In his latest music video, Brooklyn-based artist Yoke Lore sings in the midst of the rise and fall of an LGBTQ+ love story. But before that, the video shows how the romance blossomed, with beautiful shots of cuddles, kisses, and lunch dates. Everything seems perfect for them, until it isn’t. Flash forward to the fighting and silent treatments as we watch everything go down in flames. Literally.
At the end of the video, we see them place pieces of their relationship into a box before setting it all on fire. Director Noah Galvin (Yoke Lore’s brother and an LGBTQ+ actor) explains the meaning behind that intense ending:
Too often at the end of a relationship, be it romantic or otherwise, there is no real moment of farewell. Perhaps this is due to fear. I’d like to think goodbyes would be less scary if we ritualized them in some way. “Ride” is about giving a relationship a proper burial… punctuating an ending that often goes unpunctuated.
The video shows the importance of closure in order to move on from a relationship, or to move on from anything. The It’s heartbreaking, but it’s real. Yoke Lore says it best, delving deep into the intended message behind his song and its visuals:
Our fire is this fire. It is a fire to make something new where something had grown old. It’s a controlled burn of a portion of each self. You don’t want to scorch the earth, but dead things feed the future.
Listen to Yoke Lore’s EP, and be sure to catch him on his upcoming tour.
Rising artist Raffaella is NYC born and bred, and that city girl vibe is encapsulated into a little bubble of clever pop that is her second single, “Bruce Willis.” While the badass action star is the title of the track, he is only mentioned once, giving way to Raffaella’s commentary of the “cool rich kid” mentality. Her songwriting is sharp – the chorus is made up of brutally honest lyrics that show the significance of the teen image, especially when it comes to physical wealth and appearance:
Broke into Gucci pretend that I’m bougie to fool ya, All that AC feeds American dreams to the cool kids, My straight jacket’s form keeps me cozy and warm till the morning, All that AC feeds American dreams to the cool kids.
Her music runs deep. Not only is her voice beautiful, but she provides a social commentary on issues that are relevant in today’s society, which, in this case, is the upper class and the damaging image that comes with it. This makes her the farthest thing from your typical pop star. She’s smart, savvy, and here to stay.
Listen to Raffaella’s first single “Sororicide,” and keep up with her here.
L.A. artist Miranda Glory is a skilled singer and songwriter with years spent at the most prestigious music schools in the world under her belt, and this new track is the latest result of her raw talent. “Hypochondriac” was inspired by Glory’s obsession with WebMD. With the help of her clever lyrics, her inspiration became a track that highlights the pain of not being able to trust someone in a relationship. Glory’s lyrics capture the anxiety we feel when we start doubting ourselves:
Think you’re always up to something or someone else,
Try to tell myself it’s nothing,
But a bruise becomes a blot clot.
By allowing herself to be vulnerable, she creates a connection with people who can relate to what she’s feeling. Her music shows the maturity of a veteran pop icon, yet she is just getting started. “Hypochondriac” is more than your typical Top 40 track. Its sharp lyrics, syncopated beats, and smooth vocals create something magical, and Glory is on her way to the top.
Be sure to check out Miranda Glory’s EP, which is set to be released later this year, and keep up with her here.
L.A.-based group Transviolet is high off the critical acclaim of their debut EP Kaleidoscopes and national tour with their latest video for “Bad Intentions.” At first glance, the electro-pop track seems to be accompanied by the visuals of a carefree party. But as we follow frontwoman Sarah McTaggart around, we see the darker side of your typical house party music video. It’s magnetic and colorful, yet there’s a deeper meaning behind the imagery. In light of a major cultural shift, the video highlights the power of women and what they can achieve when they stand together. In this case, it’s the women versus those ever-present jerks at a party. But the message is universal – stand up for what you truly believe in and watch what happens. Despite their major success, Transviolet remains fearless in their music and their mindset, and we need that now more than ever.
Check out their EP, and keep up with the band here.
Canadian band Frontperson recently released a music video for their new single “Tick-Tock”. In Kathryn Calder and Mark Andrew Hamilton’s latest project, they have created an effortlessly cool track with a video to match. The video is entirely made up of athletes in reverse, making it a hypnotic companion to their easy-going vocals. It highlights the absurdity of the physical activity that sports call for, like pole vaulting or track and field. Rewind it and the image is disconcerting, but you can’t seem to look away. It makes for a unique video that encapsulates an equally unique (and immensely talented) band.
Their debut album Frontrunner is out on September 21st. Check out the video, and keep up with the band here.
British artist Talitha Rise is a cross between a woodland fairy and Stevie Nicks, and the result is something magical. “Chapel Bell” comes from her latest album, An Abandoned Orchard House. It is as haunting as it is poetic. The instrumental is grand, dotted with a chiming bell and echoes of Rise’s croons. “Where are we running to?” she asks, making us wonder along with her.
“Chapel Bell” is the moment you literally hit the floor and then find that in the moment of reaching your lowest point there’s something holding you. It’s like the only way to get out of something is to go into it first. It’s about recovery, strength and growth and I took the analogy of the little match girl and the sound of the chapel bell on the hill near my house to represent that instinctual knowing, that alarm bell that knows when something is right or wrong for us. We can lose self-trust when we’ve been in a dark place and getting that trust again gets us up and out.
And don’t let the “Remix” in the title fool you – this is not a club track overloaded with synths and bass drops. Rise recounted her experience working with Doktor Matty B, who managed to capture and highlight the dreamlike quality of her music:
Matt remixed the track beautifully. He added this great ethereal layering and tone to it and he left it empty, he didn’t over fill it and I think his approach was just sublime and intelligent. Remixes are always tricky so it was an honour to have someone like Matt get inside the track and its true meaning.
Listen to this with the curtains drawn, eyes closed, and a cup of tea handy. Rise’s lyrics combined with her mesmerizing voice will put you in a trance that you won’t want to get out of anytime soon.
Check out Talitha Rise’s album, and be sure to keep up with her here.
Australian artist Harp Samuels’ latest single is a stripped-down masterpiece that draws you in with beautiful vocals and a poignant piano melody. The track is reminiscent of the styles of Sufjan Stevens or Damien Rice, but it tells a story that is entirely his own. Samuels bares his soul in the haunting way that only music can do. The lyrics are few and far between, yet they manage to encapsulate the same amount of emotion, or even more, than most ballads. In this case, the story not only lies within the lyrics, but the way the lyrics are sung:
You’re my home/I am safe with you/You’re my home/You made a space, so you could hide/Locked in your hazel eyes/I feel I can climb these mountains/When I’m/in deep, dark waters/You help me breathe/I’m in the waves but I’m able to see.
The first time around, Samuels’ voice is quiet, raw, and dark. But by the second time, the song shifts – the music swells and his voice has a renewed hope to it. The song’s simple structure is emphasized by the title – it reminds us to breathe, especially at times when that’s all we can do.
Keep up with the latest on Harp Samuels here, and be sure to check out the rest of his music.
Ed the Dog’s new single from his debut album Shame is an ode to the simpler times which, in this case, is the television era. Ed Wettenhall has created a song that is reminiscent of 90s pop. Its catchy chorus paired with an upbeat guitar gives off a song-of-the-summer vibe. While “Television Era” is incredibly charming, it also references the angst of nostalgia, growing up, and living in the modern world. But despite that, it still makes you want to dance.
Kahiem Rivera’s new track “Sing About Me” is the result of a spur-of-the-moment, late night inspiration, and it is complemented with the beat of Kendrick Lamar’s song with the same name. Not only is the beat Kendrick’s – Rivera’s lyrics exude the same brutal honesty and harsh reality of growing up. However, the story that these lyrics tell is entirely his own. It is also extremely relevant to today’s society, even referencing the political discourse we talk about every single day:
“Fall of ’16, stuck inside and not seeing clear, Plus we elected who? Man, I need another beer.”
Rivera tells a very personal story – it is raw and real and quite dark at times. And with a little bit of help from Kendrick Lamar, he delivers an emotional, well-written track.
