Marielle Kraft on “I Kissed a Boy,” Pop Pride, and Celebrity Covers
Remember when Holly Near was about the only LGBTQ+ artist you could listen to? Well, those days are long gone. Current artists like MUNA and Rina Sawayama sing unabashedly about their girlfriends, and they’re enjoying great success. You can add one more name to the list: Nashville-based artist Marielle Kraft. The chorus of her new […]
Nolie on “Picky,” Treasuring His Time, and Transcending ‘Pretty’ Songs
We all know that radio is increasingly taking the backseat to streaming in today’s pop world. But Nolie’s new song “Picky” sounds like one of those buoyant songs that deserve to come pouring out of Corvettes on the Santa Monica Freeway all summer long. Although some listeners may mistakenly lump Nolie in with Charlie Puth […]
Lauren Spring on “Make It Look Easy,” Dream Pop, and Trusting Your Own Talent
Lauren Spring is well-known in the U.S. for her stellar work with the Americana group The Krickets. Her solo albums, however, have a captivating pop sound that’s winning her new fans on both sides of the Atlantic. Spring is signed to the UK label Saint In The City Records, and “Make It Look Easy” is […]
Beck Pete on “Romantic,” Bittersweet Emotions, and Resilience
You can add Beck Pete’s name to the list of artists like Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga who have penned and performed ballads that define a generation. Her new song “Romantic” (co-written with Dan Sadin) covers a far wider emotional range than most pop songs. It’s hypnotic, sad, ethereal, hopeful – in short, it’s about […]
Ari Dayan on “Love,” Self-Acceptance, and Life’s Messiness
Most artists would get whiplash going from ultra-catchy dance tracks to slow-burn torch songs, but L.A.’s Ari Dayan makes the stylistic leap with ease. Her new single “Love” is a high-energy ode to self-acceptance – and it follows her previous single “Undeserving” that has the smoky feel of torch singers Julie London and Amy Winehouse. […]
Smoking With Poets on “Nothing, With You”, Intimate Vocals, and Long-Distance Collaboration
When I listen to Smoking With Poets’ “Nothing, With You,” I can’t help but think of poets Sylvia Plath and Robert Frost puffing on cigarettes after a tryst while listening to Sixties soft-pop singers like Claudine Longet and Marianne Faithfull. (In Marianne’s case, she smoked with far too many poets and lost her dulcet voice.) […]
Lydia Goldthorpe on “My Sky,” Psychotherapy, and a New Album
Pop music reviewers love to make “comps”: comparisons between current artists and their predecessors. (Example: Lady Pills sounds like a better Blondie.) But Australian-born artist Lydia Goldthorpe’s music invites comparisons to classical composers like Erik Satie. Musically, her new song “My Sky” creates a pensive reverie, just like Satie’s famous “Gymnopédie No.1.” The lyrics likewise […]
Leni Black on “NOT A ROBOT,” Vulnerability, and ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’
Leni Black is effortlessly cool and international, just like her favorite film star Audrey Hepburn. She lived for four years in Beijing and Hong Kong, surfed in Sri Lanka, and then gained attention in the Boston indie scene before moving to Nashville. We’ve all seen the ubiquitous “I’M NOT A ROBOT” authentication used to thwart […]
Chelsea Rose on “Let Go,” Guitar Influences, and Astrud Gilberto
Photograph by Chelsey Croucher. The beyond-smooth melody of “Let Go” by Chelsea Rose offers proof that today’s indie scene is a playground for Renaissance women. Chelsea is a gifted photographer and art director who also writes great songs, plays guitar brilliantly and sings in both English and Portuguese. I doubt that either Joan Jett or […]
talker on “Little Bird,” Naming EPs, and Catharsis
Have you ever noticed how a great movie released in March often gets overlooked when the Oscar favorites are unveiled in December? Well, don’t sleep on this EP from talker because it may get my vote for EP of the Year and Indie Pop Video of the Year. The band name “talker” is a clever […]
