This article is about an all-American cast of singers that have made significant impacts on pop and RnB music. Mainstream pop star Ariana Grande’s new song “The Boy Is Mine” pays homage to Grammy-Award-winning song “The Boy is Mine” by Brandy & Monica, a duet from the album Never Say Never (1998). This song is a part of Grande’s most recent studio album Eternal Sunshine.
As the title implies, the song’s message centers on laying claim over a male lover. In the original “The Boy is Mine” music video by Brandy & Monica, it is clear that the song is directed towards the ‘other woman’ who is in a romantic relationship with the same boyfriend. They argue over who truly owns him throughout the song; in the end, they confront the boy who has been two-timing both of them.
Ariana Grande’s music video confirmed the title of the song was inspired by Brandy & Monica’s previous work. Both women made a cameo appearance as newscasters discussing the collective concerns of the city’s rat problem, and how the mayor– Grande’s love interest– will address them. It has been less than two weeks since the music video was released on Youtube, and Brandy & Monica have already released their own remix of the song today!
The remix cover art depicts Brandy & Monica in their newscaster roles outlined by a television screen in all-black attire– a very fitting image for Grande’s catwoman-themed music video. In the beginning of the remix, they tease the idea that the song will just be a cover, as Monica can be heard repeating Grande’s song intro. A quarter into the song it is apparent that the remix is much more; Monica comes in with a bridge:
Please know this ain’t what I planned for, Probably wouldn’t bet a dime or my life on… There’s gotta be a reason why! My girls they always come through in a sticky situation, Say it’s fine… happens all the time.
And of course, vocal bible Brandy comes in the latter half of the song with my favorite verse:
Well he better sort out his business, Cause I’ll never be nobody’s mistress!
Grande’s chorus acts as a refrain to sandwich both Monica and Brandy’s solos; a great detail, as her chorus is by far the catchiest and most memorable part of her song.
I get it, it’s hard to separate the artist from the art. Despite Grande’s most recent scandal– having an affair with former married man Ethan Slater– this remix will be unapologetically played on repeat by Grande, Brandy, and Monica fans for years to come. Grande’s “the boy is mine” was already extremely fun and fresh, but the remix contains smooth harmonizing and strong-minded lyrics that carry weight and deny unwanted baggage. This collaboration of iconic singers is sure to be a timeless classic.
With two stunning EPs and two singles under their belts – including one acoustic rendition – five-piece indie rock dream Flipturn has been taking east coast stages by storm while on tour with crunchy indie group *repeat repeat. I was lucky enough to catch them in Philly on the second night of their tour, following a DC performance the night before.
Flipturn has become one of my absolute staple favorites since discovering them in March – a discovery made from a particularly spot-on Spotify algorithm, might I add. Even as I’m sitting and writing this, I’m having a hard time accurately conveying my excitement for just how stoked I was to see Flipturn, and for just how tight of a show this group can put on. Let’s get into it.
Just as I was entering the upstairs of The Milkboy, Flipturn was launching right into “Cold”, the second-to-last song off their first EP titled Heavy Colors (2017). This song acted effectively as a primer; the base layer that Flipturn would swathe their canvas with, a rich and varying sample of their sound. Vocalist (and rhythm guitarist) Dillon Basse’s crystal clear, operatic bellows soar with a fervor unmatched alongside piercing leads from guitarist Tristan Duncan, the kind that drift away and carry you with them. Madeline Jarman’s bass grounds us, reminding us that we are still desperately running to keep up with our own heartbeats; all in harmonious contrast with Taylor Allen’s synth, which subtly lifts us to the dreamy stratosphere, filling the space as it floats by. Drums from Adrian Walker are compelling when they need to take the wheel, and subdued at all the right times, building captivating suspense as each song plays out.
Following “Cold” was “Churches”, which the band released as a single before its official release on second EP Citrona, out in 2018. This punchy, electrifying track is arguably the band’s angstiest, and it was an absolute headbanger – halfway through, I turned around to check out the crowd, and it had easily doubled. On the recording for this song, there is slightly more distortion placed on the vocals, almost like screaming into a 1930’s telephone (I say this genuinely and endearingly) – and Basse’s vigor and rasp as a live performer matched this intensity perfectly.
