Watch out for indie artist Brian Melso, who just released The Endless on January 18. This three-song project looks at the quiet strength in life’s in-between moments. Instead of chasing catchy hits, Melso’s voice stands out for its emotional depth, making it unforgettable like top pop artists today. The track “Dream a Little Dream” highlights […]
The Understated Brilliance of Brian Melso’s Dream A Little Dream Read More »
There’s a very specific kind of personality trait that pop music loves to dissect: the people pleaser. The person who says yes when they mean no, apologizes for things that aren’t their fault and slowly realizes, usually after several emotionally inconvenient life experiences, that maybe constantly performing a version of yourself for everyone else is
There’s a long tradition in rock music of confronting your inner turmoil by giving it a suitably dramatic name. You don’t just feel bad; you’re battling demons. Possibly several demons. Maybe a devil or two for good measure. It’s a metaphor that has powered everything from classic metal albums to extremely intense diary entries. Which
Devils and Demons Is Like the Best of Rock; Music That Literally Rocks You Read More »
There is a particular flavor of indie-folk that has dominated the last decade or so, and you know it when you hear it. It smells faintly of mason jars and reclaimed wood. It is emotionally vulnerable in a way that is very curated. Everyone is sad, but in a way that would still look good
There’s a long and slightly ridiculous tradition in pop and hip-hop of songs called Bad Girl. At this point it’s basically a genre title. You hear the phrase and your brain automatically starts filling in the blanks: swagger, a club beat, some vague commentary about attraction mixed with danger, and probably at least one line
“Bad Girl” Is Catchy, Confident, and Rooted in a Story That Feels Real Read More »
Jack Goldstein’s “falling off the earth” is one of those songs that initially walks up to you wearing a friendly, slightly scruffy Americana jacket, shakes your hand, tells you about farming in the 1980s, and then about halfway through, sets that jacket on fire and asks you to think about mortality. It is sincere, ambitious,
“falling off the earth” Is a Generous, Ambitious Piece of Songwriting Read More »
There’s a certain confidence that comes with making an album called Nothing Lasts Forever and having it land not as a dirge, but as something surprisingly warm, generous, and alive. Brock Davis’ latest record is deeply aware of impermanence, but it isn’t obsessed with doom or mortality-as-spectacle. Instead, it feels like the sound of someone
Nothing Lasts Forever Is an Album That Finds Meaning in the Everyday Read More »
There’s a certain confidence that comes with looseness. Not the careless kind, but the kind that comes from knowing your instincts are sharp enough to trust. Douby, the debut album from DJ SoulChild AC, lives squarely in that space. It’s an album that doesn’t beg to be decoded track-by-track in a rigid order. Instead, it
Douby Is Loose, Free, and Confident in Its Own Rhythm Read More »
There’s something deeply dramatic about two former post-punk musicians from Glasgow reconnecting after decades apart and deciding, instead of quietly reminiscing about “the old days,” to make an album about surviving modern existence. It’s either the beginning of a midlife crisis or the start of something genuinely moving and on Survival, the debut album from
Survival Is Less About Grand Resurrection and More About Quiet Persistence Read More »
It’s rare to hear a rock track in the charts nowadays, that’s why I was happy to hear Bedlam 1547’s newest track, ‘Summoning Mind.’ Join me as I talk about this track in length and why it’s the perfect nostalgia hit. The track starts with this high distorted lead riff alongside that drum pattern that
Bedlam 1547’s newest track, ‘Summoning Mind,’ is the Nostalgia Hit we need Read More »
