by ImperfectFifth | Jun 7, 2018 | 5 to 7, videos
Portland-based alt/pop My Brothers and I might be busy prepping for the release of their EP material, but the next piece in that EP puzzle belongs to “When You’re Ready”, for which the music video has been taking center stage since its release in late May.
We’re absolutely smitten with this quintet, so we decided to do a quick interview to celebrate all their (amazing!) release news as of late. Check it out below!
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How did you all meet?
Scott, Erik, and I (David) are really brothers, so we met because we had to. Then Jordan and Scott have been besties since 2nd Grade and Jordan held me when I was a baby. So he is basically our brother.
Your song “When You’re Ready” has a very unique sound, what inspired that?
For the entire EP coming soon, we wanted to write pop music and have it feel like it could be on Top 40 radio, while also staying true to what makes us different. In most of our new songs, we have a mixture of real instruments and samples. We wanted to create a hybrid that competes with a lot of the digitally created pop music you hear, without going full-blown digital. We have a lot of real piano, real guitar, real drums, and real bass, while also throwing in some synths and 808 drum beats. This is especially shown off in When You’re Ready. The vibe may feel familiar, but the execution is what we feel sets it apart. It’s organic pop!
The video for “When You’re Ready” has an interesting story that revolves around a dissatisfied model. How did you come up with the concept for the video?
The “When You’re Ready” music video idea was actually brought to us by the producer of the video. He reached out and pitched his idea and we really liked it right away. We knew we didn’t want the video to just be a direct narrative of the lyrical content and his idea felt like a pretty cool metaphor that makes sense with the lyrics without being a direct representation. We had a blast working on it and are super happy with how it turned out.
Who inspires you as artists?
We are all a bunch of music sponges. We love to listen to music and are constantly listening to the New Music Friday playlist on Spotify. So more recently we have been vibing on that new Shawn Mendes album (no shame). In general we have always been inspired by bands and artists like John Mayer, OneRepublic, Justin Timberlake, Michael Jackson, Coldplay, The Roots, and so many others.
Where to you hope to see yourself musically in the next five years?
I think we would love to be settling into a nice career and a nice rhythm of being full time musicians. This journey has been so much fun and taken a ton of work and will continue to take a ton of work, but I think if we could be releasing a 3rd or 4th album by then and have a solid foundation and fan base, that would be a huge blessing. For us, we just want to change lives. It sounds cliché but we aren’t just doing music because it’s fun. We want to make a difference in people’s lives and touch people’s souls with our music. Make them feel something deeper than just surface level. If we get to a place where we can be playing and releasing music and use our platform to be a light in this world, that would be reaching our ultimate goal.
If you could describe your sound, what would it be?
I think organic pop is probably the best way to describe our sound. We love all types of music. We grew up on jazz and rock and hip hop and blues. We try to just be ourselves when we write and not stray away from that jazzy guitar lick, or that fat hip hop drum beat. We find ways to implement the past in a pop way with real instruments.
What is your favorite part about working together as a band?
Collaborating in everything we do is so much fun. Whether its ideas for live shows, writing songs, or what to do for an Instagram story, we all just love being around each other and goofing off. We try not to take things too seriously and just stay true to who we are. If you ever get a chance to see us live, we think this shines through. We just have a blast and I basically view every transition as a chance to make the crowd laugh or smile… and occasionally cry (in a good way).
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Keep up with My Brothers & I here, and preorder their EP here.
by ImperfectFifth | Jun 7, 2018 | perspective
In the summer of 1984 I was four years old. I was over at my aunt’s apartment hanging out with my cousin who is about ten years older than me. She had some friends over and they were listening to music and dancing around listening to a tape that was unlike anything my tiny brain had ever heard, nothing like Conway Twitty, nothing like Itsy Bitsy Spider. The shit was FUNKY with electronic hand claps and a vocoder vocal part that kept saying “electricity” over and over.
I haven’t thought about this in twenty years and had to look it up before writing this.
