John Wort Hannam: Queen's Hotel

Since quitting his teaching job in 2002 to focus on his music, John Wort Hannam has done pretty well at getting himself noticed within the world of folk music.

While he may not be a huge star yet, the former language arts teacher has consistently been nominated for—and won—awards within the folk music scene. With the release of Queen’s Hotel, his fourth full-length album, Hannam is hoping to keep the trend going.

Unfortunately, I’m not quite sure if Queen’s Hotel will have the effect Hannam desires...MORE

Chops: Livin' 2 the Fullest

I like hip-hop, but it generally takes a lot for a hip-hop artist to really “wow” me. Consequently, I was pleasantly surprised by Livin’ 2 the Fullest, the self-released debut album by California hip-hop artist Chops.

Despite being a first release, Livin 2 the Fullest is full of tracks that would fit right in with any of the established hip-hop artists being played in the clubs. The backbeats are strong, but not overwhelming, and Chops plays with the stylings to keep each track unique.

One of the most striking things about Chops is the clarity with which he presents his vocals. It’s sometimes difficult to understand what’s being said in hip-hop tracks, but with Chops you can understand every word coming out of his mouth. Chops breaks into some very fast raps on the album, but even when throwing out some tongue twisters it’s still easy to make out what he’s saying...MORE