SINGLE REVIEW: DREW THOMAS “SINGLEBED”
Discovery
Emotional soundscape that sparks hope in the darkness, Drew Thomas touches on dispair, heartache, and rejection through his captivating storytelling and theatrical songwriting. Dramatic built-up and sharp contrast in colors and moods challenge your senses and put you up to a new high. “Single Bed” is very addictive.
Weaving his painful experience dealing with betrayal into “Single Bed,” the artist vividly captured the desperation and pain while still trying to make the relationship work. “The song builds vocally, representing how in an argument you can start off trying to reason with each other, but it quickly deteriorates,” said Thomas.
Vulnerable and cathartic, energetic and drastic, the artist brings out a unique storm. The cathartic grit-pop sound is identical to his own brand, which Thomas has spent past years perfecting and developing. Through hard work and solid songwriting, the artist is marking his names into the indie music scene.
SINGLE REVIEW: JOHN LOVE “A SONG FOR YOU”
Discovery
“A Song For You” opens in a warm, brewing synthscape where a melancholy melody jumps into your ears and swirls into the full, expansive sound that slightly lifts the roof with its vibration. A heartfelt vocal with a feel of surreality as if a reflection navigates the introspective, truthful lyricism that spirals down the memory lane, revolving around the theme of growth and maturity.
Contemplating youthful mistakes and ignorance from a matured perspective, John Love approaches the past with compassion and understanding, and ultimately acceptance in a warm, festive soundscape that reminds you of chaos and courage.
Storming through complication and chaos with a jam session between the keys and electric guitar, the chorus comes back again while the air keeps rising in clashing hi-hats.“A Song For You” has an electric, rich texture in its sound.
SINGLE REVIEW: TAYIHA “GOTTA BE MORE THAN THIS”
Staff Pick
“Gotta Be More Than This” tells a story about breaking free and becoming. In the silvery warmth, Tayiha’s voice makes you fall in love with life again. From a person who used to be an image in the eyes of others to realizing her own story, “Gotta Be More Than This” is empowering. Walking away and not letting others take her for granted is a big step forward in personal growth although bathing in heartache and tears.
Her vulnerable, authentic storytelling makes the music highly relatable that almost everyone who has shared a similar experience could find solace in her sound at the same time begin to heal and let her voices fill the world with butterflies and sunshine again. Tayiha channels the beauty of transformation in her songwriting.
From the feathery soundscape of tender heartbreak standing up into an anthemic statement with full power, the artist drops a tear into her music that touches your heart. As an artist, Tayiha’s creative journey started at a young age. At 8, she has already written a song about bullying. The Australian-born young artist’s raw talent for songwriting and lyrics and a matured sound beyond her age is storming the creative industry.
SINGLE REVIEW: WOTTS “SUNNYSIDE”
Discovery
“Sunnyside” marks a turning point for Wotts following what their inspirations and hearts lead them — a gradual shift from hip-hop to indie pop. The song aims to recapture the nostalgic, tickling feeling of defining first love that sets the foundation for all tastes and likes. Wotts traced back to the initial calling, tuned into the pulsing energy, and brought us back the fuzzy warmth of shoegaze — “Sunnyside” immediately drags you into the energy of a glory time when the sun was bright and everything was swirling under the disco light.
Despite the retro theme, “Sunnyside” is a celebration of the present. Heavily influenced by contemporary artists of the indie disco pop genre, such as Dayglow, Tame Impala, etc, the song finds its unique modern adaption with technology and re-imagination.
“The last couple of years have been tough for a lot of people. Towards the end of our time recording our last record, we started to feel good about life again. This song is a shoutout to that feeling, and our way to give ourselves a pass to enjoy a good moment till it lasts,” said Jayem, and Rick 100 added, “Even if there’s a lot of terrible shit happening, you shouldn’t feel bad about being happy and enjoying a silver lining. moments like that come and go, so hold onto them while you can”
Glistening soundscape and swirling synth pads, a retro beat in addition to an ethereal vocal with a speck of hipness, Wotts blends multi-genre on “Sunnyside” which in turn become the creation of their characteristic sound that reminds you of a little bit of everything but not tied down to anything.
