Porches (aka New York-based musician Aaron Maine) has just released the video for “Back3School,” the fourth single from their fifth studio album All Day Gentle Hold ! out Friday, October 8.
The visuals for the ecstatic, synth-driven track observe Maine as he glides around an all-white soundstage while performing the song for a teacher wearing a transparent nylon mask.
Over the runtime, the video evolves from having straight-on shots of Maine singing to producing sweeping camera angles and rapidly flashing lights as he draws the audience into the crashing conclusion.
This song is a mystery to me, impending doom mixed with total bliss,” Maine said about the single. “The ‘back to school’ trope, but with an underlying anxiety that something might be terribly wrong, or maybe everything is just fine.
Watch the video for “Back3School” below!
Porches 2022 Tour Dates Mar 21 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PDB Mar 22 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace Mar 24 – Detroit, MI @ El Club Mar 25 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues Mar 26 – Saint Paul, MN @ Turf Club Mar 28 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater Mar 29 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge Mar 31 – Vancouver, BC @ Fox Cabaret Apr 1 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos Apr 2 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom Apr 4 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent Apr 5 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theater Apr 6 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar Apr 8 – Dallas, TX @ House Of Blues (Cambridge Room) Apr 9 – Austin, TX @ Scoot Inn Apr 10 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues (Bronze Peacock Room) Apr 12 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West Apr 13 – Nashville, TN @ Exit/In Apr 15 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle Apr 16 – Washington, DC @ Union Stage Apr 18 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom Apr 19 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg Apr 21 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club Apr 22 – Philadelphia, PA @ The First Unitarian Church May 13 – London, UK @ Lafayette May 16 – Paris, FR @ La Maroquinerie May 17 – Amsterdam, NL @ Bitterzoet May 18 – Cologne, DE @ Artheater May 19 – Berlin, DE @ Privatclub
Consisting of guitarist/vocalist Sweeney E. Schragg and bassist/vocalist Kristin Olson, Santa Cruz-based Jazz/Folk duo Winterlark unveils their new EP When I Saw You Stranded There on October 8th. Their union as a duo comes from a perfect storm of synergies, with Sweeney’s prior work as a creative writing instructor and Kristin’s experience working at a small business. Both members complement each other with the ingenuity and tenacity needed for chemistry as musicians. To shape Winterlark’s mishmash of folk, bossa nova, and soul, Kristin took note from her experiences listening to bluegrass, R&B, and pop with family and performing classical music from college, while Sweeney borrowed from his beginnings as a rock n roll guitarist and jazz composition student. The duo shares:
“The music on this album is two people bantering, laughing, ruminating, sparring, and liking each other,” Kristin says. Sweeney notes: “It has been a long time since I’ve written songs with anyone. It’s a dream to work with someone I respect both musically and poetically.” Kristin adds: “I laid down my bass years ago, but the timing in my life enabled me to get back into it. Winterlark has also encouraged me to become a songwriter which I’d never thought I would do.”
The EP provides a perfect soundtrack to easygoing settings, such as a scenic drive along a coastal road or a morning hike through a forest trail. The acoustic soundscape reinforces its cinematic nature as the duo performs with a playful and reassuring chemistry, drawing inspiration from their progression from friends into a couple. This is especially evident in the “Make a Mess With Me”, a flirtatious yet humorous track with the lyrics, “The 14th of June, “Sorry ’bout the screen door,”/Was the first thing she had to say./Off came the gloves, kind of like a prom dress./Guess it had been that kind of day”. Another highlight is “If I Could Put my Finger on Your Pulse”, showing yearning through Sweeney’s pondering on whether his heartbeat comes from his partner’s touch or his wooing. A particular standout is the politically charged closer “Rage (Privilege Comes Apart)”, a commentary on racial injustice with vocals delivered in an angrier tone and the lyrics “Never wanna watch another black or brown reduced to just a name”.
Sweeney: “Our EP, When I Saw You Stranded There, features songs about zany beginnings—in a La La Land style traffic jam, on a veranda where smokers laugh, through a broken screen door. Having come together in our own zany beginning, that’s where our fictional storytelling first took Kristin and me.”
Kristin: “This EP gives a glimpse into the dynamic of two really good friends, who kid each other, bounce ideas around, and skeptically consider the world. Sweeney and I spend time everyday throwing words and music back and forth. Whether the story that emerges is our reaction to persistent injustice, as in the song “Rage (Privilege Comes Apart),” or a complete, sassy fiction, as in the title track, it is this back and forth that gives each song its unique energy.”
Sweeney: “Producer Cookie Marenco of Blue Coast Music recorded our uncluttered duo—upright bass, Lowden acoustic guitar, and vocals—in the Extended Sound Environment that she has developed, capturing the live in-studio performance of each song, unvarnished, tonally rich, quirks intact.”
When I Saw You Stranded There drops on all streaming platforms October 8th.
