New Translations Chase a Feeling on “Modern Lovers”
LOS ANGELES, CA- There’s something especially satisfying about a song that makes you wait for it. For nearly the first minute of New Translations’ “Modern Lovers,” the Nashville quintet keeps things remarkably restrained. A steady kick drum establishes the pulse. A simple bass line…
Scott Holiday Rips Into a New Chapter With HOL1D4Y’s “Autonomatic”
LOS ANGELES, CA- I’ve been following Rival Sons since 2009, when Before the Fire introduced me to a band that sounded like it had somehow discovered a direct line back to the guts of rock and roll without simply trying to recreate the past….
Miles Caton Finds Strength in Vulnerability on “Lean On”
LOS ANGELES, CA- “Lean On” is my introduction to Miles Caton. That probably puts me a little behind the curve considering the year he has been having, but there is also something refreshing about encountering an artist without much in the way of preconceived…
The Haunt Deliver Another Banger With “Seasonal Depression”
LOS ANGELES, CA- There are songs that demand careful unpacking, and then there are songs where the first reaction pretty much says everything that needs to be said: this thing is a banger. The Haunt have delivered another one with “Seasonal Depression,” the latest…
Andy Grammer’s “All I Want Is You” Was the Song I Needed
LOS ANGELES, CA- I’ll be honest. My spirit has been a little dampened lately. There have been some things going on in my life, some relatively small and others considerably larger, that have weighed on me more than I would like. Nothing I particularly…
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…
