scotty mccreery @ summer splash
On July 21st, Scotty McCreery made an incredible appearance at Summer Splash in Salina, KS. Photographer Rayne Schmidtberger was on hand, and we have some snaps of the evening to share.
loren cole | my first record
It starts with a simple song and summertime in Michigan. The Apple TV is a brand new invention, and Dad is experimenting with playing music through his newest gadget from Best Buy. After several minutes of futzing, the silhouette of a giant mango tree against a backdrop of mustard yellow appears on the screen. The descending bass line of “Better Together” invites me to take a deep breath. I do. I sink deeper into the cushions of the living room couch and unwind for the first time Jack Johnson serves me a little slice of life. I stole the entirety of In Between Dreams from my dad’s computer. This was pre- streaming. Buying entire albums used up Grandma’s gift cards pretty quickly, so you learned how to be handy with other peoples libraries and the “Burn to CD” function in iTunes. Soon after I downloaded the album, it became the soundtrack of my life. Even when I wasn’t really listening, I’d just have it playing somewhere in the background. I’d find new music and start listening to some other stuff, but eventually find myself putting it on again and again. Every few months or so I’d claim a new favorite song, discovering something I hadn’t noticed before.
Jack Johnson was one of the first songwriters I heard that tackled abstract concepts in a way that really resonated with me. The songs everyone knows him by – “Better Together” and “Banana Pancakes” – were definitely the gateway drugs. But as I listened more, things started to change. Songs like “Never Know,” “Breakdown,” or “If I Could” introduced some really rich lyrical content and difficult life questions that I’d yet to be exposed to. For example, “If I Could” starts with the verse, “A brand new baby was born yesterday just in time / Papa cried, baby cried, said ‘Your tears are like mine’ / I heard some words from a friend on the phone that didn’t sound so good / The doctor gave him two weeks to live / I’d give him more if I could”. He unpacks messy aspects of life like death, love or even mundanity with such gentleness and keen observation – it really sets the stage for listeners to empathize, which I love. Beyond that, the succinct storytelling in songs like “Do You Remember” or “Constellations” inspired me to capture that same kind specificity of imagery in my own writing.
I must’ve been around fourteen when I’d listened to the record for the first time. I grew up listening to mainstream pop, The Beatles, and a whole lotta country radio, mostly because it was easy access. In Between Dreams was the first record I digested as a whole. The first record I felt I could claim as my own. It became part of my identity, in a way. Whenever I come back to his music, it brings back all these different versions of myself – almost like a musical reminder of who I am and where I came from.
I grew up in a small town surrounded by a lot of green open space. Living in LA – getting used to a desert climate and the over-development of land – has been a somewhat difficult adjustment for me. Jack Johnson’s music and especially In Between Dreams utilize a lot
of nature imagery and metaphor in the lyric. I listen to his songs, and I feel the way being in nature makes me feel – centered and more myself. I can always count on a little Jack Johnson to bring me back to Earth, both literally and figuratively. It’s my own little musical state park, so to speak – no matter where I am.
I’ve heard a lot of people refer to Jack Johnson as being “easy listening,” usually with a certain amount of disdain in their voices. Honestly, I get it. For the average touch-and-go listener, he’s this soft-spoken, happy-go-lucky dude from Hawaii who plays acoustic guitar and sings about banana pancakes. But for me, he’s a modest voice, pioneer of asking difficult questions, and vigilant observer of the most important simple things. Like Papa’s translations of the stories across the sky. Or sepia-tone lovin. Or resolve is just a concept that’s as dead as the leaves. I could go on for days. He’s the most underrated lyricist of our time (in my own very humble opinion, of course). And that’s my first record story.
Keep up with Loren Cole here.
rue snider, “summer to city”
My new record releasing everywhere July 27 is called City Living. When I wrote it last April and all through the recording the working title was Summer Somewhere. After putting out a couple of records and a bunch of EPs that were really folky and ridiculously sad I wanted to create something fun and upbeat that felt like summer in New York City. The record turned out really awesome and it has the upbeat summertime party vibe I was chasing. Funny thing though, a lot of the lyrics are still pitch dark and brokenhearted, but you can dance to them! I’ve accepted that life has ups and downs and I like to write about emotions that skew to the bummer side of existence. I think there’s freedom in honesty and reflecting the world and life without trying to sand off the rough parts. I’m happy that the music on this record is more of a party and can draw listeners who aren’t necessarily showing up just for the lyrics. This playlist is a sample of the songs and records I was listening to for the six months leading up to recording City Living as well as the four singles I put out in advance of its release.
Keep up with Rue Snider here.
ruby velle & the soulphonics, “respect & resist”
I wanted to share a few of the artist and more specifically the songs that shaped my writing style from a very young age. These artists all had something to say with the lyrics of their soulful songs, and by my teens I was singing back these lyrics before I truly knew what they meant. These freedom fighting songs paved the way to speak truths to the masses…and realize the concept of “if one person isn’t free, none of us are free.” Artists are needed at this time to respect the roots of activist music, in all it’s form, and to keep the soul in resistance.
Keep up with Ruby Velle & The Soulphonics here.
jane in space, “gorerunner inspirations”
This playlist mixes songs that influenced both Jesse and me in making “gorerunner.” Jesse’s inspirations for this record ranged from bruising electronic noise rockers HEALTH to subdued Philip Glass pieces. He frequently sent me these songs while he was writing the demos that became the record– not for melodic inspiration, but because he wanted me to understand the mood or structure that formed the foundation of the songs. As I worked on vocal ideas, I associated the snippets Jesse would send with songs in my musical vocabulary, which tends to be very different from Jesse’s. Doing so gave me inspiration on how to approach the songs vocally. For example, when Jesse first played me the music that eventually became the title track for the release, the density of the rhythm section brought These New Puritans to mind, and I tried to channel their unique vocal styling.
words + soundtrack by Tom Vickers
Keep up with Jane In Space here.
bourgeois mystics, “atx homies, homiettes, $ gender neutral homeslices”
We’re lucky to be part of the Austin, TX music melting pot. We’ve compiled some of our favorite local bands, many of whom we’ve shared the stage with. Our sound reflects the diversity of the Austin music scene, containing elements of funk, rock, hip-hop, metal, latin, with some psychedelic tinges. it’s our contemporaries that inspire us to level up and we celebrate the influence that the local scene has had on our music and the support we’ve received from the musical community.
Keep up with Bourgeois Mystics here.
lucas roth, “summer party vibes (the trip hop edition)”
I create music to make people move and have fun. I appreciate any music that does the same. Since my favorite types of music are hip-hop/rap and EDM, this is a collection of some tracks that hit both vibes. Hard hitting beats, fun grooving synths, and some fire lyrics. That’ll get the people going. When you’re moving, you’re having fun!
levy & the oaks, “another night out in asbury”
Asbury Park, New Jersey-based rock trio Levy & The Oaks are revving up to release their upcoming album Sound Of The City. Their new video for “Obsessive Love” is making the rounds, and their sound is pure perfection for the summertime. Lucky for us, they created a playlist as an ode to their home, and we’ve got the exclusive streaming privileges right here! Says the band of the soundtrack:
Asbury Park is filled to the brim with amazingly talented artists. This playlist only scratches the surface and is our way of saying “Thank You” to all the friends and family we’ve made along the way. Asbury welcomed us with open arms and we hope to do the same for all upcoming inspiring artists looking to join our music community.
Keep up with Levy & The Oaks here.
new found glory @ house of blues anaheim
New Found Glory recently performed one of their signature high energy sets at the House of Blues in Anaheim. Photographer Nicole Thomas grabbed some fun action shots for us!
