CD Review: New Music From Indie-Artists Satellite Gods, American Dreamer & Mike Llerena

From Australia comes the sophomore release from singer/songwriter Brendan McMahon and his band the Satellite Gods. The new album titled "Marker 7-58," builds upon the local airplay they received from their debut album "Falling To Earth," which is also the name of the opening number on this new release. The up-tempo addictive rocker starts off their new album with energy and a pop/rock tune that should catch the ears of Australia's rock radio. McMahon's songwriting skills excel during the wonderful pop tones of "Saturday Night In Riga," while "The Truth" has a timeless swing that just gives off good vibes and up-beat feelings. The album reaches its pinnacle with the epic build-up of "On My Way," before the Satellite Gods demand your attention for the emotional harmonies of "My Friend." Their new 13-song release wraps up with the Celtic vibe of "Once," the rocking blues of "Hold Your Ground" and the heartfelt, piano ballad "Walk." To find out more about Satellite Gods and their recent release "Marker 7-58," please visit brendanj.com.

From Texas comes the full-length debut album titled "Restless Nights" from the orchestral folk group American Dreamer. Their new 11-song release begins with the wonderfully lush orchestration of "Open Your Eyes" as the music will warm your soul. The timeless appeal of "When You're Away" and the up-tempo country/folk rocker "Start-Stopping" showcases the range of genres that American Dreamer can cover with their instruments. They pour their emotions into their music as heard in the instrumental "Lullaby" and capture the simple fun of "All The Time" with it's playful, shuffle rhythm. American Dreamer finish up their new release with the up-tempo, pop/rock of "Howl" and the gentle acoustics of "Apollo." To find out more about American Dreamer and their latest release "Restless Nights," please visit americandreamermusic.com.

From Gainesville, FL comes the latest release titled "Absence & The Heart" from singer/songwriter Mike Llerena. This is Mike's third EP and will be released on February 17th. The new five song release begins with the post-punk energy of "On The Way," which injects his sound with a shot of adrenaline to get this started quickly. He slows the tempo down for his love song to "Rosanna," before picking the energy back up with the raw, Green Day-like tones of "End Of The Line." Mike finishes his short new release with the blazing, guitar driven rocker "Lady Rock & Roll." To find out more about Mike Llerana and his latest EP "Absence & The Heart," please visit mikellerenamusic.com.