The seven compositions on this album, written between 2022 and 2024, form a conceptual suite and an observance of the mental dances that we construct to understand acts of passage; the ways that we commune and memorialize and carry symbols back into the world beyond representation. To this end, The Head as Form’d in the Crier’s Choir engages two references to the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus: Rilke’s Sonnets to Orpheus, a collection of poems from 1922, and Monteverdi’s l’Orfeo, an early baroque opera from 1607. The Head as Form’d in the Crier’s Choir is a supplement of sorts to Two Sisters (2022) and Antiphonals (2021), which were attempts to begin bridging the gap between the fixed electroacoustic pieces that emerge in Davachi’s home studio and her slow-paced, somewhat open-form chamber writing, in which each performance presents a new structure and in which each iteration offers the path to a new composition and deeper meaning. Alongside Davachi, featured musicians on this album are Andrew McIntosh (viola, Los Angeles), Mattie Barbier (trombone, Los Angeles), Lisa McGee (mezzo-soprano, Los Angeles), Pierre-Yves Martel (viola da gamba, Montréal), Eyvind Kang (viola d’amore, Los Angeles), and Rebecca Lane (bass flute, Berlin), Sam Dunscombe (bass clarinet, Berlin), Michiko Ogawa (bass clarinet, Berlin), M.O. Abbott (trombone, Berlin), and Weston Olencki (trombone, Berlin) of the Harmonic Space Orchestra (Winds).
For Davachi’s part, she again returns to her favourite keyboard instruments: Mellotron (in particular, the brass and woodwind samples), electric organ (the Korg CX-3), synthesizer (the Prophet 5 and Korg PS-3100, which are both extremely useful in their tuning capabilities), and, of course, pipe organ. There are four pipe organs featured on this album: a mechanical-action instrument built by Tamburini in 1968, located in the Basilica di Santa Maria dei Servi of Bologna, Italy; an electric-action instrument built by Veikko Virtanen in 1969, located in the Temppeliaukio Church of Helsinki, Finland; a meantone mechanical-action instrument built by John Brombaugh in 1981, located at Oberlin College’s Fairchild Chapel in Oberlin, OH, USA; and, a mechanical-action instrument built by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll in 1864, located in the Église du Gesù of Toulouse, France.
The organ pieces on The Head as Form’d in the Crier’s Choir focus more heavily on the instruments’ pedals as well as the textural variations made possible by the mechanical tracker actions that most possess. ‘Possente Spirto’ is a loose conceptual reference to the aria ‘Possente spirto, e formidabil nume’ in l’Orfeo. As in Monteverdi’s version, ‘Possente Spirto’ also emphasizes the use of strings and brass and observes a particular order in which they enter and exit, and also incorporates a sort of continuo framework. It departs from there to focus on a slow-moving chord progression and its variations in voicing, inspired by renaissance concepts of harmony as a vertical structure, set within a standard quarter-comma meantone temperament. The piece employs the same structure that Davachi uses in most of her chamber writing, where each iteration of a performance is slightly different, calling on players to respond in real time and engage in a more direct form of listening. ‘Trio for a Ground’ continues this feeling of partitioned instrumentation, with the organ providing the continuo throughout and the choir handing off to a duo of strings. In this recording, Davachi works with baroque strings – the viola da gamba and the viola d’amore, the latter of which incorporates a set of sympathetic strings that exist entirely for resonance. ‘Res Sub Rosa’ was composed specifically for a wind quintet formation of Berlin’s Harmonic Space Orchestra, and employs a system of septimal just intonation as well as a similarly variable structure that allows the players some discretion in how the piece is shaped at any given moment and which encourages different harmonic and acoustic encounters in each performance. ‘Constants’ functions as an electronic counterpoint to ‘Res Sub Rosa’, substituting human decisions with the natural interruption and decay cycles of sound-on-sound tape delay to achieve a similar sense of pacing and unpredictability.
The first sounds of Wendy Eisenberg’s Viewfinder—two guitar strings, recursively plucked; tentative, hiccuping drums; a trombone testing its brassy stance against the song’s nervous undercurrent—creep in, tidal, echoing opener “Lasik’s” ambivalent ode to optical transformation. “Got my eyes fixed up,” Eisenberg begins, “I stayed awake and watched my eyes grow stronger; watched everything get clearer.” On the second syllable of clear–er, an abrupt vocal downshift, like a skip in the vinyl, or as if their newfound clarity has briefly faltered. It’s a minor detail, but that’s the sort of artist Eisenberg is—“healing takes forever,” they reminds us—and the kind of musicianship on display for the duration of Viewfinder.
Them and the band’s attentions are sub-atomic, idiosyncratic, penetrative. The album, like all of Eisenberg’s work, is restless and kaleidoscopic in both genre and feeling. “Lasik” orients toward voice, luxuriating in the way Eisenberg’s high, clear trilling darts around and waltzes with her companion instruments. Its gentle, private opening breaks into something more driving, more confident, and then interrupts itself again. The song is musically digressive and insistently narrative: closer to the ranging, experimental storytelling of Joanna Newsom or Hejira-era Joni Mitchell. In what follows, the stark, clanging piano chords that open “Two Times Water” shift the record’s tone toward something more classical in aura before opening into a playful, even occasionally sinister-sounding free jazz composition. Twenty-two minute instrumental album centerpiece “Afterimage” unfolds incrementally, building on itself and repeating, as the band warms to one another. It’s a sexy song, sort of rasping, and I could hear it scoring an old heist movie or a winking Hitchcock noir. At moments you hear these songs squinting at some far-off, indecipherable thing. Despite her operation, “everything is slightly blurry, especially the distances.”
Acclaimed Canadian rock band Silverstein is excited to share their visceral new single “Skin & Bones”, out now via UNFD. Along with the song – the band’s first release of 2024 – they have also shared a new music video which fans can watch here: https://youtu.be/pcAyOdkEix4.
“‘Skin & Bones’ is a deeply emotional song, written about the sudden loss of a person who was once very close to me,” shares vocalist Shane Told. “Everyday we’re stuck in our own heads worrying about trivial things and never thinking about just how fragile we are. Life can be gone in an instant. I lost one of the greatest people I ever knew.”
He continues: “Recording out in Joshua Tree, in the middle of the desert, made it feel like we were starting with a totally blank canvas. Without external distractions, I found myself turning my attention inward. How did I really feel? What did I really want to say about it? And once I found that, the performance just poured out of me. Talking, singing, yelling, screaming…it’s all raw emotion in this track.”
Adds drummer Paul Koehler: “Earlier this year we ventured out to Joshua Tree, hiding away for several weeks and working intensely on our first batch of new music in 3 years. ‘Skin & Bones’ is packed with heavy emotions and is the first glimpse of what formed in those sessions.”
A powerful and prolific storyteller through his songcraft, the Emmy-nominated, Oregon-born, and Southern California-bred singer-songwriter-guitarist Jake Smith, aka The White Buffalo will release his first-ever live album A Freight Train Through The Night, on September 20. Arriving on double-vinyl, in a limited, collector’s edition run, A Freight Train Through The Night the new live album from The White Buffalo is available for pre-order worldwide today USA: https://the-white-buffalo-us.myshopify.com/collections/a-freight-train-through-the-night, and the rest of the world: https://white-buffalo-uk.myshopify.com/collections/a-freight-train-through-the-night.
Smith describes the new live album A Freight Train Through The Night “This album spans my entire career, over 20-plus years of writing and performing songs. With more than a hundred songs to choose from, some of these tracks I wrote in my 20’s, and others were born just years ago. We selected crowd favorites and some deep cuts to give them a new life.” He adds, “We also did a completely reworked adaptation of the song ‘House of the Rising Sun.’ I wanted to establish a definitive version that was all our own, and representative of our sound giving a fresh alternative to the original “Sons of Anarchy” show version. This album has all the emotion and passion of the live experience, it’s visceral, in a way that can’t be attained in the studio. What we do live is wildly different than studio albums. Pure and raw, no backing tracks, no auto tune, not perfect. It’s the three of us giving it our all us in our purest form.”
Japanese punk rockers, HEY SMITH, are delighted to announce that their most recent album, ‘Rest In Punk’ will be released physically in the US on August 23. Teaming up with the US based record label, Bad Time Records, the LP will be available as a “WORLD EDITION”, and will include a new song called “Feel My Pain”, which along with the other tracks on the album, were re-mastered by Howie Weinberg Mastering. The band just released the official music video for “Feel My Pain”, which can be seen here.
The album also includes the song “Say My Name”, which was featured as the ending song of the popular anime ‘Tokyo Revengers Tenjiku Arc’.
Honoring the legacy of 90’s punk and the genre’s roots in equal measure, the Japanese band earned fans worldwide with their fresh, one-of-a-kind blend. An authentic live band that connects with crowds via visceral, sweat-soaked, and borderline outrageous performances, HEY-SMITH plays roughly 150 shows a year. The band stands for expression, freedom from conformity, being true to oneself, and good times.
You will embrace the beauty of Terra Renae’s soul and sound the moment she opens up her magnetic voice. Despite her talent, the Louisville, Kentucky native never anticipated embarking on the musical journey she envisioned. After initially pursuing modeling, she shifted to academia, completing her doctoral degree just in time for her true music aspirations to materialize through a chance encounter in Los Angeles with Macy Gray. When Terra was put on the spot to sing, Macy heard it. She felt it. She could see the countless fans waiting to connect with Terra Renae’s unique voice, and just like Macy Gray you will be enchanted with her.
Macy Gray instantly stepped onboard as Terra Renae’s Executive Producer. She quickly enlisted Los Angeles based producer / songwriter Mikal Blue (One Direction, Colbie Caillat) to harness Terra Renae’s authenticity, determination, and playful soul. As they collaborated, Terra Renae’s sound took shape, and Macy introduced her as a special guest on select dates of her fall 2023 tour.
Continuing to define her sound in more LA recording sessions with Macy Gray, Mikal Blue, and other top songwriters, Terra Renae has garnered the attention of over 20K followers across social media platforms. With new music on the horizon and more tour dates with Macy Gray in the works, 2024 will mark the official introduction of Terra Renae.
Breakthrough pop singer-songwriter Emei arrives today with the release of her new single. “RABBITHOLE” sees the LA artist entering new sonic territory with producer Boy Blue (Flyana Boss, Suki Waterhouse) and signals an exciting future of more to come.
Get ready to enter a ‘higher state of consciousness,’ as elrow unveils a new concept, created in collaboration with visionary artists Alex & Allyson Grey. Hallucinarium, a themed, hyper-sensory experience will premiere on September 28th at Amnesia Ibiza, coinciding with the close of the Ibiza season.
An immersive, music and performance based experience, inspired by, and based upon the psychedelic, spiritual art of Alex & Allyson Grey; the event will take the participants on a cosmic journey through the peaks and valleys of human consciousness. Close your eyes and picture a stage where transcendental beings move against hypnotic backdrops, and where the sacred geometry of the Grey’s world renowned art is brought to life.
Mixed by acclaimed engineer and producer Mark “Spike” Stent, the track features an introspective Julian Lennon, expressing the bitter taste of betrayal, as experienced throughout his life, in love and business. The strength in Lennon’s voice on the updated track communicates his resilience despite such heartbreaks. The intricate musical accompaniment further demonstrates his enduring gift for arrangement.
Alongside the release, Lennon appears in a music video for the first time in over a decade for an original song, under the direction of Anna Makovchik, capturing his soul’s journey in a calm and peaceful environment. The visual representation reveals the profound essence of “I Should Have Known,” showcasing a poignant journey of self-discovery and emotional growth.
Contemporary pop artist Kristin Carter is celebrating the official music video for “Lazy Sunday”, the featured single from her debut album “Full Bloom” .The video is currently available on YouTube.
Coupdekat drops her party anthem, M.I.A., a love letter to messy and unpredictable nights out in London. The artist has forged community and connection previously as a co-founder of LOUD LDN, and now Club Gunk, an inclusive party community and sanctuary showcasing the best underground artists and DJs with a focus on affordability in an increasingly expensive city. She has supported piri & tommy, Nine8 Collective and Dream Wife as well as performing alongside Charlotte Plank and Issey Cross at Spotify’s Our Generation x LOUD LDN pop up.
New York City-based singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer allie announces her immersive, evocative self-produced second studio album Every Dog due out September 27 and available for pre-order now. Alongside the announcement, the artist shares of the project–the title track out now and its matching video. The forthcoming meditative LP is a vulnerable exploration of queer love and one’s self, carefully crafted by the artist who wrote, produced and mixed it herself.
