RAMONA + The RIOT – “2020”
RAMONA + The RIOT – “2020” – Single Review
What on earth is happening here folks? We need a whole lot more RAMONA + The RIOT out there.
You’ll find this is a bit scattered out there around the ol’ internet when it comes to the details & all – but you will find this is a 100% sensational band in the making here. You can find evidence of Ramona’s music out there from a self-titled record back in 2017…& there are a handful of live videos out there as well that you can find, including a cover of the almighty Purple One’s “When Doves Cry” as well…which roughly all date back to about the same timeframe, back making music as the Ramona Quimby Band. There’s a link to an Amy Winehouse tribute band of sorts on the main site that won’t really take you anywhere specific…but the concept itself sure makes sense to me once you hear Ramona’s voice, as I’m sure it will to all of you as well. Then, last year officially breaking out as RAMONA + The RIOT, we’ve got a couple singles from 2020 called “Blood And Sand” and “Hey Sister!” released, and then in 2021 we’ve got a single called “2020” here to review. Everyone still with me here? Right on then – let’s do this.
Here’s what you can infer from ALL of that information, for the record. Like any great team out there in the world you can think of, quite often it revolves around a competent captain or an all-star talent – and that’s certainly what Ramona clearly is. Whether you know her as Ramona or the Ramona Quimby Band or RAMONA + The RIOT – the fact remains the same – each of these projects are centered around her for a very specific reason – she’s got the undeniable X-factor; it’d be clear to anyone listening to her sing. The Winehouse thing makes logical SENSE…she’s gonna get those comparisons for sure, and likely to legendary singers like Holliday & Simone as well. And I ain’t gonna deny it would be a solid move to earn a paycheck out there in a world where cover-bands tend to reel in more dough from the local scene than an original one tends to yield…but like…c’mon now…talent like this can’t just go towards rehashing the catalog of another artist we already love – Ramona was meant to be making her own tunes if you ask me. That’s what’s going to cement her own legacy in music’s history; and after you have a listen to “2020” for yourself…feel free to come at me…but you won’t; you’ll know I’m right. With the incredible amount of grace, poise, and perfect tone she’s got? Ramona was destined for the spotlight – and again, the fact that she’s already been a part of so many projects & bands is just as much proof in confirming that as everything you’ll hear from her – what a VOICE she has! Fantastic level of emotion & style…she has serious passion for singing, and it’s impossible to miss it – you can hear it pouring out of every pore of your speakers as “2020” works its magic on ya – and The RIOT are a fantastic complement to everything she’s capable of, right there in lockstep with stellar musicianship on display. Being my first experience with Ramona’s music in any of its various forms personally – not only did “2020” sincerely blow me away with its remarkable quality overall, but it seemed instantly clear to me that right now making music with The RIOT, is truly where she’s meant to be. She raises up their star-power, and they in-turn inspire her to be at her best – it’s an audible win/win, and these two halves complement each other with impeccable balance and undeniable professionalism. You’ll hear a track like “2020” and know beyond the shadow of a doubt that RAMONA + The RIOT are both equipped AND ready for that next-level to come. There’s a spectacular range of dramatic depth & emotion radiating through the way they play together, and right there beaming through the microphone from Ramona’s powerhouse vocals – the songwriting is on-point for sure…and even though it’s not a typical single in terms of the hooks, it will make a memorable impact on everyone out there listening. There still ARE hooks – plenty of’em in fact – just not the typical sing-along stuff you normally find out there every day – this is a cut with enormous depth to it, where the musicianship and vocals really ARE the hooks we hear & notice most. It’s how they’re performing this…if you’re following me…that gives this song its true appeal – and they should be seriously proud of that. As well-written as it is from the lyrics to the design of the structure itself, that all almost becomes the secondary piece of the overall puzzle when it comes to the impending success sure to come…I highly suspect Ramona could sing us the contents of the phonebook and we’d all stand up and cheer for an encore by the time she finished singing the Zs – and her band in The RIOT is as cool as the ol’ proverbial cucumber. You couldn’t hear “2020” and simply forget what you experienced anytime soon afterwards, I can tell ya that…all I know for sure is this…I want a whole lot more of THIS.
Word on the street is we might get our wish real soon – they’re putting out an album called Law Of Contagion this year!
Listen to more music by RAMONA + The RIOT at Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7Lj6v24g2hI8k9BmqjqqKW
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