What freedom means on “Cheap Wine (And Expensive Conversation)” by Jon Foreman and Abby Holliday
The introduction to “Cheap Wine (And Expensive Conversation)” comes from what sounds like a couple of ukuleles with inaudible whispered conversations behind them. Jon Foreman sings a line, and then Abby Holliday sings one, and they carry on one after the other until the chorus. Foreman’s voice has lilt of an accent and almost a […]
Innovation and Emotion on Animals in Denial’s “Crash Course Vol. 2: Tickets to Dreamland”
“The name of this volume, “Tickets to Dreamland” comes from an Area 51 reference, and it honestly just spoke to me and exuded the vibe of new tech new ideas new perspectives infusing new life and bringing the sound that was in my head into the world, how it sounded to me in my head,” explains […]
Hunter Metts is Iconic on “Monochrome”
(Photo: Travis Shinn) Listening to Hunter Metts’ debut EP Monochrome made me wonder: what does Zach Bryan have that this guy doesn’t have? Nashville-based Metts writes great songs and has a hypnotic, Bon Iver-type voice. When people hear this new collection of songs, he could easily become our next breakthrough indie-folk sensation. Metts’ songs remind […]
Paul Nye is Brilliant on “Everybody Wants to Be an Adjective”
Minnesota-based artist/songwriter Paul Nye is a throwback to the days when artists like Dylan, The Beatles and Crosby Stills Nash & Young gave us albums that were exceptionally eclectic. Nye’s new album Songs Well-Traveled has echoes of those artists, plus Al Kooper’s organ whoosh and the guitar stylings of Jeff Beck and Bruce Cockburn. In […]
Coldplay Go Large (Again) With “feelslikeimfallinginlove”
How do you feel about Coldplay? It’s a question that has become similar to discussing political leanings. It can split friendships and start angry discussions one way or the other. I don’t quite understand why. Sure, by anyone’s standards, Coldplay are a huge band and yet they come across as ordinary, everyday people. With the […]
How to Create a Strong Community Around Your Music
If there’s one thing I love more than anything about this industry, it’s the community that can be built around a single song. A feeling. A moment. The way we can rally together in the toughest of times just as well as the best. It’s what makes me love being in the music industry. That’s […]
Courtney Farren Ponders “Will I Ever Love Me?”
(Photo: Garrett Borns) Some albums – like Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour – have enduring beauty. You enjoy listening to them from beginning to end, year after year. I’m sure that Courtney Farren’s new debut album Punchlines will likewise sound just as marvelous in 2034. On the strength of her songwriting alone, Farren is already in […]
Valley Remembers to “Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden”
The title of Valley’s “Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden,” could have been taken from someone’s to-do list. The character conjured seems to need reminders of how to move forward – they’re “honestly, all out of options.” This song gives us an inside view of what loneliness sounds like. The vocals are compressed as though […]
“Sorry Now” Is a Nostalgic Reminder That Breakups Cut Deep – On Both Sides
In the pantheon of love songs, Juliet Lloyd’s “Sorry Now” explores a far less common theme than usual. It’s not about unrequited love, the hurt someone causes or the feeling of freedom at the end of a toxic relationship. This about is the person who initiated the “split” opaquely stewing on their regret. And to […]
The Japanese House Puts a “:)” on Her Face
Something’s happening. The Japanese House feels happier. That’s the chorus of her new single “:)”. And it’s also the first thought I had when I finished listening to it. Historically, The Japanese House (the sparkly, introspective project of singer-songwriter Amber Bain) has been an exercise in bright melancholy: how happy can you sound while still […]
