Less than a week after the official release of her new single “Muse,” Maryze has shared her new music video to accompany it. It features wonderful videos from people all over the world during the COVID-19 quarantine, and it also has cats! You can watch the music video for “Muse” below:
Artist: Mazmere
EP: MBJDEBNRBM
Genre: Indie Rock/Post-Punk/Noise Rock
Label: Self-released
Rating: 8/10
It’s hard speaking about mental illness sometimes. The fear of alienation from others is something that plagues your mind when dealing with a mental illness. That along with overwhelming feelings of self-doubt, self-hatred, nihilism, depression, and existentialism are all things that can prevent someone from letting people in, but one creative outlet to exorcise your demons is music, and Bristol UK based band “Mazmere” most definitely face the cycles of mental illness head-on with no compromise on their new E.P. MBJDEBNRBM. This music is pure raw energy with manically noisy instrumentation that perfectly reflects lead singer Jake Sinetos’ deep dive into the darker parts of the human mind. You know, the parts you try to ignore and distract yourself from with whatever form of escapism you fancy. This music can be ugly, but I mean that in the kindest way possible, because ugly music isn’t always a bad thing, in fact there is much beauty to find in macabre art. The beauty in this E.P. is found in its fearless lyrical content that instead of coming off sounding like a motivational speech, tackles the complexities of your inner-voice that isn’t always so optimistic. That in itself is uplifting, because once you embrace your demons and continue to fight them, you can seriously take on anything, and the representation of that through this music is exhausting yet liberating. This is most prominently expressed on the track “Skeletons.” “This house is full of medicine that gives you no cure. You’re bouncing off the walls again. You’re twisted with fear. Fear of yourself is worse than what is real, so find your demon, and cut him a deal” sings Sinetos. This is the albums biggest tearjerker as our protagonist gives us a tour of this cycle in his mind, a cycle that isn’t for the faint of heart, but is necessary to understand those less mentally fortunate. Once this track erupts with its musical climax, it’s hard not to feel like you’re floating as your demons either begin to decay, or ride with you. It all depends on your interpretation. Without sounding too inaccessible, this E.P. is brutally honest, and that’s something we should all strive to explore in music.
Written By: Steven Sandoval
https://mazmere.bandcamp.com/releases
Artist: YNYS
Song: Aros Am Byth
Genre: Indie Pop/Psych-Pop
Label: Libertino Records
Welsh artist Dylan Hughes under his “YNYS” project makes the kind of dreamy music that takes you on a meditative journey with a juxtaposition of sunny day “Indie Pop” and night time melancholy. His new single “Aros Am Byth” is no exception, but this time around he incorporates 70’s Italian Disco synths to create a lush tune that is as attention grabbing as it is humble. Instead of going full-on Disco, Hughes utilizes these synths to fit his distinct musical world he has created, and my does he pull off this sound well. About the track Hughes has stated “The vibe I was trying to get was Jeff Lynne taking over the studio after being at a Tame Impala listening party.” Well, mission accomplished because this sounds like an “Electric Light Orchestra” ballad from an alternate universe or “Tame Impala’s” younger brother, and it’s modern enough to not sound too anachronistic. It’s both a fun and tender tune.
Written By: Steven Sandoval
Artist: Pragnya Wakhlu
Song: Fallin’
Genre: Jazz/Blues/Folk/Soul
Label: Self-released
New Delhi based singer songwriter and activist Pragnya Wakhlu is not the kind of artist who wants to be pigeonholed in one category. She recognizes the endless possibilities of having an eclectic style, and her refusal to be categorized is at it’s most evident on her new single “Fallin'” which finds her departing from her previous work and exploring the realms of “Jazz” and “Soul,” and it goes over stunningly well. Featuring New Delhi born “Jazz” musicians, “Fallin'” is a more personal track about an unrealized relationship and unrequited love. We’ve all been there before right? We’ve at some point faced the pains and uncertainty of a one-sided relationship as we fall in love with someone who doesn’t reciprocate the love-driven actions you give them, and Pragnya beautifully expresses these feelings with a smooth and infectious voice that will soften the hardest hearts and make anyone swoon. While the subtle but captivating saxophone and piano soar, Pragnya questions if the person she desires will ever be hers as she sings with a bit of hope regardless of her uncertainty. You’re definitely on her side when hearing this track as you cheer her on. It’s a beautiful tune. “Fallin'” will appear on her upcoming third album Lessons in Love, which will be released later in the year.
