Hi. It’s October. That’s really all the energy I have for this one. (But the following new release music videos by Nadia Vaeh, Rebekah Fitch, Priya Ragu, Jessie Reyez, Maren Morris, Evie Irie, Black Pink, and more are worth checking out. So… do that.)
Constant criticism about the way you live your life suck, and Philadelphia-based rock group Humilitarian want listeners to know that they understand the feeling on their new track, “She Said”. It happens to be one of the first songs the band completed together. As a band, Humilitarian are influenced by indie rock, which is clear from the moment you press play on their latest release.
“She Said” paints the picture of someone who struggles with letting go of any negative feelings that come with opinions that were not even asked for in the first place. It makes it clear how it feels to be fed up with being told everything you are doing is somehow a misstep. Throughout the emo-rock track, we learn that this person struggles with defending herself against unwanted commentary and that she knows she deserves to live her life unapologetically. Nearing the end, the song becomes an anthem for those who feel the same way as the listener is encouraged to reject these criticisms and just live. With clever lyrics and catchy melodies, it is easy to put on replay. It empowers and comforts while also getting out some frustration in the process.
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Can’t guarantee these songs will all be perfect for a cuddle by the fire or with a blanket. But, hey, they will entertain you. Most will have incredible lyrics or standout vocals. Some will be quirky, others will be magnetic. Either way, you’re in for a treat. So check out all the best of all the latest below, and keep coming back for more all month long!
Although 2020 hasn’t been the best year, there have been some good things. What I mean by those good things is great music and the rise of many new artists. Among those ranks is Dava, a Los Angeles-based artist who isn’t afraid to tell her stories and blend different genres. If you are looking for a sound similar to artists such as Benee and Lolo Zouai, look no further. Dava’s latest single, “Papercut”, is out now accompanied by a music video with trippy visuals. In an Instagram post she spoke about the meaning behind the song and left a message to fans, “I hope this song speaks to whoever needs it.”
“Papercut” is impressive on its own for the clever lyrics, but the icing on the cake is Dava’s voice bringing them to life. You cannot ignore the emotions behind her voice and the talent she has. The Pre-chorus, “when my heads in the clouds and my hearts in my gut / keep your eyes on the prize and your hand on the gun / gave you all that I had but it wasn’t enough,” is something a lot of people will be able to relate to their own experiences and feelings. Her debut EP, Sticky, is set to release via Sony this year. This may only be the beginning for Dava, but she is off to a great start.
It’s debut album time for London-based band Tempesst with their release of Must Be a Dream that was brought to life at Pony Recordings; the band’s label in Hackney, London. The ten track album is filled with generous servings of psych pop and stylistic nods to the band’s influences of Joni Mitchell, Al Green, Wings, and Electric Light Orchestra. The core of the band is made up of twin brothers, Toma and Andy Banjanin, who’s musical journey spans across the cities they lived in and life lessons they learned along the way. Rooted into a musical family and playing in a church band as teenagers, the brothers left Noosa, Australia for a short stint in Brooklyn, New York during the bustling indie scene of the late 2000s. Inspired and full of the DIY tactics and ideas they experienced, they took to London and began culminating the band, their label, and the album. Rounding out the lineup with guitarist, Swiss-American Eric Weber and old friends Kane Reynolds and Blake Misipeka, the keyboardist and bassist, Tempesst hunkered down in the studio they built while meticulously working on their sound. “These days artists are expected to do so much themselves and we have always been slight control freaks anyway”, states Andy. “DIY is part of everything that we do, so that extends to our label, the studio, the videos, all of it and really it’s just how the indie music scene has evolved.”
Must Be a Dream allows listeners to transport musically and explore dense, emotional themes, all while being comforted in the juxtaposed moments of sun-kissed melodies and angelic synths. “Better Than the Devil” stands as the opening track, where Andy on drums showcases a steady kick drum beat in the beginning before really opening up with the rest of the arrangement. The background vocals on the title track are church choir melodies that serenade the metaphorical idea of the song; that the perfect woman in front of you couldn’t possibly be real; couldn’t possibly exist in your reality. Tempesst dives into identity faceting in “High on My Own”, through judgmental lyrical undertones about other’s self-acceptance, and a contrasting upbeat feel that leaves the listener with hope of following one’s own path. Tackling the haunting struggles that love can bring, “Mushroom Cloud” dramatically lays out the spite and pain sometimes felt for the ones we fall deepest for. Toma’s simple chorus guides the listener through the struggle, and ends with a lyrical punch to the heart “When sorry’s a worn out sleight of hand / good love is a dried up wilderness / you’ll know where to find me / on the fallen horizon.”
Complete with harp instrumentation, and “oh la la la la la” vocals, “Walk on the Water” is a euphoric transitional track to different themes of the album. A mashup of vocal harmonies on top of deep instrumental reverb, “On the Run” holds stories of death, substance abuse, and the forever loss of innocence. Explains Toma:
It’s about a close friend who disappeared for a decade and returned as someone completely different, and it’s an ongoing trauma. When I connected the music to the lyrics to try and finish the song, it felt like it had a rolling rhythm, so the chorus fell into place from there. For me, this song carries a lot more emotional weight.