Next was a new song that hasn’t been released yet, but judging by its subject, I might guess that it will be titled “Eleanor”. The bass-heavy, disco feel of this song definitely piqued the crowd’s interest as much as the ones they knew and sang along to. Following that, a cover, and a modern classic at that: “Hold On” by Alabama Shakes. Flipturn’s insertion of their gritty yet uplifting indie glitter gave the song a fresh and welcomed twist. Basse made sure to shout out dynamic frontwoman Brittany Howard, as well as encourage the crowd to check out her new solo work, released earlier this year.
On Citrona, instrumental opening track “Fletcher” bleeds into “Six Below”– which is exactly how Flipturn played it live. “Fletcher” starts off minimally, adding layer and layer of perfectly syncopated lilting rhythms from Basse on guitar and Allen’s synth alike, topped with Duncan’s undulating lead guitar that yearns for another summer. The transition into “Six Below” feels like that brief, liminal space between dreaming and awareness, and it isn’t until the first chorus that you have to truly face the world, as Basse declares, “I know what everybody knows: Die young or you can grow old, until you’re buried six below”. The incredibly fast drum fills and solos from Walker were outstanding during this number.
“Hippies” haunts in all the right ways, and left me feeling nostalgic for memories that weren’t even my own. Basse’s ringing falsetto paints like an old film, reminiscent of all those who have loved and lost before himself. The buildup towards the end up the song held just the right touch of suspense, lifting up the audience just high enough to drop back off with a satisfied head nod at its break. The final line of each chorus, as well as the song, mourns: “I lost you”.
Between each song, Basse must have called out at least thirty different variations of “Thank you!” and “You guys rock!” following the eruptions of applause and “Woo!”s from the crowd (here’s hoping I was the loudest there). Then, he and Jarman playfully requested a name for their next song – another new and untitled one. Several jokes were called out, but we’ll have to wait and see what they end up deciding for it. On this track, the most dominant melody came from Duncan on lead guitar, heartily met by a much more frequent use of falsetto from Basse. Basse is also an unstoppable dancer; I swear, he never stopped jumping back and forth during the entire set. His buzz was infectious.
Basse announced they had two more songs. The group was met again by cheers not lacking in volume, but, knowing that it would inevitably end, the celebratory air that begins every night of excitement had shifted slightly, preparing itself to begin missing the experience. The first twinkling strums of one of Flipturn’s biggest hits began, “August”. To say that this song is sweet or nostalgic might be cliché, but not out of line. The first line is an invitation to open the storybook: “August, honey, tasted sweeter with you.” Every summer love, every youthful flashback, every ray of sun entering your teenage bedroom is captured in this song. The perfect song to fall in love to, to have your heart broken to, to fall apart to – and it happened live, all at once, for about fifty of us in that room. “I loved you from the start,” Basse wails, each note rising to surpass the last – eventually leading up to a perfectly stacked buildup that meanders at first, then meets you face to face, as if to settle matters for the last time. The crowd went wild.
The final song of the night was “Nickel”, paralleling its closing on Citrona. On this upbeat, choppy anthem, Basse demands the truth. “Was I just told a lie my entire life, thinking I’d be great?” The song carries out with a chant that Basse invited the entire crowd to chant, clap, eventually scream along with many times over, as the intensity increases: “I give it all up for a bottle of wine, about two feet tall, three inches wide; I’d rather be drunk, or out of my mind, than trade my soul for nickels and dimes.”
After graciously accepting the mountainous applause and cheers following this track, Basse’s and Jarman’s eyebrows raised as the crowd began chanting unanimously, “One more song!” Jarman made a slashing motion to her throat as Basse stepped to the mic, jokingly exasperated with palms extended at his sides and an ear-to-ear grin, to remind the crowd, “We’re the opener! We can’t play another, we’re the opener,” The cheering finally subdued, some music began on the speakers overhead to fill the space, and fans flocked together to discuss what they had just heard.
Flipturn put on one of the more solid shows I’ve seen of any indie touring group, touring or not, and I will definitely be seeing them next – and hopefully every- time they come to Philly in the future.
Setlist
1. Cold
2. Churches
3. New – Unreleased
4. Hold On by Alabama Shakes
5. Fletcher
6. Six Below
7. Hippies
8. New – Untitled
9. August
10. Nickel
Richard X. Heyman is no newbie to the music scene. His first single “Vacation” was released in 1980 and, since then, his journey has found him producing genre-bending ear worms that simply work. His years of service to the industry at large, his musical talents, and his ability to captivate a person with witty banter have all made it so he is an undeniable leader. We touched on his new album Pop Circles, and are happy to have found time to sit down with him and discuss some of the finer things in life. Like working with your significant other. And cats.
There is a trend among musicians to invite guest musicians to record with them on their albums, why is it appealing to you to invite Julia and Chris to help you with some tracks on Pop Circles?
I really wanted to have real strings on the songs that had orchestration. Julia Kent is a neighbor of ours and she is a sensational cellist. She agreed to come over to our home studio (i.e., our bedroom) and lay down the cello parts. We overdubbed her several times to create a cello section. Chris Jenkins is one of the associate deans at Oberlin College, Nancy’s alma mater. We worked with him in the past and he happened to be in New York City, so he stopped by with his viola. In the end, the two of them were overdubbed as much as 17 times. It’s amazing what you can accomplish in your bedroom these days.
You are very much a one man band artist, this of course shows your immense versatility as an artist. What are the advantages and disadvantages of approach when making music/an album?
The advantage is obviously the autonomy. You can work more in the mode of a painter or a novelist. I like having that freedom to rely on my instincts and to keep moving forward through the process. On the downside, I know other musicians will have different insights and ideas that might take the music in a direction I would not have thought of. I do have Nancy there. She is a fine musician and has great ears. So between the two of us, there is a collaborative work ethic.
Tell us more about your collection of vintage instruments, which is your favourite and why you like to use them when recording?
I have two vintage drum sets – a Ludwig and a Rogers, both from the early 60’s. Fortunately, the studio where I recorded the drums (Eastside Sound) had a vintage Rogers kit, so I used that for “Pop Circles.” I have a late 70’s Fender Telecaster and a 1967 Rickenbacker 360 12-string. There are two more Ricks – a ’65 375 and ’66 335, a ’62 Hot Rod Strat reissue, a contemporary PRS Starla, a Martin Shenandoah acoustic, a Dan Electro baritone and a few other assorted instruments. We use a Dan Electro longhorn reissue bass and a Hofner single cutaway hollow body vintage bass.
You are a part of the Doughboys and the song “Why Can’t She See Me?” got voted one of the coolest songs of all time, how did that feel?
Pretty darn good.
by nancy leigh
You included five of your own versions of Doughboys tracks on Pop Circles, why did you personally choose to revisit these tracks and how do the Doughboys feel about this?
I just wanted to see how those songs would sound from the songwriter’s perspective. I don’t really know how the other Doughboys feel about them.
Herman’s Hermit’s were are an amazing band, though I may not have personally been about when they came to prominence I have heard them and adore them. How did Heyman, Hoosier and Herman happen and what did the vocals Peter Noone bring to that EP that no other artist could bring?
Peter Noone and I were on Cypress/A&M Records in the late 80’s and we got to know each other. He was interested in recording some of my songs. Unfortunately, the song he wanted to do was slated to be my next single, but eventually we got together here in New York and did that EP. Peter has an ethereal tone in his voice and an incredible range, from low baritone to high tenor. His high notes have an angelic quality and his low end has a fullness that is very appealing.
You’ve worked with a lot of your musical heroes, whom did you feel most humbled working with and what was the experience like working with them?
Each experience is different. Link Wray had the greatest guitar tone. The only way to explain it was it sounded dirty and clean at the same time. And Brian Wilson – what can you say? It’s so overwhelming, all the beautiful music that he created. Playing with Mary Weiss of the Shangri-Las was a total gas. She is rock’n’roll personified and a truly nice person, very cool singer and performer.