It was the song “Electricity” by the band Midnight Star off their album No Parking On The Dance Floor. This record also has the track “Freak-A-Zoid”, which is a term I still use daily but didn’t know where it came from until right now reading their Wikipedia page.
This is the type of freaky electro funk that has stood the test of time. There is probably, right now as I write this, a hipster in a warehouse somewhere high as fuck on dolphin tranquilizers shaking his or her ass to this. Also, this shit is like 8 minutes long–it just keeps on giving.
Later that evening I was sitting at my granny’s kitchen table underneath the painting, that I think everybody’s grandparents have, of the old guy with the white beard and flannel shirt praying with a loaf of bread and a bowl of soup on a table in front of him. I’ve got one hanging in my kitchen and there’s also one hanging in the bar I go to. I don’t even know what it’s called but I love it. My dad came in and I told him about the song and he was like “Oh yeah, I know that song, it’s great! I’ll pick you up a copy from the record store.”
I was excited and couldn’t wait to listen to it over and over.
The next day he gave me this album. I put it on my little Fisher Price record player but it wasn’t the same. I said, “Dad, whats this!? Where’s the handclaps and the wiggly sounding synthesizer and the robot voice!?” He said, “Naaah, this is what you wanted right? This is the Police son! This is the shit!”
Turns out it was not “Electricity” by Midnight Star but rather “Synchronicity” by the Police. I’m not sure whether he knew he was making a mistake or not. Maybe he thought that I wouldn’t notice. Maybe he had been wanting to buy this record but was embarrassed and then relieved at the opportunity to purchase it under the guise of fulfilling the wishes of his son.
I was fucking livid.
Many years have gone by since the first time I listened to “Electricity” by Midnight Star at my cousin’s dance party in my aunt’s apartment in Shreveport as a young child. I’ve remained haunted by Sting well into my adulthood. This was strongly reinforced by his portrayal of Feyd Rautha in Dune. First you shit on Midnight Star and then you try to take out the Kwizatz Zaderach? You really gotta have ALL them fucking candles in your music video? Tantric sex, etc…
So, my first record was Synchronicity by The Police, but it was supposed to be No Parking On The Dance Floor by Midnight Star. I don’t know if its influence is immediately apparent in my songwriting but it’s there for sure. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat with my heart beating like an 808 hand clap and hear that sweet vocoder melody out there calling to me from the darkness.
Keep up with Chuck Westmoreland here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jun 6, 2018 | snapshot, visual
Day 3 of Sasquatch! 2018 brought many surprises, including a widely celebrated mid-day set from Charly Bliss at the Yeti stage. We are smitten, and have some fun live shots to prove it.
Keep up with Charly Bliss here.
by Karina Marquez | Jun 6, 2018 | premieres, videos
Nashville-based songwriter Ellen Starski delivers a beautiful folk-rock ode to the ups and downs of a relationship with her new video for “Missing You” from her debut solo album The Days When Peonies Prayed for the Ants. The combination of the black-and-white tone of the video with the title of the song sets up the expectation of heartbreak, but the video does more than that. It shows its viewers the stages of this couple’s relationship, allowing for a somber narrative that emphasizes the importance of emotion rather than what you see happening in front of you. Starski explains the ambiguity of the video, saying “there’s truly no message attached to the song, it’s there for an audience to take from it what they will.”
Starski’s thoughtful lyrics shine through the gloominess of the video, showing her ability to create something personal that truly expresses how she feels, and the viewer can feel that as well. It’s more than your typical sad music video, and Starski wanted to show “the rise and fall of [this] relationship that was more than just the traditional flashback scenes and performances that seem to be the trend.” As a result, “Missing You” is a sad yet powerful song with a video that depicts the reality of many people’s lives and relationships.
Check out the video here and keep up with Ellen Starski on her website.
by Meredith Schneider | Jun 6, 2018 | albums, premieres
Portland-based art-folk musician Michael Charles Smith is hitting a high note with the soundscape provided by his often ambient melodies and soft – yet assertive – vocals in his new 12-track release, In The Shadow. Bathed in a raspiness that is both emphatic and ethereal, Smith’s lyrics are apt to tug at the heartstrings of many, as they paint him as a vulnerable, masterful lyricist.
