Browsing Tag

Lana Del Rey

Billy Boguard – Evergreen Scars: Sorrowfully Dynamic Minor-Chord Pop

Posted on 28 November 2020

Opening up with a cinematic minor-chord piano part before Boguard’s deep, baleful vocal, ‘Evergreen Scars’ is a beautiful, confessional song of grief and loss. Honest, heartfelt, and soulful, Boguard’s vocal tells a story of pain and longing, the full instrumentation dropping in around the minute mark for the unforgettable chorus.

Reminiscent of Hozier’s ‘Take Me To Church’, with elements of Lewis Capaldi or maybe a male-vocal Lana Del Rey, ‘Evergreen Scars’ tells of two souls destined from the beginning to destroy each other, writ deep with heartbreak and regret, and the inevitable aftermath, healing, and lessons learned, all over a sorrowful track full of power, dynamic, and presence.

Evergreen Scars official release date was November 27th, you can check it out now via Spotify.

Check out Billy Boguard via his website, or on Facebook.

Review by Alex Holmes

Dennyiah have seared the airwaves with their fiery Indie Pop debut album “Human Aspect”

Posted on 15 November 2020

Indie Slovak-based Pop duo Dennyiah have released their lockdown-born debut album, Human Aspect. It would be no exaggeration to say it is one of the most viscerally pioneering albums to drop this year.

The authenticity is only matched by the artist’s ability to utterly consume your consciousness through the sheer intensity of the sound. If you’re anything like me, you’ll have found any discernible emotion hard to come by over recent months. I think I practically overdosed hitting play on Dennyiah’s debut album.

The potency of the emotion carried in the vocal notes is overwhelming from the start. There are some Florence Welch reminiscences within the high notes, but then raw vocal power which parallels the likes of Cyrus while emitting the same evocative magnetism as Sharon Van Etten kicks in. Don’t be surprised if you’re choking back the tears listening to these succinctly colossal singles run through.

With Grammy-award-winning artists such as violinist Adam Baldych joining the collective of instrumentalists who contributed to the track which was mastered by Dave McNair (Bowie, Springsteen, Hole and Maroon 5), it’s no great surprise that Human Aspect borders on the celestial while offering promising modernity.

You can check out Human Aspect for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Skeleton Krew – Love: Jaw dropping, Eye popping Goth Rock!

Posted on 26 February 2020

If all good things come in small packages, expect to listen to this song and get one of the best surprises from a dynamic duo from Jackson, Tennessee. Hunter Cross and Cameron Briley make up the members of The Skeleton Krew and their latest offering called “Love”, is already making some serious waves on the internet.

The song starts off with sweet, intricately woven harmonies, reminiscent of Crosby, Stills and Nash or Alison Krauss, and one would be forgiven for thinking that they were about to take us on a journey down the best of a scenic Country or Soft Rock road. Instead, a few face melting guitar solos, talented drum rolls and riffs that are played deep in the pocket, and an incredible vocal performance, make for a heady mix of Punk, Rock, and Goth that is teeth clatteringly good. It’s eight short bars in the back of Buick but the rest is pedal to the metal in a Mustang all the way!

You are going to want to rewind this track a few times as the musicality and vocal dexterity is subtle but brilliant.

Listen to “Love” by The Skelton Crew here at Soundclound. Have fun, we sure did!

Heather & Snow Take You “Down Down Deep”

Posted on 31 October 2017

Heather & Snow might be the most intriguing electronic sound I have heard in a long time. I am not sure what I expected exactly, but “Down Down Deep,” is nothing like I anticipated. While it does have all the ingredients of an electro track; the keyboards, synths, plucked guitars, bass tones, and rattling metallic percussion, syncopated chords and even some gnarly digital slap bass it also has amazing vocals.

Not just typical singing over a track, there’s actually some awesome harmonic melody. The lead singer’s voice is hypnotic and trance like, and the background vocals match perfectly creating such a genuine sound. The vocalist shine in both tone and pitch, the reverb is not over done and the production quality is great. This group is a celebration of electronic sounds at it’s finest and I love it.

