It's about time "story-telling" came back to music and songwriting! Thanks Michael Carlos!

In an effort to keep bringing you the music lover and fan the very best in music reviews I decided after many inquiries to add an Americana Music section. You will find roots music, bluegrass and newgrass, alt. country, roots rock, roots country and many more that make up the category, so you may see reviews both here and the country category. Be sure to browse all the review categories here that you think you may be interested in, the total review category listings can be seen at my site map, or click the button marked "Reviews" on the left hand side of this or any page. 

If you have a site that is related to Americana music and you would like to be featured on my Americana music pages, all I require is a reciprocal link from your website to the main  Americana Music Reviews page here at Rikks Revues. Please feel free to email me with any requests for link trades using the simple Contact form I will review each site on a site by site basis. If your website is deemed suitable, please contact me and I will send you via email the code for either a text or banner link, your choice. So enjoy your review of  Michael Carlos - Yesterday's Icons, then head back to your Americana Music Reviews or try Country Music reviews and start again. 

To get to Michael Carlos' website, click his CD cover. 2 Music clips from  and link to buy the Michael Carlos CD Yesterday's Icons follow the review.

Michael Carlos - Yesterday's Icons

Review by Rikks Revues writer - Teresa T. Liao

Everybody gather around Michael Carlos for story time. Today, Michael will be telling stories about "Second Rate Novelists", fallen heroes and Yesterday's Icons. The music in Michael Carlos' debut album is deceptively soothing. It's almost like listening to a lullaby or children's song during a long road trip. But pay a little more attention and you'll find Yesterday's Icons is not a collection of innocent children's songs. No, the songs are about very adult issues of politics, corporate crime and America's degrading pop culture.

This political and cultural commentary is done with smart sardonic humor. The ease with which Michael Carlos portrays Americana is refreshing. There is no biting edge or anger that so often comes with music despondent with the world. Instead, Carlos takes the straightforward approach. He sings about life as he sees it, and his picture is clear.

There are no indecipherable metaphors or confusing lyrics. You know exactly what Michael Carlos is singing about. We've all seen "Reality TV" and the "Morning News". And we've all had a "Really Bad Day" and heard stories of a "Preacher With A Gun". In fact, we all talk about how the world is falling apart and going to hell. With the wrong tone, talking and especially singing about the not so cheerful side of life is tiresome and downright whiny, but Michael Carlos adds such great twists and wit to his storyline that you, or at least I, really do find myself listening to the songs with the eagerness of a child waiting for the next bedtime story. As a bonus for being such a good listener, Michael throws in a bonus track about a man tired of trying to live up to the expectation of being a hero.

The album's real-life hero, Michael Carlos, started songwriting in Chicago and has been featured on the USA Songwriting Competition. This budding musician holds a day job as a scientist under a different alias. It might just be as well. Although Michael's songs have received significant airplay on local radio stations and praise and support from the superb musicians on his album, his quirky light-hearted introspective look at life and its bare-boned truth may find some problems getting wider exposure. Like he says, "This is not a pop chart single." I can definitely hear his songs during an emotionally driven scene in a movie. His songs have that jazzy country folksy sound perfect for those epiphanal scenes.

  ( 5 Stars out of 6 )

Play MP3 sample of Michael Carlos' "Andy Gibb"

Play MP3 Sample of Michael Carlos' "Reality TV"