 2024 by Travis Erwin in Music, Indie Pop, Alternative Rating: 4.5 out of 5 “Hey, you up?The same thought process that leads to those kind of texts is what Tessa Dalton is singing about in ‘Hit The Lights.’This Indie/Alt Pop track is about that poor decision making we all make as we romanticize and gloss over all the red flags visible in the light of day. It’s a fun track that gets ina nd makes its point with talent and precision and doesn’t carry on too long.” — Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger
The Criticals - Danish Eyes [Music Review] November 24, 2024 by Travis Erwin in Music, Indie Rock, Indie Pop, Alternative, Rock Rating: 4 out of 5 “Two dudes from rural Tennessee wrote a Rock song called ‘Danish Eyes’ in LA, then went across the pond to record it in England. Yeah, you read that right and that’s the absolute beauty of Rock and Roll.The Criticals are rock throwbacks ina way as they do things most pop stars and fame chasers are unwilling to do, and they do it to stay fresh and on the cutting edge. This isn’t a band that chases trends, but rather embraces who they are and works to create the best version of themselves on a constant basis. If you’re not listening to The Criticals already, you should be!” — Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger
Ava Valianti - Wishing Well [Music Feview] November 24, 2024 by Travis Erwin in Music, Commercial, Alternative, Pop Rating: 3.5 out of 5 “The vocal tone and emotive delivery is what held me initially to Ava Valianti’s latest single, ‘Wishing Well.’That said the writing is poignant and meaningful and offers a melancholy type of nostalgia we all feel from time to time. The world marches on, and with it change is inevitable, but as we say goodbye to the many little things that were part of our childhoods we also lose little pieces of ourselves. Those losses do as much to shape who we are as the new additions that replace them. We are all constantly shedding our skin, in both a literal and figurative sense and this song captures it so well.” — Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger
Leo Sawikin - Am I Ever Going To Fly Again [Music Review] November 20, 2024 by Travis Erwin in Music, Indie Rock, Alternative Rating: 4 out of 5 “We are all chasing something, happiness, contentment, a thrill maybe? Leo Sawiken is no different and his track, ‘Am I Ever Going To Fly Again’ is all about trying to recapture one of the life’s magic moments. The song starts slow, with a melancholy vibe that replicates the disappointment we feel when we realize that despite our best efforts, this time we failed to find that sparkle and shine. This is a cerebral song that leaves you thinking about your own life and experiences in a meaningful way. Style wise it falls into the Indie Rock plate with a side of human angst. The emotions are real and tangible and highly applicable to most of us have shared the same sentiments. ” — Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger
Illiterate Light - Montauk [Music Review] November 05, 2024 by Travis Erwin in Music, Alternative, Indie Rock Rating: 3.5 out of 5 “Illiterate Light gives us a languid, thinking man kind of track with ‘Montauk.’ Inspired by the theme of the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the song takes on the emotional and mental game of attempting what you suspect will ultimately go down as a failure. The track has what I’d called an organized chaos feel and vibe. Which is apt given that is pretty much how our brains function. The song is long for modern music, and that, along with the deeper subject matter, will probably keep it from reaching hit status. Though it is the kind of Alternative/Indie Rock release that is likely to develop a cult following of very dedicated fans.” — Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger
Halo Kitsch - BETWEEN YOUR TEETH [Music Review] November 05, 2024 by Travis Erwin in Music, Alternative, Pop, Rock Rating: 4.5 out of 5 “Halo Kitsch has some fun calling out the fake hypocrisy of those who work so damn hard to be perfect. Perfect and predictable is a manufactured illusion fed these days by social media likes and follows. ‘BETWEEN YOUR TEETH’ is an ode to the real ones, the true friends that will tell you not what you want to hear, but what you NEED to hear.” — Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger
Tamar Berk - That's Not a Lie [Music Video Review] November 05, 2024 by Travis Erwin in Music, Indie Rock, Indie Pop, Alternative Rating: 4 out of 5 “Some songs simply grab hold and refuse to let go. Tamar Berk certainly has talent and a pleasing tone though I can’t fully explain why this one stuck to me so fiercely. The delivery and melody are nice, but the hook and lyrical refrain of the song is what grabbed me and refused to let go. Like an ear worm in the best of ways!” — Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger
Joshua Golden - I Can't Wait To Meet You [Music Review] October 31, 2024 by Travis Erwin in Music, Trap, Rap, Pop, Alternative Rating: 4.5 out of 5 “Most of us long to find that elusive soulmate, and while waiting, we come up with our ideas and ideals of what that person will be like. Joshua Golden taps into those expectations with his tack, ‘I Can’t Wait To Meet You.’The song straddles that line between Pop and Rap to create a Commercial track that should appeal to a wide audience. The emotion and performance and added snippets of conversation on each end really come together to feel true and genuine.” — Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger
Ingrid Avison - Time Travelling Cowboy [Music Video Review] October 31, 2024 by Travis Erwin in Music, Music Videos, Alternative, Pop, Americana Rating: 3.5 out of 5 “Ingrid Avison unleashes her debut single, ‘Time Travelling Cowboy.’ The emotive delivery highlight Avison’s songwriting and vocal talent. With a slight tremble at times that sells the words well, Avison has that classic Americana vibe that feels like a kinder softer Lucinda Williams mixed with some of the strong emotion of a Brandi Carlile.I did at times crave a stronger sense of build and escalation from the arrangement.” — Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger
Kylie Rothfield - The Barrel [Music Review] October 31, 2024 by Travis Erwin in Music, Alternative, Pop Rating: 4 out of 5 “Kylie Rothfield caught the attention of Alicia Keys and afte rthis track you’ll understand why. ‘The Barrel’ is a smooth Alt Pop track dripping with emotion and vocal talent. The track ahs some late 80s or early 90s vibes yet still has a contemporary vibe thanks to the writing and strong emotive performance of Rothfield. ” — Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger
Eden Rain - Taking [Music Review] October 30, 2024 by Travis Erwin in Music, Alternative, Pop Rating: 3 out of 5 “London-based artist Eden Rain takes an Alt Pop angle on her latest single ‘Taking.’The track comes from her highly anticipated upcoming EP, ‘Anyway, How Are You?’ The narrative style lyricism works well here though I did crave a more emotive edge given the vocal side is produced to give a low-key distant kind of vibe. Rain does offer a nie look at the complexities of human relationships, while unraveling the intricate dynamics of the people around her.” — Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger
Vilhelm Buchaus - My Mistake [Music Review] October 30, 2024 by Travis Erwin in Music, Indie Rock, Indie Pop, Alternative, Rock Rating: 4 out of 5 “Sometimes the painful truth is plain as day and yet we choose to ignore it. Vilhelm Buchaus is all about this dynamic on his new single, ‘My Mistake.’ The track has a 90’s Indie Rock vibe as it showcases a relationship that is doomed from the start even though he is diving in head first with the realization it won’t end well.” — Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger
Richard Tyler Epperson - All My Life [Music Review] October 30, 2024 by Travis Erwin in Music, Pop, Rock, Alternative Rating: 3.5 out of 5 “Richard Tyler Epperson taps into his personal history with the track, ‘All My LIfe.’The talented songwriter has taken a song that his father first recorded as a, acoustic demo and put his own spin on it to create a link and legacy with his father. Motivated by the recent passing of his father, Epperson utilizes the emotion and meaning to give us a song that is personally meaningful to him that also has the ability to resonate with others in an impactful way.” — Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger
Dax - Lonely Dirt Road [Music Video Review] October 11, 2024 by Travis Erwin in Music Videos, Alternative, Rock, Pop, Country Rating: 4 out of 5 “Dax is a versatile artist adept at conveying emotion via a variety of genres, but you can always hear and feel the passion fueling his artistry. ’Lonely Dirt Road’ straddles that line between the Rock and the Nashville style of modern Pop Country. The delivery is deliberate and emotive. A few times I craved a touch less production on the vocal side because I have faith Dax could have delivered these emotional words straight up with quite so much production coloring the sound. That said, this is a track that is accessible to all and one easy to feel as much as you hear.” — Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger
Lisa Heller - LOSER! [Music Review] October 11, 2024 by Travis Erwin in Music, Pop, Punk, Alternative, Rock Rating: 4 out of 5 “Lisa Heller is anything but a ‘Loser!!’ Though she sings that refrain with ease and kill. Delivery a Pop Punk brand of high-energy, Heller straddles the line of Pop Princess and Punk Girl Bad-Ass quite ably. It’s hard to imagine her losing anything she wants to keep but this tracks has punch and you can’t help but believe in the performance and the artist.” — Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger
Caroline Romano - Pretty Boys [Music Review] October 11, 2024 by Travis Erwin in Music, Commercial, Alternative, Pop, Rock Rating: 4.5 out of 5 “Caroline Romano always delivers with a strong emotive performance and this latest single, ‘Pretty Boys,’ delivers on those expectations.’Pretty Boys is my honest recount of heartbreak,’ Caroline shares. ‘It’s like reading straight from my diary—a dramatic story with a terribly disappointing ending. The song is a cautionary tale about the blurry line between friendship and something more. Just because you’ve kissed him doesn’t mean you should do it again, and just because he looks at you that way doesn’t mean you’re the only one.’Romano knows how to tap into her own experiences and emotions to give listeners a full spectrum of artistry. ” — Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger
Shriya - Her October 04, 2024 by Travis Erwin in Music, Commercial, Adult Contemporary, Alternative, Pop Rating: 4 out of 5 “A big soaring Alt Pop track with singer/songwriter vibes, ‘Her’ offers a smooth and emotional build that speaks to the insecurities and fears many of us possess. WIth that said, this track avoids a wallowing kind of despair, delving instead onto an honest vulnerability that makes the lyrics feel real and of course the talented performance hooks the listener in from the very beginning.” — Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger