Fuel and Fire, Love and Anxiety in “Runaway” by Kylie V
“Runaway,” by Kylie V, is a song that comes from a deeply sensitive heart, for whom – because love and a relationship is so precious, and they care so much for their first love – contemplating and preparing for all the negative possibilities of the end of that relationship also feels like an enormous burden. […]
Emina Sonnad Restarts the Music with “Turn the Record Over”
Emina Sonnad’s “Turn the Record Over” is an elegant song, built around a warm piano with just enough reverb to sound full but lonesome, like it’s playing in a sunlit but empty room. The piano carries the waltz-time foundation, while the drums provide atmospheric surprise. The drum sounds are particularly hands-on: the wooden click of […]
The 7 Best Bass Amps in 2023
You know how that new trendy song goes, “… can we skip to the good part?” — sure we can. Here’s the list of my favorite bass amps to grab in 2023. As a musician myself, I know how important it is to have the right gear to bring your sound to life. That’s especially […]
Universal Audio Volt 2 Review: Worth It or Not?
I’ll start with the short answer, first: At somewhere in the neighborhood of $150-$200, yeah, the Universal Audio Volt 2 is probably worth it. It’s a worthwhile option if you’re searching for an affordable audio interface for your home studio. The build quality is especially solid, the preamps are nice (and flexible, too), and the […]
Time Management Tips for Musicians
I’ll start with this: I’m not great at time management. In principle, I’m the best at it, like an ultra-productive-but-thoughtful-and-fun combo of Simon Sinek, Gary Vee, and Martha Stewart. In practice… well, sometimes I do the things I said I would do. Like most of you, I’m much better at thinking about time management and planning out random routines than I am […]
Daughter Contemplates the Ravages of Time on “Doing the Right Thing”
22% of adults aged 84-89. 33% of adults over the age of 90. Those are the growing statistics surrounding the word that invokes pause among the aging or those with aging loved ones: dementia. Adding to the cruelty, daughters are 4% more likely to develop dementia (AKA Alzheimer’s Disease) than sons are. It’s 2015 and […]
When You’re Feeling Down, There’s Lullanas’ “Cheap Silver Lining”
There are times when it feels right to play a “feelin’ kind of low” song. It isn’t always about the lyrics fitting where you’re at. People feel low for a million different reasons, at least. If the song has that sense of melancholy that goes with it, and you’re on your own or hangin’ with […]
Carey Latham Takes Control with the Masterful “Tunnel”
Over the past several years, Nashville songwriters have been a little under-represented on Two Story Melody. But here’s a mega-talented writer to keep your eye on: Carey Latham. While many pop songwriters hem and haw about “female empowerment,” Latham takes the bull by the horns on her latest release “Tunnel.” Not since the ’90s heyday […]
Lightweight Champion’s “Daisy” is the Age Old She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not
Maybe this song was the message he left on her answering machine. He knows Daisy lied that she’d be visiting her family, but he wants her to come over. It’s a bit of a long, rambling, message. It’s a uniquely pedestrian version of a fantasy, about food and a coin collection and conversations and reading […]
Parkland’s “Trainwreck” is the Perfect Amalgamation
Human memory is a funny thing. Every New Year I go in positive. Then every January I remember how horribly cold, dark, and depressing those days can be, and how a task list of a million new ways to change my life is unsustainable. Next year, though? I’ll do it again. You could say this […]
