“two hundred and fifty thousand miles on a clear night in June” | a soundtrack

“two hundred and fifty thousand miles on a clear night in June” | a soundtrack

This gorgeous month has inspired lines in so many songs, as witnessed in our snippet from Eminem’s “Space Bound” as our title. This month in 2019 is bearing witness to the release of so many incredible gems, and we’re so lucky to be pitched hundreds of them a day! The stand outs — regardless of genre — are featured in our monthly soundtracks, and June’s is ready and raring to go below! Featuring Taylor Alexander, City and Colour, Ryan Egan, Leah Kate, K. Flay, and many more, this will be one you want to flag for the rest of your summer!

Check back all month long as we add more stunners to the list!

hēran soun, “barricade”

hēran soun, “barricade”

Hēran Soun is about to truly take the world by storm. His brand of indie alternative has been crafted through years of obsession with music. His perspective is wildly different than most, as he lived mostly in silence until the age of nine. It was at that age that he was able to hear fully for the first time, and music became his muse. You can truly tell that this is the case when listening to his debut single “Barricade”. Sprawling, ethereal, enigmatic. Check it out below.

Keep up with Hēran Soun here.

rhymes ft. summer dennis | a soundtrack

rhymes ft. summer dennis | a soundtrack

Washington D.C. is brewing an act we can all get behind in soul/funk project Rhymes Band ft. Summer Dennis. Not only is their music exquisite, but their taste is pretty great too. Check out a soundtrack curated just for us by the band themselves below!

Track list
Redbone- Childish Gambino
ain’t nothing wrong with that- Robert Randolph
Cochise- Audioslave
Beautiful Life- Judith Hill
Another Life- D’Angelo
Paranoid- Kanye West
Press- Cardi B
Everybody Mad-OT Genesis
Formation- Beyoncé
Summer- The Carter’s
Love Galore- SZA
6 Summers- Anderson paak
King James- Anderson paak
So- War

Keep up with Rhymes here.

boulevards, yadig!

boulevards, yadig!

Funk artist Boulevards (Jamil Rashad) recently released his brand new fourteen-track stunner YADIG! We learned quickly that this album is going to be included in our stack of favorites for 2019, hands down. From first track “Lord Knows”, there is a sense of absolute comfort in the landscape of this album, a feeling of warmth within its funk-filled tracks.

As Boulevards bounces from topic to topic with the introduction of each new track, we are taken back in time a bit to a sound that is very reminiscent of the 70s. Funk is what Boulevards has mastered, an unconventional type that finds these tracks perfect for a gallery opening, small backyard barbecue, or a wedding day soundtrack. To find something that versatile and this lush is absolutely unheard of, and we’re floored by the artistry of YADIG! 

Check it out below!

Keep up with Boulevards here.

viana, “wine & roses”

viana, “wine & roses”

“Wine & Roses” might be alt-pop musician Viana‘s debut single, but that fact isn’t something you could tell from the production quality of the song. The carefully woven lyrics over beds of instrumentals and a hard bass line make you want to dance and slow things down all at once.

Viana’s vocals bring out an edge that make us feel even more powerful as the song goes on. We’re big fans, and cannot wait to see how her career unfolds in the coming months and years!

Keep up with Viana here.

creature comfort | portraits @ bonnaroo 2017

creature comfort | portraits @ bonnaroo 2017

In 2017, I was out in the most phenomenal weather, covering Bonnaroo as Editor of another publication. It was an integral year for me as a photographer and reviewer, and a whirlwind experience during which I happened to be dubbed “Mayor of Bonnaroo” by one of its creators. As Bonnaroo 2019 approaches this week, we are presenting some flashback beauts of that festival. Below, find some fun portraits of Nashville’s Creature Comfort in the artist lounge.

the skints in new york

the skints in new york

Photographer Christie McMenamin had the pleasure of meeting up with London-based collective The Skints in New York recently. The band – comprised of Jon Doyle, Jamie Kyriakides, Josh Waters Rudge, and Marcia Richards – was absolutely delightful, and we have some portraits to prove it!

Keep up with The Skints here.

2012 bid adieu, we died in 2012: this is hell

2012 bid adieu, we died in 2012: this is hell

Multi-talented arts collective 2012 Bid Adieu is coming in HOT with their new nine track album We Died in 2012: This is Hell. Both the collective’s name and the album name originated with their claim that the world actually ended in 2012 and we might just be living in “a hell masquerading as normality.” We can’t necessarily argue that on a day-to-day basis, but we can say that the unique sounds and beautiful vocals captured within this work are at least a temporary escape from said hell. There is a groove-worthy undertone to the majority of the tracks, and they seem to capture an emotion more than anything as the instrumentals weave in and out.

After listening to this release, you’ll fall in love with 2012 Bid Adieu, as they have created a sonic landscape that is truly genre-less, something people of their generation can lean into. The openness and fluidity of the group itself – with their non-exclusive list of contributors and art forms – is an exquisite thing to witness. Take a listen below.

TRACKLISTING
01. Weird Place
02. Laced With Love For My Girl
03. Friends
04. Out The Window
05. Alot2unpack.zip
06. y2k12
07. D’angelo Type beat
08. Calours
09. Something To Tell You

Keep up with 2012 Bid Adieu here.

oliver ray, out passed nowhere

oliver ray, out passed nowhere

Oliver Ray‘s debut album is an audible kaleidoscope that takes you on a winding and beautiful sonic journey, a facet so many recent releases seem to lack. Beginning with “Ol Coyote”, Out Passed Nowhere brings us track after track of subtly impactful songs, a bit of twang and a whole lot of heart added in.

Ray has a bit of a Bob Dylan flare to his vocals, particular songs like “Setting Sun” bring it out in droves, though it seems to add a level of comfort that heightens the already warm landscape. “Tower and the Star” introduces a sound that is both futuristic and of past times, enhanced by endless reverb. For those reasons and many more, it is our favorite gem off of the release.

But what’s yours? “Queen of Never”? “Wise Blood”? Share with us on Facebook!