Rayvin Moon – a musician who creates a mixture of dark alternative pop – debuts with the release of her track “Tyler Durden”.This song sounds like it could be from the soundtrack of a movie. It pulls from a lot of dark influences, electrifying and mysterious. “Tyler Durden” was written about Rayvin Moon’s personal experience with someone who helped her come back to life after many trials and tribulations. The song talks about wanting to heal and be perfect for Tyler so he can accept her.
“Tyler Durden” is an amazing song about love helping you come back together. The song is not only great, but helps establish Rayvin Moon as an artist.
Two-piece band The Lagoons (brothers Joey and Ryan Selan) are back at it again with a perfect single, “Close My Eyes (And I Wonder)”. Originally from Los Angeles, they moved to Austin, TX and started The Lagoons together. After the success of their 2016 track, “California”, the duo is gearing up to release their EP, Escape, on April 6th. Now, they have released “Close My Eyes (And I Wonder)”, which will appear on Escape.
Full of smooth-synthy indie pop vocals and sax, The Lagoons have cooked up quite a fantastic track with “Close My Eyes (And I Wonder). Fans of Fitz & the Tantrums or COIN will definitely vibe to this song, as well as fans who are new to alternative/indie music. One of the best aspects of “Close My Eyes (And I Wonder) is its universal appeal to a variety of ears. Older listeners will appreciate the 70s nostalgia of the track, while a younger crowd will inevitably dig its on-trend indie sound. Keep an eye out for The Lagoons’ new EP, Escape, out April 6th.
LINES is a band from Stockholm – comprised simply of Erik, Fred, Nisse, and Johan – who just released their new single “Lockdown” as a solid follow up to their previous single “You”. The band’s sound is alternative pop, which is evident especially in their latest release.
“Lockdown” starts off at a slow pace and then begins to pick up as the song progresses. The song makes you want to get up and dance to its beat, boasting pop sounds and a hint of guitar. The song is catchy, with fun lyrics and a grooving beat.
Be careful, the “Lockdown” chorus is bound to get stuck in your head.
Indie folk duo Belle of the Fall has come out with a new airy and luscious single that is blowing all of us here at Imperfect Fifth away. It features intimate harmonies and chord progressions that highlight the talent of fantastic artists Tracy Walton and Julia Autumn Ford. These two artists are able to weave together several different instrumental pieces alongside vocals that are all beautifully wound together. Lyrically, their music speaks to the public and tries to pierce the very heart of our society. Uncertainty, hardship and facing the unknown are all topics that humanity have to combat and this song, perfectly written, inspires the weary and mends the broken soul.
After having their start in the heart of Connecticut and being brought together to produce Julia’s solo album in 2014, this group has taken off and taken control of indie pop rock alternative scene. Although both of these artists wrestled with continuing as solo artists, they decided to form a duo and have since then found the success that they couldn’t have found apart. Now, more than 150 gigs later they are getting ready to release their next full-length album Rise Up on April 6. This duo is for sure headed in the right direction.
Adding to their growing collection of produced music is up-and-coming indie/alternative rock group Lowpines with their newest single, “Parasite”. This track features dreamy synth sounds as well as hypnotizing vocals that speak truth and honesty. Like their other releases, the members of Lowpines have been able to put together a new single that will resonate with those who listen and is sure to be put on repeat. Check it out!
Amidst the release madness, we got a hot second to catch up with the artist behind it all. Those words can be found below.
Given your success among fans in the UK, do you have any intentions of reaching a bigger market or fan base in other countries?
Absolutely, it’s always fun to be invited to play in other countries, and I’m always looking to do more. I’ve played some wonderful festivals in Europe and Scandinavia and plan to do more later this year. A lot of my listeners are in the USA so we’re planning a first run dates there this summer.
While looking to expand your musical lexicon, do you ever find it difficult to create music that matches the same style palette that you have created in the past.
I think I have the opposite problem – I’m always experimenting with different sounds, styles, instruments, collaborating with different people and producing other people’s music. But as soon as I sing on something it sounds like me. Which is something I always used to find frustrating, but I’m starting to enjoy it. Someone once said to me, whatever it is you don’t like about your voice, exaggerate it – because that’s the thing that makes it you. And I can totally see that now.
Now that you have done a cover of “It’s Not Happening”, will you look to do more covers performed by other artists or is the focus to write music and lyrics that are all your own?
I did that version of ‘It’s Not Happening’ when I was just starting out as Lowpines, and I wanted to see what happened if I did a cover in the style of what I was working on. I did a few songs and only that one sat right. I was pleased with how it came out and I learned a few things about the sound I was going for. I’ve done a few other covers since, and I keep a long list of songs that I want to try. Most of them don’t sit right so I ditch them, but I always learn something from doing it. I covered Judee Sill ‘There’s A Rugged Road’ and it got picked up by the radio in the UK, and is still my most popular song on Soundcloud, so it’s interesting seeing what happens with a cover, even if it’s not an especially well known song.
Where do you see Lowpines in the near and distant future?
The new record ‘In Silver Halides’ is my first full-length with Lowpines so it’s exciting to get it out into the world and see what that does. It’s the first time I’ve taken Lowpines into a studio environment and worked with other people on the recordings. I’ve been very lucky so far that my lo-fi home-record Eps have picked up fans around the world and appeared in TV shows and films, which was beyond any expectation I had when I was recording them. Lowpines has always been a selfish place for me to do my own thing in my own way. I used to do it alongside other bands I was in and now I’m doing it full time. So long as it continues to feel like something I can do well and enjoy I imagine I’ll there’ll always be something I’m working on. Right now I’m just looking ahead to a new EP I’m finishing to follow up on the album.
Where do you find inspiration to write lyrics that have constantly been marked as honest, unique, and deep?
It’s always different places I think. I tend to write lyrics in bursts, sitting down with a million rough voice memos and writing down whatever sounds and half-words I hear in there until I think I have something. I think that way of working kind of taps into your state of mind at the time – perhaps your subconscious makes you hear what you want to hear, or need to hear. So when I start to flesh them out I start to see themes emerge and explore them further. Sometimes I realise I’m getting too close to something I haven’t really dealt with, and that can be unnerving. So I have to finish the song to see if it helps me come to any kind of conclusion. Then I have to decide if it’s any good.
I try to read as much as possible, and whatever I’m reading at the time of writing will probably influence some of the imagery. My last record was full of scenes from Raymond Carver stories as I’d imagined them while I read, but relocated to whatever narrative my song was taking. I’d been re-reading a lot of his short stories on tour so my head was full of these dark, charged situations and beautiful, nuanced imagery. So I’d try and take myself to those places while I wrote.
For this record, I actually wrote most of the lyrics very early in the morning, straight out of bed. I’d be half asleep and my brain still churning over whatever dumb shit I’d been dreaming about and start writing long streams of consciousness. Once I had the music coming together, I mined those streams to find things that fit and went together. Some, like the song ‘Chambers In The Canopy’ came out pretty much fully formed and fit straight into the song. I’ve never been good at setting out to write a song specifically ‘about’ something, I always enjoyed the discovery of figuring out the subject as I write it. So I guess that method leans toward a lot of personal experiences being woven into the words.
When your followers and fans listen to your music, what would you like them to feel? How would you like your music to influence their lives?
If someone listens to my music it’s enough for me that they’re listening. I don’t try and create a certain mood or specific influence, but it’s always interesting, and at times very moving, when people write to me and tell me how a song of mine has helped them in some way, or is of importance to them. Whatever it means to the listener is so much more valuable to me than any intention I had in making it.
If you were to associate a mood with the songs that you have produced thus far, what would it be?
It’s funny, I always played in noisy indie-rock bands. So in my mind I still do. But from the beginning Lowpines was always wilfully quiet and intimate. I tell myself I’m still in a rock band, but it’s the quietest rock band in the world.
So I guess the mood that most people associate with Lowpines would be one of quiet, stillness, calm. For some that seems to be a melancholy, reflective place. For others it’s a just a chill, relaxing music. Someone wrote to me once that their dog always jumps around to music, but that when Lowpines comes on he just lays down in the middle of the kitchen floor and won’t get up. That sounds perfect to me.
Since his debut in the music world, singer/songwriter and solo ambient artist Tim Bettinson has changed the face of alternative pop and indie music. His most recent project Vancouver Sleep Project has literally taken him from bedroom dreamer to world class artist. Not only is he a highly decorated artist who has released several singles, albums and music videos, but he also had had countless opportunities to world with international artist in order to collaborate on his music. Along with his success in his ability to produce music, Bettinson has also had the opportunity to perform live throughout the world on highly coveted stages. However, now that he has returned from his now several headline tours, he has released his newest single “Closure” and it has fans raving.
Like much of his other music, closure features ambient sounds and dreamy loops and beats that is perfect for a night out on the town, or a night in. This single highlight everything that fans are looking for, which has added greatly to its success. Bettinsons ability to create an atmosphere is evident with this newest single that has fans looking forward to any new releases from this growing artist.
Local Natives sound familiar? They should as they just celebrated the fifth anniversary of their LP Hummingbird.Hummingbird wasreleased in 2013, and definitely allowed the band to make a name for themselves since then.You may know, them their top singles including “Wide Eyes” and “Dark Days” have reeled in over 30,000,000 streams on Spotify.The band recently commemorated their success and retention as one of the leading names in alternative by giving us a melodic demo of “Colombia”, co-produced by Aaron Dessner and performed at Ditmas Park in Brooklyn.
If getting a listen to that wasn’t generous, a behind the scenes look at the making of their new album can be found on their Tumblr.For all things Local Natives and to keep up with their new album visit them on Twitter.
Ships Have Sailed is an alternative pop-rock duo hailing from Los Angeles. Today, they released a new single titled “Let’s Just Dance”.Ships Have Sailed also plans on working on more music as 2018, so this is their year for creativity, a fact we found out when we got a chance to speak with them briefly. So check out the new track below, and read on for a little Q&A fun!
After releasing your new single “Let’s Just Dance” what are your next plans music-wise?
2018 is going to be a year of creativity! We’ve spent the last couple years pretty much out on the road, and so this year we’re going to be writing a lot and working in the studio…while we don’t have specific plans on whether that will result in an EP, an Album or more Singles, we do know we’re ready to make some more music.
How has your music evolved since your first EP Someday?
Well I think everything is an evolution, that’s just how life, experiences and time work together, so definitely our music has seen evolution. I would say we’ve become more attuned to our sound and creativity, and definitely my production chops get better and better every year, so while ‘Someday’ is near and dear to my heart, I would say it’s a little rough around the edges…which is great – it gives it its own character, but these days I’m much better at accomplishing exactly what I want sound-wise. With that said, I don’t like to hold us back creatively, so definitely we’re excited to continue to evolve as we continue to create!
Your new single “Let’s Just Dance” digs a little deeper when it comes to exploring human emotions. What do you think causes people to act upon their emotions rather than instincts?
That’s an interesting question…honestly I don’t think emotions and instincts are entirely separate from each other…just kinda different flavors of the same inner mechanism. But as far as leaning towards emotions or instincts, I think emotions often take the reigns because you can actually feel them, whereas instincts can be a bit more subtle, so you really have to pay attention to them.
Why do you think often times as humans we want more than what we already have?
This is something I ponder almost constantly! The honest truth is that I couldn’t dream of knowing the answer to why, but I often wonder if it started out as kind of a survival mechanism back in the very early stages of humanity. Think about it…we were not the top of the food chain, we didn’t have fire, tools, art, language, and over the course of time we developed all of those things…why? I think the progression of civilization (both the good and bad aspects) and technology can stem back to this gut feeling of wanting something ‘better’ …call it motivation or curiosity…regardless of whether this is really how or why this feeling originated, it’s a pretty fascinating topic to think about!
What was the influence behind “Let’s Just Dance” and what inspired it?
Well the idea itself just popped into my head at 2am one night and wouldn’t leave me alone until I sketched it out…it was just the main part of the chorus that kept repeating itself and wouldn’t quit, so I sketched it out really quick so I could get some peace and went to bed. The next day, I listened back and thought it was really good…but I didn’t want it just to be a shallow vapid love song, so I thought I would tie in the “Let’s just dance all night” theme into this fascinating topic of always wanting more that you asked about in your previous question. Through several collaborations including with co-writer Robert Gillies, co-producer Wally Gagel and the extremely talented team (Talkboy TV) who helped create the music video, these themes really developed themselves thoroughly, and the music morphed from something that started out to be a very circular, repetitive idea, to something that goes to all sorts of different places, sometimes unexpectedly…it was really amazing to watch it all come together!
How is “Let’s Just Dance” different from previous songs that you have released?
So, every song is different, but specifically I wanted this one to maintain the indie pop vibe that we’ve become known for, but to add a little edginess and also a bit of a classic vibe as well. People have compared the production to Walk the Moon (who I love, so that’s a huge compliment) but if you listen, you’ll hear a lot of classic influences in there as well…they’re just nicely blended, so I feel like there’s a little more depth to this track than some of our other singles.
What message do you hope people get from “Let’s Just Dance”?
Live your life…be happy, don’t be afraid to stay up a little too late, or have that extra glass of wine. Laugh with the people you love and enjoy every moment…I feel like we’re all distracted by the past and the future, regrets and anxiety and we generally don’t spend enough time in the present. It’s definitely something I personally try to do a little better at each day, month, year…and so, yeah, I think that’s the message behind this one. We’re human, imperfect, and beautiful…we were made to enjoy life moment by moment.
While the band appears to be straight out of a 1970’s psychedelic acid flashback, Krantz comes from the unlikely place of Nashville, TN. Best known for country, honkey tonk, and the grand ole opry, Krantz has cranked out a college alternative rock song “Run away with me”.
With a musical structure similar to that of the Killers yet an experimental flavor of The Muse, you will find Krantz has added fun to the mix with “Run away with me.” It has a sweeping back and forth medium paced beat that is fused with group vocals during the chorus and a guitar lead that provides good traveling music that will make the vast nothing of the road seem more like a runway for liftoff.
While the song itself sounds as if clean-cut and serious college kids created it, you will understand the “fun” description once you see the branded panties for sale in their “Merch” or the furry pink jacket worn by their singer in promo pics. Yes, even seasoned adult musicians can captivate a listener without taking themselves too seriously and draw a crowd by making people wonder,”whats going on over there with them?”
Like a potato chip, one song just isn’t enough to get the real feel for Krantz. “Run away with me” will spark a curiosity that will lead you straight through their SoundCloud playlist of music.
“Run away with me” is a catchy pop-ish alternative rock song, with softly sung parts that lead the way to an impressive strong note being held out while the guitar line answers back like a conversation between friends. The lyrical content begs to leave the cold weather behind and head out to a warmer location. I can’t blame them. I am here in Arizona and it’s 80 degrees of wonderful in January while the weather in Nashville shows a high in the upper 40’s. For all of you suffering in the bitter cold, time to pack it up with this hit the road anthem “Run away with me.”
