Indie-folk duo Cricket Blue are storytellers in ever sense of the phrase, and their new album Serotinalia is packed full of them. With pristine harmonies and scaling acoustic guitars, Cricket Blue is able to cause the listener to drift off into another conscious zone, full of hope, but also darkness.
Members Laura and Taylor are a vocal match made in heaven. As you listen to each song/story, you feel you are at a concert, with Cricket Blue performing just for you. This concert is not at a large venue. It is simply in a small room, with just the sound of Cricket Blues voices and strings enveloping the confined space. The darkness in every song prompts contemplation of self, allowing the listener to be full immersed in the art. I cannot stress enough how talented these two musicians are, and how their chemistry creates an album containing the purest form of the indie-folk genre.
Serotinalia is out now, and you can keep up with Cricket Blue at http://cricketbluemusic.com/. You should keep up with Cricket Blue.
Punk in every sense of the word, the ZigZags’ new album They’ll Never Take Us Alive rings out loud and proud with electric guitars and metal riffs. From its lead off track “Punk Fucking Metal”, the Zig Zags let it be known that they are not messing around with their fourth album.
You can physically feel the metal influences in every single note and lyric sung. This listener appreciates the constant appearance of the galloping electric guitar, accompanied by fast kick pedals. Like something straight out of a Guitar Hero video game, the ever present guitar solo will have you wanting to do anything requiring physical energy, let’s just say, I don’t know, run head first into a roaring mosh pit. With all this speed metal talk, it is hard to look pastZig Zag’s ability to also slow it down, in a very punk rock way. Their track “Fallout” brings the tempo down just a hair, almost reminiscent of Dio’s “Holy Diver”. But, the consistent theme across the board is the methodical gallop of the electric guitar that will be ringing in your ears for days to come after listening to this album.
Zig Zags have been an ever evolving force in the punk rock landscape for years now, and their fourth album really puts on display their growth, in the most punk way possible. They’ll Never Take Us Alive is available now, and make sure to keep up with ZigZags here.
Goosebumps. The immediate sensation one gets when listening to the intro to Judah and the Lion‘s new album Pep Talks. The aptly named Pep Talks gives the listener a metaphorical punch in the mouth with numerous vocal buildups, booming horns, and a steady building guitar. This is the band’s third album, and it does not disappoint from start to finish.
Big band feels with heartfelt lyrics is how this listener likes to describe Pep Talks. 17 tracks long, Pep Talks boasts features from Kacey Musgraves and Jon Bellion, but the majority of the focus is on Judah and the Lion’s ability to captivate audiences with their pop-alternative style. The constant presence of the variety of strings, and the pounding of drums, just make you want to move. Even as I write this at my desk, my head is consistently bobbing, and my feet are thumping with every single beat. Emotionally stirring, Pep Talks is raw in every sense of the word, putting on display every single talent that Judah and the Lion possesses.
The release of Pep Talks signals the announcement of a worldwide tour from Judah and the Lion. With festival stomps throughout, the band will be touring from May until November. Without a doubt, the songs on this album will be triumphs live, all of them have a live feel even when you are streaming them through a computer. I for one cannot wait to witness Pep Talks live, and I can only hope that Judah and the Lion incorporate the intro track “Pep Talk” into the performance. It gets me amped just thinking about it.
You can keep up with Judah and the Lion on their socials and their website judahandthelion.com.
Old Friends – the new album from spoony bard – is out now, and it has everything an experimental music lover could ever want. With Kid Cudi-esque melodies and Earl Sweatshirt flow, spoony bard is the alter-ego of musician David Nord. Rap, funk, electronic, and a multitude of other genres and sounds can be discovered in Old Friends, perfectly displaying spoony bard’s range and influences.
With references to Game of Thrones, food, and pro skateboarders, the opening track “ego trippin par 99” hits hard, setting the tone for the rest of the album. The following tracks have their own unique feel, no two being similar in sound or scope. If I had to make any artistic comparison, it would have to be if you took Gorillaz and threw in Kid Cudi as their frontman. Dash in some more traditional funk and 90’s rap and you get spoony bard, an artist not afraid to push boundaries, both sonically and lyrically.
Old Friends is out now on all major platforms. Keep up with spoony bard on his socials. Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter
With the single “Spelling Lessons” garnering over 15k plays on SoundCloud, artist Birch is ready to take the indie pop landscape by storm with her debut album. She has been making noise in the Brooklyn music scene for a couple years now, but the NYC-based feminist is ready to break out nationally. Producing, songwriting, and singing come naturally to Birch, something that is rarely said about any artist these days.
