The Musiqtone Blog

Name: "Ashlyne Huff"
Label: Liquid Digital Media
Release Date: May 11th, 2010
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Written by: Stephanie Mora, Staff Writer, Pacific/Southwest Region

Have you heard of Ashlyne Huff? If your answer to that question right now is "no," that is all about to change. Fresh off of opening for successful pop/rock act Honor Society on their Here Comes Trouble Tour, this up and coming singer/songwriter just released her debut self-titled album on May 11th, 2010. If you attended any of the Here Comes Trouble shows, you know that Ashlyne was absolutely ecstatic about her album release, and she had every reason to be. Her album entitled, Ashlyne Huff showcases her strong vocal talent and veteran song-writing abilities, and with only 6 tracks on the album, it will leave you wanting to hear more.

The album begins with Huff’s most popular song and single, "Heart of Gold." This track is featured on the Now That’s What I Call Music: 33 compilation album and you can  find the music video right here on Musiqtone.com. At first listen, "Heart of Gold" is an instantly catchy song that is bound to get stuck in your head. With unique guitar rhythms and a clap driven drum beat, you will want to clap your hands, tap your foot, nod your head, and dance around your room all at the same time. The track is just as strong lyrically as it is musically. With lyrics like, "Who am I to tell you what to do, you’re not the type to do what you’re told, let me tell you you’re gonna miss this heart of gold," girls everywhere will want this to be their anthem they scream at the top of their lungs.

While track 2 offers the same upbeat, catchy tempo as track 1, Trippin It Up offers a completely different sound and shows a different side of Huff. Trippin It Up was featured on the soundtrack to Secrets Of The Mountain. This song is versatile in the way that the lyrics will make you want to think and reflect, but the beat will make you want to blast it from your car speakers with the windows down. With the guitar and drums working together heavily in this song, it offers a more rockish sounding beat, and the lyrics provide insight into the issue of commitment in relationships, that can be seen from a female or male perspective.

The only true ballad on the album is track 3, Sweet Nothing. With very light and soft guitar rhythms and drum beats, Huff’s voice really shines on this power ballad. While Sweet Nothing offers something different, you can’t help but want to hear more upbeat, powerful songs like the previous 2 tracks. Fortunately track 4, provides just that. Heartbeat is the strongest track on the album and a personal favorite of mine. This song provides the best of both worlds in terms of melody and the lyrics are easy to relate to. In the song Heartbeat, Huff belts out lyrics like, "don’t let it bring you down, don’t let it beat you up, if you haven’t found your one and only," and these words are something that everyone feels at one point or another. We’re all searching for that one person, and with this track Huff provides hope for those who haven’t found that person yet. The melody of Heartbeat starts off slow and ballad like with the actual sound of a heart beating in the background, but it then shifts to an upbeat, more rockish melody, as if to drive home that you indeed will be OK if you have not yet found your "one and only." With the shifts in melody during this track, it really helps showcase Huff’s vocal range.

The fifth track on the album, Make It Rain, is another favorite of mine and another strong, relatable track. The song is about a girl wanting her boyfriend to wash away all her problems. She doesn’t want him to see her cry, she just wants him told hold her and to have him make it all go away. Whether you are female or male, we have all had those days when we just want someone to make our problems go away. The use of guitar, bass and drums in Make It Rain gives the melody high and low points, and this fits with actual up and down tone of the song. Comeback, the last and final track, is a very fun way to end the album. Comeback is about two people getting back together and defying everyone’s expectations. Lyrically, the song is not as strong as the others on the album, but it provides an undeniably infectious beat. When Huff performs this one live, there is a dance that she teaches the audience to do along with the chorus, and if you know the dance you will find yourself doing it whenever the song comes on. Even if you don’t know the dance, the song will make you want to dance and sing along.

With only 6 tracks, Ashlyne Huff’s album is short in length but it doesn’t lack the quality of a good album. The saying goes quality over quantity and with her self-titled album, Huff has achieved just that. She came out with 6 quality tracks that showcase her talent as a singer and as a songwriter. Each one of her songs tells a story that will strike an emotional chord in anyone, female or male. Her album proves that she has what it takes to be a staying power in the music industry. If you don’t already know who Ashlyne Huff is, believe me, you will.

Links:
Official Site
Official Myspace
Official Facebook
Her official twitter
Vote for “Heart of Gold” on The Countdown!

Name: Thomas Fiss "Waiting EP"
Release Date: January 19, 2010
My rating: 4.6 out of 5 

Review written by: Gabriela Elena

Local SoCal artist, Thomas Fiss, is not slowing down. Former member of Varsity Fanclub, Fiss’ fans have always supported Thomas on his musical career. Upon leaving VFC, Thomas founded a clothing company named Addison Apparel and made a parody with local DJ Frankie V about the infamous Twitter. WIth Thomas’ new EP "Waiting" recently released there’s no telling that Thomas will continue to be in the entertainment business.

From the moment you press play the first song "Say It Like You Mean It" grasps the listener into a pop vibe. Singing about the well known subjects of life and love. A classical song to listen to when you’re out for a drive or hanging with friends.

"Waiting" is about a story everyone knows too well. Waiting for that right person to come around. Or waiting for someone to notice you’ve been there the whole time. A perfect song and mix of an upbeat tone and plea of no longer wanting to wait to see what happens next.

Thomas’ song "Saturday Night Movie" portrays how he wants his life to be. In a word perfect. Of course this is never the case so all he’s left is the fantasy of what it could be. Like one of those Saturday night movies.

Is pop not your genre? The song "Jealous of Distance" has a raw acoustic sound which shows the true identity to the truth behind the song. The pain behind betrayal when you’re not with the one you love.

It’s hard to describe how Thomas meshes so many different song choices. In the song "Romeo" Thomas starts a fast paced song which turns into a catchy bridge and chorus that will have anyone singing along.

The last song on the EP is "Whisper To Me" a simple song about miscommunication and the way it’s important for any relationship. Not only that but Thomas speaks the truth about how people assume they know what everyone needs. But if they beat around the bush, or don’t clearly state what they want. There’s never a sure way of knowing what they want unless they say it out loud.

Thomas Fiss sings about life, love and its complications. Being able to relate with the listener is a powerful thing and I believe Thomas was able to create that with his audience.

Links:
Official Myspace

Who:  Ruby Summer
Where:  Carlsbad, CA
For fans of:  Lady Antebellum, Taylor Swift

Mini concert review: 

Ruby and Summer Spiro, two sisters from Carlsbad, California, make up the musical act Ruby Summer. They’re small town girls that have big dreams, and this will definitely not be the last time you hear about Ruby Summer. Singing songs they’ve written themselves that are a mixture of country and pop, the two girls have had a taste of success, and its still rising. On November 10th, 2009, they released their EP Conspiracy of Divine Events on Itunes featuring the hit song, I Can Do What I Want. Ruby Summer has also opened for popular acts such as Honor Society and Mitchel Musso. We were able to catch up with Ruby and Summer, and watch them perform a free show on Thursday, January 7th, 2010.

It was a rather chilly evening in San Diego, California but the vibes were warm at the Beachgrass Cafe. The feelings inside the Beachgrass Cafe were comfortable and cozy which comes as no surprise. Ruby and Summer played in front of a hometown crowd of friends and family, and fans that drove out to see the sisters were able to see them sing in a more intimate setting. Even though the cafe was rather small, Ruby Summer performed with high energy from 6 to 9pm. The sisters sang songs from their EP Conspiracy of Divine Events, other original songs they wrote, and covered hits from the pop sensation, Lady Gaga. The two sisters have true talent and real stage presence. Their voices are smooth and soothing, and their songs are not only catchy but they’re inspirational as well. When Ruby and Summer sing, they sing about their own life experiences and you can feel the emotion behind the songs. Even when covering songs by Lady Gaga (they could give Gaga a run for her money), the two put so much heart into their performances, and anyone can tell that this is what they were meant to do.

Audio interview w/ Valerie Roder & Stephanie Mora

Since the release of their debut album in 2008 “Shwayze”  Shwayze have made quite a name for themselves. Performing concerts nationwide and costarring with Cisco Adler on the MTV reality show “Buzzin”, the Malibu, CA hip-hop duo seem to be an unstoppable force.  In just a year’s time the two have grown to be American heartthrobs: singing their way into young girl’s hearts.

