Browsing Tag

Jazz Pop

Kenneth Schafer and Nicki Gonzalez Accelerate into Psychedelic Pop Euphoria with Road Racer

Posted on 22 February 2025

Classical constraints don’t bind Kenneth Schafer—he shatters them with Road Racer, a track that launches pop into symphonic hyper speed. Featuring the electrifying vocals of Nicki Gonzalez, it’s a kaleidoscopic detour from material mundanity, a high-octane waltz through exhilarating time signatures and textures that never settle into predictability.

Picture the highway dissolving into a neon-lit utopia as you push the pedal to the floor—Schafer orchestrates that exact sensation with every note. Despite being leagues apart from his formal classical training, there’s no mistaking the deft hand of a cultivated sonic architect.

Currently based in Baton Rouge and pursuing his Master’s at LSU after studying at Oberlin Conservatory under Elizabeth Ogonek, Jesse Jones, and Michael Frazier, Schafer has spent years absorbing everything from Impressionist and Baroque composition to Latin, jazz, and African rhythms. That broad spectrum of influence crackles through Road Racer, a song that turns pop into something wildly unpredictable without losing an ounce of accessibility.

With a solo marimba sonata in the works and Road Racer leading his foray into pop, Schafer proves his ability to navigate both the concert hall and the dancefloor. And if Road Racer is any indication of where he’s steering next, it’s going to be a ride worth taking.

Stream Road Racer on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Tom Waits Meets Ricky Martin in THE Astrolabe’s pop mood elevator,  Lovers

Posted on 13 October 2024

THE Astrolabe became the superlative king of cosmic pop sex appeal with his latest single, Lovers. If you thought Ricky Martin’s Livin la vida loca was sonically seductive, brace yourself for the affectingly aphrodisiacal energy of Lovers, which alchemises Latino rhythms with Bowie-esque space dust and jazzy grooves, creating a genre-fluid tour de force that sweeps through the soul with maximum volition.

Following a prelude that nods to Kraftwerk, the Athens-hailing innovator’s vocals croon into the mix, allowing you to imagine how Waits’ discography would have unfolded if he was just as adept at wrapping his gruff timbres around pop hooks. In the choruses, the peerless singer-songwriter proves he’s equally comfortable in a more harmonic register as his vocal notes soar with the brass section.

We are officially obsessed with THE Astrolabe and his endlessly uplifting cultivated sound that goes beyond setting a tone; his ability to command your entire mood is second to none. For your own sake, get him on your radar.

Lovers started serenading the airwaves on October 3rd; get hot under the collar with it by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jazz underpins electro-pop in NxC’s comeback track, Can’t Get You Out of My Head

Posted on 23 August 2024

From the province of Laguna, NxC, a dynamic pop duo, has re-emerged in the limelight with a comeback that dares to share a title with Kylie Minogue’s famed hit, Can’t Get You Out of My Head. It was a bold titular choice, but that’s nothing compared to the endlessly evolving innovation caged within the progressive anthem.

Nikki Culing and Cedric Patangan, who first harmonised in their high school choir and later in various local bands, entered uncharted territory with Can’t Get You Out of My Head which amalgamates the nostalgia of disco pop with the edge of synth sequences and the spontaneity of jazz, presenting a track as layered as their musical background.

After a brief hiatus after their initial single, Peach Fizz, NxC’s sound is more honed than ever. Their comeback initiates with a tease of classic house pop, swiftly morphing through a spectrum of sounds that defy simple categorisation. With Nikki’s euphorically infectious vocals and guitar alongside Cedric’s multifaceted mastery of keys and bass, the duo navigates through hyper-pop highs and rap-infused rhythms, making each transition a head-spinning hit of serotonin.

Every beat of Can’t Get You Out of My Head promises an adrenaline rush of sonic surprises – brace yourself before you hit play.

Can’t Get You Out of My Head hit the airwaves on August 10th; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Embrace the Chaos with the Visceral Visualisation of Emotional Discord in Dilly Dally Alley’s Electro Jazz Pop Attack, This Just In

Posted on 23 August 2024
Dilly Dally Alley

Fresh off the heels of their last single, Find Out, Minneapolis Indie-Pop jazz-adjacent collective, Dilly Dally Alley, led by the magnetic emissary of soul Sophia Spiegel, has unleashed their second single of the summer, This Just In.

