Do you remember the elation and joy when you heard a piece of music that you held close throughout your years? Maybe you picked up an instrument and tinkered with it in your bedroom until you got some semblance of a song down. Perhaps you even pretended to be the very musicians you idolized. Who hasn’t tried to do ACDC’s Angus Young’s trademark trot as they listened to ‘Back In Black?’ There are some songs that ignite a spark inside us. Songs that you don’t get tired of no matter how many times

No One Else Can Wear Your Crown, the third album from Oh Wonder is a shared celebration of two people who have grown individually and together as a unit. The duo comprised of Anthony West and Josephine Vander Gucht experienced the pinnacle of their sophomore album, Ultralife, which saw the world tour venture into 34 different countries. As beautiful as it was adventurous, the album saw the fruition of much-deserved success and recognition for the band. In the non-stop motion of the music busine

Throughout comic book history, alter-egos embody the part of people that they feel that the world can’t see. Whether it be to protect the ones they love or to blend in a societal scenery in order to fit within a sense of ‘normal.’ Diana Prince is just a mask for Wonder Woman, but within that, both senses of self need each other. Sometimes, they blend into together or teach each other things. Your Smith, a moniker created by singer/songwriter Caroline Smith explores her inner wild woman. A self

As their early 2019 City/Valley: Live from Brekfast documentary will show, Los Angeles rock band Liily is completely comfortable of being themselves. They are personable, they’re fun, and they have a raw energy that translates to both their live performances and recorded music equally. I Can Fool Anybody In This Town, Liily’s first EP displays creativity in song structure, tracks that will make you want to crowd surf, and some that have a contemplate energy to them. These particular tracks were

It’s the third day of Lollapalooza 2019. At around 10 PM CT time tucked away at the American Eagle state, Madeon, named Hugo Pierre Leclercq is about to unveil his new live show. You ever have something that you were painstakingly working on that you were eager to show the world? Even for the battle-tested Leclercq, nerves set in. “The last few weeks leading up to the premiere of the show were intense! The team and I had a real sense of community. The last few hours leading up to the first show

In the conventional sense, we know Sofi Tukker as a German-American, highly musical and bombastic duo comprised of Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern. If you take a look at the video for their most recent single, ‘Purple Hat,’ the embodiment of Sofi Tukker is so much more. Fans are seen walking up to the venue with different colored hair and leopard print. People from all different backgrounds and orientations permeate the crowd. Sofi Tukker is a safe space for everyone involved to be their a

Some pop music today strives to air on the side of caution. Maybe not ruffle too many feathers. Perhaps slightly graze our most carnal desires in the appeal to strive for universal acclaim. Then there’s the type of pop music that digs deeper into the darker places. Says the quiet parts louder. Pushing the boundaries a bit. Now, reading this initially, you may immediately think of “dark” with a negative connotation. Sometimes, it’s better to ask forgiveness than ask for permission, but CXLOE is a

Peach Club, Emarosa’s fifth studio album released earlier this year was the personification of the band’s collective will to stick through the storm. In “Givin’ Up,” lead singer Bradley Walden spoke to almost leaving the music behind. Much like the album’s more pop-rock elements, the listener is able to dance through things like doubt and heartbreak. Sometimes, the only way out is through. “I think that perseverance has shown in what we’re making now which I’m very proud of — and the fact that

“I think kind of dawned on me that I have been holding on to the name Flint Eastwood because I felt like I needed to have a moniker behind my art. I rediscovered the reason why I started creating art in the first place. The reason why I continue making art is that I genuinely love doing it for myself.” Knowing you’re ‘why’ is a powerful tool. Rediscovering your why after a total reconfiguration of your center is just a big feat. When I spoke to Jax Anderson, formerly known as Flint Eastwood ove

You never really have control when creativity hits you. A random memory may pop into your head and then it bleeds out onto lined pages or through musical notes. Some of the best songs may not take months of planning. In turn, they could take 30 minutes of formulating in your bedroom and not some big, gaudy studio. ‘Bad Love,” the newest single from Best Ex, the project of Mariel Loveland is a change for her. It further develops the electronic sensibilities of her 2017 EP, Ice Cream Anti Social,

If there was anybody in the world that was a testament of a defiant spirit to not quit and give up on their dreams, it would be singer/songwriter Jewel. I vividly remember songs like ‘You Were Meant For Me’ and ‘Foolish Games’ being played on the radio and infiltrating MTV sandwiched in between the high of nu-metal and boy bands. Pieces of You which will soon turn 25 years old in 2020, was written during a turbulent period in Jewel’s life. She left an abusive household at 15 and was completely h

Have you ever listened to an album or an EP and there’s that one song that catches you? That one song that completely identifies with your emotional state at the time as if it was almost written for you? “Almost Naked,” the title track from 22-year-old singer/songwriter Ruby Waters’ new EP, starts out with a simple acoustic guitar melody. She speaks of all the bombarding feelings and memories, both good and bad. When she gets towards the chorus, it levels out to a place of gratefulness and zen.

It’s one thing to have an outline of a dream. I think we all have instances where we have these visions of reaching the top of the mountain. What that victory entails changes from person to person. It’s another thing to leave all you know in pursuit of a dream. A dream is a chance at something, but not necessarily a promise. You have to be willing to withstand all the storms and rocky waters in order to make it a reality. 17-year old JUJ moved to Los Angeles in hopes of making the singing caree

When Defy was released in January of 2018, Of Mice & Men didn’t wait for the usual album cycle for them to engage in the inspiration that hit them. As soon as October, they were right back into the studio working on their sixth album, Earthandsky. The band collectively turned up the volume on the aggression that imbues itself throughout the album. With that, they also pushed themselves to try different things from a musical standpoint as shown in the atmospheric air of the title track. While so

One of the big things that I am a fan of when listening to an album is intricacy. Whether it be in lyricism, musical arrangments, or vocal struggle, all of those can come together to make for something you sink into to. R.LUM.R. is able to utilize all three of these pillars together to make a highly creative debut album called Surfacing. The album is a chronicle of situations and emotions that R.LUM.R, the performing moniker of Reggie Williams, has experienced over a two years period. This rang

One of the best things that a person can do is look at situations from another person’s perspective. You’ll find that a lot of things aren’t what they seemed and two experiences aren’t alike. It will lead to a greater standing of one another and hopefully, greater showcases of empathy for our afflictions. Internal Atomics is album number nine for stories hardcore band. Stray From The Path. A visit to Kenya in 2018 forever changed the band’s outlook on the world and became the crux of the story

Take a look at the cover of IYVES‘ latest single, “My Way.” The singer/songwriter is covered in bright and bold orange and blue colors with a beautiful, blue sky background. The song itself serves as an anthem for anybody that dares to live their life with an unabashed sense of pride in their confidence. Where Chromatic is rooted in sitting in and emerging from heartbreak, IYVES’ newest songs “Gold” and “My Way” show a woman who has a new batch of creativity to show the world. In speaking with

Everybody has a personal journey where they have to climb an emotional mountain to arrive at who they really are. Life is full of peaks and valleys, some of which take a little bit longer to climb than others. When I spoke to singer-songwriter Talii, I got a real sense of peace. It’s the peace that you have when you’ve been through the worst and come out the other side an even better person than you were before. If you take the time to listen to Talii’s acoustic songs to the sensual R&B flavor

Losing a friend is never easy. Even if time passes, that part of you will always feel like a shadow. On December 30th, 2018, Mike “Beard Guy” Taylor, tragically passed away. If you’ve ever seen a Walk Off The Earth show or listened to a record, you understand that the band is a very close unit. They’re a family that welcomes people of all musical tastes and backgrounds to be apart of their experience. Here We Go, the band’s first album in four years, is not only a tribute to their friend and ba

You get one time to make a first impression, but sometimes, the second time around means a rebirth. Bad Summer, the second EP from Sainte, part solo project from Tay Jardine and collaboration with We Are The In Crowd band members Cameron Hurley and Mike Ferri, is a reflection of a period of time where Jardine was in a period of learning and unlearning in a personal sense. This project is not only personal, but seeks to cover musical territory that 2017’s Smile and Wave only scratched the surface