A&R Factory Present: Mandi Rose

Posted on 23 March 2017

Hailing from Los Angeles, independent pop music scene newcomer Mandi Rose has recently thrown her hat in the ring with ‘Back for More,’ a seven track EP that explores her reverb-soaked take on the genre.  The 20-year-old singer songwriter’s collection of songs is surprisingly versatile, showcasing her as a talent that could certainly broaden beyond just “pop” if she ever chose to do so.

‘Intro to Back for More,’ the minute-long, aptly-titled introductory track highlights Mandi Rose as an artist who is experimenting with different sonic ideas in a rather unique way. A scratchy radio switches from station to station as the listener hears Mandi Rose approaching a bevy of songs and genres. This is a perfect lead-in to ‘Make It Ours,’ one of the EP’s better songs. The pop ballad perfectly balances infectious pop influence and compelling production. At times, Mandi Rose is reminiscent of a younger Lana Del Rey.

‘Roll One’ has tinges of hip hop influence, especially in relation to the way the beats are orchestrated for the track. True to its subject matter, ‘Roll One’ is an easy-listening, suave pop ballad that’s non-invasive. It doesn’t have an explosive moment, but it doesn’t need one. It’s subtle and methodic. Structurally, ‘Lies’ is very similar, though that track actually delves into R&B and soul territory that’s especially fascinating for Mandi Rose. Her vocals on ‘Lies’ are some of the finest on the EP.

Another track with hints of R&B influence is the lovely ‘Don’t Go Away,’ a song scored by soft finger snapping and elegantly sparse piano and atmospheric synthesizers. “What about trust, what about us?” Rose croons,“what happened to you and me?” It’s a solemn track about the end of a relationship gone awry despite one party still wanting to fix its remnants.

The only feature on ‘Back for More’ is the rapper Destruct, who is spotlighted on ‘Hennessy.’ Frankly, it’s the least imaginative track of the seven. Both lyrically and musically the track pales in contrast to strong predecessors the likes of ‘Lies’ and ‘Don’t Go Away.’ Destruct does accentuate Rose’s sound nicely, though, and his feature is a welcome inclusion.

The best song on ‘Back for More,’ however, is its self-titled finale. ‘Back for More,’ the song, is the perfect culmination of every element that makes the EP as successful and fresh sounding as it is. There’s pop influence, but it’s injected with a heavy dose of R&B and contemporary soul, and Rose’s conviction as a vocalist sells each performance. ‘Back for More’ is a beautiful finale, and ‘Back for More’ is a truly surprisingly indie pop EP. It’s actually good, and that doesn’t happen often.

YouTube.com/mandirosemusic
Facebook.com/mandirosemusic
SoundCloud.com/mandirosemusic

Words By Brett David Stewart

A&R Factory Present: Natalie Major

Posted on 10 February 2017

Natalie Major is a young singer/songwriter originally from Chicago. Creating a soulful blend of catchy pop melody and ambient vibes,​ she takes influence from a wide array of artists such as Sia, Coldplay, Lana Del Rey and many more.​

Produced by Robot Koch, “Human” captures the raw, authentic feel of what it means to be open and honest about the grief of heartbreak. Her combination of poetic lyrics and haunting melody impacts the listener instantly.The song’s elements create a somber yet hopeful feel that touches your heart through it’s purest expression.

A&R Factory Present: Lauren Carter

Posted on 23 January 2017

Based out of Los Angeles, Lauren Carter, according to GQ Mexico, proves that ‘talent and beauty can co-exist.’ Viva Glam Magazine states, ‘if you love Lana del Rey, you’ll love Lauren Carter.’  Vents Magazine states, her single Rulebreaker features ‘an eclectic melody blending seductive vocals with pounding drums that is a work of pop perfection.’ Maxim Magazine called Lauren a ‘triple sexy triple threat,’ and DJ Fresh, who featured her in music video ‘Lassitude’, called Lauren ‘easy on the eyes, and a pleasure to work with.’ As a vocalist, she has a resonant three octave range that can deliver haunting ethereal notes to a full on belt.

A self-proclaimed ‘music nerd’ Lauren has completed a Masters Degree in Music, resulting in her knowing Beethoven and Schubert as well as she knows Lana del Rey, Bjork, or say, Leonard Cohen. Featured extensively in her career in magazines such as GQ, Maxim, Esquire, she explores the relationship between audience and performer, the male gaze, and her writing delves into topics like sexual politics, female independence, life in Los Angeles, and the American Dream. Combining an exhibitionist quality with an academic/ introvert’s soul…Lauren Carter continues to push the envelope.  In 2016 her track ‘Around the Globe’ was picked up by Volkswagen for a radio commercial. She is an award-winning vocalist who attended prestigious Northwestern University and University of Southampton, UK and has lived and worked primarily out of London and Los Angeles.

Lauren’s full EP, ‘American Dream,’ will be released in January 2017.

A&R Factory Present: Erica Cooper

Posted on 16 January 2017

Erica Cooper announces the release of her debut album Safety Escape, April 29th 2017 on her record label Safety Escape Records. Erica is a Alternative Pop singer/songwriter from the Seattle area.

Her debut album was produced by Alek Edmonds, mixed by Paul David Hager (live engineer for Miley Cyrus, Devo) and mastered by Howie Weinberg (Nirvana, Jeff Buckley).

Erica performs as a solo artist and with her five piece band. She studied Jazz Vocal Performance and Composition at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle. She took an interest in audio and met engineer and producer Alek Edmonds. There she found her passion for writing and sound. For the last 3 years, she has been writing and recording her debut album.

Erica is influenced by Disco and artists such as Radiohead, The Eurythmics, Grimes, Joni Mitchell, Enya, Florence and the Machine, Imogen Heap, Arcade Fire and Feist. Themes in Erica’s music include the roles we play in love relationships, vulnerability, being present and staying in the moment, loss, addiction, her struggle with Lyme Disease, the highest highs and the lowest lows, self empowerment, setting boundaries, and hope.

Erica was fortunate to record in some amazing studios including London Bridge, Synergy and Avast in Seattle and Encore Studio A in LA.

www.ericacooper.com

A&R Factory Present: Eloah Jones

Posted on 3 January 2017

Eloah Jones is a driven, passionate and charismatic singer and songwriter with a truly unique approach and a diverse set of talents under her belt!

Now 17, Eloah has been acting and singing ever since she was 11. Eventually, due to her hard work and committed passion, was was finally able to bring her music to the next level and work on something amazing. Eloah recently released a brand new single, “Soldier”, which is inspired by artists as diverse as Selena Gomez or Lana Del Rey, just to mention but a few.

The single is catchy, direct and personal, while Eloah’s stunning vocal performance truly captivates the audience in a unique way.

One of the most striking things about the single is the way Eloah managed to craft a song that feels thought-provoking and deep, yet extremely catchy and easy to relate to, adding depth and sensibility to her blend of pop.

Hailing from Texas, Eloah is quickly generating quite a buzz around her music and talent, not only in her state, but also nationwide, as more and more fans become familiar with her warm vocals and amazing songwriting abilities.

Eloah even released a lyric video to the single, Her new single SOLDIER is now available on Apple Music, iTunes, and Spotify.

https://www.facebook.com/eloahjones/

A&R Factory Present: Kristine Mirelle

Posted on 4 November 2016

Kristine Mirelle is a Mexican/American singer/songwriter and pianist from Roswell NM. She currently resides in Los Angeles CA and actively performs 5 nights a week. Her work bears resemblances to the likes of Lilly Allen, Adele, Amy Winehouse, and Lana Del Rey.  Her genre of music can be described as Pop Retro Soul.

In her earlier years she performed and competed in National classical piano competitions around the US. She won 4 consecutive National Sonata competitions and was inducted into the International Piano Guild at age 12. One of her most popular subjects for interviews was her life she chose as a traveling musician selling her music door to door in neighborhoods all over the country. She traveled the United States selling her music in local neighborhoods and singing on people’s doorsteps.

She also volunteered in various countries around the world raising money via her viral fanbase and also going door to door selling her music. South Africa, Thailand, India, and Peru were all countries she visited volunteering and performing in special education centers and AIDS stricken communities.

Kristine also started a Mexican food brand in 2009 called “Lil Kristi’s” consisting of health conscious tortilla chips and salsas. Her products can be found in popular grocery stores including Whole Foods, Sprouts, and 70+ grocery stores in New Mexico.

Along with her passion for music, her passion for life has created a foundation for her ambitions. Kristine Mirelle continues to be an example of instrument mastery and vocal ability in a time when true musicians are scarce.

Kristine Mirelle currently lives in Hollywood CA.

www.KristineMirelle.com