In the mood for a bit of soul mixed into your next favorite pop-driven track? Junior Mesa has done just that, setting a relaxing mood with his high-pitched vocals that counter the bitterness in the lyrics. The track itself speaks of putting up walls when a relationship cannot pan out the way you’d imagined and are highly relatable.
The video is highly entertaining. Basked in gorgeous colors, watch Junior dance through the pain with a masked stranger. The video itself seems to be trying to distract from the internal struggle of the protagonist, using humor and the arts to its advantage. Check it out below, and make sure to “like” it over on Youtube.
Alternative duo Wild Americans have given us a smooth, delectable taste of their upcoming album release in latest track “Again.” Drummer Mike Neglia and guitarist Andrew Milea met and formed the musical project in New York, making beautiful music together that mimics the pop rock flare of yesteryear. “Again” follows suit, with bittersweet lyrics beautifully woven together with crashing cymbals, whirring guitar, and a Beatles-esque twinge. It’s a meandering, beautiful, and introspective single that will have you feeling calm and cool in the summertime heat.
One-Dimensional Man is due out August 13th. Keep up with Wild Americans here.
For years now, we have been bringing you the best and most invigorating new music each month in a playlist of sorts. Our soundtrack features are perfect to pull from when your friends ask you for new music suggestions, or when you want to surprise and delight guests at functions you may be hosting or planning. Though the pandemic put a lot of gathering on pause – and continues to, as new shutdowns are announced with a round of variants – we found such strength in submissions this month. These songs are perfect to make you feel more connected to the world, no matter the circumstance.
We’ve got a range of tracks this month from artists like Charlie Parr, Young Mister, Zero Trust, Santana, CHVRCHES, and more. So dive in – like you’re cannonballing with wreckless abandon into warm waters. We’ve got you.
Oughts influenced pop-punk outfit Young Culture has certainly stayed busy during the pandemic. Made up of childhood friends Alex Magnan (vocals), Gabe Pietrafesa (guitar), and Troy Burchett (guitar), the group spent one day a week during the lockdown portion of the pandemic writing and creating together. Their collective efforts will be shown off with the release of their record Godspeed later this month. But today, we have a taste of it with the title track.
A glittering summertime track, we will be playing this track at all of our backyard shindigs for the rest of the season.
Toronto-based pop artist Allegra Jordyn is coming at us with a brand new track and music video, just in time for America’s holiday weekend. While most of our playlists will be filled to the brim with party tracks to keep us afloat on this boat/beach-crazed holiday, you’re really going to want to spend some time with this jewel-toned video and the sparkling synths that back the introspective track. Explains the artist:
“Numb” is what I like to call my anti-party anthem, and I think the video actively shows this,” she explains when elaborating on her single. “I wrote it at a time where I was suffering mentally but refused to let myself become numb to deal with my problems like people around me would do.
The video perfectly depicts the feeling of loneliness, even in a party setting. Those of us who are not in celebration mode – who have ever felt completely detached from our surroundings – will relate to both the easygoing track and its beautiful visual, directed and edited by Chris Grey and Allegra Jordyn.
Isaac and Thorald Koren – or The Brothers Koren – recently released their debut collection of tracks, an exquisite full-length titled I Went To The Sea To Be Free. Dedicated to the memory of their grandmother – who flew her plane over the Southern Ocean on Mother’s Day of 1974 and was never seen again – the album itself is laced with a sense of longing in the emotional lyrics. It’s hard to believe that the brothers approached music separate from each other, and later discovered their co-creating abilities. Their harmonizing abilities are almost haunting in a way, as displayed in tracks like “Say Everything”, “Gold”, and “Like Water”. (And virtually every other gorgeous track in this collection.)
Beginning at a leisurely clip with “Easy,” the album is introduced to us in a lighthearted, open-minded way. The song itself encourages its listener to take things as they come, while the brothers sing of how easy life can be with the right person. They transition with ease into the remaining thirteen tracks, presenting a true storytelling ambiance to the piece. Their cover of Prince’s 1984 hit “I Would Die 4 U” would otherwise fall short however the single has been stripped down into a different realm than its existing danceable pop energy, highlighting the love letter nature of it all. Crowd favorites include “Like Water”, “Beyond the Wild”, and “More Than You Know”.