Every Dog is a twenty-seven minute-long, highly-focused collection of sonic portraits, with each song offering uniquely immersive, richly-layered meditations on queer love, isolative depression, Western U.S. road trips, and singing through the pages of a personal journal. The album has proven to be a crucial creative and spiritual outlet for the artist, who says, “‘Every Dog’ highlights different growths I’ve experienced as a songwriter, in the efficacy of both more abstract-leaning and literal-leaning types of storytelling.” Equipped with a renewed sense of self and newfound creative freedom, allie continues, “I felt freer to write about my own experiences and wherever else my imagination took me, worrying less about fitting in with other artist peers, and just wanting to make something that felt fair and real and true to my life in this vast and crazy world.”
Seamlessly melding emotionally evocative lyricism with memorable and catchy pop-song formats, songwriter Allie Cuva has returned with Every Dog to showcase the work of an experienced young artist, driven toward songs with urgency, poise, and passion. The seven-song album feels like an easily-accessible portal of the personal. Producing and mixing the record herself, allie tactfully designed the recordings from beginning-to-end. The overall winning quality of this album is achieved through allie’s artistic vulnerability and willingness to share secrets with the audience, understanding that through such door-opening, an invitation for a powerful, cathartic and personal interpretive listening experience is made possible.
New York City proved to play a pivotal role in the album’s story and creation and how allie relates to herself and the world around her. After relocating from Detroit and Nashville, the musician explains, “‘Every Dog’” emerged as a bit of a montage-based glimpse into how moving to New York City has changed the way I’m able to interact with my surrounding environment. Having lived most of my life in suburban-type sprawls of Michigan and Tennessee, I’m not sure anything could have prepared me for the vibrancy or constancy of NYC.”
Omaha greats Neva Dinova share the live version of “Edge of Something” from their Love Drunk session. Thier new album Canary arrives on September 27 via Saddle Creek. Neva Dinova’s Jake Bellows states that the song describes, A person that feels unappreciated and sad and angry, possibly having a psychotic break… commits to making some kind of unknown change. Thinking life could be better. The irony here is that it gets much worse. A very brave fool. 
Rising punk rock act Winona Fighter has today shared a brand new video for their single “Wlbrn St Tvrn”. Composed of live footage from their spring tour with Bayside and Armor For Sleep, the new video displays the band’s explosive live energy and captivating stage presence. Fans can watch “Wlbrn St Tvrn”, here: https://youtu.be/71W4MD6fp7k.
“‘WLBRN ST TVRN’ was written at a time when we were really struggling to fit into the Nashville non-country scene. Around the time I wrote it, it seemed like there was this abundance of ‘Tik Tok’ popular “punk-rock” artists that just wouldn’t bat an eye at a raw act like us. I couldn’t get anyone to write with me, listen to our songs, or remember my name even though we had been on the same show bills before,” frontwoman and multi-instrumentalist Coco Kinnon shares. “Winona Fighter had been DIY touring and grinding for YEARS, had a solid local following, and an EP (now known as Father Figure) that I thought rocked. Sure we recorded the whole thing in our spare bedroom (drums and all) but we were a serious, truly authentic band. However, I often felt met with a “kick rocks” attitude. I was at my whits end and when I got to a session with what felt like the only people who WOULD write with me (Austin Luther, Johnny Gates, and Justin Mark Richards), I had to get out all my frustration.”
She continues: “I knew I wanted ‘WLBRN ST TVRN’ to have a thrash punk vibe from the start. What better way to get the point across than big drums, fat riffs, and truth bomb lyrics. We also wanted to make it a tad satirical to honor some of my favorite punk tunes. Bands like The Descendents, The Dead Kennedys, NOFX, and more always impressed me with how some of there songs went hard but were also just a touch comical.
Since this track was written to open our show and literally open up the pit, what better way to honor that than to do a live performance music video.
alternative pop artist, Demi the Daredevil released a new collaborative single, “American Zombie” with the LA-based TikTok powerhouse RudyWade, Filipino-American star Ethan Gander, and Nashville’s alternative-hip-hop darling Mitchel Dae.
This song is beautifully eerie and spellbinding, encapsulating just how detached humans have become from themselves and the present moment in society.
