Micah Edwards - Girl from the Valley [Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Micah Edwards calls his sound Texas Soul ... I simply call it damn good music.

I do hail from Texas originally so the Lone Star State has a soft spot in my heart, but I don’t care where you ‘re from, this is the kind of soulful, smooth song that speaks straight to the emotions. Timeless yet contemporary as well, ‘Girl From The Valley,’ simply feels right from the very first note. Can’t wait to hear more music from the talented Edwards.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Belaver - Mount Misery [Music Video Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Strong writing, backed by an emotive and heartfelt delivery, will always find a place in the musical landscape and that is what Belaver gives us with the single, ‘Mount Misery.’

The track unfolds in low key fashion that is easy to digest and fell but the delivery is spot on in tone. The writing delivers punch through the entire progression making this is the kind of track that sticks with you long after the last note has faded.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Leeroy Stagger - More Love Than Money [Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Leeroy Stagger sounds like what I imagine the Grateful Dead would be with Jason Isbell fronting them. ‘More Love Than Money’ is a groove and a mood, but the writing delivers more emotion than you’d expect from such a fun and light melody. A song that makes you want to shout amen as you sing along and feel every word.

Stagger is one voice I’d love to see perform in person as I have now featured a few tracks from the talented Canadian. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Rett Madison - Skeptic's Angels [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Rett Madison give us a tender and vulnerable track about losing touch with that faith and wonderment we all have as kids but lose as age and skepticism takes over. The need to believe in something remains leaving us all a bit disjointed at times and this track beautifully captures the emotional struggle of being a realist but also letting go and simply trusting in something or someone. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Lazer Lloyd - Real [Music Video Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“When art is genuine and heartfelt it rarely disappoints and Lazer Lloyd delivers both with his single, ‘Real.’

Lazer’s comment on what is behind the song, ‘What do you think it means to be real? What’s your version of reality? Are you controlling your mind or is your mind controlling you? Keep it real to feel the pure manifestation living through you without adding the past, future, like or dislike. I’m a this or a that. Just be truly real beyond description and concepts, completely awake in this very moment which is the only real thing that ever exists...’

This is the kind of track that sticks with you and makes you think long after after the last note. Classic, timeless, and heartfelt! ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Tom Mackell - Gone [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Tom Mackell honors his mother and all of those who touch our lives and are ‘Gone’ far too early. The emotive track serves as a good reminder without dipping into the morose or forced sentimentality. The track has an Americana vibe and for those not familiar of with the genre think of Springsteen and Petty with a dash of bluesy country to the overall sound. This is simply a well-written and meaningful song delivered with heart.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Rett Madison - Emily [Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Rett Madison delivers the rare combination of power and emotion in her vocal delivery of ‘Emily,’ and the raw strains of a broken or breaking heart are evident in every single line.

Lyrically, the track wades the same water as ‘Jolene,’ but from a different angle. Genre wise the track feels like a Pop/Americana tweener. Both the writing and the performance shine, and I can’t wait to hear the rest of Madison’s album due out in September.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Nadia Kamrath - Confessions [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Nadia Kamrath possesses the uncanny talent to perfectly convey emotion with only a few words. ‘Confessions’ is an emotive singer/songwriter vibe reminiscent to Phoebe Bridgers in style, but Kamrath certainly has her own tonal quality and style that stands out.

The track is about one friend catching deeper feelings and offering up the emotions behind such a realization. The sentiments ring true and genuine and it is an easy track to fall in on.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Jackson+Sellers - Waste Your Time [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Jackson+Sellers reminds me of Lucinda Williams both in sound and attitude. That take no shit, take no prisoners vibe rises to the top of this jaded, yet righteous track.

’Waste Your Time’ is an ode to whatever brand of idiocy you’ve dealt with, though most people will apply the sentiments towards a bad relationship. The rowdy edge to this track brings it to life and makes the pointed commentary land hard right on the chin of the time wasters of this world. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

American Authors - Nice and Easy (Acoustic) [Review]

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

“Summer is all about energy and good times, and American Authors have brought in Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray fame to join them on this acoustic ode to kicking back and taking it ‘Nice and Easy.’

This track toes the line between Rock and Folksy sentiments, but never dips or lags in its unfailing energy and passion. Join in the party and sunshine days by adding add this single to your summer playlists.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Hot Mondy - Pale Ember [Music Video Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“The best music is always timeless, and very often beyond easy genre classification. That is the case with Hot Monday’s single, ‘Pale Ember.’ There are Indie Rock elements, and Americana elements which combine to give the track a Springsteen sort of threadbare vibe as well as an emotional brand of regret that permeates the delivery and makes it all feel so real. The writing is emotionally stirring and the performance conveys the feelings in every line. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Chris Robley - There's a Bird [Music Video Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“This is songwriting at its best. Chris Robley has that extra bit of intuitiveness to his writing that you normally find in such artists as Jason Isbell, Bruce Springsteen and Tom Waits. That line between heartbreak and hope is always at the center of the work and gives the listener a myriad of emotion to work from. This is a track that grows on you with each and every listen, but is mesmerizing from the very first listen.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Alex Beraldo - Southern Heat [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“This track definitely spoke to my Texas roots. Folk, reminiscent to a blend of the late great John Prine and Todd Snider, the soft tone comes with lyrical punch and a wry bit of emotional twist. This track is not as Commercial in its sound as most of the music we share on LA on Lock, but don’t let that deter you from taking a dive in on this well-written ode to the selfish people we all know.”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Blume Hinges - Nobody's Daughter [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Passion goes a long way into making an artist’s vision come through in a way others can feel. That is the strength of ‘Nobody’s Daughter’ by Blume Hinges. The style is a little bit Punk, a little bit Indie Rock, with just a hint of Southern Rock and Americana in the mix. The writing is strong and the delivery meaningful in that raw, angsty way that works so well for tracks like this. ”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Ryland Moranz - Beautiful World [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Long before I called So Cal home, I grew up in the windy plains of the Texas Panhandle, so this track by Ryland Moranz spoke to me and my past in a way that few songs do. Call this melancholy Folk, as the tempo and vibe here is of tarnished, bleak places that still somehow speak to who we are. At least those of us who have called such places home.”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Henry Conlon - I'm Coming Home [Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Henry Conlon has captured a dark gritty sound with the acoustic version of his signature track, ‘I’m Coming Home.’ Whilelt he single lives in the Americana,/Folk world of sounds it also brings an old school Blues refrain to the mix and all of it combines to create a heavy undertone to the emotional edge of both the songwriting and the vocal performance. This is a song that sits with you long after the last note has faded. ”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Carly King - Mountains, Alone. [Music Video Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Carly King has that vocal tone that works for whatever style she wishes to sing, and that does make it tough to categorize her sound. There is a hint of Macy Gray, a splash of Dylan, a whiff of Rondsant and Emmylou all in that timbre, but most important is the emotion and feeling that emits from her delivery. This track couples that with strong songwriting, and in the end, the emotions wrap around you like a soft warm blanket on a chilly day.”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Derek Luttrell - Red [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“This is the second track we are featuring today off of Derek Luttrell’s new album, ‘The Wolf Who Cried Boy.’ Both songs offer artful songwriting, and emotive vocals that hookt he listener in with their honest genuine approach. ‘Red’ is about the rage and anger we all feel at times and the futility of giving in to those emotions. ”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Quinn DeVeaux - All I Need [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Rock and Roll Soul Funk. That’s the vibe Quinn DeVeaux brings in this track, which fans of Nathanial Rateliff and Leon Bridges are certain to enjoy.

’All I Need’ captures that all-encompassing euphoria of finding that person that makes the entire world feel world. Simply put, with them at your side you don’t need anything else to feel joyous and right.”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)

Broken Witt Rebels - Birmingham - The Digbeth Mix [Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Broken Witt Rebels pay tribute to their hometown with ‘Birmingham,’ a track that comes with a mystical brand of reverence that seeps into every word delivered.

The track falls in that Americana, Indie Rock spectrum of sounds, but stands out for its genuine emotion and pacing that simply takes the listener along for a journey of retrospection and nostalgia.”

— Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)