Viral sensation and rapper, Connor Musarra, is set to release his hit-back track, “Missed Call” on August 20th, 2021. Hot off the success of his 2020 Law & Order SVU parody song, Musarra has continued to stay on the scene and in the mind of fans, releasing a song a day for a 150-day streak. His producer credits are vast, including work with televisions “Grown-ish” and ESPN, as well as artists Trisha Paytas and Pussy Riot. With influences ranging from The Clipse to Frank Ocean, his unique genre-bending style is a favorite amongst the Gen Z social media crowd. Over the years, he’s performed a self-booked tour of the East Coast and opened for Girl Talk at NYC’s iconic Webster Hall. With the release of his new single, “Missed Call,” he’s ready to reach even more listeners.
“Missed Call” is the other side of the quintessential drunk dial. Inspired by a situation where an ex called him 5-year after the breakup, Musarra put his feelings into rhyme with a call-out track. Written, produced, record, mixed, and mastered by Musarra it truly is work all his own. He riffs over chill piano chords as snares and synths vibe beneath his frustration and anger. As a voicemail plays between the spaces of his raps and hard-hitting trap drums over melancholy piano, it’s the perfect introduction to Musarra laidback style. Connor Musarra asks the questions we all wish we could on his new single, “Missed Call,”
Continuing the evolution of his groundbreaking ‘Trap-Hop’ sound, Deep Green shares his latest masterpiece ‘Bandz’. This release epitomises the power that the Sheffield native holds due to the fact that he is entirely self-made.
STREAM/DOWNLOAD: DEEP GREEN – BANDZ
Renowned for his deep strong vocals and eloquent lyrical content, Deep Green delivers all this whilst bringing the energetic trap-hop sound that we have come to love. His stories of the streets create an irresistible allure for the listener, we gain an in-depth understanding into the thrilling lifestyle that the Sheffield based rapper lives. The ‘YDMO’ produced track has the perfect instrumental that truly embodies the intensity of the delivery, all the elements together generate a witty, intelligent and punchy feeling, all wrapped up in an effortlessly vibrant single. Throughout the song Deep Green references the main theme of securing payments in numerous ways, he describes this further when he said that he “Thought it was time to drop a banger since the lockdown’s are finally over, everybody’s getting back to work and back to money.. however they get their BANDZ!!!”
Admit your vulnerabilities; it’s part of being human. It’s okay to reflect on the good & bad, and it’s definitely okay to admit that you’re not okay. My debut single, “Criminal,” is about self-reflection and looking towards a brighter future.
Produced by Steve Molella (Finger 11), you can hear “Criminal” on Spotify & Apple Music.
Sing along to the accompanying lyric video on YouTube.
“Criminal” was written during an introspective period. There’s something about bright sounding songs with dark origins that has always inspired me. Being able to feel both the darkness and the light simultaneously, is where I find my truth in life and in art.
I’ve learned that the hardest battles we fight are the ones we create ourselves, even if the reality isn’t so dire. It’s really easy to get caught up in your own world, and sometimes fighting your thoughts is a lot more difficult than it needs to be.
Thank you for listening. Connect with me on Instagram ⌛️ TikTok ⌛️ Twitter.
– Eric Punzo
Whenever we’re back together, we always spend hours reliving the old days and retelling the crazy stories we’ve created over the years.
Our brand new single, “Glory Days,“ from the forthcoming album, Cheap Thrills, ties into that idea of everyone going back to their hometown for Thanksgiving, with friend groups visiting the old spots. The long-standing connections and nostalgia around them are so meaningful, and we wanted to put that into this song.
That’s how it was with Stereos every time we toured; seeing old friends and musicians we knew from the road, being in town for one night, and reliving the good times.
It’s impossible not to feel so many amazing emotions when we look at all we’ve done. We think our past has been so incredible, and we also feel so much optimism and excitement at the idea of doing it all again.
Let’s hold onto togetherness through memories.
Thank you,
Stereos
Emerging from the depths of Basement, Ontario, a fictional town with real town spirit, Nothing Serious, started by John Ward, Edward Lee, and Connor Ricketts has gone on to accomplish some amazing feats. But none of it is possible without Basement, Ontario’s community. Nothing Serious’ biggest belief is in community, and its corresponding power.
