Deborah Stokol on “Stay Mine, Keens the Sailor” and Old Wives’ Tales
Deborah Stokol’s music occupies an interesting niche: the songs she writes are more than just folk songs or retellings of popular fables. Her music seeks to capture an oral tradition of storytelling that is deeply ingrained in the cultures that her music is inspired from. “Stay Mine, Keens the Sailor” from her latest album, Old […]
Mayzie on “Party,” Their Sound, and Their Name
“Party” is the debut single from burgeoning artist Mayzie. With a wide and gorgeously feminine sound, the single feels reminiscent of early 2000s radio pop. Gentle, floating lyrics are under a layer of catchy soft synth stings, while expressive drums beat out a rhythm for the unsure chemistry in Mayzie’s lyrics. The track opens up […]
Henry Ryeder on “Love Ain’t No Open Door,” Lockdown Isolation, and Julian Casablancas
Henry Ryeder’s newest EP, Boy Image, has this very cool and glamorous energy. The music feels as though it’s something relaxed but refined, and a mirror of dance-glam’s aesthetics with different and interesting sounds. Off of Boy Image, “Love Ain’t No Open Door” keeps this energy with a track that maintains a multitude of moods […]
“Lately” by Eimhin: Well-Crafted Indie Rock
Indie songwriter Eimhin has always taken time with his music. The songs he writes are deeply personal, and reflect his upbringing, his culture, and his life. This is all on display in “Lately”, the newest single from him. The song is passionate, but not just in one faucet: vocals, melody, and instrumentation all feel precise, […]
“The Great American Dusk” by Jeremy Ratib: Dreamy, Surreal Alt-Country
The music of Jeremy Ratib is hard to describe – I wasn’t familiar with their songs before listening to “The Great American Dusk.” The lyrics of all the songs on We, Sacred are a bit tough to parse, increasingly so from the leading song “Salt of a Dream”, but “The Great American Dusk” descends into […]
CAJA on “In the Garden,” Overcoming Stage Fright, and Her Nordic Surroundings
CAJA’s new single is an emotional piece. From the tender instruments to the heartfelt lyrics, it’s clear that there’s a lot of emotions running through “In the Garden”. Written by the Norwegian artist CAJA, the song was dedicated to her grandfather and is in memory of her grandmother. With that knowledge and the bittersweet vocals, […]
Zoe Zobrist on “Better,” Her Songwriting, and What Happened Since Her Last Song
Soft, slow and sad is Zoe Zobrist’s latest single: “Better”. “Better” is a drifting rock single following up 2021’s “Oh Baby.” Sounding much like a retrospective, it’s fitting that “Better” has a more produced sound to it. The instruments stand more on their own, and serve to elevate the focus of the track: the vocals. […]
Kiefer Luttrell on “The Wind,” Guitar Playing, and the Green Berets
Slowly sauntering through moody blues, Kiefer Luttrell’s performance on “The Wind” is a folk song with a unique sound. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Luttrell changes up many of the instrumental stylings of classic country with something a lot more modern, and a lot more West Coast. “The Wind” doesn’t feel just like a Southern blues […]
Anya Hinkle on “Eden and Her Borderlands,” Helping Ukraine, and What She Has to Say
The debut song of its titular album, “Eden and Her Borderlands” is a slow, and vibrant trek across the described promised land. Leaning heavily on dusty Southern imagery and a swath of Biblical references, the song serves to establish a mood in the listener for the entirety of the album. Twangy acoustic guitar opens the […]
CARRTOONS on “GROCERIES,” Production, and His Upcoming Album
Producer CARRTOONS delivers a smooth funk sound with vocalist Nigel Hall on the track “GROCERIES”. Off of his latest album, HOMEGROWN, Ben Carr is channeling a vibrant 80’s vibe in the production and is topped off with Hall’s excellent vocal performance. Combined with the visualizer for “GROCERIES”, the duo capture a sliver of a classic, […]
