Global Musicians Fish Pond

Christian Lopez is currently based in Martinsburg, Virginia. If you’re around the area, catch him now while you can. Flirting with national success in 2012, I first heard Christian live in Winchester, Virginia, with three piece band Joe Taxi. At the time, I would have said he was at the very top of his game in the performance. Best compared to Johnny Cash in his very early days, he was absolutely 100% absorbed in enjoyment of the music, in a way that projected it to everyone watching, super guitar work, pitch perfect and smooth vocals and catchy songs, making for a super live show to remember. However, hearing his recorded work recently, I have to say I just as much enjoy sitting down listening to his work, as today, on this Friday evening traveling from Montreal to Washington. It’s my pleasure to review his four singles, “This Romance”, “Let it Go”, “Will I See You Again”, and “I Will Remain”.

These four numbers, different in pace, each one, are very cleverly put together.  They are the best – so far – of Christian Lopez and his band.  In this little journey, you will hear early country, banjo verging on bluegrass, superb drumming, and a sound which even is akin to rock.  He brings that very depth and essence of the country into a sound which utterly translates to the billboard.  I can honestly say I’ve never heard anything like it; and I love that.  It’s originality, natural talent, a look that lends itself to TV, a really good supporting band of musicians, total commitment, self-belief, and very hard work.  Rarely will you find all of these seven things in one package.  In my opinion, in Christian, you’ll find them all.

Starting the four tracks with “This Romance”, there’s a lovely understated start to the song, it has soft traces of the beat that is to come, a lonely guitar and Christian’s vocal:

“Well I watched you dance around,
The space that I cleared out for you tonight, for you tonight;
You gave me one good sign,
And I gave you one of mine, just one more song,
And I’ll be right down”

The banjo and percussion is in, and it’s already foot tapping stuff, a lovely repeated melody which you can fall into by the time the chorus comes around. If you’ve reached the chorus, you’ll be hearing what has made the Christian Lopez Band such a hit in their live performances; stomp music, celebratory, energetic, with so much craft put into the vocal and instrumentals. Listen out for the effortless violin solo, in two crucial places in the song, and you’ll see what I mean. The dual tight-as-a-drum male and female harmony is sweet and effortless. At 3:13, it’s short, but perfectly so. It’s an exciting formula, and it leaves you wanting more; a party starter, with no doubt.

“Just rising to the night with this romance”

Second up is “Let Go”, and to me, this is the stylized pop song of the bunch. He doesn’t lose any of the mood or his style, but it’s the song in which I can probably hear as the most mainstream radio play. Funny, as it’s not my favorite, but the lyric is so nicely designed, and the guitar is much more rock/pop. There’s a little Dylan-esque harmonica in there (which Christian also plays capably). The sound is broad, warm, wordy, and reminds me a little of Jason Mraz:

“Well where I come from all the people are nice,
And they all give you the same advice;
They say “go, but don’t worry,
Let your mind take you on a journey”;
But remember why we came all this way.
After everything is done,
There’s only one thing to say,
Say I did what I did in honesty,
And you can’t take that away from me”

It’s a positive message, and I expect to hear more from this particular track on the label version.

Next up is my favorite of the four. It embodies, to me, everything that I’ve admired about Christian, after 2 years of listening to his music.

It’s Sun Studios at its very best. Quite honestly, it embodies that early Nashville as best I’ve ever heard, but brings it to a whole new audience; starting as a two-step, there’s so much energy in this song. The early bars are all anticipation, until the vocal launches in:

“Well with a river to my left,
Another mile straight ahead,
I will move until I find what I deserve;
Don’t know where I’m headed,
But the picture is embedded
In my mind as I move on through the curve”

Recorded, this is a foot stomping experience; live it’s out of this world. It sounds as, in my view, music should sound; like the musicians are having fun, and bringing a smile to the face of the audience. I love the half-pace bars at 1 minute 52 seconds. It was very unexpected, and allows indulgence of the instrumentals and the vocals. It’s expansive, chordy, and you just know that they are going to fly into that frantic country beat again so soon:

“How long will it be,
Until you and I can agree?
My body’s bound,
For this soft, sacred ground,
One day, this earth will call for me”

I’d dare to say this song is one of a kind. It’s such a good mix of everything that’s popular about the likes of Flogging Molly and Mumford and Sons, with a genuine American country feel. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do every time it pops up on my playlist.

“I Will Remain” rounds off these four tracks, and also does not disappoint. It’s a hybrid of sorts; a slow, slow start, with a vocal that’s inviting you to jump into that country beat again (which at 1:16 it inevitably and beautiful does):

“With my back turned away, I watch you go,
Along with the letters and diaries; (note his beautiful use of emphasis on this last word)
People come and people leave, yes I know,
I just you were more than just a memory”

The instrumentals are deliberate and beautiful, but I think it’s fair to say that Christian’s exceptional vocal carries the hope and heartache of this song. As with some of the best albums I’ve heard, it’s a bittersweet finish, reminiscent of Jimmy Marino and Auguster. A song of love and loss and hope, but with so much energy, that either way the night will end with a “let’s live for now” party. The song uses an interesting technique of a build throughout which makes the mid-bars somewhat heavy, but in the end it’s just a nice trick to allow a symphony of back beats, high notes, and very decent down-home music which comes to an all-too-abrupt end.

I’ll dare to say that the Christian Lopez Band is a certain winner; with talent, song writing skill, and energy as Christian has displayed and aired for years now, he, and they, can’t fail. The EP is in recording now, so look out for a label version of these tracks very soon (and for goodness sake buy it, to keep it coming). The nice thing is that he has the national recognition he deserves, and whenever I have aired his music to an international audience, they immediately and without exception fall in love with it; however in the end he is just the humble, thankful young guy from Martinsburg, West Virginia, who is staying absolutely true to his musical roots.

You can find out more about Christian Lopez and the Christian Lopez Band at his website here, or here at his Fish Pond profile;

You can listen to all four tracks at Christian’s Soundcloud page here.

One world, one family, one musical heartbeat.

David Mark Smith
Founder, Global Musicians Fish Pond
Singer/Songwriter, My Lucky Fish

The lads from power-rock and metal band Mystery are a phenomenon. Forming in 2010, when lead singer and lead guitarist Rocky Ravic met drummer Tony Mlikota at the ages of 13 and 12 respectively, while jamming they soon got together with school friend and rhythm guitarist Kris Iaccino, also 12 at the time. The lineup was completed when 12-year-old bass player Josh Scarpaci joined them at the end of 2010, and they debuted at CroktoberFest in Melbourne. Fast forward four years, and they have a story which is a credit to their hard work, commitment to their genre, and well-honed talent. They are simply very, very good at what they do; they believe in it, and in themselves, and have the backing of some big names in the business to prove it.

When these guys joined our ever-growing global family in February 2014, I was blown away by the first couple of tracks which Rocky sent me for their profile. Without any previous information on the band and their roots, my head was right back in the era of early Poison, Warrant, Faster Pussycat, and harder material like AC/DC and Dio. It’s unfair to present them in lockstep with the sounds of all of these other bands, because they have their own sound, but I wanted to give some idea of the caliber of the rock and metal which they are turning out, and I’ll continue to compare throughout this review. It’s a genre which has been all-too-often glossed over in the last 15 years as rock music tended toward more extreme versions (industrial, death metal, and pop-punk), great in themselves, but losing some of the character of true “hair metal”. In the album “2013”, these four, still yet to turn 18, have produced a solid arena-rock classic, which establishes their strong position as the torch bearers for the genre for a generation to come.

Starting the album with minute long instrumental which is all harmony lead guitar, they set the scene for what you’re about to hear. If you had any uncertainty from the album cover of what was coming – shame on you 🙂 – now you can be in no doubt; it’s a rock and metal fest the likes of which you won’t have heard in some time. “2013: A New Dawn” is a lovely short lead into their anthemic album starter, “Raise Your Fist”.

Introing with a cowbell reminiscent of “Appetite for Destruction” in 1987, the immediate pick up of the guitar is such a driver of their sound; some great open chords, and a punchy driving metal distortion which is a perfect backdrop for Rocky’s gravelly vocal. It’s riffy, reminiscent both of AC/DC in the chordiness – Malcolm Young would have been proud – but also Poison and Van Halen, in their ability to craft a guitar line which is memorable and melodic.  The chorus is a chant, grouped voices, they shout it like they mean it, for sure.

“Raise your fist, we’re not gonna take it;
No one can stop us from what we’re born to do”

The guitar solo is short but full of technique, which is recognized in support of Rocky’s licks by the likes of Henrik Bergqvist of superb Swedish metal band, The Poodles; it’s a precursor of what’s to come on the rest of this album.

Motoring through “Freedom”, as songs go it’s a nice come-down from “Raise Your Fist” and switches the mood; the feature of this one is once again the guitar solo; studied, well-written, clear, academic, and totally rocking. It’s good to see the return of some real quality lead guitar work supporting this set of songs. Next up, “Nonstop to Nowhere” begins it’s journey as a ballad, a little reminiscent of Tigertailz in their heyday. It doesn’t take long to drag the song into a heavier state, in doinn so it’s interesting to hear how much they’ve speeded up the chorus tempo. Doubling the pace at the end of the song allows them to rock out with dual guitar harmony, and even to fade the song out on a solo. Their study of great metal technique is never ending, truly.

Next up, “Test of Time” is the track which I cranked up to eleven when I first heard it, windows down in the car (despite it being midwinter, it was a vaguely sunny day); it’s a highway song, it’s strong, well written again to Rocky’s vocal, plenty of scraping the pick down the guitar strings and pinched harmonics a-plenty.

In reviewing metal bands, it’s easy to focus on the vocalist and the guitars; it’s an axe driven sound, so it’s quite normal to revel in the spiraling solos and riffs and soaring voices; however Tony Mlikota, the drummer, deserves a call out on this track.  When you put a really quality drummer together with a big investment in a kit which allows them to really push their limits, you get this type of sound.  Powerful, driving, very noticeable, and testament to the fact that every member of this four piece puts in their absolute all.  After you’ve heard this, have a listen back to the rest of the album, and watch out for the drums; they keep the pace, true, but they’re class, and there is a some very clever musicianship in them.

“Rock n’ Roll Forever Be” follows “On Fire”, and it’s everything that this band is about.  Starting the song with pure AC/DC-like strong riffing, it’s almost a spit at “Spinal Tap”, both the band and the timeless movie; it’s everything that Rob Reiner intended to poke fun at all those years ago, and yet is an epic listen, and popular with absolutely masses of people. More of this, please.

We’re getting late in the album now, and the risk would be that these songs would be getting “samey”. However I’m not finding it with “2013”. “Lost in Time” is once again different; this one has a driving beat to it, metal guitar, it’s delivered with force, and I’m hearing Rocky’s unique vocal style coming out more, as they set out their stall. Noteworthy in this song are the three or four places where you hear a neo-classical guitar sound supporting the song, as well as the enormous kick into a double-bass drumming frenzy at 3 minutes and 27 seconds. It’s enough to send an arena crowd in Tokyo over the edge, that’s for sure.

“Stand Up and Shout” is a super throwback; now I’m definitely hearing Faster Pussycat, or perhaps “London” (if anyone remembers them from the old LA days of sleazy glam metal). The speed of the rhythm guitar and the accompanying solo doesn’t disappoint. Rocky’s screaming throughout the song is a nice new touch, and puts him into the Bruce Dickinson league of vocalists. Solid.

They finish the album paying homage to their homeland, it’s an excellent cover of “Land Down Under” by Men at Work. Quite honestly, I’ve heard some innovative covers, but I’d NEVER have thought that this 80’s classic would get a makeover from a metal band. But somehow it’s so appropriate for this strong and ever-growing young four piece. I can surely see Men at Work smiling at this one, and I can only hope they’ve heard it. Mystery even manage to end the entire album with the word “Oy!” from the original, a beautiful and appropriate touch.

