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.
BETWEEN FRIENDS’ latest EP is, to put it simply, good pop music. we just need some time together is the product of brother/sister duo Savannah and Brandon Hudson, along with drummer Brennan Benko. Together, they capture the essence of LA youth and the ability to view their art through the lens of dreamy, carefree pop songs.
The EP is a slice of the colorful contemporary fantasy, and everything about it, from the song titles to the floral album art to the absence of capital letters, screams cool. Tracks like “iloveyou” and “better friends” are dangerously catchy would fit seamlessly in the world of today’s top 40, with its distinct synthesized production. Each song comes with its own electric beat and memorable hooks, but there are also more emotionally compelling, relatable moments. One of the things that stood out to me was a lyric that is repeated throughout “affection:”
“I’m laying on the floor, we’re drinking ‘cause we’re bored.”
These words, paired with quiet harmonies and a tripped out guitar riff, created such an atmospheric sound that made this my favorite track. Ultimately, the EP ends with “blushing!” and the presence of a reassurance in the form of romantic lyrics:
“I see you, we watch stars on the pavement, I kinda like your face.”
we just need some time together is the perfect summer record, capturing the feeling of being young, in love, and completely and utterly carefree.
Listen to the EP here, and keep up with the band here.
UK-based band Saltwater Sun’s newly released EP may only have three songs, but each one is unique and provides a truly electric listening experience. “Trying” is the funky opening track with some really great guitar riffs paired with a showcase of lead singer Jen Stearnes’ strong vocals – especially towards the end of the song as she belts out a disclaimer about somebody she can’t seem to forget about:
“It goes to show that’s the way I go on, still thinking about you.”
“The Great Deceiver” serves as the title track and has a more subdued vibe compared to the rest of the EP, but that doesn’t mean the lyrics are any less biting. As the title suggests, the song is all about how we are our own great deceiver. And amidst the indie pop sound, the lyrics explore the ideas of self-worth and confidence.
The final song, “Blood,” was my favorite of the three tracks. It opens up with an atmospheric ten seconds before bursting through with an alternative rock song that fills you up with a catchy guitar jam and deeply existential lyrics. It’s energetic in the way an uplifting pop song is, but deals with the angst of personal loss. Stearnes’ voice sings out for those we’ve lost, but her lyrics also bring about an important message – that those who die never really leave us:
“Every thought, every time, this is how you never die.”
The Great Deceiver is a truly beautiful collection of songs with an undeniable vigor, approaching things like self-worth, love, and grief in an unconventionally upbeat way that allows their listeners to feel a sense of hope by the end of it.Be sure to check out their music, and keep up with Saltwater Sun here.
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.
New York City artist Megg Farrell bares her folksy soul with the help of some friends with her appropriately-titled album Megg Farrell & Friends. The music’s vibe is Stevie Nicks if she was a blues singer with an affinity for the banjo, and it is truly a piece of art to behold. Each song is clearly and artfully crafted in terms of music production, lyrics, and instruments.
“Feelin Single” is the perfect opening track for a bluesy folk album, with it’s a capella harmonies and references to a wild night out:
“I was feelin’ single, seeing double, wound up in a whole lot of trouble … but I really had a ball last night.”
As the album goes on, two things becomes apparent: Farrell’s voice is beautifully nostalgic, and she creates a record that tells a seamless story. With song titles like “New Orleans Waltz,” “Tulsa Queen,” “New York Love Song,” and “Ooh Las Vegas,” Farrell showcases her ability to tell stories about all these different places and the influences they had on her.
Amongst the toe-tapping country vibes, there were a couple of stripped down tracks, and those were my favorite from the record. “If I Were a Woman” is a gentle and sad story of someone who wishes she could be the woman she always wanted to be. The lyrics are undeniably poetic, a punch to the gut:
If I were a woman, I’d teach you to be brave. I’d fight for my sex and their race, and I’d find me a new name. If I could speak, I’d speak for something bold, but my hearts grown weak or so I’ve been told.
Megg Farrell & Friends is a well-rounded album with the ability to make you dance, cry, sing along, and repeat. Itperfectly encapsulates what the feeling of sitting in a jazz piano bar, sipping a beer and being completely captivated by a band’s ability to create something raw, honest, and real.
Be sure to check out the album, and keep up with Megg Farrell here.
Today, indelible songstress Haley Reinhart releases her latest collection of songs, a full-length titled Lo-Fi Soul. Full of layered, beautiful instrumentals, the entirety of the album is packed to the brim with Reinhart’s soulful, glittering vocals that take you back in time with each new breath, starting with “Deep Water” and leading you all the way through to the last chords of thirteenth track “Baby Doll”. Second track “Oh Damn” slows things down a bit after its predecessor ends, addressing the protagonist’s want to find their one and only. The title track speeds it up a bit more, adding a bit more edge to the collection. “Don’t Know How to Love You” is true blues, both the guitar and the vocals equally as heart-wrenching.
Both “Strange World” and “Shook” are love songs in their own right, both addressing the world in curious and insightful ways, slightly less attractive and way more quirky than other love songs. And while “Crack the Code” is a little more introspective and pondering, while “Lay It Down” sings of a past love, and leaves us questioning what went wrong. “Honey, There’s the Door” brings that sass back, a truly refreshing song of note, and that sass carries right on into “Broken Record”, making these two our favorite tracks on the release.
But she doesn’t stop impressing there. If you listen through to “Some Way Some How”, you will experience a truly breathtaking ballad, not unlike other prior releases of hers. I pity the fool she sings about in “How Dare You”, as karma has clearly been assessed in that situation. And she rounds everything out so gracefully with last track ‘Baby Doll”, the beginning giving us hints of Mariah Carey goodness with Reinhart’s impressive vocal range. But don’t just take our word for it. Enjoy!
Catch her on tour!
04.02.19 – New York, NY – City Winery
04.03.19 – Boston, MA – City Winery
04.04.19 – Sellersville, PA – Sellersville Theatre
04.06.19 – Bay Shore, NY – Boulton Center
04.07.19 – Annapolis, MD – Ramshead On Stage
04.08.19 – Washington D.C. – Jammin’ Java
04.09.19 – Charlotte, NC – Booth Playhouse
04.11.19 – Nashville, TN – Mercy Lounge
04.14.19 – Chicago, IL – Park West
04.15.19 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater
04.16.19 – Lawrence, KS – Granada Theater
04.17.19 – Dallas, TX – Dada
04.19.19 – Denver, CO – Globe Theater
04.20.19 – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
04.22.19 – Seattle, WA – Crocodile
04.23.19 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre
04.25.19 – San Francisco, CA – Slims
04.26.19 – Los Angeles, CA – The Roxy
04.27.19 – Santa Ana, CA – Constellation Room