“I’ve had this experience many times, where I felt like I’m seeing things pass by like a video game,” confesses artist Jeff Azar – known to his fans as Demi the Daredevil, a dark alternative
pop rarity. “I’ve wanted to write about this ‘derealization’ phenomenon for a while. It’s the feeling
that I’m simply managing incoming stimuli on the outside, while I’m not really ‘existing’ or
‘present’ internally.”
“American Zombie” is a reflection and reaction to the digital information landscape currently demanding our attention at an increasingly rapid pace. The creeping motion heard on the tracks instrumental production is a calculated attempt to slow time down – with verses meant to hypnotize listeners, punctuated by pleading anthemic hooks crafted to snap you back into reality.
“I want people to know they aren’t alone in struggling to navigate this attention economy” says
Azar. “I hope this song can open up a broader dialogue around the effects of this constant
stimulation on our brains, and how we can start repairing the long term repercussions of it all.”
Palomino Blond are an up-and-coming independent rock band that’s both a product of and an alternative to their native Miami locale. The trio of Carli Acosta (guitar/lead vocals – they/them), Emma Arevalo (drums/vocals – she/they) and Peter Allen (guitar – he/him) will release their sophomore album You Feel It Too on October 4, 2024, on Kanine Records (Surfer Blood, Blushing). It’s a dynamic collection heavily influenced by both ‘90s alt-rock and the not-as-obvious sounds of their surroundings.
With a DIY ethos and lots of big guitars, Palomino Blond have gone from heroes of the house-show circuit to darlings of the regional cognoscenti. With a stout, multi-dimensional sound whose prism spans grunge, shoegaze and dream pop, they’ve got all the right influences. But, while Palomino Blond are acolytes of the ‘90s, their music is no basic redux. Instead, they’re part of a surging young class that’s bringing new blood, perspective and verve to give the classic alternative-rock aesthetic a distinctly 21stcentury resonance.
Videos on the Brooklyn-based artist’s YouTube channel have been viewed over 11 million times in over 70 countries and she has performed at LOLLAPALOOZA, The White House, Lincoln Center, Pickathon and will perform at the Brooklyn Folk Fest this year. She has won multiple Parents Choice Awards, iParenting Media, and a NAPPA Award, and was featured on WFUV’s NY slice. She’s been featured on Spotify’s official kids music playlist Traffic Jam.
Community Through Music is a collection of eleven interactive songs that blends lively and soothing tracks from around the globe, offering children a musical passport to different cultures. Each song is carefully curated to be both educational and entertaining, encouraging kids to sing along, dance, and appreciate the beauty of diversity in music and traditions. Through call-and-response songs combined with partnering dances, Community Through Music aims to foster cultural appreciation, global awareness, and a love for music from diverse backgrounds among young listeners, making it a delightful and enriching addition to any school or children’s music collection.
Second single “Under the Big Chestnut Tree (Ooki na Kuri no Ki no Shita de)” is a classic children’s tune from Japan featuring Meitar Forkosh on violin that is well-loved for its simple, catchy melody, themes of nature, and fun partnering game. The single, out September 24, is sung in both English and Japanese. Other album highlights include Latin GRAMMY nominee Sonia De Los Santos who joins Shelton on “We Shall Walk (Debemos Caminar)” adding original lyrics in Spanish, Shelton’s original “Pick Me a Pumpkin,” a fall favorite; “Every Little Thing,” a take on Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” with lyrics based on the book by his daughter Cedella; and the beloved American folk song “Little Liza Jane,” heard in New Orleans as well as other parts of the United States. Album opener “Time To Say Hello” introduces the instruments that will be heard one-by-one.
GRAMMY-nominated, Platinum-certified singer-songwriter Cassadee Pope has released the Official Music Video for her new single, “Bad Decisions.”
artist, activist, multi-Grammy-Award winner and 2023 Polar Music Prize recipient Angélique Kidjo, and Afrobeats superstar Davido, who recently sold out Madison Square Garden, share their new single and video “JOY”. The single serves as the second collaboration from Kidjo this year following her previously released single “Sunlight To My Soul,” with Diane Warren (“Only Love Can Hurt Like This,” “Rhythm of the Night,” and “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”) and the Soweto Gospel Choir, signaling a new chapter in a storied career that stretches over four decades.
