Browsing Tag

LA Singer Songwriter

Indie synths drive the soul in ‘Our Story’, the latest chapter in the organically originated artistry of iinz

Posted on 19 July 2024

‘Our Story’ is yet another chapter in the organically originated chronicle of the Alt-RnB trailblazer, iinz. With an innate ability to traverse the lesser-explored corners of RnB and the human experience alike, iinz introduces a fresh, experimental approach to her euphoniously stylised narratives.

Born from a visceral moment of heartbreak, Our Story is a profoundly personal vignette which epitomises the authentic and introspective essence of the independent artist. The single touches on how even if you share the most intimate parts of yourself, that doesn’t guarantee that you’ll share the same reality.

The loungey, pseudo-jazzy rhythms interspersed with indie synthwave touches create a lush, immersive soundscape which testifies to the nuanced sophistication within the artistry of iinz. Her collaboration with producer Taiina elevated the sonic complexity and evocative resonance to the nth degree.

With iinz on your playlists, you’re never short of a refuge of solace and understanding. The LA-hailing Israeli-American soulstress’ ability to find the alchemic intersections between old-school soul and alt-pop is beyond compare. Yet, there’s an aching sense that when it comes to iinz, expression will always be prioritised over competition.

Our Story will be officially released on July 19; stream the single on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lia Woods bleached the airwaves with her indie pop hit, Blonde

Posted on 31 March 2024

Lia Woods’ ‘Blonde’ is an indie pop sophomore release to die for; fans of Lucy Dacus, Big Thief, Angel Olsen, and Mitski will be consumed by the raw visceralism of the emotionally turbulent release which sonically heightens the profound experience of soaking in confessionalism.

The LA-based singer-songwriter’s aching narration of striking lyricism filters into the dark, melodic, and broodingly intimate atmosphere of the single to depict the jarring emotional tumultuousness of going through the motions of heartbreak and the compulsion to tear yourself away from the person you were in that relationship to abstract yourself from the agony of being a person worth abandoning.

Lia Woods couldn’t have feasibly built more anticipation for her debut EP, Teething, with her follow-up to her debut single, Fevering. From the juxtapositions between indie, pop, rock, and shoegaze and her own signature ‘bubblegrunge’ synthesis to how her voice feels sharper than being impaled by a thousand knives, Blonde is a phenomenal release which will stand the test of time.

Blonde hit the airwaves on March 22; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The LA singer-songwriter Eric Baugh has made his acoustic folk-rock debut with his compulsion-questioning single, Silent Spring

Posted on 2 October 2023

Eric Baugh strummed the decades and all the contemporary distractions which came as a courtesy of them in his debut single, Silent Spring. The bluesy lead notes against the quiescent calm of the acoustic folk-rock chords beneath his beckoning vocal lines will strike all the right notes with fans of Cat Stevens and Paul Simon.

The LA-based singer-songwriter made as much of a case for the beauty in simplicity in his guitar work as his lyrics which bring to question the way we live as though there’s no alternative. Consumerism and greed were never part of the human psyche’s blueprint; as eloquently illustrated by Baugh, we’ve been conditioned into commercialist conformity, and it is never too late to start again.

It may take more than one stunning song fuelled with small-town iconography and bearing R.E.M. reminiscences to derail our descent into further despondency with the world around us, but Baugh’s contribution is sure to compel his listeners into questioning their compulsions.

Silent Spring reached all major platforms on September 15; stream it via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spike Casino has unveiled his surreal sophomore folk-rock single, Lobsters and Guns

Posted on 23 September 2023

Surrealism is never far from the equation when the LA-hailing singer, poet, writer, producer, and general music shape-shifter Spike Casino turns his hand to a new sonic creation.

His sophomore single, Lobsters and Guns, unravels as a kaleidoscope of obscurity; if New Model Army shared a few tabs of acid with the Legendary Pink Dots, their always panoramic lyrical pictures would share the same quintessentially out-there air as this alt-folk rock harbingering serenade.

Once you’re immersed in the spiritedly cadenced single, the minimal connotations between lobsters and guns in the world outside of this track won’t dare to phase you. Instead, you’ll be enthralled by the depiction of a gangster-fuelled seaside town they should probably close down if this single is anything to go by.

Lobsters and Guns was officially released on September 1^st; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

School is in session for Monicasuperiorroze’s lesson on sensuality in her seminal single, Close

Posted on 11 January 2023

The spotlight is moving ever closer to the sensuous soulstress, Monicasuperiorroze. The Palmdale-residing RnB artist brought as much heat as the Cali sun she finds her inspiration under in her seminal single, Close.

The kicked-based grooves and sultry harmonies set an elevated laid-back tone, while the lyrics show how visceral affection should always be. With nuances of trip-hoppy jazz written into the extended mix and ample room for vocal progression and tensile amplification, Close is a whirlwind for all the senses.

There is a discernible boldness and confidence in her indie RnB stylings; she could never be accused of being assimilative. If she’s following any rulebook, it is the one she constructed from the confetti after ripping up the rules laid down by everyone before her.

Stream Close on YouTube. Follow Monicasuperiorroze on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Erika Levy blurred the line between grief and joy in her indie Avant-Garde single, Chicken and Rice

Posted on 5 January 2023

LA singer-songwriter and classically trained pianist Erika Levy closed 2022 with the release of her elevated alt-indie single, Chicken and Rice, which captures the desolation of the world in the absence of anchoring connection. Haunting and affirming in equal measure, your soul won’t know what’s hit it once you delve into the monochromatic sorrow flowing through her filmic vocals that establish her as a 21st-century chanteuse.

“I’ll get higher once I hit the ground, just takes a little bit to find me, Hey lonely, come buy me another round” is a lesson in heart-breaking lyricism; projected with such grace and finesse, the vulnerability is flooring. In place of pity, you’ll find appreciation for the strength she amassed to lyrically blur the line between grief and joy.

Any fans of Tori Amos, Amanda Palmer, Kate Bush and Fiona Apple will be disarmed by the sheer originality of Levy with the baroque nature of her descending piano melodies that become the off-kilter centre of her 70s folk-pop sonic world.

Chicken and Rice is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ariana Molkara spellbound us with the spectral lexicon in her orchestral pop single, Boogeyman

Posted on 21 October 2022

LA’s Ariana Molkara became the spooky pop supreme with her orchestrally spellbinding single, Boogeyman. By using spectral lexicon to allude to the haunting nature of breakups, the 19-year-old singer-songwriter and actress staked her claim as one of the most talented songwriters of her generation.

Between the lines “now I’m stuck seeing your ghost, except I want you to haunt me for forever, you being gone is the horror” and “Hey Mr Mr, how about we do something sinister” the imagery grips you with a strength far greater than the fear instilled by the most iconic horror flicks.

Of course, there was no forgetting Molkara from her debut single, Birdies Gotta Fly, which introduced us to her effortless pitch perfection and magnetic vocal presence. Through Boogeyman, Molkara well and truly came into her artful own.

Check out Boogeyman for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Maysun reveals the dark side of the ‘Friends with Benefits’ arrangement in her latest jazz-pop serenade.

Posted on 16 August 2022

With a single as heart-wrenchingly stunning as Winehouse’s You Know I’m No Good, the LA sultry songstress, Maysun, has left us floored with her latest single, Friends with Benefits.

‘Who cares the least is the winner’ is straight-up lyrical gold; it carries as much wordsmith wit as it does harrowingly candid introspection. The friends with benefits arrangements are often synonymous with ‘fun’, but Maysun exposes the very real dark side with this jazzy pop jam.

Countering the sombre concept is the sweeter than honey instrumental arrangement, which gently sends soul carousing through this unforgettable triumph; produced by Arthur Pingrey.

Friends with Benefits will officially release on August 12th. Check it out for yourselves via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jared Harper has unleashed his garagey indie anthem, ‘All for Me’.

Posted on 14 May 2021

Plenty of people became familiar with San Francisco’s Jared Harper’s smoother than smooth falsetto vocals through his audition on The Voice that saw him put a roguishly sweet rendition of The Rolling Stones’ iconic track, Satisfaction. The audition has garnered over half a million streams on YouTube, but discernibly, singer-songwriter comes into his own by bringing his original material to life. His latest single, All for Me, is the perfect example.

In All for Me, Jared Harper carries his influences in his vintage guitar tones. Any fans of the Strokes will get the same buzz from the kicking instrumental progressions that create an anthemic platform for Harper’s endlessly imploring vocals that would have sent 60s psych-pop fans into hysterics back in the day.

He’s perfected the art of the pop-rock choruses, but All for Me is so much more than your average baseless earworm. The single is an invitation to listeners to seize the day and break out of periods of stagnation; you almost don’t need the lyrics to say anything; the over-driven fuzzed-up instrumentals will leave you psyched until the outro.

You can hear All for Me via Spotify and SoundCloud, or by heading over to his official website.

Connect with Jared Harper and stay up to date with his latest releases via Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast