After the release of his eight-song album At the Edge of the World, Mike McKenna Jr. has presented us with a beautiful music video for his song Pale White Moon.
Pale White Moon is based on a true story of a young folk-singer named Taylor Mitchell, who died whilst hiking at a national park in Cape Breton — over ten years ago. McKenna was still living there at the time, whilst he was working at a Christmas tree farm and had heard about it through the grapevine.
The song showcases the stunning vocals of Mike McKenna Jr., who is a rising name in the world of music. With his new album released, we are excited to see what is next for Mike McKenna Jr.
The music video for Pale White Moon was shot live at Maison Cloakroom in Montreal.
Listening to Do You Wonder About Me?, one thing is clear: Diet Cig have grown up. The indie rock duo, who broke into the scene in 2015 with their EP Over Easy, had already started showing signs of maturity with their 2017 debut, Swear, I’m Good at This, which was followed by a massive world tour over the next two years. Still, it felt like the duo had kind of painted themselves into a corner – their brand of indie rock resonated with college audiences thanks to its snappy one-liners, relatable humour, and jangly DIY production, not so much its emotional depth or ambition.
Fearing the dreaded sophomore slump, singer/guitarist Alex Luciano and drummer Noah Bowman relocated to Richmond, Virginia, taking some time to write and record, but also to self-reflect. And it shows – both in terms of its sound and its content, Do You Wonder About Me? feels more expansive and polished than its predecessor. The sense of vulnerability that was only hinted at on Swear,I’m Good at This takes center stage here, as Luciano explores the aftermath of a break-up with striking honesty. On the first three tracks, her tone goes from snarky (“I’m thriving, thanks for asking”) to bitter (“Who are you to say ‘I’m sorry’, when/ We both know, you’d do it all over again?”) to finally candid as she reveals how the separation has truly affected her mental health (“I’m doin’ my best to keep it in check but/ It’s out of my control”)
From that point on, it feels like a veil has been lifted – as if those first nine minutes of the record were enough for Diet Cig to realize that vulnerability may actually be a stronger weapon than humour. It all culminates with ‘Broken Body’, the centrepiece of the record and an absolute stunner of a track; the shoegaze-inspired guitars and backing vocals feel larger than life, soaring against Luciano’s passionate delivery. “If my body’s broken/ Does that mean that I’m broken too?” she ponders before we’re even a second in, then admits, “I can’t remember the last time I felt good inside my head.”
Not much could successfully follow such an emotionally potent moment, but it feels like ‘Makeout Interlude’ and ‘Flash Flood’ barely even try; the first is a somewhat formless, lo-fi cut, while the latter is a decent but expendable attempt at a classic punk sound that doesn’t contribute much to the record. But they do provide some necessary breathing space, and the record quickly picks up after that: the shimmering ‘Worth the Wait’ imagines a better life where “everything will be alright and I can finally sleep at night”, while the propulsive ‘Staring into the Sun’ once again reaches for the sky. ‘Night Terrors (Reprise)’ is a wondrously dreamy closer, Luciano’s heartfelt lyrics swimming in a sea of bubbly synth arpeggios.
Some might miss the kind of youthful naivety that gave Diet Cig’s early material much of its charm, but one can only hope that fans of the band have also matured along with them. After all, there’s still a sense of self-awareness running throughout the record: “I’ll play the same songs/ Over and over/ Convince myself I’m grown/ I’m older,” Luciano sings on opening track ‘Thriving’, recognizing that at the end of the day, “growing up” is really just a performance, a role we assign ourselves. What separates Diet Cig from other indie acts that have tried to ‘mature’ is that they haven’t done so in a conceited manner that makes them lose track of their personality, but rather by turning inwards and refining their focus. Do You Wonder About Me? proves that Diet Cig have the potential to make a front-to-back great record, if only they took their approach one step further; clocking in at 24 minutes, it still feels more like an EP than a fully-fleshed project. Till then, though, there’s quite a lot here worth coming back to.
Ordinary Woes is the latest single by the superb Luke Rathborne, a singer-songwriter known for songs such as You Let Me In and Little Moment. Vocally the song delivers a wave of outstanding vocals, adding to the energetic pace of the song, and creating tension. If you need something to spur your day, this one will be for you.