On Pop Circles your wife Nancy plays bass for you, what other musical talents does Nancy have?
Along with being a fabulous bass player, Nancy plays guitar and keyboards. She also sings harmony as well as engineering the recordings.
And did the cats help in any way with the music of Pop Circles as a whole? 😊
Their presence is felt in every note. They loved the viola and cello, though I didn’t have the heart to tell them what the strings were made from.
I love the Heymanuscripts, do you plan to write more?
Thanks. I’m glad you enjoyed the book. Haven’t thought about another one, but who knows?
Thank you so much for giving Imperfect Fifth this interview, is there anything you would like to add?
I would love for people to hear the new album. It’s available on www.richardxheyman.com, and I welcome their comments about “Pop Circles.” Thanks very much!
For fans of Adrianne Lenker, Shannen Moser, Field Medic, Lomelda, Julie Byrne, Liz Cooper and the Stampede.
Daughter of Swords’ Dawnbreaker spins webs of stretching landscapes, intimate self-reflection, and the solace of a eulogy. Marked by gentle acoustic strumming, the faintest vocal harmonies, and folk storyweaving, the affect of this album soars most in its home-grown familiarity and faithful consistency.
Mountain Man’s Alexandra Sauser-Monnig paces her lyrics with intent, fully forming her own conclusions before speaking out loud. The characters that drift in and out of her stories (see opening track Fellows) could be people she knew, or mirrors through which she talks to versions of herself. Dawnbreaker feels like a faint memory being retold to you by someone else, and the sporadic flourish of gentle harmonies on Fields of Gold texturize Sauser-Monnig’s musings. It is this introspective exploration that distinguishers Daughter of Swords’ storytelling from that of Mountain Man.
Sauser-Monnig creates the perfect balance between indie folk and an Americana dream, be it resting in the tall brush on Grasses or careening through the evening air on a bicycle in Shining Woman. The occasional toned-down electric guitar and textured vocal harmonies lend their curiosity to the flowing breezes, pink clouds, and rising mountains painted on Dawnbreaker.
Undoubtedly, the grittiest Americana track Daughter of Swords delivers is Rising Sun. A classic and undulating electric blues riff peddles along behind a soulful harmonica solo and Sauser-Monnig’s sweeping notes that rise and fall like the Western mountainsides she seems to climb, not searching for anything in particular, but finding all along the way.
While Long Leaf Pine and Gem sparkle with optimism, tracks Easy Is Hard and Human portray the melancholy that heartache, a soaring soprano, and the peppered-in twinkling of a grand piano illustrate so well. The magic of Sauser-Monnig’s lyricism is that even morose moods never feel truly hopeless, rather, they are examples of folk storytelling at its finest: the story sits back, and, accompanied by the ever-reliable acoustic, tells itself.
Lastly, a perfect ending to a folky dream: Dawnbreaker’s title track is arguably the most pensive, featuring comparably deeper, earthier guitar tones than its predecessors. The topic is hazy, but this is where Sauser-Monnig’s heartbreaking warble shines. The final word of the album, a low, oaky utterance of the word “Dawnbreakin’”, invokes finality. The song feels like a eulogy, an acceptance, a forgiving.
I’m an Aquarius. We are spontaneous, free thinking, innovative, sometimes aloof and obstinate (!) and we don’t like to follow the crowd. This playlist represents a period in time that was so inspiring for me as a musician and fledgling producer. I spent a lot of time between London, New York and Los Angeles, the hip hop and RnB of that time was everything. These were the artists that carved out their own paths, with respectful nods to jazz and classic soul, which, combined with taste maker producers like J Dilla, influenced a genre of music, that some considered ‘neo-soul’, but with a dash of spirituality and a heartbeat that made you screw your face up and nod your head hard, became my ‘good place.’
