Review | Music Junkie Press

Maggie Rogers; Beauty and Light personified, delivers spellbinding performance at Greek Theater

September 24, 2019

Last Friday evening at the Greek Theater in Berkeley was the place to be. The majestic setting of the Greek Theater was the perfect backdrop for the beauty and dazzling performance by Maggie Rogers. We first saw Maggie Rogers perform at Outside Lands just two years ago and we knew she would be well on her way to the top. Selling out the Greek Theater, no problem for her. There is no stopping the effervescent and mesmerizing Maggie Rogers. Show after show, she exceeds our expectations and delivers spot on spellbinding performances. Her vocals captivated the audience and you could feel a positive energy race through the crowd. If I could compare it to anything, it would be to that one moment in How The Grinch Stole Christmas – that the Grinch’s small heart grew three sizes that day. At a Maggie Rogers concert, you can’t help but have your heart grow. You feel a positive energy that grabs a hold of you and the songs become the life line to your soul. From the first song to the [Read More]

With “Love on Mars” Binx knocks it out of the stratosphere.

September 24, 2019

Binx has taken the next step into the solar system after the stratosphere-penetrating “Space DJ” with her newest song, “Love on Mars”. Actually, it’s a very big step – as any trip from the edge of the atmosphere to the Red Planet would be. “Love on Mars”, at its lyrical core is about falling in love – with yourself first and then with your soulmate. No surprise there for a too-busy-for-love woman who has been evolving and defining herself since she left small-town South Africa, survived the club scene in New York and is now relaxing into herself and thriving as a songwriter, performer and web personality in LA, the world’s most competitive music market. But the music of “Love on Mars” moves beyond its lyrical orbit into a very sophisticated and addictive solar system – several parsecs beyond “Space DJ” and her earlier releases “Headlights” and “Radiohead”, which were themselves addictive and enjoyable. “Love on Mars”, feels and sounds like a BIG HIT. Its hooks are subtly addictive, its choruses are designed to be [Read More]

Angel Baby by Las Cafeteras is a familiar yet fresh gift to music lovers of any age

August 19, 2019

Patrick O’Heffernan Rosie Mendez Hamlin’s “Angel Baby”, recorded in San Marcos CA by the 15-year-old Latina, debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960 and hit Number 5 a month later, staying on the charts for 13 weeks. The iconic doo-wop song has subsequently been covered dozens, if not hundreds of times, by artists including John Lennon, the Delerons, Linda Ronstadt, Jennie Rivera, and System of a Down. The Chicano Alliance posted a bilingual version on Spotify and last year LA-based jazz/mariachi/fusion singer Nancy Sanchez garnered praise for releasing a bilingual version and video that updated the story to 2018, charged the characters to Latinos who return as helpful angles. So, with this history in mind, I opened up the video for a new version of “Angel Baby” recorded by one of my most favorite bands, Las Cafeteras. Could they put their stamp on such a familiar musical icon and yet be true to the music of the ‘60s? Yes, they could, it turns out, by being their mischievous selves. If you know this [Read More]

Héroe by Francisca Valenzuela tickles your feet, your mind, your soul.

August 1, 2019

Patrick O’Heffernan (Ajijic, Mexico) If you love great music, powerful women, and people who blend art, activism and style into potent tools to change the listen and the world and you don’t know Francisca Valenzuela, now is the time to meet her because she has just released a single, Héroe, that shows why she is all of that and more. Valenzuela is an American-born, Chilean singer, entrepreneur, fashion designer, activist, poet, author with two books and three albums to her credit and a long string of hit songs dealing with personal power. Now in LA, she continues creating and producing on all cylinders and Héroe is her latest musical statement about the power we all have within ourselves – for good or evil. Richly produced with a flowing, pulsing urban background and complex , addictive rhythms from her keyboard, it skates on the edge of pop and psychedelic Latin rock. The combination of unexpected rhythms captures your ears as the lyrics flow across your intellect. It is both a curriculum on your personal power and [Read More]

Rising Appalachia’s Ley Lines blends cultures and harmonies into pure bliss

May 13, 2019

Patrick O’Heffernan The word “ley lines” was coined in 1921 by the amateur English archaeologist Alfred Watkins, describing the apparent alignments among historical and geological spaces, hypothesizing that they had persisted over millennia to facilitate travel, trade and community. Later, others theorized that global ley lines exist to transmit energy and light from the sun and stars to create magical bliss in spaces for sacred healing rituals. All of which is a good introduction to the music of Rising Appalachia and their just released 7th studio album, Ley Lines. The album brings stellar energy, blissful melody and a healing message for the soul and the earth. The Atlanta-based sisters Chloe and Leah Smith have traveled the world , touring by sailboat, train, and van, to fill venues and festivals in the US, Canada and Europe, and participate in cultural exchange programs in Bulgaria, Ireland, Italy, and Central and South America. Along the way they have absorbed the rhythms, melodies and the emotions of many cultures. This enables them to seamlessly blend American roots music with Celtic [Read More]

SHOW REVIEW: Maggie Rogers brings a magical soul touching performance to Fox Theater

April 21, 2019

We have been anxiously awaiting the return of Maggie Rogers to the Bay Area. Last year, she blew us away with her outstanding performances at Outside Lands and the Fillmore. Well, Friday night she returned with a phenomenal show at the Fox Theater in Oakland. The night kicked off with an impressive set by Melanie Faye. She captivated the crowd with funk and flash, rockin her guitar and having us applaud her every note. I was grateful for the introduction to the new artist and I can’t wait to see Melanie once again. You can catch her return to the Bay Area on May 18th as she will be opening for Mac DeMarco at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. As expected, when the lights dimmed, the sold out crowd loudly sang to Abba’s Dancing Queen, inciting energy throughout the venue. The set kicked off in high gear with a flawless intoxicating performance of Give a Little. From the first song to the last, the crowd was fully enveloped in the intense energy that Maggie gave to [Read More]

Raspin Stuwart delivers soulful passion with his new CD, NY2LA

April 11, 2019

Music for us, has always been the thing that keeps us going. Whether we are having a bad day and need a song to lift us up, or whether we are having a good day and turn to the music to celebrate. In good times, bad times, all times, music is always present. What is even more magical, is when you can listen to new music for the first time and you can truly feel the emotion and passion that comes with each song. It brings you closer and draws you in for a musical journey through the music. That is exactly what happened the first time I played the new CD NY2LA by Raspin Stuwart. Raspin is an amazing musician/singer/songwriter that brings to life soulful blues in his new CD. The album starts right off with one of our favorite tracks, Down Low. It feeds your soul with low down good blues. His title track NY2LA is an infectious jazz track. Throughout the album, you are greeted with horns that create the perfect full [Read More]