J.Wright may not be a familiar name for most, but this young rapper is worth a listen. Iowa itself may bring to mind the French Colony meets Agriculture in a Mid-West Mash-Up, but be careful about dismissing this urban legend. Looking as every up and coming new face of Hip-Hop has for about the past decade, he nevertheless stands out on his profile for actually smiling. Clearly the Kanye West ‘model’ pout hasn’t gripped Iowa. Not necessarily a bad thing...
His music appears to have a strong focus on “those for the ladies” as he (and his large young female fanbase) readily agrees with, but at least these tracks; such as See You Smile, they are pleasant with the consistent beat, romantic lyrics and soft melody that appeals. While he has this market sorted, there is still room for improvement in his rapping. Lyrics like “I’m a baker... I make dough” while briefly amusing, won’t take him to the top – no matter how well he adds it to the beat. So while his star is in the ascendant, he still must work to stop it becoming a crash and burn. Myspace
-Olvia

Craymo: Does he make it 'Happy'?

This 33 year old is from a small town bordering Canada – but he is no Josh Groban. His musical history seems largely based on High School Extracurriculars with the odd acting piece in L.A. daytime soaps like ‘Days of our Lives’ which pretty much speaks for itself. His music is either a weak attempt at reggae without any soul or, to my ears, sounds like card music. 'Happy' in particular reminds me of accidentally opening a neon birthday card in a shop and regretting it. The whole swiftly-close-the-card-and-put-it-back–before-anyone-realises-its-me, because the sounds unleashed are an assault to our senses. That is the only circumstance that is appropriate for this cheese-fest. While, so terrible its funny it lasts just for a very short time before you turn it off. It is very doubtful Craymo’s musical career can be said to have succeeded past High School, and that is where I wish it had stayed. Website
-Olvia

David Homyk - True Story

It's not often that we are introduced to an album that is both familiar and new at the same time, but that is exactly what we found in David Homyk's debut True Story. His vocals are intriguing, and the lyrics are relatable, and the album is not only one where you can listen from start to finish, but you will find yourself singing along to the songs after just one listen. Even now, as I am writing this and not listening to the tracks, I have "Fool in the Middle" playing in my mind.
This triple threat [writer, producer and musician] is definitely one for you to check out, and soon, because we see him taking off in a big way. Our recommendations are "Fool in the Middle" and "Hard To Make A Friend" but the entire album is well worth a listen.