SANDBLOOM
Los Angeles, California, United States | INDIE | AFTRA
Music
Press
Kevin Sandbloom's work is raw and lovely and I'm happy to play it for my listeners. This is good stuff!
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Stephanie Renee, the Official VibeMistress
SOUL SANCTUARY RADIO
www.Soul-Sanctuary.net
www.MySpace.com/SoulSanctuaryRadio - SOUL SANCTUARY RADIO
I preach these Blues, then choose my seat and sit down.
Kevin Sandbloom’s New Red Llama Music Release, “Under Pink and Bourbon Skies”
So you ask, “Hey, rasx()! What is Kevin Sandbloom?” Well, you take the extremely talented D’Angelo and the extremely talented Ani DiFranco, mix it with the mystery of even more humanity and you get Kevin Sandbloom.
Kevin Sandbloom is the kind of performer the Undercover Black Man should have reviewed years ago—and I am pleased as punch to beat him to it. Hah! Got ya! First of all, for you kids out there (who actually, truly discover music), every sound that comes out of Kevin Sandbloom’s mouth is a note—not a dead-president note—but a musical note you write out on a scale. And, since Kevin clearly is a serious student of soul, not only does he sing notes but he sings them on the beat—and usually that beat is funky—even when it’s just him and his acoustic guitar. I’m sorry Fumi, but Michael Franti is out of pocket on this one.
So the new Kevin Sandbloom release is Under Pink and Bourbon Skies which is available as a direct download—and the backlog of work you can find at AmazonMP3.com. The latest work reminds me of the same design goals of PJ Harvey’s Uh Huh Her—to be economical, pared down, efficient—to be big in the smallness. This is most apparent in the song “Girl.” Even when Sanbloom celebrates with the cover song, “A Song for You,” this spirit of efficient economy is still there. Too many contemporary musicians forget that rhythm, funk and blues is about efficiency and economy—showing effortlessly how much you can make of so little. Kevin Sandbloom’s latest is a timely, complementary respite for these tough economic times.
http://kintespace.com/rasxlog/?p=1618 - the rasx() context
It would be an understatement to call Kevin Sandbloom's Under Pink and Bourbon Skies minimalist. Sparse might be a better word. Much of this record is totally acoustic with nothing more than Sandbloom's guitar and his expressive voice. Under Pink and Bourbon Skies is kind of like Raul Midon's State of Mind, only a little more intimate.
The minimalist nature of Under Pink and Bourbon Skies makes this a deceiving record. Listeners fall into trap of thinking that this record falls into one mood or stays at one tempo. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Sandbloom moves from singer songwriting balladeer on songs such as "Sentimentally Yours,' to a funk philosopher on "Up From the Cracks."
He delivers an acoustic rendition of "A Song for You" that would make Donny Hathaway proud. Sandbloom also proves to be an excellent lyricist. Even on a song with relatively few words such as "Coffee And a Strong Desire," Sandbloom manages to show that he can paint a verbal picture. The words tell the story of late night lovemaking and early morning coffee.
The lyrics and the vocals are definitely the strong point of this record. Sandbloom seems to know that his assignment in making such an intimate record is that people are going to listen to what he has to say. He doesn't waste time. "Sweetness," "Sentimentally Yours," "Up From the Cracks" and "You Should Know" are four songs that exhibit Sandbloom's ability to vary the tempo, use his voice as an instrument and paints pictures with words.
"Sweetness" is an acoustic blues, funk gem that displays the singer's feathery vocal touch as the upper range of the tenor spectrum. The song includes one of best pickup lines I've heard in a record in a long time: "When you wear that candy dress/Will you look at this old mess/In the service of that wish."
On "Sentimentally Yours," Sandbloom channels the musical spirits of the singer songwriters of the 1970s. "Up From the Cracks," shows that acoustic music can have a hard-bitten edge. The song's lyrics also paint the picture of an artist trying to grow from the ground up and on his own terms. The Latin tinged "You Should Know" shows that Sandbloom spent more than a few hours listening to performers such as Midon. Artists such as Sandbloom occupy the space once filled by the soul folk icons of the 1970s, and Sandbloom is at home there. Recommended.
http://www.soultracks.com/kevin-sandbloom-under-pink-and-bourbon-skies - Howard Dukes (Soul Tracks) June 2009
One of the things I love about independent music is that it’s art in raw form. That is before others, who claim to know better than the artist, begin meddling and changing the initial vision into an often watered-down version of the original. Listen to radio and you hear the same songs over and over again. Truth is…some of the best music hasn’t even made it to the mainstream, yet. An example of the pure art I’m referring to can be heard in the works of Sandbloom, a soulful artist who has released his third independent project entitled “Under Pink and Bourbon Skies.”