The collaboration is the second for Kidjo and Davido who first worked together on ‘“NA MONEY” from Davido’s 2023 album, Timeless, and earlier this year performed together at Davido’s sold-out O2 Arena show. The two musicians came together in New York City during the summer to work on “JOY”. Their natural resonance and musical bond led to a song that radiates positivity and highlights the significance of resilience – messages are expressed in both Yoruba and English within the track.
Singer, poet, songwriter, visual artist, film producer, activist and author SERJ TANKIAN, lead singer and lyricist for the GRAMMY© Award-winning rock band System Of A Down is gearing up for the release of FOUNDATIONS, his EP of new music, out worldwide September 27 on Gibson Records, pre-order HERE. FOUNDATIONS mines music and lyrics from previous decades and reframes them in a hard-hitting, intensely focused collection. Like all of TANKIAN’s work, the five songs that comprise FOUNDATIONS encompass a wide range of sounds and styles. It is music that traverses multiple eras and vast swaths of emotions. It is also very much a rock album – “music of rebellion,” as TANKIAN puts it.
On November 1, TANKIAN will release a diverse selection of limited edition variants of the FOUNDATIONS EP on colored vinyl with an etching featured on Side B of every package. The FOUNDATIONS vinyl package includes a Red & Black Starburst vinyl (pictured below) available on TANKIAN’s own official webstore HERE, and an Opaque Purple version only available in U.S. record stores nationwide.
California artist, DJ Design drops his second single, “No Less Than The Trees And The Stars,” which features Fashawn from his upcoming album Survival Web Vaults.
The new single, featuring Fashawn is a spiritual hymn on the universe and the importance each of us holds collectively. Produced on the MPC3000, the beat has a raw, 90s feel to it. The two linked up with each other earlier this year when Fashawn reached out to DJ Design after he saw one of his beat videos.
Earlier this year DJ Design released the first single from his upcoming album, “The Blues,” which featured Elzhi and Phat Kat.
Survival Web Vaults will be released later this year and features guest appearances from Fashawn, Phat Kat, Elzhi, Guilty Simpson, LMNO, Gennessee and others.
Acclaimed Swedish pop artist Boy In Space (Robin Lundbäck) is set to release his fresh new single ‘Dancing On Dynamite’ on August 30th.
This year has seen Boy In Space be more vulnerable than ever as he has opened up about both physical- and mental health struggles through his music. Earlier this year, the release of his personal EP ‘Copium’ was a testament to a new sound with a deeper meaning. Heartfelt singles ‘Atom Bomb’, ‘Finally Fine Without You’ and‘The Last Time’ showed a more intimate side of Robin, reflecting on themes of mental health and personal growth, while the scenic video for ‘Mayflowers‘ allowed the singer to explore light and creative notes through his passion for old school films.
Since then, Robin has been writing on the road and finding musical ventures in the American Upper South. New single ‘Dancing On Dynamite’ still holds the trademarks of a Boy In Space production with beautifully cutting vocals, tearjerking lyrics yet a hopeful message – this time with an acoustic guitar and a touch of Western percussions letting country rooted influences shine through.
Boy In Space: “I wrote ‘Dancing On Dynamite’ earlier this year in Nashville. It being my first time there I got heavily inspired to write something that feels like me but with a touch of country. Drawing inspiration from my own life and experiences, I’m so satisfied with the result. Something new for me, but still very much the same.”
Raucously making their debut release today, Girl Tones do not step softly onto the scene with “Fade Away.” Sister duo Kenzie and Laila have shed their classical training to creatively let out something more primordial and raw. Produced by Brad Shultz and recorded at the infamous Nashville studio Battle Tapes, the first single is fortified by fuzzy walls of guitar and a creeping synth line. Dynamically alternating between being sonically massive and pulling back for broken down palm muted parts, Girl Tones straddle their own line between punk and blues rock — Stream via Parallel Vision.
Guitarist and vocalist Kenzie shared that, “‘Fade Away’ is about being vulnerable and slowly getting burned over and over again by someone you love, to the point you have to move on with your life. You’re hurt, you’re angry, you’re owed an apology.”
Email:neill@outloudculture.com
Socials: @neillfrazer
