Ariana Fig - Cherry Coke [Music Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“I love the use of good imagery to set a scene and convey the world in a tangible way. Ariana Fig uses ‘Cherry Coke’ as a substitute for alcohol and addiction the way those in recovery find a new fixation but these new infatuations rarely fulfill the user in the same way leading to a constant struggle and this song highlights that so well both in the writing and emotive delivery. Fog’s tone is talented but also vulnerable and genuine and you can feel every word. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Alex McArtor - Oxygen Thief [Music Video Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Alex McArtor has a vocal richness and emotes an emotional depth that lends this track a wisdom beyond her twenty-one years. Which goes to show when artists tap into their inner-self and infuse those emotions that nothing is impossible or off the table regardless of age or circumstances. Written in Laurel Canyon, this is a perfect addition to the rich history of music born from the Southern California hotspot. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Diane Gentile and the Gentle Men - Walk With Me featuring Alejandro Escovedo [Music Video Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Americana can be a tough genre to pin down but this track from Diane Gentile and Austin songwriting stalwart, Alejandro Escoveda might very well set the bar for the genre. Poetic and emotional lyrics over a steady heartfelt delivery that hook the listener in every way. ‘Walk with Me’ offers timeless sound and talent with perfectly matched imagery for the video.

The track offers hints of Emmylou and Springsteen with an ode to Dylan on the side.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Madisyn Gifford - For Shaughnessy [Music Video Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Written for her best friend, ‘For Shaughnessy’ is a tribute to friendship, empathy, and the power of emotional connection. Madisyn Gifford never meant this track to be released but when she shared it with her friend they decided together that this was a song that needed to be shared and heard by others.

The power of friendship is clear and so is the humanity of the writing as well as Gifford’s incredible vocal talent.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

The Sweeplings - Just Like That [Music Video Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Light airy vocals deliver The Sweeplings ode to love, ‘Just Like That.’ The duo delivers tangible emotion both vocally and with a carefully created arrangement that pairs perfectly. The track has a slight theatrical edge that adds an almost brooding haunting quality and instills the intensity and fragility of love to the mix. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Vilhelm Buchaus - Nothing At All [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Breakups are complex and hard, no matter the circumstances and often the wounded parties pretend as if they never knew each other to cope and move on.

Vilhelm Buchaus tackles this dynamic with the powerful lyrics of ‘Nothing At All.’ A soaring ode to heartbreak and resiliency and trying to pick up the pieces. This Commercial leaning singer/songwriter vibe has an Ed Shereen meets Taylor Swift kind of vibe and is universal enough to reach anyone who has suffered through the grief of a breakup.. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Estella Dawn - Didn't Occur To You [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Estella Dawn is a favorite of ours here at LA on Lock. Hailing from San Diego this Southern California Pop star never fails to impress with her thoughtful lyrics and emotional delivery. ‘Didn’t Occur To You’ lands in-between a songwriter/country vibe and a Pop diva standard with soaring vocals to showcase Dawn’s talent and range.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Prismala - "Breathe" [Review]

Rating 4 out of 5

“Life gets weird sometimes. It can feel like free-falling and Prismala is right there to catch you tonight. He might not have the answers but ‘Breathe’ makes it feel better. Soaring vocals intertwining like ballet, this song is the hug you get when you don’t even know you need it. Just close your eyes, lay back on your bed and breathe.”

— Andrew Amoah (LA On Lock Blogger)

Wax Owls - The Appetite [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Chasing a dream comes with some sacrifices and tough decision but when you have true passion and follow your heart those decisions are almost a relief. This song is about Wax Owls vocalist, Gerry Hirschfeld given in to his creative hunger and transitioning from a career as a lawyer to full-time songwriter and performer.

’The Appetite’ is an Indie folk ode to passion and faith that things will work out when you allow yourself to be free and chase your dreams.. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Leroy From The North - Push [Music Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Leroy From The North gives us a track that feels a bit like sitting on a bar stool and having a beer while listening to your buddy tell you about the girl he just met. You could call this Southern Rock or Americana as it has both Petty and Sturgill vibes for sure. Easy to listen to and find your own emotional relevance ‘Push’ is a track I will be adding to several of my personal playlists. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Social Drag - Remind Me [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“This track from Social Drag feels a bit like a 90s throwback. Could have been released then as Country with an edge, or a Sheryl Crow-esque track about the emotions of failed relationships, but that is not to say the single is dated. It’s not.

And while ‘Remind Me’ doesn’t quite fit the Outlaw or Americana sound of today’s Alt-Country, labels are not what good music is about anyway, and neither are timestamps. This track simply conveys the emotions it was intended with solid talent behind it so for me or anyone to place it in a strict category is a waste of time.

Listen and enjoy, or feel and wallow if you prefer, but either way the intent of the song was established and delivered, and in the the end ... that’s all that matters in the subjective world of expressive art. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Someone Else's Rain - Cry Them For You [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Reemerging after a difficult breakup is tough, and comes on a unique timeline for everyone, though the magical realization that suddenly you are going to be okay is a true revelation and that is exactly what this track captures.

Someone Else’s Rain delivers the song with a smooth easy groove and ‘Cry Them For You,’ is a timeless emotional jam as a result. Heartfelt and genuine this is a song that will have lasting power as it transcends both time and genre. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Will Solomon - Crazy Kid [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“This track is an ode the dreamers, the chasers, the ones that defy the odds and achieve their goals despite the odds and the critics.

Will Solomon hails from Kentucky, but now calls Seattle home, and you can almost hear the influence of both places. There is a rustic Americana vibe that John Prine would be proud of, as well as an attitude and defiance that could be found in the 90s in the grunge sound. This track certainly isn’t grunge, but there is a subtle edge and bold resistance to what others say that is certainly Rock and Roll at its heart. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Lauren Rintoul - Lost Art [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“Lauren Rintoul takes us on a breakup journey though this isn’t necessarily a track about heart break and the ache afterward as much as it is the guilt and uncertainty of being the one to end it and wondering if you did the right thing.

’Lost Art’ is an emotive and honest look at knowing you aren’t in love but also wanting to be a good decent person and handle the break up in the right way. Delivered in a tender, singer/songwriter kind of way the song is easily relatable.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Filippa Borgman - Broken Man & A Shoe [Music Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Written in the height of Covid lockdowns amid a landscape of widespread global depression, Filippa Borgamn gives us a story of sorrow that rings not only as plausible, but outright believable.

’Broken Man & A Shoe’ takes elements from Elton John, Folk, and Pop to create a track that is as full of life as it is sadness. This is a song of the human condition created by a talented artist that transcends any one genre or style to create an artful and meaningful emotional response.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Omar Rudberg - She Fell In Love In The Summer [Music Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“ Swedish songsmith, Omar Rudberg might not be on your radar yet, but he should be. ‘She Fell In Love That Summer’ is songwriting at its best, an emotional movie unfurled in under three minutes.

The delivery is emotive and powerful and sweeps the listener up and along. There are a million love inspired songs, so it is never easy to create another that takes you for the same up and down ride relationships often do, but Rudberg has certainly delivered on this track.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Amelie Patterson - The War [Music Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“I suppose it is rather ironic, but there is a lot of great Americana music being created by Canadians these days, and Amelie Patterson certainly joins that select group. ‘The War’ has Folk and Indie Rock elements and is tough to categorize like a lot of Americana.

No doubt there will Brandi Carlile comparisons, and that is an apt similarity, but no mistake, no matter what artists served as her inspiration, Patterson is a talented and capable artist creating her own sound. Deeply emotional and brooding in the build, this is a track that I will listen to over and over again to extract every last drop of nuance and meaning.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Annie Bartholomew - White Chapel Woman [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“I was immediately intrigued by the subject matter and writing of this traditional Folk tune. Alaskan folksinger Annie Bartholomew spins a track detailing the hardships and survival of a frontier era sex worker.

In case you missed that, let me repeat it— we are talking about traditional Folk detailing the life of a Victorian era sex worker.

Originality points aside, Bartholomew unfurls her emotive vocal talent along with a lively musical build that really does tell a complete story in a short few minutes. And she does it with an engaging flair that will have me listening on repeat and digging in to hear more from this talented artist.”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Chris Kläfford - Maybe It’s Just Me [Music Review]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“If you wonder what Chris Kläfford sounds like, imagine an Adult Contemporary hit sung by Chris Stapleton and you will have a petty good idea. I am very intrigued by this Swedish artist and can’t wait to hear other works by him.

Emotive and vocal strength are the first attributes that caught my attention, though this is also a very well-written track delivered with power and an emotive touch that rises above the fray. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger

Grayson Foster - Like a Fire [Music Review]

Rating: 4 out of 5

“A strong emotive track perfect for the Singer/Songwriter genre. Grayson Foster delivers this song with passioned, emotive strength and the end result is a timeless sound that will appeal to fans of artists ranging from the rock flavor of Springsteen to the Folk of John Craigie and the the Pop style of Harry Styles. That said Foster hasn’t created a derivative track, but rather one simply rooted in genuine artistry utilizing his own sound. ”

— Travis Erwin ~ LA on Lock Blogger