Reminiscent of 90’s alt-icons like Fiona Apple, Ash Molloy is vulnerable, raw, and unfiltered in her approach to music. A multi-instrumentalist with a degree in neuroscience, she’s full of surprises as she bares it all with her deep-cut takes on sexuality, body-shame, and life as a woman. Not fitting the mold in her small town of St John’s, Newfoundland, Ash is an absolute force of an artist, making a name for herself with her unique vocals, cutting lyrics, and sheer tenacity to get her message and music out into the world.
The majority of the music for her newest release, “Viv,” was already written for a woman by that name. Ash had never met her but loved how her name looked so she kept it. Now she has a song and a tattoo on her body named after a woman she only wound up meeting a month ago. It’s a song about losing yourself in the summer and that feeling you get when you’ve drank a little too much and start looking at people a bit differently.
Montreal-raised, Toronto-based certified Afrobop queen, Aiza, is claiming her own sovereignty on her debut album. Featuring 11 tracks which showcase her unique blend of soulful afropop and R&B, Sovereignty is in the words of Aiza herself, “an ode to the many lessons I’ve learned to become the empowered and unapologetic woman I am today.”
“The album dives into my experiences dealing with heartbreak, healing my inner child, honoring my lineage and boldly owning the fact that I’m a star.”
Working with her longtime partner and producer, C The Reason, as well as an established team of collaborators including Divinity Roxx, Beyoncé’s former bassist and music director, Aiza has crafted a collection of songs which own her power.
As the album’s wise and percussive title track establishes, “f*ck it I’m coming through: young, Black, gifted and beautiful!”
Creating a hypnotic soundscape of drums, bass, and synths, Aiza and C The Reason share a compass for the equal parts vulnerable and boundary establishing songs to come.
Sovereignty features previously released singles, including the playful Afropop of “Majimbo,” Aiza’s French language “eff around and find out” anthem, “Kité,” the delectable and self-assured “Alright,” as well as the album’s debaucherous and seductive lead single, “Cocoa Butter.”
During the three years it took to complete Sovereignty, Aiza explains that she “chose to bet on [herself] over and over again, even when [she] had no idea how it would come together.”
“To my precious and growing tribe around the world, thank you for believing in this little Burundian girl from Montreal. I have never been more proud to put out a project and I can’t wait for you to listen to it on repeat. May this album become the soundtrack to powerful awakenings and unforgettable nights spent dancing under the moonlight.”
Among the latest to emerge from a Texas psych-rock tradition that goes back more than fifty years, Houston’s Cactus Flowers announce the November 17th release of their sophomore full-length Elation with leadoff single “Stockholm.” Listen in here:
Once again, frontwoman/bandleader Jessica A.M. channels the power of a live volcano through her guitar rig, her tone pouring through your speakers like scorching lava. Meanwhile, her mystical lyrics convey a dreamlike, starry-eyed romanticism spiked with a bite of attitude.
Raised by a mom who photographed bands for Rolling Stone during the magazine’s counter-culture heyday, Jessica was, believe it or not, a late bloomer when it came to playing rock music. Originally, her path seemed to point in the direction of her formal violin training.
But once she discovered the electric guitar in college, the die was cast. And when she met drummer and musical soulmate Mark Carcamo, a chemical reaction catalyzed, giving rise to Cactus Flowers’s intoxicating cocktail of psychedelia, fuzz, doom and classic rock.
“It took me like 7 or 8 years to craft my sound,” Jessica explains. But once it clicked, there was no turning back.
Recorded by Grammy-winning producer Steve Christensen (Khruangbin, Steve Earle), Elation is a super-charged, almost monolithic realization of the band’s vision, which now includes bassist John Griffith (who produced the band’s debut full-length, 2019’s Incantations).
Fittingly enough, the band wrote the bulk of Elation on numerous desert drives from Texas to the West Coast. Taken together, the songs take the listener on a fuzz-soaked musical journey of inner self discovery.
Lol, the new album from Portland duo Zeroz, hyperpop’s answer to alt-rock/grunge, but with lots of tears and brooding to go along with all the guitar crunch. This is an infectious record with lots of emotional contours for how zany and upbeat it gets.
It’s not too often that we associate face-melting guitar crunch with late-night crying jags, but Zeroz (FKA Butterfly) aren’t like other bands. In what can best be described as a party album for when you need to do some brooding and jump around a bit, Zeroz reach new heights of frenzy with their sophomore album Lol.
With Lol, the Portland duo serves up an irresistible blast of ‘90s-style alt/grunge riffing mixed with punk energy, contemporary hyperpop, dollops of sad boy tears and a deliciously wicked embrace of dark moods — all wrapped up in sugar-sweet hooks and a powerful knack for writing anthems for our current moment.
2023 has been a year of firsts for the Monster EnergyOutbreak Tour, fresh off their first nationwide Latin tour with rising Trap/Reggaeton sensation, Mariah Angeliq, today they’ve announced the debut of Monster Energy Outbreak Tour: AMPLIFIED, an extension of the popular, genre-spanning tour series.
‘AMPLIFIED’ will feature 3 bonafide dance music headliners – GHASTLY , BOOGIE T.RIO x Manic Focus, and LEVEL UP as part of a singular EDM tour series which will give fans the opportunity to win amplified experiences – ranging from VIP passes to watch the show side stage and pre-show soundcheck access to personal meet & greets with individual photos, autographed merchandise, and more!
Multi-genre artist GHASTLY, known for his continuously evolving musical sound and discography that spans a multitude of genres, burst onto the scene as a solo artist when he produced the high-profile collaboration with Lil Jon and Mija, titled “Crank It,” on Skrillex’s world-famous record label, OWSLA. In 2022, GHASTLY released his highly anticipated sophomore album, Haunted Haus which showcased his unique take on both house and future bass, and debuted in the top 5 Dance albums on Apple Music with smash hits including “Smoke” with Madalen Duke and “Fangs” with ALRT.
BOOGIE T. RIO is a live band that consists of Boogie T on vocals/guitar/keys, longtime musical cohort Frank ‘Animal Drums’ Castro on drums, and New Orleans-based musical virtuoso Andriu ‘Yano’ Yanovski on keyboard and synth bass. Lead vocalist Boogie T has risen to prominence in the bass music world as a producer and a touring DJ, performing at festivals such as Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Coachella, EDC, Electric Forest, and many more. BOOGIE T. RIO is the next phase in the evolution of Boogie T, with the band dropping their debut “Three For All” EP and first live performances in Summer 2018, followed by their “3Fall EP”, and subsequent 50+ city national tour in 2020.
The Manic Focus Band is the live instrument fusion of electronic music by John “JmaC” McCarten, a Denver-based producer with roots in funk, soul, and new-era hip-hop. A multi-dimensional artist with a rowdy style that spans across genres, Manic Focus fuses soulful blues with heavy-hitting bass, creating a tone that’s entirely his own. The Band include instrumentalist and producer Marvel Years on guitar joined with the legendary percussion of Colby Buckler (Marvel Years Trio, Emancipator Ensemble). JmaC and Manic Focus have had some incredible live performances at some of the most popular festivals and venues including Lollapalooza, Hulaween, North Coast Music Festival, Electric Forest, Bonnaroo, The Gorge Amphitheater in WA and numerous Red Rocks performances supporting Zhu, Emancipator, Pretty Lights and more.
Originally a battle DJ studying under the legendary Rob Swift, LEVEL UP later dove into music production after discovering dubstep. Since then, she has established herself as an artist at the crossroads of blending heavy and future bass, with her own flips of classic dance and emo anthems. Her live performances have captivated audiences at legendary venues such as Red Rocks, Lollapalooza, Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas, Bonnaroo, Lost Lands, Beyond Wonderland, Electric Forest, and Bass Canyon, to name a few.
Since launching in 2011, Monster Energy’s Outbreak Tour has been shaping music culture and breaking new artists, while being involved with many of today’s biggest names in music across Hip Hop, EDM, Country, Rock, Latin, and Comedy.
Tickets for all tours are on-sale now and can be found HERE.
See full schedules and ticket links below.