Starting in 2018, Nothing Serious came onto the Ontario scene with gusto. With their energetic stage presence they quickly drew a solid fan base spread through Ontario and the Canadian East Coast. Having played over 100 shows in a short two years (not including 2020 because of lockdowns), the band are moving forward with plans to branch out to new places where an online following has been created.
Online, Nothing Serious has had tremendous success for a new band. Appearing on Spotify and Apple Music curated playlists; Rise & Grind, Pop Punk’s Not Dead, Skatepark Punks, New Punk Tracks,The Best In New Punk, and Pop Punk Essentials, on top of thousands of personal playlists. This success has amounted to over 1,000,000 streams accumulated across all streaming platforms. On top of that, Nothing Serious appeared on Pacific Ridge Records’ tribute to New Found Glory, covering “Hold My Hand.” Appearing alongside artists such as: The Anchor, Jonah Matranga, and Hello Atlantic. The tribute also caught the attention of New Found Glory who expressed their love and appreciation for the tribute album.
Malynda is a multi-faceted talent as an actress, singer/songwriter, director, podcast host, activist, and mom based in Los Angeles. She has utilized her voice and social media presence to effect change with social justice, female empowerment, LGBTQ+ rights, veganism, and the Black Lives Matter movement.
She currently hosts her own podcast called #WeNeedToTalk, a table talk discussion series that focuses on important topics in politics, entertainment and cultural trends. This year, Malynda launched a photo/video series entitled “Black Voices Heard” to chronicle the experiences of Black Americans. She also serves as a worship leader at Harmony Toluca Lake where she co-hosts a bi-monthly discussion called Courageous Conversations. This discussion group focuses on social justice from a Christian perspective.
Malynda was born and raised in sunny Santa Barbara, California where she began singing at just five years old. At the age of seven she learned to play the piano, and by nine years old she was writing her own music. Malynda’s love for music and desire to make a difference in the world have led her to be recognized many times for her work. She won “Best Female Vocalist” at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards, Best Pop Music Video at the Indie Music Channel Awards, and she has been a headliner for the NAMM show on the main stage and for the Sennheiser stage. She has opened for artists such as Tyrone Wells, Ernie Halter, Levi Kreis, OTOWN and Smokey Robinson. She has been married for nine years and is a new mom to a baby girl.
ABOUT #WENEEDTOTALK:
The #WeNeedToTalk Podcast covers current events and hot topics in politics, entertainment and the latest cultural trends through a mix of roundtables and one-on-one interviews. If you are wanting to dive in to deeper conversations that go beyond social media, this podcast is for you. | Listen on: Apple Music & Spotify
Acclaimed singer-songwriter-producer-musician Scott Hirsch has announced today’s premiere of an exclusive new live in-studio acoustic performance video of his mesmerizing new single, “Dreamer.” Directed by musician/photographer Brendan Willing James at Hirsch’s Echo Magic in Ojai, CA, “Dreamer (Live In-Studio Acoustic Performance)” is streaming now via YouTube HERE. The official single version of “Dreamer” is available now at all DSPs and streaming services HERE.
“Dreamer” heralds the upcoming release of Hirsch’s eagerly awaited new album, WINDLESS DAY, due via Echo Magic Records with Soundly Music on Friday, October 8; pre-saves and exclusive vinyl pre-orders are available now HERE. A duet of sorts, “Dreamer” sees Hirsch exploring a deep well of emotion and sound joined by singer-songwriter Kelly McFarling, both accompanied on the new performance video by musicians Daniel Wright and Mikael Jorgensen.
WINDLESS DAY also includes the recently released singles, “Much Too Late” and “Spirit True,” both available now at all digital platforms. The latter track was met by praise from such influential outlets as Raven Sings The Blues, which wrote, “‘Spirit True’ sees Hirsch return to the JJ Cale cool that he’s wrangled in the past, shuffling into view on dive bar dancefloor drums, an afternoon sunset of sax, and Scott’s smoke ring sigh in the vocals. This one is a perfect after-work comedown that feels as refreshing as a cold drink on a hot day.”
A founding member of such groundbreaking bands as Hiss Golden Messenger and The Court & Spark, Scott Hirsch has spent much of the past half-decade gradually growing an acclaimed solo canon, staking his own visionary, deeply personal approach towards traditional American studio craft and songwriting. Hailed by the Chicago Reader as “an album of kaleidoscopic range and beauty that encompasses his varied interests,” 2016’s BLUE RIDER SONGS prompted Pitchfork to enthuse, “It’s taken a long time for (Hirsch) to let out his voice – a cool, soulful thing filled with deep reverence for his source material, if some cynicism about the myths it’s spun…On BLUE RIDER SONGS, Hirsch debunks the idea that redemption is ever a cakewalk, and finds something more truthful and lasting in the pursuit of accepting responsibility.”
Our latest single, “Parachute,” is an upbeat, feel-good track about unapologetically living your life to the fullest, especially when it comes to being an artist in the world.
Hear “Parachute” through your preferred platform
Check out the lyric video for “Parachute” on YouTube
We wrote this song at a time of reflection during the 2020 lockdown, collaborating remotely with our favourite Toronto-based musicians, Todd Lumley, Brad Kilpatrick, and Aaron Goldstein.
Life is unpredictable and things can change in a minute, so it’s better to spend your time doing what you actually love.
We hope that “Parachute” inspires you to do just that.
Thanks for listening,
Port Cities
Rising R&B artist Masati delivers his rich and melodic new single “See Through,” distributed through Human Re-Sources. “See Through” is a song about failure, loss, and going through adversity.
Initially going to school for economics, rising R&B sensation Masati was poised to “go corporate.” He often drifted in and out of the idea of pursuing music but never felt allowed to step fully into that reality. Not letting himself lose his creative spirit, he finally followed the tug and pull in his heart to share his gifts with the world.
In addition to writing his own music, the multi-talented artist, based in Dallas, Texas, is also a talented multi-instrumentalist; playing guitar, bass, and piano. After gaining early interest from major labels, Masati ultimately chose the independent path in pursuit of his music career. Ownership of his own music was key for Masati as he entered the industry.
Masati’s music is a heartfelt return to the days of true musicianship and a genuine appreciation for live and acoustic sounds. His organic artistry is a full expression of himself, taking inspiration from the events in his life that led to where he is today.
Kaz of J-Pop Group, INTERSECTION, has released his second solo single, “Drown feat. Hikari Mitsushima”. Though the song follows Kazuma’s originality, this new single broadens his new musicality with Mitsushima’s voice complementing the mood and Kazuma’s vocals. “This single was originally produced as an interlude for the EP. When we got the chance to introduce this music to Hikari, we also of ered her to sing it together. She agreed to join this song so we finished mastering it as a single. Hikari’s voice has added more color and made the song completely new from just one storyline by me to a ‘conversation of two people’. We expressed being drowned in the emotions as a message of this song. Depending on the listener, this may seem like a song that is about the romance of being in love with someone or a song about your own internal feelings that only you know about. It’s best to just listen and understand the way to be drowned by the wave of the emotions in your way, not to be fully explained by someone.” – KAZ
The Holy Knives is composed of brothers Kody and Kyle Valentine, born and raised in New Orleans and now living in Los Angeles. The Holy Knives have toured extensively over the past few years, playing 125+ shows across the United States and Canada.
Last year, they released two EPs including a remix by Jamie Hince of The Kills. Currently, they are working on a new album as well as forthcoming singles. Their latest single Born to Die, was produced by Ian Hultquist (Passion Pit) and is out now.
With singers from diverse musical and cultural backgrounds, there is room for everyone to bring their individuality while creating a whole new sound together. To “assemble” means to gather as one and with each singer bringing an essential ingredient, the result is a unity of global spices creating a brand new flavour of their own.
“Blue Monday” is Assemble’s debut release. They wanted to celebrate the originality and impact of this classic electronic track while doing something different; using the human voice to express electronic instruments. Having a female lead vocal gives a different lyrical weight, and in light of some of the seismic events over the past year, they uncovered a whole new interpretation and tried to communicate this. The lead vocalist Barbara Pursey shares, “The single is not so much a protest narrative but a recognition of self and others and how we can come together through working together to see and appreciate our differences and similarities with a big dance at the end… HOPE.”
With hundreds of separate vocal parts, working in studios, at home and across Zoom, Assemble’s cover of “Blue Monday” was born in the midst of lockdown. The allure to the track came from the undoubtedly futuristic wash over the single. Vocal producer, MD and Assemble founder, Juliet Russell says “I could just hear the track vocally – the undulating synths, the pads, the low choir sustained notes, the nod to disco”. With the clean beatboxing, brassy bass humming, euphoric vocal melodies, harmonies and charming breakdowns that come totally unexpected, this track is a carefully crafted piece of art.
The track also sees their first collaboration with SK Shlomo (Bjork, Imogen Heap, Damon Albarn), the first-ever World Looping Champion. His beats give the track its rhythmic edge that elevates the track beyond a traditional choral sound, accompanying the voices of Assemble which portray the basslines, synthesisers, lyrics and percussion.
Assemble has performed on Channel 4’s First Dates and on Paloma Faith’s beautiful rendition of Silent Night, raising money and awareness for the #ThankYouMidwife campaign, supported by PampersUK. They have also appeared on BBC1’s Michael McIntyre’s Big Show and performed with Bill Bailey on the London dates of his Larks In Transit tour.
Hanne Mjøen is a Norwegian alt/pop artist who creates music that makes you want to dance, with lyrics that make you want to cry. Her intoxicating sound is coated in a dark, raw edge, providing a comforting reminder that it’s ok to be flawed, while her lyrics pull the trigger for an outlet of pent-up emotions.
Navigating love and life, her upcoming EP Emotional Fever is an emporium of talent. Written between Stockholm and London, Mjøen brings together the best of dance-worthy pop melodies, and moments of heartache, to tell her chapters of journeying into adult life. With lyrics like, “I don’t mind being broken, if it takes me to heaven,” the songwriter gives us a glimpse into how she turns her pain into power. The overall feel of the five-track EP is rich in electro, dream-pop melodies with flares of throbbing synths and a rich mix of dynamics that take you on a rollercoaster of sound and emotion. Emotional Fever is an outlet for Mjøen’s feelings and the realisation that adulthood isn’t how it seems through rose-tinted glasses. She shares, “The theme of my new music is stepping into the grown-up world, with high expectations and thinking it would change me, but realizing it’s not like a movie.”
Leading single “Hell With You” narrates what it feels like to fall out of love but not wanting to leave for the fear of never falling in love again. She spills, “You want to leave knowing this isn’t “it” for you, but you’re scared of being alone, and not ready to give it up.” The track entails dreamy, electro-pop, floating synths that circulate your head space, along with icy, silky vocals which elicits itself from an army of pulsing, heavy synths that dance with the beat. The sound truly has a power that contrasts the delicacy in her voice.
“Emotional Fever” tells a tale of having an emotional battle: are they right for me or not? The term fever in this song is explained by Mjøen as, “One moment it feels like forever, and the next you get a panic attack and you just want to leave. And it feels like a fever because of the sudden changes you have no control over.” Starting off with glassy, lullaby raindrops, the song builds into a torrent of passionate production and a catchy hook, enhanced in a glaze of electronic echoes. It allows you to cry, be angry, dance and celebrate. You’ll enjoy the emotional fever and you might even catch it from those imprinting melodies.
Mjøen’s 2018 release “Sounds Good To Me” has garnered over 14 million streams to date, receiving airplay from Annie Mac and BBC Radio 1. Connecting with listeners across the globe through her honest songwriting and vibrant pop anthems, Hanne Mjøen is a force to be reckoned with.’’
From his base in the diamond capital of Hatton Gardens, GIO is ready to captivate the nation with his compelling release ‘Hot’. After receiving high praise on his social media freestyles by some of the nation’s top artists and his long-standing clients that include J Hus , Big Narstie, Charlie Sloth, Mular Juice, Manchester United stars’ Rashford and Wan-Bisaka and boxer Anthony Yarde, it’s easy to see why GIO is about to heat up the streets with his latest banger.
With the release of ‘Hot’ we get a sense of the affluent lifestyle the rapper lives, as he effortlessly glides on the Caprishaq produced beat. The versatility of the flows used throughout the song represent the calibre of artist GIO is establishing himself as. From being instantly blessed with powerful rap lyrics, he then breaks in to melodic smoother vibes on the trap instrumental, which is the perfect accompaniment for the rapper to detail his street escapades all whilst keeping the party tempo high. Taking us in to his world, GIO gives us a glimpse at his daily activities and the life of a celebrity jeweler as he discusses foreign whips, money making enterprises, and his countless jewels and watches.
neillfrazer@hotmail.com
