Catatron’s “Again and Again” Explores the Depth of a Simple Phrase
People mean so many things when they say, “I love you.” Sometimes the words are code for, “Thank you” or “I’m sorry” or “I want something from you” or “I can tell you want something from me.” Sometimes they mean the thing that words can’t say. Saying “I love you” isn’t like saying what […]
Michael Suddes Wakes Up and Sings on “I’m a Bird”
Other people’s insomnia isn’t usually thrilling to hear about, but it thrilled me to hear Michael Suddes sing, “I tossed and turned like a dryer” in “I’m a Bird.” Not only is that exactly how it goes for me when I can’t sleep – I throw myself over in frustration, like a heap of wet clothes […]
Isabel Bailey on her “Favorite Color in the Summer”
It was almost still summer when I saw the Isabel Bailey Band for the first time, performing at WTJU’s Offbeat Roadhouse. I was standing behind a camera to the side of the stage, but I was also swimming in the moonlight Piney River, then splashing through gutter puddles in bright rainboots. What I mean is […]
The A.M.s Stay Up All Night On “Ignite the Sky”
Since March of 2020, we’ve been in an age of long-distance; pretty much every interpersonal connection, except for those with our families and roommates, became a long-distance relationship. You don’t need me to tell you that this has been hard, or that it has posed particular challenges for musicians. But I can tell you about […]
David Beck Throws Away the Rubble on “Miner’s Song”
“Miner’s Song” is the lead single of David Beck’s upcoming album Bloom and Fade, out September 30. Beck sings from the perspective of a prospector: “You can throw away the rubble, give me the gold.” The rough, definitive backbeats of the drums strike like a pickaxe through the course of the song, electric guitar chords […]