Brooklyn-based indie rock trio Anna Sun illustrates the euphoric and unforgettable feeling of finding true love with the video for their debut single “Mine.” The pastel-singed visuals follow vocalist and guitarist Sam Aneson’s endeavors to ensure her lover understands how confident she is in their relationship and how much they mean to her at the end of the day.
Accompanied by performances from bassist Andrew Shewaga and drummer Nikola Balać, the video encapsulates the dreamy, vibrant energy from the track while also adding a layer of lighthearted humor that helps it stand out from the crowd and any other productions as of late.
I started this song with the intention of writing a bubblegum love song, and it turned into this larger than life, kind of romanticization of codependency. I think there’s something overly optimistic about the style of this song that matches the lyrical content.
I spent so much of my life obsessing about being in a relationship. It was shoved down my throat in the media that I consumed growing up as a girl. Prince Charming and all that. It became exhausting, and it started distracting me from bettering myself. I realized my programming at some point in my twenties and made a distinct effort to not make romance my number one priority. This song came out of the concept in my head I was drugged with my whole life.
The speaker is making her current relationship out to be absolutely perfect, the missing puzzle piece to her life. “I can do anything now, since I’m with you! I’ve been waiting forever for someone like you, and now I have everything I could ever want!” There’s a part two to this song, and it’s a rude awakening.
I have always struggled with codependency, and I think this song was my attempt to take the piss out on myself. The idea that another person being your partner can make you invincible is not a very healthy concept, in my opinion. I mean, I don’t know about you, but the only way I’m going to stand in the rain and not get wet is with an umbrella, not because I have a boo.
Check out our exclusive premiere below, and then show the band some love over on Facebook!
Producer: Sam Aneson Co-Producers: Nikola Balać, Andrew Shewaga Director: Sam Aneson, Nick Snow, Stephanie LeBlanc DP: Nick Snow Stylist: Liana Mack Editor: Sam Aneson, Nick Snow
Everyday is always the right time to get sentimental with a special loved one. In today’s age when sporadic hookups are common, events move at a million miles and people are wrapped up in their own world, it’s easy to lose track of who means the most to you. Jade Novah doesn’t lose sight of her outward affections with her latest single “I Just Wanna Know”. The Atlanta-based singer/songwriter shines on a silky smooth 1970s R&B groove produced by Devin Johnson, complete with girl group-esque backing vocals, finger snaps, and strings swelling throughout the track.
The soundscape of the track evokes a heavenly feel as Novah escapes into a special place to embrace the lover in her life. When she sings, “Got the voodoo and it’s good for you, I’m always in the mood, In the mood for you”, Novah emphasizes how much she’s head over heels in love and lust. The bluntness of her sentiments is intertwined with an earnest sweetness, fully capturing the aura of a true relationship that can envelop a person. Jade Novah explains:
‘I Just Wanna Know’ is about that point in a relationship when desire & love are in perfect harmony. When you’re in that honeymoon haze, you look at everything through the lens of love. Even the harmonies and vintage instrumentation in the music feel like a dreamy escape from reality.
It’s hard to function after being in an unhealthy situation, but it’s even harder to overcome and embrace your emotions so you can become a better person at the end of the day. Miami-born Spanish singer-songwriter Jacqueline Loor takes listeners through this laborious yet rewarding journey on her debut album, Show Them, due to release this Friday. In response to seeing her sister endure a toxic relationship and eventually gaining the courage to leave her partner, the mother of two wrote this collection of empowering songs to inspire others to thrive and do the same.
At the beginning of the album, Loor recognizes how her relationship is in shambles and reminisces how it used to be. Over time, she realizes how her significant other is only a distant echo of who they once were until she cuts them off from her life and finally gets the opportunity to exhale without them breathing down her back. This alone time allows her to find her footing and take the reigns of her life back, so she can show the world how she can soar and carry on without her former lover.
Although she just started singing several years ago, at the age of 36, Loor’s commanding vocals and intricate, vulnerable lyricism shine throughout, ultimately sounding like an intriguing blend of the cinematic melancholia of Lana Del Rey and the ecstatic optimism of Sara Bareilles. With that in mind, if someone told me that some of these songs were from a musical on Broadway, I’d probably take their word for it.
All in all, this project is remarkable, as it aims to empower listeners worldwide to escape the darkness and discover the light inside themselves.
Loors’ passion for performing is ever-increasing, as seen by how the singer-songwriter self-produced one song on the album, “I Broke My Heart,” and has been releasing a variety of songs sung entirely in Spanish as well.
If this is her first comprehensive venture into the music industry, I’m excited to see what she has in store for the years to come.
Harborcoat’s newest LP, “Joy Is Elusive”, debuts on October 1. The sextet, based in Lansing, Michigan, has created a set of songs that are lyrically thoughtful and musically varied. The band’s influences include R.E.M. (the name Harborcoat is from an R.E.M. song), The Smiths, and Billy Bragg and you can hear the impact of those artists on “Joy Is Elusive”.
Band founder and primary songwriter Matthew Carlson explains:
A record titled ‘Joy Is Elusive’ is almost certainly going to be about depression, anxiety and a lifelong struggle with mental illness. That much is true, but there’s more. I think for so many of us, we deny ourselves true joy, or are too afraid to go out and find it. I know that is certainly true in my own experience. The people and the stories in this record are living lives of survival, not a full life. They’re eking out these threadbare existences of shabby surroundings, little hope and the occasional diversion from their struggles. Those diversions most often come by way of self medication or desperate choices with dire consequences. The lyrical content of the album is buoyed by joyous and dense musical foundations. These songs embrace the ethos of what Tom Waits once called, “Beautiful melodies telling me terrible things.” These songs are like short stories with chords. The band name is pulled from an early R.E.M. gem, and the music brims with nods to our heroes. The songs recall the crunchy power pop and harmonies of Teenage Fanclub; the introspection and melodic storytelling of Billy Bragg; and sprinkled in are moments of 80’s esque Brit-Pop or working-class anthems. These influences, however, do not define the record, but they are merely a strand of DNA in Harborcoat’s collective musical helix.
Just before we began recording the record, my Dad died very suddenly. It seemed very likely, I was not going to be in a spot logistically or emotionally to go through with the sessions. My family, and friends all stepped up and convinced me what a tremendous relief it might be to spend a week recording with friends at the family cabin. It was the best possible diversion. I maintain that you can hear our collective grief between the notes of the record, but maybe I just can’t remove myself from it. The loss of my Dad, the uncertainty of the pandemic and the collective anxieties that come will all of that certainly informed the process and the finished product. It feels now like a tribute to ho him that we were able to create something beautiful from all of that darkness.
Two particular track favorites of mine are ‘Help Me Out Somehow’ and ‘Hear Me, I’m Courageous’. Both have spirited, Indie rock melodies with poignant lyrics. Following the release of “Joy Is Elusive”, Harborcoat heads out on an eight city tour to finish up 2021.
Desert Liminal just released their video for their song “Watercolor” from their upcoming LP Glass Fate, which comes out November 19.
The transitions from the paintings to real life were one of my favorite features in this video. It definitely screamed, “life imitates art!” Creatively, it was a really smart decision to add that in because it really added something different into the video. It was really cool that the paintings being present in the video matched the lyrics as well, since they talk about a painter.
The song itself has a meditative and vibey composition to it, which is portrayed rather well in the music video. It has a very nature-esque feel to it as well, and most of the shots take place in nature. In just about every scene of the video, there was some sort of nature competent present. Whether that be the real life outdoors, flowers in a vase, or a tapestry of a field on the wall, it is easy to tell that nature was a big inspiration here in this video.
Make sure to check out Desert Liminal, as well as the music video for “Watercolor,” and be on the lookout for their LP Glass Fate on November 19!
Written and performed by Desert Liminal Produced by Robby Haynes and Ziyad Asrar at Strange Magic Recording Directed and Edited by Sarah Jane Quillin Paintings by Kerry Couch Featuring Mallory Linehan and Kerry Couch
Have you ever been intoxicated by how in love you are with someone?
Canadian bedroom rocker Ryan Bourne certainly has, as he declares on his latest single “Wasted World.” The new track is one of many from his upcoming album Plant City that Bourne orchestrated with beloved psych-folk singer-songwriter Chad VanGaalen and JUNO Award-winning drummer/producer Chris Dadge.
The melody for “Wasted World” came from a dream, with lyrics playing on the theme of being hopelessly love-sick. “I got this sickness” – all the ecstatic, chaotic, nauseating overwhelm of being “in love”. Groaning synths off the top embody the anticipation of excitement to the point of nausea; bleak lyrics are juxtaposed with thumping toms and power chords because let’s face it, it can also be fun as f*ck.
Watch the video for the song co-directed by Bourne and Rebecca Reid below!
In 2021, society feels hollow as people form barriers and images of themselves when forming new connections through the age of social media. Egghunt Records artist Alyssa Gengos trudges through productive routines at home as a shell of her vibrant self in the video for her upcoming single “Mechanical Sweetness”. The VHS-esque cinematography captures a sense of Alyssa’s inner vulnerabilities and yearning for true intimacy as she wanders around activities as if there’s a missing presence filling the void of energy in her life. The video provides a poignant contrast to the track’s sweet yet urgent feel with thumping drums and strings swelling in gradually as Alyssa pleads for an earnest relationship. The artist explains:
Mechanical Sweetness” is a song about my immense frustration with the way we form human (and more specifically, romantic) connections nowadays. Social media and dating apps have turned human interaction into a painful game. These digital ways of communication have caused me so much stress, and my attempts at forging relationships through them have been short-lived and veiled with thin layers of politeness. When the charade between two people who don’t really know each other finally ends, these relationships can be exposed for what they frequently are: unbalanced, unhealthy, and lacking compassion. Sonically, this song mirrors my experiences with largely digital relationships. In the beginning, there are quiet moments of sparse communication where anxiety runs high, eventually leading to an outburst of emotion followed by a period of insecurity and self-questioning.
Check out the video for “Mechanical Sweetness” and stay tuned for Alyssa’s next LP out in 2022.