All in all, this is a solid piece of writing, performance, and a tribute to rock and metal, that I’ve been listening to it over and over. This has been a different work to review; I’m not particularly looking for meaning in the lyrics, and they didn’t grab me over the course of the album.  Then again, they didn’t have to. The music is quality, and they are proving it with some extremely hard work, including what you would call a mini-world tour for both of the last two years. These guys are dedicated to their craft, and crowds in Australia, Japan, Eastern Europe, and the US are loving it, and I’m not surprised. With the endorsement that they are getting from some big names in the business, watch out for their growth across the rock and metal festivals of the globe. As they say themselves on their website, and I can’t help but agree: “the future of rock and heavy metal is in good hands”.

David Mark Smith
Founder, Global Musicians Fish Pond
Singer/Songwriter, My Lucky Fish

You can purchase the album “2013” (highly recommended) here at iTunes.

You can find out more about Mystery at their website here, or on their Fish Pond profile page here.

I first ran into Paige and her music when she was a freshman at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. When her peers were asked about the new joiner to the Fish Pond family, they would simply say “Paige is Paige”. I soon found out what they meant. In a league of her own, sometimes seemingly in a world of her own, her voice was always airy, delightful, and I remember early numbers “By the Moon”, “Fire”, and her cover of “I Can’t Help, Falling in Love With You” impressing on me how well her guitar technique and voice fit together. Starting out 2014 with what she describes, appropriately on Valentine’s Day, as “my anti-love song”, she’s back and she’s in amazing form. Paige Chaplin brings you “Company”.

Releasing the wonderful effort “He Has Gone, Said Her Heart” in August 2012, Paige has been on hiatus since that time; and quite honestly, it was a shame not to see any releases in 2013 with all of the promise of her early work. Now settled, producing that same exquisite uniqueness in her vocal, the same guitar sound, but with a maturity of writing which takes her to the next level of the Chaplin sound, “Company” is a worthy release, and it’s a strong start to 2014 and the hopeful anticipation of an album to come. Listen here with me.

I imagine this song seeping quietly into an empty white room, soft instrumentation cautious, introducing a little of the minor mood which will swirl around us through this five minutes and 22 seconds of reflection. This intro is comfortable, like an old sweater. It’s very reminiscent of Paige two years ago; until the vocal comes in, that is. Paige, whispy as usual, but with an edge which keeps me thinking of the middle east. Ironically for this Valentine’s Day release, she sets a lonely tone from the get go:

“Don’t you dare say you’ll stay
Cause I’ve no room in this bed for two
And I never needed anybody’s company
I never needed anyone but me”

Paige is back, with a vengeful vengeance.

The build continues at 1 minute and 43 seconds, with a boost from the strings, percussion, and piano to push the song to the next level. This is what is new and refreshing about this latest release; if previously Paige relied justifiably on her guitar and vocal only, she’s taken the best of it and pushed it much further with these Phrygian moods (a common sound in Arabic and Egyptian music) and a much broader backing. Her voice is pure, true to itself, and dare I say flawless. There is no use of harmony, she uses no vocal effect that I can hear, and it’s a delight. The chorus is such a lovely major key stepped resolution to the slightly urgent sounding verse:

“I never need anybody’s company
I never needed anyone but me
I never needed you to tell me I’m enough
And I never needed the weight of a man”

She has room to bring the dynamics down to that guitar again, to introduce a third distinct portion of the song, and it allows a slow build into the main instrumental again. The melody is so hopeful and holds me captive, listening more for the clear-as-crystal lyric now. Here’s what the songs says to me; it’s a song of empowerment, strength, reflection, moving on, a bold screw-you tattoo on the forearm; yet ironically it somehow still feels sad, there’s a whole lot of meaning, and the right words are all there, but not necessarily all of the conviction. It feels like love has been lost and there’s an element of a hurt girl being strong in the best way she can. It’s a song to sing to the mirror to convince yourself that you feel like you are still whole, still breathing, alright.

“When I’m gone in the morning as you’re waking up
When your body’s not next to mine like you thought
I traced the word goodbye onto your arm
Before I left and sank into the dawn”

The way the song fades is just as beautiful, as our empty white room falls dark. It’s as lovely a work of art as I’ve heard from Paige, and gives full attention to all of the things I have loved about her work in the past, with something new to reflect on. As the waif-like voice closes the door, she stands, proud, independent, alone, and leaves us in little doubt:

“I never needed you”.

A great effort, and long awaited. I’ve so enjoyed listening to this multiple times, as I have enjoyed her YouTube work over the last year to keep me going, like this rendition of “Ready“. Paige is Paige, as will be her lasting tribute from friends and fans, a unique talent, destined to release quality material as and when she produces it, rather than on our clock. I so look forward to the album, for the doubtless many new ideas and joys it will bring.

David Mark Smith
Founder, Global Musicians Fish Pond
Singer/Songwriter, My Lucky Fish

Credits
released 14 February 2014
Music and lyrics by Paige Chaplin
Recorded, produced, mixed and mastered by: Billy Centenaro
String arrangements: Billy Centenaro
Artwork: Nick Surette

Vocals & Guitar: Paige Chaplin
Drums: Tim Kmet
Bass Drum & Chimes: Nick Surette
Violin 1: Chase Potter
Violin 2: Avery Ballotta
Cello: Ro Rowan
Viola: Dan Lay
Piano: Billy Centenaro

You can find out more about Paige Chaplin at her profile page here, or purchase “Company” from her Bandcamp page here.

Queen Caveat were building something special even before ABC’s “20/20: Sunset Boulevard” featured them  deservedly in a 2-hour documentary piece in April 2012. Debuting with EP “Emptor” in 2010, relying on a mix of music-scene-newcomer rage and decent indie rock ballads, they followed up with 2012 effort “Slap on the Wrist”.  With this, their second release, they were already establishing a solid formula of dynamic caffeine-infused gritty ground-glass rock with mellow thoughtful songs which made the most of Lauren’s siren-scary-yet-vulnerable vocal. Their most recent single, “Mr California”, marked their debut and welcome to our Fish Pond family in 2013, and has remained a weekend early morning rock favorite for me to start my day. Here we review their latest release, as they light up 2014 with “Manufactured Happiness”.

Queen Caveat comprises the hyper, lunatic ball of energy that is Oklahoma’s own Lauren Little, “the voice”, carefully stitched together with some amazing musical talent provided by the Grohl-inspired rocking Ben Epand (guitar), studious and thoughtful music maestro Will Weissman (bass), and easy-going hold-it-together party-guy Jesse Magnuson (drums).  The insight of watching their growing pains on Sunset Boulevard was an eye-opener for me; these guys have worked, and worked bloody hard to get where they are.  They have loved and lived Queen Caveat, and having followed all of their material so far, it feels like this is the coming out EP for these guys.  True to their roots and as dynamic as any work they’ve produced to date, this one is something special; it has high musical quality infused with just enough commercial production to not sell out, but to please the ears of so many. I hope you enjoy it as I surely have.

Starting the album with an anthemic crowd-rousing “Marion”, it feels like a good choice to get things moving. Some albums take their time to grab you; with this one, from the very first few bars, it feels like the whole band has caught me by the throat and given me a good shake. This track particularly reminded me of the first time I heard Papa Roach’s “Last Resort”. It’s punchy, driving, punctuated by Lauren’s spitting, snarling vocal, and the scene is set. I’d say there was a build; well, there kind of is, but ironically it’s the fastest descent into organized beautiful wah-chaos I’ve ever heard, like being caught in the middle of an unstoppable and ever-escalating glass-fight in a dirty old Edinburgh pub. A powerful and violent 2 minutes and 30 seconds in total, the whole band brings the noise capably, driving the song to a deliciously dirty and distorted demise.

The first single from this EP is “Breathe”. One of many great features of this band is that they know how to showcase the diversity of all of the musicians in songs which are similar enough to come together as a cohesive EP, but different enough to make it really interesting to the listener.

Kicking off with Ben’s clean guitar sound, Lauren’s vocal shows her softer side, particularly some of those lovely catches in her voice, vulnerable, and so very real; even “softer”, she sounds like she’s been screaming 24/7 for the last 10 years. It works.

Fundamentally, I love the commercial back-beat style of this number.

“Far from the target, you miss it every time,
It’s growing like a lie, and I’m over being under-satisfied;
You know I will not listen, but will you listen to me?
I know it is divided, because I still haven’t decided what you mean to me”

Bringing in an uncharacteristically soft drum and bass sound with some synth backing, the build to the chorus, and the chorus itself, is beautiful harmony to listen to. I’m struck by the beat, but in a totally different way to “Marion”. With a breath-catching tag line (“am I allowed to breathe?”), it’s a welcome pause for thought already in the EP, less angry and delivering everything which Queen Caveat is commercially capable of. It’s well mixed and very worthy of its status as the first single of their 2014 campaign. With lyrics which are thoughtful and convincingly performed, it strikes me that they haven’t succumbed to convention; there is no solo, no instrumental. It’s just a well-written and solid number; verse, pre-chorus, chorus, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, chorus, bridge, chorus, outro. It’s neatly packaged, it still rocks, but in a milder way, and it does the job.

I’m so glad that they’ve included the seminal “Mr. California”, remixed, in its full glory, as the third song on the EP. I’ve made no secret that I love this track, especially combined with the video, which shows the intensity of the QC experience; Lauren, lizard-like and half-naked, all over the delivery, the band cohesively banging out the performance of a lifetime. You can read everything I had to say about this song in this separate 2013 review here.

A surprise favorite for me is track number 4. “Spine” pumps the brakes a little, or at least takes the pedal off the metal, it’s upbeat, with everything that makes me smile about a well-written rock song:

This might sound weird; but “Spine” gives me little hints of the joy I experienced every time I listened to “That Thing You Do”. It’s the hand-clap, that bounce beat, which, regardless of intent, gives the song a surfer feel, and makes me smile broadly. It’s a longer track at over 4 minutes, and it deserves the play-time just because it’s that sunny and enjoyable to listen to.

Lauren’s voice showcases through the first two verses, pretty and frivolous. It disguises a dark lyrical relationship reflection, despite the nice little synth effects throughout the production; there are some noteworthy beautiful bass runs from Will, giving the song a backbone. The driving chorus gets the point across, picking up the pace, giving me a feeling like I’m confidently chasing the big wave in Point Break;

“You turn your back like you don’t see,
Can’t be that easy to reject me, why?
You never see me cry;
Now I’m here picking up the pieces,
Pieces of my pride,
Make it right,
You never see me cry”

Again relying on lyrical content, clever writing, and well put together instrumentals (rather than padding with solos), to me this one is the winner of the EP. I seriously hope to see it as the second single on the album, because in my opinion this could do really well in commercial radio play and sales. Love it.

All three of Queen Caveat’s EP efforts so far have included one or two ballads, they do it capably, and by this point I’m glad they bring down the pace a little so that I can better enjoy the dynamic changes in the whole work of art. “Brave Boy” fulfills that role. It’s a very simple number, clear as a bell, honest as hell:

“Brave boy,
I give you all the things I saved, boy,
I am not afraid;
Even after you protect me,
From the world that couldn’t get me,
Hey boy,
I am not afraid”

The back third of the song rocks out, and it’s appropriate, actually one of the first instrumental breaks I’ve heard in the EP so far, before bringing the piece down to its quiet bare bones. The final line seems all the more meaningful when I reflect on Lauren’s epic energetic and mad performance art:

“I’m not afraid, of being called crazy anymore”

The EP is rounded out with “Everyone We Know”. In keeping with it’s companions, it’s a solid end, not a stand out, just powerful and well worth a listen. It has beat, it has drive, and it’s got all of the ingredients for a hardcore “chill out” at the end of the night. That’s not to understate the writing, I love the guitar especially; the riffing tripled across Ben’s lead, Will’s bass, and Jesse’s sticks, means that they can bring the whole EP together in a climaxed high. In many ways, after the really superb and frantic delivery of “Breathe”, “Mr. California”, and “Spine”, “Everyone We Know” is much needed, to bring the racing heart down to normal pace a little, and to reflect on everything that I’ve just heard in this 20 sweet minutes of madness.

I’ve listened to Queen Caveat’s material for over a year now, all of their previous work, and I really do think that “Manufactured Happiness” is a phenomenon to watch. It’s different to “Emptor” and “Slap on the Wrist”, both previous EPs filled with strong work, but not as cohesive as this effort. As I told Ben after the first memorable listen to this EP, I’m not blowing smoke. There’s something seriously crazy good about the way these songs work together and the mood that they create. It’s their break out EP, of that I’m sure, and I look forward to watching it fulfill all of its potential.

And hey guys, what about manufacturing some happiness over here on the East Coast? We’d love to see you before 2014 is out.

David Mark Smith
Founder, Global Musicians Fish Pond
Singer/Songwriter, My Lucky Fish

You can read more about Queen Caveat in their Fish Pond profile here, or at their website here.

You can buy more of their material here on iTunes.

Toonyun (Shirley To) is an accomplished singer, songwriter, actress, pianist, and bass player currently living and performing in LA. I met Toonyun on recommendation from the wonderful Margo Rey, a fellow Fish Pond family member and Billboard Adult Contemporary chart resident, who recommended her as a great bass player and a decent person. She joined our global family in January of 2014. A really enigmatic and interesting artist, she is all Los Angeles and seeming-worldly wise all in one artistic package. Born in Hong Kong and attending the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, before moving to LA and attending the Hollywood Musician’s Institute, she has a wealth of material from her first 2 EP’s, “3” and “Just So You’ll <3 Me”.

It will soon become evident to you; Toonyun is a passionate musician, and a lover of many styles of music, listing Bjork, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Debussy, John Mayer, Suzanne Vega, and Bauhaus as the first amongst many influences. “9Teen84” is musically nice to listen to, clever, well-crafted, and displays a diversity of styles which I expected when I first read about Toonyun’s long career in acting and music to date. Enjoy the video with me here as you read the review.

It’s well worth following the backdrop as you take in this song, for its numerous noteworthy scenes. The work starts lyrically much as it means to go on, the words making me thoughtful and slightly worried as I read through them.

“1+1=3
3 can be anything I want it to be
If you can see through my eyes then you’ll agree”

Stopping and starting, the accompaniment gives the opening a sense of the ethereal from the start. I have to say, it took me a couple of listens to get used to the heavily-effected vocal over the slightly bizarre instrumentals, but on the 3rd listen, I’m digging it. I really like that little bit of “wah”-ing trombone introduced at the back half of the first verse.

The snare at the end of the verse snaps the song into a poppy chorus, breaking open the capsule, spilling out Bjork-ish logic, and carrying you along on a beautifully medicated wave. I’m thoughtful about the coincidental year of the title,  sharing with George Orwell’s novel, which gives the song an extra futuristic, even robotic, tint. The Abba-esque (minus one) band of three Shirleys only adds to the feeling of disengagement from the world, and immersion in the swirling modernist music.

“Don’t ask me what this is all for
My life at war
Don’t ask me why all my logic’s out the door
Undo 1984
The answer’s also 2”

It’s funky as far as grooving on a Saturday afternoon goes; the lyrics impress me, they feel bold, more meaningful than REM, and yet requiring Einstein’s mind to process. The industrial-pop backbeat to the whole song has me moving some part of my body in tempo throughout; the split-image black dog and Toonyun, with a nice transition into a human-art section set to pink ribbon, a minimalist modern-white chair, and Toonyun artfully sprawled, is a perfect visual aid.

“Love is real the world is not
How I feel chases after my thoughts
You know the bird is in tragedy
if the bee plays inside the box”

It’s the birds and the bees busy pollinating at an insane pace, at an awkward angle, obstructed by bleak and complex emotions.

There’s a gloriously long instrumental in the middle of the song after chorus number 2 – it’s about 35 seconds long all told. It’s a clever bit of construction, and the video really comes into its own here. There are two distinct sections to the instrumental. The first highlights those freaky metallic drums and the trombone, and the second brings in a beautiful Rhodes keyboard sound, the Doors brought up to date. It’s accompanied by a sneaker-clad Toonyun busting some cool moves, a thought-provoking and crazy modern ballet.

Next comes a transition down, which showcases Toonyun’s voice as clearly as the song permits, no effects, clear, lovely, and with minimal accompaniment. It’s just a short piece to throw us wildly yet willingly screaming into the final chorus, a strong ending, all “logics thrown out the doors”, which brings this little space oddity of a work to a climax.

“Don’t ask me why I threw your logics out the doors
Undo what you’ve done before
Don’t ask me why I don’t sing those songs anymore”

This song is perhaps most like “Golden Lotus” from her previous work, although it’s a bit unfair to compare because she’s so diverse even within each EP. Toonyun has done an strong job here with a workmanlike performance, with yet another wild departure from the norm (if indeed there is one). It takes some listening and some thought to get fully into the song, but it’s clear that it’s intelligently put together, musically fun to listen to, with lots of little adds for those interested in digging deeper either into the instrumentals or the lyrics. The video makes this into a work of art (as fellow Fish Pond family member Haikaa might say) by providing a high quality and well-scripted visual backdrop to her latest.

Wishing Toonyun the best with the release of her latest EP, “Fear is Dear”, and looking forward to plenty more exemplary work to come.

David Mark Smith,
CEO and Founder, Global Musicians Fish Pond
Singer/Songwriter, My Lucky Fish

You can read an excellent interview with Toonyun here in Asiance Magazine.

You can review Toonyun’s pictures and the song here on her Fish Pond profile.

You can purchase all of Toonyun’s music to date here at iTunes.

I first met Deni Hlavinka about a month after launching the Fish Pond family (April 2nd, 2011).  I always found her to be a consummate professional, an excellent natural-yet-educated vocalist, a talented pianist, and a thoughtful and rather brilliant lyricist.  You can catch some of her early work here.  Fast forward nearly three years, and Deni has met Chris West at Berklee College of Music in Boston where they both study; about a year ago, The Western Den was born.  The pair couldn’t be a more perfect musical match, and a great example to our Fish Pond family of, quite frankly, “nice” inspirational people.  Chris is Bermudan, all about family, and a quietly brilliant foil to Deni’s piano and female lead, with his own unique smooth-as-silk voice and epic guitar style.  This, their second EP, has all the qualities of a cozy family winter night around a fire.  Join me as we walk through this musical Midwinter reflection.

As musical works go, this one is particularly pleasing.  You’re not going to get cutting edge new original material; there is plenty of that in their previous work, both individually and together.  Instead, you will get the brilliance of two musicians at the top of their game, putting the best of their talent into these beautiful carols.  Their choice is interesting, choosing two classics (“O Come, O Come Emmanuel” and “In the Bleak Midwinter”).  Intertwined lovingly like a surprise gift,they have also chosen a carol originating in Provence, France; the English translation of “Un flambeau, Jeannette, Isabelle” (Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabelle).  All in all it’s a must listen, in all regards.  Grab some warm gluhwein, a bag of roasted chestnuts, and snuggle up to this winter epic.

Beginning the EP with “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”, a carol based on Psalm 137;  they are straight in with their forte, two angelic voices, in multi-part harmony, backed by a rich, warm piano which is so characteristic of their work.  It’s as smooth and velvety as a marble mocha macchiato.  It’s a great start, bringing out all of the elements that I love about their work.

You’ll hear the simple beauty of both of their voices; the ethereal quality so reminiscent of Deni’s “The Dove and the Boulder”.  The harmonies are well thought through and executed.  Deni’s vocal is glowing; I’ve heard it range from edgy new material to Italian language opera.  There is a touch of the violin, Chris’ guitar is woven in, warm as a father’s hug to his returning prodigal son.  The work builds orchestrally, magnificent, and one which would sound amazing turned up to 11 and echoing throughout a domed English cathedral.

“Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella”, is a cleverly chosen number, which you can listen to here:

A work translated from the French, the song inspires quiet and awe, “hush”, wise words silencing a wondrous crowd as a newborn sleeps.  The original inspired the painting below by Georges de la Tour in 1648 (“The Newborn Christ”).  I’ve taken the rather unusual step of including it because I liked studying it while I listened to Chris and Deni’s version of this previously unheard work.  It took me to a nice place.

Intro-ing with a beautiful guitar part with what sounds almost like some mandolin overlaid, Deni’s vocal is once again pure, clear as a crystal decanter filled with melted snow.  Interspersed with tubular bells and their combined harmony vocal, it’s comfortable, peaceful, a Christmas message as old as the mountains yet as ever-present.  It’s becoming a theme of the EP now, that symphonic build of each song, until we are brought back to that lovely guitar once again, a touch of violin moving the work along and overwhelming the listener.  I love the idea that the back half of this version of the carol relies entirely on instrumental and non-lyrical vocal effects.  It works.  Like, a lot.

The final track of this lovely, if rather unexpected, medley of carols, is “In the Bleak Midwinter”. I’ve enjoyed the last two songs so much, I’m eagerly anticipating what could possibly be coming next.  I’m very familiar with the carol, but enjoy their mature-yet-embryonic take on each one.  I’m actually really glad to hear that Chris’ vocal leads this out.  With two such incredible vocal talents, whether hearing them live or recorded, I love the balance that they carry between them.  This version brings out everything which Chris sets out at the table for the duo; a guitar part filled with clever and well-placed form and technique, which marks Chris out as a very, very proficient player, coupled with his pitch perfect vocal which is a joy to listen to.  He is a master of both.

This track is reminiscent of The Western Den I saw live in Vienna, VA, in the first half of 2013, supporting Melissa Ferrick.  Chris and Deni blending their vocals and respective strong instrumental talents like a perfect morning smoothie, fresh, tasty, and leaving you wanting so much more.  It’s a delightful carol, and a delightful version, to end this, their second EP.

Chris and Deni, The Western Den, are together a force of musical nature.  The girl from Stephens City, VA, and the guy from Bermuda, two stellar talents, one entity in harmony that was just meant to be.  I really soaked up everything on offer in this EP, it’s not forced, it’s not seeking to break many boundaries, or to shock; it’s taking well-respected family values, educated and natural musical highlights, and putting them to work with their significant creative talent, thereby laying a strong foundation for so much that I’m yet to hear in years to come, and , I’m sure, I will absolutely love.  Congratulations to them both, in the anticipation of reviewing much of their future work.

You can buy “The Midwinter EP” – and I strongly recommend it – as well as their first work, “Battle Hymns”, here.

One world, one family, one musical heartbeat.

David Mark Smith
Founder, Global Musicians Fish Pond
Singer/Songwriter, My Lucky Fish

You can read a review of The Western Den caught live in Vienna, VA, in early 2013, here.

I first met Anna Beatriz in Loewes Hotel, Hollywood, in February of 2013. My first impression: bold, with a voice full of depth, fun, and a passion for her music which showed both in her performance and in her enthusiastic conversation. Originally from Santos, Brazil, Anna comes with a wealth of experience in the business, recording her first album, “Sobre Nós”, in 2006.  She completed her Associate of Arts degree at the Hollywood Musician’s Institute in 2013. With this brand new EP, she brings us an exciting and novel mix of jazz-infused big band pop. Come with me on this Beautiful Ride.

This has been an interesting album to review for me; it is unique, in the sense that I am exposed to very little music like it. It’s reminiscent of my very first impression of Anna Beatriz, bringing something of a classy big band feel to modern pop music. With songwriting shades of Basia, she hints at Michael Bublé with the brass section, and drives the EP onward with a vocal which is a little reminiscent of Maria Vanedi out of Colombia. Accompanied by some world-class musicians, she’s produced a little gem in “Beautiful Ride”.

“Let them Say” is a strong start to the EP; beginning with a brass section which had me swinging to the beat immediately, eyes closed, I was imagining alley cats dancing in the moonlight after hours.  It’s co-delivered in Brazilian-Portuguese and English language, inclusive and multi-cultural, giving the immediate feeling that everyone can join her:

Her vocal is immediately captivating, sultry, gravelly, and draws you into the song. With a simple melody, building the theme through the first verse, the chorus wells up and brings out such happy abandoned feelings. My favorite part is the refrain, the jazzy guitar accompanying Anna Beatriz’ lovely vocal;

“Let them say, I don’t care
Let them talk, doesn’t matter to me,
Let them think, whatever they may,
Let them go on forever, let them talk, I run my own show”

…and she does. As the song builds from this point on, it’s brought to a peak with a fabulous clarinet solo. Rounding out the work with this glorious big band epic finale, the point of the song, the wild abandon, is well summed up in this last lyrical spit-in-the-eye at convention;

“Who cares if I go out to play or dance in the rain,
Or do nothing at all;
I may win, lose ,or draw, but I’m still in the game,
I’ll do my part”

Moving on to “Falling Love”, she slows the ride down somewhat; something of an interlude number in it’s slow jazziness, it feels all Ronnie Scott’s club in Soho, London, with a cigar and a single malt, and being carried on the current of a smooth-jazz sea. There’s a notable pick-up of pace in the middle – I do like this about Anna Beatriz’ writing. It fits the style well, blending the run-on jazz feel of the song with an epic poetic celebration of her glorious lover:

“The world can stop,
The sun can shine forever;
All I want is you might and day,
Because life is more bright
When I’m with you,
I won’t ever touch the ground again”

From this moment on, “Falling Love” leaves you falling into an ironic high. It’s a good place to be. It’s even taken me away from the drabness outside with this minus 2 degree Fahrenheit weather we’re having.

At this point I’d like to mention; this is not a style of music I’m used to listening to, but by this time in the EP, I’m really digging it. The entire work is written in a way that eases you in, and gives you the time to immerse yourself in the different elements which make up Anna Beatriz and her band.

“Another World” showcases Anna’s voice well. Planned gaps in the instrumentals give her the chance to show every edge of that glassy vocal. Sweet like honey, this is another song full of feeling, heat, beat, and sweeping celebratory highs and lows. Above all, a great finish, abrupt and unexpected, and appropriate to the lyric:

“Wake me up when this whole messy world;
Is done”

“Leave Me Alone” is the heartbreaker in this musical journey. This one has more than a little soft rock in the delivery.  I love songs like it; a heartfelt, desperate, clever lyric which is emotionally communicated to an eager audience. Anna Beatriz gives it her all. I can only imagine what sparked this one.

The brassy hopeful intro belies a very different song to come.

“If you could walk in my shoes,
You would feel my heart is breaking,
I’m giving and you’re taking all my time;
I can’t take the waiting, because the climb is too high,
I’m slipping down and falling to the ground”

It’s a painful reprise to “Falling Love” – a very different message, with an aching overtone to the chorus, powerful yet agonizing at the same time. The guitar solo is superbly executed and well-placed, a long-lost love of mine. It’s a song to mull over a sad glass of wine, with more than a few tears diluting it.

“If you don’t know what you want from me,
Let me go”.

Anna Beatriz rounds off the EP with such a sparky upbeat number, it is almost shocking after the melancholy of “Leave Me Alone”. “Beautiful Ride” is the whole point; it’s tying up the rough stuff with the beauty of the ongoing journey of life. Finger-clicking, infused with a wonderful trumpet solo; backed with jazz guitar that is brilliantly understated, then comes to the fore in the delightful finger-picking of Takeshi.

“Oh, it’s a beautiful ride,
in the circle of life where I’m going,
there’s nowhere to hide,
Naked thoughts I am ready to share,
It takes time, I don’t mind
As long as I get there”

Oh, she got there. This EP ends on a fabulous discordant jazzy note, well-defining the genre for which it’s intended. She’s taken us on a ride, brassy, bold, emotional, well-delivered, professionally executed, with a lovely demonstration of her powerful vocal. She’s clearly had fun in the effort of putting this EP together.

Join me in congratulating Anna Beatriz; you can buy this latest effort here, and you can view her Fish Pond profile here. I expect much more to come from Anna, and look forward to seeing her in Los Angeles again very soon.

David Mark Smith
CEO and Founder, Global Musicians Fish Pond
Singer/Songwriter, My Lucky Fish

This has been the longest, darkest and most uninspired four months of my life. Losing my voice has been hell and it’s made me feel like I’ve lost so much more than just songs and melody, it’s as if the one thing that’s come to define me as a person has been taken from me. Without music, I feel like I’ve lost my way and my purpose.

As an artist, I usually have a twisted love for dwelling in darkness, it’s a good place to go for songwriting at times:) But at this moment I don’t feel like writing and it does no good to live in dark and pessimistic thoughts. So I’ve decided to make something out of my journey, maybe something that other people who face similar challenges can relate to and get inspired by..

This is my story. I’m inviting you to follow me as I go through all the stages of overcoming my vocal chord injuries and find my way back to music.

Love

Anni

Hadley Kennary started writing music at 14 years of age.  Inspired by “birds and beloveds, demons and dogs”, and releasing her first EP in 2011, the culmination of her work to date is captured in 2013’s beautiful 10-track album, “In Fall”. About the album, Hadley says “I think the general theme…has been accepting reality…there are only so many things you can control, and in the end you have to just let go and fall into what is meant to happen.” Hence the title track, and what has proved to be a remarkably strong debut effort from an already highly accomplished singer and songwriter.

I first came across Hadley Kennary in 2011 when our Berklee family was fledgling and starting to grow; heard for the first time in a duet with Deni Hlavinka, her early tracks on the Fish Pond are – I’m so glad to hear – reflected in the album in “Storybook Worthy”, “Lead”, and “Cry of the Flypaper”. My first impression back then was of an extremely pure and versatile voice; Hadley is truly a unique vocal talent and seemingly always able to capture it throughout  her recorded media. In this album, she’s written something lyrically intelligent, a heartbreaking yet freeing journey through love and loss, ultimately leading to “In Fall”.

Leading out with “Two Yellow Birds”, I find an immediate affinity, and almost an album favorite. With a steel guitar sound over a lovely clean acoustic, the song draws my heart into it from the very first bars. Hadley’s initial vocal is as clean and beautiful as I would have expected from her. But the key to this song is the lyric, carried by a haunting melody. Indeed it speaks for itself, so I’ll start you with a whole verse and chorus:

“He hatched long ago,
and she’s a fledgling in his eyes,
She wants to build with him a garden,
but he’s only seen them die
Proclaiming “roses only bloom in spring”,
but she shakes her head and starts to sing
A song she knows like the back of her wing,
and she sings;

They say
If you love her let her go,
If you love her let her grow,
The truth is,
If you love her let her know,
If you love her, love her, love her so”

I am entranced. It’s insightful, beautiful, a letting-go moment, and absolutely heartbreaking and empowering at the same time. The metaphor of flight, and gaining wings, is a well-used but powerful one. It’s an extremely strong start.

We move lightly into a similar intro, picked guitar and steel above it. And with a “one, two, one-two-three-four” we are into one of my favorite songs of 2012.

“Gasoline” is a testament to the power of love at its craziest moments, all-consuming and burning bright. What makes this song outstanding is (in my opinion) in the near-perfect construction; it has all of the elements of a hit, it has beat, it has passion, it has a lyric worth following and relating to, and it has a brilliant melody which makes it timelessly singable.

The verses contain so many quotable lines, among my favorite is:

“I am old enough to know I am naive
I know I’m not as wise,
but Pollock and Picasso made a masterpiece, in your eyes”

The chorus truly drives this song forward, a perfect summing up:

“Gasoline makes the young heart burn,
but fill her up and the wheels will turn,
Go 65 in a 15 zone,
Hard to swallow,
But I’m willing to drown,
A tank of you,
I can’t slow down”

The bridge comes on like gentle waves: “oh love, please don’t go love, please don’t go love, oh love, I don’t know love”. It’s an impassioned plea, filled with several vocal layers of Hadley’s voice, and shifts effortlessly into a final chorus. I’ve seen this one performed live (at least on YouTube) by several Fish Pond family members from Berklee (see below), and the live performance if anything makes it even better, because you can read the passion in the performance.

This is the hit from the album, with no doubt whatsoever.

It’s followed by “Otis”, a comfortable number which showcases Hadley’s voice, and starts to induce thought overload with another well-thought-through lyric. A song of “if only” love, seeing everything someone is capable of and wishing it to be right-here-right-now; that overcoming differences is not a given, and that acceptance of reality, and the passing of time, can be numbingly difficult. “I Remember What You Said” shifts gear with a delightful pedal-note guitar track behind it. It’s a nice change in mood for the album, with complex timing; “Your words cradle my head, but your arms pull away instead”. By now this is becoming one of those albums which I can truly fall into and forget writing altogether. It’s a warm blanket with a bleeding-heart lining.

Following “Extract” (a surprise change in style for Hadley, well executed, and tipping a hat to an almost 80’s-style beat-driven and keyboardy pop number), is “Storybook Worthy”. You can listen to it here:

An excellent example of her early work, this song is so pure in expressed emotion through the melody. The guitar is a lovely accompaniment, as alone as the feelings invoked by the song:

“This my confession, I believe I’ve learned a lesson,
About the fairytales I’ve been learning all my life;
These happy ends I’ve come to know,
Yes they will come and they will go,
but endings are okay, if you laughed along the way”

The chorus is another favorite moment on the album for me, a cry from the heart of understanding, beautiful memories, held never and yet forever.

“Well so what, if I didn’t say I loved you?
And so what, if you didn’t love me?
And so what, if it wasn’t always storybook worthy?
You’re still in my story book
On my pages and always will be”

It’s wonderful that the build is all achieved through the use of vocal technique and variations on the melody, and the backing acoustic guitar solidly supports the sentiment throughout. With a repeated last chorus which brings me to honest tears every time I listen to it, “Storybook Worthy” is everything solid about this album; a continued theme which doesn’t let up through the entire body of work.

“Well I loved you”

“Tangled” brings us an upbeat interlude, it’s a smiling moment, still on the theme of yearning and love, with a very noteworthy chord structure at the back end of the verses, and listen out for that Hadley-uniqueness again in the word “Tangled” at the start of the chorus. “Lead” is another familiar song from early days, and has a catchy angle, drum-led, with the use of harmony throughout. “Cry of the Flypaper” follows; and it strikes me it’s nice as a listener to hear how spread these beautiful acoustic songs are, with that steel guitar. These are strong mid-end-album songs, keeping the listener involved, and if you’re anything like me, by now you have become a true fan.

And so to the title, and final, track, “In Fall”.

Gritty and radio-like at it’s start, “In Fall” is the whole point, and draws the theme to a thoughtful close. The piano is welcome, calming, and a soft start to this last work on the album. As it turns out it builds into the coming of age that I hoped for in the end:

“Mother I didn’t get your control,
Though I tried to rule the world;
And I’d like to think I have your organic soul
But I’m just your little girl;
Oh mother I am in your hands,
So shake my bones and shake your lands,
And fall down, down, down,
Fall down”

For me, it’s the story of a child growing, wind beneath the wings, and the acceptance, maturity, and wisdom which comes with the generations.  For you, it may be something different.  But then in that diversity of opinion is the true beauty of well-written songs.

Perhaps you can tell that I’m a fan. This album yields so many treasures, and is one of the few with which I can close my eyes and follow through as a perfect building story. Its theme is love, loss, growing, and so much more. It’s essence is powerful, underpinned with super writing and execution of both instrumentals and vocal. But it is in this last where the truly remarkable moments lie. Hadley’s voice always was a force of nature. This album proves that intelligent writing and heart, put together and poured out with all the passion and belief of a very talented musician, really, really works.

David Mark Smith
Singer/Songwriter, My Lucky Fish
Founder, www.globalmusiciansfishpond.com

You can buy the album here on iTunes.

You can read more about Hadley here at here Fish Pond profile and enjoy some of these songs before album mastering came about.