Sandbloom’s style is referred to as “Urban Delta Soul” which completely captures the sound of his music. The album is filled with acoustic guitar licks that incorporate blues, jazz, and soul music that reach the gut. Sandbloom's impressive vocals range from a smooth or raspy falsetto, to a powerful and distinct tenor. A few of his songs have somewhat of a Dwele vibe. Sandbloom’s lyrics are poetic and insightful, causing the listener to reflect on real life situations. Since his lyrics are indeed poetry, each song was reviewed as I interpreted the lyrics. Let’s take a look at the tracks:
1. SWEETNESS – A soulful, acoustic piece that deals with the sweetness of love.
2. LONELY WORLD – An upbeat song about the struggle to find one’s place and purpose.
3. LATELY LOVE – A bluesy piece that deals with the complications that being in love
can bring about.
4. SAY THE WORD – A slower, acoustic piece about a man waiting for his girl to finally say what she truly feels.
5. COFFEE AND A STRONG DESIRE – A seemingly Al Jarreau inspired jam about a man who wants to have a little sex with his early morning coffee.
6. GIRL (YOU MAKE ME FEEL) – This song has a Dwele vibe and deals with a man who is comfortable in the company of his woman.
7. SENTIMENTALLY YOURS – A very good song! A soulful track with a great feel. It is about a person who has totally given in to love.
8. MISS ME – A very neo-soulful track. My favorite on the album. About a couple arguing, where one person is seeking forgiveness after pissing off the other.
9. UP FROM THE CRACKS – A very nice jam about picking oneself up after being down for so long.
10. SILENT FIRE – This song has a Caribbean vibe. It seems to be about a person who selflessly fills the role as inspiration to his significant other.
11. YOU SHOULD KNOW – Deals with honesty and openness as a couple looks back at the past, embraces the present, and plans for the future.
12. A SONG FOR YOU – The album closes with a smokin’ acoustic version of Donny Hathaway’s classic. I was worried about this one at first, but Sandbloom pulled it off. Very well done!
I must say that I was impressed by Sandbloom and look forward to hearing more from him in the future. If you aren’t familiar with his work, I highly recommend that you take a listen. This cat definitely has soul.
http://www.whogotsoul.com/ - Sean Rasul (Urban Soul Review) June 2009
Discography
2009/UNDER PINK AND BOURBON SKIES
2007/MAD LOVE ACTIVATE
2005 / FROM A BIRD
2005 / EP.DELTA[6]
2005 / The Temple Bar Records compilation #1
2004 / EARTHBOUND
2002 / BLUES FOR BRICKTOP
Photos
Bio
Kevin Sandbloom is a man who has one thing on his mind. Playing music. He has been doing it ever since he picked up a guitar at 16 and simultaneously fell in love with the music of Bob Marley. "All my songs sounded a little like a Marley rip-off" he says of his early pieces. They also happened to be crowd rockers, as the first band he fronted in high school, BUMP, became a local staple in his hometown Pasadena, CA. He cut his musical teeth on influences like B.B. King, Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Steely Dan, Prince and Sade. Of the creative culture he came up in he says, "The whole thing was to do like Bill Withers mixed with The Beatles or Parlamient meets Elvis Costello or Pink Floyd meets Steel Pulse so we were trying to mash it up from early on". It was this eclectic atmosphere that shaped his musical path as well as a local songwriter, Peter Galvin who was in a legendary band, The Bedshredders. "He showed me first hand what was possible with songs. His stuff was so advanced though he was only a few years older, my songs sounded juvenile next to his".
Fast forward to the present and Kevin's music can hardly be called childish. He is regarded in songwriter circles as an artist who operates at the top of his game. He has performed on stages from the Nuyorican Poets cafe in New York, to B.B. King's Blues Club in Los Angeles and is a fixture at music and poetry venues across the U.S. He is also a favorite on college and high school campuses.
For the last six years he has been poducing music at a furious pace. 5 full-length albums and an Ep under his belt, he is currently touring and promoting his latest recording,"Under Pink And Bourbon Skies". The CD is his most blues inspired work to date, though it contains elements of jazz, bossa nova, and folk to create a sound which is uniquely "Sandbloom".
Sandbloom has been featured on the ABC Family series "Lincoln Heights", and has credits on the Laurence Fishburne film "Once In The Life", as well as countless independent films. He was also payed the honor of having one of his songs used by guitar legend Robben Ford on his album, "Supernatural". It ended up being chosen as the title track. During the sessions for the same record he got to meet and perform with Vinny Caliutta, Jimmy Earl and singer Michael McDonald. On meeting one of his vocal heroes, Kevin says," Man, what a trip that was! I was trying not be starstruck, but he was one of the most humble and down to earth people you will ever meet."
Sandbloom is hard at work recording new material, compiling footage for a live CD/DVD release in 2009 and gearing up for a European tour as well. "I'm keeping it moving this year, expanding my brand so everyone knows about what I do" he says. And indeed it won't be long until everyone does.
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