On May 25th – otherwise known as Day 1 at Sasquatch! Music Festival in Quincy, Washington – The Suffers made a phenomenal performance overlooking a beautiful crowd at The Gorge close to sunset. It was an invigorating set, adequately preparing us all for a long night of wonderful music. We got some photos of the set, as well as a couple of portraits with leader singer Kam Franklin and drummer Nick Zamora.
Keep up with The Suffers here.
Nashville based singer/songwriter Connor Leimer just released his latest single “Brooklyn,” which has heartfelt but sweet lyrics and paints a bittersweet picture of love. “I never know just how to feel, I never know just how to feel about you,” sings a confused Leimer. The chorus “You’ll go back to Brooklyn and leave me here” absolutely tugs at my heart, as will most of this song. While the lyrics aren’t the brightest, the feel of the song has an upbeat bop to it. With a jazz feel, Leimer is reminiscent of Michael Buble, but in indie fashion. “Brooklyn” is a simple yet meaningful song that suits a rainy day, or a corner spot in a cafe, reading an old book. This is just the beginning for Connor, as this is the first song off of his upcoming project with Nashville sensation Matt Rollings.
Keep up with Leimer here.
Here are some of my favorite tracks. I tend to never keep my musical taste within one genre and this collection is the epitome of my ever-changing taste. I draw a ton of inspiration from each of these songs, whether they are new or old, they still hold a strong spot in my personal musical charts.
After premiering on Ones to Watch, Sophia Black’s latest single, “Blessed” is out, acting as a taster for her up coming EP. Throughout the track, listeners become immediately uplifted by the upbeat and lively nature of Black’s bright soundscape. Not only is this single full of energy, but there is so much personal meaning in the lyrics for the artist herself that the emotion in each line is almost tangible. Since her first appearance on stage in 2014, Black has been working to master her individual sound and really hone in on her wide variety of cultural backgrounds that range from Native American to Japanese. Her last EP was released in 2015 and was the home of not one, but several international hits that garnered several million views.
With all of this excitement surrounding the release of “Blessed,” Sophia has commented on the origins of this spunky new single. In her own words she stated, “It felt like all I could think of was bad stuff,” she recalls, “so when I got into the studio with Naz, I started writing down every positive opposite of what I was thinking… and voila! Blessed!”
Within this track, Black was able to capture this sentiment perfectly with the hip, bring beats and her amazing, dreamy vocal skills. Now that she is back on the radar, fans around the globe will be looking forward to her next EP, Hi Sweetie.
“Mirror Mirror” is the latest single by German based band, Sky Blue Skin. “Mirror Mirror” is creepily powerful and has a femme fatale power vibe to it with sultry vocals. “Love is mean and cruel, plays it for a fool,” purrs the vocals. Sky Blue Skin shows no mercy on “Mirror Mirror.” It is no “falling in love” track. In fact, the band is just here to remind you that your heart will be broken. “And once again you end up all alone,” and “I never want to see your joy,” are lyrics without a happy ending. I loved the western rock feel that Sky Blue Skin brings to “Mirror Mirror.” Even more, I love how the band makes love seem dangerous, unattainable, and in the end downright foolish and stupid. This is definitely a power song, and listening to it made me feel like a heart breaker myself. Check out Sky Blue Skin’s latest “Mirror Mirror” below.
Keep up with Sky Blue Skin here.
IAKO is excited to release his debut EP Queen of Balance. Raised in Venice, IAKO (also known as Jacopo Rosetto) draws inspiration for his music through memories of canals, poetry, and relaxing soundscapes. His EP consists of six tracks in total which include his single “Paint” and “Queen of Balance.” “Paint” is a soulful track with powerful lyrics. “My heart is yours/You can paint it as you want,” sings IAKO. A love song of hopeless infatuation, the track is almost, in a sense, sad. “You can play with it as you want,” IAKO says of his heart. Combining the sounds of IAKO’s beautiful voice, piano, and lyrical thoughtfulness, “Paint” will take your heart home.
Title track “Queen of Balance,” remains a little more fast paced but keeps a somber mood. “I’m no king, and you’re the queen of balance,” proclaims IAKO. Also realizing sadness, IAKO asks “Why would you crush the fortress we built?” A plead to his queen, IAKO sings of the king he will never be. My favorite line is “You bring me down, so down,” because while hurt remains, how can you not see the person you love a royalty regardless of actions? My favorite song on this EP is “Vanishing Point.” Unlike most of the tracks, “Vanishing Point” starts off with a jazzy upbeat feel. It remains hopeful and references art in a fascinating way. “We’re just two parallel lines, so close but so far from the vanishing point, from the vanishing point.” “Take my silence, and decorate your walls,” the song pleads.
Queen of Balance is an emotive display of indie-folk with lyrical creativity that really makes you want to listen.
Queen of Balance is out now. Keep up with IAKO here.
Although there are many ways to describe electronica’s newest sweetheart Amy Owens, one of the most accurate would have to be “charismatic.” As one of the only artists that own her type of special sound, there is a lot of freedom in the way she performs and records and fans all around the world are eating it up. Most recently, the long awaited album, Haethor is being prepared to be released and is scheduled to drop this Friday, May 25. Along with a single that had an incredible debut on IMPOSE, “Hook”, twelve other tracks have been put together that compose her full length album. Unconventional beauty is showcased as one of Owens’ specialties in each of the tracks which is sure to satisfy fans that have been long awaiting its release.
Like all of her releases in the past, Haethor, named after the Egyptian goddess of music, is the unorthodox combination of electronica and intense operatic bursts throughout each track. As a talented soprano, Owens owns each jump in pitch with apparent ease that grans the attention of the listener and pulls them even deeper into the almost psychedelic atmosphere that her unique soundscape creates.
Although all of the tracks on this new album come together under the same unique style, they are written from a diverse range of backgrounds and view points that assure each track can stand on its own. As each track weaves between operatic scales, to electronica, to complex sonic landscapes, one may wonder from where Owens draws her inspiration. Speaking on this subject, she stated,
“I don’t think about drawing from any style in particular, but I am very much aware that my tastes are shaped by the music with which I surround myself. Mostly, that’s classical music, because that’s what I do. A lot of the music I listen to is fairly complex, which is why I tend to write polyphonic and layered parts. And of course, everything has to be fun to sing. You’re talking to a girl who does bel canto, after all. “The Hook” is really difficult to sing, truth be told, but so is opera, so I’m used to it.”
Clearly, this young artist has much to offer to a variety of fans across a very wide spectrum of tastes and preferences. Not only does this allow Owens to expand her fan following at a rapid pace, but it also gives her music the room that it requires to find place in the hearts of fans all over the world. With so much in store for her fans, it will be exciting to see how she keeps us on our toes next.
The album is available now.
Punk-folk band Mike Llerena & The Nerve, just released their first single “Crossfire.” The band is from Gainesville, FL plan to release their debut LP “Old Haunts & New Horizons” on June 15th. “Crossfire” is an enthusiastic rock song and has a 90’s rock feel. “All my force, all my metal, all my reason and you still won’t settle,” rhymes Mike on lead vocals. The song has the perfect amount of “punk angst” to it. “Caught in the corner of a crossfire,” the chorus reinstates the tracks frustration. Aside from the lyrics, Brian Jones on bass and Scott Marshall on drums, really bring the rock to “Crossfire” in a cohesive manner. While their LP won’t be out until June, you can hear the new track below.
Keep up with the band on Facebook .
Boca Raton, Florida native Brandyn Burnette, just released his latest single “Run”, inspired by Burnette’s journey as an artist and a person. The song is melodic, funky and jazzy. “Drinking too much coffee- didn’t get my education, but no that didn’t stop me,” sings Brandyn on his road to success. “Run” was inspired by Burnette’s decision to leave a full ride scholarship to pursue his dream of creating music. The song is very inspirational and has a great message for ambitious youth. My favorite line is “When that moment comes, will you grab it by the horns and run?” While Brandyn knew that he may not “get his education,” that did not stop him from following his passion. This is why “Run” is so powerful and uplifting.
On his journey, Burnette says,
Each chapter has helped me reach the next level of my emotional and artistic development. I would take the qualities and experiences I loved about a certain place or time with me, leave others behind that didn’t fit, and start over as a newer, better version of myself, finding my own lane among those influences.
Keep up with Brandyn here.