BOOGIE T.RIO x MANIC FOCUS
11.09.23 Indianapolis, IN – Deluxe at Old National Center
11.10.23 Chicago, IL – Riviera Theatre
11.11.23 Pontiac, MI – Elektricity
11.15.23 Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s
11.16.23 Columbus, OH – Skully’s
11.17.23 Buffalo, NY – Iron Works
11.18.23 Philadelphia, PA – Brooklyn Bowl
11.24.23 Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl
11.25.23 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
11.29.23 Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre
11.30.23 Charlotte, NC – Blackbox
12.01.23 Atlanta, GA – The Eastern
12.02.23 Savannah, GA – Elan
12.03.23 Nashville, TN – Exit/In
12.07.23 Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater
12.08.23 Fort Collins, CO – Aggie Theatre
12.09.23 Frisco, CO – 10 Mile Music Hall
Tickets Available at: BoogieT.Net | ManicFocus.com
GHASTLY
10.31.23 Costa Mesa, CA – Time
11.09.23 Sacramento, CA – The Park Ultra Lounge
11.10.23 San Francisco, CA – Yolo
11.11.23 Sunnyvale, CA – Pure
11.17.23 Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre
11.18.23 Charlotte, NC – Blackbox
12.01.23 New York, NY – Musica
12.22.23 Philadelphia, PA – The Ave
01.13.24 Kansas City, MO – Aura
01.19.24 Tucson, AZ – Gentle Ben’s
01.20.24 Honolulu, HI – HB Social Club
01.26.24 Edmonton, AB – Midway Music Hall
01.27.24 Calgary, AB – The Palace Theatre
Tickets Available at: Ghastly.co
LEVEL UP
11.02.23 Grand Rapids, MI – Elevation
11.03.23 Chicago, IL – Joe’s on Weed St
11.11.23 Montreal, QC – Fairmount
11.16.23 Nashville, TN – Exit/In
11.17.23 New York, NY – Webster Hall
11.18.23 Philadelphia, PA – The Ave
12.01.23 Detroit, MI – Elektricity
12.02.23 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
12.07.23 Kansas City, MO – RecordBar
12.08.23 St Louis, MO – Old Rock House
12.09.23 Los Angeles, CA – Exchange LA
12.14.23 Minneapolis, MN – The Loft at Skyway
12.15.23 Denver, CO – The Ogden Theatre
12.16.23 Oklahoma City, OK – Farmers Market
Tickets Available at: LevelUpDub.net
Tickets for all Monster Energy Outbreak Tour: AMPLIFIED series available at: OutbreakPresents.com
Global Chinese superstar Lay Zhang (LAY) returns to the music scene with his Chinese co-ed group D.N.A Music Alliance, releasing their first album《D.N.A》 centered around the theme “love”now available on all streaming platforms. The seven-member group, lead by Lay Zhang, along with members DANKO, GALI, Victor Ma, Shan Yichun, Wang Ziyi and Vinida, showcase their musical prowess in the collective’s latest body of work.The 11-track album is under the co-executive production by LAY himself highlighting his versatility and talent as a multi-faceted artist in the realm of music production.
Experimenting across both HipHop and R&B,《D.N.A》 is an album guaranteed to fit the taste of every listener. The first track, “All In” is a love song with a very unique rhyme, with lyrics that can arouse the emotional resonance of the audience. “Break My Heart” is a stand-out piece on lovelorn people produced by Bijan. “Right Back” tells the story of feelings after a brief separation from one’s lover, as one subconsciously starts to miss him or her. With “Racks On Me,” listeners absorb a warm-lighted ode to love produced by Yung Dza. “What She Said” is a story about an intimate relationship that draws to a close while “Wait For You” is a monologue turned into a confession about a chance encounter with love. “No Reason” is a knock-out collaboration between Prince Yi and Asian-Canadian musician Anders. Continuing the flow of the D.N.A hits, “Oh La La,” was also produced by Bijan who’s worked alongside hip-hop heavyweight Metro Boomin. “Except For You” is an R&B love song that expresses love from a male perspective. “Ashley” is a narrative ballad where you get to know her life and personality, produced by GRAMMY Award-winning producer Soolgothits. The bonus track of the album, “UZI” has a strong rhythm to express the attitude of adhering to a dream.
LAY has been and continues to be a household name in Asia, and his career in a whirlwind the last three years after joining forces with Steve Aoki and will.i.am for the 2020 hit cross-cultural collaboration Love You More, reaching #1 on the QQ Music China chart. He then released a string of hits with an album, two EP’s, cross-genre collaborations and solo singles overseas further propelling his international star power. The Chinese icon is one of the most beloved stars in the region with a loyal and highly engaged 51 million followers on Weibo and over 14.2 million followers on Instagram. As a solo artist, the entrepreneur’s career has skyrocketed to tremendous success, becoming the highest-ranked Mando-pop star on Billboard 200 chart and the first Chinese artist to enter the iTunes Top 60 in the U.S.; with his third solo album NAMANANA. Outside of music, he routinely showcases his skills for acting in TV and film roles, hosted multiple top-rated reality shows in Asia and is one of the most awarded artists in China. Now, LAY is working with a multitude of established and emerging artists to help bring their star power overseas with this project close to his heart.
Modern Mystery 
You must be logged in to post a comment.