Angelle Waltz on “Moon Gurlz”, Her Evening Rituals, and Her Sense of Adventure
“I’ve heard that most everyone believes in something,” Angelle Waltz says at the start of her bewitching “Moon Gurlz”. “But for me? Well, I believe in…y’know.” It’s a coy, playful demurral, typical of a song (and an artist) who delights in leaving blank spaces for the listener to fill in on their own. One gets […]
“Green Tea” by Winter Beach: An Unexpected Memento Mori
Famed Polish composer Frederic Chopin is quoted as saying that “simplicity is the final achievement. After one has played a vast quantity of notes… it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art.” This, of course, is a predictably Victorian, prolix way of rephrasing minimalist architect Ludwig Miles van der Rohe’s oft-quoted maxim: […]
“Abattoir” by The Ninth Wave: Things Fall Apart
Looking at Van Gogh’s Olive Trees with the Alpilles in the Background, produced during his troubled stay at Arles in the southern French countryside, it’s almost impossible not to experience the emotional tumult that, by then, had come to define the ill-fated artist’s day-to-day. His deft use of intense undulating brush strokes makes out of […]
“Avalanche” by Maja Lena: A Much-Needed Escape
Right now, many of us want to escape. The world seems to be getting more chaotic by the day, and most of us are stuck inside our houses. Many of us also live in colder regions, where the frigid winds of winter are keeping us from being outside and in nature. The sun goes down […]
Annsofie Salomon’s “Soft Dreams”: A Tale of New Beginnings
Copenhagen-based singer Annsofie Salomon’s debut single “Soft Dreams” is a beautiful story of self resurrection and reinvigoration. Described by Salomon as both a mix of “organic folk” and “surreal and electronic impressionism,” “Soft Dreams” not only conjures a sound that’s uniquely Annsofie Salomon’s but tells a tale that’s strikingly personal as well. The magic of […]
“Fleeting” by Monmoi: Stuck in a Lost Relationship
If there is one thing that can be said about music as a whole, it’s that it possesses a power to bring people together from all around the world. Regardless of their upbringing or location, most successful artists have the ability to forge songs which carry a vital message at their core which helps people […]
“Cooler Returns” by Kiwi Jr.: American Politics from an Outsider
I have said before, and will say again, that political issues don’t have to be contained within the country they are taking place. In our modern world, many big policy changes in one country can absolutely affect another. Given this, it is no surprise that people from around the world have seemingly become more involved […]
“Seclude” by Tristan Jarvis: Facing Isolation with a Retro Sound
Although genres tend to be associated with the music released in specific decades, this hasn’t stopped artists from dipping their fingers into the past to create modern hits. Some artists, however, take full advantage of the availability of information that we have nowadays and fully indulge in that sound of the past. With so many […]
“Shadows in the Sunshine” by Secret American: Chill, Purposeful and Hooky
Modern life is a patchwork quilt of screens. Technology is what sews us together and splits us apart. This is no secret. Checking our phones is often the first thing we do in the morning and the last thing we do at night – and, of course, as quarantine has made physical socialization increasingly dangerous, […]
“Amethyst O’clock” by Daphne’s Demise: Cozy, Life-Affirming Psych Pop
“Amethyst O’clock”, a beguiling psych-pop tune from the Ontario-based Daphne’s Demise, tells you a lot just from its title. The world of this song is certainly stranger than our own; this is, apparently, the kind of world where colors and gemstones can be used to signify time (which reminds me–I’ve got a dental appointment at […]