As we celebrate PRIDE throughout June, we revel in the vulnerability that sparks new relationships, new collaborations, and new art. With light-as-a-feather vocals, artist and mental health advocate X. Ari details the experience of discovering her sexuality in her new track “Stranger to Saviour.” Explains the artist of the single:
‘Stranger to Saviour’ is about how I fell in love with a woman after a lifetime of dating men. The lyrics tell a playful, exploratory, honest, and emotional story about my experience with this big life change and how my new romance, with my first ever girlfriend, Anja, has changed me forever. Love is a powerful healer. I am so grateful for my awakening and for my willingness to be fluid so I was able to attract true love. It’s dedicated to Anja whom I love & adore – we ‘started as strangers, now you’re my saviour.’
In true anthem fashion, the instrumentals explode into a gorgeous cacophony of bass-heavy sound multiple times during the introspective song. Equal parts hopeless romantic and openly self-aware, “Stranger to Saviour” will no doubt become an anthem for many. So listen now, open your heart, and feel into your own story by checking out the track below!
June 24th brings us the latest release from Head Bitch Music artist LACES, “Almost Happy” featuring storied musician Butch Walker. The song is both thoughtful in its lyrics and dreamy feeling in its melody.
LACES’ voice quality at the beginning of “Almost Happy” is reminiscent of Belinda Carlisle singing “I Get Weak.” As appealing as her voice is, the lyrics are what drew me in, beginning with the very first line – “I’m just young enough to be a little numb and dumb.” The song tells a story of learning, with the ultimate lesson being “almost happy.” Throughout, you can feel the lessons: “I get more jaded every day”; “Roll with the punches, isn’t that what they say”; and “I’ll make more headway in this game.” Each one delivered with LACES’ strength and range, punctuated with guitars by Butch Walker.
Says LACES of the track:
‘Almost Happy’ feels like my honest truth. To me happiness has never been a destination, I only ever wanted to be content and okay. It’s a conversation that discusses where I’ve been, where I am, and where I’m going. It’s laced with sarcasm and self-deprecating humor, while also standing firm in belief and self-love.
LACES has been a chameleon thus far in her career – previous releases include the haunting “Moved” and “Someday Is Not Tonight.” She has also made a name for herself in commercial circles writing and producing music for cartoons and other artists, under her legal name of Jessica Vaughn. Her goal for mastering several creative avenues was strategic:
I wanted to make sure I had enough eggs in different baskets to change this industry from within––and to be respected as a businesswoman. I realized that my experience as a woman had been shaped by a lot of people making decisions for me. While I think it’s important to be collaborative and to ask for help, you never want to be in a position where you don’t have power or agency over your career or yourself.
You will want to add “Almost Happy” to your playlist – and really, anything else by LACES.
Summertime is a time to enjoy the world around you, take some time to slow down and soak up the beauty in life, and to become inspired in your creative endeavors. So, naturally, what a perfect time to release a single that addresses just those things. Singer/songwriter Anthony Savino has done just that, employing his quintessential light, carefree vocals to drive the point home. As the song progresses at a danceable clip, its lyrics envelope you in a feeling of emotional freedom, like the world is your oyster.
Explains the artist of the track:
When I first started writing “One-Track Mind,” I wasn’t sure what it was about. But I kept working on it and I played it for some people, and eventually, I realized that it was about the creative process, and to a larger extent my experiences making music. The song goes through the progresses, failures, diversions, distractions, and whatever else it takes to create something, whether it’s a song or a songwriting career.
I don’t have one process or method for songwriting, but I do have a stubbornness to just do it anyway, and that’s one of the meanings of the title. But I also think it’s about knowing when to say enough’s enough. Sometimes the creative process can be a black hole; it can take over my whole world and I lose perspective. I can spiral for a long time if I don’t step back and look at the big picture.