Texas-based five-piece The Unlikely Candidates have just released their brand new music video for their single “Oh My Dear Lord”. The Unlikely Candidates – comprised of Kyle Morris’ vocals, Brent Carney on lead guitar with fellow guitarist Cole Male, Jared Hornbeek’s bass and Kevin Goddard on drums – are making waves as rockstars.The group says of the track: “Oh My Dear Lord thematically and sonically goes from sweeping wistful verses to explosive redemptive choruses. We wanted something that reflected that dramatically in a video. Water has that dynamic tension. It can be soft and ethereal or crushing and chaotic. This video capitalized off that contrast and made for a perfect pairing visually for ‘Oh My Dear Lord.”
Fans of Night Riots, Fall Out Boy, or Panic! At The Disco will likely enjoy this quintet’s work. The partially abstract video combines the classic performative cuts of a rock band with an indie edge and carefully crafted angles. The track, like all good rock songs, is one that gets you pumped and full of emotion. You’re going to want to watch the video for “Oh My Dear Lord” right away.
“Enter Oblivion” is the latest video from the melodic death metal band Darkest Hour. Singer John Henry directed the video that was shot in the Mojave Desert at a national natural landmark, Rainbow Basin. Known for being dry and desolate, the basin has awesome rock formations and fossil beds. The video shows the band playing and periodically shows a mysterious white cloaked man wondering around as if to be searching for something.
“Enter Oblivion” comes from the band’s 11th album, Godless Prophets & The Migrant Flora, that was released in 2017 and was produced by Kurt Ballou (Converge). This D.C. based 5 piece has come a long way from where they started in 1995. Through multiple line up and record label changes Darkest Hour has really matured and while “Enter Oblivion” is not as heavy as what you’d expect it shows great diversity and still carries their melodic signature tone, double bass, and blast beats.
Over the past 20 years, Darkest Hour has risen up from the underground and just like Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong, Darkest Hour has put their flag into the metal scene and marked their place as one of the driving forces behind what defines the true melodic brutality of metal.
Hitting the road Feb 16th Darkest Hour will be touring the east coast first and in April heading overseas with Cephalic Carnage. Check out the video for “Into Oblivion” and if you are serious about your metal and lucky enough that Darkest Hour comes through your town be there front and center and prepare for a lesson in brutality.
DARKESTHOUR w/ Whores, Extinction A.D.
2/16/2018 The Canal Club – Richmond, VA
2/17/2018 Arura Fest – Savanah, GA
2/18/2018 The Basement East – Nashville, TN
2/19/2018 Trixies – Louisville, KY
2/20/2018 Bogarts – Cincinnati, OH
2/21/2018 Emerson Theater – Indianapolis, IN
2/22/2018 Reggies – Chicago, IL
2/23/2018 The Loft – Lansing, MI
2/24/2018 Photo City – Rochester, NY
2/25/2018 Cattivo – Pittsburgh, PA
w/ Havok, Cephalic Carnage, Harlott:
4/05/2018 Kulttempel – Oberhausen, DE 4/06/2018 Musik & Frieden – Berlin, DE 4/07/2018 Hellraiser – Leipzig, DE 4/08/2018 Café Central – Weinheim, DE 4/09/2018 Nova Chmelnice – Prague, CZ 4/10/2018 Durer Kert – Budapest, HU 4/12/2018 Z-Bau – Nürnberg, DE 4/13/2018 Kiff – Aarau, CH 4/14/2018 CCO Villeurbanne – Lyon, FR 4/15/2018 Bóveda – Barcelona, ES 4/16/2018 Caracol – Madrid, ES 4/17/2018 Custom – Sevilla, ES 4/18/2018 Lisboa Ao Vivo – Lisbon, PT 4/20/2018 Totem – Pamplona, ES 4/21/2018 Secret Place – Montpellier, FR 4/22/2018 Petit Bain – Paris, FR 4/23/2018 Underworld – London, UK 4/24/2018 Voodoo Lounge – Dublin, IE 4/25/2018 Cathouse – Glasgow, UK 4/26/2018 Asylum – Birmingham, UK 4/27/2018 Zappa – Antwerp, BE 4/28/2018 Faust – Hannover, DE 4/29/2018 Backstage – München, DE
