joan are a pop duo consisting of Alan Thomas and Steven Rutherford, two friends who grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas. Other than that, little is known about the pair, though they have already released a string of songs and EPs.
The pair are currently gaining a lot of attention across platforms like Spotify and have performed across the globe in a short period of time performing together.
This particular track, ‘magnetic (summer)’ is a stripped-back version of their notable track, ‘magnetic’. The track takes on a dreamy, ethereal quality with twinkling piano sounds and acoustic guitars throughout the chorus.
No music video exists for this particular version of the song, but it certainly conjures up beatiful imagery in the mind.
What are your thoughts of this singer-songwriter? Got a #MellowMonday track to recommend us? Please leave your thoughts or song suggestions in a comment or via social media.
When Matt emailed me to say we had some Pop-Punk to review, I was on it like skaters on a freshly waxed library fire escape. Anyone who knows me, knows I love Pop-Punk and I’ve ruined a fair few Spotify algorithms whilst DJing in the passenger seat, to prove the point (sorry Allen!). Here’s what we had to make of ‘Falling Apart’ from Pop-Punkers Midnight Skies…
‘Falling Apart’ is the third single from Seattle’s Midnight Skies. The trio only formed in the summer of 2018 but have been steadily releasing content and building a decent following in that time. As always, the Pop-Punk scene is awash with bands claiming “energetic live shows”, “fun-loving” and “always up for a party” but at the end of the day, good tracks in this genre need three things and this review is broken down across such things:
Thing #1 – It needs to be “short and sweet” – and unfortunately ‘Falling Apart’ is a full 4 minutes long. Now it would be wrong to judge purely on the length of a song but it doesn’t feel like the track uses the time well. This single could have easily ended prior to its middle 8 and no one would have noticed, but the change of pace here is welcome and worth the wait. The song then classically falls back into its chorus, as it should, but rather than ending here, there is a 30-second outro that dampens the energy of the song by drawing it out for too long. It feels like the band are trying to crowbar in all the features we enjoy in a good Pop-Punk song, some of which really work, others not so much.
Thing #2– It’s gotta be catchy! All great Pop-Punk anthems have great hooks and this is no exception. The chorus has a great melodic and lyrical hook which I haven’t stopped humming around the house since my first listen. Its initial repetitiveness, followed by the falling melody with the title lyrics bring memories back to classics from Hit The Lights and Forever The Sickest Kids, leaning slightly more towards the pop than punk element of the genre. This also comes through in the production of the track, which contains many effects across the track, especially on the vocals. Personally, I have never been a big fan of this, but I know some will love it!
Finally Thing #3 – Does it get the party started? Absolutely! It’s definitely a track that will at least get your head nodding, but stick it on at a party and I think it would get people dancing. Mostly this is down to the driving rhythm and the use of the double snare hits on the drums that give the track a lot of pace. This only relents within that middle 8 section which slows the pace down and adds some nice dynamics to the track.
Overall, this is a good track but it struggles to stand out in an already dominated field. However, if you saw these guys live and heard this track, you would remember it and hearing it again would send you back to a good night out. It feels like a blank canvas ready for you to attach your own good times and every time you put it on, I hope it would cast you back to a good night out with friends.
For Fans Of:
Forever The Sickest Kids, All Time Low, The Summer Set
What are your thoughts of this Pop-Punk band? Do you have a #FeelGoodFriday track to recommend us? Please leave your thoughts or song suggestions in a comment or via our social media.
LAUREL (aka Laurel Arnell-Cullen) is a British indie musician originating from London. She has had a string of critically acclaimed songs since posting her first demo back in 2013 and gained a lot of bloggers’ and radio DJs’ attention for writing, recording and producing most of her early music in her bedroom studio. Since signing to Counter Records (a division of Ninja Tune Records) in August 2016, she has released an EP and headlined her own UK tour. Now, 2018 sees the singer and songwriter releasing her debut album, DOGVIOLET. Here are are thoughts on the record…
LAUREL is finally releasing her debut album, DOGVIOLET and it’s a real corker! From the moment it opens with the catchy ‘Life Worth Living’ which bursts into life with its heavy drums, we are taken on a personal journey through LAUREL‘s heart and mind.
