Keeping It Fresh

Today’s song is more well-known, but for some reason, I have been unable to get it out of my head. And so I figured, might as well write about it! This song is one for the heartbroken and can be understood by those who have been through heartbreak. It is a poignant and emotional track, guaranteed to stir up some feelings. This song is by Julia Michaels and features some vocal work by Niall Horan, as the two singers describe the pain of letting go of a love that once was. Now if this isn’t enough to give the song away, great! That just means you get to experience this song like it’s the first time. This track is hauntingly emotional, figuratively and literally. In this song, we are moved by the haunting beauty of the melodies and soulfulness, but the narrator is also haunted by a past love. Julia Michaels effortlessly translates that yearning and longing, the ghost of something that was, into the song.  Julia Michaels lends a voice that is simultaneously light and grounded, s...

Today I have some music from the ever exciting and moving city, Los Angeles. This duo likes to go by the name MIKNNA, and they are shaking up the underground music scene one track at a time. Fusing retro sounds with hip-hop and some electronic work, MIKKNA gives us music to bounce to. MIKNNA is made up of two very important components - a producer and a vocalist. One member brings the instrumental and musical skills to the table. In fact, the producer, Ken Nana is a talented musician and plays multiple instruments. The vocalist, Mike B, also serves as the rapper of the duo and brings words to the song. The two of them together are able to breathe life into tracks like this, giving the song body and filling it with sensation. MIKKNA's sound could be described as "electro-soul," a gorgeous blend of an older style with a newer one. This song is definitely on the slower side, but that doesn't mean the song lacks funk or groove. This song can hold its own when it come...

I feel like it has been such a long time since I talked about a song that is romantically lovely. Today's song is by one a band that always seems to know how to tug at my heartstrings. Parachute is a band who makes music that I always love being immersed in. Their music takes me another place of calm and tranquillity, a place where the world is bathed in a soft and sunny glow. They always somehow know how to make everything feel alright even when the song may be sad. And this song falls right into that wondrous and simple side of music. This track, like many others by Parachute, is emotionally poignant and incredibly soulful. But Parachute is able to achieve this kind of sound in a way that is so beautifully simple and warming. This song tends to move a bit more away from the "band-like" sound that Parachute has been known to showcase. This is meant to be more of an acoustic piece, relying on very few instruments such as the acoustic guitar, a gentle keyboard, and the ...

Today I have some music for you which has a unique origin. There are so many styles of music, coming from all over the world and across time periods. One such style of music that we rarely get to hear from is called Pinoy rock. Essentially, this is a brand of rock that was born in the Philipines. Interestingly enough, Pinoy rock is an umbrella term to refer to any kind of Filipino rock, whether it is alternative, ska, heavy metal, punk, or more recently, indie. This is where our band of the day, IV of Spades, comes in. A rather new band who made their first appearance in 2014, IV of Spades represents a new ear in Pinoy rock. The indie band brings something refreshing and beautiful to not only the Filipino stage but the global one as well. The band is incredibly unique and has an individuality which shines through their music and performances. IV of Spades is heavily influenced by the 70s both musically and as a band. Their looks always tend towards some groovy 70s vibed outfits,...

Today I wanted to bring up some music by one of the greatest voices of our time. Jessie J is such a powerhouse, and I find that her music is either underappreciated or underwhelmed by the radio. But I wanted to take today's post to chat about how incredible she is, not only as a vocalist but as a lyricist as well. The British singer has an incredible amount of talent and pedigree to her name. One of the things I love about Jessie J, is that her musical and performance style is rather unconventional. She has this incredible way of blending soul, contemporary, R&B, hip-hop, pop, and electro-pop all into one song. Her music has is a unique blend of so many genres, yet somehow, she is able to pull it off and do so with fantastic amounts of style and power.  In this track, we hear Jessie J tackle a mix of contemporary, soul, and some 90s styled hip hop beats. While this may seem like an odd combination, Jessie J has brought them together in a way to make all the sounds mesh ...

Today I have a really sunny and lovely song for you by an artists known as Spencer Kane. Now this song is actually a cover of a Pentatonix original. Normally it is the a capella group that does the covers, but now we have the opposite happening which is a weirdly nice plot twist. From the moment the song starts. we are swept away into the adorably romantic and sweet sound, something that is happy and bubbly. The whole song has that really feel-good vibe to it, something which effortlessly shines with a warm brightness. Spencer Kane has a really smooth voice, but there is this nice underlying gravel to it, which kind of makes the whole thing sound complete. He also has quite a mature voice for his age, resonating with deeper octaves compared to the original. But that depth is so suitable for this song and adds envelops us in a sunny and light-hearted mood. He has a smooth falsetto that he transitions into at the end of some lines. Those nice little lilts are simple...

Today I have music for you by another artist I had the opportunity to watch at SXSW. Marco McKinnis is an artist who has taken R&B to new levels of seductive and creates music that is incredibly refreshing. This track is a dangerously sultry one. Marco McKinnis pulls us in with his vocals prowess and delivers an R&B ballad which proves that he really is in his element. The song is effortlessly smooth, drenched in a seductive soul and passion. I love that we can hear the old school soul influences throughout the track. The way Marco McKinnis holds his voice tells us how sure he is about his sound and style. There is a confidence there which makes this song sound and feel organic and natural. His voice is silky smooth, with the texture, richness, and sweetness of molasses. Marco McKinnis immerses this track in his deeply soulful and yearning voice. There is tantalizing tease in his voice, yearning and arms outstretched to welcome us into the embrace of his music. Marco McKinni...

Today brings us an artist from Melbourne. Though she only has one single to her name, this debut single is one of the most talked about tracks from SXSW. G Flip made quite an impression at last week's festival, and begs the question, how can a full blown pop song with an irresistible chorus, be so far from generic? One of the most notable things about G Flip, is her ability to create a non conventional pop ear worm. The song gets you hooked from the get go, and doesn't really require much time to grown on you. And in a world where pop seems dominated by electronic rhythms and melodies, with very little room for live instrumentation, G Flip turns the table. Being a tour drummer herself, G Flip brings a lot of percussion and rhythm to her debut track. It is heavy and pounding, a wholesome rattling sensation which blows modern pop out of the water. The song even includes a drum solo, a part of music which we don't hear often in general but even rarer to be heard in pop mu...

Well, I'm back! It's been about a week or so since my last post, but I am so pleased about the music I am bringing to you going forward. This past week was South by Southwest, SXSW, which is a huge festival in Austin. For a week, we get to celebrate the most innovative and exciting new things coming up in technology, film, and music. I had the incredible opportunity to attend some of the SXSW Music events, and my goodness, it was spectacular. I've seen so many new artists and I am very excited to share these new players with you. So start off this exposé, we have an artist from New Zealand. Noah Slee is an artist who has been on my radar for a while, and I couldn't believe that he came to SXSW! Unfortunately, I was unable to see him perform, but that won't stop me from talking about his music. Noah Slee brought his cool soul to the SXSW stage, and I have to admit that Austin is so much better off by knowing his name. His musical style is not unfamiliar to us. N...

Today, I want to talk about an artist who has really captured my ears and attention. Bazzi has spent a lot of time under the radar, writing and performing his tracks with a magnificent and seductive gentleness. From the first few moments of listening to Bazzi, I knew I was absolutely in love with his voice, and just had to talk about him here. So Bazzi is a singer-songwriter out of Michigan, and is one of the most exciting new talents that I have come across. He is on the younger end of the talent pool, but you can already start to hear his versatility and potential. I have been impressed by all of Bazzi's work so far. He brings a seductive charisma to his music, making the tracks have different kinds of intimacy. I actually found this to be a very interesting concept. Personally, I feel like there is a sense of intimacy present in all of Bazzi's tracks. But the kinds of intimacy, and way he portrays that intimacy, vary from song to song. For some tracks, we get a more roman...

Today I wanted to share some Indian music with you all, as I happen to have traveled there a short while ago. Indian music comes in so many differnet flavors and sounds, but for today, I wanted to go with a song that is one of my favorites. Now this track is one that is not of the more stereotypical Indian songs. Though the track does come from a film, the song itself does not necessarily carry a lot of the same elements as your usual Bollywood song. This song is a bit darker for starters. There is a very special group of songs which fall into this darker category of songs because they outline tragedies in life and love. We do have our melancholy heartbreak songs, but this track is about losing a love to something more than just a breakup. There is so much sadness and almost even a sense of despair in this track. The song evokes a passionate yearning for a beloved who cannot be reached, a desperate call for them to be together just one last time. There aren't a lot of Bollywood ...

Today I have some suave and dark music for you out of England. Everything is Recorded, is an artist pseudonym and project. The man behind Everything is Recorded goes by the name of Richard Russell, a producer, and owner of XL Recordings. His label was meant to produce and release original dance tracks. But somewhere along the way, the focus of XL Recordings changed and so did its artists. And as a result, we get amazing music and side projects, such as Everything Is Recorded. This song definitely has darker undertones.The invisible touch that Richard Russell provides is so noticeable in those darker moments and motifs of the song. As the composer and producer of the track, Richard Russell brings to life the song's heartbeat. He makes the song ebb and flows, crescendo and decrescendo into the seductively dark tones of the song. He makes this song tell a story through the music alone, a story filled with suspense and drama, maybe even tragedy. It's a story which involves pain ...

Today I have some music by a band called The Afters. Now it has been an extremely long time since I have posted a song by this band. And it is actually a shame that it has taken this long for me to put up another incredible song by The Afters. The song I am posting today was actually used to open and present The Golden Globes on television. Now, this is really cool in my opinion, especially given the fact that they are not one of the more well-known bands in the popular music sphere. Of course,  I found it to b a bit ironic that most people have no idea who The Afters are, yet their music was used for one of the biggest televised events of the year. But to continue onto the song itself, this particular track comes from the fifth album by The Afters.  One of the most notable things about The Afters, something which makes them so great, is their ability to create music that inspires. So many of their songs are so inviting and incredibly inspirational, hopeful on all accounts ...

Today I have some music for you by an artist that I've spent some time listening to in the past, but recently go back into. It isn't often that we get female rappers on the scene, and it's equally as rare to see female artists who perform like today's artist does. 070 Shake is one of the most unique artists out there. Now to be completely honest, I was a bit confused about the name of the group, thinking the lead rapper's name is 070 Shake. Just to clear things up, the female rapper is known as Shake and the rest of this contemporary rap group is 070. Hence the project's name. But this has to be one of the most interesting groups to listen to because of how different they sound. The group is led by female rapper Shake, who has a voice that is incredibly recognizable and almost trademark. Her lower register, baritone vocals spit out some of the grittiest and grimiest realities of life. And it is cool to be able to hear how vocals like that can give such an emot...

Today I have some music for you by an artist called Always Never. This is a super nice and chilled out song, something that I have been able to listen for days. It has a seductive smoothness to it, one that can catch you by surprise with its subtly lustful sound. I have to admit, I really like how Always Never has made the song to be so effortlessly smooth and even a but sexy. One of the things to note about this track is how it seems to fall into this newer and growing style of R&B. This emerging style relies a bit more on synths and electronic work to create an ambient sound, while the vocals hang onto a more soulful and R&B sound. Part of what makes this song really work, and one of the things I really like about this song, is that there is a darker undertone to some parts of the song. But this darker undertone is not menacing, melancholy, nor eerie It is an irresistible allure, the tantalizing call of an interaction filled with lust and seduction. Now I have to be hones...

It's been a bit of a while, but back again with some new music for you! And today's track comes from an artist who has made quite a breakthrough this past year. The New York based singer-songwriter known as Lauv has been making waves out of the underground circuit, making his name and music known to a wider audience. I've talked about some of his music in the past, but I am particularly excited to talk about this song because of how different it is from the rest of the music we tend to hear from Lauv. As the creator and producer of his own music, Lauv has brilliantly created a stylistic sound for himself, one that makes him a recognizable artist among the rest. His music is characterized by soothing sounds, a hint of seduction, and emotion. The way these motifs are portrayed in the music is always different, but somehow the compositions still have a signature style. This song is unlike pretty much every track Lauv has released though. Of course, we still get those stylist...

Today I wanted to take things to the land of Bollywood, taking on a track that I have not been able to stop listening to for the past few days. This track comes from a recently released film called Jab Harry Met Sejal. I haven't seen the film so I literally have no idea what it is about and can't really recommend whether or not to see it. However, the soundtrack is something that is definitely worth taking a listen to. For starters, the singer of this track is one of the most popular singers in Bollywood at the moment. Arijit Singh has made such an impression on Bollywood and Indian music since his debut in 2013. I have to say, I think his rising popularity has resulted in an interesting shift in Bollywood music. As every other style of music, Bollywood music has gone through another stage in evolution. The Indian origin songs are shifting towards a fusion of Western acoustic and Eastern instrumentation. The music is just as romantic, but the sound is very different. The acou...

Today I have some music for you that will leave you completely speechless. Emeli Sande is a singer out of Scotland who has become a pop sensation in the UK. However, it seems like she hasn't made her way to the States, something which I hope will change. But what makes Emeli Sande so special is her spectacularly beautiful and powerful voice, and how she uses that voice to tell us a story. This track has to be my favorite one by her. It's been featured here and there but hasn't taken off the way some of Emeli Sande's other tracks have. None of the music that Emeli Sande has released can be considered "throwaway pop." All of her songs center around a topic and subject, unfolding into a story of some kind. And sometimes these stories are more tragic and heart wrenching than others. The story that we are told in this song is a mix of melancholy and inspiration and moving all the same. One of the beautiful characteristics of this song is the fact that it can be...

Today I wanted to discuss an artist who has had a very interesting progression within his career. Niall Horan is well known for being one of the members of the boy band One Direction. He's definitely had his taste of the high life of being a musician, achieving the fame and fortune that so many dream about for themselves. As the band members have now gone their separate ways, we are getting to hear what each member's musical style is. For Niall Horan, I had guessed it would be something more along the indie or folk side of things, going for acoustic guitar style music and coffee shop comforts. I wasn't disappointed either. Niall Horan's direction of music is one that I really like. We've heard a lot of different sounds from the members of One Direction, but Niall Horan has hit on a style that has a very classic sound. Above all though, this album is a romantic one. It is meant to be a vulnerable expression of the heart, with Niall Horan showing baring himself as a...

Today I have some music for you by the artist known as VanLadyLove. The first time I heard this song, I had chills up and down my arms. This is a song that has a lot of feeling poured into it, but not the emotional kind of feeling. This is something that beckons the call of freedom and adventure and letting go and moving into the unknown. This song is something that is immersed in inspiration and makes us feel that sense of having our own wings to go forth and go on our own. But at the same time, the song addresses that we cannot live in the world of our dreams. We have to be able to bring all of those sentiments to the real world, and we cannot run away from everything that we have to face here.So when we look at this song, there are some really nice things that are going on to make this a completely feel good song. For starters, this song doesn't use guitars much, and opts for using a mandolin. I really enjoy the mandolin, with its oddly sweet sound. It is a stringed instrument...