Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Devin Kennedy announces the release of “Palm Springs for the Weekend,” out today. Just in time for Festival Season, “Palm Springs for the Weekend” is about escaping reality. Devin elaborates, “We all need a break from the routine every so often, and I think we all have our own version of ‘Palm Springs’ that acts as a getaway when we’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed out.” Devin has wasted no time making 2022 his year; with MTV News referring to his vocals as “dreamy” on the release of “Poetry” earlier this month. Prior to that, Devin released “Follow Through,” which has received over half a million views for his idobi Radio performance and was also aired on MTV’s Fresh Out Playlist. Devins’ raw talent and meaningful lyrics have continued to receive praise from the likes of MTV,
American Songwriter, ET Canada, and more. On top of that, his captivating vocals not only landed Devin an exclusive performance with Z100 iHeartRadio for their Dunkin Lounge; but also received praise from artists such as Pink Sweats and Chelsea Cutler on his Tik Tok duet videos.
Hailing straight from Hip-Hop’s capital, Rinchere (Formally known as Spectacula) is one of the most notable additions to the New York’s up-and-coming roster. Born to Haitian parents and growing up in Queens, music quickly became the sensation of this rapper’s childhood as he was introduced to R&B and Kompa at an early age. He soon fell in love with the beat and the rhythm along with music’s “ability to grab the attention of anyone who chooses to listen for 3-5 minutes, be it meaningful, emotional or just plan stupid”. Dating back to elementary school, music became his hobby and so did rhyme; more so, it became a savior at a time in which the then-youth witnessed hardships of his parents’ divorce. “If I did not have music as an outlet, I probably would have been very emotionally distressed”. From thought-provoking lyrics to innovative approach music, Rinchere remains a humble perfectionist. “I don’t think I reinvented the wheel or anything. I just feel like if more rappers spent time perfecting their, craft hip hop would be much better”. While focusing on musical development, From consistent releases to his independent business ventures, Rinchere continues to reassert his focus and dedication toward the creation process, creativity, and most importantly, toward hip-hop.
“The World Watching” is Rinchere’s new single, a conscious hip-hop song about the current state of the world. Richere confides, “In a way this project was inspired by the documentary The Social Dilemma. The internet is a powerful tool that has innovated the world in many positive ways but at the same time it has done irreversible damage to humanity. This project is a retrospect on that. “The World Watching” is a 2022 revision of the Jay-Z classic “The Streets is Watching” and the video featuring & directed by Var Brown makes light on how much things have changed.”
New York City-based Japanese producer and musician rei brown releases his ethereal first single today, “Could I Be Somebody” along with its mysterious, sci-fi-themed video set in a surreal dreamscape. At the center of the synth ballad lies rei’s effortless ability to capture nuanced emotion, this time, the timid whispers of a new crush and the exploration of queer love and identity.
Alongside new music, rei brown will join fellow alt-pop musician keshi this Summer on a wide North American tour beginning on May 11th in Dallas, TX and concluding on June 24th in Houston, TX and includes two Los Angeles dates, two Atlanta dates and two New York City dates. Tickets are on sale now via reibrown.com.
“Could I Be Somebody” is an ode to the unique loneliness of the young queer experience. On the track, rei wonders, “Could I be somebody, could I be somebody you love?” as he navigates the strange secrecy and different realities that queer people often exist in. Rei explains the lyrics have roots in his time throughout middle school when he found himself feeling lonely and not engaging in the same relationships that his peers were. “In middle school, I was realizing I was queer, and navigating that loneliness. Other people were starting to have relationships and it felt like that world was cut off to me. I felt like someone must be out there for me, but I just couldn’t see them or feel them — as if they were in a different plane of reality.” However, he began to realize that he could create his own reality– a secret one where he could be safe, and one that his heterosexual peers would never understand. Rei continues, “When another boy and I came out to each other and started dating it really felt like entering a parallel dimension. We got to form our own little secret world where we could be safe together.”
Oliver Keane shares his exceptional debut EP ‘16mm Dream Sequence’.
