Ethereal, delicate, light — these are just some of the words that can be used to describe singer-songwriter Charlee Remitz’s new single, “Movie Theatre”. Within the first 20 seconds, the listener is warmly greeted by Remitz’s gently layered vocals and peaceful instrumentation.
The 21-year-old from Bozeman, Montana makes it all too easy for us to melt into the pleasantness of this track. Swooned by her Maggie Rogers-like-sound, Remitz’s voice embraces us, and makes us feel at home. This sentiment is contrasted, however, by the message behind her lyrics. While providing us with extreme warmth in her sound, Remitz simultaneously discusses much darker topics – mainly, the doomsday that our current world seems to resemble, and wanting to share such tumultuous times with another human being. “Movie Theatre” comes from Remitz’s forthcoming album, Heaven’s a Scary Place, arriving on December 18. Her most recent album, Garden, was entirely self-written and produced and came to surface earlier this year.
Stephen Patchan commands all attention with his new single, “Thank You for the Panic”.
The independently released track arrives under Patchan’s artist name, The Ceiling Stares, and most certainly accomplishes his goal of illustrating the madness that has been 2020.
With a jarring start and an abrupt ending, discomfort is just one of the many sentiments that this song evokes. The piece includes overlapping vocals, pulsating synths and fast-moving brass instrumentation — creating a similar ambience to what we would expect from Alt-J and Moon Hooch coming together for a genius, impromptu recording session. It becomes clear that Patchan has a knack for building tension, as he leads us to a dead stop that no one was expecting. Suddenly, we find ourselves being prompted to, quite literally, “go insane”.
I don’t know about you, but it’s not too often that I am encouraged to go crazy… Yet, I think Patchan is on the right path with this notion.
What this song proves is that, from time to time, chaos is good. And if anything, listening to a chaotic song might just make the rest of life seem a little bit less chaotic in comparison.
In “Thank You for the Panic”, the born and raised Los Angeleno uses his synth rock sound to illustrate the personal and societal angst this year has brought. Patchan takes inspiration from groups such as Wire and Yellow Magic Orchestra, and this track serves as a nod to Golden Age hip hop.
Patchan’s debut album, Wicked Problem, was released this past August.
Today we can allow ourselves to be comforted by the soothing sound of an emerging indie-folk artist. After all the stress that comes with any election week, it is now time to decompress – and singer-songwriter Apollo Flowerchild has presented us with the means to do just that. With gentle, rustic verses that transform into a powerful chorus, this song will instantly upgrade your Autumn Acoustic playlist.
Released by the label Trans Trenderz, “Bloody Hands” surfaced on November 6. While the track is Flowerchild’s second release of the year, it is the first to be featured in a new collaborative series titled The Ghostly Beats Project. To make this series come to life, Trans Trenderz joined forces with the famously acclaimed Studio G Brooklyn. The multi-room recording facility is loved by New Yorkers and international musicians alike, and is co-owned by seven-time Grammy-nominated producer, Joel Hamilton. Together, Studio G Brooklyn and Trans Trenderz created The Ghostly Beats Project to provide a space for Black Trans artists. As a historically underrepresented group of individuals within the industry, members of the Black Trans community now have an opportunity to have their voices heard.
Apollo Flowerchild is a NYC based multi-instrumentalist who has spent the last five years developing a sound to call their own. Flowerchild’s “Bloody Hands” gushes with blossoming lyrics, and the accompanying music video uses visual representation to match the imagery behind Flowerchild’s words. It’s safe to say that the scene of the music video — showcasing rushing streams, looming trees and aesthetically pleasing clothing — is the quintessential Indie Folk lover’s dream.
A new music video for the single, “Something to Believe In” premiered October 30 via Broken 8 Records. With animation by Fuel Heart Productions, the video brings us a visual representation of singer-songwriter Vanessa Silberman’s latest track. From “road warrior” (Ijpr.org) to “super electrified performer” (GUM), Silberman has already earned herself a number of titles that express her unique sound and artistic persona.
The video illustrates Silberman as a figure sketch embarking on a journey, walking through a variety of different landscapes and destinations. Though a simple concept, the figure’s walk enhances the song with each step. The character’s footsteps beat to a specific rhythm, and in a way, this rhythm perfectly complements that of the song itself. This creates an almost hypnotic effect, inducing a meditative state, which is magnified by Silberman’s mysterious vocals. It almost feels as though Silberman is personally calling upon us; encouraging us to wake up, pay attention and allow her to lead us through this moment as we walk through life together.
“Something to Believe In”, released on September 30, is Silberman’s 7th single to come out this year. The Brooklyn native sports an alt-grunge edge, and is no newbie to the music scene. Between 2015 – 2019, the artist brought her polished, soft-punk vibe to 19 different tours and over 800 shows across the U.S. Like most of her music, “Something to Believe In” was impressively self-produced, engineered, performed, mixed and mastered, with input and drum consulting from Ryan Carnes.
Silberman touches on the inspiration behind her song: “Something to Believe In’ is more about capturing the emotion of moody melodies and mysterious feelings than being so direct. Lyrically it touches on finding light in dark places and changing perspectives.”
