All tagged Zephaniah Ohora

Favorite Albums of 2020

Last year seemed like a banner year for releases, but the buzz for 2020 albums, tours and festivals had everyone thrilled for what was to come. No one imagined that all of that would come to a screeching halt in Mid-March when a global pandemic struck. A devastating blow to the performing arts community among so many other small businesses, the education system and the healthcare community. Many musicians had just released or were nearing release dates for their music, but were left unable to tour in support of it. Some chose to delay their releases and others forged on and released albums, EPs and singles anyway. I have a great deal of respect for those that took a gamble and provided us with one of the most important things to help get us through this difficult period. The power of music has continued to bring us together when we can’t join each other like we normally would. Thankfully, social media has allowed the artists to perform livestreams or even just promote their art. It’s allowed the fans to share music and continue to discuss and analyze it. Here at the Amp, we’ve made our own individual lists of our favorite three albums this year to share with our readers. We hope that you’ve listened to some of these amazing artists and their albums, but if not, we hope that you’ll at least give them a listen and perhaps find some new favorites.

Zephaniah OHora: Listening to the Music

It’s increasingly easy to proclaim “they don’t make country music like they used to” while scanning any number of radio stations that label themselves as such. While the current genre drips in autotune and snap tracks, Zephaniah OHora’s Listening To The Music delivers a breath of fresh air. With its Merle-esque vocals and storytelling, guitar licks often reminiscent of Marty Robbins and the distinct cry of the pedal steel, this is as country as it gets. Country may be a surprising descriptor considering OHora calls Brooklyn, New York home (cue the shocked cowboys from the 90’s Pace chunky salsa commercial).