Beginning with the upbeat track “Hello Hello”, the album establishes a true journey for the listener, pace changing with each no track, and mindsets shifting from one end of the spectrum to the other, as he repeats, “I’ll die alone” in third track “Angel, and then softly croons, “I must have fallen in love” immediately following, in fourth track “One Word”.
The variety in the soundscape of In The Shadow makes sense, when the album is put into context. Inspired by his past struggles with addiction, Smith has come to terms with his circumstances, transforming that energy into a beautifully well-rounded body of work that you might never turn off. We’ve got the exclusive streaming premiere below.
Keep up with Michael Charles Smith here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jun 6, 2018 | snapshot, visual
Day 3 of Sasquatch! Music Festival 2018 brought many surprises with it, including an unforgettable set from Big Thief of the Yeti stage. Check out our photos below
Keep up with Big Thief here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jun 6, 2018 | snapshot, visual
Day 3 of Sasquatch! Music Festival 2018 gave us two of the best “Alex”-centric acts we could have ever dreamed of. Alex Lahey and Sandy Alex G played their hearts out, and we nabbed some quick photos of the fun.
Keep up with Alex Lahey here and Sandy Alex G here.
by Abby Trapp | Jun 5, 2018 | albums, review
Jessie Kilguss recently released her latest album, The Fastness. The Fastness is the fifth album for the Brooklyn based singer/songwriter. The alternative-indie artist has a lot of things to offer on her latest album. The Fastness is an album of regrets, hope, love, and wanderlust. Jessie’s voice and style brings weight to the album as you can hear the Stevie Nicks and Norah Jones influences. The album has ten tracks, each song a little different from the last. “The Master” is a song about a person of great wisdom, holding the key to all the answers. Leaving his followers behind, Jessie asks “Who will be the oracle when he is gone?” “New Start,” tells the story of one’s ability to believe in love again. The hopeful and upbeat song will lift your spirits with lyrics like “I thought it was over, but I made a new start,” “Now I’m ready to be mystified, I know I’m not the only one,” and my favorite “You changed my mind.”
Jessie shows us her darker side on “Hell Creek.” The song is full of sinful regret, shame, and morbid themes. “I knew I the time had come to break myself free- and every thing went red,” cries out the singer. The song remains haunting with the line “Going down to hell creek, wash the blood off my hands.” The artist also shows off her love for travel and the world with “Spain,” and “Rainy Night in Copenhagen.” I completely related to the song “Spain” as I once fell in loved with Madrid and the beautiful lyric “Maybe I’ll find it here- Spain stretched out in front of me.” It describes the country perfectly. “Rainy Night in Copenhagen,” is a place to leave all your troubles. “So peaceful, so far away from home,” Jessie sings on the countryside. “I’m not ready to go home,” laments the artist as the song is a feeling of wanderlust, a thirst for the world- something we all experience at least once in our lives. The Fastness provides a variety of melodies to feed your soul, heart and mind. Jessie’s beautiful voice and thoughtful lyrics will take you to a peaceful place that is all your own.
The Fastness is currently available on major streaming services. Get your copy here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jun 5, 2018 | singles, wolf tracks
Our world is so fast-paced and upbeat nowadays, that it can feel impossible to escape the craziness. Let yourself do that with San Diego-born Jean Dawson‘s new track “Bull Fighter”. Beginning at a leisurely pace, Dawson will first make you fall in love with his raspy vocals, before breaking out into a more abrasive set of lyrics. But it’s the raw truth that he brings to light that makes the song that much more appealing, causing blood to pump through your veins faster with every line despite its slower pace.
Perhaps his truth will set you free, perhaps not. But either way this 22-year-old is one to watch.
Keep your eyes peeled for his 9-track release Bad Sports, due out this summer. More info can be found here.
