• Volume XXIII

  • Release Date: 05.24.24

    UPC: 0783970970213

    Digital and Physical Album Release

    Worldwide distribution

  • Bongo Boy Records, Volume XXIII by Various Artists

    1. Monkey On My Back - The L&M Project Band 2:31
    2 .Crashin – Lizzy Ura 4:04
    3. Eclipse/Jon Kennedy Remix - Simonne Draper 4:37
    4. Little Bit of Dreamin - Lou Mezza 3:21
    5. Little Left Behind - The NEW Bardots 3:38
    6. Foolish- Tony Angelo 3:03
    7. I'm In Love With You - Boys'N'Barry 2:59
    8. Written In the Stars feat. Underground Treehouse - Clark Ford 3:11
    9. Join As One - ReLoVe 3:51
    10.We Will Kiss All Night - Queen Lady Elivra 3:54
    11. When It's Over - STUDEO 3:10
    12. Skrt - Tony Angelo 3:13
    13. Tell The World feat. Darlene Ordanze - The L&M Project Band 3:30

  • Official Music Videos Featured on National Television Via Bongo Boy TV

  • ReLoVe - Join As One

  • STUDEO - When It's Over

  • ALBUM REVIEWS

  • Ten years in and now at their 23rd album, this series, like the TV show that Bongo Boy also curates, is the perfect way to find out precisely what is happening in the music world. Although much of the upper echelons of today’s music is run by the same few record labels who dictate to the masses what they think we ought to be listening to and, more importantly for them, buying, labels such as Bongo Boy are torch-bearers and champions, much like the all-important independent labels of old. And like those early movers and shakers, they reflect what is happening in the world. As such, this album series does not represent what music the powers-that-be have decided is suitable for us; instead, it is a snapshot of the groundswell of creativity pushing up from below, the sound of the music world growing from the roots up. How refreshing.

    Things kick off with Ado Bantula joining the L&M Project Band for Monkey on My Back, a song that starts out in the sonic realms of understated funk, a region beloved by bands such as Red Hot Chili Peppers and then proceeds to a place that sounds like the natural successor of 90s rap-rock. And yet, it all feels like the most of-the-moment music possible.

    Lizzie Ura pulls off a similar trick on Crashing, though here, she takes the deftness of golden-age Fleetwood Mac and the sass of Pat Benatar and brings them bang-up-to-date, making them fit for purpose for a whole new audience.

    As a reminder of how widely Bongo Boy searches for the best music, no matter what genre, sound, or style, Simonne Draper is next up with Eclipse. Adept at blending the agility of the classical guitar with more world music sounds, in this case, a sort of arabesque mystic reminiscent of the likes of Loreena McKennitt, here things are taken a stage further via this Jon Kennedy remix, turning it into a chill-out sound that is as much late night, back room of the most eclectic nightclub in town as it is a world/classical fusion.

    A brace of sassy rockers comes next. Lou Mezza’s Little Bit of Dreamin’ mixes the accessibility of 80s rock anthems with the drive of a more modern rock sound, whilst the ever-dependable NEW Bardōts kick out their trademark, timeless rock and roll grooves with Little Left Behind. Groove is precisely the right word, as they seem to understand that rock and roll is not about trying to be big and clever, ornate, or high-brow. Rock and roll was only ever about one thing: getting them to dance. Play this and try and stop ’em!

  • Tony Angelo offers some seductive Latin rhythms over which he runs his sensual guitar, proving that dance music doesn’t have to be the bastion of DJs and digital manipulators. It has always existed anywhere that someone was deft enough to draw the right grooves and lilts out of their instrument. With his instrumental tune, Foolish, that process is merely enhanced by technology, to be replaced by it.

    Country rock is on the menu thanks to Boys ‘N’ Barry, and I’m In Love With You, Baby, an upbeat love song full of blustery harmonica and bluesy structures, roots rock energy and shuffling beats. Sassy, saucy and sensational. At the other end of the spectrum, Clark Ford signs on with Underground Treehouse for a love song of a different style. Written in the Stars is the more typical love ballad, thoroughly modern in its sonics but indeed tipping its hat to the crooners of old.

    It is nice to see ReLoVe again under my pen, a band I have written much about in the past and enjoyed every moment of their music. Here, they wrap their soulful and sensitive vibes around a song about coming together, the aptly named Join As One—a fantasy narrative, perhaps, but one that we can all find some meaning in.

    We Will Kiss All Night is a dark and delicious torch song that sees Queen Lady Elvira blend old-school nostalgic sentiment with gothic vibes and sensational soul moves with bluesy grooves for an intense and interesting result. STUDEO does its usual balancing act between grit and grace, pop and a hard place with When It’s Over, a song full of poise and pathos. This timeless song could just as quickly be the product of an early sixties pop svengali as a contemporary pop-rock outfit.

    Things round off with two artists who have already been featured. Tony Angelo’s Skrt is an exquisite weave of guitar lines over a backbeat that ebbs and flows between rock and roll energy and more seductive Latin sounds. The L&M Project Band brought us in, so it is only fitting that they play us out, and Tell the World, featuring Darlene Ordanza, wanders around their power-pop-rock playground to great effect.

    And there we go, thirteen new songs for your delectation. Thirteen new songs for you to explore and investigate. Thirteen songs for you to like and love. And thirteen songs that prove, if proof were ever needed, that Bongo Boy has its finger on the pulse of the just emerging, next big thing, about to break, cutting edge of the new music scene.

  • A modern take on the blues is the L&M Project Band’s “Monkey On My Back feat. Ado Bantula.” The song explores the concept of addiction and what makes that world seem so appealing to outsiders. This approach of showcasing why people fall into this lifestyle highlights the good and the bad aspects of what can trap people in this rut.

    Hypnotic with its late 90s alt-rock fervor is Lizzy Ura’s “Crashin.” A style reminiscent of Kim Deal’s The Breeders adorns the sound as it has that extra emotional punch. The hooks running through are filtered through an undeniable amount of heartache.

    Nimble chords and near-broken beats lend an eerie demeanor to Simonne Draper’s “Eclipse (Jon Kennedy Remix).” Things have a near-defeated quality with the rhythm, yet the chord work remains strident, defiant even. By merging the two, the song explores contrasts.

    Lou Mezza holds nothing back on the riotous punk rock energy of “Little Bit of Dreamin.” Bass work hints at funk while the song kicks up a ruckus. Vocals go for a commanding presence as they virtually grab the listener by the throat.

  • Great harmonica work on “Little Left Behind” displays the undue swagger of The NEW Bardōts. The lyrics have a playful glee, as the song serves as a character study. So much heart comes rolling in, adding to the soulful nature.

    Tony Angelo infuses “Foolish” with a tropical flair. A mixture of ancient and modern come together to create a freewheeling flow of sound, with an atmosphere that sizzles with anticipation. Guitar work goes for the elegant, gently gliding around the rest of the arrangement.

    “I’m in Love with You, Baby” has Boys’N’Barry delve into a giddy form of the classic love song. The piece feels outright hysterical, with energy bursting out from the seams. Rollicking percussion anchors the song’s boundless optimism.

    Underground Treehouse sings a song of devotion with the beautiful “Written In The Stars.” Featuring a late-night reflective attitude, the piece has a gentle, stately grace. Melodies feel weightless while they waft up into the sky.

    Profound, heavy-set grooves grace ReLoVe’s “Join as One.” The lyrics are chosen with care for maximum impact. Combining classic pop with a leisurely, big-band feel, there’s an inherent grace to how it unspools.

  • The psychedelic and glam rock mix gives Queen Lady Elivra a powerful stride in “We Will Kiss All Night.” Surrealist in certain moments, the keyboards glow fondly. Rhythms are muscular, featuring the inherent attraction of two people coming together.

    STUDEO goes for a sense of satisfaction on the driving force of “When It’s Over.” Her voice serves as the beating heart from which all else flows. It has such a powerful motivation by ensuring that the song has a gliding, stylish demeanor.

    Tony Angelo weaves spaghetti westerns with nimble acoustic guitar work as “Skrt” expands into the infinite. Expansive vistas emerge during the journey, allowing it to feel so gorgeous. Aspects of the sound go even further, taking cues from surf rock’s unpredictable shifts.

    Hypersaturated sounds close the album with “Tell the World (feat. Darlene Ordanza).” The L&M Project Band incorporates synthetic sweeps alongside gorgeous chord shifts with this finale. It feels fine as it ends things on a high note.

    Published Review