Sell Out Records - A Music Review Blog

10K comes out swinging with the latest catchy hip hop song you’re going to absolutely love. I’ve heard a lot of rap and hip hop tracks this year already, but a lot of it is just boring. The rhymes are just repetition, or the words just get slurred across some mediocre beats. But this, this is pretty cool, 10K drops a story rhyme that is all out catchy, and fun. 10K goes across several different thoughts in just 2 minutes and 58 seconds of music, never letting up and continually processing consciousness with rhyming ability. You’ll get hit hard up front, and by the first chorus, you’re going to be singing along. This is the type of song that really showcases a good ear for beats, rhyme schematics, and professional flow. 10K is no slacker here, he throws down as many adjectives and ideas as he can without losing the audience. Often time’s when rappers have a lot to say, they speed it up and try too hard to spit out as many sentences as possible, but not here. Here it’s a bit laid...

King Saylee brought out two tracks of absolute fire with “Keep Going”, and “No Regrets”. These two tracks hit me like a ton of bricks, and they don’t let up. The lyrical elements of “Keep Going” alone are stuck in my head. King Saylee has found a way to bridge the gap between hip hop and rhythm and blues on these two tracks. First up, “Keep Going” gives a positive spin on the daily grind. The message of hope for a brighter future is definitely showcased here. The point is to keep on moving forward, and just don’t give up. No matter what comes your way, keep it moving, because you’ll get to the greater good that awaits ahead of you. “No Regrets” comes through with another slice of positivity, giving the listener a sense of empowerment. These tracks are not too unlike the positivity that artists like Bob Marley put out in his prime. You’re going to find that there are moments here that get you singing along with ease. Overall King Saylee’s two latest tracks truly give you a sense...

There comes a time when others become envious of what you do. Today, I can truly say that people are going to absolutely be envious about this blog, and the music that I am able to review. Why? I would credit Elmo Karjalainen’s latest “Where We Belong” as a major contributing factor in that regards. I’ve heard a lot of records, and have reviewed over 300 of them on the site so far, but nothing has been as poetic in song structure as this one. It’s a testament to the creativity that is provided with music of all types, and I’m honored to have heard this one for review. A Symbiosis of Melodic Guitar Sounds There’s a lot to this record. 15 tracks and nearly an hour of music comprised of acoustic elements. Each track creates a story through the language of acoustic guitar playing. This is not just strumming, there are layers to it, and each one creates a pictures for you to see when your eyes are closed. From the opening tracks “Where We Belong”, “By The Ocean” and “Black Jack Time...

I’m not alone in saying that I’ve given up on rock radio. They never seem to break new bands, and they focus on the same old 10 hits from 1991. They are missing out on bands such as Underlined Passages, that are putting out catchy, melodic rock music. While this isn’t the type of rock that is going to smash your head in with distortion, it’s a throwback in a way to the alternative era of music from the early 1990s, and no, I don’t mean the Seattle heavy groups. “The Fantastic Quest” is the latest record from Underlined Passages and it is already one of my favorite releases this year. A Union of Melody and Musical Integrity The first comparisons that I started to pick out from the band took me back to The Juliana Theory and Sunny Day Real Estate. The band has found a way to get the same ethos that they put out, and mixed a little bit of early Jimmy Eat World and Nada Surf to create their own sound. If you liked those bands, then this is easily going to fit into your playlist wit...

Matt Tiller threw me one of the most interesting tracks I’ve heard in a long time. I didn’t know what to expect, as I heard the first track of his latest record. “Awkward EP” got me laughing, and singing along. Tiller has found a way to engage the comedy power of Flight of the Conchords and even a little Weird Al and douse it with a tinge of Ska and even Punk to give you a hilarious track. George Osborne gets absolutely skewered in this track, but in such a funny way, that you will absolutely find it amusing, and poignant all the same. Matt Tiller has a winning combination here, and if you can’t find yourself singing along to the standout single, then you’re dead inside. Seriously, what’s wrong with you? “We’re In This Together” is one of the best tracks I’ve heard in a long time, and it’s comedy gold, mixed with pop sensibilities that you will definitely love. Aside from this track, you’re going to find that “Awkward EP” is full of smartly tuned comedic elements. “Flat Packing ...

Figures of Light continues to impress with their prolific release schedule. No other band seems to get the formula of releasing music quite like this one, and it shows. This time around they have put out a set of instrumentals and 3 new tracks that take the essence of the band, and strips it down to their main components. Figures of Light “The Instrumentals” is perhaps one of the best things I’ve heard this year so far. There’s a refreshing sound to these instrumental tracks that just works so well beyond any genre. Surfing USA With Figures of Light I’m originally from Southern California, and surf culture is huge. Living 4 miles from the beach for 27 years really got me into surfing, and along that came the classic surf rock from the past. Figures of Light taps right into that with some of my favorite songs they’ve ever put out. “Ninety-Nine (Minimalist Mix)" replaces “Wipeout” for me,  as my standard for surf music. It’s the powerful bass line that mixes well with the g...

There’s a lot of great music out there online today, and if you take a little bit of time to seek them out, you’ll find greatness. One example comes from the band Hazy Dreams. The band has created an intriguing instrumental rock song that is going to absolutely send you to all new heights. Regardless of what genre you love most, you should listen to the finer points of "Living The Dream" by Hazy Dreams. Overall, the sound is crisp, the arrangement is interesting, and leads you through various soundscapes overall. This is the type of track you listen to once, and then starts to absolutely fill your dreams, your thoughts, and mind. It’s simple at first glance, but over time it starts to sprout wings, and you really get a feel for the nuances of the instruments. Often times, with instrumentals, they get repetitive and boring. But when you listen to "Living The Dream" by Hazy Dreams, the mold gets shattered. The guitar work, percussion, and follow through is wel...