Make sure to check out the new site at music-rag.com

3.31.2014

The Sinner Inside

       The Flight's title track from their forthcoming EP, The Sinner Inside (set for release May 12th), is tragically gorgeous with its soft strings which lend their sound to a pretty melody, an achingly prominent rhythm, and Alana Stewart's rich vocals wrapping up deliciously articulate lyrics like "I see my whole life was symptomatic, commonly tragic", "all my women, thinking that you're one in a million, you can be ambitious, long as you ain't vicious", and "'atta way, 'atta way, that's the way to treat a girl, that's the way to change the world, change my world".
       A composition this emotional deserves to be fallen for, so check out the track below and follow the links to find out more about the London based production duo.
"The Sinner Inside" The Flight
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Sweet Ophelia

       L.A. based artist Zella Day's single offers up swelling melodies, sultry vocals, and a heavy rhythm that sucks into the track within seconds. 
       With its soft allusions to Hamlet's naive Ophelia (who placed such an emphasis on the love of one man) intermixing gorgeously with Day's personal feelings, the song's power lies not only in its lyrics (whose opening verse states "leave me now you're too young girl, cherry pie with your gold curls, growing up like a grapevine, wrapped around you in due time" with amazing aplomb) but also in a composition which proudly displays a wide range of instrumentation, including the gorgeous fusion of low trumpets holding steady over a pretty, wandering piano melody.
"Sweet Ophelia" Zella Day
Zella Day
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3.24.2014

We Won't Go Home

       The Colourist released their video for their single "We Won't Go Home" from their forthcoming self-titled debut album (due for release tomorrow) and it's just as youthfully exuberant as the song itself. 
       Hazy images and tints laid over intermingling shots of a party and the band's performance give the video a laid-back vibe which mimics that perfectly fun melody and upbeat rhythm with ease while the back and forth dialogue of the pre-chorus ("I said 'Hey, where are you going?'" "Well I don't know but truly you can see we're moving way too slow") gives the track a fresh feel and makes it impossible to not sing along.
       Check out the new video below and get the single now when you pre-order The Colourist on iTunes.
"We Won't Go Home" The Colourist
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3.17.2014

Chandelier

       Sia released her single "Chandelier" and everything from the heavy beat which opens the song and the pulsating and electrifying melody that throws itself in just in time for that chorus to the emotionally wrought verses which state "party girls don't get hurt, can't feel anything, when will I learn? I push it down, push it down" and "I'm the one 'for a good time call', phone's blowin' up, they're ringin' my doorbell, I feel the love, feel the love" are gut-wrenchingly heartfelt and open.
       The haunting beat and soft melody culminate in an emotional chorus which is impossible to ignore as Sia's flawless vocals beg "help me, I'm holding on for dear life, won't look down, won't open my eyes, keep my glass full until morning light, 'cause I'm just holding on for tonight". Check out Sia's latest single below and grab it from iTunes now. 
"Chandelier" Sia
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Hot in Herre

       Nelly's 2002 hit began playing on a San Francisco radio station at 3 PM Friday and will continue to play until 5 PM (PDT) today (that's seventy-four straight hours of that ridiculously alluring intro and "good gracious, ass is bodacious"). It's a branding strategy/promotional stunt on the station's part as it makes its move from Latino Mix 105.7 to Hot 105.7 and is probably the best promotional stunt any radio station has pulled off, because a weekend full of the Nelly track you grew up with is surprisingly fantastic. 
       "Hot in Herre" does not actually get old; you'll get tired of it at times, but it always comes back around. There was a time around mid-day Saturday when I questioned why I really needed to be there to hear the end of the stunt and whether or not I could take another three minutes and fifty-one seconds of "mix a little bit of uh, uh, with a little bit of uh, uh", but Sunday afternoon I found that it really is the best workout song and by Monday morning I was back to playing it at full volume in the shower and wishing this Nelly stunt would never end. All good things have to come to an end though, or else nothing would be special, so make sure to check out the station in all of its repetitive greatness before the loop comes to an end at 5 PM PDT today.
"Hot in Herre" Nelly
http://www.iheart.com/live/Latino-Mix-1057-5224/
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3.12.2014

Peoples

       Cheers Elephant released the music video for their single "Peoples" and the simple lyric video matches the relaxed vibe of the track perfectly.
       The clapping hands and steady rhythm give the song a fun and solid base while the soft chords and group vocals combine to create a sweetly addictive melody that feels just like a day at the beach. Articulate lyrics which read "these people aren't people, they're just people only gettin' in the way", "everybody's got to love someone sometime", and "what is it that's leavin' the light on, but locking the door?" only make the beach ready track even better and and turn that already fun melody into something which is more than a little irresistible.
"Peoples" Cheers Elephant
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Cheers Elephant
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3.08.2014

These Times

       It is SafetySuit Saturday and, as I have gone through all of their previously released tracks and the band has been on an apparent social media hiatus since January, I'm going to bring back one of their great tracks that I haven't mentioned in a while. 
       The video is truly fantastic (put together with the help of their fans), the song's composition is just as moving as ever, but soft enough to give Brown's vocals the spotlight, and every lyric line from the opening "these times will try hard to define me, and I'll try to hold my head up high, but I've seen despair here from the inside, and it's got a one track mind" to the last repetition of "these times are hard, but they will pass" is perfect.
       Check out "These Times" below and get the band's EP and two previously released albums from iTunes, as well as the single from their forthcoming third album, "On Your Side".
"These Times" SafetySuit
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3.07.2014

