“Autumn,” the new single from T@NE, is a pop song of sensual proportions conveying the feeling of fresh kisses on your lips, romantic nights, and ecstasy. Autumn is sure to highlight what love is and can be.
Composed by T@NE and Be Steadwell and produced solely by T@NE, Autumn went through many musical stages. From the time T@NE and Be sat down at the piano and laid out its foundations, to the point of its completion where it became an epic pop song, one thing that stayed consistent throughout the writing process was the feeling and the vibe of the composition.
Album design by Fishman Art 89
“Autumn” is a step in a new direction for T@NE. The track exemplifies the diversity of T@NE’s sound, incorporating different pop elements to create the sensual vibe the song brings. While the sound of “Autumn” may stray away from the intricate jazz and rock heavy tones of T@NE’s debut single, “Rock Joint,” the quality of the track shows T@NE’s progression as an artist and producer.
T@NE – a musician, saxophonist, composer, producer, rapper, and vocalist – hails from Brooklyn. Growing up in a musical environment influenced T@NE’s deep love and passion for what he does. T@NE, along with his bandmates Taber Gable on keyboard, Andrew Renfroe on guitar, Dan Pappalardo on bass, and Peter Manheim on drums, are making music for the future. Incorporating elements from all genres of music and fostering a real sense of unity and teamwork allows T@NE’s music to be enjoyable, inspiring, and energizing to listen to.
On January 22, 1977 Johnny Cash brought his band to Upstate New York to the Onondaga County War Memorial to promote his 56th album The Rambler. A concept album about traveling, the songs interspersed with dialogue between Cash and hitchhikers he picked up or other people he met during the album’s cross-country trip. It truly is an American roots album where Cash shares various county road tales about the lost love of women and family anecdotes about his grandfather’s preaching days in North Carolina.
Outlaw country outfit Mr.Days from Albany have adopted a similar alt-country/jam/Americana sound concept for their first album, Infinitus. Released on January 1, 2021 is influenced by the same America as Cash was. Mr. Days is a trio consisting of James Matlock on guitar and vocals, his father Rick Matlock on guitar and vocals and Jacob Karker on drums and vocals. The father-son duo have been writing these songs and performing them in Capital Region saloons for a couple years now.
The Matlocks wrote a song called “Bill and Ed,” a story about their great-great-great grandfather who made a living in part by traveling the country selling Christmas trees by train in the winter. There was a family legend that he had died when looking out the window of a moving train during one of these endeavors, being decapitated by a light pole. Genealogical research indicated that it was actually just a train crash that resulted in his passing, but it still holds roots for a great ballad, with drums echoing the train rolling down the tracks. The Matlocks sing, “Riding out toward Toledo, got four cars of spruce, that Christmas pine, the train keeps rolling and a winter storm is blowing.”
Rick Matlock’s travels in America are also reflected in the tune “Carolina Bound,” a musical memoir of his trips down south to visit family, singing, “Pack my bag and leave the valley, say goodbye to Mohawk cold … I’m moving on to the southern plains where I belong.” Another great track that reflects America’s history is “Appalachian Bloodstone.” This song travels to the hillsides of West Virginia where the Buffalo Creek Flood occurred in February 1972. The Pittston Coal Company impoundment dam in Logan County had burst four days after having been declared “ satisfactory” by a federal mine inspector. The accident that was referred to as “an act of god” and displaced the 5,000 people who lived along Buffalo Creek Hollow. The Matlocks praise, “we all sink the same … that’s the price they pay for taking all that blood stone”
Rick Matlock, Jacob Karker, James Matlock
Mr. Days started their own history in 2021 with the release of their debut record. Hopefully it will bring them across the vast American landscape that they sing heartily about. Much like Johnny Cash on The Rambler, the journey of Mr. Days takes place on the open road. Cash preaches “Life out on the interstate is very much alive, there’s magic in the mountains and music in the valley down below, and my song ain’t through playing yet so I believe I’ll hit the road and go”.
Key Tracks: Bill and Ed, Carolina Bound, Appalachian Bloodstone
Grammy Award winning pop artist, Rufus Wainwright, announced Zach Galifianakis and James Corden as audience members to his acclaimed virtual live stream tour through all nine of his albums, Rufus-Retro-Wainwright-Spective!
Galifianakis will be the guest for the two performances Out of The Game livestreaming on February 5 and 12 with Corden joining for Take All My Loves: 9 Shakespeare Sonnets and a special Rufus at the Movies show. Past guests have included Jamie Lee Curtis and husband Christopher Guest, Joel McHale, Darren Criss, Marius de Vries, Rain Phoenix, and Scott Dunn. More guests will be announced for the remaining shows. The live streams proceeds go to help raise money for charities with the virtual audience donating to a cause chosen by the at-home guest during the shows.
I am so excited to be playing some of my songs for Zach and James, both of whom I have known and admired for a very long time. Normally when doing a show I have to do all the talking in between songs so it is nice to actually have a chat with someone you like and probably will make you crack up quite a bit.
Rufus Wainwright, Musician
Rufus Wainwright was on the forefront of live-streaming with his IGTV Quarantunes Robe Recital series where each day he performed a song a day while playing in his bathrobe at his home. Now with Rufus-Retro-Wainwright-Spective he takes a step further playing 45-minute concerts highlighting albums from his illustrious catalogue. Guitarist Brian Green and keyboardist/pianist Jacob Mann will accompany Wainwright in these concerts and fans will be treated to songs he has not played in many years with exciting new arrangements. On top of the songs from the albums, Wainwright will sprinkle in cover songs that fans can vote from over 100 that he has performed in the past, or has wanted to perform in concert.
Tickets for individual shows are $20.00 in advance and $25.00 day of show, and 4 show bundles are also available. Bundles come with the opportunity for fans to participate in intimate Q&A’s with Wainwright and other surprises. Go here to purchase tickets.
The Weeknd announced his After Hours World Tour, a 104-date global tour beginning at Rogers Arena in Vancouver on January 14th, 2022.
He will be playing in New York on February 11th and 12th in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center, and will be back in early April on the 4th and 5th at Madison Square Garden. He will then be playing at the new UBS Arena in Belmont on April 7th.
The worldwide tour announcement comes just days ahead of the multi-platinum singer’s headlining Super Bowl performance, and also includes a handful of rescheduled dates shifting from 2021 to be a part of the After Hours World Tour in 2022.
With the addition of 39 new tour dates, The Weeknd will also release The Highlights on Friday, February 5th. The Highlights is a way to present some of The Weeknd’s most notable works in one place. While this isn’t a “Greatest Hits” album it does provide a new listener a rich foray into some of the iconic artist’s best and favorite work. Fans can pre-save and pre-order the album on theweeknd.co/thehighlights.
Tickets for the tour will be available following The Weeknd’s Super Bowl performance starting Monday, February 8th at 10 A.M. local time on TheWeeknd.com/Tour.
AFTER HOURS WORLD TOUR 2022 DATES: * New Show Jan 14 – Vancouver, BC – Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena Jan 15 – Vancouver, BC – Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena Jan 17 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place Jan 19 – Winnipeg, MB – Bell MTS Place Jan 21 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center Jan 23 – Chicago, IL – United Center Jan 24 – Chicago, IL – United Center* Jan 26 – Milwaukee, WI – Fiserv Forum* Jan 27 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena Jan 29 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena Jan 30 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse Feb 01 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena Feb 02 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena Feb 03 – Montreal, QC – Centre Bell Feb 05 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center Feb 06 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Feb 08 – Boston, MA – TD Garden Feb 09 – Boston, MA – TD Garden* Feb 11 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center Feb 12 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center* Feb 13 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena Feb 15 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center Feb 16 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena Feb 19 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center* Feb 20 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center Feb 22 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center* Feb 24 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center Feb 25 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center Feb 27 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena Mar 01 – Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Smart Home Arena Mar 03 – Portland, OR – Moda Center Mar 04 