2hollis Returns With “Hurt,” a Glitch-Fueled Electronic Banger
LOS ANGELES, CA- I’ll admit it: it took me a while to come around on 2hollis. His music never struck me as immediately accessible, and I wasn’t sure I fully understood the appeal at first. But every so often an artist releases a song…
Meg Lui’s “Elvis Queen” Is a Beautiful Introduction to Instant Validation, Produced by Sufjan Stevens
LOS ANGELES, CA- I wasn’t familiar with Meg Lui until this week. Although she’d already released two singles from her forthcoming debut album Instant Validation, “Gone Girl” and “Dreams,” it was the announcement of “Elvis Queen” that finally caught my attention. The reason was…
Syd’s Beard Is a Soulful Reminder That Authenticity Never Goes Out of Style
LOS ANGELES, CA- There are artists you discover because they’re everywhere, and then there are artists you discover at exactly the right moment. For me, Syd has always been the latter. The first time I saw her perform was with The Internet at UCLA’s…
Meshell Ndegeocello’s Synonym Reimagines Classic Songs with an All-Star Cast
LOS ANGELES, CA- I’ve always been impressed with Meshell Ndegeocello’s music, not simply because of her musicianship, but because she has always seemed to have something meaningful to say. While her first major crossover hit was “Wild Night,” the duet with John Mellencamp that…
St. Paul & The Broken Bones Find Soulful Reflection on New Single “Mess I Made”
AUSTIN, TX- My introduction to St. Paul & The Broken Bones came seven years ago at South by Southwest. Packed shoulder-to-shoulder inside Antone’s, I watched Paul Janeway and the rest of the band deliver one of the most electrifying performances of the festival. When I…
Nia Archives’ Emotional Junglist Is a Pulse-Raising Ride Through Modern Jungle
LOS ANGELES, CA- Nia Archives first landed on my radar through her collaboration with Jorja Smith, a pairing that immediately showcased how effortlessly she can balance emotionally vulnerable songwriting with propulsive jungle rhythms. So when Emotional Junglist arrived, led by the infectious “There Goes…
MARIS Doubles Down on Emotional Catharsis with “Losing People”
LOS ANGELES, CA- Earlier this year, I came away impressed by MARIS’ single “MOSH★PIT.” While its title suggested chaos and unbridled energy, what stood out most was the conviction behind it. MARIS wasn’t simply writing glossy pop songs. She was chasing emotional highs and…
The Linda Lindas Embrace Growth on ‘Closer’ Featuring Hayley Williams
LOS ANGELES, CA- The first time I saw The Linda Lindas perform was five years ago at Head In The Clouds. At the time, the quartet was only 13 to 16 years old, but they were already impossible to ignore. Armed with an unapologetic…
cosmosy’s “Paradise ~ I need you ~” Is an Infectious Surprise
LOS ANGELES, CA- When I first pressed play on cosmosy’s “Paradise ~ I need you ~,” I wasn’t expecting it to become the song that convinced me to write about the group. That’s not meant as a slight. Pop music… particularly the highly polished…
Better Late Than Never: Zac Farro’s Operator Finally Found Me
LOS ANGELES, CA- One of my favorite things about music is that it doesn’t expire. Sure, albums have release dates, but they don’t have expiration dates. In fact, some of my favorite discoveries have come months…. or even years… after a record first hit…
