Jenny Lewis has unexpectedly teamed up with Chicago-based rapper Serengeti for the new track and subsequent music video for “Unblu”. As the lyrics create the feeling of yearning for someone who doesn’t seem to be emotionally available yet, the video enhances this longing desire by getting closer to the listener than would be possible had they not shot it with simple iPhone technology. In a way, it feels like a series of video diaries, put together to present to the person you are waiting for so they can see how your life has been while you have been waiting. “Unblu” is a not-so-subtle display of loneliness and fervor, tied together in a package of smooth and rich sonics.
Lewis and Serengeti say of the process of creating the song and video:
To accompany the music, Jenny made videos on her phone during the witching hours, editing while under the covers. Then Jenny texted the tracks to another People alumnus–Andrew Broder in Minneapolis—who co-produced and mixed the songs, taking them from Garageband phone music to music that gently thumps you. Music to dance around your living room in a Day-Glo bathing suit to. Music to go bananas to while watching the news & Forensic Files on mute.
Saba, an acclaimed Chicago rapper and producer, has a newly released a set of singles. One of these singles is “So and So”, which is accompanied by a stunning and spellbinding visual. A short video, it reaches just above the two-minute mark. In that short amount of time, Saba creates a visual that helps bring the track to life in a new way. Simply put, “So and So” addresses adversities and the act of being vulnerable. The opening lines of the song call for celebration of those who are able to overcome the obstacles that are thrown their way. While the video remains in one location throughout the short duration, the fact that the specific location can have its own message for anybody who watches it makes the viewing experience all the more relatable and inclusive.
“So and So”, while shorter than some other releases, gives the viewer the time to address what might sometimes be an uncomfortable admission. It is an honest approach to the reality of different struggles that make it hard to achieve great things. Saba is taking the chance to let viewers know that they too can overcome their own struggles.
When Heather Porcaro decided to jump back into music as her form of self-expression, she did so in a way that bends genre lines. This is reflected in “Charleston”, a heavy tune that addresses the suicide of her cousin’s brother. What makes it even more personal is that it was co-written by her cousin. Together, they crafted a story that takes you through various moments of time, stopping along the way at the most crucial and captivating moments to tell their story. For example, these stops may include heart shattering details about the final conversation that they had with the person who is no longer around. More than just a journey through time, Porcaro does what she does best, giving a sprinkle of different genres. This magic touch ties the entire project together, giving listeners jazz, pop, and even rock elements and an opportunity to dissect while listening.
When sitting down to listen to “Charleston” for the first time, you should be prepared for a heavy theme running throughout the track. While heartbreaking and real, it offers a chance to reflect while also appreciating the musical complexities that Porcaro has to offer.
With her new single “Moonlight”, Gillian Heidi proves to her audience that she has both the talent to impress vocally and the ability to draw you in with catchy chorus melodies and stunning metaphors. What starts off as a gentle guitar strum and notes of insecurity turns into mid-tempo ballad about the feeling of security when looking into the eyes of somebody who shines light into your life. This security is not uninterrupted for Heidi. The track does not shy away from the fear that can still linger even in the most secure moments of our lives. It actually does a magnificent job of highlighting that the fear of the unknown with this person can be a fulfilling, promising experience.
In a stunning display of freedom, Gillian Heidi lets the world know loud and clear that she has the creativity to narrate a story that progresses from those starter nerves to a full-on prance around nature’s most beautiful displays. All in all, she really is the one taking darkness and turning it into moonlight.
The critically acclaimed and Grammy-nominated band, Tank and The Bangas, have just put out their new EP, Friend Goals. Within this release sits the track “To Be Real”, a blissful ode to the joy of spending time with the group of people that brings out your favorite side of you. Created with the help of many fellow New Orleans-based artists, it acts as a bit of a narrative of what a typical weekend night out in the city is like. One may also speculate that the chorus feels like a longing for the time being described in the verses. Regardless, “To Be Real” paints the perfect picture of a fulfilling time with people we love.
Frontwoman Tarriona ‘Tank’ Ball says of the EP as a whole:
There are hair goals, body goals, but Tank and The Bangas are actual friend goals! This special EP is full of some of our favorite artists from New Orleans and around the globe. The fun, creative, energy is put into every track and each one is sure to have you dancing your quarantine blues away. We made this one just for you.
From young indie artist Patricia Lalor comes the hypnotic track “This Man Thought He Saved Me”, a reflection of possible insecurity. It may be hard to describe exactly what genre this falls under, but that is only because Lalor perfectly incorporates many elements of different genres, crafting a transcendent track. Starting off with a more electronic vibe, the song quickly and almost seamlessly shifts to a vibrant and prominent electric guitar, one that takes hold throughout the entire track. Viewers of the song’s music video can even spot Lalor strumming away on the guitar, a testament to the fact that the guitar really owns the whole song. While some of the rock genre is evident, it may be appropriate to take it a step further and call it a punk spectacle.
“This Man Thought He Saved Me” is a thrilling, not-so-straightforward take on feeling slightly inferior. Make no mistake, though, the track still radiates confidence in a more subtle way than normally depicted. One thing is for sure: Patricia Lalor leaves plenty of room for nuance.
The new track from pop-rock band KITTEN has dropped, and it asks the question everybody seems to have on their mind these days. “What Year Are We In” is exactly the type of song that you may expect people to listen to years from now in order to get an idea of what life may have been like in the year 2020. Not only does it make the expected pandemic references, it also offers commentary on other various things that have come to shape the year like social justice movements, worry of climate change, and the fact that movies don’t really seem new anymore.
It isn’t only the lyrics that make you question the era. Sonically, the track is reminiscent of the 90s punk scene, a reminder that maybe none of these time periods are really all that far. KITTEN successfully solidifies any suspicions that 2020 is the year that seems to revisit other decades in a plethora of ways.
Brainchild Chloe Chaidez says:
It’s a bizarre time to be alive. We have history at our fingertips. Teenagers wear Joy Division t-shirts, and moms listen to Drake. ‘What Year Are We In?’ is a funny question to pose, but it also feels like the simplest way of conveying a feeling.
From the band Wax Owls comes a coming of age tale that takes us through fortresses in the forest and late-night rides through the back streets of a small town. It is a narrative about what it is like to have somebody there through the various phases of getting older. The track sees the band taking a trip down memory lane, a trip that is supported by bright guitar strums and commanding drums. This trip works to leave the listener with a feeling of calmness and warmth to counter any coldness that the year has left with them.
The song also proves to be the perfect companion for a drive into the sunset on an old country road, or a walk by the lake during morning’s sunrise. The best part? It accompanies anybody who is currently experiencing a path filled with darkness and fear and lights the way.
Hannah Grace has been praised by music legends like Lady Gaga, and you only have to press play on her new album, Remedy, to understand why. From top to bottom, this album is the story of finding and losing love, and in the end, becoming sure of yourself. Tracks like “Feels Like Home” and “Different Kind of Love” are the optimistic phase of falling in love. Both songs reflect on the past with the hope to move forward in what could be a safe and loving relationship. Grace does little to shy away from the more heartbreaking parts about falling in love, however. “Missing the Show” details the struggle of saying goodbye to a lover but recognizing that the back and forth has proven to be unsuccessful and therefore, it is time to move on. The more celebratory pieces like “Blue”, “How True Is Your Love”, and the darker layered “Live Like Love” represent the freedom and openness that we all long for in our lives.
With the help of radiant choirs, powerhouse vocals, and dance breaks when needed, Grace’s Remedy covers important ground when it comes to falling in and out of love. Not only does she give insights on how to love, but she also gives us an idea on how to heal.
