The Baltimore, Maryland-based artist Slim Sly Slender had his musical awakening in 2009, during a casual warehouse jam session with friends. A successful painter and visual artist since his youth, Slim had an epiphany that day–and one single experience set him on a new path to become a prolific singer-songwriter. His quirky, wry lyrical style and straightforward instrumental settings are reminiscent of the Beatles music he grew up with, as well as great 80s acts such as Randy Newman, Billy Bragg,and Andy Partridge of the XTC.
Sly Slim Slender (performance name of Jay Schlueter) is setting up for the release of his sixth album, Pay to Play, with his recent single “War Paint”(May 27, 2022). “The initial idea for this song came from the title of the book about Helena Rubenstein and Elizabeth Arden, although other than that the song is not about either of them,” Slim said. “The song is about how normal and necessary it is for some people to be cosmetically made up at all times to confidently go out in public.”
“War Paint” invokes a fun vibe through the upbeat rhythm, melody, and ebullient bass. However, when listening close to the lyrics, the song becomes “a bit of a downer.” Without giving too much away, “War Paint” is the battle cry for those who do their face up for public outings, whether it is for artistic purposes or conformity. This song is nothing short from an earworm. The melody, backing vocals, and funky guitar rhythm will have listeners bopping and humming at any time of day.
“I do this because I love it,” Slim says. “Music is unlike visual art because when a person buys a painting, they put it on a wall, and only they and their friends can enjoy the piece of art. Music is for everybody. I love sharing it, and I’m excited to get this album out there in front of more people.”
Listen here:
Stream “War Paint” everywhere today, and follow Sly Slim Slender on social media to not miss his next release!!
The Impliers are the psychedelic rock duo making waves with their oddly tuned guitars, superb production quality, and innovative musical techniques. Dan and Charles have known each other since High School, though they recently got together to create The Impliers when their lives seemed to mirror each others. It was fate.
Their recent music video is for their single “Lighting.” The song is seemingly about mental health and it’s effect on people. They perfectly and masterfully visualize what it’s like to suffer from a mental illness, stuck in a depressive state and suddenly, as if struck by lighting, you are in another place mentally. The use of quick shots and flashing lights aid this idea and show how fast things can change. They interchange the fast with the slow with a lot of shots that represent stillness, but stillness in a way that captures the inability to move.
We spoke with The Impliers about their innovate and powerful video:
1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically in this way?
There’s a bipolar sense to what’s going on in this song, lyrically and in how the parts dramatically change in moods and range of feeling. I had always thought bipolar was someone who rapidly changed their mind or moods and was hot and cold, but it’s more of an exaggerated version of what everyone tends to go through – which is a longer arc of being down and then coming out. It was so interesting to learn that bursts of creative energy and motivation that most of us feel can actually be a symptom of bipolar, the mania specifically – that had never occurred to me that the higher highs were one of the poles. Charles and I have both experienced this through our own diagnosis as adults. I think this song shows some of that bipolar thinking in seeing different perspectives, with bursts of energy and some subdued elements while showing forward progress in diving within – it really compliments the broader story we explore on our record ‘cocoon coming out on August 19’ as it rounds out the first part of the record before there’s a change in atmosphere. The visuals really try to exaggerate these emotions.
2. What was the inspiration behind this video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?
We initially decided that we would not have any music videos for this album, as we felt the music and the experience that happens in the minds of the listener is the most important experience of the music, and we didn’t want to interfere with that, but one day the image came of the man in the bed that opens the video, and the rest of the video came like a string of pearls. There is an interesting duality that is explored both in the settings, ranging from the closed, dull inside scenes to the expansive colorful external scenes, but there’s an additional layer that shows a crossover of elements between the two landscapes and a hint of further duality in each of the individuals own consciousness.
3. What was the process of making this video?
Well, from a technical execution standpoint, we handle our own filming, editing and everything from ideation to completion. Charles and I always vet ideas together, and that ranges from bouncing a full idea off one another to coming up with the idea together from scratch and riffing. And sometimes, we will get our hands on one another’s idea and try to send it back in the most surprising fashion. Lightning was an interesting approach in that I filmed a few scenes to understand Charles’ reaction and when we realized we were on to something and worked out more of the ideas, we booked time to film and I put together a few ideas that I wanted to film without giving context as to what was happening. When we started filming in the woods, Charles had a post-it note of hand-gestures which he executed on flawlessly. The beauty of our working relationship, is throughout the entire process, with the post-it notes, while we were exchanging uniforms consistently throughout the day as we relocated filming locations, there was never the question of “what are we filming” and the complete trust that our ages old creative collaborative process would come through in the end, in a way that worked for both of us. One funny moment, though – my brother Bryan flew in to help operate our film gear that weekend and on the first night we filmed a scene with the foot and the man under the bed. He called our brother Sean that night and said “I landed, and next thing you know I was being filmed sitting on the bed with a gel dripping off my bare foot, while a grown man dressed in a white suit laid under the bed.”
