RECENT ARTICLES

For many artists, the global health pandemic and resulting quarantine have been difficult – perhaps, that’s putting it mildly. But despite the halting of tours and the general inability to get together, some have found ways to keep their creativity sparked. And, on some occasions, even to collaborate. Los Angeles-based dream-pop songwriter, Winter (born Samira Winter), has done just that. Prior to the pandemic, she composed a new track in-person with Brazilian singer, Dinho Almeida, of the band, Boogarins. But, more recently, the two got to collaborate digitally on an intercontinental music video for their shoe-gaze song, “Bem No Fundo,” which Winter recently released into the world.

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Wesley Schultz, lead singer of the popular Americana band, The Lumineers, remembers standing on a subway platform in New York City giving his co-founding band mate, Jeremiah Fraites, his best sales pitch. It was early in the duo’s career. They were still playing east coast bars and small clubs but they knew, deep down, their music meant something more. They knew it had a spark. But how to turn that spark into flames was still unknown. So, Schultz formed a plan. They would move from New York City to Denver, Colorado. They would forge a new, uncharted way for themselves. It would work. Hopefully.

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Aminé (born Adam Aminé Daniel), the fantastically popular Portland, Oregon-based rapper, who rose to fame with his 2016 song, “Caroline,” remembers listening to music in the car on the way to school with his mother. Those early morning trips, which seemed commonplace at the time, would provide both the spark and the foundation for the artist’s burgeoning, now-global career.

Today, Aminé, who recently dropped his latest record, Limbo, is one of the most popular lyricists on the scene and he’s become so thanks, in large part, to the support of his family and friends. From Limbo, there is a direct line to artists like Tupac, Michael Jackson and Keith Urban. Those artists Aminé’s mother adored.

“It made me have a deeper connection with music, subconsciously,” Aminé says. “She just had a love for those artists. I’d never seen someone know the words to so many songs until I saw my mom sing. It made me want to have that deeper connection with music, too.”

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Before the seven Grammy nominations, before the 370-plus million YouTube views for “Mr. Brightside,” before selling 28-plus million records, Brandon Flowers, lead singer and co-founder of The Killers, wanted to be a golf pro. The Las Vegas-born front man with movie star good looks thought he had a chance to make it hitting drives down fairways and putting with precision on the greens, say, of St. Andrews, Augusta National or Pebble Beach. In fact, Flowers spent so much time on the golf course practicing his skills alone that his golden singing voice improved daily and nearly by accident.

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Colombian musician, Eblis Álvarez, front man and songwriter for the Latin-electronic group, Meridian Brothers, is a scholar. Álvarez studies music and the cultures that birthed its different styles. He researches musical equipment as well as various existential philosophies. He’s as equipped to talk to you about the history of traditional cumbia music in his home city of Bogotá as he is talking about cognitive manipulation in modern day capitalism. In other words, Álvarez is an amalgam of interests and talents. Like its source, Álvarez’ music is much like a mosaic where disparate sounds connect with age-old cultures to create something new, interesting and challenging. And the artist will release his latest record, Cumbia Siglo XXI, which is full of quirky rhythms and masterful melodies, on August 21st.

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Sometimes a life in music can be traced back to one important moment, a choice someone made or a word of advice someone passed along that they easily might not have. Such is the case for Philadelphia-born musician, G. Love (born Garrett Dutton), who began to play music and take guitar lessons at 8-years-old. But while countless kids have taken music lessons at that age, one of Love’s teachers could see something special in the young student and she encouraged him to start writing his own songs. While other teachers had him learning the basics of the Beatles, this one teacher said Love should write his own stuff. And without that moment, it’s unclear whether or not Love would have gone on to flourish in his successful career that continues to span the decades today.

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For a moment, think of your favorite bands. The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Heart, Bruno Mars, Salt-N-Pepa. While all of these groups comprise stellar musicians and creative minds, what brings them over the proverbial top for you, most likely, has nothing to do with musicianship, per sé. Often, our favorite tunes have less to do with the music and more with the people who make them. There is that unknowable chemistry – what the French call a certain Je ne sais quoi. But while the quality is hard to pinpoint, it’s not often hard to notice, in a general sense. And the Seattle rock band, Naked Giants, permeates that special element. For evidence, look no further than the band’s latest single, “The Shadow,” which we’re happy to premiere today.

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For those that know, Valentine Recording Studios in Los Angeles is a special place. When the trio who comprise the band, L.A. Witch, first walked into the historic-yet-kitschy locale, they, too, understood its magic and mystique. The band, which recorded its latest record, Play With Fire, there, in the former 60s music hub, will release the new LP on Friday. The album, which is thick with the sound of vibrant guitars and propellant, buoyant rhythms, took on the character of the studio. So much so that one can almost hear the era-specific equipment and the spirits of past artists like The Beach Boys and Frank Zappa come through its driving songs.

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