LACES Shines a Light on “American Grime”
(Photo: Shari Hoffman) LACES is the brainchild of L.A. artist Jessica Vaughn, who’s also a music biz CEO who has placed countless songs in movies and TV. The latest LACES single “American Grime” is a collab with BELLSAINT – and the song is a pop jewel with lyrical depth that’s truly exceptional. “American Grime” explores […]
Hamish Anderson Leads a Blues/Rock Revival on “Everybody”
(Photo: Emma Gillett) Australian artist and guitar ace Hamish Anderson is almost singlehandedly reviving a genre we used to fondly call “rock”. His new album ELECTRIC will remind you a bit of The Foo Fighters and Led Zep’s Jimmy Page. But my favorite track is “Everybody”, which has a bluesy John Lennon feel. Anderson’s album […]
Sophia Streams finds cohesian in collective chaos
Cohesiveness is a challenge. In cooking one flavor can overwhelm a dish and in music, too many ideas can spoil the magic. But sometimes unexpected combinations are what make it work, such as peanut butter and bacon. And in “So In My Head” there stands an EP where a wild menagerie of ideas comes together […]
Daena Celebrates Her “Lucky Number” from Debut Album
(Photo: Acacia Evans) Nashville artist Dana Rogers goes by the stage name “daena” – and her debut album Alter Ego feels destined to make a lot of “Best of 2024” lists. The new album is a showcase not just for daena’s superb songwriting but for her incredibly versatile voice as well. It’s hard to convey […]
Charli XCX and Billie Eilish Invite You to “Guess”
My friend sent me a message a few weeks ago: “little Friday afternoon treat for you Charli XCX x Billie Eilish singing about pants.” This friend seems to have a wildly eclectic and fascinating taste in music, one that I’m lucky and happy to frequently take notice of and dip into. And that written note […]
Shiloh Mae’s “South of Cheyenne” Paints A Relationship With Scenes From the Road
Daniel EK of Spotify wants musicians to create more. Fans and followers want musicians to create more. In every walk of life, all we want is more. We want it now and only the outliers are shown. Everything is muddied by a facade of perfection. But there is beauty in the mundane, there is still […]
Pocket Moon Records The Sounds Of “Good Animals”
I’ve been waiting most of this year to encounter any recording of Philadelphia’s synth and cello duo, Pocket Moon. They played at Comet Ping Pong in D.C. last January, in a tiny room behind the pizza parlor portion of the venue, which they filled with a spaceship’s worth of synth rhythms and the alien voice […]
Michael Kiwanuka Continues His Dreamy Soul Journey on “Floating Parade”
Michael Kiwanuka’s self-titled album from 2019 got a lot of praise. It took some surprising musical twists and turns through its award-winning runtime, but it had a consistently soulful sound pinned down by Kiwanuka’s voice. On “Floating Parade”, that authentically soul-inflected sound continues, even more so than his previous work. As a sweet harmonising guitar […]
slimdan Serves an Ace with “Wimbledon White”
There are two types of music fans: those who like “cheerful” music and those who like “miserable” music. Is that a huge sweeping generalization? Of course. For my own part, I know I veer to the ‘sad/melancholy/miserable’ side more often. But there’s a lot of examples of songs that drag me back to the sunny […]
When Was Steve Forbert at His Peak?
Steve Forbert hit the New York City scene just as I was finishing high school. Although originally from Mississippi, he felt like one of us Jersey guys. That he ended up living for many years at the Jersey Shore confirmed it. For those new to this, we’re looking at retrospective in a unique way – […]