Some of the other tracks that really stand out are: ‘All Star’ has a really unique guitar line to it and it’s about putting a partner on a pedestal; ‘Hold Tight’ which has some relaxing, summer-by-the-beach vibes about being close to someone; ‘Adored’ for its slightly more grungy sound; ‘Crave’ which builds to a rather haunting chorus and ‘Take It Back’ for its very different and incredibly catchy chorus that lies somewhere along the lines of HAIM and MUNA.
‘Empty Kisses’ is a beautifully melancholic track too about a relationship that’s essentially over and the passion’s gone.
There’s something beautiful about the occasional cracks in her voice – it’s stunningly imperfect.
Undoubtedly, comparisons could be made with the likes of Lana Del Rey or Florence Welch due to her ethereal vocals and melancholic tones but there’s something beautiful about the occasional cracks in her voice too – it’s stunningly imperfect.
The production is artistic and evokes imagery of an artistic independent film; it certainly serves as a soundtrack to this period in her life, with real, introspective lyricism and reflection that must have taken her to some deep, dark places in her memories. This is surely the start of a wonderful career ahead – with her intensely mesmerising vocals and remarkably honest and personal writing style that certainly stands her out from so many others right now. This year is certainly going to be a big one for LAUREL and I can’t wait to see where it takes her next.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our review! What do you think of LAUREL’s debut album, DOGVIOLET? Are you as much of a fan as us? What would you rate it out of 5? Please leave your thoughts in a comment or chat to us about it via our social media.
Enjoyed this? Check out some of our other reviews here:
We felt it was time to create the ultimate remix playlist, to accompany/rival the likes of the latest Now That’s What I Call Remix album, putting all the world’s best remixes into one mammoth playlist.
This playlist has been lovingly crafted to include a variety of remixes we love, as well as suggestions from you guys!
If you already own the songs and want the custom artwork, please feel free to copy/download it below:
re:MIXTAPE Playlist
This playlist is packed to the brim with some of the best remixes around:
Bazzi – Mine (Jengi Remix)
Maroon 5 – What Lovers Do featuring SZA (A-Trak Remix)
NEIKED – Sexual featuring Dyo (Oliver Nelson Remix)
Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back (NOTD Remix)
Charlie Puth – Attention (Bingo Players Remix)
Avicii – Lonely Together featuring Rita Ora (Alan Walker Remix)
Sigrid – Strangers (TIEKS Remix)
P!nk – What About Us (Tiësto’s AFTR:HRS Remix)
Kesha – Praying (Frank Walker Remix)
Craig David – I Know You featuring Bastille (Sultan + Shepard Remix)
Thirty Seconds To Mars – Walk On Water (R3hab Remix)
Maroon 5 – Wait (Chromeo Remix)
Taylor Swift – …Ready For It? (BloodPop® Remix)
P!nk – Beautiful Trauma (E11even Remix)
Niall Horan – Slow Hands (Basic Tape Remix)
Miley Cyrus – Malibu (Alan Walker Remix)
Rita Ora – Anywhere (R3hab Remix)
Britney Spears – Make Me… featuring G-Eazy (Tom Budin Remix)
Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry (Freedo Remix)
The Chainsmokers – Something Just Like This featuring Coldplay (Alesso Remix)
Sam Smith – Like I Can (Artful Remix)
Zedd – Stay featuring Alessia Cara (The Kemist Remix)
David Guetta & Afrojack – Dirty Sexy Money featuring Charli XCX & French Montana (Banx & Ranx Remix)
Charli XCX – Boys (Nevada Remix)
Clean Bandit – I Miss You featuring Julia Michaels (Cahill Remix)
Liam Payne – Bedroom Floor (Cash Cash Remix)
Anne-Marie – Heavy (John Gibbons Remix)
NEIKED – Call Me featuring MIMI (Alex Adair Remix)
Bexey Swan is currently an unsigned British rapper, who was born August 3rd 1996. Bexey‘s previous stage name was Zehtroid Vzn,before he changed it to his current cognomen.
The rapper posts the majority of his music on his SoundCloud account, where he is close to 20k followers.
Some of his most popular songs include ‘Suitcase’ as well as ‘MYTH KILLA’ and ‘YOUNG HEARTBREAKER.’ Before the tragic and unpredicted passing of rapper Lil Peep, the two were close friends and posted frequent collaborations as well as Bexey supporting Peepon his most recent European tour.
Source: Spotify.com
In the song ‘Suitcase’,Bexeypaints the picture of the struggles and challenges his fast-paced tour and music producing life can present to him. He also talks about how he has grown as a musician, when people doubted him.
“My boy’s ain’t slept in like two days, no way, it’s too late. Life feeling like a movie.” – ‘Suitcase’, Bexey
The sombre, slightly melancholy vibe of this song is emphasised by his somewhat robotic, synthesised voice. The deep, repetitive beat paired with the guitar gives the track a slow, steady pace which reflects the lyrics where Bexey sings about his lack of sleep, due to the rhythm of his schedule.
What do you think of this unsigned rapper’s honest tune? Have you got anything similar to recommend? Or do you have something of a different genre to recommend us? Use the hashtag, #WildCardWednesday or hit us up via our socials.
Petit Biscuit (less frequently known by his real name of Mehdi Benjelloun) is a French DJ and music producer, born November 10th 1999.
His song, ‘Sunset Lover’, was released in 2015 onto the music platform Soundcloud,when he was at the young age of 15. The song has been stripped back in terms of style compared to the mainstream electronica music which you frequently hear in the charts. What we are left with, is a melody that includes a simplistic yet heavily relaxing guitar line, single short notes, a basic kick drum, occasional clapping and strange yet intriguing vocals, which could be seen to mimic an infant sounding out words for the first time.
Source: Spotify.com
Source: Amazon.com
The song has now reached over 180 million streams on Soundcloud and Spotify combined, as well as it reaching No. 13 on the Hot/Dance/Electronic song chart. It can be found on his newest album titled Presence, which was released last year (2017).
“Sunset Lover is more about the chorus and verse, even if there aren’t lyrics” – Petit Biscuit
I personally find that the creative rhythm, melodic presence and unique style of this song is calming, relaxing and thought provoking. I frequently listen to Petit’s music while studying or occasionally when trying to sleep in the evenings after a particularly stressful day.
Maroon 5 are one of the biggest bands on the planet and in my eyes they just go from strength to strength. Each album manages to change just enough to move with the current trends in music yet somehow they still manage to maintain their unique identify. This album is a far cry from their debut, Songs About Jane, but it’s still somehow classic Maroon 5.
The tone for Red Pill Blues is set by the opening track, ‘Best 4 U’, which has a very 80s feel to it with it’s synths and spacey atmosphere, yet somehow it’s still very current.
There’s no mistaking it, this album is less in-your-face about it’s pop nature than some of their previous releases but it’s an incredibly well-crafted record. It is filled with sensual tracks like ‘Lips On You’ (which for some reason really evokes vibes of Phil Collins for me), ‘Wait’, which has a sublime groove to it, married with Adam’s sensational falsetto vocals that just ascend with perfection and then there’s the 11-minute epic track, ‘Closure’, which sees the band break into an extended jam, to close the album. The rather understated, ‘Who I Am’ (featuring LunchMoney Lewis) has a somewhat similar feel to some of the tracks on the band’s debut album while ‘Girls Like You’ is a very catchy song with it’s gang vocals and intense use of acoustic guitar strumming. That’s without even mentioning the massive single, ‘What Lovers Do’, which is just epic!
Not like anything you’ve heard from them before – it’s a sensational, modern-pop record!
Then there’s the deluxe version of the album which contains bonus tracks such as singles ‘Don’t Wanna Know’ and ‘Cold‘ as well as the unreleased tracks ‘Denim Jacket’, ‘Visions’ and ‘Plastic Rose’ – if you’re a hardcore fan of the band, then you’re definitely going to want this version! ‘Denim Jacket’ has a gospel feel to it, ‘Visions’ is very reggae in its groove, whilst ‘Plastic Rose’ is very current with a deep house tone to it.
It has a very modern pop record and whilst on some tracks you forget they’re actually a full band, others make up for it with their funky bass sounds, soulful guitar licks or acoustic guitar rhythms. The use of different producers hasn’t detracted from it being an eclectic yet comprehensive record.
I would say that this album has a rather mellow and modest feel to it throughout but it’s still a sensational, modern-pop record! You should most definitely check it out – it’s not like anything you’ve heard from them before.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our review of Maroon 5’s latest album! What are your thoughts of this latest release? Are you as much of a fan as us? What would you rate it? Please leave your thoughts in a comment or talk to us about it via our social media.
Enjoyed this? Check out some of our other reviews here:
Having recently released his latest album Weightless back in December 2016 and a brand new tune, ‘Boy & Bear’, I had the privilege of talking to the fantastically talented, Nick Bertke (aka Pogo).
During our interview, Nick chatted about what it’s been like to work with Disney, what he’s got in store for releasing music this year, where he takes inspirations from and who he’d like to play him in a biographic film. It’s all in the interview video below!
I want to say a massive thanks to Nick himself for taking the time to make this interview happen! Such a genuine, lovely guy 😀
I really hope you enjoy watching this interview! Please show your support for the band by sharing the link to this post on all of your social media accounts!
It’s the 1st August and summer is in full swing! As such, I thought it was time to present you with our next playlist – #SummerSongs 2017 (following on from #SummerSongs 2015)!
This 30-track playlist has been lovingly crafted with over 100 minutes of summery songs, both new and old, that I really love and put me in a great mood and I hope it’ll do the same for you too 🙂
If you already own the songs and want the custom artwork, please feel free to copy/download the artwork below:
#SummerSongs 2017 – The Playlist
This mammoth, tune-filled playlist includes the following summer anthems:
Ed Sheeran – Castle On The Hill (Throttle Remix)
OneRepublic – Rich Love featuring Seeb
A R I Z O N A – Feed The Beast
Jonas Blue – Mama featuring William Singe
NEIKED – Call Me featuring MIMI
Sigala – Came Here For Love featuring Ella Eyre
Phats & Small – Turn Around
Nevada – The Mack featuring Mark Morrison & Fetty Wap
Rita Ora – Your Song
Anton Powers – Baby featuring Pixie Lott
John Gibbons – P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
Zedd – Stay featuring Alessia Cara
Will Joseph Cook – Plastic
Miley Cyrus – Malibu
Luis Fonsi – Despacito featuring Daddy Yankee & Justin Bieber
Calvin Harris – Feels featuring Pharrell Williams, Big Sean & Katy Perry
Katy Perry – Bon Appétit featuring Migos
Ke$ha – Learn To Let Go
Disciples – On My Mind
J Hus – Did You See
Bruno Mars – That’s What I Like
Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holding Me Back
The All-American Rejects – Sweat
Club Drive – International
Busted – One Of A Kind
The Maine – Bitch Better Have My Money
Life Of Dillon – Rocks
Paramore – Forgiveness
Sheppard – Geronimo
Coldplay – A Head Full Of Dreams
I’ve gathered only the best songs which I hope will be the soundtrack to your summer – I want this summer to be one you’ll remember…for the best reasons! Check out the playlist on Spotify.
Irish singer-songwriter Talos is beginning to make big waves via his releases on Spotify and it’s clear to see why – his brand of atmospheric, melodic and even cinematic music is captivating to listen to.
‘Odyssey’ is a track that just seems to transcend to higher and higher places, the longer it runs. The music video, whilst possibly low in budget, is a work of art in itself – the resources he had have been utilised skilfully to craft something that is as equally bewitching to watch as the track is to listen to.
Undoubtedly, this artist will craft himself a lengthy career in music and go from strength to strength if this release is anything to go by – make sure you take the time to watch the video below. It’s stunning.
What are your thoughts of this talented singer-songwriter? Got a #MellowMonday track to recommend us? Please leave your thoughts or song suggestions in a comment or via social media.
Muzik Speaks 