Written By: Steven Sandoval
On this day in 2010 “LCD Soundsystem” released their third album This Is Happening. Remember when this was supposed to be their final album? Remember when they released another album seven years later? Yeah, like any of us bought that the band were calling it quits for good, but if This Is Happening had really been the band’s final album, they would have gone out in a blaze of glory, because this was without a doubt some of the band’s best material. James Murphy and Co. delved even deeper into the realm of dance ready “Electronic” music on this album. Of course this was by no means new territory for the band, but it’s almost as if the band had the most fun making this record, and James Murphy not once loses his signature wit on this record. Perfecting a myriad of genres such as “Synth-Pop,” “Post-Punk,” and “House,” this album surprisingly never comes off as scatterbrained and each track flows into the other quite cohesively. This album showed us all that James Murphy is serious about what he’s doing, even though he might not take himself too seriously. Happy Anniversary!
Following the release of two brand new tracks “N.S.T.” and “Things Can’t Stay the Same,” both of which have unfortunately been removed, “BROCKHAMPTON” have returned with two more brand new tracks titled “M.O.B.” and “Twisted” featuring Ryan Beatty and Christian Alexander. The two songs have been released on the group’s official “YouTube” channel. You can listen to “M.O.B.” and “Twisted” below:
On this day in 1990 Ice Cube released his debut solo album AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted. After his departure from N.W.A. Ice Cube linked up with Public Enemy’s production team The Bomb Squad to produce what became both an iconic and controversial release that found Cube frequently defending his right to freedom of speech after loads of accusations thrown at him due to the graphic nature of the lyrical content. With much fearlessness Cube spoke on topics such as racism, poverty, and the gangster lifestyle, and much like N.W.A. this scared America. Cube saw himself as a street journalist as he uncompromisingly detailed the dark realities of poverty-stricken African Americans, and this was something America needed to hear. This fearlessness is something you rarely see in Hip Hop nowadays, and this album is widely regarded as a classic. Happy Anniversary!
On this day in 1980 “Devo” released their third album Freedom of Choice. We’ve all heard “Whip It,” and we all know the flower pot hats, but aside from these staples of 80’s Pop culture, Freedom of Choice was Devo’s tour de force that both encapsulated the spirit of the dominant “New Wave” era, and offered something unique and immensely animated both musically and visually. This album saw the band incorporating even more synthesizers without sacrificing their guitar-driven Rock edge, and the satirical, absurd, and often tongue-in-cheek lyrics that poked fun at the human condition made the band everyone’s favorite aliens studying humanity. Happy Anniversary!
Artist: The Earflower Experiment
Song: Emerge (feat. Aman Saxena)
Genre: Alternative Rock/Psychedelic Rock/Indie Rock
Label: Self-released
New Delhi artist Astaaq Ahmed has proven himself to be an imaginative visionary with his project “The Earflower Experiment.” His music tells a story while he instrumentally delves into a myriad of genres that maintains his Psychedelic Folk style but isn’t limited as he incorporates clever production techniques and sound design. His new track “Emerge” featuring producer Aman Saxena solidifies his talent. On this track he metaphorically sings from the perspective of someone escaping an ocean as he nearly drowns, and this symbolizes getting out of a toxic relationship. While he sings over melancholy acoustic guitar, we hear waves and splashes from this metaphorical ocean as the track builds into a feeling of being reborn as he is now free. The track then smoothly transitions into a guitar lead final act that can be compared to a band like “Pink Floyd” as the Psychedelia makes itself more prominent and closes the book of this beautifully sentimental story. This is Ahmed at his most vulnerable, and yet he embraces the negative aspects of this relationship embedded in toxicity to recognize his self-worth. This is thoughtful music at its best.
Written By: Steven Sandoval
Can you twerk to sludgy and abrasive Extreme Metal? OvO says you can with their new track “Voodoo Twerk.” With a beat heavily drawing from Reggaeton, the band warps and reinvents the genre with a Hellish but danceable tune. You can listen to “Voodoo Twerk” below:
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