Keeping true to their roots, their new album “Let it Beat” consists of songs mostly about encounters with girls. Unlike their previous album though, they turn from their usual acoustic beats to experiment with a more electronic upbeat sound.  Don’t get me wrong though, the usual kick-back acoustic songs dominate most of the album; only a few tend to have pop undertones.

The single “Get U Home” is an undeniably a future chart climber. The new pop-style they are trying out is definitely working out for them. With just a few listens, the lyrics are stuck in your head. You find yourself moving to the beat of the song as soon as it begins to play. Like most pop songs, “Get U Home” is something you can listen to anytime, especially at a party. This new fun upbeat sound is shown in not only “Get U Home”, but also songs such as “Maneater” and “Dirty Girl”.

Don’t worry though, if your one to like the classic “Buzzin” Shwayze, they don’t disappoint in this album. With songs, such as “Sally Is A…” and “Perfect for Me”, the dynamic duo encompasses the easy-going spirit of California and young-love perfectly. Their slow-downed tunes are perfect for a relaxing day at the beach, especially is song featuring Snoop Dogg, “Livin’ it Up”.

Whether you’re looking for an album to chill out to after a hard day’s work or dance to at this weekend’s party, “Let it Beat” is the perfect choice. Shwayze is able to recreate the same sentiment of their original album, while throwing their fans a couple curveballs with a whole new pop-style. “Let It Beat” hits stores November 3^rd and is definitely an album worth checking out.

Album:  Let It Beat
Artist: Shwayze
Label:  Suretone/Geffen
Rating: 4.5/5
Album reviewer: Samantha Cano

Who:  Time Tells All
For fans of:  The Rocket Summer, Bright Eyes, Jack’s Mannequin and Secondhand Serenade
EP: Spread The Word

Review:  By Ashley Fox (not to be confused with the more famous sports columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer and ESPN contributor…srsly)

Time Tells All is a band that I discovered on my search for some new tunes to update my ipod with. What I found was a solid EP by a little known band from Virginia. Each song has it’s own sound, but each one is two and a half minutes plus worth of listening to. The vocalist has a really great voice, one fitting for a band of Time Tells All’s nature. They are a band that truly has the potential to make some waves and reach new heights if they keep making music the way they have on their EP. “Spread the Word” is what it’s called, and also exactly what I’m hoping to do.

“Sweep the Nation” is the first song on the EP, which starts of with the sounds of an immaculate crowd cheering and clapping along with the music. After listening to the EP as a whole, this image is clearly a possibility in the bands future. It is also the title track with the words “the sky is limitless, so spread your wings because were taking this over the edge, spread the word, spread the word, your a diamond for the record”.”Sweep the Nation” is one of the heavier tracks on the album, with a lot of a rock-edge.

The next song is “Deadline”. It is a classic pop-punk song, made up of catchy riffs and enough beats to make anyone want to sing along. I passed this song over a few times, just passing it off as something else. Although it isn’t weak, it’s not one to stand out as much as the others. It is also the shortest song on the EP which isn’t much of a bummer, when compared to the rest.

“The Dream” is what made me want to listen to the rest of the EP. It stands out the most with it’s almost Rocket Summer-esque key board introduction. The keys go on in and out of the rest of the song giving it a feeling separate from the rest. About half way through the song the song takes a new turn, keeping up with the keys, but slowing down a bit, keeping everything interesting. “The Dream” is one of the best tracks on the ep, and by far the catchiest.

“Cliff Notes” is a song which shows of the vocals very well, especially within the first 15 seconds of the song. It is again a song with very catchy instrumentals. The placement is great with it following up “The Dream”, because it defiantly has a different feel and goes back to their more rock, less pop-py feel that most of the ep takes on. The build up and change of interest about 1:24 into the song is a move that’s familiar in the other songs, but also an aspect that works strongly in the bands favor.

The EP seems to slow down a bit with it’s closer, a song called “Route ’85″. After listening to the “Spread the Word” as a whole, it is clear that the right choice was made when “Route ’85″ was placed last because it brings everything together and finishes the EP off. It’s catchy, the vocals are on, the build-up is there and the instrumentals are great. It is also the strongest song lyrically. “Route ’85″ is the best track on the EP and defiantly the one to show off what the bands about. It does nothing short of make the listener want more.

Ashley Fox is the asst. regional head of the East Coast at Musiqtone.com.