A true nomad, EvelynCools has found herself exploring the world all throughout her life. As a child in Belgium she studied piano, flute, choir, and musical theater. Eventually, she made her way over to Hong Kong and Budapest. At her university in London, Cools found herself captivated by the music scene and made some musical friends, and together these things provided the foundation for her career. Finally, in 2018 she moved to Los Angeles. Inspired by the nature of California, the new people she met that would eventually become her creative team, and the unparalleled love she found, Cools decided to bring to life her upcoming EP Misfit Paradise. Her penchant for wandering and connection to other people and nature are the driving forces behind this record.
Regarding Misfit Paradise, Cools says that it “explores the complex relationships we have with ourselves, others, and our environment, and how we find peace and meaning within it all. It is about life’s greatest joys – love, acceptance, nature, adventure – but also its greatest sorrows. It aims to capture little specs of magic against a world of unknowns.”
Her new single off the EP, “Gold Woman”, reflects some of the qualities that you can expect to hear in Misfit Paradise. Cools‘ personal songwriting is enchanting, with her ethereal voice and strong emotional resonance. Her sound lies somewhere within folk, indie-folk, alt-country, and folk-pop music. That being said, don’t think that the single is simply a girl fingerpicking a guitar and singing simple melodies. This music grabs you and commands you to listen to it. You can definitely hear undercurrents of country, but overall this track sounds a lot like alt-rock. It places a strong emphasis on the guitar which has a heavier quality to it. On top of this, amidst countless songs today which are making heavy use of harmonies (although fabulous in their own way), Cools isn’t afraid to let her voice stand on its own. She shows impressive control over her robust chest voice and delightfully airy head voice, both of which are showcased in the adventurous vocal lines throughout the song. Her accessible lyrics and storytelling abilities reveal her folk roots, however, reinforcing who she is at her core.
These are all songs that have influenced both our lyrics and sound. It’s a screenshot of the music we’ve been spinning lately and artists we admire. From pump it up jams to little broken hearts.
New release “Noodle” from up-and-coming project Oscar Louis totters whimsically between resignation and acceptance. The solo venture of Canadian singer-songwriter Oren Lefkowitz, Oscar Louis blends blog era hip hop with detached chillwave, presenting a placid, steady head-nodder.
While Lefkowitz has explained that “Noodle” touches on tensions between Louis and his father, it stays light, with Lefkowitz’s raspy hum meandering through hip-hop verses over a minimalistic backdrop. Lefkowitz describes the conflict, explaining,
“I began writing “Noodle” after getting into a bad fight with my dad. I had just gotten really drunk at my cousin’s wedding, and ended up puking in front of my parents. This incident opened up a tricky scab rooted in my father’s disapproval of me and my decision to pursue music. “Noodle” is my attempt to show him love regardless.”
“Noodle” is Lefkowitz’s third single, following “Your Call is Important to Us” and “Find a Way,” both released earlier this year. His work has been featured on several Spotify playlists.
Has anyone else felt a little ruffled throughout the new year so far? 2019 has been pretty thrilling, and pretty unexpected in several ways. Well, we haven’t found a track yet this year that captures that feeling quite as poetically as Kathleen‘s “The Longest Year”. Theatrical in its disposition, the song perfectly displays the artist’s emotion-driving vocals, and we’re hooked.
A feeling of nostalgia almost bleeds from Gabriella Rose‘s vocals as she croons over the easygoing instrumentals in latest track “Welcome To The Dollhouse”. A song that specifically addresses Rose’s own mental health struggles, it is both vulnerable and inspiring in its simple existence, led entirely by those angelic vocals. And when you stop to think that this songstress is still sitting at the tender age of 16, you realize the number of doors that are about to open before her. So, while we are reminiscing on some less-than-happy topic matters, we’re also simultaneously getting excited for Gabriella Rose’s future, which seems to be the cherry on top of it all.
Be sure to check Gabriella Rose out on February 8th in Spokane, WA at The Bartlett for her EP Release Show.
From the opening chords of Brooklyn-based alt electronica musician Tesha‘s “Funeral”, you can tell she’s not playing around. The percussion is almost tribal as Tesha’s ominous tones as she sings a song with a title befitting of said tones. It’s absolutely gorgeous, but be prepared to feel all the feels.
We’re still singing the catchy “Single-Minded” from Anna Mae. She has now treated us to a brand new single via the Swedish platform Snafu Records, “You Might Be Better.” There is something effortless about the Nashville singer/songwriter’s style, and it is pulling in an audience from across the globe.
This tune is deliciously melodic and has just enough natural groove to keep it moving forward. In the meantime, Anna Mae’s empowering vocals sit over the top and provide another engaging narrative to support its musical content.
Yesterday, Brooklyn-based musician Pearla released two refreshing new tracks, “Forgive Yourself” and “Pumpkin”. The former vocalizes the need to allow yourself some space to acknowledge that you are not perfect, and that that’s OK. Explains Pearla, “I wrote ‘Forgive Yourself’ while sitting in my backyard, trying to meditate but failing because a bee kept flying around my face. I got frustrated with myself that I couldn’t stop reacting to the bee. This song is about all of those little knee-jerk reactions. It’s about accepting them, and not faulting yourself for simply… being human.” The release of this song is integral to this month’s theme of mental health awareness.
Before we even push play on “Pumpkin”, we’re smiling at the perfect timing of the release of that single as well. (Anyone else craving it?) The sound is perfectly autumn, Pearla’s lyrics painting a picture of the perfect setting during this time of year, her vocals wrapping their listener in warmth.
Both songs are sonic dreams. Check them out below, and be sure to add them to your fall soundtrack!
Magic Bronson has always been a thorn in our side, though not for reasons you’d assume based on that comment. No, the Los Angeles-based alt-dance duo began to dazzle us at SXSW 2017, and we haven’t been able to knock a single song they’ve released since. Now, they’re coming at us with new track “Evil Plans”, putting us in the most mellow mood we have – perhaps – ever experienced, a direct contrast to the lyrics at hand. Explains the band: “Evil Plans’ is about feeling inadequate and bullied and trying to find some sort of escape.”