The final album tracks explore themes of modern day society in relation to getting older, boredom within the digital age, and the paralleling question of what life is supposed to mean through all of it. It’s the juxtaposing ideas of sound and song meaning in this debut album where Tempesst really invites the listener to their psych-rock wonderland – where storytelling and sweet melodies will meet you at every riff.
by: tiffany czech
Leave behind the life you know wherever you are for just thirty minutes and take a trip to Cuba with La China De La Gasolina. The self-titled album is the product of a trip to Havana, the capital of Cuba. There, Charlie Garmendia would use a multi-track tape recorder to capture the rich musical culture that the island has to offer. It was with the help of the young musicians and artists he met that the late-night jam sessions turned into a collective body of work.
With 11 tracks, the listener can dip their foot in many parts that all come together to form a sonically cohesive whole. That whole begins with “Edro”, an electrifying track that seems to signify the beginning of a breaking news story, or maybe even the opening credits to the latest buzzing film. In just 23 seconds, the song manages to captivate the listener, thus beginning their Cuban journey. Then comes “La Gasolina”, one of the standout tracks. Using prominent synthesizers, one finds themselves transported to the middle of a busy Cuban street filled with only the best dancing and music. That feeling continues throughout the whole album, all the way until the final track, “El Terror”, which relies heavily on percussion to signal that the journey is finished. This is the song that puts the picture of a small group gathering around a campfire at the end of the day in your mind, satisfied with everything that day has given you. From the Cuban jazz moments of “Año Nuevo” to the Latin pop spectacle that is “Demonio Bongo” and everything in between, there is certainly a lot to be satisfied with.
by: meredith schneider
Heartfelt songstress Jessie Wagner is revving up to release her new, gorgeous, love-induced track “My Darlin, My Dear” tomorrow. As someone with quite an impressive musical resume, Wagner really knows how to create an ambiance, as she frames a very relatable and unfortunate experience in an enchanting way. Admits the artist of the track:
There’s always that guy that you know is no good for you, but you keep going back anyway. This song is an amalgamation of the guys I wished would love me and not just keep me around for convenience.
To really feel the emotions that went into this track, one must experience it. So check out our premiere of the lyric video below, and try to convince us we aren’t burning a candle and playing it on the big screen on repeat all evening!
“My Darlin, My Dear” is out tomorrow. You can pre-save the track here.
by: tiffany czech
In a world where material possessions meet spiritual growth, one may find themselves just as conflicted as the character in Sir Sly’s music video for “Material Boy”. Here, the material boy is someone who appears to be in a state of distress as he works through his emotions to leave behind any care in the world about material items. Through watching him chew up wads of cash and hide from all of the expensive things he owns; the viewer comes to understand that he yearns for more in his life. He yearns to be free from the material chains that are constraining him. The catchy chorus of the song reminds the listener that our material boy has found a spiritual void within himself and he strives to fill it.
What is great about what we see in this video is that it doesn’t need to follow one meaning for everybody who watches it. It could mean struggling to come to terms with the current political landscape, as the second verse alludes to, just as much as it could represent the struggle to leave an unfulfilling job that pays well. The common theme amongst the profuse number of possible interpretations is the yearning to find something that makes one feel whole. “Material Boy” both fascinates and perplexes, as well as provides the best form of entertainment for the viewer. Lead singer Landon Jacobs notes: “My highest hope is that this video can mean something a little different for anyone that watches it, but at the very least, I hope it is entertaining.”
by: tiffany czech
Finding the perfect song to play while driving with the windows down and music loud is an enthralling experience that can be found immediately after pressing play on rock trio Lone Kodiak’s new song, “PDX ‘97”. The band was formed in East Los Angeles, but met in Portland, Oregon, which is where this story takes place.
A true story, “PDX ‘97” takes the listener on a stirring journey through the streets of Portland alongside teenage runaways. It would be hard not to picture oneself as one of the characters in the song. Lovestruck and adventurous, the teenagers embody the very type of love that seems to only play out on film screens, except the listener doesn’t have to experience it through a screen as the song brings the story into the car, bedroom, or shower of anybody who listens.
What Lone Kodiak has done with their latest release is to take a personal story and help each listener see some version of themselves in it. While resonating with the 17-year-old high school student experiencing love for the first time, it also can resonate with the 65-year-old retiree who is reminiscing on her first love during her teenage years. Transporting people is one of the greatest things music can do, and Lone Kodiak does it well. Member Dainéal Parker explains:
I normally shy away from writing anything too personal or plainly autobiographical, but the vibe of this song just took me right back to those hot days and cold nights I spent wrapped around the finger of a girl, and our summer trying to find couches to crash on but often settling for cardboard.
Check it out on your preferred platform here.