Billy Castillo
Julia Klot - “Boxing Gloves” ~ A Technical Knock-Out!
Frequent readers of this blog know how often I compare current songs to songs from the 80s and 90s; it’s almost a meme at this point, as...
top of page
Search
Billy Castillo
- May 10
- 2 min
Wilelmina - “Only Swans See” ~ Chock Full Of Synthy Goodness!
One running theme that has become very evident over the years has been the emergence of retro sounds, especially from the 80s (constant...
7 views0 comments
Billy Castillo
- May 10
- 2 min
k!ve - “I Don’t Want This” ~ You Want To Hear This!
One thing that generally sucks about getting older is the level of disconnect one feels with the generation(s) after theirs. Case in...
12 views0 comments
Billy Castillo
- May 4
- 1 min
Olla - “Prana” ~ Elegant Pop Balladry At Its Finest!
One of the trends over the past few years has been the increasing reliance on bringing back “retro” sounds; whether it’s the 80s-inspired...
11 views0 comments
Billy Castillo
- May 4
- 2 min
Blue Bijou - “In This Town” ~ I Know There’s A Heaven, Cause It’s This Song!
Sometimes knowing little to nothing about an artist can hurt an artist’s career, especially when they’re trying to get their name out...
20 views0 comments
Billy Castillo
- May 4
- 2 min
Mac Summer - “Suddenly The Rain” ~ More Hooks Than A Bait Shop!
It’s no secret that during what was arguably the worst period ever for mainstream Top 40 pop (the mid to late 2010s), EDM was the sole...
14 views0 comments
Billy Castillo
- Apr 25
- 2 min
Said Sara - “Same” ~ Sweeter than shaved ice!
As much as I enjoy modern pop these days - certainly, the music of the past four years is far better than the previous ten - the one...
12 views0 comments
Billy Castillo
- Apr 25
- 2 min
Bad Bubble - “Cozy Grey Shoes” ~ In a word…classy!
Bad Bubble’s “Cozy Grey Shoes” is an enjoyably understated indie electro-pop romp that is a breath of fresh air in an increasingly “hey...
20 views0 comments
Billy Castillo
- Apr 14
- 1 min
Aimée - “Hurt Like Hell” ~ So infectious, it deserves its own CDC threat level!
As a reviewer, one of the most difficult aspects is being able to sift through PR hyperbole and in some cases straight-up lies in order...
8 views0 comments
Billy Castillo
- Apr 14
- 2 min
Kate Ellis - “Hurt” ~ Hurts So Good!
What do you get when you cross authentic country folk with the poetic angst of Trent Reznor’s epic “Hurt”, originally released by Nine...
39 views0 comments
Billy Castillo
- Apr 6
- 2 min
Clare Easdown - “Wrap Me Up” ~ Wrapped up in auditory bliss!
One oft-repeated (and extremely erroneous) criticism of electronic music is its “cold” and mechanical, devoid of melodic wonder and...
56 views0 comments
Billy Castillo
- Apr 6
- 2 min
Amy Vee - “Jackknife” ~ Hauntingly beautiful!
One of the worst things that can happen to an artist is becoming pigeonholed into a certain sound. Once that happens, any attempt to step...
12 views0 comments
Billy Castillo
- Apr 6
- 1 min
V.I.S.H. - “Closurize” ~ Closurize and Enjoy the Vibes…!
Despite the general weakness of the popular music scene in the latter half of the 2010s, one positive trend that has continued into this...
76 views0 comments
Billy Castillo
- Mar 30
- 2 min
Tess Anderson - “Prison” ~ So good, it’s criminal!
Retro-sounding songs are all the rage these days. Seems like every other week we’re hearing songs that could’ve fit in during the 80s or...
48 views0 comments
Billy Castillo
- Mar 30
- 2 min
Garland Kelley - “The Point of No Return” ~ Subtly blunt yet uplifting!
Sometimes, an artist’s bio can lead a listener to expect something different from what they end up getting, even if everything in there...
10 views0 comments
Billy Castillo
- Mar 30
- 2 min
Higgs Field - “Us Forever” ~ Rumors of rock’s death have been greatly exaggerated!
Contrary to popular belief, rock, and roll isn’t dead…it’s just been extremely sick. Years of overly processed, autotuned pablum has...
7 views0 comments
Billy Castillo
- Mar 22
- 2 min
Madison Davenport - “Danger Danger” ~ Dangerously Good…!
I’ve said this quite a bit over the first three months of 2023, but we seem to be in the midst It’s not often that you immediately vibe...
12 views0 comments
Billy Castillo
- Mar 22
- 2 min
Super Fëmmes - “Love & War” ~ All is fair in love, war, and dance-pop!
There must be something in the water. Well, besides hydrogen and oxygen molecules, of course, how else do you explain the sheer amount of...
31 views0 comments
Billy Castillo
- Mar 22
- 2 min
Damien - “Empty” ~ Industrial pop that won’t leave you empty inside!
Everything old is new again, as the saying goes…certainly, with shows like “Stranger Things” being all the rage with the youngsters, 80s’...
5 views0 comments
Billy Castillo
- Mar 16
- 2 min
Macy - “Swear Down” ~ Few things ever feel this good!
Welsh pop starlet Macy released a new retro-pop disco extravaganza entitled “Swear Down” on 1 February, and (spoiler alert) it is...
13 views0 comments
bottom of page