Feeling deeply can often feel like a curse, yet, a proclivity towards heightened emotion only serves to sweeten the resonance in this incitement of an indie art pop riot, which feeds an abrasive electro pulse through John Carpenter-reminiscent synths, deliciously delirious reverb and distorted jazz-punk sax riffs capable of driving you to the brink of euphoria and beyond to experience a cathartic release from emotional turmoil.

The opening lyrics – “there was a sharpness in the land, sharpness in the beat, sharpness in your eyes, made me feel complete” – reflect the conflation of emotions and conflicts, perfectly matched by the avant-garde instrumentals that create a vivid, visceral, whirlwind of an experience which transcends sound.

You couldn’t ask for a more accurate mirror of the mental discordance that accompanies emotional dichotomies or for more blissful salvation from them.

This Just In will be available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify, from August 23rd, ahead of Dilly Dally Alley’s sophomore LP, which will permeate the airwaves in January 2025.

Stay up to date with the latest releases from Dilly Dally Alley on Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: ‘Find Out’ and Fall in Love with Dilly Dally Alley’s Indietronic Jazz Infused Earworm

Posted on 19 July 2024

As lightness meets lyrical depth, Dilly Dally Alley’s latest feel-good earworm, Find Out, opens a doorway to rhapsodic bliss with a juxtaposing key of edgy off-beat style and an all-consuming sense of jazz-collective-next-door soul.

Straight out of Minneapolis, the ensemble, led by Sophia Spiegel, spun every-day awkward moments into sonic sugar for the soul; the single pulsates at the crossroads of indie-pop and jazz-inflected alchemy and unravels as the ultimate affirmation that you’ll always be free to shed your inhibitions and embrace your idiosyncrasies in front of the people who matter.

If there was any definitive formula for indietronica pop perfection, Dilly Dally Alley found it with Find Out; the kinetically weightless rhythms pull together to form a dance-worthy anthem that is equally as liberating for the mind and soul.

With Find Out, Dilly Dally Alley doesn’t just step into the limelight—they grab it, twist it, and weave it into a tapestry of infectious grooves and raw, emotive energy. The track is a testament to their journey from late-night jam sessions to becoming the heartbeat of Minneapolis’ vibrant music scene.

Dilly Dally Alley Said:

“Find Out is about the silly, clumsy moments in a relationship that grow to be the very reasons why you fall in love. It’s a song about running into your crush when you’re too drunk at a bar, or the grocery store without your makeup on or being completely tongue-tied trying to ask them out.

It’s about the love that nevertheless persists between two people because it’s meant to work out. This tune is to dance to – maybe a bit clumsily – so long as you’re doing it with someone you’re crushing on.”

–

Find Out will be available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify, from July 19; shortly followed by the next single in Dilly Dally Alley’s line of sonic succession, This Just In, on August 23.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kelsey Blackstone is a stylistically expansive sensation in her latest single, Willow

Posted on 21 June 2024

Kelsey Blackstone’s latest stylistically expansive single, Willow, proves there is no definitive sound of the summer. Away from the plastic pop fray, Blackstone submerged the sonic palette of this imagination-sparking release into the ephemeral bliss of the sun-soaked season which quickly passes, long before the memories we cling to, and keep ourselves warm with in the colder months

With a jazzy pop chorus, filled with smooth horn stabs and mellifluous grooves, and an electro-folk middle eight nestled into the synthesis of pop, rock, soul, and award-winning songwriting that puts Kelsey Blackstone up there with the greats, Willow brims with incomparable quintessence.

It’s impossible not to get swept up in the dreamy reverie of her transcendent vocal lines as they bring swathes of colour and soul to the lyrics which yearn for consistency in an ever-changing world and nestle into the single that delivers a quintessentially old-school live sound.

Whenever you feel the need to touch grass, tune into this single instead; your connection to nature will be far greater. Better yet, never miss a chance to witness the Boston-born artist’s live performances; whether she’s playing solo or with her six-piece band, she’s renowned for raising the roof and allowing her audience to taste tonal utopia.

Willow was officially released on June 14; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Michel Héroux Orchestrated Synesthetic Euphoria in the Serenity of His Jazz Fusion Installation, Folk Song

Posted on 24 May 2024
Michel Heroux

Montreal-based guitarist, composer, arranger, and educator, Michel Héroux allowed his latest instrumental piece, Folk Song, to become a paragon of his fusionist prestige. His ability to translate technical skill, while balancing jazz, blues, rock, pop, rock, classical and experimental elements, into profoundly evocative sensory experiences which transcend auditory bliss is superlative – to say the least.

With each progression an explosion of vibrant, almost tropical, soul, you can’t help but be enveloped by the synesthesia-bestowed hues which blossom around the complex layers of the creatively uninhibited melodies which serenade you away from the mundanity of material reality and implant you in a sonic scene of utopia. If you need to be reminded of the capacity for fret-carved beauty, hit play.

Folk Song will be available to stream on all major platforms from May 24th. Discover Michel Héroux via his official website and Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Harmony Serenaded Hope in Camille Rose’s Jazz Pop Installation of Optimism, Be Alright

Posted on 27 April 2024

Camille Rose’s recently released EP, Be Alright, is a sojourn of warmth in the murky waters of early adult life. The title track encapsulates a journey of inner reflection, set against a backdrop of jazz-pop reverence. As Rose navigates through themes of self-development, her soulful voice serves as a comforting guide through the turbulent tides of coming to age in an imperfect world.

Released on the 18th of April 2024, the three-track EP is a blend of introspective lyricism and lush musical arrangements, kicking off with the title single which sees the sax elevating the listening experience with its vibrant and cinematic presence that pierces the soul with serotonin and pull listeners into the very core of the music’s optimistic spirit.

The title single weaves together the complexities of life’s challenges with a narrative that reassures us, in Rose’s tender timbre, that everything will “be alright”, which becomes a soulful reprise throughout the release, which follows the high bars set by previous releases which showcase Rose’s growth as an artist who not only understands her musical roots but also knows how to enthral her audience. Her ability to blend jazz, soul, and R&B into a sonic experience that resonates with authenticity and emotional depth is a testament to her evolving, and increasingly honed artistry.

In essence, Be Alright is a therapy session wrapped in melody and harmony, promising solace and a sunny-side-up disposition for anyone needing a moment of musical catharsis.

Be Alright is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Move Over Amanda Palmer, Naomi Castellano is the New Girl Anachronism in Her Debut, Hide and Seek

Posted on 27 April 2024

Naomi Castellano’s debut single ‘Hide and Seek‘ reveals an artist who has been seemingly playing hide and seek with her own vast talents. Her debut resonates with the essence of Tom Waits, Stevie Nicks, Kate Bush, The Last Dinner Party, and Mitski, showcasing a high-fidelity cultivation of these influences that will leave listeners in awe. Castellano’s music, entrenched in a genre-fluid nostalgic reverence, promises to captivate this generation’s penchant for artful expressionism.

Her quirky anachronistic tendencies lend ‘Hide and Seek’ a timeless depth, where nothing feels antiquated—from the smoky jazz grooves that billow between the robust pillars of chamber pop swells, to her Joni Mitchell-esque vocal range comfortably sitting in the alto, and not to forget the baroque flourishes that tint her artistic sensibilities.

With a background in classical music and a love for jazz, indie, alternative, and folk-pop, Castellano’s songwriting echoes the influences of Ani DiFranco, Fiona Apple, Norah Jones, and Sia. Utilising strings and keys, she created hypnotic transportation into a daydream, making ‘Hide and Seek’ not just a song, but a sublime sonic journey.

Naomi Castellano is undeniably holding the future of alternative music in her deft hands, and with such a compelling start, it’s clear she has exactly what it takes to stand at the vanguard of a new era of musical innovation.

Hide and Seek was officially released on April 17th, stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Robert Prester & Adriana Samargia gave jazz a sophisticated edge with ‘Altar Ego’

Posted on 2 April 2024

Two major talents collided for the creation of the superlatively cultivated jazz-pop score, Altar Ego; with Robert Prester in deft charge of composition, lyrics and piano & Adriana Samargia lending her cinematic vocal timbre to the number, it unravelled as a standing ovation-worthy triumph.

Sophistication spills from every note in the sublime, bordering on baroque, score which exhibits Robert Prester’s virtuosic flair when his hands find harmony over piano keys while Adriana Samargia’s vibrant-with-zeal contribution to the single infuses Altar Ego with swathes of commercial appeal. With a voice which wouldn’t be out of place on Broadway, Adriana was the perfect fit to add even more vigour to this exhilaratingly distinctive number.

Stream the official music video for Altar Ego on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast