Calan Mai’s bouncy easy-listening single ‘XO’
Calan Mai’s new single XO is a feel-good indie pop tune that combines clever lyrics with a breezy melody that shouts of summer and sentimentality. The Australian musician’s charming voice acts as the perfect narrator for the relaxed but focused story it tells. It’s a fight song for self-validation as much as it is a […]
The Mystical Ferocity of Oddnesse’s “It Runs Wild”
Oddnesse’s “It Runs Wild” is a fierce and mystical foray into the far-out indie rock pop territories. It’s a sort of supernatural chant of power. With layers upon layers of different synths and sounds, the psychedelic yet down-to-earth music stands out from its contemporaries. We’ve heard soft-spoken vocalists on moody songs before, but not quite […]
Review: Rhyms’ “Honey (Chill Feels)”
You will certainly be getting some feels while listening to this track! Jakarta based singer-songwriter Rhyms croons on his latest release. Dare we say, his voice is as sweet as honey. None of this should come as a surprise with his blissful mosaic genre of indie, folk, blues and R&B. Should we even mention his […]
The Story Of The Lifer’s “Sister”
You don’t just listen to The Lifers’ “Sister,” you experience the anxiety, self-doubt, and sisterly devotion explored within this song along with them. I heavily relate to this song, despite not having a sister, because it’s partly about self-doubt. Everyone wishes they could be better at what they do, or confident enough to try new […]
How to Write a Hit Song
Editor’s note: this article was written by Jason Davis, currently the president of Awaken Records, Care For Kids, and the Co-President of booking agency Higher Level Agency and founder of One One 7. His songwriting credentials include an ASCAP award-winning song for the most airplayed song of the year, and he’s worked with stars like […]
The Story Of The Shakes “With Every Moment”
Sean Perry of the Shakes saw death at an intersection and therefore was confronted with two roads he could take: fearing the world or embracing it. He chose to embrace it. That is what the Shakes new song, “With Every Moment “ is about, realizing the temporariness, and fragileness of life, and therefore wanting to […]
The Desperation Of Calming River’s “Haunted Pt.1”
In Calming River’s song “Haunted pt.1 (Fairytales)” we see hills covered in snow, not a pure white snow, but a muddled, mud and soot mixed snow. Trees line the hills, sprouting up like the gnarled hands of a skeleton. When you walk through the trees you resist looking behind them. It is not from the […]
How “Uptown Funk” Became the Ultimate Wedding Song
When you’re in your mid-to-late-twenties, you quickly learn how many weddings you can fit into a single summer. My wife and I lucked out this year; we only had three to go to, but over the next few years, I fully expect us to average about five or six a year. And don’t get me […]
The Artisanals “Angel 42” Will Make You Feel Good
Upon hearing the opening notes of The Artisanals’ “Angel 42,” I was reminded of The Beatles’ Eastern spirituality phase- and I immediately fell in love with this song. I adored the hippie vibes – it instantly put me in a good mood. While listening, I was transported to a picturesque meadow full of flowers and […]
Mini Trees Argue for Intimacy in “Take It Back”
Peering through a living room window you see a family arguing, a disagreement so well-worn it rivals the beat-up furniture scattered around the room. The girl, a teenager, stomps her foot and runs upstairs. She looks as if she has given up. When I listened to the song. “Take It Back” I thought about family […]
