Browsing Tag

Bay Area

You trapped me in: Bay Area’s Juno Khrøme felt so stuck in those dangerous games on Paralyze

Posted on 1 August 2023

Feeling those sweetly intoxicating lips which are delectable and terrifyingly alluring each time, Juno Khrøme knows that he was played and lied to and can’t seem to disentangle himself from the spiderweb which has him cocooned inside like a mummy on Paralyze.

Juno Khrøme is a Bay Area, USA-based shades-sliding indie genre-floating artist and music producer who is inspired by jazzy beats, neo-soul brilliance and those funky disco tunes to lose all bad moods with.

Featuring nonfunctioning hearts, love lost and much regret, Juno Khrøme’s Paralyze is a masterful maze into the romantic intentions of those who don’t mean to cause carnage…but ultimately do anyway. Is this what dating is in 2023? Confusing and filled with hazardous potholes. Or a message to be cautious about who we let into our beds at night?

Paralyze from Bay Area, USA-based indie music producer and musician Juno Khrøme is a story that will soar minds into a thrilling but ultimately haunting zone which won’t let go.

Feeling like a misplaced zombie and reminiscing us through a single which is excellent in nature and warns us about those temptations which will take innocent souls into the dark.

Cautioning us about the dangers of a hazardous love, it will be hard not to relate to this song.

Listen up loud on Spotify and forget everything else.

See more vibes on the IG music page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Interview: Amadour melts our hearts on Western Movie Dream

Posted on 30 June 2023

After impressing our team with a glowing review to calm all anxious hearts, the incomparable storyteller Amadour is rather tremendously open and shall warm all cold souls whilst detailing life in Reno, family support, and the vision behind the dreamy new 5-track EP, Western Movie Dream.

Llewelyn: Hello Amadour, We truly appreciate you chatting with us all about your new release. Firstly, do you recall the first time you knew music was what you wanted to do as a living?

Amadour: My goal is to be a great storyteller, travel with my work, and share music with others abroad. As I build my audience, I am considering innovative ways of making a sophisticated show that keeps it simple and stripped down with just the piano and vocals for an intimate venue like a theater. I come from a visual arts background, so I often think about the colors, temperature, and emotions of music while writing.

Llewelyn: Please tell us all about your fantastic new EP, Western Movie Dream. What is the vision behind the project and how was the creative process?

Amadour: The idea behind Western Movie Dream is to share a bit of biographical history from my life growing up in Reno, Nevada, and Sausalito, California, and the angst of young love. I wrote these songs for someone I fell head over heels for, and our story is embedded throughout the lyrics. In “Before Grapes Ripen,” I love the verse “and the shadow of clouds on cursive pages.” It’s so daydreamy, and I wrote it while sitting on the steps of Russian Hill in San Francisco, looking at the Golden Gate Bridge. “Two Hands Holding Me” is a song that describes the unbelievable joy of having someone that’s into you as much as you are into them. I would wander around, imagining falling in love as a teenager, and then one day, it hit me that that was my experience as an adult; that’s where the line, “in my adolescent heart across the bay, the dreamer is fully awake,” comes in. I think “Western Movie Dream” is my Nevada song because my love interest at the time and I met at an art museum, and the line “as we gaze across the Blue” is about Lake Tahoe.

Llewelyn: Who has supported you most during your music career and what do you enjoy most about being on stage?

Amadour: I owe everything to my mother and my family. My vocal coach, Max Lawrence, trains me for future performances and singing live. He’s a musical vocal genius along with his dad, Don Lawrence. I love fashion and use it to make an impactful stage presence. My taste draws from my mentor Gladys Tamez, who designs all the hats I wear; I love hats! I also take a lot of outfit inspiration from Saint Laurent, Schiaparelli, and Tom Ford – I am a black-on-black and gold type of person.

Llewelyn: Bay Area. What was it like growing up here and do you have any memorable memories you’d like to share with us?

Amadour: One of my favorite places is the Marin Headlands and Mount Tamalpais. There are redwood forests, including the famous Muir Woods, and my best memories are of the walking paths where I like to hike. I also love to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge with my mom. Every morning when I lived in Sausalito, I would run back and forth as a workout.

Llewelyn: Reno, Nevada. How is the music scene here and which venues would you recommend to us?

Amadour: Oh, Reno! I love the Holland Project, which is intimate and shows newer acts, and also, the casinos have theaters that host more established acts. Tahoe also had a fantastic festival called SnowGlobe that MTV ran. The impact of Burning Man, a few hours north of Reno in the Blach Rock Desert, brings many musicians and concerts into town. I performed at every open mic in town as a teenager, and I would drive around with my keyboard to jazz clubs and old western saloons in Carson City.

Llewelyn: Please tell us more about the producers you worked with on your new project and how did you link up?

Amadour: A big thank you to Nick Rosen for sound engineering this body of work and being so talented. We used the Electro-Voice RE20 microphone Chet Baker used to record my vocals and an upright in Nick’s studio in Los Feliz. I am also working on new projects with Daniel Cullen at Just For The Record in Los Angeles and Jordan Koop and Terry Ondang at The Noise Floor on Vancouver Island in Canada this summer.

Llewelyn: Lastly, what is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Amadour: My uncle, Domingo Tibaduiza, is a four-time Olympic marathon runner from Colombia, who I look up to. He advised me to follow the “four D’s” of success, desire, dedication, determination, and discipline; this is my mission statement.

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Hear this wonderful EP on Spotify.

See more news on the IG.

Interview by Llewelyn Screen

Emmett McGrath brought light to the darkened world with his acoustic single, Little Guy

Posted on 16 October 2022

What does it mean to be human in perpetually unprecedented times? You will get a pretty good idea by hitting play on the latest single, Little Guy, by the San Francisco, Bay Area singer-songwriter Emmett McGrath.

The single, inspired by his grandson, captures the necessity and fundamental nature of love as a light in a darkened world. To be honest, I was already tearing up with the single synopsis, when I heard the gentle Cat Stevens-Esque melodicism of the acoustic guitar and his reassuringly gentle vocal timbre, I was emotionally floored.

Emmett McGrath is more than worth his weight in gold in times like these. The pandemic may be behind us, but with the threat of societal precariousness in every news segment, he’s a breath of fresh optimistic air in an atmosphere stifled with anxiety.

Little Guy is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Head Straight: Aitan Milman drops debut single 6/16/06 (feat. Gabrielle Milman)

Posted on 30 August 2022

Urging those fake people to vanish quickly as he is in no mood for that drama, Aitan Milman doesn’t need a four-leaf clover and shows us his lyrical ability on 6/16/06 (feat. Gabrielle Milman).

Aitan Milman is a 16-year-old Bay Area, USA-based indie hip hop artist and music producer who is young in the game but wise in life experiences.

”In addition to rapping and beat-making, he is also an experienced drummer in multiple genres such as Rock, Jazz, Funk, and Latin.” ~ Aitan Milman explaining his other music skills

Rapped with flair and precision, Aitan Milman is an emerging rapper with potential in droves. Soaring high like a bird on a mission to find that ideal nest, he sooths our speakers with a fine performance that will impress many rap fans who need a new hero to believe in.

6/16/06 (feat. Gabrielle Milman) from Bay Area, USA-based indie hip hop artist and music producer Aitan Milman shows us his poetic skills that are rather easy to listen to. Showing us inside his world that has faced many adversities, this is a quality song that will strike the heart of so many who have had to put up with so much unnecessary stress in the harsh climates of modern day life.

When you have the power within, you can certainly rise to heights that were unthinkable before.

Hear this brilliant new single on YouTube and see more news on his IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Filipino-American RnB artist Phil Q wonders why the sun is hiding away on the love-lost ‘Rain’

Posted on 26 March 2022

As he sings about the dark light that has made his soul so sad, Phil Q sheds the tears that have brought his mood to a damp state of affairs on the new single about looking for joy after heartbreak with ‘Rain‘.

Philip Quijano aka Phil Q is a Filipino-American RnB singer-songwriter, pianist and music producer who is based in the Bay Area and writes date night anthems combined with his battles against depression and anxiety.

”Taking influence from artists like Michael Jackson, Jeff Bernat, Jon Bellion and H.E.R, he blends the best of each genre to create his own unique sound.” ~ Phil Q

Gliding with an elevated mindset that is mightily outstanding, Phil Q is one of the purest artists around due to a vocal ability that is genuine and seems to heal all the previous worries away like a superhero sent to help us with any past apprehension.

”His latest single, “Rain” is a beautiful sonic metaphor for a broken heart. Akin to rain pouring against a window, the lyrics represent our battle against heartbreak – sad, but optimistic because rainy days are strengths, not weaknesses.” ~ Phil Q

‘Rain‘ from the Bay Area-based Filipino-American RnB artist Phil Q, is a sky-crashing melody for all those who need to feel like they are not alone right now. With soaring vocals that seems to clear away the moody skies as the pain slowly eases – but then comes back like an unwelcome memory – this is a sensational new single from a truly caring artist who just wants the world to be happy again, after so many floods of tears.

Listen up to this smoothly performed single on Spotify and see more info via IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Gotta Take My Swing: Bay Area-based RnB artist Phil Q makes his move at the bar on the ‘Silhouette’ (feat. Triimurtii)

Posted on 6 December 2021

Inspired by the bar scene from the famous movie Crazy Stupid Love, Phil Q finds it hard to take his eyes off her on the smooth new single all about seeing if a former stranger wants to go home with you on ‘Silhouette‘ (feat. Triimurtii).

Phil Q is a solo Bay Area-based indie RnB artist and music producer who loves to always be evolving and cleverly blends in jazz, hip-hop, and electronic treats for us to munch on joyously.

”When he writes, he draws inspiration from the Bay Area nightlife, immersing his listeners through meticulously crafted lyrics that tell his story, from exploring SF to speeding down I-880, vibing to chill music and deep conversation.” ~ Phil Q

Phil Q performs with a loving edge that has you smiling radiantly, as you dim the lights down and wonder if this is something special or a one-night thing. He sings with a smoothly-lipped ambience and the tight production has you feeling like this is a quality groove – to add your romantic playlist – the next time you meet someone who has your heart beating quicker than usual.

‘Silhouette‘ (feat. Triimurtii) from the tremendously-skilled solo indie RnB artist and music producer Phil Q, is a loved-up single that is all about getting to know your new lover who you want to treat right. You don’t have much time but you want to feel the vibe with her, as you feel like there is a spark here and you want to see how far this flame can heat up. Sung with a bar-feel and a twinkle in the eye, this is a stunning single that will have you wondering if this chemistry is going to blend into your smiles together all night.

Hear this terrific new track on Spotify and see more via the IG music page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Talking With Your Ego: Emma Gerson knows her worth on the fearless ‘Throne’

Posted on 29 May 2021

As she sees right through his easy-to-spot lies and tiny walls of nonsense, Emma Gerson bravely breaks down the shattered glass and sees what is real and what is not on her latest top drawer single called ‘Throne‘.

Emma Gerson is a supremely talented and self-aware nineteen year-old New York City-born, Bay Area-based indie modern RnB/folk/pop singer-songwriter and current University of California, Berkeley American Studies student. She has a likable style that is full of insight to the way people should act – as her smart mindset is full of that truthful energy – that is so rare these days.

With a special voice which has your heart beating rather fast, you feel like you have just heard a marvelous talent who skillfully transfixes your thoughtful mind and you has you smiling cheekily from hearing such real lyrics. In a world that is so plastic and pull of quick-swipes, this is that quality message that needs to be heard far and wide.

We are placed into her vivid story about being spoken to by someone who things that they are so incredible, but are actually telling you the same rubbish that needs to be thrown like a three-pointer, into the awaiting trashcan. You are looking for someone unique who truly gets you and isn’t playing childish games to get you alone so they can tell their friends. Instead your mind has evolved and you want something truly meaningfully remarkable, to make your heart flutter sweetly like a singing bird.

‘Throne‘ from the gracefully classy Bay Area-based indie modern RnB artist Emma Gerson, shows us a confident woman who has seen all the games before and bends out like a Jenga professional, to flick out quickly from the noise when she needs to and shows such maturity here.

This is that honest anthem that tells it how it is, as Emma shows her Queen-like qualities to wash away the silly players once and for all, who show such undesirable qualities.

Hear this lovely new single on Spotify and see more of her adventures via IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

I Seen Too Much: J-money is only waiting for the special one on ‘Fall in Love’

Posted on 19 April 2021

Taken off his latest four-track EP called ‘Love Songs For Life‘, J-money returns with a true single about how something so important can escape you for too long, even though you wish it would happen called ‘Fall in Love‘.

Jahsaan Goode aka J-money is a groovy Bay Area-based artist who cleverly fuses in music that speaks about his deepest fears and dreams, while making it in a way that has you singing along.

You hear his imagination run wild as he wants to be with her so bad, however he isn’t going to commit until he knows that this is something legit, that has that core love which will be hard to break.

He sings and raps with that real street lesson style, that shows his smarts for avoiding being messed around again, his eyes are strikingly real as he leads us into a world where trust is earned, not given.

‘Fall in Love‘ from Bay area singer-rapper J-money, is a summer anthem that has you moving your body around as you desire that close contact emotional stability, but at the same time you are not going to accept anything less than your ideal woman. Settling for less, just isn’t an option.

Immerse yourself into his story with the love track on Spotify and see his IG for more.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

JBadge Ft Nef The Pharaoh x Steez – PAIN MUSIC

Posted on 5 March 2021

JBadge introduces you to his demons and offers olive branches of resilience in his latest single ‘PAIN MUSIC’ featuring Nef the Pharaoh x Steez.

With the world collectively asking themselves the same questions around their waning sanity, tracks like PAIN MUSIC remind us that tormented people aren’t an anomaly, they’re a commonality. It’s more important than ever for artists to relay torrid emotions so we know that we’re not alone; JBadge definitely stepped up to the plate with their unique spin on the old school East Coast sound.

Many hip hop artists layer jazzy tones into their tracks but rarely are the tracks as fresh and modern as this trap mix. With the 80s-pop style sax solos, there’s yet another dynamic to the single which seems to get better with every listen. It’s a goldmine of invaluable introspection.

You can check out PAIN MUSIC for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Masking up to avoid feelings: Boss lady Jackie Hollywood is at her vibrant best on ‘Catch Flights’

Posted on 5 December 2020

The multi-talented Bay Area rapper/poet and thriving radio/TV personality Jackie Hollywood is back with her uniquely entertaining style that catches your attention quickly on the latest Hip Hop-Pop single ‘Catch Flights’.

Her lyrical arsenal is stocked full of catchy rhymes, the enthusiasm makes you smile and this young lady can rap with the best around. She doesn’t take herself too seriously which is so refreshing in a genre that is often filled with flash in the pans who have fake rhymes. You get the feeling here that she puts her heart and soul into every line she drops.

With beats that uplift you quickly and meshes so well with her flavor-filled vocals, this is a song to turn up loud and leave alone. This is a talented and smart woman on a mission to do what she needs to do in order to be successful in life.

Not one to stay too comfortable for any length of time, you get the impression that she is doing what she loves and wants to challenge herself to learn new skills all the time. Staying relevant and fresh in this weird world is the key to opening many doors, that otherwise remain bolted shut unless you know somebody. Ultimately though, you want to be there because of your dope skills.

The San Francisco native and fashion icon boss lady Jackie Hollywood is fiery and fascinating on ‘Catch Flights’. This is the story about not catching feelings and staying true to yourself and your goals. Travelling around and seeing friends is the way forward for this exhilarating talent who has shown that she can do it all. Putting your mind to doing something you have wanted to do and actually doing it, is the best way to live and grow. Being careful about who you fall in love with is so vital too as you can’t afford to have anyone to take you off that flight of life.

Support Jackie via her Spotify, YouTube and see her ever-evolving journey via IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen