Wednesday, July 30, 2008

"Vencino Hill" by Ronnie Vinston (Easy Listening/New Age artist from Maryland (MD))

"Vencino Hill" is an upbeat instrumental dance/R&B album full of big hooks and new age vibe from Ronnie Vinston. Vinston's displays his talent as an arranger through his keen sense of blending sounds and creating an atmosphere. His songwriting is comprised of a simple yet effective idea: create a memorable foundation and build upon it. He starts you with a great beat and a great groove, then takes you to another place with the addition of layers and variances in each arrangement. The sound quality of "Vencino Hill" is top notch, and the great production and slick mix do the arrangements justice. Highlights include "Avanti," with a great gritty lead melody, a strong beat, and relaxing ambient synths. "Ricci" opens with a jungle-esque beat and evolves into a highly meditative piece. The title track, "Vencino Hill," is the speediest of the tracks and will certainly get you moving. With "Vencino Hill," Ronnie Vinston has created an album gushing with music that draws you in and makes you feel. If you enjoy innovative new age dance music with hints of R&B, give "Vencino Hill" a listen.
-William and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
Check out Ronnie Vinston's music on RadioIndy.com with link to purchase and links to popular sites

Saturday, July 19, 2008

“EarthTones II” by Pamela Weng and Friends (Easy Listening artist from Colorado (CO))

"EarthTones II" is an inspiring easy listening album from a talented group of musicians in Pamela Weng and Friends. Weng and her thirteen friends hail from eight distinct cultures, each member bringing a unique interpretation of music to the project. Collectively, they are a musically sound group with a gratuitous amount of musical chemistry, and they take the listener all around the world with the sounds they create. Musically, Weng and friends are in touch with nature and quite literally create the tones of the earth in the most eclectic of ways. Weng's vocal appears on a couple of tracks, "They Slice The Air – poem," which has a sort of speakeasy feel, and "Garden of Stars," which is a beautiful and inspiring strong vocal performance. "EarthTones II" is well-produced and does justice to the hard work and enormous amount of creativity that went into the album. "Crescent Moon" introduces the album with a slow alternation between the piano and Native American flute backed by slow waves created by successive taps on a cymbal. "Orion the Hunter" is a great jazz number introduced with a piano solo then turns into an all-out jam with shakers, drums, flute, and guitar. "Outback Ochre" and "Outback" both incorporate the didgeridoo to make the listener one with Australian nature. "EarthTones II" is a great easy listening album with a fascinating blend of cultures and musicians from all around the world. Fans of inspiring easy listening and great musical collaboration, this one is a must.
-Lea & The RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
Check out Pamela Weng and Friends's music on RadioIndy.com with link to purchase and links to popular sites

Thursday, July 17, 2008

“…Miles and Miles…” by Zhonray (Easy Listening Artist from United Kingdom)

"…Miles and Miles…" is an excellent easy listening album with elements of pop, country, and rock by Zhonray. Here, Zhonray brings an adult contemporary concept album and incorporates a wide range of instruments throughout to bring you an original and unique sound. The idea of freedom from the material world is ever present in the lyrics and the compositions are superb. The overall sound is very aurally pleasing, as Zhonray incorporates wind chimes, sitar, and slide guitar all into the same album and, in turn, achieves musical diversity. His vocals have a very distinct quality to them, but on a song like "Just a Chance," with the right accompaniment and inflection, the vocal performance is similar to Belle & Sebastian. The recording quality of "…Miles and Miles…" is good and ready to hit the radio airwaves – in fact, the track "Mile and Mile3" was recorded for that very purpose. "Summer Rain" has a world pop feel with the incorporation of the sitar, effective lyrics, and a nice arrangement. "In Nobody's Way" is a heartbreakingly poetic and lyrically slow rock song about letting someone go. With "…Miles and Miles…," Zhonray has created an idealistic album filled with diverse adult contemporary arrangements and strong lyrics. Fans of consequential easy listening will drift away for "…Miles and Miles…" with this impressive CD by Zhonray.
-Chris and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
Check out Zhonray's music on RadioIndy.com with link to purchase and links to popular sites