Talking about the music video for the song Rathborne said: “The inspiration for the video for “Ordinary Woes” came from the realization that I had spent almost as much time in New York City as the woods which I grew up…the energy of New York City can be quite addictive, but it can also lead you to become anxious, or feeling like you’re lost in the thick of it all. I remember this sensation looking up one day around myself at all the construction and having this feeling like everything was going to be built up around me and swallow me whole. The concept for the video came out of that sensation.”
Ro-Thoro All In It
All In It is a song that Ro-Thoro dedicated to his passion for making classic Hip-hop music, and it shows. All In It is an instant ear-pleaser, a truly well-produced track that has not just well-thought lyrics, but an addicting vintage Hip-hop inspired production. It’s full of liveliness and enthusiasm, just what is needed at this moment.
Gotopo, a new promising in the world of music, has released her debut single Malembe, just a few days ago. The song is driven by the majestic-like vocals of Gotopo and backed by a futuristic beat that thrives on intense and mysterious energy.
Talking about the song Gotopo stated: “I re-interpreted an Afro-latin-indigenous song into a contemporary experience inspired by the spread of Afro-latin-indigenous peoples around the globe, and the impact Urban life and Culture has in our identities. I call Malembe’s beat ‘Ancestral Beat’.”
Tony Njoku, a London-based Avant-Pop auteur, released a music video for his latest song 100% 4 Beauty, today.
The song follows his critically-acclaimed album YOUR PSYCHE’S RAINBOW PANORAMA and will feature on Njoku’s upcoming EP Justine which will also feature songs such as </3, BSD YRSLF, and JUSTINE.
Writing about the song Njoku stated: “This is a song about my dedication to self-examination and self-discovery. Unearthing some of my flaws and inner turmoil (lack of courage, low self esteem, etc), and discovering what gets me going despite that turmoil. An ode to beauty, to finding your ‘why’. I suppose you could call this a love song directed at the self. A ‘self love song’.
INNA, a household name in the world of Pop music, has released her song Sober, just yesterday. The piece carries on after the release of Not My Baby and Bebe.
INNA is widely known for songs such as Cola Song, Sun is Up and More Than Friends — to name a few. As a Romanian artist, she is considered one of the biggest stars to come out of the country.
Sober as a song has a solid structure, catchy euphonious vocals and a modern dance-driven beat that we have come to hear in commercial music in recent years.
26-year-old singer-songwriter Angelica Garcia explores the hybridity of identity like few others – it’s no coincidence Barack Obama included her song ‘Jícama’ as one of his favourites of 2019. With Mexican and Salvadoran roots, Garcia grew up in the Latinx community of southern California, before recently moving to Richmond, VA, where she has built a new life. Following 2016’s bluesy Medicine for Birds, her new album Cha Cha Lifeis a richly vibrant and dynamic sophomore effort that’s filled to the brim with colourful vignettes from her upbringing, a celebration of multiculturalism that also showcases her diverse range of musical influences. Spanning both generations and genres, Cha Cha Life draws equally from traditional Mexican culture, modern pop, classic rock, and 90s indie. On the one hand, there’s a rendition of the traditional Mexican folk song, ‘La Lorna’, featuring Garcia’s mother, a Latin pop and mariachi singer, as well a cover of Jose Alfredo Jimenez’s ‘La Enorme Distancia’, sung by her grandmother. On the other, there are cuts like the riot grrrl-inspired ‘It Don’t Hinder Me’, or ‘Guadalupe’, which is most reminiscent of of M.I.A. Amidst all this genre-mixing, Garcia’s belting voice cuts through, displaying more than enough personality and charisma to make you wanna keep coming back to it. Cha Cha Life doesn’t just entertain – it resonates.
We caught up with Angelica Garcia for this edition of our Artist Spotlight series, where we showcase up-and-coming artists and give them a chance to talk a bit about their music.
You grew up in a musical household – are there any strong musical memories you have from your childhood?
I mainly remember guitar being constantly being pulled out at parties. My uncle would play guitar & my mom and aunt would sing with him. I remember learning to sing harmony by singing around whatever my mom was singing.
What are some of your influences, and how have they evolved over time?
Through the years I’ve been inspired by artists ranging fromThe White Stripes, Timbaland, Chavela Vargas, M.I.A, Donna Summer, Bryan Ferry, and Hiatus Kaiyote. I think influence is always evolving. Sometimes I’m inspired by an artist’s tones, sometimes it’s lyrics, performance, rhythm or concept. Anything goes. I love the surprise of finding something new.
Your latest album features a duet with your mother and a snippet of your grandmother singing – how did you decide to incorporate the theme of family into the sound of the album?
It just kind of happened.So much of the album is about my family and how much I missed the connection with them. I was writing about my childhood home in LA. I was writing about how being across the country was causing me to struggle with my identity. That context of having my family represented in the audio and visuals felt essential. In many ways, it was their voices or the memories of them that kept me going whenever I felt down.
Multiculturalism also plays an important part on the album. What are some of the ideas you wanted to get across?
People should feel comfortable connecting with all sides of their identity. In the US, there are so many people who identify as American, but still have a sacred relationship with their family culture—whatever country that may be from. Many people are dichotomous in their identity & that can often feel like coming from opposing worlds. I often caught myself feeling out of place and I wanted to write about it.
How was the writing and recording process like?
It was very sporadic.Many of these songs were pulled together in spare studio moments or impulsive hang outs.I would go home and write in my bedroom or on napkins at the restaurant. Some songs were first voice memos, others were first recorded in a friend’s studio, others were GarageBand demos. I like to think of the album as a collage of all these moments.
How has the response to the album been?
I’m so excited every day I see new people listening to it for the first time. People have been saying it’s hard to call the album one thing. I love that everyone has a different favorite song. I hope Cha Cha Palace finds more people as a whole body of work.
What’s next for you?
I’m writing and writing and I can’t wait for the next journey. Maybe a new album will be here sooner than I think.
The Murder Capital, a post-bunk quintet, have released their new three-song EP Live from BBC Maida Vale, today. The EP features their full March live session for Annie Mac at BBC Radio 1.
Talking about the EP, the band stated: “When Annie asked us to do a live session at Maida Vale, covering FKA Twigs was an easy decision. “Cellophane” especially encapsulates such a poignant landmark of heartbreak, and its innately exposed nature further allowed us to really connect with it.
The process itself was exciting for us, as we came to reshape its original mould, and impart our own sound and emotion onto the sentiment of inadequacy that she embodies so selflessly on the track.”
Electronic artist BABii has shared the music video for her single ‘Beast’. Made entirely in her bedroom while in quarantine, the video features BABii alongside shots of celestial imagery as it appears she is controlling the weather.
In a statement, BABii explained the inspiration behind the video:
“Somehow this whole EP has become all about my childhood and this video which I made entirely by myself in my bedroom ended up being based on a lie that I told when I was in primary school. I didn’t have a Mum growing up so I used to tell everyone that my mum was Mother Nature, that’s why my name was Daisy and I could control the weather, and that I would go to secret weather meetings in an abandoned bread factory. Totally unbelievable, I know. Anyways one sunny day in year 3, loads of kids started trying to make me prove it, and knowing that it wasn’t true, I closed my eyes and tighten my fists, and to my surprise the sky darkened and the heaviest rain poured from the sky. I felt like a 7 year old god.”
‘Beast’ is taken from BABii’s latest EP, iii. The song was produced by Kai Whiston, her collaborator in the GLOO collective also featuring Iglooghost. According to BABii, the song is about “being far away from someone but still feeling emotionally close to them, and realising the opposite could be much worse, being in close proximity to someone but emotionally feeling distant from them.”
Nyah Grace, a rising star in the world of music, has released her latest single Sooner or Later, not long ago. The song carries on the streak of ear-pleasing songs that showcase the wonderful voice of Nyah Grace that we have come to adore. If you’re looking for something refreshing, this one will be for you.
Jarreau Vandal Nothing Nice
Another brilliant addition to our Sound Selection is by the exciting Dutch producer Jarreau Vandal who released his latest single Nothing Nice featuring Kojey Radical and Gaidaa. The song features some mellifluous vocals that go hand in hand with the stunningly smooth production that carries them
Evie Irie Worst Enemy
Raw and exhilarating are just two ways to describe Worst Enemy by the superb Evie Irie. In this track, Irie delivers a beautiful range of thrilling vocals that get you hooked on within a few seconds. This one is for the playlists.