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena* Mar 06 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center Mar 08 – Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena Mar 09 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center Mar 11 – Los Angeles, CA – The Forum* Mar 13 – San Diego, CA – Pechanga Arena Mar 15 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center Mar 16 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center* Mar 18 – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center Mar 19 – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center Mar 20 – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center Mar 22 – Glendale, AZ – Gila River Arena Mar 25 – Ft. Worth, TX – Dickies Arena Mar 28 – Orlando, FL – Amway Center Mar 29 – Miami, FL – AmericanAirlines Arena Mar 30 – Miami, FL – AmericanAirlines Arena Apr 01 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena Apr 03 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center* Apr 04 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden Apr 05 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden* Apr 07 – Elmont, NY – UBS Arena* Apr 08 – Buffalo, NY – KeyBank Center Apr 10 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena Apr 11 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena* Apr 14 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center Apr 16 – Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center Omaha Apr 18 – Austin, TX – Moody Center* Apr 19 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center Apr 23 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena* Apr 24 – Phoenix, AZ – Phoenix Suns Arena* Apr 27 – Fresno, CA – Save Mart Center* Apr 30 – Spokane, WA – Spokane Arena* May 01 – Tacoma, WA – Tacoma Dome Sept 10 – Helsinki, Finland – Hartwall Arena* Sep 13 – Stockholm, Sweden – Ericsson Globe Sep 15 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena Sep 16 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena* Sep 18 – Oslo, Norway – Telenor Arena Sep 20 – Hamburg, Germany – Barclaycard Arena Sep 21 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena Sep 23 – Munich, Germany – Olympiahalle Sep 24 – Berlin, Germany – Mercedes-Benz Arena Sep 26 – Vienna, Austria – Stadthalle* Sep 28 – Antwerp, Belgium – Sportpaleis Sep 29 – Antwerp, Belgium – Sportpaleis* Oct 01 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena* Oct 03 – Amsterdam, Holland – Ziggo Dome Oct 04 – Amsterdam, Holland – Ziggo Dome* Oct 06 – London, UK – The O2 Oct 07 – London, UK – The O2 Oct 08 – London, UK – The O2 Oct 10 – Manchester, UK – Manchester Arena Oct 11 – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena Oct 13 – Belfast, UK – SSE Arena* Oct 15 – Newcastle, UK – Utilita Arena Oct 16 – London, UK – The O2 Oct 18 – Paris, France – Accor Arena Oct 19 – Paris, France – Accor Arena Oct 20 – Paris, France – Accor Arena Oct 22 – Bordeaux, France – Arkea Arena* Oct 24 – Madrid, Spain – Wizink Center* Oct 25 – Lisbon, Portugal – Altice Arena* Oct 28 – Barcelona, Spain – Palau Sant Jordi* Oct 29 – Montpellier, France – Sud de France Arena* Nov 01 – Milan, Italy – Mediolanum Forum* Nov 02 – Zurich, Switzerland – Hallenstadion* Nov 04 – Budapest, Hungary – Budapest Arena* Nov 05 – Prague, Czech Republic – O2 Arena Nov 07 – Krakow, Poland – Tauron Arena* Nov 10 – Mannheim, Germany – SAP Arena* Nov 12 – Lyon, France – Halle Tony Garnier* Nov 13 – Paris, France – Accor Arena* Nov 15 – Glasgow, Scotland – The SSE Hyrdro* Nov 16 – London, UK – The O2*
Syracuse based rapper Evil Key (Jonas Nicholson) follows his 2020 release SAVE FACE//ESCAPE FATE with his newest concept album The Host. Nicolson is also member of fellow Syracuse psychedelic jam rock band Vaporeyes. The Host is a brave departure from any of Nicholson’s previous work done with Vaporeyes, opting for a bold lo-fi rap concept album that explores becoming a new person, possibly without your control.
About a decade ago, I had a particular experience that changed my life. I made positive changes and stopped being overall self-destructive. Looking back at it now, it feels like a lifetime ago. Like a different person. What if I am? What if I’ve been taken over? What if I’ve been someone else all these years? Would I know? Am I in here?
Evil Key, Rapper
Meeting at the crossroad between the moody emo rap ruling the mainstream and the nerdy backpack rap of the early 2000s, Evil Key finds a unique niche to fill. While Evil Key’s influences from the likes of Aesop Rock to Eminem are abundantly clear, he operates in a unique enough lane that it does not take much out of the overall experience. The Host offers a stellar mix of beats from upbeat synth driven songs like “The Host”, to more spaced out cloud rap tracks like “Happy”, to noisy sample heavy tracks like “Concords”; all containing a particular lo-fi edge. “Hear It Still” has a particular vocal sample that meshes perfectly with the tracks chilled-out hook.
Evil Key’s amateurish lunch room battle rap approach to rapping is endearing at first, but quickly becomes the records biggest flaw. Evil Key will often go off on tangent-like flows, such as on “FYPM,” that only serve the purpose of flexing his ability to rap fast rather than add an appealing sonic element to the songs. This tactic comes across awkward and can kill the mood of the multitude of somber and reflective songs on the album. With the beat being as subdued and laid back as they are, this hyper-aggressive approach to rap does not mesh well. On songs like “Hear it Still,” Evil Key is able to find a much more measured flow that shows he is capable of a more relaxed approach.
While The Host’s core concept is vague and hard to follow, the basic themes of depression, reinvention and paranoia are easy to identify with and ring throughout each track. As a whole, the album is a cohesive experience with each track sonically and lyrically meshing well together. The general mood of the album is oppressively gloomy and with pockets of light such as on songs like “The Host.” Each track being as versatile as they are adds to the engaging seamless listening sequence.
The overwhelming highlight of The Host is Evil Key’s impressive lyrical ability; Evil Key is able to create incredibly verbose bars seemingly effortlessly. Creating impressive rhyme schemes such as on songs like “Usurper.” Evil Key offers an endless stream of impressive rhymes that refuse to let up at any point throughout the album. While the nonstop rhymes are undoubtedly impressive, just like with the aggressive flows, they often act directly against some of the more subdued moments on the albums such as “Good Morning.”
Overall, The Host is an ambitious sophomore effort from Evil Key. An array of diverse beats do wonders in crafting the album’s depressing mood, some even being produced by Evil Key himself. Lyrically, Evil Key proves he is a force to be reckoned with on the mic, dropping one clever and emotional bar after another. What sets Evil Key apart from his obvious influences is his ability to craft unique and focused song concepts along with his dictionary-like lyrical arsenal. Even if Evil Key’s flows set the mood of certain songs off-kilter, what this album shows more that anything is serious potential in the budding artist.
The Host is available for purchase physically on CD and Bandcamp as well as streaming on all platforms.
New York City based band, Black Suit Youth, released a new single off their upcoming album, The World Is Almost Over, due out this spring. The group began work on the album in late 2019 following the release of groups 2017 projectFalse South. The 9-song LP navigates the harsh reality that the worst may be yet to come.
“Survivor’s Guilt” is the second single off the bands upcoming new album. Bryan Maher, the band’s guitarist and vocalist, comments on the song’s meaning:
It’s a song about two buddies of mine, Mark and Mike (who was Black Suit Youth’s original bassist). I miss Mark and Mike the most out all of those I’ve lost. The first verse is a reflection about Mark when we were teenagers, and the second verse is about Mike and I growing apart before his untimely death and the total shock of it.
Bryan Maher, Guitar and Vocals
Formed in 2005, NYC’s Black Suit Youth remain a relentless 4-piece outfit that blend elements of punk rock, classic rock, and indie rock. Two-thousand and ten saw the release of the LP, Meet Me in Death Valley, from which Black Suit Youth managed to secure opening gigs for Story of the Year, Alien Ant Farm, The Undead, and more.
After a few DIY tours, the album was re-released on vinyl. In 2016, the band signed with 59 X Records and released 2017’s False South which saw the band take a new direction while maintaining their DIY punk rock ethos. Black Suit Youth is comprised of Bryan Maher (Vocals/Guitar), Fed Canalos (Guitar), Juan Orellana (Bass), and Ray Mazza (Drums).
East Williamsburg based singer/songwriter, Sam Rappaport, released his debut single today, “Till the Morning Comes.” The song is an intimate and emotional piano-driven ballad with a paced delivery that recalls Norah Jones and Randy Newman.
For most of his life, Sam believed he was headed for a career in the NBA. But after a clarifying stint as a shooting guard on the Vassar College Men’s Basketball team, he decided to turn his aspirations toward his first love: music.
I have to be honest–I was a mediocre D3 college basketball player. I held onto the NBA dreams as long as I could, but once I hit college it was pretty clear that those dreams were out of reach. Still, I spent the first three years of college thinking that I’d end up overseas playing in some Euro league. I remember finishing a practice my senior year, running to the bathroom, heaving all the liquid in my body into a trash can, and thinking–I don’t want to do this anymore. So I quit. And it was quite liberating, until I realized there was a great void in my life that I now had to fill.
Sam cut his teeth as a keyboardist in Chicago, playing for two years with R&B singer Brandon James at venues across the city. At Brooklyn open mics, house parties and comedy shows, he started to gain his footing as a songwriter with the ability to pull from folk, rock, and soul to craft intimate, understated arrangements.
