Joe Pope and Luna Keller on “Barricades,” Collaboration, and Their Futures
“Barricade,” a new song by the Georgia-based singer-songwriter Joe Pope, has a warm and welcoming sound, but it never feels too easy. Perhaps it’s Pope’s voice, which has enough grit to add some texture to the sound; perhaps it’s the song’s structure, which never quite goes where you expect it to go. Whatever the case, […]
“No Sleep” by Arm’s Length: Rage, Frustration and Redemption
Arm’s Length has only been a proper band for about two years now, but you might not have been able to tell from the emotional punch their latest EP packs. Everything Nice follows the Ontario band’s 2019 release, What’s Mine Is Yours, and the musical and emotional growth is on display. “Everything Nice is the […]
“Another Girl” by Ali George: From One Love to the Next
Ali George’s latest album is called Platys Yialos, which translates roughly in Greek as ‘wide beach’. The album cover, made by George’s father, depicts this landscape with swoon-worthy detail. The way the pounding waves and frothy foam bleed into the skyline, or how three-dimensional depth is brought to life with color and texture—the artwork is […]
“Hold Your Course” by S J Williams: A Classically-Influenced Balm
It’s been one year since the COVID lockdowns began. I’d do another long intro about the effects of the pandemic–the loneliness, the frustration, the boredom–or maybe I’d trace it from the early days of Tiger King and Animal Crossing to the present. But let’s not kid ourselves: do you really want to hear about all […]
Reflecting on “Giorgio by Moroder” After Daft Punk Break Up
On January 22 2021, world famous, multi-talented, French music duo Daft Punk announced their split silently in a video titled “Epilogue“. Music fans watched in sadness, confusion, and gratitude for the 28 years of musical reinvention. Daft Punk’s exploration and expansion of genres pioneered an entirely unique sound, in the wake of their breakup I […]
Arlo Parks’ “Black Dog” and the Cruelty of Depression
Arlo Parks’ poetic debut album Collapsed in Sunbeams gives us windows into the painful details of intense depression, grief, and heartbreak, but she never abandons hope. It’s not often that I genuinely enjoy every song on an album, and I have had Collapsed in Sunbeams on shuffle for the past week. The 20-year-old British […]
“Floating on Glass” by Jeremy Voltz: Gorgeous A Cappella Soul
It’s a familiar story: picture you and the person you love. A wrong word, or a silence when you should have said something clever. There’s shift between the two of you. Acidic words, rising voices. Then silence, a taste like metal in your mouth, and the ground suddenly feels unstable. You don’t know where you […]
“You’ll Never Know” by Megan Brickwood: Thoughtful, Moonlit Indie Folk
L.A. based singer-songwriter Megan Brickwood’s song “You’ll Never Know”, from her 2020 EP Where the Wind Lays Heavy, is sultry, moonlit folk that recounts the lament of love lost. The song opens with wistful guitar strums, eventually accompanied by subtle, rattling percussion. Brickwood’s resonant, effortless vocals then begin to tell the story of the battle […]
Josh Fudge on “FEEL LIKE,” Inspiration, and His Future Ambitions
When we last checked in on Josh Fudge, a bright young bedroom pop singer-songwriter from Oklahoma City, it was when he released the tender folk ballad “Meet Me In Seattle.” But in the year since, he’s released some more upbeat, poppy material, and become a rising star in the process: his debut album has racked […]
“North Decatur” by Kelly McFarling: The Power of Nostalgia
Growing up in a small town in the mountains, there isn’t much to do. On the melty June nights when we would finally be free from school and work, my friends and I wouldn’t go to concerts or movie theatres or bars. We’d climb into the car and drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It […]
