It’s hard to believe that pop artist Anna Hamilton has not released her own music until now. With her viral cover of “Bad Liar” by Imagine Dragons, which now has amassed over 50 million views on Youtube and over 16 million streams on Spotify, and being featured on NBC’s Songland as a writer for Ben Platt, she is taking the world by storm. Now Anna Hamilton is releasing her own music, starting with her debut single “Self Help”. The track is a real success, with an acoustic pop-like melody and her natural storytelling abilities.
Focusing on others and their well being, Hamilton finds herself worn down and needing some care on “Self Help”. Instead of writing a silly pop song about love or heartbreak, she went with a raw and honest topic for her debut, proving she is here for all the right reasons. The stand out lyrics are:
I’ve been passing out all my energy treating me like I’m a dispensary going through the withdraws, I know it’s my fault it should be easy (easy, easy) in theory god I need to get some self help cause I know how to wear myself down trying to pick up everybody’s pieces, disregarding all my inner demons I can’t even help myself, help me
The echoey track is easy on the ears with thoughtful lyrics that bring it to another level, it is hard to believe this is only her debut. From her beginning, of writing songs at an early age with a guitar and a banjo, to releasing her debut single, we can only imagine what her next moves are.
Today, the deeply relevant EP Finishing School was released by Brontë Fall. The literature-infused pen name is the songwriting project of classically trained musician Teri Bracken, who is ever inspired by the Brontë sisters and their courageous defiance of social norms at a time when women’s voices often went unheard. After coming across Emily Brontë’s poem “Fall Leaves Fall”, Bracken fell in love with the idea of finding beauty in the darker seasons of life. In her own life and music, Bracken embodies the spirit of this poem and the Brontë sisters with an openness and eloquence that firmly impresses her messages in her listeners’ minds. Most of all, Bracken wants to use her art to empower those around her and to connect with those who can identify with her experiences. She says:
As a musician, I almost feel like I’m defending who I am and what I want. Perhaps I feel pressure to be a certain way. These songs were written about feeling proud of where I am and what I’m doing. It’s about feeling empowered wherever you are in life, and celebrating the past while building your own kind of future.
Bracken attacks her issues from different places, opting for a tougher sound in “Warrior”, “Bad Ideas”, and “White Dress”, but also showing her softer side in “Six Years”, “Freeway High”, and “Give You A Halo.” No matter her musical approach, however, her words show her courage and boldness to say what she has to say. Finishing School is packed with empowering anthems, sometimes punchy, sometimes subtle, but all with catchy choruses that use repeated words and melodic lines to drive her points home. Each track deals with a female experience, entertaining and inspiring her listeners along the way.
“Six Years” is a celebration of aging contrary to the praise put on the youthfulness of women in today’s world. Bracken’s voice isn’t loud or confrontational as she sings, but rather it assumes a calmness that comes from a place of complete honesty. Yet at the same time, her voice could fill an entire room, ringing out full and glorious. The track slowly builds, with drums and the bulk of the music only coming in in the second verse, giving it its anthemic quality as Bracken sings “I’m six older, six years smarter, six years stronger with a will that’s unbreakable.” “Freeway High” is all about liberation and letting go. On the surface, this liberation is symbolized in the freedom of an open road but, on a deeper level, it calls to mind the freedom that the Brontë sisters and Bracken herself were (and still are) fighting for. The track has a bit of a country sound, drawing the line between Bracken’s pop and rock influences. Her soaring vocals rise straight to heaven where they’re greeted by angelic harmonies, while a solo violin part adopts its own sense of liberty as it freely moves through notes. In a heartbreakingly tender but equally powerful ballad, “Give You A Halo”, Bracken sings of someone she’s afraid of losing, written for her Grandma. It begins with a ¾ time piano part that reminds one of a black and white scene of a Parisian street in a melancholic french film, setting the sentimental mood for the track. Strings slowly join in, exploring soul-stirring deep ranges that fortify her words. As Bracken sings “Oh late at night I try to call on you without tears in my eyes… but I’m not ready to give you a halo,” with such an earnest conviction, you can’t help but to feel your own heartbreak.
While all of these tracks are similarly calm with a subtle sense of empowerment to them, Bracken is far from one-dimensional, and the remaining three tracks on Finishing School show it. “Warrior” is tough with its electric guitar and blues-rock singing style. Dealing with the fight against misogyny in business and the music industry, this track is a swaggering anthem that uses a piece of wisdom from Donatella Versace (“A dress is a weapon”) to depict femininity as an arsenal. From her voice to her words, Bracken is unapologetic and badass, singing “go ahead and call me a tease, I don’t wear my heart on my sleeve.” “Bad Ideas” has a darker sound to it, with low-range underlying harmonies and short string strokes that add a sense of drama. The song points out how complicated life can be, wanting to “unbreak” someone’s heart even though it’s a bad idea. To close off the EP, “White Dress” returns to the spunky energy of “Warrior” but in an old-fashioned way– using an organ and a bluesy sound that feels somewhat ironic set against her modern feminist words. About the constant pressure to get married, Bracken defies expectations and sings “it may not look like the rest, this is my white dress,” showing that she can find fulfillment outside of marriage.
This closing track brings us right back to the core of the album: honesty. Bracken is channelling the Brontë sisters and their feminism to provide an EP that not only speaks her truth about the expectations that persist for women even today but also gives validation to anyone out there who wants to break free of those expectations. Finishing School may cross into different genres and explore varied musical elements, but each song is unified by Bracken’s expressive voice, and most importantly, her beautiful and pertinent words.
When Waldo Przekop first picked up a guitar, he really only intended to write comedic music. After discovering several famous folk artists, however, he realized that he actually liked music, and quickly began to write serious songs under the name Cigarettes and Milk. His single “July” (to be released on Friday) is an ode to Przekop’s foregone days of travelling. He used to traverse all over the United States, but eventually settled so he would have enough money to focus on writing and playing music.
“July” depicts a time when Przekop was on the road with a friend, aimless and content to be so. It was the first rainy day in months in Santa Barbara on the Fourth of July, a scene which paved the way for a song to emerge with vivid imagery. Przekop makes good use of this imagery in the single, singing about the “stench of wet leaves” and the fireworks of the holiday. But like a true wordsmith, he also weaves in emotive and abstract details, hinting at poignant themes that go deeper than the landscape he’s driving through. The guitar picking at the beginning of the song is intriguing, the deliberately clumsy strings that he plucks are unusual, quirky even. But as you listen to the song, the context transforms the sound. Przekop’s voice is well suited to folk music. He sings with an urgency, his voice is lovely and piercingly emotional; the almost bleating vibrato going directly for your heart. On the lines “no one will miss me” and “no one will notice”, the way he sings is so compelling, and by the time the words drop out at the end and you’re left alone with the guitar, it sounds darker, even ominous.
“July” is a well-executed piece of art that paints not with words or sounds but with the emotions and complexity that they exhibit. Przekop shows just how much meaning can be achieved with a simple pairing of guitar and voice.
Tomberlin announced a new EP, Projections, with the lead single “Wasted”. The track is out with a Busy Philipps-directed video (Yes, you read that right!), from an iPhone in quarantine, that was shot and edited by Marc Silverstein. The song is an uptempo journey about a relationship that withholds as much as it gives. The video captures the innocence in the lyrics, creating a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere. Tomberlin shines bright in a neon green dress following the journey of a day in the life of two young best friends. The scenery around the subjects of the video changes naturally, not overdoing the simple concept of it all. It’s as if she is reflecting back on these times with her best friend, remembering and trying to keep up with all the things they did together.
On the subject of the video and song, Sarah Beth Tomberlin says:
‘Wasted’ was the most fun song to record. I brought the song with the guitar part and knew I wanted drums, but wasn’t sure what kind of beat I wanted. Alex played this drum beat for me and was all ‘kinda left field but maybe this would be cool.’ It took the song to a whole new level. Sad song or summer banger? You tell me. The video was made with the help of Busy Philipps (who directed) and Marc Silverstein (who shot it), who are more like family than friends at this point. I was quarantined with them and their girls in South Carolina and we came up with the idea and shot it in about 4 days on an iPhone.
The “Wasted” music video truly feels like the fleeting memories of a childhood summer. The ending of the video, when the day comes to an end, connects all the emotions with the two looking towards each other. It’s simple, beautiful and then gone in an instant. The song and EP were co-produced by Alex G (Alex Giannascoli) and bandmate Sam Acchione. Following her critically acclaimed 2018 debut, Tomberlin continues to prove she is a force to be reckoned with. Check out the video for “Wasted” now.