With echoing vocals and the perfect amount of synth, Birch is able to hone her indie pop sound over the course of the nine track record. femme.one is full of impact statements that are motivated by the feminist movement. As stated on her website, Birch is “Incredibly motivated by raising the female voice in society, Birch brands her music as feminist synth-pop. Female empowerment and gender equality are two causes very important to Birch. She often participates in marches, donates to Planned Parenthood, and strives to use her platform to make a difference.” With this being said, Birch’s music is not only for those who believe in these righteous causes, but also for those who truly enjoy indie pop. It is for those who may not necessarily know how to express themselves. Also, it is for those who may not want to share their incredible talents with the world, similar to how Birch was early in her music career.
femme.one comes to us at the perfect time. When activism and controversy are at the forefront of our society, Birch stands out as an artist who stands for what she believes in, expressing it through beautiful music. Birch is of a dying breed, artists who will not conform for stardom, but she might just get that for being herself.
Jai Wolf‘s new album The Cure To Loneliness is the perfect encapsulation of everything this budding star has to offer. Discovered by EDM mainstay Skrillex, the Bangladeshi born Jai Wolf (Sajeeb Saha) created a lot of buzz with his song “Indian Summer”. Raised in Long Island, Jai Wolf has been influenced by the likes of Phoenix and The Strokes, but you can feel the electronic influences most in The Cure To Loneliness.
With features from Day Wave, Robokid, and Mr. Gabriel to name a few, Jai Wolf is setting himself apart and establishing his legitimacy within the industry. You can hear those aforementioned Phoenix influences in the track “Lose My Mind”, but Jai Wolf also has the unique ability to slow it down, which is rare to find in an electronic artist. Almost with a trance like feel, most of the tracks on this album will have you swaying with electronic bliss. “On the new album, sonically all of Sajeeb’s eclectic influences can be heard. Lyrically though, the album is quite personal with themes of searching for connection whether to culture or people, from someone who was not only born in a very foreign land, but once he got to the United States moved around constantly. As a person Sajeeb is extremely bright, very outspoken on the current political situation, especially, as you can imagine, on the subject of immigration.” Jai Wolf has been able to channel his experiences into an art that is not seen from many, let alone electronic artists. Most musicians with Jai Wolfs thoughts and feelings might turn to other genres, but his ability to create an insightful landscape with drum machines is something to behold. The Cure To Loneliness will do exactly what the title entails.
You can check out The Cure To Loneliness now, and keep up with Jai Wolf on his socials listed below.
With a synthy R&B sound, Atlanta native Zaia is paving his own way, all while being compared to the likes of Childish Gambino and Kid Cudi. While you can feel the elements he has inherited from the previously mentioned mega stars, Zaia is able to curate a unique tone that is put on display in his new single “BLUE”.
“BLUE” gives the listener everything they could want in a synth funk centric R&B track. The pulse thumping drum machine, smooth vocals, and a touch of electric guitar create the ultimate vibe out song. Some say that vocals are just another instrument, and Zaia’s voice is perfectly lain over the beat with a smoothness that rivals the greats. If the single wasn’t enough, it is accompanied by a trippy visual that sees Zaia in a hazy/colorful house, stumbling around while singing the words. It is the complete embodiment of what the single means to Zaia and the listener.
Zaia has already established himself in such a short period of time, but this is only the beginning for the 20 year old artist. You can keep up with Zaia on all streaming platforms.
“Flow” – the new single from Moglii‘s upcoming EP – displays all of electronic artist’s talents and sounds. The introspective lyrics about being “in your Flow” depict one being so in sync with another person that they are basically one with their rhythm. The single makes you want to dance, with a fast paced electronic beat and constant ebbs and flows (no pun intended). Moglii had this to say about the conception of “Flow”:
I wrote “Flow” two years ago during a profoundly formative trip to Tenerife. We camped in the middle of nature and woke up every morning at the sea – it was a surreal experience, seemingly detached from time and space, made even more magical by a special encounter: I fell in love there and put that flow I experienced with this girl into a song. It’s about getting to know each other, the deepening of the relationship and the natural lightness and ease that underlined it all.
With the release of “Flow”, Moglii will begin touring throughout Europe, as we all wait in anticipation for his upcoming EP. You can keep up with Moglii on his socials listed below.
The Head and The Heart have announced their new album Living Mirage will be out May 17th, and leading up to this release that have debuted a new track titled “Missed Connection”. Containing a smooth bass line, heavenly vocals and harmonies, “Missed Connection” holds a little bit of a different sound from the rest of what The Head and The Heart has had to offer, according to drummer Tyler Williams. “A lot of the beats on that song are quicker, and there are high hats that were never in our music before”.
With that being said, “Missed Connection” still has that feel that we have grown accustomed to experiencing from TheHead and The Heart. This means a perfect combination of alternative, pop, and indie-folk, creating another hit for the six musicians. This upcoming album suggests that this will beThe Head and The Heart’s best work to date. Member Jon Russell has stated proudly that, “this is literally the most work we’ve ever done on an album,” and it definitely shows in “Missed Connection”. Let’s hope for more of the same when “Living Mirage” releases on May 17th.
