Payson Lewis just released his newest music video for his song, “Hotel Suite!” The video has a cinematic edge that really makes you feel as if you were transported into a movie.
Lewis himself played a couple of different characters in the video, which added a sort of comedy factor to it. Whether he was himself or one of the workers at the hotel, his persona throughout the video was absolutely colorful and really added to the movie-esque feel of the video. He played these characters really well and it was very entertaining! A cool aspect of this video was the vintage feel to it. From the layout of the screen to the coloration of the video, it was spot on!
One of the greatest parts of this video was when they were transported out of the rundown, old, and dirty motel room, to what seemed to be their “perfect vacation.” This scene in the video was attention-grabbing and just so fun. It played with the theme of the song being how upon entering a hotel room, you can be anyone you want to be.
If you enjoy the video for “Hotel Suite,” check out Payson Lewis on social media, as well as his debut album, Take Me Apart!
Everyday is always the right time to get sentimental with a special loved one. In today’s age when sporadic hookups are common, events move at a million miles and people are wrapped up in their own world, it’s easy to lose track of who means the most to you. Jade Novah doesn’t lose sight of her outward affections with her latest single “I Just Wanna Know”. The Atlanta-based singer/songwriter shines on a silky smooth 1970s R&B groove produced by Devin Johnson, complete with girl group-esque backing vocals, finger snaps, and strings swelling throughout the track.
The soundscape of the track evokes a heavenly feel as Novah escapes into a special place to embrace the lover in her life. When she sings, “Got the voodoo and it’s good for you, I’m always in the mood, In the mood for you”, Novah emphasizes how much she’s head over heels in love and lust. The bluntness of her sentiments is intertwined with an earnest sweetness, fully capturing the aura of a true relationship that can envelop a person. Jade Novah explains:
‘I Just Wanna Know’ is about that point in a relationship when desire & love are in perfect harmony. When you’re in that honeymoon haze, you look at everything through the lens of love. Even the harmonies and vintage instrumentation in the music feel like a dreamy escape from reality.
It’s hard to function after being in an unhealthy situation, but it’s even harder to overcome and embrace your emotions so you can become a better person at the end of the day. Miami-born Spanish singer-songwriter Jacqueline Loor takes listeners through this laborious yet rewarding journey on her debut album, Show Them, due to release this Friday. In response to seeing her sister endure a toxic relationship and eventually gaining the courage to leave her partner, the mother of two wrote this collection of empowering songs to inspire others to thrive and do the same.
At the beginning of the album, Loor recognizes how her relationship is in shambles and reminisces how it used to be. Over time, she realizes how her significant other is only a distant echo of who they once were until she cuts them off from her life and finally gets the opportunity to exhale without them breathing down her back. This alone time allows her to find her footing and take the reigns of her life back, so she can show the world how she can soar and carry on without her former lover.
Although she just started singing several years ago, at the age of 36, Loor’s commanding vocals and intricate, vulnerable lyricism shine throughout, ultimately sounding like an intriguing blend of the cinematic melancholia of Lana Del Rey and the ecstatic optimism of Sara Bareilles. With that in mind, if someone told me that some of these songs were from a musical on Broadway, I’d probably take their word for it.
All in all, this project is remarkable, as it aims to empower listeners worldwide to escape the darkness and discover the light inside themselves.
Loors’ passion for performing is ever-increasing, as seen by how the singer-songwriter self-produced one song on the album, “I Broke My Heart,” and has been releasing a variety of songs sung entirely in Spanish as well.
If this is her first comprehensive venture into the music industry, I’m excited to see what she has in store for the years to come.
Harborcoat’s newest LP, “Joy Is Elusive”, debuts on October 1. The sextet, based in Lansing, Michigan, has created a set of songs that are lyrically thoughtful and musically varied. The band’s influences include R.E.M. (the name Harborcoat is from an R.E.M. song), The Smiths, and Billy Bragg and you can hear the impact of those artists on “Joy Is Elusive”.
Band founder and primary songwriter Matthew Carlson explains:
A record titled ‘Joy Is Elusive’ is almost certainly going to be about depression, anxiety and a lifelong struggle with mental illness. That much is true, but there’s more. I think for so many of us, we deny ourselves true joy, or are too afraid to go out and find it. I know that is certainly true in my own experience. The people and the stories in this record are living lives of survival, not a full life. They’re eking out these threadbare existences of shabby surroundings, little hope and the occasional diversion from their struggles. Those diversions most often come by way of self medication or desperate choices with dire consequences. The lyrical content of the album is buoyed by joyous and dense musical foundations. These songs embrace the ethos of what Tom Waits once called, “Beautiful melodies telling me terrible things.” These songs are like short stories with chords. The band name is pulled from an early R.E.M. gem, and the music brims with nods to our heroes. The songs recall the crunchy power pop and harmonies of Teenage Fanclub; the introspection and melodic storytelling of Billy Bragg; and sprinkled in are moments of 80’s esque Brit-Pop or working-class anthems. These influences, however, do not define the record, but they are merely a strand of DNA in Harborcoat’s collective musical helix.
Just before we began recording the record, my Dad died very suddenly. It seemed very likely, I was not going to be in a spot logistically or emotionally to go through with the sessions. My family, and friends all stepped up and convinced me what a tremendous relief it might be to spend a week recording with friends at the family cabin. It was the best possible diversion. I maintain that you can hear our collective grief between the notes of the record, but maybe I just can’t remove myself from it. The loss of my Dad, the uncertainty of the pandemic and the collective anxieties that come will all of that certainly informed the process and the finished product. It feels now like a tribute to ho him that we were able to create something beautiful from all of that darkness.
Two particular track favorites of mine are ‘Help Me Out Somehow’ and ‘Hear Me, I’m Courageous’. Both have spirited, Indie rock melodies with poignant lyrics. Following the release of “Joy Is Elusive”, Harborcoat heads out on an eight city tour to finish up 2021.
After the releases of her singles, “Shit Happens” & “All Our Friends Are Splitting Up” Katelyn Tarver just released a music video for her most recent relatable single, “Nicer.” In this split-screen video, the feeling of being emotionally drained from always trying to please everyone, to being happy with who she is now, were portrayed by Tarver perfectly.
The concept of splitting the screen and having one going in reverse definitely added something special to the music video. The contrast in bright colors on the left side to the sad, blue tones on the right show exactly where she made it known that she is no longer the girl she used to be, and that is perfectly okay! Steering away from being a people pleaser is 100 percent not an easy thing to do, but this video and song are an amazing portrayal.
I particularly liked the ending shot of her in the car driving carefree and happily on one side to sitting completely drained and unhappy on the other. The two different sides of her that are being seen here show just how happy she is being her and not caring that she has grown from being a people pleaser. This song should inspire others and let them know that it is okay to not want to always be the “Nicer” one in every situation.
Director: Fiori (@fioricarmen) DP: Patrick Jones (@patrick_jones)
Be sure you check out Katelyn Tarver’s upcoming album, Subject to Change, on November 12!
Pearl & The Oysters are celebrating not only the release of their third album Flowerland, but the title track has itself a gorgeous music video to accompany it now. Filmed as though it’s aged decades to mirror the French-American Psych Pop duo’s audio energy, the art lies in the video’s visual “imperfections.” The lime green hues in the feedback add a boost of color to the otherwise largely dual-tone shots.
Hints of navy blue and flashes of magenta give the video dimension, and a sense of nostalgia, as we enjoy Juliette Pearl Davis (lead vocals, flute, synths) and Joachim Polack (keys/synths, backing vocals, bass, guitar, violin, percussion) enjoy an afternoon amongst the flowers.
Directed by Pearl & The Oysters Edited by Juliette Pearl Davis Analog system video processing by Vinyl Williams Music by Pearl & The Oysters
September is already halfway over. Don’t ask us how it happened, we feel like we blinked and the month is already gone. However, the level of talent in the music industry just. Doesn’t. Quit. With so many incredible project releases on the horizon toward the end of the year, we’re raking in the single releases like crazy. Here are a few of our favorites.
Artist Brandon Calano, known by alias Becoming Young, has introduced their latest single “Wild & Free”. Utilizing robust vocals and urgent music, Becoming Young delivers a message of hope and freedom:
I’m picking up speed Like a warrior, you’ll see I’m gonna take the power back, Nothing’s ever gonna stop me.
The Nashville-based artist explains, “’Wild & Free’ is about rediscovering your power and finding freedom in knowing you can overcome anything. We’ve all had our tribulations. It’s easy to get caught up in them, and we often let missteps and struggles weigh us down. But this song is an acknowledgment that we are collectively coming back stronger—no matter what happened in the past, we are resilient.”
If you’ve been looking for a new track with light as a feather vocals cascading over stunning – yet simplistic – guitar and piano, then Emily Frembgen‘s bittersweet new “He Held Onto Me” will be just up your alley. Truly a blues song at its core, Emily has recognized its topic as something highly relatable.
“He Held Onto Me” is obviously about some kind of relationship ending. I remember writing it really quickly as I was rushing out the door, it was a feeling that I urgently needed to express. I’m real proud of this one & Hugh Pool and Brian Mitchell’s evocative instrumental touches are so perfect here. I’d say it’s a good way to close a breakup album, wouldn’t you?
A song that almost relies on the silence between the notes for impact, “He Held Onto Me” is a sweet whisper of a song that will bring back feelings from loves past, if you choose to let it. Experience it for the first time below!