L.A.-based trio LANY has released its soothing new single and music video, “you!.” The band first revealed themselves to the world with their self-titled debut in 2017 and secured their reputation with their 2018 album Malibu Nights which cracked the Billboard Album Chart. They have millions of followers and billions of streams from across the globe, which they follow up with by playing sold-out shows from L.A.’s Greek Theatre to London’s Brixton Academy. Now, they’re back with their upcoming album mama’s boy, set to release on October 2nd. “You!” is the third single to be released from mama’s boy, following “if this is the last time” and “good guys.” After finishing their Malibu Nights world tour, Oklahoma-born songwriter, lyricist, and producer for the band Paul Klein made his way to the country outside Nashville and began to outline mama’s boy. Working with several accomplished songwriters, Paul began to reconcile the differences between his newly found L.A. persona and his Great Plains heritage. “Someone asked me where I was from and somewhere, out of my spirit, I just said ‘Man, I’m from Oklahoma!’ It was a weird sense of pride, to be from the middle of nowhere,” he says, pointing to the inspiration behind the album. In the video for “you!”, we see this deeply rooted pride in Paul’s homeland come to life with nostalgic musical scene painting that ties in perfectly with the barren landscape.
Over the course of the video, the sun peeks over the horizon at varying degrees, sometimes shrouding the trio and revealing them only as silhouettes, sometimes shedding light onto them and their strikingly sincere demeanor. The music is straightforward and genuine, with a concise use of calm instruments and atmospheric harmonies that achieve the nostalgic sound without excess, matching perfectly with the secluded environment that is empty save for the band and their equipment. Each verse feels somewhat removed, consisting mostly of vocals and slightly muffled drums with comments from the guitar now and then. The chorus brings everything into focus, with each instrument part adopting a clean sound that resonates with the listener. The video, shot in the middle of nowhere, evokes a sense of eased isolation– and although it’s a nod to Paul’s memories of Oklahoma, it also reminds us that isolation isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In the context of the pandemic the idea of being removed from society is not ideal, but when you watch “you!”, you really feel the sanctity and peace that can come from taking a step back.
It’s always important to take a moment and let yourself breathe. Let “you!” and the perspective it brings be that moment for you. Listen here.
Earlier this summer, Donna Missal released her beautifully raw and utterly powerful album Lighter. Its soulful vocals, touching lyrics, and country-meets-90’s rock sound garnered an impressive amount of praise from publications like Billboard and The New Nine. But releasing an album in the midst of a global pandemic is different. It’s missing that live performance component that usually goes hand-in-hand with the release. To remedy this, Donna offers her evocative “Bedroom Sessions”: four reimaginations of songs off of Lighter in the form of intimate live performance videos shot in her L.A. bedroom and childhood backyard in New Jersey. Each video was directed by Missal, and features projections of footage from the process of creating Lighter superimposed on top of her. The immersive projections, the personal setting, and the newly envisioned instrumentals aim to recapture the connection of a live performance environment in an intimate space. Missal explains, “From the shifting paradigm for the way artists connect to listeners, along with the inability to tour an album live, we’re all trying to fill the void – connect, and create. ‘Bedroom Sessions’ is a take on the challenge of staying close to others through music, even from far away.” What results are fresh snapshots of the acclaimed album that elevate Donna’s exceptional vocals, sending out shockwaves that crumble walls even in her gentlest moments.
Delving into the wounds of a relationship, the original studio version of “Carefully” overflows with emotion. Backed by solid drum, string, and piano parts and embellishing harmonies, Missal’s words ring out like a reflex, unable to keep the depth of her feelings inside. In the bedroom session, her voice is much softer and accompanied only by her brother Stevel Missal on guitar. The emotional effect of the original is powerful, but here, in her bedroom, this intimate space, watching her untouched motions and expressions… her voice is absolutely earth-shattering.
In a similar way, the familiarity of Missal’s room in the bedroom session of “Bloom” augments the sincerity of the message, which in the original version depended only on the humble guitar and voice combination. As she sings “I don’t want to be the reason you don’t shine, realize I’m standing in your light…I don’t want to be the reason you don’t bloom,” she makes eye contact with the camera, supported by multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Liv Slingerland’s rustic guitar playing. Watching her face, her eyes are the colour of integrity, and you can’t help but to hang on every word she says.
“Who Loves You” is the most avant-garde endeavour of the quartet. While the original has this nostalgic, well-rounded sound with slight blues-rock vibes, the bedroom session uses an omnichord and lushly layered vocals to create an otherworldly atmosphere. The musical texture is much more sparse, allowing it to feel untethered from the earth itself. Missal used two microphones to record the layers of vocals, an impressive feat to accomplish from home. By the end, each of the voices soars and crash into one another, drawn to and pulled away from each other in an immersive and surreal soundscape.
Set against the others, “Slow Motion” endeavours to offer a new take on the original meaning of the song. As it was in the original, the bedroom session is an ode to letting go, but rather than being recorded in Donna’s bedroom in L.A., it was recorded in the backyard of her childhood home in New Jersey, drawing up memories of the past and showing how far she has come. The studio version is a moving piano ballad with understated but powerful energy that peeks through in the belted chorus. In her backyard, Missal is less firm and more gentle, singing on top of a thinly dispersed assortment of shimmering strings. Her voice is not nearly as supported as it is in the original with its resonant piano accompaniment, but Donna doesn’t need a musical foundation at all. The strings are just sparkling ornaments on her already magical voice. As she sits on the grass in a sequined gown and belts out the chorus in an effortless vocal performance, the effect is staggering.
Missal’s bedroom sessions are a brilliant way to stretch the novelty of her recently released album, but also to connect both to her fans and to new listeners through the universal experience that the pandemic has brought to all of us. They are simple, but thoughtful and extremely affective, and in a way, exactly what we need in the world right now.
It has been nine years since David Newton & Thee Mighty Angels released the debut EP, Paint the Town, so there’s no better time than now to release a debut album. A Gateway to a Lifetime of Disappointment is Newton’s debut solo album and a modern contemporary take on the melodic uplifting side of the 80’s post-punk sound. He continues the earlier sounds from his band, The Mighty Lemon Drops, where he wrote songs and played guitar. After the release of Paint the Town, Newton focused on producing and engineering for other artists at his Los Angeles recording studio.
A Gateway to a Lifetime of Disappointment is written, performed, recorded and mixed by David Newton. The first single, “The Songs That Changed Our Lives”, features lead vocals by Eddie Argos from Art Brut. It lists Argos and Newton’s favorite tracks growing up that had an impact on them, accompanied by a video of well-worn 7” singles. With a mix of new and old songs from the previous EP, they flow together and represent the vision Newton had been chasing. “In Love and War” starts off on the right foot, an upbeat pop track to tease the rest of the album. The introduction of “The Kids Are Not Alright” draws you in and repeats through the background of the track. The themes of the tracks chronicle the joys and disappointments of what life can throw at us. “Avoid It” warns to stay clear of anything that will make you crash and burn. The track is somehow similar to the sound of Pink Floyd, but more upbeat.
The album is a prime example of the variety in Newton repertoire, mixing genres and stepping outside of the box with lyrics. “My First Band” and “Paint the Town” fit between the styles of indie-rock and pop. Although Newton took on most of the work on this record, he did have help from other musicians. “Bittersweet” features Sarah Negahdari on vocals and Nick Amoroso on drums, adding some flair to the track. The shortest and sweetest track, “This Time”, is all about happiness and love. Listening to it you can feel the emotion behind his voice, making it the most sincere on the album. Similarly, “Connect With You” has an almost giddy feeling to it, connecting you to Newton. A Gateway to a Lifetime of Disappointment is the return from David Newton & Thee Mighty Angels the world needed.
NYC-based brotherly duo Eighty Ninety’s latest single “Know Me” is an understated love song that is tinged with woe but overcome with sweetness. It talks about how love inspires hope, meaning, and possibly even absolution when faced with tragedy. Formed recently in 2016, Eighty Ninety has been making waves in the music world. Their music, videos, and performances have been featured in prominent blogs and publications such as Ones To Watch, Alternative Press, Billboard, and NME. Their debut single “Three Thirty” reached #2 on Spotify’s Global Viral Chart, and since then they have curried favour with the world, including superstar Taylor Swift, who chose Eighty Ninety’s single “Your Favourite Song” as #13 on her official Spotify playlist “Songs Taylor Loves.”
While “Know Me” stays true to the band’s 80-90’s indie-pop aesthetic, its twangy guitar rift introduces a fresh touch of Americana, a style that the band has not yet explored. The uncomplicated guitar and soft atmospheric background music feels completely genuine. This song isn’t trying to be something it’s not, something that’s quite refreshing in today’s world. The simplicity of the music is also reminiscent of the minimalistic pop productions that the duo is known for creating. Abner James’ refined falsetto is embraced by backing vocals in the chorus, giving the effect of a breeze: easy and carefree. The hills and valleys of his vocal lines are a serene treat for the ears to traverse. Even with the twinge of sadness in the lyrics, the story of this song is beautiful and uplifting, and its universal topic infuses the song with a sense of timelessness.
Eighty Ninety is currently working hard to finish their next full-length album, coming out this Summer. You can pre-save their upcoming single “Happier” here, coming out on August 21st. The down-to-earth clarity of “Know Me” is just the beginning. Be sure to check it out.
Jono Dorr, a prolific songwriter and producer, has released his 6 part project, titled The Unexamined Life Part 1. Dorr has helped to launch and sustain the career of noteworthy artists such as Hayley Kiyoko, and has worked with Kehlani, The Neighbourhood, and Gnash. Hailing from Los Angeles, Dorr grew up playing bass and guitar in various bands, primarily exploring classic rock, blues, and funk. In high school and university, he began to develop his production skills. The opportunity to create electronic music at an early age allowed him to hone his ability to a finely sharpened point which he now uses to precisely pioneer a soulful revival within the modern pop landscape. The Unexamined Life Part 1 is an eclectic piece of work that is equal parts haunting, delicate, and devastating. Dorr explains, “The Unexamined Life Part 1 is about choosing pain over ignorance, freedom over obedience, and purpose over greed. Each song focuses on different moments in my life that compelled me to look inward for answers.” With each moment comes a wide range of emotions that make the EP accessible to anyone who is looking to relate to something.
Right away, “High Tide” introduces you to Dorr’s “soulful revival.” His use of gospel-like harmony is sparing and thoughtful. The dynamic interplay between his solo vocal lines and the harmonically supported lines creates a grand, dramatic overall sound, but the underlying dance beat invites the listener to get on their feet as well. Dorr’s vaguely Avicii-sounding voice glides through melodies that are incredibly singable, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself singing along.
“Envy The Man” briefly sounds like a ballad, with simple piano chords and a slow tempo, but soon understated elements come in– a beat, soft electronic chords– until the chorus hits with a mélange of surprising sounds that flow together in completely disjunct harmony. Bubbly notes, phasing chords, explicit beats, and resounding background voices that sound like part of the instrumental fabric themselves are a testament to Dorr’s exceptional production skills, making it the standout track on the EP.
“Quiet Footsteps” is slow, vengeful, and faintly menacing. It begins with some jazzy piano that struggles to ring out amidst a windswept background, while incessant cymbal attacks keep a slow but resolute beat. Dorr sings “I can’t escape,” and the words rebound, as though they themselves are trapped. Soon after, an extremely distorted guitar solo torments its way through the dark atmosphere. But then things change and the clouds part as the gospel harmonies of “High Tide” return. The hopeful sound of their unified voices are surprisingly uplifting compared to the rest of the song, adding an intriguing twist. As the music and then voices fade away and the song reaches its end, it feels somewhat removed– as though you’re floating away.
The picture of distortion and obscurity that “Quiet Footsteps” paints is focused into something that is infinitely more intimate in “Wanna Stay.” Raindrops and gentle acoustic guitar picking make you feel so much closer to Dorr and the aching tenderness that his words and music unveil. Again, Dorr’s experience with production shines through, with each electronic touch completely free of edge– fitting beautifully with the natural sound of the acoustic guitar. Soulful harmonies subtly support Dorr’s voice, especially on the word “stay,” the most important word in the track.
But the cozy enclosure that “Wanna Stay” seems to exist within is shattered by the next track, “07 Child.” You’re transported into a dark, dusky alleyway with a foreboding chill creeping its way into your body. Voices meander about in the style of Gregorian chant, a guitar relentlessly plays a static interval, solemn “mmm’s” embed themselves into the framework, and three unsettlingly tangible knocks ring out in an all-too-real fashion. When Dorr comes in, he sings “stay close to me child” on a melody that implies the eerie harmonic minor key–full of intent, yet daunting. The song continues on in this way right until the very end, slowing fading out and evading any sort of resolution.
The closing track, “Today”, plays off of the unnerving energy of the previous track, but in a more melancholic way. Haphazard voices meander around at the beginning and end, and while the beat is relaxed, the guitar is anxiously fast. When you reach the lines “I feel like a child standing at the edge of a cliff. He’s wondering why he wants to jump… maybe there’s some peace down there,” the words are fitting to the music, but that doesn’t make it any less distressing. While we’ve heard the soulful revival in most of the tracks so far, “Today” features it in the most modern way, with the harmonies on the words “feeling used” embodying an electro-gospel sound. The ultra-distorted guitar from “Quiet Footsteps” makes its return, but it’s somehow even more anguished than before. There’s a hint of a resolution, but the music fades away instead, until all that’s left is the wind… framing some of the lines of the song in a new light…
The Unexamined Life Part 1 somehow manages to pack darkness, sentimentality, storytelling, dance music, innovative soul, and adept production into a concise 6-track package. Jono Dorr is setting himself up to go far, so let this EP be your glimpse into the bright future that’s in store for his music.
