Winterlark on “When I Saw You Stranded There” and the Delights and Fears of Songwriting
Folk-jazz band Winterlark sets the scene: two strangers, a hot idling day, stranded in traffic. The speakers spot each other between the cars, a half-glance between sirens. And suddenly, everything changes. The song, titled “When I Saw You Stranded There” tells a meet-cute love story with vivid energy. Kristin Olson plays the upright bass and […]
“Alone” by Megan and Shane: Lovely, Thoughtful Alt-Country
If you’re like most people living in the digital age, the first thing you do in the morning is check your phone. It helps you wake up, blink out of drowsy dreams and fold your mind open for the day. It preps you for a day of performance. Social media, at best, is a bright-eyed […]
“Monoxide” by A.N.J.A.: A Dangerous Woman
When listening to A.N.J.A.’s new song “Monoxide,” you can’t help but picture the desert. More specifically, you can’t help but picture driving through the desert. More specifically than that, you can’t help but picture a femme fatale driving through the desert, probably wearing enormous sunglasses and casually driving off after burying an angry man who […]
“Eyote” by Nebno: An Ode to Mystery
I don’t go on boats very often. There is something about the creaking waves and swaying floor that makes me sweat. Even when I get off the boat I can’t shake that swaying motion–I’ll close my eyes, try to fall asleep that night, and feel as though the bed is tilting in tune with an […]
“moon girlfriend” by Spilly Cave: Deceptively Deep Bedroom Pop
When I first listened to “moon girlfriend” by bedroom indie pop artist Spilly Cave, I misunderstood the song. I sat on my back porch with my earbuds in, watching the trees glitter and the sun move across the yard, and I latched onto the song’s reoccuring lyrical mantra: “When shit gets cold, I’m okay.” I […]
Sade Fox on “Necessary Nostalgia,” the Songwriting Process, and Learning Experiences
Sade Fox shares a visceral ache for the past in their new song “Necessary Nostalgia.” The four and a half minute track is framed in a gentle piano loop, making plenty of space for the bright and enchanting vocals. Sade Fox boasts a clear, shimmering voice that will remind listeners of alternative artists like beabadoobee […]
Mia Porter’s “daisies”: Dreamy, Existential Pop
Time is money. Time waits for no one. Time heals everything. We drop these idioms into casual conversation. We snap watches over our wrists. We set appointments, celebrate birthdays, and count down the seconds until the next rite of passage. Our world is ruled by time—but how can we make sense of this abstract, passing […]
“Kindred Spirit” by Annie Keating: Yearning for Connection
Annie Keating’s new single “Kindred Spirit” is a testament to emotional uproot—to hands that reach, desperately, in the cool blue dark and tangle with someone else’s. It’s a song about recognition: eyes meeting across a room, waves lapping against the side of a boat, a warm and familiar scent. Keating has historically been compared to […]
“Fragile Flowers” by the Nielsen Family Band: Gentle, Soothing Space Country
Video games are rapidly becoming one of the coveted pillars of modern art culture – the medium’s accessibility, engaging aesthetic form, and blossoming narrative potential is gathering interest from artists across the globe. Creative writers embrace game design as a method of creating “choose your own adventure” story experiences. Movie directors capitalize on film-inspired games. […]
“I’ve Changed” by Nora Anna: Beautiful Nostalgic Yearning
She stands straight, her back pressed against a blood-red wall. Snow breathes on the ground around her. Nora Anna has an effortlessly elegant presence in the music video for her new song “I’ve Changed.” Her voice sounds like a crackling fire: warm, sharp, slowly burning. Her jazzy four-minute track is an ode to the power […]
