Smoking With Poets on “Nothing, With You”, Intimate Vocals, and Long-Distance Collaboration
When I listen to Smoking With Poets’ “Nothing, With You,” I can’t help but think of poets Sylvia Plath and Robert Frost puffing on cigarettes after a tryst while listening to Sixties soft-pop singers like Claudine Longet and Marianne Faithfull. (In Marianne’s case, she smoked with far too many poets and lost her dulcet voice.) […]
Emily Merrell on “Closer to You,” Taking a Different Songwriting Approach, and Something Worse than the Friendzone
There are two things about Emily Merrell’s music that usually remain constant from song to song. The Arizona-born singer-songwriter’s music features lush, jazzy musicianship, with sumptuous piano chords and breezy melodies: most of her songs sound like music for a hotel bar in Heaven. But her music also features dense, wordy lyrics, fitting a lot […]
“Undercover Retro” by The Upsides: A timeless summer rock hit with a 70s-inspired vibe
It’s no easy task to make music that sounds fresh while drawing inspiration from the vibes of the past. Yet, when a band manages to reach this careful balance – the sweet spot between innovation and referentiality – the result can be a timeless track that’s as fun as it is unforgettable. “Undercover Retro” by […]
“Ribs” by Tirzah: Celebrating Healthy Love
“Ribs” by Tirzah is the kind of song you can feel vibrating in your bones. Although this song appears in the indie pop category, the soothing, uplifting lyrics and acoustic vibe give me hints of an R&B love song. It’s like a message in a bottle sent from one lover to another, and we’ve had […]
“Your Love Was A Gift” by Mykki Blanco feat. Diana Gordon and Sam Buck: Making Sense of Past Experiences
Mykki Blanco brings together two amazing talents for this blended pop hit. Mix the passion of Diana Gordon and the natural storyteller tendencies of Sam Buck and you have a thought-provoking masterpiece that elicits many different emotions. You’ll feel indignant, downcast, wishful, rebellious, and thoughtful all within four and a half minutes. The production of […]
“Paintings” by Federico Ruzza: Music to Fall in Love With
It’s rare, but sometimes we fall in love with music. While some songs are pleasant to listen to, and you may even learn to love them over time, others strike you upon the first listen and follow you from that moment onwards. I’m sure you can recall the moment you discovered your favorite band at […]
Robert Leslie on Lockdown Dates, Dream Collaborations, and “My Bananamoon”
“My Bananamoon,” a song by the New York singer-songwriter Robert Leslie, has an unfussy, old-fashioned beauty to it. It boasts the kind of graceful chord sequence that you’d hear in traditional pop standards, and the lyrics have a classic, AABB rhyme scheme. But it’s not exactly a throwback, either: it feels reflective, elegant, and quietly […]
“My Love Went To Sea” by māsa: A Stirring, Determined Search for Connection
A harmonium is a kind of keyboard known as a pump organ, operated with one hand pressing a pump to provide air while the other plays the keys. It produces a uniquely haunting tone: droning, wheezing and scraping, it sounds a little like an accordion turned inside out. The harmonium was a valuable instrument in […]
The 16 Best Rap Blogs to Check Out in 2023
The hip hop culture has always been one of those movements that could make the most of the technologies available. For instance, in the mid-2000s, Soundcloud featured many mixtapes by unknown rappers who later became some of the biggest names in the industry, like Chance The Rapper, Young Thug and Khalid. Today, hip hop is […]
Wisdom from Phoebe Bridgers
I will admit that I like Phoebe Bridgers. She’s basically been the queen of the sad-indie-emo world for the last three years. And I know she’s probably too poppy for you, and I know she’s very sad, and I know she basically only makes one type of song. But shoot, she makes that one type […]
