Sade Fox on “Necessary Nostalgia,” the Songwriting Process, and Learning Experiences
Sade Fox shares a visceral ache for the past in their new song “Necessary Nostalgia.” The four and a half minute track is framed in a gentle piano loop, making plenty of space for the bright and enchanting vocals. Sade Fox boasts a clear, shimmering voice that will remind listeners of alternative artists like beabadoobee […]
At Last a Truth That Is Real: Sweet Trip’s Roby Burgos on the Band’s Journey and Their New Album
My parents, bless them, didn’t know why I was so excited. I told them that I would be interviewing someone from a band called Sweet Trip, a band whose music I’ve loved and admired for some time, and they were happy for me. But they didn’t quite get why I was grinning from ear to […]
A Sweet Trip of Sweet Trip: A Guide Through the Cult Favorite Band’s Best Songs
Engaging with the music of Sweet Trip is a very personal thing. That’s true for all music–the thesis of this very blog is that the listener forms their own story when listening to a song based on their own experiences–but it’s especially true with Sweet Trip. A Sweet Trip song is never just happy or […]
Chico Harpo’s “He’s In The News Again” Is Rocking, Well-Placed Anger
Before the virus shut down much of the world, it seemed like every few weeks there would be news of another school shooting. I remember as a student, sitting silently next to my classmates in the dark during drills, shoulders tensing every time an announcement came over the intercom: will this be the day? Too […]
“Weird Dreams” by Mae Powell: Dreamy, Clever Songwriting
If you’re like me, and waking up early on a Saturday morning with the entire day ahead of you is the highlight of your week, and even if mornings aren’t your cup of tea, you will love Mae Powell’s new single “Weird Dreams”. “Weird Dreams” stays true to its title, and in both lyrics and […]
The Intimacy of “House Red” by Phillinois
Phillinois’ “House Red” off the album Blue Haze has a way of surprising you. The beginning of the song seems like a polite, inquisitive folk tune infused with electronics, a mix between Breakout and Ben Folds. As Phil Gerigscott’s lyrics go on, or possibly, as another glass of house red is served, a slight chanting […]
NFTs for Musicians: What You Need to Know
You knew it was coming. I knew it was coming. Anyone who regularly checks the net worth of singer-songwriter Grimes knew it was coming. I’m going to be perfectly honest here: I’m not a technology expert, and I don’t really want to be. I’m definitely content to stick to music and writing, where things feel […]
Alyson McNamara’s “Waiting”: To Want and Not Have
“The feelings that hurt most,” opined the famed Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa regarding the dilemma of unrequited love, are those that are “absurd” and “create in us a painful landscape, an eternal sunset of what we are.” About ill-fated and one-sided romantic affairs, Virginia Woolf similarly stated in the modernist classic To the Lighthouse that […]
Lem Jay and Charlyne Yi on “Stroll,” Voice Acting, and Heart-Shaped Baby Grand Pianos
“Stroll,” a new song by musician and songwriter Lem Jay alongside actress and singer Charlyne Yi (you may know her from House M.D. or her extensive voice acting career), is a song that hearkens back to the ramshackle roots of twee pop. Nowadays, the term is used to describe groups like Alvvays or She and […]
Mia Porter’s “daisies”: Dreamy, Existential Pop
Time is money. Time waits for no one. Time heals everything. We drop these idioms into casual conversation. We snap watches over our wrists. We set appointments, celebrate birthdays, and count down the seconds until the next rite of passage. Our world is ruled by time—but how can we make sense of this abstract, passing […]
