Mayzie on “Party,” Their Sound, and Their Name
“Party” is the debut single from burgeoning artist Mayzie. With a wide and gorgeously feminine sound, the single feels reminiscent of early 2000s radio pop. Gentle, floating lyrics are under a layer of catchy soft synth stings, while expressive drums beat out a rhythm for the unsure chemistry in Mayzie’s lyrics. The track opens up […]
Tiffany Kintzer on “Rose Quartz” and Opening Her Heart
You could teach a songwriting course at UCLA based solely on Tiffany Kintzer’s new single “Rose Quartz.” Co-written with Samantha Margret, it’s a perfectly crafted song with a stunningly lovely pre-chorus and radio-ready chorus. And she accomplishes all this in just a little over two minutes – a feat that would make even Taylor Swift […]
Nashville, Ed Sheeran, And Taylor Swift: How (and How Not) to Build Your Brand
I’ve lived in Nashville for about six years now. I have a fair amount of friends who grew up here, and I’ve heard them talk a good bit about how the city has changed. Now, if you don’t live here, you probably know Nashville for three things: pop-country music, Broadway honky-tonks, and hot chicken. And […]
Most Memorable Song Midyear: talker’s “irl”
Photo by Trini Sin Two Story Melody has kindly granted me permission to do a story on the best indie pop song I’ve heard this year. And the winner is…talker’s “IRL” from her new EP In Awe Of Insignificance. talker is the indie rock project of Los Angeles-based Celeste Tauchar. In Awe’s eight songs run […]
Charles on TV: Where Marvin Gaye Meets Gorillaz
Photo by Gus Aronson If you love the music of Marvin Gaye, Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn, Smokey Robinson and other melodic masters, don’t miss Charles On TV’s latest music. He’s like all those artists rolled into one. Like those iconic predecessors, COT also writes great lyrics. You can get halfway into one of his hook-laden […]
Billy Woodward’s The Boy from the Bay Is a Brilliant Modern Western
Written as a self-described “therapy album,” Billy Woodward’s The Boy from the Bay covers the scope of human struggling with vivid imagery, evocative lyricism and brilliant instrumentation. Detailing everything from grief, substance abuse, traveling to salvation, Woodward’s album reflects the stark realities of the world as he sees it. Putting listeners directly into what feels […]
Retrospective Review: Hozier’s “Cherry Wine”
It’s February 14, 2016, and millions of people worldwide are waking with typical expectations that Valentine’s Day has implanted within most in the Western world; some will expect gifts. Some will expect acts of revelatory romanticism. Most will hope – perhaps fantastically – to be surprised by somebody in some movie-worthy capacity. For fans of […]
What the Fragmentation of Pop Culture Means for Artists
I was struck by this article recently. It’s a column by Bob Lefsetz, and on the off-chance that you don’t want to spend your next six minutes reading it, I’ll give you the SparkNotes version of the main idea: New music is declining in popularity, not because new music is bad – but because it’s […]
nina gala on “we looked like angels,” Her New Album, and Baltimore
I don’t have synesthesia. I don’t “see” sound or music in color, floating out of the speaker in a rainbow mist. But I do strongly associate colors with music, to the point where it’s self-evident in my head; a song can be blue, as plainly and simply as my bedroom walls are gray. A song […]
Lizzerd Kween Unmasks to Share a Healing “Lullaby”
Photo by Niles Gregory Gibbs L.A. indie artist Lizzerd Kween (aka Kianna Znika) has the talent, authenticity and self-awareness of Taylor Swift when I first heard her in 2006 in Nashville. Lizzerd Kween’s acoustic version of her new single “Kianna’s Lullaby” is immediately engaging and honest. Like Taylor, she’s a master at “unmasking” – stepping […]
