“This Year Be” by Left Vessel: A Love for Life and Folk
A love of nature and a love of folk music are hallmarks of Left Vessel’s personal style, and his newest release “This Year Be” proves to be no different. “This Year Be” crafts an engaging sound that at once feels authentically human and raw, and also like a pure imitator of the sounds of nature. […]
“Eyote” by Nebno: An Ode to Mystery
I don’t go on boats very often. There is something about the creaking waves and swaying floor that makes me sweat. Even when I get off the boat I can’t shake that swaying motion–I’ll close my eyes, try to fall asleep that night, and feel as though the bed is tilting in tune with an […]
“Supersoaker” by Superhead: Angsty, Abrasive, and Afraid
Hot weather and summer vacations always seem to usher in a new wave of teenage angst. Everyone is searching for that head banging, windows down while driving, “it’s not a phase, Mom” song of the summer. With Superhead’s new single, “Supersoaker,” we get all of that and more. Superhead is an indie punk trio, composed […]
Anita Lester’s “Sun and Moon and Stars” Sheds Light on Lessons Learned in Universally Strange Times
The first time I listened to Anita Lester’s “Sun and Moon and Stars,” I was curled up in my childhood bedroom, drinking tea with twinkling lights hung up all around me. I remember thinking that the ambiance in the room was perfect for this soothing, yet strange and beautiful tune in that very moment. Anita […]
Max Embers’ “got to get you” Is a Reminder That the Search Is Okay
As humans, we seem to be constantly on the search for who we truly are. “Finding yourself” is a popular idea – something, in fact, that we’re told to seek out. Max Embers’ “Got To Get You” expresses the anxiety around this idea, and brings us inside his brain at a self-reflective moment. He asks: […]
Joey Hines on “How to Love and How to Be Let Down”
The first thing that strikes you about “How to Love and How to Be Let Down,” a lovely, heartfelt new song by Vegas-based Joey Hines, is the vocals. The song is built on a doo wop chord progression, which already points things in a tender sort of direction, but there’s tender and then there’s this: […]
Find Your Inner Animal with LUMP’s “Climb Every Wall”
Playful, eccentric, electronic, and intriguing are the best four words to describe LUMP’s new track from their upcoming album Animal. At the beginning of the song, there’s this almost 1980’s-sounding synthetic beat that you can’t help but just bounce your foot to. Animal is LUMP’s second album to be released, the product of London singer-songwriter […]
“moon girlfriend” by Spilly Cave: Deceptively Deep Bedroom Pop
When I first listened to “moon girlfriend” by bedroom indie pop artist Spilly Cave, I misunderstood the song. I sat on my back porch with my earbuds in, watching the trees glitter and the sun move across the yard, and I latched onto the song’s reoccuring lyrical mantra: “When shit gets cold, I’m okay.” I […]
Tailor-Made, Rascal Miles: The Perfect Fit
The expression “tailor-made” is defined as made or fitted to a particular purpose with a tailor’s care and style. It’s created to fit the needs or specifications of a particular situation, object or person making it seem as though it was made that way. And in honor of June approaching, Rascal Miles “Tailor-Made” accentuates this […]
“Heron” by Tweed: A Meditation on the Natural World
Tweed’s single “Heron” follows the journey of a bird flying into the next season, or chapter of life. The Auckland folk band’s slow, rhythmic song set to grounding guitar changes mimics the feel of the heron soaring free in the air, while still knowing where it’s from. As the lyrics written by the trio tell […]
