These are the songs that inspire us. They cover a wide range of sounds which is telling of the music we create. Just like our music, this playlist covers the electric guitar sounds of the 60’s all the way to modern artists such as Twenty One Pilots and John Mayer.
Keep up with The Dragon Berries here.
In true Sir Sly fashion, new track “All Your Love” brings a certain type of beauty out within its melancholy landscape. Listening to Landon’s voice does that to you most of the time, perhaps, because the delivery of each line is so riddled with obvious emotion. Though the new track has a very romantic title, don’t come looking for a love song with this particular single.
Discover what we mean with a listen below, and be sure to let us know what you think!
Keep up with Sir Sly here.
Heaven-sent artist Hannah Grace (come on, even her name sounds angelic) has just released her newest track, a beautiful number called “Wasted Love”. The atmospheric track offers comforting support during heartbreak. Regarding the single, Hannah says,“I wrote ‘Wasted Love’ as a message to my past self. The song is about reassuring someone who is heartbroken that no love is wasted, even if it feels like it at the time.”
And nothing is more reassuring than Hannah’s light as a feather, crystal-clear vocals to guide you through the world of delicate keys and electronics that is created in “Wasted Love”. The song is a real beauty; a siren-song of healing. Grace’s perfectly controlled power is displayed through her impressive vocals, her voice diving into its depths and soaring easily into a stunning head voice a second later.
“Wasted Love” precedes the release of Hannah Grace’s new album, which is scheduled to drop in 2020. Grace has rescheduled her London headline show and will play Omeara on October 29th and she has also announced a hometown show at Cardiff Clwb Ifor Bach on October 26th.
Non-binary Texas-bred rapper Ben McGibboney (who operates under the moniker of Love-Sadkid) has just released their first full-length project, entitled Growth. The young rapper just turned 18 but has already committed to pursuing their music dreams full time. A former star running back, McGibboney had garnered interest from top schools in the SEC before discovering their love for rap. At that point they made the decision to quit football to commit to chasing their new dream.
Love-Sadkid has been steadily releasing new music and EPs, building a strong online fanbase and racking up over half a million monthly listeners on Spotify. Despite their young age, Love-Sadkid has quite a bit under their belt already; they’ve released two EP collabs with Dahm and have a tour as an opener for Hobo Johnson under their belt. Growth displays the young artist’s knack for combining old school rap aesthetics with the modern problems and world outlook of a reluctant member of Gen Z.
Album opener Ta/Pe kicks things off and sees Love-Sadkid rapping with an admirable level of sincerity over a soft piano track before moving into the lo-fi like production style that the young artist seems to have an ear for.
Habits leans and rocks into R&B territory with a vibey hook, complete with a thickly-textured chorus of voices. Love-Sadkid’s knack for production continues to shine through, a myriad of colorful sounds adorning this (and every other) track.
The title track picks up the pace alongside cool toned beats and tinny effects. Sadkid raises intensity here, letting his speed and lyricism show through. Here they prove their versatility through their clear ability to make more traditional rap along their (very well done) vibey and sunshiny tracks.
The young rapper shows off a lot of range and colors on his first full-length which will surely continue to expand. Full of potential and talent, Love-Sadkid seems to have a bright future ahead of him.
Growth is now available everywhere for your streaming enjoyment.
Charlotta Perrier, under the alias Big Fox, returns with new single “Let Love In” off her sophomore album See How the Light Falls. Both were released the same day, and are ready for our listening pleasure.
When talking about her newest release, Perrier said, “I thought a lot about the unsaid. All the words that I constantly avoided, held back, and how they slowly created a wall between me and others … And I finally realized that I was the one stopping myself. So, I think I subconsciously wrote this song to push myself off that cliff, to let love in.”
“Let Love In” signifies that feeling of wanting to be more open with others and taking the steps to get there. Combining classic pop and melodic indie sounds, Perrier creates a sophisticated and mature sound.
Keep up with Big Fox here.
Psychedelic indie project The Undercover Dream Lovers just released its debut album, It’s All in Your Head. TUDL is the brainchild of LA based artist Matt Koenig, an all around DIY badass who’s stayed true to the OG meaning of indie, navigating the industry label free throughout his career. Koenig cites his influences as everything from The Beatles to Tame Impala to Led Zeppelin and views himself and his music as a bridge between eras, a statement that I can confidently say reigns true after listening to the record.
It’s All in Your Head was recorded in Koenig’s home studio in Los Angeles, where the multi-talented Koenig handled writing, production, and mixing himself. The record is largely influenced by Koenig’s desire to create a “bustling, vibrant, and groovy” live show, which is immediately clear even via digital consumption. He is known for his quickly recognizable disco-influenced bass lines, a staple that consistently appears on this project as well as his Koenig’s older work.
The album opener, “A Way Out”, was one of the first tracks that Koenig made for the record, and is meant to serve as an initial taste for listeners to get a feel for the direction that he takes the record production-wise, which delves into new territory for Koenig. The disco rhythms that would end up influencing the rest of the album are introduced here through infectious dance floor rhythms that are a constant presence throughout the record.
One of the standouts on the record, “Plane Ride”, was largely influenced by the fatal car accident that took the lives of rock duo Her’s while Koenig was on tour with them. He took a break after the tragic event, and “Plane Ride” was the first thing he worked on after returning. The verse was written before the accident and was about Koenig feeling caught in life’s distractions. The rest of the track comes from the traumatic experience, with the ‘ride’ being a metaphor for life and the plane crash talked about in the song representative of death. Koenig kept that verse even after the meaning of the song shifted for him, allowing it to represent the ‘before’ of the accident and letting the number be symbolic for how quickly what we view as important can shift when trauma comes into play.
“Soon Enough”, co-written with Dent May, is a hopeful track sprinkled with vibrant-driven guitar riffs and a light and airy chorus. “Chardonnay” drips with groove and (fun fact) was created in a room in LA by three people named Matt. Every track on the project boasts unique differences in production, vibe, and lyrical themes while keeping to a uniform overall feeling that makes the album itself feel like a collective work of art, a refreshing element frequently missing in modern music where albums seem to be carried on the backs of singles which often feel worlds apart from the rest of the record.
While much of the album seems to exist in an intergalactic air-space, album-closer “Everyone’s Confused” feels down to earth in comparison. The groovy guitars that stand out on many of the album’s best tracks blend seamlessly with rolling rock riffs that feel as though they could be pulled straight from the 70s. “Everything is fake, and well, everyone’s confused” Koenig sings in a moment of blunt honesty.
Keep up with TUDL here.
2020 has marked a new chapter in the lives of many, and we have been overwhelmed with news of good changes in our friends’ lives, and, honestly? Not surprised. The creative force that seems to have supercharged this year shows no signs of slowing down, and it may have wrapped us up so tight in its existence — filled to the brim with gorgeous lyrics, magnetic chorus lines, incredible bass, and intrinsically alluring melodies — that we are JUST coming up for air and realizing TOMORROW IS VALENTINE’S DAY.
But you know what? That’s not what February is anymore. It took this long, but it doesn’t seem that each month is categorized by its major holiday. And that actually feels better than anything else. Knowing that music is transcending what it once was, and becoming a deeper reflection of our thoughts and emotions than ever before.
This month, let’s celebrate the wins. Celebrate the new songs that have entered our minds, the new sensations that bubble up from it all. Celebrate the creative efforts honed by talents such as Stumbleine, MOONZz, Mo Lowda & The Humble, and more!
Check back all month for more additions to the latest and greatest soundtrack to your year!
Indie-folk singer Emily Keener releases new single “Do You Love Me Lately?” just days before Valentines Day. The song depicts how fragile love can be and how love is full of fear and vulnerability. Her voice, accompanied by a retro-influenced groove, creates a fantasy feeling.
Fantasy is what built this song, when Keener imagined what it would be like to date a woman. Letting go of her self-censoring and doubts. A theme that is encompassed throughout her upcoming album I Do Not Have to Be Good, set to be released in May.
“Do You Love Me Lately?” is structured in a way that sets the stage for the main album theme, of being free. Chorus and verse sway between resistance and wishfulness. Resistance what she was raised not to be and wishfully reached to defy them.
Keep up with Emily Keener here.
If you haven’t experienced the ethereal vocal wonderment that is Whoa Dakota (Jesse Ott), then why not try the act on for size with an updated version of one of your favorite 90s tracks? The indie pop songstress has mastered several throwback options — trust us, we’ve seen her multiple times live and she absolutely destroys every stage she’s on — and this is one of our favorites. And is there a more perfect time of year to be pulling this one out of our back pockets, anyway?
Happy Valentine’s Day, and every day, with this flirty, fun track!
Keep up with Whoa Dakota here.