bradley scott malone, “california”

bradley scott malone, “california”

On May 14th, folk/Americana artist Bradley Scott Malone will release his latest single, an absolutely enchanting audible ride called “California.” The artist’s eastern location is reflected in his soulful yet rough vocals that balance the rhythmic composition of the instrumentals. Such a fantastical collection of sounds.

“I want honesty and sincerity to come through in my music. These songs are reflections of my travels,” admits Malone. And, quite honestly, this is the best way to describe this track. Occurring at a clip befitting an expansive road trip, the song wreaks of summertime adventure. And we’re ready to dive in.

Enjoy your first listen below.

Keep up with Bradley Scott Malone here.

les nuby, “know what she said”

les nuby, “know what she said”

As a player and producer, Les Nuby is no stranger to the music world. The virtuoso began in Birmingham, Alabama as the drummer for indie-rock band Verbena but never settled, exploring as many opportunities as he could. Notable endeavours include touring with the esteemed Scottish band Idlewild, as well as playing guitar for Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls and the band Vulture Whale. A marvel behind the scenes as well, Nuby has produced releases for artists such as Will Stewart, Sarah Lee Langford, The Dirty Clergy, and Witch’s Wall. Alongside being the current guitarist and vocalist for Holiday Gunfire, he is finally adding a solo album to his repertoire. Clouded will be released on July 10th, 2020.

“Know What She Said” will be the first single, and it lets you in on the secret of what to expect from this long-anticipated album. The song is quite melodic and emanates exciting but controlled energy, meanwhile the surrounding music is made up of skilled instrument playing. A particularly bouncy bass part especially stands out and would be worth keeping an ear out for. In fact, you could listen to this song over and over again and rediscover it each time as you listen to the intricacies of each instrument. The vocals and overall atmosphere of the single is reminiscent of 80s era R.E.M., but the melody points more towards early 90s power pop, and the two blend together wonderfully.

The video is a captivating, artsy black and white live visual that allows you a brief glimpse into Les Nuby’s live performance. It’s enough to make you yearn for pre-Covid days.

You can look forward to these well-executed aspects in Clouded as well. In a culmination of his musical resume, Les Nuby produced, engineered, and played all the instruments on the album, and that care and experience is certainly heard in “Know What She Said.”

Be sure to check out Nuby’s earlier release “Never Falling Away” here.

black grapefruit, “waist”

black grapefruit, “waist”

Experimental pop and R&B alchemists Black Grapefruit have reanimated their 2019 song “Waist” from their dance-inspired EP of the same name. The duo released a pertinent video and compelling remix that offer fresh takes on the track.

Produced by Not 97, the video features footage from fans, friends, and family dancing to “Waist” from the comfort of their homes. Ironically, the video was put together way before the coronavirus-induced mandate to stay home was in effect. The sense of community present in the video has only gotten more relevant. Black Grapefruit mentioned that this video is a “reminder that we can share energy regardless of distance, and that we are all more connected than we sometimes realize.” It’s something to keep in mind as we all brave the isolating effects of seclusion. There are several cameos in the video as well, such as Emmy-nominated actor Zazie Beetz and model and co-host of MTV’s Catfish Kamie Crawford.

The song itself is quite chill but is also infused with a danceable energy, adding another dimension to the song’s relevance. Black Grapefruit explains the place of “Waist” in light of recent events by saying that “humans have been dancing through pain and turmoil since long before recorded music. With full respect for the moment, this is our creative offering. It’s made from ceremonial, positive intention. We can only hope that its movement somehow supports our collective and continued fight towards justice and healing.” Overall the track has a good continuous flow, but anticipation is created by the few pauses that are thrown in to keep the listener on their toes. The remix takes these pauses further, breaking up the melody into fragments and weaving them together into a fractured tapestry. Despite this, there are still tons of beats to attach dance moves to, preserving the rhythmic essence of the original track.

me&you, “s.o.l.”

me&you, “s.o.l.”

Americana sibling duo me&you release their new single “S.O.L”– which stands for “shit outta luck”– and in the case of this song, it’s in reference to bad timing of a relationship. The track is a country-folk, shows the complexity of a relationship, when one person is in another place compared to the other. “S.O.L” is also a track with a slow burn. It starts off simply and slowly builds, where it seems to peak in the chorus.

Siblings Karlee and Connor Hormell have been playing music together since they were kids. me&you project came into place after a month-long trip traveling through the backcountry of New Zealand in a camper van. Karlee explains their band name comes from something the two would always tell each other, “All we have is me and you.”

Keep up with me&you here.

pizzagirl, “cape canaveral”

pizzagirl, “cape canaveral”

Land ho, Pizzagirl!

Amid plans for Liverpool based artist Pizzagirl to make his first visit to the states, he has broken his (incredibly brief) 3 month silence to grace our ears with new music straight outta the oven. While this may seem like no time at all for your everyday artists, in Pizzagirl years (which are clearly relative) it’s long enough to require a statement being issued about it. On his silence, he says:

“sorry for not replying to ur last message just been having my beauty sleep for a coupla months 🙂 I know it’s been a while but there’s a lil party in cape canaveral I heard about! I’d love to see you there if you’re still interested? speak soon xx”. While we can’t speak for everyone, we forgive you for your abandonment and we’re DEFINITELY interested, Pizzagirl.

Pizzagirl is bringing us his first release since his debut album, first timer, which drew influence from various musical and pop-culture references that he spent his formative artistic years absorbing. His debut successfully melded his nostalgia-inducing 80s-synth vibes with those of your modern indie artists. While it’s still early in his hopeful career, things are looking good for Pizzagirl, who is back to focusing on writing songs with his trusty guitar, Denise, and will now be joined onstage by a live band.

This newest track is a taught art-rock jam that builds into the soundtrack for an offbeat party scene. No doubt cooked up in his bedroom-pop lair, which he’s oh-so-cleverly dubbed the Beatzzeria, the new track channels David Byrne in its depiction of the subject matter, an underground fugitive character just trying to go to a party on The Space Coast (all the other indie-pop kids are going Mom!). Pizzagirl brings a variety of instrumentation to his elusive party (never before have I been so satisfied by the musical pairing of synth and cowbell) that, combined with the thickly textured chorus of shouting voices featured on the last chorus, will undoubtedly make you too want to jump around at an indie-disco.

“cape canaveral ” premieres February 19th ahead of Pizzagirl’s first stateside performance at Austin’s SXSW festival. Keep up with Pizzagirl here.

whoa dakota, “lovefool”

whoa dakota, “lovefool”

If you haven’t experienced the ethereal vocal wonderment that is Whoa Dakota (Jesse Ott), then why not try the act on for size with an updated version of one of your favorite 90s tracks? The indie pop songstress has mastered several throwback options — trust us, we’ve seen her multiple times live and she absolutely destroys every stage she’s on — and this is one of our favorites. And is there a more perfect time of year to be pulling this one out of our back pockets, anyway?

Happy Valentine’s Day, and every day, with this flirty, fun track!

Keep up with Whoa Dakota here.

dewr, dream pop is over

dewr, dream pop is over

Indie-pop act DEWR, consisting of songwriter Brian Dawer, is set to release his new EP Dream Pop Is Over on January 31st.

This release differs from his past works because the EP shies away from the regular indie-pop formula. While DEWR’s previous releases seem cluttered and unorganized, Dream Pop Is Over, is anything but. 

This 5-song EP flows like a stream of consciousness giving Dewar the space to be honest.

Accompanied by swaying rhythms and dynamic changes, this EP is both unique and listenable. The opening track “Front Line” drops listeners into Dewar’s mind, and every song following continues this exploration. Through these 5 songs, listeners are exposed to Dewar’s inner turmoils as he comes to terms with the idea that you can’t have it all, and that life keeps moving forward.

The EP’s title feels like a play on words. While his other works fall victim to indie-pop tropes of being over digitally-enhanced, Dream Pop Is Over feels natural and organic.

Keep up with DEWR here.

moglii, “flow”

moglii, “flow”

“Flow” – the new single from Moglii‘s upcoming EP – displays all of electronic artist’s talents and sounds.  The introspective lyrics about being “in your Flow” depict one being so in sync with another person that they are basically one with their rhythm. The single makes you want to dance, with a fast paced electronic beat and constant ebbs and flows (no pun intended). Moglii had this to say about the conception of “Flow”:

I wrote “Flow” two years ago during a profoundly formative trip to Tenerife. We camped in the middle of nature and woke up every morning at the sea – it was a surreal experience, seemingly detached from time and space, made even more magical by a special encounter: I fell in love there and put that flow I experienced with this girl into a song. It’s about getting to know each other, the deepening of the relationship and the natural lightness and ease that underlined it all.

With the release of “Flow”, Moglii will begin touring throughout Europe, as we all wait in anticipation for his upcoming EP.  You can keep up with Moglii on his socials listed below.

Socials:
https://soundcloud.com/moglimoglimogli
https://www.facebook.com/moglimoglimogli/
https://twitter.com/mogliimusic?lang=en

aria wunderland | socially conscious women

aria wunderland | socially conscious women

I think this is a really good moment for women in music and overall entertainment right now. The climate is really conscious, women are speaking up and advocating for themselves through various forms of art and media. I am so inspired by all of the female pop recording artists right now. They’re all strong, socially aware and convey a similar message of women’s empowerment. They all support each other and I too feel the desire to support fellow female artists. I made this playlist to listen to when I want to feel inspired and a sense of community in the music business. All of these different artists show strength in their lyrics and vocal performances even if it’s through moments of vulnerability, enjoy.

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