“Pepper” by Bogus Bones: Well-Crafted Aimlessness and Ennui
Something that we’ve probably all been finding ourselves doing since the pandemic shut down most aspects of everyday life is taking time to enjoy things that once felt mundane. I’ve lost count of how many walks I’ve been on around my neighborhood, retracing the same worn steps day after day. Sometimes I go out on […]
Ruby Landen’s “I Look Like My Mother”: Introspection, Insecurity and Family
The Northern California native Ruby Landen honed her musical talent across an entire ocean, spending her days busking in the Paris Metro. When you listen to her music, in what can be described as a mix of folk, Americana, and alt-country, you can almost hear the dichotomy between artist and venue. It’s like she’s captured […]
Retrospective: The Band’s “The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show”
Earlier this week, Universal Music reissued the Band’s third album, Stage Fright, for its 50th anniversary, never mind that the original album was released in August of 1970. Most notable about the reissue isn’t just the luxurious extras, the Calgary Hotel jam sessions or the live set at the Royal Albert Hall in 1971, but that […]
Franz Schubert’s Piano Trios and the Power of Trills
The trill is when a musician alternates rapidly between two adjacent notes. During the Baroque era, the trill was used as an ornament, a decorative flourish of just a few oscillations. During the romantic era, the trill had developed–quite literally, sometimes taking up entire measures–to deserve its former name of the shake as it could […]
Departure Lounge Return With “Australia” Alongside Peter Buck
It’s a refreshing moment in the music world when a band that hasn’t made music in almost twenty years surprises the world by coming back together with new material. The last time Departure Lounge released an album was back in 2002 with Too Late to Die Young. As an up-and-coming band at the time, it’s […]
Katie Haverly on “Get Ready” and Optimism in the Time of Corona
On March 8th, 2020, I was still clinging to a nervous sort of optimism. News of the virus had started to spread, and there were a number of grave warnings that had phrases like “not a matter of if but when” and “it will get worse before it gets better,” but I was still trying […]
“All the Days” by Physick: Longing, Lovely Indie Pop
The duo that makes up Physick has been building and polishing a sound that’s all their own since their first album in 2011, Songs For Friends. A few phrases can describe their style: a little classical, a little jazzy, a little indie pop, a little blues, vintage but unique, eclectic but thematic, heavy on the […]
How to Get Spotify Followers in 2022: 5 Tips for Growing Your Audience
If you’re an independent artist marketing your own music, then the world of Spotify can seem daunting. The word “algorithm” belongs among the most boring words in the English language, and after the great purge of tracks receiving fraudulent streams this year, paying borderline-sketchy companies for growth on the platform is increasingly frowned upon. But […]
Virginia Fudge on “Dragonfly,” Production, and Being a Teacher
There’s something to be said for a well-paced song. The popularity of TikTok has resulted in a lot of songs that play their hand in the first twenty seconds, content to coast for the rest of the runtime in hopes that they’ll strike gold and catch the ear of an influencer. (Can you tell me […]
Kerri Watt on Neptune’s Daughter and Her Powerful New Sound
Kerri Watt charts a new soundscape with her debut album Neptune’s Daughter, born from her Americana roots and an unlikely collaboration with heavy metal producer Machine that gives us something totally new. In a mix of grunge, rock, country, and pop, Neptune’s Daughter is an inspiring look into a new wave of rock and roll. Between […]
