by Ian Schneider | Apr 5, 2019 | albums, review
Jai Wolf‘s new album The Cure To Loneliness is the perfect encapsulation of everything this budding star has to offer. Discovered by EDM mainstay Skrillex, the Bangladeshi born Jai Wolf (Sajeeb Saha) created a lot of buzz with his song “Indian Summer”. Raised in Long Island, Jai Wolf has been influenced by the likes of Phoenix and The Strokes, but you can feel the electronic influences most in The Cure To Loneliness.
With features from Day Wave, Robokid, and Mr. Gabriel to name a few, Jai Wolf is setting himself apart and establishing his legitimacy within the industry. You can hear those aforementioned Phoenix influences in the track “Lose My Mind”, but Jai Wolf also has the unique ability to slow it down, which is rare to find in an electronic artist. Almost with a trance like feel, most of the tracks on this album will have you swaying with electronic bliss. “On the new album, sonically all of Sajeeb’s eclectic influences can be heard. Lyrically though, the album is quite personal with themes of searching for connection whether to culture or people, from someone who was not only born in a very foreign land, but once he got to the United States moved around constantly. As a person Sajeeb is extremely bright, very outspoken on the current political situation, especially, as you can imagine, on the subject of immigration.” Jai Wolf has been able to channel his experiences into an art that is not seen from many, let alone electronic artists. Most musicians with Jai Wolfs thoughts and feelings might turn to other genres, but his ability to create an insightful landscape with drum machines is something to behold. The Cure To Loneliness will do exactly what the title entails.
You can check out The Cure To Loneliness now, and keep up with Jai Wolf on his socials listed below.
Socials:
Twitter: @JaiWolfx
Facebook: @JaiWolfMusic
Instagram: @jaiwolfx
by Karina Marquez | Apr 5, 2019 | albums, review
New York City artist Megg Farrell bares her folksy soul with the help of some friends with her appropriately-titled album Megg Farrell & Friends. The music’s vibe is Stevie Nicks if she was a blues singer with an affinity for the banjo, and it is truly a piece of art to behold. Each song is clearly and artfully crafted in terms of music production, lyrics, and instruments.
“Feelin Single” is the perfect opening track for a bluesy folk album, with it’s a capella harmonies and references to a wild night out:
“I was feelin’ single, seeing double, wound up in a whole lot of trouble … but I really had a ball last night.”
As the album goes on, two things becomes apparent: Farrell’s voice is beautifully nostalgic, and she creates a record that tells a seamless story. With song titles like “New Orleans Waltz,” “Tulsa Queen,” “New York Love Song,” and “Ooh Las Vegas,” Farrell showcases her ability to tell stories about all these different places and the influences they had on her.
Amongst the toe-tapping country vibes, there were a couple of stripped down tracks, and those were my favorite from the record. “If I Were a Woman” is a gentle and sad story of someone who wishes she could be the woman she always wanted to be. The lyrics are undeniably poetic, a punch to the gut:
If I were a woman, I’d teach you to be brave.
I’d fight for my sex and their race,
and I’d find me a new name.
If I could speak, I’d speak for something bold,
but my hearts grown weak or so I’ve been told.
Megg Farrell & Friends is a well-rounded album with the ability to make you dance, cry, sing along, and repeat. It perfectly encapsulates what the feeling of sitting in a jazz piano bar, sipping a beer and being completely captivated by a band’s ability to create something raw, honest, and real.
Be sure to check out the album, and keep up with Megg Farrell here.
by Meredith Schneider | Mar 27, 2019 | albums, review
Today, indelible songstress Haley Reinhart releases her latest collection of songs, a full-length titled Lo-Fi Soul. Full of layered, beautiful instrumentals, the entirety of the album is packed to the brim with Reinhart’s soulful, glittering vocals that take you back in time with each new breath, starting with “Deep Water” and leading you all the way through to the last chords of thirteenth track “Baby Doll”. Second track “Oh Damn” slows things down a bit after its predecessor ends, addressing the protagonist’s want to find their one and only. The title track speeds it up a bit more, adding a bit more edge to the collection. “Don’t Know How to Love You” is true blues, both the guitar and the vocals equally as heart-wrenching.
Both “Strange World” and “Shook” are love songs in their own right, both addressing the world in curious and insightful ways, slightly less attractive and way more quirky than other love songs. And while “Crack the Code” is a little more introspective and pondering, while “Lay It Down” sings of a past love, and leaves us questioning what went wrong. “Honey, There’s the Door” brings that sass back, a truly refreshing song of note, and that sass carries right on into “Broken Record”, making these two our favorite tracks on the release.
