songwriter | Music Junkie Press

Get to know more of Roméo Testa as he captivates you with his voice

June 11, 2014

Earlier this year, we told you about an amazing new artist that from the first moment I heard his voice, I was held captive by his sweet passionate voice. The man behind that voice….Roméo Testa. His voice was magical, filled with such passion and yet maintains a serene vulnerability. You can’t help be mesmerized by him and you are fully engaged as his words touch your heart and his song dances around you. Roméo Testa began his passion in music at the young age of 7 when he took up the violin and the guitar at age 8. He then went on to learn other instruments, and over the years began his incredible journey into singing and songwriting. His style can be classified as acoustic rock or folk rock, but is definitely not limited to there. His songwriting skills are brilliant, as he is in the caliber of such great musicians like Ray LaMontagne, John Mayer or Jason Mraz. Yes, he is just that talented, give him a listen and you will soon agree. Check out his song, With You: [Read More]

Mikey Wax new album is the perfect soundtrack for your summer!

June 3, 2014

Just in time for summer, get ready for some great new music by Mikey Wax. His new self titled album is set for a June 10th release and is the perfect album to be the soundtrack for your summer. With pop songs to invigorate you, inspire you and feed your soul, this new album will be your summer must have. Mikey‘s pop style songs are heartfelt, emotionally driven and will hold you captive by those smooth vocals. The album is set for a June 10th release but you can head over to and stream the entire album for free or maybe for just a tweet. After listening to the stream and falling in love with the album make sure you head over and pre-order the album on ITUNES or AMAZON or you can head to his website and pick up some cool CD merch bundles. You can check out the first single off his album and truly my favorite track, You Lift Me Up. This has definitely become my new Go To song and can’t wait for you to [Read More]

Shakedown by Justin Dzuban is no shakedown. It’s a winner. By Patrick O’Heffernan

June 2, 2014

Justin Dzuban’s music is down-to-earth, but it grips you, it makes you listen carefully, repeatedly. His songs are like a strong woman with a soft voice – you lean in and pay very close attention because you don’t want to miss a single word. His deep baritone is a natural fit for the gritty lyrics he writes. The Ohio native transplanted to the beach in Los Angeles blends Nashville twang with blues and country western into a California alt. country genre that tells stories of a world of hurt and heartbreak and also of hope and love. There is no pretention, no affectation. What you see is what you hear and what you hear is addictive. His new album, Shakedown, is a winner; each song is a handcrafted musical artwork unifying Justin Dzuban’s authentic country baritone with his real life lyrics and superb production skills. The self-produced album, available June 17, brings together an eclectic group of very talented musicians including Alejandro Arellano on drums, Eden Livingood on violin, Greg Cahill on electric guitar, Michael [Read More]

An In-Depth Interview with producer/multi-instrumentalist John Kendall Royston

May 24, 2014

In today’s age of music, a producer has to wear many hats and be able to not only oversee and manage an artist’s recording, but they have to be musicians themselves and delve completely into the project. The most important aspect of the producer is to take the artist’s vision and do everything possible to make that vision a reality through their music and recording. We had the opportunity to talk an amazing producer, John Kendall Royston of Echodog Productions. Echodog Productions provide a full service creative and commercial audio production, mixing, songwriting, and voiceover services. John along with his partner Dan Mineart produced the new forthcoming album, Shadows by The Relapse Symphony. It is an amazing album that truly takes the young band to new levels within their music. Check out an interview with vocalist Bret Von Dehl here as we discussed his album. John in addition to producing, is a multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter for his band Savage Bones along with his producing partner, Dan. Their music is filled with emotionally driven lyrics, heartfelt [Read More]

Sunflower Girl: Jill Jack is a the top of her game. By Patrick O’Heffernan

May 24, 2014

By Patrick O’Heffernan, Host, Music FridayLive! A wide-ranging, tightly crafted, deeply personal, pleasure-center-stimulating gift from one of the country’s most talented musical artists. I first saw Jill Jack at a club in Hollywood and she electrified the room with her unique high energy, woman-centered, heart aching country rock. Jill Jack is amazing, awesome, fabulous and any other adjectives you can come up with for a talent that puts on a show that blows the stage away with musical fireworks. So I got a copy of her most recent album, Sunflower Girl, to see if she is as good in the studio as she is on stage. The answer is a definitive yes. Jill Jack and her band have opened for some of the greats of country– Bob Seger, John Waite, Emmylou Harris, Shawn Colvin, Patty Griffin, Dan Fogelberg, Marshall Crenshaw, Chris Issak, and Loretta Lynn. She has played to sellout crowds at SXSW , the Ann Arbor Folk Festival, The Bluebird Cafe and New York’s The Living Room among others. There is even a PBS documentary about her scheduled for broadcast later this year. [Read More]

Ronnie Ficarro’s new single will have you begging for more new music!

May 24, 2014

With the departure of Ronnie Ficarro of Falling in Reverse and Max Green‘s introduction as the new bassist, it just means we get to hear new music by Ronnie! Ronnie wasted no time in giving us all a taste of his solo project as he released an amazing new track. Reminds me of my favorite quote: “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson Ronnie Ficarro released his song, Runaway and it is amazing! It has a very punk pop feel with a rock edge. Vocals are engaging, complete with emotionally driven lyrics and is a very catchy tune. It really leaves me begging for more new music by Mr. Ficarro! The song really highlights the talent of Ronnie and his stellar songwriting skills. Some of my favorite lyrics of the song are: “Hoping and I’m praying I’ll face my fears Find what I’ve been looking for all these years” Check out the song here on Spotify: or you can [Read More]

Brody Dalle solo album Diploid Love OUT NOW and she starts tour tonight at Slim’s

May 21, 2014

Brody Dalle‘s Debut Solo release, Diploid Love is available now on CD and Vinyl. This solo album is a deeply personal album as it takes the listener on a journey about life, creating it, living it and surviving it. Brody spent a year writing, playing, recording and co-producing her first solo album, a riotous blast of punk rock with a pop sheen that storms through ideas about the modern age, triumphing against the odds and even spirituality. The ex-Distillers front woman co-produced the album with Alain Johannes (Arctic Monkeys, Them Crooked Vultures, Mark Lanegan) at his studio, and at her and husband Josh Homme’s studio Pink Duck, both in California. “I’ve always had a hand in crafting how it’s going to sound and hearing it and trying to make that happen. But it’s the first time I’ve put my name on something for production,” she says of the release. Brody wrote all the songs and played almost all the instruments you can hear on the album herself, with a few incredible guests that included Shirley Manson [Read More]