On June 24th, Imperfect Fifth hosted our first official variety show with the indelible Cat Call. An idea sparked by Cat Call founder Brittany Brave, we were more than happen to collaborate it into existence with a badass lineup of incredible female voices. We started the evening with some awkward banter from Imperfect Fifth’s Meredith Schneider, followed by a bangin’ comedy set from Brittany Brave. Jillian Riscoe, Kamber, Jessie Hyde, and Lauren LoGrasso followed, with a night of compliments and good feelings all-around. But, truly, we were there for the talent. And not a single beautiful human disappointed.
Keep your eyes on the scroll for everyone’s tip jars. Remember, we’re all out of work to one degree or another right now, so every little bit helps. Feel free to donate to the Imperfect Fifth Tip Jar, and leave a note for which writer/intern/performer you’d like to support. Enjoy the entertainment, and remember to be kind to yourself and others!
P.S. Please take a moment to adore Brittany Brave, who is the object of our featured photo.
We were blessed with the presence of live music from Extra Medium Pony during night 2 of our Cancelled Plans Continued. The bauble lights threw an ambiance unlike any other. Donate directly to Extra Medium Pony through their Paypal with email realimportantmail@gmail.com, or to the Imperfect Fifth Tip Jar.
Ships Have Sailed did some incredible work as the last act in our 9 hour stretch of talent at Cancelled Plans Music Festival 2020. If you didn’t get a chance to watch live, revisit it now. And be sure to tip if you have the means!
Crowd favorites Scarves made us laugh and dance on Friday night during our Cancelled Plans Music Fest festivities. I got 8 different texts from friends and family about how delightful their particular set was, and I would concur. Catch it in all of its glory below, and don’t forget to tip them here!
We were joined by an artist with the most extraordinary – and borderline believable – backdrop. Sam Himself allowed us all a little space to pretend we were deep breathing in the mountains. The music wasn’t too bad, either. If you like what you hear, as always, please consider donating!
**Apologies for the modest screen shots that were taken as the cover photos for these features. We did what we could with what we had.
Nicole Kiki Jaffe was one of the celebrated artists who donned our “stage” during the Cancelled Plans Music Fest on April 17th, 2020. Celebrate her set below, and feel free to donate to her virtual tip jar if you love what you see and hear as much as we did!
(Yes, we did screen cap the main photo. This one – though blurry – is so delightful, we couldn’t resist!)
Andrew Hozier-Byrne, better known across the globe simply as Hozier, has been an active participant in the live-stream concert trend that is sweeping the globe. The music industry enigma’s most recent endeavor took place on Friday via Billboard Live’s facebook page in an effort to raise money for the Downtown Women’s Center in LA, which focuses on serving and empowering women experiencing homelessness and formerly homeless women. While in his previous livestreams Hozier has been accompanied by bandmate Alex Ryan, he buckled down in his bedroom by himself for this one due to intensification of the lockdown, joined only by his acoustic guitar. After talking a little about the Women’s Center, Hozier jumped into material from his massively successful 2014 self-titled debut, which birthed chart-toppers like “Take Me to Church” and launched him into wide-spread fame.
The Irish musician started off with an acoustic rendition of “To Be Alone”, a bluesy rock number off of his first album. Even without the driving electric guitar and hard-hitting percussion of the original track, Hozier kept all of his power with his soulful vocals and guitar-playing. He then invited fans to send in requests, humbly stating that he could “try and God knows that’s the best I can do” (Yeah, okay Hozier *insert eye-roll here*) before moving into a soft-spoken version of fan-favorite “From Eden”. The beautiful number was accompanied by bright slide-guitar and whispered falsetto brushed across the tops of the airy track’s high notes. “Cool.” Hozier breezily said before diving into some questions from the stream’s viewers.
“What are you some of the ways you’ve been keeping busy during these times?” He read aloud from the comments and questions streaming in at real time. Hozier took the moment to speak of the effect that the pandemic has had on the live event industry and of his own plans for the year. “I’m very very fortunate that I didn’t have touring plans this year. So a lot of musicians and in particular independent musicians, freelancers, anybody involved in event management or gigging….” He trailed off in thought before coming back, restating “I’ve been very very fortunate”. Hozier shared that his plans have not been heavily affected by the pandemic, a fact not all that surprising for a man who’s infamous among fans for backing out of the spotlight for years at a time when he’s not touring to work on his music without the constant pressure typically forced on artists by labels and the public. He did share what he’s been up to though: reading, writing, and walking “at safe distances from other people”.
Hozier spoke a little more about the Women’s Center and encouraged viewers to donate if they could before cutting off his own thoughts. “And- Yeah. What are we doing? I suppose I’ll sing a song” he said with a grin. “That’s what I do”. He spoke on as he tweaked his guitar. “Today was a sad day, sadder than normal. Bill Withers passed away, who I’m sure you’re familiar with, and it’s an absolute tragedy”. He then spoke of Withers influence on him personally before paying tribute to him with a haunting cover of “Ain’t No Sunshine”, one of Withers’ classics. Not surprisingly, he did the soulful track justice, effortlessly building the intensity with his impassioned playing and singing before pulling back to let the last section breathe. “Isn’t that a beautiful song?” He mused.
Hozier followed the heartfelt cover with “Cherry Wine”, one of the most beautiful and patient songs from his debut. Seeing that the album version is a live recording with just acoustic guitar as well, his livestream edition sounded eerily similar and was charged with nostalgia for longtime fans. The world stood still for a couple moments as the musician’s remarkable ability to make everything feel alright washed over like a wave of cool and calm, serving as a personal reminder that if Hozier told me to jump into a volcano he’d probably ask in such a way that I’d not only oblige but think it was a fantastic idea. Remarkable.
There seems to be a tendency among musicians who had a giant breakout hit like Hozier did with “Take Me to Church” to avoid playing these hits when they don’t have to, so I was a bit surprised when he busted out the song that launched him into mainstream popularity back in 2014 to close the set. But Hozier, ever a man of the people (even if he hides from them in the woods for years at a time) brought back the hit for his last song of the night.
“I have not played this song on guitar for um, many moon now, for years I would say”. Hozier teased with a coy smile as he tuned his guitar. “There was a time when I’d play it 3 times a day. So hopefully that will sustain in this first time I’ve played it in years”. Hozier thanked his viewers and Billboard before reminding everyone to donate to the Women’s center one final time.
Not shockingly, he followed that intro with a perfect rendition of the dark and soulful tune, reminding everyone of why we fell in love with his music in the first place.
“Or something to that effect” Hozier said before signing off and returning to his preferred state of anonymity, presumably “In the Woods Somewhere” (Hah, Hozier puns) where he belongs.
“And wash them hands,” Hozier said as he waved his way off the air. Your wish is my command, Hozier.
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.
“Flow” – the new single from Moglii‘s upcoming EP – displays all of electronic artist’s talents and sounds. The introspective lyrics about being “in your Flow” depict one being so in sync with another person that they are basically one with their rhythm. The single makes you want to dance, with a fast paced electronic beat and constant ebbs and flows (no pun intended). Moglii had this to say about the conception of “Flow”:
I wrote “Flow” two years ago during a profoundly formative trip to Tenerife. We camped in the middle of nature and woke up every morning at the sea – it was a surreal experience, seemingly detached from time and space, made even more magical by a special encounter: I fell in love there and put that flow I experienced with this girl into a song. It’s about getting to know each other, the deepening of the relationship and the natural lightness and ease that underlined it all.
With the release of “Flow”, Moglii will begin touring throughout Europe, as we all wait in anticipation for his upcoming EP. You can keep up with Moglii on his socials listed below.
