Though Travis Atria has been engaged in creative endeavors for years – he is the frontman of pop-rock collective Morningbell, he co-wrote Curtis Mayfield’s official biography, and has authored other projects – his new project Atria has been gaining traction as of late. Good news, since its debut LP is set to release early next month. With the success of the project’s first two singles – “Lucky” and “Love Theme” – there seem to be nothing but blue skies ahead for this solo endeavor.
Today, we have the exclusive premiere of the third single leading into next week’s album release. “Jazz Cigarette” is a timely piece on global warming, relayed in a way that strangely calms your anxieties. While the “Temperature’s always rising / Ocean’s acidifying” (Hello, rhythmic lyricism!), he finds peace in an object. In a way, Atrias is letting us all bum a stress-reducing “Jazz Cigarette” off of him, to reduce the overwhelm of our responsibility to the planet and our future.
The accompanying video is a solid collection of city views around New York that romanticize the passing cars and gorgeous architecture. With Atrias’ soothing vocals playing over it all, it feels like a love letter to Manhattan. We dig.
Moonbrain is out Friday, April 2, on Gold Robot Records.
On Friday night (3.19) we hung out at the Park The Van Records showcase. Everyone’s own unique ambiance added to the intimate nature of each incredible performance. Johnny Aries kicked it off strong with a track and our first parking cone of the night.
Sacramento’s own Best Move followed mellowing the mood out a bit more. Their debut LP is due later this year.
Brighton-based talent Steven Bamidele came third, with a traffic cone in his own recording space. His was our favorite performance of the evening.
Fan favorite Mae Powell followed, adding back in some moody lighting to reflect the Friday night mood.
Neighbor Lady‘s set came from a very open and beautifully lit space, taking advantage of the most gorgeous natural light. The warm tones enhanced the warmth and energy of the tracks, and we found ourselves grooving during this set.
BOYO brought intrigue to the space, rounding out the evening with Park The Van Records. We are big-time fans of their energy, and looking forward to more from this project.
We got the Instagram takeover of a lifetime this week with the phenomenal LACES on our lineup. But we were also sitting on her new single all week, and are thrilled that she (finally) shared it with the world on March 19th!
Do yourselves a favor this weekend and spend some quality time with “Breaking Me Heart.” Its pace and instrumental construction make it the perfect anthemic track, really infusing an all-too-common and melancholic story with powerful energy you wouldn’t otherwise expect. The self-awareness is palpable, the vocals an extra, vulnerable form of gorgeous.
“Right now, the music I’m making feels like a conversation and an observation, and less of a judgment.” We would agree, and we’re so very grateful for this phase of her creative journey.
Athens, GA based collective Lo Talker has our wheels spinning as we head into the weekend with their debut album A Comedy of Errors. An album that takes a look at modern times through a humorous, and often biting, sarcastic lens. Through twelve genre-bending tracks, this quintet boasts influence and talent that makes this feel like their fifth album together, not their first. And perhaps that’s where the magic lies here.
As much personality as they’ve injected into the lyrics themselves, there is so much more to this layered work of art. For example, the meandering tone to tracks like “Heaven In Drag”, “Unkown Transmission Arrives”, and “Sift” brags on the delicacy these incredible musicians are capable of, while instrumentals in songs like “Don’t Hide That Light Pt. II” and “Two Ghosts” play with dissonance and give us more of that noisy, grunge influence despite the soft, mellifluous vocals. They even bring some 80s influence to it with “Silvery – Shadow Or Shadow”, which is dusted with glittering synth for effect.
Rhythmically, our favorite is “Nero In The News,” but “Automatic Love” could just be our new favorite (at home) karaoke banger, if not solely for the fact that you can’t help but smile while listening to it. (Nostalgia pop at its finest, my friends.)
Comedy of Errors is out now. Keep up with Lo Talker here.
SXSW is finally upon us, and the digital experience is absolutely wild. Montreal-based 7-piece rock collective TEKE::TEKE is set to perform at the M for Montreal/Brooklyn Vegan showcase on Thursday, March 18th between 7 and 8 pm CST. We got a quick chat in with guitarist Serge Nakauchi Pelletier ahead of their SXSW Digital performance, which curiously involved talking about hygiene standards around aliens.
What was the first song or album that you remember hearing, and does that work of art have any influence on how you approach your music today?
The first music I remember hearing was the first album by The Kinks, Ennio Morricone’s ‘The Good, the bad and the ugly’, and Nakajima Miyuki’s ‘Aishite Iru To Ittekure’ from my parents collection. That right there has everything to do with what I’m doing today with TEKE::TEKE and how I do it. It didn’t occur to me until just recently, but it makes a whole lot of sense. I owe everything that I’m doing now to my parents and the early moments of music we’ve had together.
What was the first thing you did this morning? Woke up to the sound of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s theme for the film ‘The Revenant.’
What is your morning ritual like? Some stretching, green tea, and some reading in the bathroom.
If you could perform three of your songs live for our audience right now, what would they be? They would be the exact three songs we performed for the SXSW event we took part in : those are ‘Kala Kala’, ‘Barbara’ and ‘Meikyu’. I feel they really capture the essence and energy of the band.
Clearly nothing compares to a live, in-person show, but these livestreams have fed the energy a lot of audiophiles and fans throughout the pandemic. What have you loved about performing digitally? Three things come to mind : 1- Playing with the band 2- Seeing other people (technicians, camera crew, etc.) 3- The thought of making a difference in the lives of people watching.
Any thoughts on the digital SXSW experience this year? I can only speak for myself and the experience of the event TEKE::TEKE took part in, which was extremely well-organized and fun. The whole set-up and visuals were cool and should look good online!
What is your routine like on performance days? Just making sure that my mind isn’t too clogged with stuff, that I’m hydrated enough, I’ll do some stretching, some exercises, focus on my breathing, maybe a little warm-up on the guitar, and with the band we always do a little rallying cry that goes ‘TEKE TEKE YEAH!!!’.
What is one thing that you think is underrated? Rant about it. Non-automatic stuff, haha… or things that demand manual work. For example, I just recently bought a coffee grinder (for my occasional cup of decaf coffee). I could’ve gotten one of those electric/plastic grinders but I chose to go for an all-metal and manual grinder, the one with a handle that you need to turn over and over. I figured: when in my life do I get to do something like this?… this kind of motion, as the fresh smell of coffee grain being crushed to powder rises to my nose. Just because the technology’s there doesn’t mean you have to do it that way. Give me handles, buttons, things to pull, to push! Haha… manual work, please!
If you could order carryout from any place within 10 minutes of your home right now, where would you go tonight? What would you have there? Within 10 minutes, I would order and pick up from that Indian restaurant right on the corner of the street and have their delicious vegetarian thali. If I dared walk 20 minutes more though, I’d definitely go to this place called ‘Fleurs et Cadeaux’ here in Montreal’s Chinatown, my new favorite Japanese joint.
Aliens. The government admitted their existence and alluded to involvement, but we kind of skated past it during the pandemic. Do you think they’re enemies, or would you gladly accept an abduction to hang out with them? I know this is actually true and I’m waiting to sit with them and chat. As long as they have their masks on.
There are so many amazing places to go when you want to get inspired. Where are you headed to next? Can’t really go anywhere right now can we?… However, I’ll say this: personally my ‘place’ for inspiration has more to do with where I am in my mind than where I am physically. That has been a blessing during this pandemic as the inspiration juices just kept flowing.
What has been your favorite way to stay grounded during the pandemic? I consider myself among the very lucky ones whose lives have not been affected by the pandemic in a major way. Yes, shows were canceled, some contracts were postponed, but all in all, I’ve been able to keep the same lifestyle as before, if not even a little better so, with more time on my hands and less stress. To stay grounded (whether during a pandemic or not), I need to stay creative and keep a certain diversity in what I do. Exercise is a must, for both mind and body as they are indubitably linked. Feed my curiosity, stay aware and open, learn things, get good sleep and think of others.
Anything else you’d like to add? Check out our music videos for the songs ‘Meikyu’ and ‘Yoru Ni’ on YouTube and watch for our upcoming album ‘Shirushi’ out on May 7th with Kill Rock Stars.
Hang in there, we’ll see you live somewhere real soon! Peace!
From the first, bluesy lines, you can tell this song is about to hit you in your feels. 18-year-old Zola captures the modern teenage social landscape perfectly, as it is rife with backstabbing “frenemies” and the like. (But we aren’t speaking from experience or anything like that.) Explains Zola:
“[‘Not Like Other Girls’ is about] finding the courage to stand up for one’s self in the face of a bullying or gaslighting ‘friend.’ The phrase is inherently misogynistic, labeling other girls as inferior. The irony is that this girl who thinks herself superior is actually the opposite.”
What a deeply layered and gorgeous song. But it is the rhythm and standout vocals that really tell the story here, and we are stoked to see what direction Zola takes us in 2021. Allow yourself to melt into the music below.
Jazz folk artist Queen Bonobo is releasing her new single “Throw Me In” this Friday. A song that teeters a line between theatrical and folk music, the lead single from her forthcoming EP draws obvious inspiration from the Irish countryside she resided in while studying the music of her ancestors. This song was born from her time abroad while feeling disconnected and lonely on her new journey. The lyrics hold a powerful message, something to enjoy as we head into the tail end of the week.
Leading up to the release, we actually have your very first listen below. Check it out, and let us know what you think over on Facebook!
Pop-rock talent Jillian Riscoe was gracious enough to share her new track “People in The Real World” with us to premiere during our Women’s Month Instagram Live series this week. A songstress out of Kansas City, Riscoe has found a way to balance the fine line between intense ballad and soulful anthem, while bringing in futuristic sounds to really play with our ability to classify it. Endearing work, to say the least, and the track is available to enjoy now!
Right now, nostalgia comes in waves. Enjoying a song from our past, Re-discovering a snack we used to love. Engaging in re-releases with new traits, flipping through memory books, and digging through the past. Memories can be healing, especially in today’s health and political climate, and the memory of a live performance can be fleeting.
Singer-songwriter Jen Grinels plays on our nostalgic hearts with the release of her Live Volume 1 full-length, recorded over three nights in early 2019 at The Music Box in Cleveland, OH, Rams Head Onstage in Annapolis, MD, and Avalon Theater in Easton, MD. The live music experience, something we haven’t been able to indulge in for an entire year, encapsulated in one gorgeous collection.
The light echoes from the sound bouncing off the walls of each venue, the magical eccentricities that live music brings with it. From the first mellow track “I Know Your Heart” through the soulful “Don’t Wanna Be Happy” and “Misery,” to the slow ballad-like presentation of “The Feeling,” Grinels powerfully champions multi-genre entertainment. And she doesn’t stop there, as “Can’t Stay Here” has roots in country with a little grunge flare. The sheer feeling (ha!) that rushes over you while playing this album gives you chills, as you imagine being at a live event in the future, singing into the open night air on a gorgeous evening.
That’s what this collection feels like. Live Volume 1 provides a little bit of hope at the end of this crazy pandemic tunnel. And doesn’t that just feel good right now?
