Ever the optimist, songstress MYOA releases her latest single “You’re My Christmas Wish” today, and we have the exclusive premiere. From her smooth-as-honey vocals to the crisp, clean production on this gorgeous new holiday track, you’ll find yourself warming up to the cozy time of year and looking forward to the feelings of love and camaraderie to come. Positive outlooks come to us wrapped up in a perfect pop track.
What do you think of “You’re My Christmas Wish”? And what’s your Christmas wish this year?
As if last week didn’t give us enough to be thankful for, the week ended with a stunning EP release from Lilla Vargen, titled We Were Thunder. (As an Irish singer/songwriter, Thanksgiving meant nothing outside of the continental United States, but we’re still reeling about how perfect the timing was on this release.) Beginning with the powerful, building ballad that is “The Shore”, Lilla sets the bar high with her strong — yet ethereal — vocals commanding the voyage. Heart-wrenching, the lyrics speak of torment over past love. But the song’s gorgeous melody holds with it hope for the future. “Solitary” brings another tortured love to the forefront, as Vargen sings of a relationship that feels cold even when those involved are together.
The idea of drifting apart and feeling “solitary” matches the soundscape perfectly, which is something that is so uniquely Vargen. She continues to rip our souls apart with “Why Wait”, where she sings of the loneliness of unrequited — or perhaps not yet realized — love. This one hit home. “Trouble” plays with the notion of timing always being off between two flames. Another highly relateable — and infinitely gorgeous — track to center yourself in knowing you’re not truly alone in this. She winds down the EP with “On My Mind”, leaving the open ended question asking why her love interest is always on her mind.
We are clearly going to have this magical EP on repeat for a while. But it begs the question, will there be a resolution in coming work to this heartbreak? Or will it be like your new favorite indie film, leaving you with a cliffhanger that keeps it cult status for years to come? Let us know what you think on Facebook!
We would tell you to catch Lilla with one of our favorites, Dermot Kennedy, on December 17th at the O2 Academy Leeds, but the event is sold out. And we get it.
If you’ve been looking for instrumentals that will touch your soul simply and evoke emotion before the vocals even hit, check out Steven King‘s new full-length Steven King on Ice. In fact, try on the first track “Water” for size, and you’ll already see what we mean. Not to mention the fact that King’s pace switches pretty fervently between slow ballads (“Seams Are Splitting”, “Fly to the End”, “Run to the Back”, “Wine”) and a relatively danceable pace (“Water”, “Black Mood”, “Champion the Idiot”, etc.) throughout the nine track album.
Hailing from Columbus, Ohio, King has crafted melodies that make most of these tracks streamlined for television and movie placement. We are floored by the talent on Steven King on Ice. “Champion the Idiot” has pulled some obvious inspiration from 60s favorites, while songs like “Milkshake” have a bit more of a 90s appeal to them. And — even though there are a myriad of topics addressed in the album and, in that way, it can feel kind of scattered — it all seems to come back around to introspective thoughts, highlighted with lines like, “What’s this world to you?” in last track “Wine”.
We’re very into this album in its entirety, and will probably be championing it all week on Spotify. Take a listen below, and let us know what you think on our Facebook page!
It’s been quite the year for powerful female vocalists. We’re totally on board, and it doesn’t look like a trend that is going to let up anytime soon. Take fresh Norwegian songstress HALIE, for example, with her new track “Circling”. Equal parts mysterious and beautiful, this song really takes you to a dark, oftentimes emotional, place. Her immense talent is palpable, as she is just gaining her footing in the industry. This song is simply one of a handful of singles she has released in the past. Let HALIE’s vocals put you in a trance today by putting the track below on repeat.
You’re into mid century modern decor, correct? I mean, aren’t we all? Especially after Marie Kondo helped us clear out our closets last year, and Bobby Berk started re-designing them! Well, imagine what you love about that style. The simplicity, the boldness, the beauty. This is what experiencing Cayley Thomas‘ music is like. Her vocals are delicate, yet wide-ranging, the emotion put into her work most palpable. “Midnight Hours” is no exception, and the music video is just as luxurious as our decor dreams. An emptiness is felt, encouraged by the vocals but entirely detectable in the video, yet it is alongside a beauty we cannot shake.
Take a moment to appreciate a gorgeous voice and a captivating music video below.
On the chilly evening of Thursday November 21st, Chase the Horseman and Whoa Dakota entertained an enthusiastic crowd at The Brick in The Crossroads district of Kansas City, MO. To experience either is an absolute joy, but we will always sing the praises of Whoa Dakota. The project — championed by singer/songwriter Jesse Ott — is so much fun to watch. In fact, this is an act we urge you to see live. Though the song recordings are incredible, they still give no justice to Ott’s far-ranging, angelic vocals, the true instrumental leader of the project. If you get a chance, check them out next time they’re through town!
KP Wolfe introduced herself to the world this week as a vocal powerhouse with the music video for her single “Take Back The Ring”. Grit pours from her lips as she energetically sings about heartbreak. The video itself is pure drama, shot in low light gorgeousness. Equal parts attitude and natural beauty, the song itself is highly relatable. The next breakup anthem, perhaps?
We’ll be belting out “Take Back The Ring” for the rest of the day.
Breezy, ethereal vocals. Light as a feather instrumentals, a warm and inviting soundscape. All of these factors are involved in VanWyck‘s newest full-length release, out today. The project, titled Molten Rock, is comprised of twelve impossibly beautiful tracks, inspired — in part, at least — undoubtedly by the folk of yesteryear. A slow, steady pace is established with first track “Supermarket Line”, and continues into “Lead Me On”, while “Rock Carver” brings with it more assertive instrumentals and a raspier take on the vocals.
“Make of Me” slows everything down to a crawl, gorgeous and sprawling in its soundscape. It is here that we take pause, to realize how important it is to note the comparisons to Leonard Cohen and Nathalie Merchant that VanWyck’s debut album drew, and to notice the way the music has evolved in the space and time since that album was released in 2018. As we roll into “Carolina’s Anatomy”, we feel an attraction to a new love the way this song seems to convey.
Have you ever been this close to feeling no remorse
and being where you want to be
“High School Gym Wall” is even more delicate than its predecessors, something we never would have guessed by its title. Haunting in a way that impresses, it perfectly introduces “Be It to the End”, which brings with it a darker, more theatric atmosphere. “Breakfast Room Revelation” is layered, a ballad of sorts that holds as one of our favorites from this collection.
“The Boatman Calls” and “Like an Ambush” are both solidly beautiful tracks, leading into “The Rock Steady Creeper” which is also impossibly relaxing in its disposition, despite the title. VanWyck expertly rounds out the album with twelfth and final track, the title track, which has the sonic feel of witnessing molten rock cascade down a landscape. The lyrics are descriptive, painting an intense picture, comparisons we all have the capacity to feel.
This album, if nothing else, urges you to feel. Whether by its intense and relatable lyrical content, or its lavish soundscapes. Experience it in full below, and let us know how you feel on Facebook!
Youthful, lusting yet tempered: The newest single and music video from CGI pop-creation (yes, you read that correctly) Miquela, titled “Automatic,” presents a snapshot of a pastel-colored party dream following in the steps of current pop standards like Dua Lipa, Bea Miller, and Hayley Kiyoko.
While “Automatic” is technically a love song, it carries a slow-burning, toned-down, dancing-but-sad feel, apt for bedroom listening and anthem-belting alike. Dynamically, this track remains steady, but it’s not worse for wear: “Automatic” glides through several choruses before tuning out into distorted vocals preceding the finish. Amidst a final chorus, a satisfying affirmation declares: “It’s automatic, I give all of my love to you.”
“Automatic” is a satiating pop sing-along about devotion to a romantic interest, and the video only supplements the mood. Glitter, a shimmering pinata, and strobing holographic lights populate the changing scenes as twenty-somethings in candy-colored ensembles laugh, dance, and play spin-the-bottle in various Easter egg-hued rooms. The video doesn’t ask for much from viewers, and it works – the simplicity of revelry is just enough to distract from the somewhat unsettling depiction of Miquela.
In the video for “Automatic”, there are several scenes where Miquela’s too-matte skin and too-smooth movements incur a twinge of the uncanny valley. Her rollicking peers nod their heads, organic hair bouncing and crow’s-eyes narrowing, only furthering the contrast between themselves and Miquela. The few times that the CGI does look realistic happens during slow-motion frames, or when her back is turned from the camera.
Like many celebrities, Miquela is highly active on her social media, models for high-end fashion brands, and even endorses products online. But on April 19, 2018, after several issues with her Instagram account being hacked, Miquela came forward to the world and announced the truth of her identity: “I’m not a human being.”
What is Miquela, then? After two years in the public eye, she finally revealed the truth about her identity. Miquela is a CGI personality created by a California startup called Brud. As could be expected, many of Miquela’s fans were confused, and she quickly grew a large base of critics and “haters”.
The introduction of such a controversial figure raises some important questions about transparency concerning image, and the ability of the public to discern reality from creation. As you listen to Miquela’s newest track “Automatic,” or previous singles “Money” and “Wasted”, ask yourself: When it comes to constructed realities, especially concerning the creation of people, how far is too far?