Written by Katrina Yang
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SINGLE REVIEW: BREAKFAST FOR DINNER “SAY”
Staff Pick
Breakfast For Dinner has an exciting new sound that is reflective of the ever-changing music landscape. Swirling guitar and sun-drenched, ethereal vocal blends into its nostalgic, glistening skyscape. It twirls between the line of dream-pop and alternative rock, making its own exception, capturing the essence of the indie genre with its thriving, energetic, yet obscure light.
Exploring the complex feelings when you care deeply about your partner and really want them to thrive yet find the expression of your feelings to be selfish and embarrassing. The song is about choosing to let it go for the better good. “Say” was written in the most direct and truthful process that directly reflects that pain-fused, vulnerable, and intimate moment. The beautiful somber undertone is undoubtedly fascinating its aesthetic.
The NY-based four-piece band Breakfast For Dinner has been releasing music alongside the Independent underground Niagara Falls, NY-based label, Love Canal Entertainment since 2019. As a collective, they have shown their fierce and lush color palettes through the course of past releases. As one of the rising artists on the horizon, they are a band quite exciting to watch.
SINGLE REVIEW: ARLISTON “CENTRE”
Staff Pick
Photo credit: Bo Morgan
A Stream-like piano is the center where it always returns. In its pure, beautiful background, Arliston alters between the storm and close-up emotions, channeling the raw, brutal honesty into “Centre.” Tension is the center of its storytelling, enriching the multi-layered expression.
“I take a raincheck, thought I see you some other time.” (Lyrics) As if suppressed, explosive emotions that continued to find their way out where the tenderest memory and beauty meets the pain. On the edge of sadness, memories, introspection, and the seeking for forgiveness, regret is a complex feeling to capture, as well as the sound of the band.
“Centre is a song about getting your priorities wrong and subsequently having to sacrifice something precious,” said Arliston. A mixture filled with contrasts, conflicts in harmony, the band brings out that destructive yet resonating energy in their sounds as well. Arliston is where the diverse musical backgrounds and various influences find their footing.
In their music, Arliston presents us with a variety of possibilities and endless imaginaries. Their music is the crossroad that leads the past, the present, and the future, while the listener chooses its own path and connection. It is where the indescribable matters in music interact and collide into new formations, breathing through music. Introspective and emotive, poetic yet raw, they go beyond the measurable.
Written by Katrina Yang
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SINGLE REVIEW: SMALL DOGS “VIEQUES & DARK RUM”
Discovery
Dreamy falsetto introduces us to a tropical, ethereal Caribbean-inspired dreamscape where various elements and ideas come together, joining hands in a multi-dimensional, stimulating experience. The interplay between a woozy guitar and captivating vocal, small dogs created a shift of perspectives in its sonics.
Small dogs is an ethnomusicologist as well as a musician who has lived in London, East Africa, and New York. His unique personal experience in the different continents has translated into the groovy mixture of imagery and adventure, becoming a part of his sound.
“Vieques & Dark Rum” features Costa Rican American singer Kelly Vargas’s smokey, saucy voice in an illuminating skyscape. Accompanied by inspired Afrobeat, it interacts with the sonics in an entrancing way.
Reflecting on a time of change, the song happened of an instance, capturing a moment of grooviness and beauty. Unpredictable and hazy, small dogs has shown case his 60s inspired songwriting, introducing non-western rhythmic patterns and elements into the sonics.
Written by Katrina Yang
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SINGLE REVIEW: JACK PANTHER “IF I WAS”
Song of the Day
Photo credit: Frances Carter
Deep-rooted in pain and suffering from a broken reality, “If I Was” drifts into the surreality and fantasy where one has the luxury of smoking joint all day instead of being forced to work every day. Setting its mood in malfunction and inconsistency, Jack Panther reflected on exhaustion and our slightest wishes to escape.
Glassy chaos was constantly blocking the vision. Panther’s voice has exposed the blood and wounds with vulnerability. An ethereal dreamscape emerged from the inside, folding the voice in its cloudlike palms. Infectious melodies and enchanted calling from a dreamscape with emotional vulnerability.
“Sell one, smoke one, smoke two. I’d be so bad at dealing.”
“I was exhausted working in hospitality, sometimes working 8 days straight. The track just rolled off my tongue, it’s a daydream of giving up on work and getting stoned all day instead. I wrote it as a way to empower myself to get through that slump,” said Panther.
“If I Was” makes an impression hard to forget. Highly reliable storytelling touches the exhausting hearts trapped in the endless labor cycle of everyday life. As if malfunctioning parts in a giant machine, wanting to quite one and for all. Our dreams are small.
Written by Katrina Yang
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SINGLE REVIEW: YARGII “JUST WAIT”
Discovery
Photo credit: @j.0x00n
“Just Wait” was created at a down moment after Yargii has gotten into some trouble. Getting sober, reflecting on the past and the present, the artist channeled his raw emotions into an emotive song. “Just Wait” gets under your skin.
An authentic guitar strumming recreates the moment when inspirations hit. Yargii sat on a hotel bed, speaking about what was on his mind and in his heart. A reverberant, surreal vocal along with the ringing harmonious texture expands the traditional indie rock color palette.
“Just wait, give me some time. Everything is fine, you’ll be alright.” The past is in the past while regret is haunting the present. “Just give me a sign” echoes in your ears and speaks directly to your heart. Everyone who has been lost and experienced the lows in life could relate to the feelings in “Just Wait.”
The production has a sense of muddiness and overwhelmingness reflecting a slightly chaotic moment of life. Infusing pop and hip hop elements into its narrative, Yargii created layers and dimensions to its storytelling.
Written by Katrina Yang
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SINGLE REVIEW:JIM JAM “TROUBLED SOUL”
Discovery
Photo credit: Ollie Couling
Capturing the rare moments of hope, “Troubled Soul” touches on depression with a positive outlook, connecting audiences on a human level. Minimalistic lyricism in combination with captivating melodies, the song echoes in your head for long. Absorbed inspirations and creative sparks from those before, the nostalgic, mesmerizing soundscape pays tribute to the great musicians and songs.
“Troubled Soul” has a heartwarming aura in a collection of meaningful, moving moments during the journey of growth. A liberating, soulful guitar solo is one of the highlights of the song. “Troubled Soul” also features the artist’s 84-year-old granpa on the trumpet.
“ I had Roy Harper’s album Stormcock on repeat a few years ago and I found myself playing around the same vocal melodies which is where the song took inspiration. Originally it was much darker but I made an early demo and all the light just poured from the track,” the artist commented.
Jim Jam has a wide-span music career in the shadow of established artists, of which he honed his craft and developed his sound through years of experience and experiments with sound. Staying informed and inspired, the artists have a solid, yet more personal, creative approach when it comes to his own project.
Written by Katrina Yang
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PREMIERE & INTERVIEW: SWEETER THAN SORROW “LIKE WATER IS FLOWING”
Artist Spotlight
Every love story is different, just like each soul is unique. In a fast-moving world of change and outside noises, Sweeter Than Sorrow stays true and vulnerable, challenging trends and traditional views with its unique beauty and timelessness.
No marriage is easy, but the common practice is to look perfect from the outside. Unlike our first impression of what a love song should be, in the beautiful ambient piano, “Like Water is Flowing” tells the story of love with a melancholy undertone, reflecting the ebbs and flows in life.
“I always wanted to write a love song,” said Sweeter Than Sorrow, aka, Mattias Wahlberg, “I wrote this to my wife about us and our marriage – how I may be distant and far away; far from the perfect husband but still always comes back to her, to our love. I wanted to tell the story about the beauty and strength in that.”
Sweeter Than Sorrow is a solo project of Mattias Wahlberg, who is also known as the frontman of Sombre View. Compare to the synth-oriented, collective sound in Sombre View project, Sweeter Than Sorrow explores a more personal, acoustic, natural sounding with a modern, timeless edge. “Creatively simpler and more direct; more honest and truthful,” Wahlberg commented, “there’s strength in making everything more personal and closer to the heart. I hope it goes through to people”
From Sombre View to Sweeter Than Sorrow, the melancholy minor remains a constant theme in Mattias Wahlberg’s aesthetic. “The sombre, sad, and sensitive is something that always resonated with me. It has always been there in the background even in the ‘happier songs,’” said Sweeter Than Sorrow, aka Mattias Wahlberg, “but in life, I don’t know if it’s actually a curse or a gift.”