But she doesn’t stop impressing there. If you listen through to “Some Way Some How”, you will experience a truly breathtaking ballad, not unlike other prior releases of hers. I pity the fool she sings about in “How Dare You”, as karma has clearly been assessed in that situation. And she rounds everything out so gracefully with last track ‘Baby Doll”, the beginning giving us hints of Mariah Carey goodness with Reinhart’s impressive vocal range. But don’t just take our word for it. Enjoy!
Catch her on tour!
04.02.19 – New York, NY – City Winery
04.03.19 – Boston, MA – City Winery
04.04.19 – Sellersville, PA – Sellersville Theatre
04.06.19 – Bay Shore, NY – Boulton Center
04.07.19 – Annapolis, MD – Ramshead On Stage
04.08.19 – Washington D.C. – Jammin’ Java
04.09.19 – Charlotte, NC – Booth Playhouse
04.11.19 – Nashville, TN – Mercy Lounge
04.14.19 – Chicago, IL – Park West
04.15.19 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater
04.16.19 – Lawrence, KS – Granada Theater
04.17.19 – Dallas, TX – Dada
04.19.19 – Denver, CO – Globe Theater
04.20.19 – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
04.22.19 – Seattle, WA – Crocodile
04.23.19 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre
04.25.19 – San Francisco, CA – Slims
04.26.19 – Los Angeles, CA – The Roxy
04.27.19 – Santa Ana, CA – Constellation Room
Keep up with Haley Reinhart here.
by Meredith Schneider | Mar 15, 2019 | albums, review
Singer/songwriter David Leonard released his highly anticipated, 13-track debut album The Wait today, and we have been melting into it since the very first lines of “Wanderer” hit our ears. Leonard’s vocals are raspy, robust, and evoke more emotion than a beach proposal. With “Wanderer”, he establishes his immense talent and his ability to make the listener feel every word deep in their bones. And though the soundscape picks up a bit with “By My Side”, it still has this deep-rooted, freeing feeling associated with that would otherwise be completely unexpected.
But that’s what happens when you find a talent of Leonard’s capacity. You come to expect this reeling sense of self when you listen to their music, each track accompanying you on your life journey in this gorgeous soundtrack. “Signs of Life” brings a more upbeat, pop rock influence to the album, while “Know Your Heart” slows everything down again for an insane love ballad. “Come As You Are” and its intro are two of our favorites on the album, though you’ll have to get a good listen to every track to make that decision for yourself.
Once you are introduced to “Share This Burden”, there is almost a sense that Leonard has taken all of his most vulnerable moments over the years and created this album as a method of identifying with his audience, to create a community rather than just simply release music for the sake of releasing music. The listener gets an idea for how carefully crafted this work was through the Imogen Heap-esque intro of “There’s Nobody”, the ambient “I Will Wait”, and the introspective, more spiritual “Distant God” and “You Know Me”. He rounds the album out perfectly with the chorus in “Threads” and then the simplifying soundscape and heart-breaking, honest lyrics in “The Little That I Know”.
Take The Wait for a spin. We’re dying to know what you think!
Keep up with David Leonard here.
by Meredith Schneider | Mar 12, 2019 | albums, review
Los Angeles-based quintet The Wild Reeds has been gracing our headphones for a hot second, but their new album Cheers is pure gold. Starting with the upbeat pace of “Moving Target” and then rolling slightly more slowly into “Telepathic Mail”, which has a persevering message we can all get behind. By “A Way To Stop”, the band has established, yet again, that they balance a wire between pop and rock, a little folk twang thrown in for fun. While fourth track “Lose My Mind” feels largely vintage, “Play It Safe” could easily have been played at a sock hop back in the day as well. The production value on both is beautiful and lush, perfect for vinyl play, we’re sure.
“Young and Impressionable” is honest and open, while “Giving Up On You” is louder, more determined, but maintains that vulnerability. “Don’t Pretend” approaches from a softer perspective, while the title alone of “P.S. Nevermind” already feels like something we can all relate to. (Hi. I have an additional thought. Should I have that additional thought? No? Nevermind. Yes. No. Don’t worry about it.) Lyrics like “I’m reckless/I did it and I’ll do it again” prove us too wrong, and we’re falling for this track hard. “Run and Hide” is wonderfully mellifluous, a song that feels like a ballad and belongs nowhere if not in your car, being belted at the top of your lungs as you drive home from work [today]. They round Cheers out with “My Name”, a track that is slowed to the pace of the first couple of songs, indicating the end of our profound journey with The Wild Reeds. The lyrics make it the perfect placement on the album, a lullaby of sorts that keeps us craving more.
Keep up with The Wild Reeds here.
by Meredith Schneider | Mar 11, 2019 | albums, review
On March 8th, Matt Shapiro released a 6-track EP that is absolutely thrilling from start to finish. You can see why, too, as Matt admits he approaches his music-making a lot like film. “I approach making a record like I’m making a movie,” he admits. “My last album Metaphysical was very layered and wide-angle and made to sound kind of epic. With this new EP FADE IN, I made the conscious decision to go the other way. This one’s more disciplined, and really stripped down to essentials…more like a scrappy little indie. And it has more bite.”
If you think for a moment that he doesn’t mean the phrase “scrappy little indie,” then you’re in for a treat. “Rockaway Girl” is very theatric, throwing you into this one-man performance that is equal parts modern indie rock and 80’s pop fury. “The Addict” darkens the soundscape a bit, but the collection doesn’t forget the attitude that came with the first track, as it weaves into the slow burner “Is There Something Going On”. “Johnny” is for the human who feels like walking on the wild side, while “Water’s Edge” is much slower, simple and soft in its disposition. Shapiro’s vocals feel like water as they glide amidst the instrumentals. This tranquil feeling is put to an abrupt halt with the first staccato notes of “Genievieve”. It seems as though the pace and volume change might have to do with the way a significant other disrupts your life, and makes things ten times louder. We’re fond of the impact it has on the EP’s trajectory, and couldn’t have placed a more defining last song.
Keep up with Matt Shapiro here.
by Meredith Schneider | Mar 4, 2019 | albums, review
Hailing from New York state, musical duo Lost Leaders – comprised of Peter Cole (Guitar/Vocals) and Byron Issacs (Guitar, Bass/Vocals) – released their endearing new 9-track full-length, titled Promises Promises on Friday. Beginning with first track “Extra-Ordinary”, the band brings an organic feeling of warmth to each track through to the last whirring notes of “Falling”. Personal favorites from the collection are “People Like Us”, “Wake Me Up”, and the darkness of “Falling Stars”, though we would never suggest trying those out without the album in its entirety.
The way Lost Leaders has crafted the energy of this album from one song to the next is bar none, and we’re electrified at the prospect of listening all week!
Keep up with Lost Leaders here.
by Meredith Schneider | Mar 1, 2019 | albums, review
Today, blues/soul musician Sugaray Rayford releases his latest full-length, an album titled Somebody Save Me. Starting with first track “The Revelator”, he weaves his quintessential raspy, soulful vocals into the instrumentals like a seasoned pro. While “Time to Get Movin'” speeds the pace up a bit, it also brings a little more southern rock flare into the soundscape, which is less confusing when you remember this talent hails from the great state of Texas. “You and I” is a true love track, something you should convince your significant other to dance with you to.
“My Cards Are on the Table” follows suit in the romance department, though it slows things down even more than its predecessor. While “I’d Kill for You, Honey” has that southern twang to it, “Angels and Devils” takes more of what we would consider a ballad-like approach. “Sometimes You Get the Bear (And Sometimes the Bear Gets You)” feels nostalgic, a piece of “The Twist” haunting it while we sway our hips. The title track slows things way down – anyone else feel like they’re at a sock hop? – while ” Is It Just Me” goes all out in the horns section to introduce itself. “Dark Night of the Soul” rounds it all out with a slightly edgier tone than the rest of the album, though it is one of our absolute favorite tracks in this collection and leaves quite the imprint on your memory.
Keep up with Sugaray Rayford here.
by Meredith Schneider | Mar 1, 2019 | albums, review
Today, Kansas City-based collective Fathers – comprised of Kenneth Storz (Voice, Guitar, Keys), Brooke Honeycutt (Voice, Bells, Percussion), David Littlewood (Voice, Keys, Bells), Matt Guilliams (Bass, Percussion), Bryce VZ (Vibraphone, Voice, Percussion), Josh Seerden (Guitar, Keys, Bass, Percussion), and Celeste Tilley (Trombone, Voice, Percussion) – releases a compelling new EP titled High Horses. First track “Natural Facts” starts out with static, and then one voice becomes many as it layers into a beautiful, wordless harmony. It is only at 1:42 that lyrics are introduced to the track, melancholic and beautiful in their disposition. “PRTND” maintains that same low, thoughtful sound, as the influence of oughts punk is woven into their unique indie sound.
“Guinevere” is welcomed slowly, as gracefully as the name would indicate. The entirety of the track feels delicate compared to its brethren, as it is the only track void of vocals, save for a distorted overlay at the very end. Fathers round out the collection with the title track, a slow yet vibrant display of introspective lyrics and strings amidst a bevy of tranquil sounds. It is absolutely delightful.
Keep up with Fathers here.
