Meagan Sky has the Power of a Modern-Day Aretha
Portland, Oregon doesn’t immediately spring to mind when you think about blues-inspired singers like Bonnie Raitt and Aretha Franklin. But that’s the home of artist Meagan Sky, whose incredible voice and songwriting put her in the select company of all-time greats like that duo, plus Dusty Springfield and Adele. For someone this magnificently talented, Meagan […]
Miss Machina Finds that “Nirvana” is Bittersweet
Miss Machina (aka Ashleigh Smith) is a mega-talented L.A. artist who previously lived in Dallas and Chicago. Her songs are insightful, beautifully sung and immensely hooky. Her latest single “Nirvana” is a haunting look at how the end of a relationship can torpedo a lot of the shared experiences and memories that were once so […]
Alena Ciera Dazzles on “Change Your Mind”
Alena Ciera is an incredible guitarist, songwriter and singer in the Washington, D.C. area – and her most recent single “Change Your Mind” is a pop delight. She played guitar on Broadway in David Byrne’s American Utopia. If you haven’t yet seen the Spike Lee movie of that production, you’re missing an amazing, uplifting performance. […]
Natalie Madigan’s YANG EP is a Masterpiece
Natalie Madigan’s latest single “Butterfly Effect” is so gorgeous and uplifting that it deserves comparisons with The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and Taylor Swift. Madigan has released two complementary EPs this year, fittingly entitled YIN and YANG. As you probably can guess, the EPs are vastly different, both musically and thematically. It’s an impressive achievement […]
Films on Song Leave Room for Imagination in “Gnome”
“Gnome” is a song about killer gnomes. What I like about it, and about the work of Charlottesville band Films on Song generally, is its emotional realism. Songwriters Jonathan Teeter and Francis McKee collage stock images from science fiction with snippets of everyday speech, making stories set in someone else’s dream of your hometown. I […]
Lisa De Angelis Has Emmylou-Style Authenticity
Lisa De Angelis’ music could be described as “Australiana” because it blurs the lines between country music and Americana. The singer was raised in southwest Sydney, and now resides in Brisbane. She’s been described as “part Judy Garland, part Saturday Night Live comedian” – and her songwriting has the power and authenticity of Americana greats […]
Alissa Moreno Transcends Tragedy on “Wildfires”
Alissa Moreno has a richer life story than most songwriters. She was born on a small Navajo reservation and grew up in Albuquerque. She began writing songs in Hawaii, then moved to L.A. to pursue music and teach meditation. She later made her way to Nashville, where she co-wrote a Top 5 song for Rascal […]
James Patterson Flashes Genius on “After Dark”
Most people in the music world hail the late, great Prince as a musical genius, but both James Patterson and Ben Ruttner (aka J-Patt and B-ROC from The Knocks) are geniuses, too. Now they’re getting the recognition they’ve long deserved, including a Grammy nomination last year and a coveted slot at this year’s Lollapalooza festival […]
Ashley Miers is a Multi-Talented Marvel
When you think of amazing multi-hyphenate talents, Padma Lakshmi and Lady Gaga spring to mind. L.A. artist Ashley Miers belongs in that select group, too. She’s a successful songwriter/musician, actress, chef and meditation/recovery advocate. It’s hard to image how one person – in one lifetime – can write fabulous songs, have a SAG card, host […]
Christina Meyer Takes On A Pressing Issue with “Every Woman You Know”
Christina Meyer is a Milwaukee-based songwriter who has won consecutive Best Song awards from the Songwriters of Wisconsin and has had sync placements on TV’s The Young and The Restless. Her song “Every Woman You Know” is perspective-changing for male listeners and a confirmation of what female listeners already understand: women walking alone at any […]