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PREMIERE: JOE TRAXLER “DON'T DANCE”
New Music Friday
“Don’t Dance” marks the beginning of the Vienna-based multi-instrumentalist and producer Joe Traxler’s upcoming debut LP Lifelines slotted for release in spring 2022. Revolving around social anxiety and insecurities, “Don’t Dance” bluntly hits you right in the feels with an odd, slightly detached, groovy bass.
Lucrative, hip, and edgy at the same time. Like its creator, “Don’t Dance” is a track that easily stands out in the crowd.
“Trapped in a feeling and a crowd full of people colliding; sudden cold sweats guess the panic attack is arriving.”
Photo credit: Cherie Hansson
Under a cold, blue light with minimal movement, a straightforward vocal delivery in the middle between being emotionally exposed and completely detached. The track gradually breaks into a feel-good, danceable indie-funk wrapper. Like the night is full of contrast and variety, “Don’t Dance” is a unique experience.
Art, fashion, and music come into play in Joe Traxler’s aesthetic. Instead of chasing the trend, the artist is embracing his own iniquity. Staying authentic to his own taste and style, Joe Traxler is becoming the new trend.
MUSIC REVIEW: GABRIEL'S DAWN “I DON'T BELIEVE (IN THE SUMMER OF LOVE)”
Discovery
Following “We” and “Loose Canyon,” “I Don’t Believe (In the Summer of Love)” is the third release from Gabriel’s Dawn’s forthcoming album. Hailing from Midlands, UK, Gabriel’s Dawn is a five-piece indie-pop band bringing back the best of melodic, guitar pop.
“I Don’t Believe (In the Summer of Love)” invites you on an escape from this world where the charm of jangly guitar meets the voice of mermaids, taking you on a journey afar. Getting lost in its breath and vibration, Gudg’s dreamful, captivating voice floats into your ears.
There’s a sense of innocence and joyfulness in Gabriel’s Dawn’s music. Refreshing in its vibrant energy. The band creates an experience that draws you in and makes you want to stay forever.
Adhering to a fuller, richer soundscape, Gabriel’s Dawn reminded you of the beauty of fall, a fruitful season filled with happiness and memories. Magnificent and colorful. A nostalgic feeling emerged in the new experience.
PREMIERE: KINDRED CONNECTION “What A Way”
New Music Friday
Like phoenix rebirth from the ashes, “What A Way” has the igniting creative magic dust deep in its sound and energy. Kindred Connection is a duo of Mattia and Gabriele from Italy, Turin.
At that time, Mattia was going through an emotional crisis when Gabriele was having trouble settling in a new city away from home. Confronting the difficult situations and feelings in life, the band channeled something deeply touching and beautiful with “What A Way.”
Photo credit: @giotograph
“A song is an intimate moment that makes you want to look up at the sky and feel that every single thing in the world is connected,” said Kindred Connection.
It reminds you of the burning clouds at sunset. From a single note on the piano, the sonic landscape revolves around the vocal. Strings, echoing percussion, and feathery, shimmering textures; the intricate, thoughtful production shed a different light to melodies, spinning to the anthemic moment.
“Although the premises were not the best, we believe that the song is able to dampen the sadness of the moment,” the band comment.
PREMIERE: DANIELLA SPADINI “7:30”
Song of the Day
Narrated around the heart-wrenching story of broken promises, Daniella Spadini’s “7:30” is a song that drags you into its purple aurora. Floral vocal in the dim wavy soundscape, emotions highlighted by the falling piano chords. Followed by a moment of twinkling stardust, twirling into the next phase.
Intricate, subtle development with hidden details, the anthemic chorus is first brought out with the light piano. Introducing percussion and fascinating embellishment, the texture enriches as the narrative deepens.
A momentary stillness is a silence before the storm. An invasive distorted guitar strikes through the night sky, shuttling in organized chaos, the final climax blossoms and concluded in a beautiful choral soundscape.
Spadini’s stunning vocal delivery is flawless and breathtaking. The world fades into the background as the stories imprinted in her voice unfold. When talent meets professionalism, perfection is unavoidable. The 22-year-old artist/songwriter Daniella Spadini is currently an undergraduate student at Berklee College of Music, majoring in songwriting.
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