Jesse Rivest is a singer-songwriter, guitarist, and self-producing artist. An observant, introspective, yet adventurous soul, his songs aren’t written seeking to effect change. However, the fact that he’s been writing and performing them for about 20 years, all the while living around the world leaving light footprints, has had an unintentional consequence.
With his new single “Nostargic,” he draws a parallel, allured by the idea that perhaps memories are like starlight, still reaching us long after their sources have burned out. A dose of nostalgia can stone us as much as a starry sky; both are intoxicating encounters with something that once was.
The fire pit in the music video ties in with the penultimate lyric, “if I could I’d find the old spark… blow it back to life,” born out of his childhood fascination with blowing the nighttime campfire back to life in the early morning.
His next EP—and various singles after that—were produced in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, where he has lived since 2013. Before that, Rivest held a home base in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Argentina.
Residing on the fringe of the Ottawa/Gatineau region, Pedal Generic is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, and songwriter who likes to make sounds that make him feel bigger than himself. His upcoming 9-track LP, Pedagogy, is his 6th project.
The possibility of finding “the one” is such a beautiful thought. Unfortunately, to love is easier said than done and the past proves this to be true. Do you open up at the possibility of love or stay closed off at the risk of hate?
The reminiscent and intimate single, “Longing,” is Pedal Generic’s call for love. With this song, he’s opening up his heart to the possibility of romance and using music as a way to attract a potential lover.
You can listen in here:
The album, Pedagogy, was entirely produced, written and recorded by Pedal Generic at his home studio in Ottawa, ON. It was mixed by Mike Dubue (HILOTRONS) at Studio Cimetière in Quyon, QC, and mastered by Phil Bova at Bova Lab Studios in Ottawa, ON.
Emotionally, it was a tough project for Pedal Generic to take on, as it has been his most honest and vulnerable work to date. Pedagogy’s theme is of an individual trying to live, love and grow in a cold world of adversity.
Parks N’ Rec is the new project from Canadian singer Marco DiFelice (Supergarage),
songwriter, music supervisor (Orphan Black, Lost Girl). In collaboration with several producers at Self Titled Studios, Parks N’ Rec deals with lost love, polarizing societies, and self-renewal.
His new song, “Deep Sea Diver,” was created while DiFelice was staying in Belize, though lyrically it had been brewing in his mind for over two years. It explores themes of loneliness and courage; it’s a song about DiFelice’s attempt at ego death.
Belize is a place where the sea is dotted with cayes and a history of courageous and adventurous divers exploring there. DiFelice was specifically interested in how a lot of those people are breaking through barriers of their own mind and body. He felt lucky to be around that culture and to have an opportunity to understand the obsession with “what’s underneath.” Through these experiences, DiFelice was trying to walk himself through his fear of the deep sea. He then created a magical place where fear and beauty collided as he daydreamed under the sea.
Casey Møøn is a genre-defying multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and half of the production duo Zookids. Having handled production for Young Thug, Gunna, and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, written for independent artists in the indie-pop world, and played in a slough of rock bands over the years, his style has absorbed an eclectic array of influences.
Over the course of 2022, Casey plans to release his trilogy of EPs: Fountains, Mirrors and Ashes. Each project varies in genre and draws thematic influence from a different film or TV series. Listened to sequentially, the projects tell a story about growing up, love, and loss.
Boasting a strong voice with an ear for pop melody, modern production and a dazzling live show, Casey shines on “home,” crooning “if we can’t talk about what it is we can’t talk about, all that shit’s got to come out somehow.”
“home” is taken from the first in the series,Fountains, which evokes childhood feelings of wonder and alienation. Unable to express anything and having that emotion built up with nowhere to go. Alone in a sea of people pushing him to do things he didn’t understand yet.
Modern Mystery 
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