Listen to focus single ‘Antidote’ HERE & watch the video HERE
The 6-track body of work comes as an all-encompassing introduction, showcasing the distinctive vocals and accomplished songwriting of this 18 year old newcomer.
16mm Dream Sequence
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In The Morning
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Fall Down
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3AM
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Fixing a Broken Heart
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Antidote
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Hollow
Focus track ‘Antidote’ takes shape as a stand-out moment of the EP. Tender songwriting accompanies an intoxicating guitar build, something that Oliver Keane has perfected the art of.
Sharing a little more, Oliver explained: “The whole song was originally stripped back like the start but I spontaneously said we should do a harsh switch halfway through. Luke (my co-producer) had never really heard the more indie side to me before, but I remember the excitement on his face when I sent him the project with the switch up in. We spent hours upon hours perfecting the guitar, especially in the second verse.”
Oliver Keane launched at the end of last summer with a gorgeous stripped back track ‘In The Morning, showcasing the singer’s knack for raw, evocative scene setting. The track was warmly met and he quickly pinned himself as an artist to watch. Tracks ‘Fall Down’ and ‘3AM’ followed, the latter gathering attention from hundreds of thousands of fans on TikTok ahead of its release.
More recently Oliver Keane released ‘Fixing a Broken Heart’, which was a moment of honesty from the up and comer. Led by his standout vocals, the single navigates the pain of a missed opportunity. Clash magazine called “a deftly beautiful work that ponders ‘what might have been…’ Sharing more, Oliver explained: ‘Fixing a broken heart was about a friend of mine. We’d both been flirting back and forth but neither had the courage to make a move. She started talking to another guy and as her friend I had to sit there and accept that.’
Despite being just 18 years old, Oliver Keane has been writing songs on the daily for over six years. “We’re talking about thousands of songs. I can’t remember the last time I went without making music, or having some form of an idea just sitting in the back of a train, singing to myself like a weirdo…”
Photo by Garrett Lobaugh
Indie rock band, The Lighthouse And The Whaler, releases a new live album “Talk (Live from The Tenk)” out now. The live album follows the studio album released in the Fall of 2022, receiving accolades from outlets such as Flaunt, Earmilk, Wonderland, and Spin Magazine and placements on top streaming playlists.
The band says, “During the pandemic we had the opportunity to go into a warehouse space we had access to and record a live version of our album TALK. At the time it felt like it was the only thing we really could do. The album hadn’t yet come out but we wanted to play it, to have that collective exhale where we’re all together again. We wanted anyone who wanted to to be able to experience the album live and so much uncertainty surrounded what would happen next. So we got together and recorded live video and sound of the entire TALK album. It was cathartic, it felt like putting back on something I’d lost. Hopefully that comfort finds you in these live songs.”
Los Angeles-based vocalist, producer and multi-instrumentalist Cassie Marin returns with her new single, “Push Me,” out on all streaming platforms today.
Opening with Cassie’s signature buoyant electro-pop production, it’s easy to get lost in the groove of “Push Me.” But underneath the high-energy beats and fizzy synths is a song that tugs deep at the heartstrings. “Push Me” is an anthem for anyone who has ever been told they couldn’t do or be what they wanted, serving as a reminder that your love and passion cannot be shut away. Cassie expands on what inspired the new single: “When I originally wrote and produced ‘Push Me,’ I was in a headspace where I felt as if the outside world was telling me ‘no’ all the time. I was abused by people in my life, then judged for my sexuality and for who I was inside. I was surrounding myself with friendships that weren’t allowing me to express the full essence of who I am, and I felt like I was constantly being asked to change who I was in order to make others more comfortable. ‘Push Me’ became my medicinal message and constant reminder that the more I welcome every unique part of myself, the more complete I will feel all on my own.”
Amanda Frances is a post-pop artist, songwriter, videographer and Web3 innovator hailing from Toronto. The multidisciplinary artist is also COO of Sadboy Records, one of Canada’s fastest growing indie labels. With 5 singles released and a 6 track audio-visual album set to drop this year, Frances has quickly turned heads with her razor sharp wit, glitchy pop productions, and drive to innovate.
Frances recently dropped her genesis NFT project with decent.xyz for her upcoming debut EP, which generated over $17,000 worth of sales in the first 48 hours, with collectors only hearing a preview of the first single off the project, “making out with vampires,” and will continue as each single on her EP is released. The Web2/Web3 artist will be dropping a single as well as a mini film music video NFT each month leading up to the release of her debut EP, “attachment theory,” produced by Juno-nominated producer, Father Bobby Townsend.
Frances has been quickly supported by the likes of CBC Music and Stingray, major PR outlets such as Headliner Magazine, CLOUT, and LeFutureWave, and has appeared on major editorial playlists on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music. She has also appeared globally on CTV and Global.
Rising NYC based artist RICH today releases his new offering, All I’ll Do Is Love You More- listen here. A stunningly gorgeous R&B cut showcasing RICH’s dreamy vocals atop a beautifully poised arrangement, the track is the latest offering from an artist making serious inroads. A collaborator of SG Lewis, frequent tour mate of Chance The Rapper and one part of REFS, RICH has picked up a cult following on Tiktok on the back of posting his stellar vocals during the pandemic. Speaking on the track, RICH states:
“I wrote this song examining different moments in my life when I felt true unconditional love, and how that feeling can be both euphoric and destructive.”
With his Tiktok now standing at over 400k followers and subsequent cosigns from Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), James Blake, and Elton John, Rich has been blowing up seemingly out of nowhere. With support from Complex, Wonderland, Flaunt, BBC Radio 1 and KCRW, RICH is set for a big few months. Look out for more soon.
GRAMMY-nominated producer and multi-Platinum Atlanta artist Southside recruits rap superstars Future and Travis Scott for the scorching “Hold That Heat.” Listen HERE. The electrifying track is bolstered by a sleek, shadowy video that finds the 808 Mafia founder and CEO chilling with his A-List collaborators, a pole dancer, and, yes, an alligator on a chain. Watch the video HERE.
Southside’s signature sirens introduce the track, before rumbling 808s and trap hi-hats take over. Travis and Future tackle the chorus together, over a beat that is complex enough to stand on its own, but also leaves room for the MCs to flex their lyrical might. “I got a main bitch but I mingle,” Future spits in his trademark narcotized flow, which Southside has been soundtracking since the two joined forces on DJ Esco’s seminal 2015 mixtape 56 Nights.
Sean Lennon, members of Primus & Gogol Bordello, The Police’s Stewart Copeland and even more music legends teamed up to release a new song called ‘Zelensky: The Man With the Iron Balls’.
The proceeds from the new track benefit Nova Ukraine, a nonprofit organization run by Silicon Valley-based Ukrainians dedicated to providing humanitarian aid to the people of Ukraine and raising awareness about Ukraine in the United States and around the rest of the world.
One of Nova Ukraine’s Directors, Igor Markov, spoke to the track’s release:
“In this critical time, we deeply appreciate the support from this talented supergroup of artists, and their fans to raise humanitarian awareness. Efforts like this make Ukraine stronger. As the war continues, what we need now is sustained support from the public and governments of democratic countries – please continue to donate and rock on for Ukraine. This will now be my theme song as I work through the day and hope it’s a rallying call for all of those supporting Ukraine right now. Thank you to this group.”
The soulful serenades of New York City based singer/songwriter Jak Lizard is the positivity everyone needs infused in their lives. Born and raised in Long Island to a guitar-playing father and a former street-performing mother, as well as three older musician brothers; he had creativity and encouragement in abundance.
Growing up listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder and Sly and the Family Stone, Jak found himself connecting most to R&B/soul artists, but he was also captivated by the controversial stylings of Bob Dylan — to the point of learning both guitar and harmonica, and jokingly admitting, “I was definitely just trying to be Bob Dylan for a little bit.” The singer’s love for Bob Dylan initially inspired him to write politically-charged songs, however Jak quickly realised that his own music felt more authentic when he put a positive spin on negative situations, expressing, “I wanted to make music that reflected the aspirations of feeling more positive about life.”
The colorful new EP Young Americana was created as an ode to a region of New York he loved called Hudson Valley, and the Americana genre that’s prevalent in that area. Beginning the project in September 2020 and with the pandemic weighing heavily on people’s emotions, Jak wanted to inject a little hope into the world. He began writing and recording in makeshift studios across various Airbnb rentals, curating harmony-driven sounds and sunny melodies that would hopefully help people to get through some of the toughest moments in their lives.
The EP is the medicine the artist sought during the pandemic, amidst the protests and change we all went through collectively. The artist shares, “In the news we hear a lot about people’s idea of America and what it means to them and it never sat right with me. While there is so much to feel anxious and down about within the world, it’s been my true experience with all shapes, sizes, colors, and cultures of people that there is something of true happiness and worth to how we’re all living. I spent a year and half listening, learning, and falling in love with life and everyone involved in it. It’s that pure freeing feeling that helped shape Young Americana.” The six-track release is a love letter to optimism in a time of strife and the idea that when we stick together, we cannot be stopped. Jak continues, “Why now? Because right now I feel we need to remember what life is all about: encouraging love and kindness and working to bring out the best in everyone, every chance we get.”
His positive and optimistic approach to life is the focal point of his music, beaming vividly throughout the uplifting instrumentation and his vivacious vocals, particularly in the title track “Young Americana.” Injected with an amalgamation of genres that have shaped him as an artist and set among a kaleidoscope of chirpy keys and buoyant beats, you can pinpoint inflections of some of his favorite artists, though presented in a way that is exclusively him.
His refreshingly bright outlook on life isn’t just a story he wants to project, but the mantra he lives by, with him revealing “Every song I’ve ever written has happened within an environment of joy and love. Those are definitely the prerequisites.”
The New York City artist has gained an army of supporters through his previous releases, amassing close to five million streams on Spotify, as well as a quarter of a million views on YouTube. His music has held the place of the top English-language song on Osaka’s Hot 100 and found a home atop some of Spotify’s brightest playlists like “Ready for the Day”, “Mellow Morning” and “Nu Funk.” Jak has garnered acclaim from the likes of Earmilk, Lyrical Lemonade and Elevator Magazine to name a few, as well as having sold out prestigious venues including Elsewhere Rooftop, The Troubadour and Garcia’s at the Capitol Theater.
Indie rock band Spirit of the Bear are thrilled to release the music video to “Live On The Sun” that is out and can be viewed at https://youtu.be/ksWZPrguS_4. The band says, “The video for Live On The Sun was our first foray into directing and editing one of our own music videos, and we had an absolute blast putting all our random ideas on the screen. It essentially started as a list of shot ideas we’ve had going for over a year, and we decided to get our talented videographer friend Joey Allen to come down and shoot all of those ideas to see how they panned out. It worked out better than we would’ve expected!”
JULIANA EYE is an alt-pop artist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based out of Toronto. Her love of pop melodies, 90s & early-00s guitars, combined with her alluring vocals has helped EYE create a unique blend of melancholic nostalgia.
Born and raised in the Toronto suburb of North York, JULIANA took to music obsessively at the early age of thirteen as an act of teenage rebellion and an outlet for finding herself. She spent the majority of her adolescence playing guitar and writing songs in her bedroom, jamming in basements with her friends’ obscure bands, and venturing to downtown clubs to watch local artists perform. While attending University for art & graphic design, EYE toured and recorded with indie-rock band, The Ruby Spirit, as a backup vocalist and self-taught keyboard player. JULIANA has since pursued a career as a live support musician and has performed with a number of artists including CARYS (Warner Music/Atlantic Records), Juno-nominated AMAAL (Universal Canada), and LØLØ (APG) to name a few.
JULIANA EYE will be releasing more singles this year as a lead up to her EP in late 2022.
neillfrazer@hotmail.com