Rappaport is also a member of indie-rock band Gooseberry, and began writing “Till the Morning Comes” early in the pandemic, knowing that it would be geared for his solo work.
I’ve been playing piano since I was five. It’s always been there. But frankly, I’ve never felt that I was good enough to put it front and center. I mean, I still don’t. There were a lot of mental blocks I had to find my way around before I was able to share the things I was writing.
“Till the Morning Comes” is a song that I wrote toward the beginning of the pandemic. It just seems to flow better as a piano-driven ballad, as opposed to something that needs a drum kit, electric guitar, etc. I wanted to open an avenue to release solo material that might not fit with Gooseberry, which leans a little more toward indie-rock.
With a style that reflects the aforementioned Jones and Newman, his song writing style is still in development. Rappaport teamed up with East Williamsburg based producer Lorenzo Wolff. A stripped down piano ballad soars into a second chorus with the help of ethereal synths and the twang of a lap steel. It is there that Sam’s knack for poignant storytelling and tasteful melodies is on full display.
If I do have a songwriting style, I don’t know what it is. I’d rather others decide. I have, over the past year, spent a lot of time listening to Tom Waits and Randy Newman, and I’m sure those influences show up in “Till the Morning Comes.” I’m interested in storytelling, loneliness, intimacy, the sounds of an old upright piano–I hope some of that comes across in the song. I’m still finding my footing.
The vocals, both melancholic and hopeful, float delicately above the instruments. “Till the Morning Comes” is a song that rises from the stillness of the night, yearning for some way to steel itself against the uncertainty of tomorrow.
Milwaukee, WI based lap steel guitarist, Sean Williamson, is back under his alter ego Velocihamster, with the release of his sophomore album Balls to the Wall. Williamson, who also plays guitar in R&B Milwaukee based bands Shonn Hinton & Shotgun and The Bryan Cherry Band, decided to make the best out of the pandemic induced time-out, from touring and live performances, by focusing his time wisely in the studio with his signature Morrell SW Custom 6 Lap Steel guitar.
With contributions from talented musicians like bassist Matt Turner and drummers Eric Kummer, Chris Oelke, Sean Smith, Terry Jeanes Jr., and Matt Rhyner the Balls to the Wall album was born. As Williamson notes himself:
With a raging pandemic putting all musicians in purgatory, my idle lap steel has proven to be the ‘devil’s playground,’ inspiring me to give this project the full attention it needed. The world needs more steel guitar superheroes and I hope this record can expose a new audience to its limitless potential.
Balls to The Wall is not representative of your Great Uncle Vern’s taste of Steel Guitar stylings in his Country and Western collection. Williamson, a devotee to both Heavy Metal and Prog Rock, has followed in the footsteps of fellow pickers like Robert Randolph and Ben Harper and took an instrument that is classically known for its deep country roots and made it rock. There are no fluffy ballads or love songs on this instrumental juggernaut, just straight up in your face high energy music that has been self-categorized by him as “slidecore.”
The glorious result is a nine track LP that is comprised mostly of original material penned and produced by Williamson, and additionally features two classic covers including a heavy metal interpretation of surf rock legend the Dick Dale’s “Misirlou” (made famous by Quentin Tarentino’s 90’s classic Pulp Fiction) and Phish’s jam band classic “First Tube,” which was featured on their ninth release Farmhouse back in May of 2000. Both renditions due justice to the originals and have been masterfully reimagined and given the “slidecore” treatment by Velocihamster.
Williamson’s lap steel is most definitely the star of the show on these tracks, but both tunes are additionally supported by some great musicians including Chris Oelke’s bombastic percussion on “Misirlou” and Paul Kneevers’ organ accompaniment on “First Tube” which elevates the jam track to the next level. It should be noted that even though there was a large roster of different players accompanying Williamson on Balls to the Wall, the record is still an exceptionally cohesive work that never suffers from a deficincy in musical talent or spotty production work.
Photo by Greg Vorobiov
This level of craftmanship is also evident on the album’s fourth track “Fall,” an original by Williamson, which highlights his playing and production skills. The layered and distinct guitar parts elicit a feeling of a musical melee between opposing forces, that clash and eventually crests to a natural climax by the end of the song. Another notable original by Velocihamster is “Bury,” the sixth track on the Balls to the Wall LP. Williamson jumps right into action with a psychotic sitar sounding intro which grace the beginning bars of the tune which will eventually transition into a middle eastern influenced sonic journey, featuring a heavy dose of fantastic percussion showcasing the double kick bass drum.
Although the recent pandemic has had an awful effect on the music industry in general, one silver lining in the whole COVID-19 nightmare is that the break from the grind of touring and performing has provided an opportunity for talented musicians like Sean Williamson to be able to concentrate on their craft and create some incredible music. Like Jeff Goldblum’s character Ian Malcome so aptly states in Steven Spielberg’s classic 1993 film Jurrasic Park, “Life finds a way.” Williamson, with his passion project Velocihamster, has been able to do just that by taking life’s lemons and creating heavy metal musical lemonade.
Velocihamster’s Balls to the Wall is now available on digital formats via Born Free, Then Caged Music& full length vinyl LP shortly thereafter.
Brooklyn-based psych/electronic-rock artist White Cliffs (aka Rafe Cohan) just released his latest single “Just Like You” on January 29. The single commences the first release off of his upcoming EP Stockholm. After spending years experimenting with a variety of instruments, genres and vocal styles, White Cliffs made his first ever EP. Keep an eye out for Stockholm available shortly on major platforms February 19.
White Cliffs maintains the fine balance between being a musical purist and an unconventional creator. His mastery of instruments and entrancement in the art of producing can be seen as a curse to his canvas. Nevertheless, his complexity and dedication to his craft allow him to gain reason within the collage of sound he puts together.
“Just Like You” illuminates an ambience of summertime through the layering of a psychedelic tone, conversational lyricism, and guitar effects. An effortless blend of indie rock, soul and electronic creates a unique yet dynamic anthem. The hypnotic sound he is able to make gives off feelings of late night car drives where time seems to stand still. White Cliffs reminds everyone of the constant struggle of self-acceptance and learning to celebrate our individuality.
White Cliffs Songwriting Process:
I wrote the song about our playful and hypocritical struggle with accepting our true selves. And that struggle is just a part of pursuing a career as a musician… You’re constantly drawing this attention to your project, and in the process, you end up learning quite a bit about yourself, both good and bad. Usually, you experience some denial or imposter syndrome, but after time passes, you are left with acceptance.
Look for the claymation “Just Like You” music video that Cohan directed, produced, and edited himself. Soon to be released tomorrow, February 3.
White Cliffs career is just beginning and on the rise. Previously, he held performances at Panorama Festival in New York City and at CRSSD Festival in San Diego, which leaves the future looking bright for the upcoming artist. He even toured with acts like Big Wild, Elderbrook, and STS9.
White Cliffs limitless potential becomes more evident with each new project he releases. His latest double single release “Six Cylinder Run”/”On My Mind” demonstrates that exact captivation he can hold the listener in. His ability to produce hypnotic layers of sound yet still make each single unique exemplifies his artistry.
Girl Blue released the first single, “Just a Dream,” off of her upcoming Fall debut, full-length album. Apt for a walk in the woodlands, her shiny piano tones and synths are reminiscent of breaking sunlight through trees.
Her voice soars above the instrumental melodies weaving with the punchy percussion. She sings “You and me / we should be driving faster / music should be blasting / cast out.” She chronicles a journey to freedom, driving, and remaining her true self even through difficult periods.
The album art beautifully juxtaposes the sonic landscape; a car floating in the sky, pink clouds, and her profile facing out to the path. Compared to her intricate, stripped-down Instagram videos, Girl Blue is venturing into a more vast sonic land with glittering synths and LIGHTS-esque vocals.
Her pensive lyrics focus on overcoming hardship and empowering oneself, especially in a period of isolation and global strangeness. Girl Blue’s voice sounds fresh against a warm piano and electronic drum beat. The sound is full and lush, painting a picture for Girl Blue’s sound to come.
“Just a Dream” was written and produced by Girl Blue, released in mid-december 2020. Her debut full-length album is set for release in Fall 2021. The song was also engineered and produced by Scoops Dardaris, and mastered by Steve Fallone (Taylor Swift, Tame Impala, Kacey Musgraves). Recorded at White Lake Studios, another capital region favorite, the band Dark Honey also performed on the track. “Just a Dream” features Jimi Woodul on guitar, Dan Dekalb on piano, Ben Woodul on bass, and Josh Morris on acoustic drums.