Spring Break

       It's Spring break which means you should dance, live in your swimsuit, and have fun.
"I Love Summertime Cool Kids" Titus Jones (get a free download in the SoundCloud description)
"Legacy" Fefe Dobson
"We Won't Go Home" The Colourist
"Lived A Lie" You Me At Six
"Sleeping At Your Door" Lime Cordiale
"The Way We Touch" We Are Twin
"Hit It" American Authors
"Here I Am Alive" Yellowcard (they're on this year's Warped tour and their live performance is amazing; see them)
"On Our Way" The Royal Concept 
"Wild Heart" The Vamps (the next 1D will invade your radio soon)
"Hurricane" The Fray (see these guys live because Isaac Slade is the best frontman)
"Timber" Pitbull featuring Ke$ha
"Take You Higher" Goodwill & Hook N Sling (listen to the original here)
"Young Hearts" Strange Talk (their tracks will be everywhere in a few months)
"Reflections" MisterWives 
"Don't Say Goodnight" Hot Chelle Rae
"Says She Loves Me" Aer
"The Revolution" For the Foxes
"The Runner" Black Taxi
"Party, Fun, Love & Radio" We The Kings (they're heading out with Warped again this year and they're a must-see)
"Pompeii" Bastille
"Safe & Sound" Capital Cities (surprisingly good live, but this is the only one of their songs you really need to hear)
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3.03.2014

Young Hearts

       The Chainsmokers released their remix of Strange Talk's summer ready single "Young Hearts" and, while the first minute feels like the track is being restrained by beats which are moving far too slowly for a rhythm that only wants to let loose, it all comes together at that one minute mark when the track hits its sweet spot. 
       The remix gets far too addictive after that, with pulsating and dance-worthy beats that suck you into the song, then drop away in an instant to a subdued and pretty segue that gives you a taste of the original before leaping back into its heavy beats which so easily convince you to get lost in the track.
"Young Hearts" Strange Talk (The Chainsmokers remix)  
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Harlem

       Cathedrals' second single, "Harlem", features fun techno pop beats and a solid guitar riff that eagerly follow those gorgeous vocals around as she croons "baby, don't worry, it's all inside your head, tell me what you want to know and I will give you quite a show".
       Check out the new single below, listen to their first single "Unbound", and head to the sites to find out more about the artists.
"Harlem" Cathedrals
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Hard As Hello

       Kimberly Anne's lead single off her forthcoming EP, Hard As Hello, set for release March 24, has a steady rhythm and a soft melody that are wonderfully addictive and they're only made better by her amazing lyrics. 
       Bastille remixed the track and somehow made sanguine lines like "when I'm watching the tragedy, as you choose her over me, and it's that cinematic walk away scene, where I'll be fine", "so I'll pan out as you zoom in, to the qualities that I'm lacking, and I'll find me some thicker skin, to get me by" and the recurring "feet don't fail me now, I'm feeling stronger than this, I'm as hard as hell" feel haunted, yet more direct than before. The remix features vocals and production from Bastille and that mixture of Anne's honest lyrics and indie pop track mixed with Bastille's heavy beats and techno influences is fantastic. 
       Check out the original track here, head to the websites to find out more about Kimberly Anne and her music, and get both the original and the remix on Hard As Hello March 24.
"Hard As Hello" Kimberly Anne (Bastille Remix)
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3.02.2014

Midnight

       Coldplay released their latest single, "Midnight", à la BEYONCÉ (they did no prior advertising; they released it and let their fans and all of social media do their thing) and, while I like this style of 'non'-advertising and I think that it takes a lot of confidence to rely solely on that word of mouth promotion, the song is lacking. 
       From a purely musicological viewpoint the track is fantastic. It shares the stark, bare bones recording style from Brothers & Sisters combined with X&Y's tendency to drown out vocals with heavy riffs and emotionally wrought compositions with all of the techno influences that began appearing with heavy force on Mylo Xyloto and you can clearly chart how the band's music got to this point through an easy to follow album timeline, but the track lacks that hummable melody and that ineffable charisma which forces you to dance and lose yourself in the music. 
       This could be the album's opening track, which would explain its slow build and its inability to excite anything other than a general feeling of needing something else to fill the void left by this lackluster single, or it could be a sign that Coldplay has finally evolved so far into the world of techno music that I can no longer really enjoy their music, but lyrics like "millions are lost from home, in the swelling, swelling on, running round and with a thunder, to bleed from thorns, leave a light, a light on" sound like a first round eliminated poem from your local coffee house poetry slam and remain uninspired and, ultimately, disappointing from a band which has continually brought us great lines like "what if I got it wrong and no poem or song, could put right what I got wrong or make you feel I belong", "questions of science, science and progress, do not speak as loud as my heart, tell me you love me, come back and haunt me, oh and I rush to the start" and, of course, "life goes on, it gets so heavy, the wheel breaks the butterfly".
       As much as I like Coldplay, have always liked Coldplay, and think people who say they don't like Coldplay are just afraid to admit that they sang "Yellow" in the shower this morning, I am not a fan of this new sound and I'm hoping the band grows from this new direction, rather than running with it and holding this new sound steady across the rest of the album's tracks.
"Midnight" Coldplay
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