San Jose based artist, Someya just released her latest track “You Saved Me.” The alt-pop artist not really shows off herv vocals, but her ability to write. “You Saved Me” is not a ballad, but more of an exaltation—a hymn even. The song starts off “Eventually they’ll learn the truth,” which sounds as if it’s about to a diss track to a former lover. Quite the opposite however. Someya’s voice borders on creepy – yet beautiful – as she proclaims, “When the night grows cold, I know you’re always there, I know you’ll always care–you are my prayer,” and at times “You Saved Me” feels like a hungry obsession. On “You Saved Me” Someya really shows us her ability to be diverse in her writing and her vocals. She takes lyrics that are meant to be happy making them feel daunting and serious.
Power pop rocking Canadians Danny Laj & The Looks have a new single ‘left right to one’ that was released digitally on March 30th, 2018. I went and checked out the bands’ bio and was instantly intrigued when I read their influences. “Peanut butter and banana hotdogs.”
That kind of humor will give you some insight into what to expect musically. This has got to be a fun.
And sure enough “Left Right To One” is nothing short of a fun-loving feel good song.
The track starts up like a loud high energy pop rock freight train right out of the gate.
Laj is a Canadian scene veteran who has put in his time working from the ground up and has established a sound that is reminiscent of an old-school fun pop-rock guitarist.
“Left Right To One” is a witty and monumental tribute to sharing interests, life experiences, and enjoying rock n roll with bassist Jeanette Dowling. A true celebration of a unity that was written in the stars. Rounding out the rest of the band are members Mike Duffield – Drums and Dan McMahon – Keys. With a surf rock vocal style, a George Thorogood guitar style, a faint organ in the background and non-lexical vocables in the chorus singing,”oh la la la”, “Left right to one” will fill the air with old-school radio power pop rock good times with a modern approach.
I loved the mid-song breakdown how everything got a little quieter with light backing vocals, steady bass, palm muted rhythm, and gentle drum taps that gradually led up to a powerful guitar solo. The solo is an in the pocket groove more so than and egocentric scribble of notes. “Left right to one” is melodic, upbeat, and instills a great vibe. All these things combined kinda make ya wanna open the shades and dance like no ones watching as you grab your broom and use it as a microphone… and maybe do a little air guitar on it.
To get in the good times be sure to follow Danny Laj and the Looks on Facebook and pick up a vinyl copy of the single “Left right to one” through their website.
You can also check them out on tour.
April 6 – North Bay ON – Raven & Republic
April 7 – Sudbury ON – Townehouse Tavern
April 25 – Toronto ON – Dakota Tavern
April 27 – Montreal Qc – Barfly
April 28 – Saint-John NB – Quality Block Party
April 29 – Moncton NB – TBA
April 30 – Boston MA – O’Brien’s
May 3 – Brooklyn NY – Diviera Drive
May 4 – Baltimore MD – Joe Squared
May 5 – Washington DC – Slash Run
May 6 – Philadelphia PA – Ortlieb’s
May 8 – Dayton OH – Blind Bob’s
May 9 – Indianapolis IN – Melody Inn
May 10 – Chicago IL – Burlington
May 11 – Rockford IL – Mary’s Place
May 12 – Detroit MI – Pj’s Lager House
May 13 – Windsor ON – Phog Lounge
May 16 – Hamilton ON – This Ain’t Hollywood
May 18 – London ON – Call The Office
May 19 – South River ON – Highlander Brew Co.
July 15 – Quebec City – Festival D’Ete de Quebec
Moving into the limelight after releasing her debut album is 90’s inspired band Soccer Mommy with the newest music video for one of her most popular tracks, “Cool”. Opening with a scene set in the middle of what appears to be a high school soccer field, the music video immediately envelops and intrigues the watcher to continue watching. From the beginning, the bright, crisp colors juxtapose the relaxed vibe of the track. Not only does this highlight the song’s unique sound, but also creates a clever visual spectacle that definitely shows signs of 90’s influences. Not only do the colors enhance the viewing experience, but the animations, created by Art Baby Girl, are clever and perfectly match the atmosphere of the music.
Soccer Mommy definitely has a bright future within her own sphere of cool, collected artistry that she have built for herself. Although she has hit a home run since the release of the full-length album, she has continued to chase after what seemed like such an elusive dream. This same principle is manifest in the quality of her music video, which is absolutely stunning. With the fire burning bright, there is no question that there is solid potential moving forward for Soccer Mommy.
After releasing his widely popular and acclaimed single, “Good for That,” fans around the world looked forward to what this artist had in store for them in the future. With his newest release, “SFWU,” that exposes toxic relationships for what they are. Through lyrics clear as crystal, rising hip hop artist L8LOOMER is able to express thoughts and feelings in a unique way that not only conveys a topic, but deep thoughts and feelings that are highly relatable among fans and followers. This new single is meant to be the anthem for those incarcerated in toxic relationships that are fighting the continuous battle between love and hate.
Despite the serious nature that this theme presents, clever artistry allows L8LOOMER to not only create a rhythm and beat that is memorable and easy to sign along to, but he brings light into his music that sheds itself over previously shadowed ideas. Through these methods, L8LOOMER reminds his fans that love is meant to be lighthearted and enjoyed by all those who are involved. Although there hasn’t been much work released by this artist, there is evidence that he will continue to grow in talent and popularity as he continues to hold true to the sound persona that he has developed since his debut.
Band of Gold just premiered their single “Well Who Am I” off of their forthcoming album Where’s The Magic. PopMatters describes the band sound as “A really unique take on pop music… an intriguing sound.” It is in fact an intriguing sound as the track is quirky, unique, and very zany. What you think is going to start off as an alt-pop song, leans into a rock guitar solo, but not until the vocals pick up the pace and end the song abruptly.
The most interesting part of “Well Who Am I” is the bands’ seemingly random lyrics. It starts off “I like the way you comb you hair” and is followed by “I like the neatness of your hair….but I don’t think you’ll ever dare.” The uniqueness and array of sounds/genres is what makes this song so fascinating, and addicting.
Unpredictability and trance-inducing music has become the expectation from fans and critics of freak-fuzz Baltimore based duo Ed Schrader. Together, Ed Schrader and Devlin Rice have created a sound that it unique and completely their own and now they are bringing their newest tour, “Riddles” to a town near you. Since their formation in 2010 this group has participated in nineteen U.S tours leaving very little amount of time to produce new records. However, with a new full length album release, they are ready to hit the road once again and see where it takes them.
With the addition of this new album to their musical artillery, the duo races through a world of synth melodies and 80’s pop influences. Their sound has often been described as unpredictable and erratic, but harmonious all at the same time. This composed chaos, however, is just one of the many attractions of Ed Schrader. With their music at the forefront of their performances, they are able to deliver a spectacle that will both amaze and surprise all that are in attendance. With the release of their new album and the announcement of their next tour, Ed Schrader has proved that he has what it takes to take these explorations into the unknown to the next level.
Stealing the stage with their newest self-titled album, Swoll is enticing the masses with their latest single “Shake”. The single is riddled with killer synth loops and hypnotizing harmonies that are sure to be featured in other tracks on this album as well. Not only will the full album have a universal message, but project star Matt Dowling also hopes that his music will be introspective and personal for all of his listeners.
This album was deeply rooted in Dowling’s need to express let go of what he called, “trauma.” In his own words, “That’s the beautiful thing about music and art: they provide a mechanism to release in a healthy and meaningful way, whether you’re the maker or the viewer/listener.” Stylistically, Dowling has been able to mesh together elements of several different genres in a new and memorable way unlike what we’ve seen from his other projects. Thorough careful songwriting, her is able to unite pop, electro, rock and other major genres with seamless effort.
Although Dowling has been on a roller coaster that has brought him success and hardship, Swoll is set up to succeed in a new and exciting way.
After releasing his self-titled track, “Jimmy,” Jimmy has worked tirelessly to produce a music video to accompany his soul searching single. Lyrically, the new release explores demons of all shapes and sizes most of which are popular topics of discussion not only in the news, but among the general public. Some of these include gender equality, addiction, peer pressure and mental health issues. Within the very nature of this song, Jimmy breaks boundaries and explores every corner of the music realm to develop his music that he hopes will inspire listeners to break down the pretentious boundaries that may hold them captive.
Although his music is generally defined as dark pop, it is evident that there are hints and nuances of several diverse genres of music that range from pop to even some rock vibes. This creates contrast between Jimmy and the rest of the rising generation of musicians and performers and allows his creative spirit to avoid being tied down to one specific genre. With this new release, he visually represents breaking out of social boundaries and outside pressures that might inhibit one from living a life they are meant to lead. Strong visuals and an even more spectacular vocal ability are only a few highlights of what this budding artist has in store for the music community and he has fans waiting on the edge of their seats in clear anticipation for future releases and performances.
New and young the music world is fresh young band Tiny Fighter who have been together for less than a year. Despite their new appearance on the music scene, they have pulled out all the stops to start on an accelerated path to reach their dreams. Australian/Swedish group Tiny Fighter have been working on building a thriving reputation on the stage as a group full of fire and potential. Together, the group has put together a repertoire of catchy indie-pop tracks with a bittersweet edge—a style that is exploding in this genre. Along with their powerful lyricism and vocal skills, they have teamed up to create a music video for their newest release, “New Century” which embodies their sound in a beautiful and edgy way.
Although not always seen at face value, Tiny Fighter have pushed boundaries of technical capabilities in order to produce a visual spectacle that captures and demands the attention of viewers from around the world. Focusing on the urban beauty of some of their favorite landscapes, this budding duo is out to take the world by storm. In the near future, they are planning on going on their first tour through Europe and Australia and are even considering an exciting tour in the US to push their boundaries even further. Though fresh in the industry, there is nothing holding Tiny Fighter back from real success.
