Star Moles’ “The Old Man’s House”: A Psychedelic Anthem
Music is very much a meaning-making process. We pull from music not only to form our identities but also to use it as an aid to supplement memories and alter our moods. Yet out of all the diffuse purposes and auras music can conjure, I find the most special to be the feel-good anthem. But […]
Tyler Childers’ “Long Violent History”: An Important Call to Action
There seems to be a common consensus that these last few months of 2020 should be expedited—hurried through to get to a new, hopefully, more pleasant year. However, it’s not just the ever-tightening clutches of COVID-19 that have made this year, unfortunately, one for the history books. We are in the midst of a reality […]
Kate Elpo’s “Be-Longing”: A Reminder of What Makes Us Human
Belonging is an essential human need. Community, relationships, confirmation of dignity—all of these are what defines our humanity. There’s a reason why famed psychologist Abraham Maslow designated belonging as a prerequisite for establishing esteem and self-actualization. On his hierarchy of needs, feeling socially and emotionally validated is of the utmost importance, third only to meeting […]
Celebrating Alternative Rock with The Diamond Star Halo’s “To the Sea”
The alternative rock genre holds a special place in my heart. But while I am loving the current scene spearheaded by bands like The Strokes, there’s a certain era of this genre’s storied history that shines the brightest: 90s alt-rock. An assortment of brooding lyrics, distorted guitars and a cacophony of rigid noise all drenched […]
Confronting Our Past with Bully’s “Prism”
Is it possible to separate ourselves from our past? Can we forget our personal histories and begin to write a fresh, renewed chapter of our lives? Even if we close the door on our past can we ensure that it will remain locked? These are questions Bully explore with their new track, “Prism”— a pensive […]
Maddi Mae’s “Here Right Now” On the Power of Love
Songs and songwriting can wield immense power. When concoctions of vocals and melodies are perfectly combined they have the ability to galvanize, to heal, and in the case of Maddi Mae’s breakout single “Here Right Now,” the power to convince someone to be with you. Maddi Mae is a singer/songwriter and “mountain woman” from Virginia, […]
Exploring What Makes Life Sacred with David James Allen’s “In the Hour of My Life”
Imagine the final hour of your life. What would you want to have with you? How would you want to feel? What atmosphere would you like to cultivate? David James Allen attempts to answer these questions with his pensive new single, “In the Hour of My Life:” an optimistic and soul-healing take on meeting one’s […]
Evelyn Eng’s “Run with the Eventide” Takes Us to the Oceanside
The late, esteemed poet Mary Oliver once wrote about her connection to nature: “In the beginning I was so young and such a stranger to myself I hardly existed. I had to go out into the world and see it and hear it and react to it, before I knew at all who I was, […]
Standing at a Crossroads with Wingtip’s “Pavement”
It isn’t uncommon to find oneself standing at a crossroads, torn between two equally enticing alternatives, wondering which path will lead us toward optimal happiness. But is it possible to have both? Is it possible to mend our ideological quandaries? At the intersection of electro-pop and folk, we find Wingtip’s genre bending single “Pavement”— a […]
Sam Burchfield’s “Blue Ridge June” Takes Us Back to Our Roots
If there were ever a song that could double as a teleportation device, it’d be Sam Burchfield’s “Blue Ridge June.” This track, which appears on his album, Graveyard Flower, is unparalleled in its ability to construct a world solely through sonic elements. For just over four minutes, Burchfield is the tour guide of Appalachia’s magnificence, […]
