Although its nine songs revolve entirely around a single unifying idea, of life and personality forged from the revelatory moments of lived experience, to describe Los Angeles band Lo Moon’s third outing, I Wish You Way More Than Luck, as a concept album wouldn’t be entirely correct. Sonically bold and […]
Brothers Dana and Alden McWayne, along with a troupe of multi-instrumental artists, come together to create jazzy melodies with indie sounds inspired by their unconventional upbringing in Eugene, Oregon. Their debut album, Quiet Music for Young People, is an amalgamation of their childhood, melding memories of summer days spent working
By 2017, Meatbodies frontman Chad Ubovich had reached a crossroads. After years of increasingly insane shows playing to heaving crowds with an ever-evolving and rotating door of personnel, fatigue had taken its toll and Ubovich realized another change was on the horizon. “It was like the car had run out
SLIFT’s ILION is a towering work of rock music, a steamrolling record that starts at the highest peak and never lets up. If that sounds overwhelming, trust that this Toulouse trio have you in good hands. Their third full-length feels massive and oceanic, merging the furious intensity of metal and
My Brightest Diamond, the chamber pop band initiated in 2006 by Shara Nova, blends the talents of a classically trained vocalist and self-taught multi-instrumentalist and composer, crafting dazzling, shapeshifting music. With each song written and album released, she has resisted the conventions of genre, blending elements of rock, art pop,
MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND Read More »
Kristen Ford is a singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist influenced by greats such as Alanis Morrisette, Radiohead and Ani Difranco. She navigates life as a biracial, queer girl and tours globally in pursuit of the perfect show. Her live performance morphs from unplugged solo acoustic to screaming, electric guitar soloing in
Warka, the musical collective helmed by singer-songwriter Jesse Ainslie packs a similar collection of enigmas. With the help of drummer Brad Porter (Brett Harris, The Auxiliary) and bassist Spencer Lee (MAKE, Protozoa), Ainslie is seeking a new beginning for an old mystery. Warka’s debut single, “I’m In Love Again” pulses
Africa Unplugged is a dynamic group, led by djembe master, guitarist and songwriter, Atiba Rorie. The band uses traditional percussion instruments from West Africa in combination with guitars and bass to play traditional rhythms while drawing from influences across the world. Their creativity results in a funky, soulful blues and
Oxente is an Afro-Brazilian band that plays Samba-Reggae rhythms. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, all proceeds go towards providing instruments and costumes to members, all of whom are volunteers. Through drumming and dancing, Oxente aims to empower and expose people to Brazil’s dynamic Afro-Bahian culture and Samba Reggae music and
Spoon Benders is a progressive psych-rock powerhouse that has been relentlessly crisscrossing the United States, leaving a trail of newly acquired fans in their wake. Spoon Benders have become synonymous with an electrifying stage presence that can only be described as loud, controlled chaos. Spoon Benders have been carving their
When Man Man released its last album, “Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In Between,” frontman Honus Honus (né Ryan Kattner) was in a state of unrest, oscillating between hope and cynicism. Perhaps fittingly, the album ended up dropping during the pandemic. (We could all relate.) But much like
Raucous Mississippi rock combo the Weeks got their start early, forming in 2006 while all four of the members were still in high school. Staffed by twin brothers Cyle (lead vocals) and Cain Barnes (drums), Samuel Williams (guitar, vocals), and Damien Bone (bass), things picked up quickly for the Jackson-based
DJ Harrison is an artist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. As the chief of Jellowstone Records, DJ Harrison runs the recording studio and record label based in Richmond, VA, where much of his music has come to life. He has released several albums as a solo artist, spanning genres such as jazz,
Since 1980, the various Floptops known as Negativland, a multimedia collective originally from California’s Bay Area, have been creating records, CDs, video, fine art, books, radio and live performance using appropriated sounds, images, objects, and text. Mixing original materials and original music with things taken from corporately owned mass culture
William Matheny (also known as Billy Matheny) is an American singer-songwriter from Morgantown, West Virginia. Matheny was also a multi-instrumentalist for Southeast Engine and is currently a keyboardist and guitarist for The Paranoid Style. His musical style has been compared to the likes of Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Marshall Crenshaw,
Some bands never miss. This rare breed consistently puts out great records every couple years, avoiding the lengthy hiatuses or egregious sonic missteps that often come with achieving longevity. It’s an often unsung reliability, as few realize how truly remarkable it is to put art into the world at this
In his 1942 essay The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus wrote that “All great deeds and all great thoughts have a ridiculous beginning. Great works are often born on a street corner or in a restaurant’s revolving door.” 15 years later Richard Wayne Penniman wrote “Wop bop a loo bop a
In the late winter of 2023, Raleigh psych rock heavyweight Connor Regan (lead guitarist in Augurs) teamed up in late winter of 2023 with bassist turned drummer Eyn (bassist/singer in Nganga and Noctomb) to form the musical molotov cocktail Psychic Scream. Since their inception, Psychic Scream has played countless shows,
La Luz News Of The Universe Rel: May 24th 2024 “I was in a dream, but now I can see that change is the only law.” With a credo adapted from science fiction author Octavia E. Butler, an album title from a collection of metaphysical poetry, and an expansion in
Born and raised in the woods of White Cross, North Carolina, Zach White, Ernie Renn, and Ben Noblit have been picking together for years. Separately, they’ve all achieved musical success, most notably Renn with critically acclaimed old-time jug band the Piedmont Regulators and Noblit with Celtic punk-grass outfit Tan and
Noted for throaty, yearning vocals that accompany his swimmy indie soul-pop, Yellow Days is the performance alias of British musician George van den Broek. After some early releases during his teenage years, he began to gain traction with 2017’s full-length Is Everything Okay in Your World? Switching locales to Los
Danny is a Podcast host, Social Media Star, musician & comedian. He’s also known for his time as the co-host on the extremely popular podcast “The Basement Yard” with host Joe Santagato.
A four-piece classic Southern rock combo that formed in Tennessee but moved north to Baltimore while becoming an exciting live act.
As trailblazers of the early 2000s indie-Americana style, the Louisville, KY-based quintet finds a way of taking tried & true rock-and-roll and knocking it slightly off axis, into tottering revolutions of something eerie, emotional, immediate, lush, and uniquely theirs. On the surface, Murder By Death is a Louisville, KY sextet
Athens, GA’s Heffner works with a speed and urgency of a young band but with a sense of lyrical wisdom and musical breadth of a much more seasoned group. With all the forcefulness and immediacy of 21st century power pop, classically aggressive post punk, and even sections of ’70s glam.
Melissa Ferrick is a Professor of the Practice at Northeastern University in the Music Department at the College of Arts Media and Design. Ferrick teaches courses on songwriting (focusing on lyric, melody, and intent), creative entrepreneurship, demo recording and production, live performance, the intersection of psychopathology and creativity, nonprofit arts
Nostalgia is easy. Easy money. Easy memories. And the peak-and-crash crash rush of the comfortable and familiar, which fades away in an instant. Inspiration is hard. Achieving it demands vulnerability, cooperation, and a belief that the next thing you create could genuinely move someone’s soul. Over the many years together,
Hailing from Detroit, Michigan – JMSN (pronounced ‘Jameson’) has emerged on the international stage as one of the music industry’s most sought-after performers and producers. JMSN has built a reputation for himself through his unforgettable live performances and his trademark sounds, garnering nods from R&B/Soul legends, such as Puff Daddy,
