Renowned Canadian singer-songwriter, Tara MacLean, wrote “Let Her Feel The Rain” following a breakup at the age of 19 which was deeply affecting.
“I noticed that I felt numb, and I went and laid outside on the grass at night in the rain, and just let it fall on me. I just needed to feel it, to feel the pain, and then let the rain wash it away. And it did. I wrote this song when I came inside, still wet and muddy. This was the song that made me realize that music was going to save my life,” explains MacLean.
Decades later, MacLean has reimagined the song with layered background vocals and strings evocative of the lush environment which she calls home in the Pacific Northwest.
“In so many ways the song is about rebirth,” says MacLean. When it came time to shoot the video for “Let Her Feel The Rain,” MacLean returned to her ‘nest’ on Salt Spring Island to perform the song, complete with hair and makeup done by her children.
“Let Her Feel The Rain” is taken from Tara MacLean’s upcoming new album, Sparrow, released on March 31st.
Reimagining 10 tracks from her catalogue, the album is the companion soundtrack to Song of the Sparrow, MacLean’s debut memoir with HarperCollins which is out now, exploring the transformative power of music in her life.
Coming off the high of his recent hypnotic single “Monkeys,” gaming music legend TheFatRat, popularly known for his immense online following of over ten million fans, has released his new single “Out Of The Rain.” The irresistibly hopeful new single features vocals from breakout alternative electronic singer-songwriter Shiah Maisel and culminates with an exciting brass-filled ending.
The tune begins to reveal the much anticipated beginning to his epic saga and is now available on all DSPs and streaming services, and is free to use on Social Media like YouTube and Twitch, true to TheFatRat’s tradition to make his songs available for creators without the hassle of demonetization.
With his second release of the year, the go-to-artist for Esports brands like ESL and Dreamhack has returned with an inspiring single dedicated to people going through a hard time. “Out Of The Rain” is a song that acknowledges our continued perseverance, even when things get hard. Fans may have noticed that the artwork of TheFatRat’s releases are connected and tell a cohesive story. Now, “Out Of The Rain” and the following songs will provide fans with the much anticipated beginning of this epic saga both through the artworks and the lyrics telling the story of two siblings; a girl with her younger brother, living under dire circumstances in the slums of a futuristic city, hoping for a better life.
“It’s a song about hope…We all have been in circumstances that feel unbearable but at the same time impossible to escape from. The song is about how you keep going and stay alive in such situations.” – TheFatRat
Known for his production and leadership in the gaming community, with his music being used in popular video games like the top-grossing Dota 2, Rocket League, Rolling Sky and Game For Peace, you can instantly hear the subtle influences of his tried and true sounds on the track. Opening with a bubbly beat paired with a lighthearted drum sequence, the diverse sounds lead to a one of a kind listening experience as the song goes on. As the energy of the music escalates, the bass drop approaches and listeners get the feeling that if this was a video game they are preparing for the boss battle. “The hardest part in “Out Of The Rain” were the drums,” said TheFatRat. “The drums in the first demo were ok, but didn’t quite have the bounce I was looking for. I ended up working over two weeks, full time, every single day to get them right.”
With Queens, NY born alt-electronic singer-songwriter Shiah Maisel’s strong vocals accompanying the beat, listeners are exposed to a truly unique audio-sensory moment across the song. Shiah has amassed over 110 million streams on Spotify alone through his very diverse music including popular songs like “Really Love You” feat. AFROJACK, “Not Coming Home Tonight,”, and collaborations with Laidback Luke, Kayzo & more.
“When Christian first showed me the song, I instantly knew these lyrics were ones that I wanted to sing. With such a deep and inspirational message that many can relate to, the world is in a vulnerable place, and the hope the song brings is very needed today…I’ve looked up to [him] for many years, and to be able to record with Chris in the studio was a dream come true. Everything flowed perfectly, and I’m so excited to inspire the world with this special song.” – Shiah Maisel
TheFatRat started 2023 off with a surprise, giving fans his own deep vocals on the long awaited track “Monkeys.” He capped 2022 with his December release of “Back one Day” featuring NEFFEX, the vocal version of his globally trending instrumental “Xenogenesis,” which had accumulated over 250 million TikTok views and participation from celebrities such as Nick Kroll on The Tonight Show, Lil Nas X, and massively popular YouTuber Collins Key. Prior to that, TheFatRat released “Ghost Light,” the seductive and saxophone-heavy trap-leaning collaboration with award-winning K-Pop band EVERGLOW. TheFatRat’s highly-anticipated lore-filled debut ten-track album PARALLAX was released in September 2021. As is still a tradition, each song from the album was premiered on YouTube followed by an interactive Discord chat hosted by TheFatRat with collaborators and thousands of his fans. The album, artwork, and lyrics from PARALLAX tell their own cohesive story filled with imaginative characters and fantasy settings that have been referenced in his past projects, with each single sharing new chapters of the story. This lore is a huge interest for his rabid fans, who speculated wildly on online forums about the meaning of each release and guessing what was coming next.
Alex Exists is the new project of Alex Pulec, founding member of rock bands The Ruby Spirit and The Nursery. Inspired by absurdism, hyper surrealism and optimistic nihilism with an acid tongue firmly planted in his cheek, he is fascinated by pop culture and ego. The signatures of Alex‘s creative work are his unique sonic touches, drum heavy rhythms and classic “pop through a blender” melodies.
“Dancing With Chaos” is the first single from forthcoming debut album, Everybody’s Famous (Except Me). “This song is for anyone that feels overwhelmed by the state of the media, politics, and the unrealistic societal expectations that are placed on us,” Alex explains. “It’s an ode to confronting chaos head on, and having fun with it, instead of running for the hills.”
The visuals play off the hypnotic vortex sucking you into the “Alex Exists World” of tragedy, comedy, and booty-shakin’ tunes. Alex created the artwork using a composite of his baby photos, street photography and computer software to re-imagine himself as a baby, lost in the streets of New York City screaming out the soul while the city is spinning, warping around them.
We caught up with Alex Exists for an exclusive Video Voyageur you can find below!
1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically?
A song is for anyone that feels overwhelmed by the state of the media, politics, and the unrealistic societal expectations that are placed on us. It’s an ode to confronting chaos head on, and having fun with it, instead of running for the hills. It’s a mesmerizing mellotron driven dirge that paints a vivid pastiche of urban life, and the otherworldliness that lies underneath the facade. Much like the tone and humor in John Carpenter’s classic movie “They Live”. I wanted to visualize this in a completely abstract way. Taking an avant-garde approach. No narrative, no obvious scenes, or storyboard. Just emotions, feelings, colors and moods meant to permeate the psyche and leave someone resonating with the song more on an emotional level vs. an intellectual level.
2. What was the inspiration behind this video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?
The visual style was inspired by the German expressionist film movement which peaked around the 1920’s to the 1930’s. These films were characterized by their use of dramatic lighting, distorted set designs, and exaggerated acting styles. These films often dealt with themes of social injustice, personal struggle, and psychological turmoil. Check out movies like “From Morn Till Midnight”, “Dr. Caligari”, “Metropolis” and “Nerves” if you wanna check out some of the specific films to get a visual idea of what I mean. Our twist on it was the use of projector lighting to create the warped world that the song illustrates.
3. What was the process of making this video?
Being indie filmmakers, we often work with limited budgets, it requires more creativity to fill the gap to make something look unforgettable, good quality and mesmerizing. The budgetary restrictions can make it challenging to create elaborate sets and worlds for their films. However, with the right creativity and resourcefulness, it is possible to create a convincing and immersive world even in a basement or other limited space. We shot this in a basement and the creative direction was largely helmed by director/designer Agata Waclawska (Moon Reel Media) who shot and produced the whole video.
Paul Hodes and The Blue Buddha Band celebrate the release of their new CD and digital stream “Turn This Ship Around” and the lead single “The Night I Met John Lennon”. The song is based on a stranger than fiction true story of when Paul bumped into Beatles legend John Lennon and Yoko Ono at a New York City Party and ended up spending the evening passing around a hash pipe! Oh? Didn’t know that story? It’s ok, don’t feel like you’re too far behind the bandwagon just yet.
What was long just a tightly held secret is now the plot to an engaging and fun rock ‘n’ roll song. Paul Hodes. Paul Hodes. Why does that name sound so familiar? Could it be because of his tenure as a Member of Congress from New Hampshire? Perhaps it’s due to his recent successes on radio and national podcast airwaves on his suite of shows: “Beyond Politics” and “Balance of Power”. Assuredly, you have never heard or seen a Congressman quite like this. “When I saw the documentary “Get Back”, it reminded me of my “get back” evening with rock star John Lennon, in an unscripted and unguarded moment. The song “The Night I Met John Lennon” just emerged as both a memory and a caution. You’ll hear about John, Yoko and even Andy Warhol! The Blue Buddha Band, Jon Gabay on Bass, Dean Rubine on Keys and, Ed Raczka on Drums and I spent the better part of a year recording our new album. We’re looking forward to sharing our original material with audiences” Hodes said. The Band debuted two sets of original material at The Capitol Center for The Arts, Bank of New Hampshire Stage to an SRO crowd. “The Night I met John Lennon” is climbing the Spotify charts. The Band is preparing to record a second album. What do you get when you put together a Congressman, two mad scientists and a jazz drummer? The Blue Buddha Band! The Band’s original sound fuses retro rock, folk, roots and superb original song-writing into a powerful blend. A night with The Blue Buddha is a riotous night of old-fashioned rock ’n’roll…a full-tilt, high energy night of roots flavored 100 Proof Originals, Americana, Blues and Psychedelia. Lead by guitar-slinging former Congressman Paul Hodes, The Blue Buddha Band features Bassist Jon Gabay, Dean Rubine on Keyboards, first call New England drummer, Ed Raczka, and guest vocalist Peggo Horstmann Hodes.
The Band’s new 11 song album “Turn This Ship Around” features a true story embodied in an upbeat and poignant single “The Night I Met John Lennon”.
Heartbreak Residue, the new LP from Bay-Area songwriter and activist Briget Boyle is a record that is ripe with raw, honest emotion. Buoyed by propulsive percussion and shimmering electric guitar, Boyle paints melodic pictures of the pivotal moments in life. Told with an eloquent economy of language, she speaks to the universal human experience. The tales written in this melodic jewelbox journal are imbued with a bittersweet nostalgia, yet they are far from maudlin. Rather, Boyle’s gift of a voice, leaping effortlessly from aching and intimate, to a soaring, razor-edged flash of power, rings with such a purity of sentiment that the listener is immediately drawn into her world, soon to find themselves shouting along with every chorus. Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, Boyle got an early start in music. As the child of two music industry veterans, being a musician was not just a calling, but part of her DNA. Her first professional experience was working in Hollywood’s film scoring studios alongside her legendary recording engineer father, the late Tim Boyle. She served as his second engineer for Starship Troopers, Animaniacs, Money Talks, and more. Boyle began writing songs when she was 12 years old, and attended the College of Santa Fe to study Music Performance & Composition. It was there that she discovered the rich traditional folk music of the Balkans, and quickly became a student of the voice and traditional singing styles. She became a key member of various Bay Area world music ensembles, including Kitka Women’s Vocal Ensemble (as featured soloist on multiple releases including The Rusalka Cycle: Songs Between the Worlds, Sanctuary: A Cathedral Concert, and Cradle Songs), Brass Menažeri Balkan Brass Band, and True Life Trio. Boyle released her first solo record, The Parts Interior in 2014, and the stellar follow-up, The Next Line in 2018. She has been featured on three albums with Brass Menažeri including Resilient (Balkan Brass Hip Hop Collaboration with Mr. Lif), Brazen, and Vranjski San. The third True Life Trio studio project, At My Window, is slated for release in the fall of 2023. In 2016, she and her father founded Waxsimile Productions, an independent record label with a mission to uplift the voices of diverse independent artists through equitable recording contracts, hands-on career support, and project development assistance. During the 2020 lockdown, the label partnered with queer musicians in the Bay Area to produce ten chapters of the I Need Space Festival, which provided a safe and accessible place for musicians to perform during the pandemic. In 2021, the Wax Collective was born, a group of queer artists supporting each other in the endeavor to thrive off of our creations through sync licensing, publishing, producing, and performance. The songs on Heartbreak Residue were written in a lonely one-bedroom apartment in Oakland, a bedroom in the basement in Chicago, and surrounded by majestic rocks and deeply rooted Berkeley trees. It was recorded at ModernTone Studios in Lafayette, CA, where Boyle is a vocal, guitar, and songwriting coach.
Produced by Modern Tone owner Jacob Light, the record features Boyle on guitar and vocals, Light on electric guitar and synth, Waxsimile Collective member Genesis Fermin on drums, and bassist David Wellerstein. Backing vocals were provided by Tim Silva, singer-songwriter Karen Tobin (who also happens to be Boyle’s mother), and legendary Bay Area vocalist Vicki Randle. Lewis Patzner played cello, Michael Bang played piano, and Juliana Graffagna from True Life Trio played accordion on “Even-Keeled Heart”. “Heartbreak Residue” was co-written with Adri Walker, a 15-year-old student of Boyle’s at ModernTone. Thematically, Heartbreak Residue is exploration of how grief and heartbreak sit in our lives, often long after the loss of love. A yearning for roots, family, and home, the terrible burden of mental illness, and apologies never made resonate deeply, and feel all too familiar. Charting the end of a marriage, seeking liberation from heartbreak, and the first tentative forays into the search for new love, this record is deeply relatable and eminently human. Wrapped in a rocking good sonic journey (the record is a bop, btw), listeners will find creative inspiration, hope for healing, big feelings, and just plain old fashioned rock and roll. Quite a combination, indeed.
Yvonne Josephine is a full time wisdom seeker and artist who is enlightened by shadows. Through her lyrics, vocal style and sound design she carries an emotional wisdom that resonates deeply through the subconscious and creates presence in the given moment for the listener. Her story telling is from a deeply awake viewpoint and flows to bring the melodic moments to life for a truly mesmerizing listening experience. A perfect combination of real and imagined.
“Through the Keyhole” has a clever mix of fantasy and reality, written with awareness of our current understanding of quantum theory and using a nostalgic, almost childlike, visual reference. Yvonne Josephine challenges the idea that we exist solely in a physical space and leads us on a journey of sensational thought and belief. With a chill electronic musical undertone, the vocal and forward risers elevate us towards those moments where time and space become one with the human mind, a deeply fresh and stimulating experience for the listener.
Those who enjoy chill electronic, deep and eye opening lyrics, minimalistic yet varied sound design and simple yet clean vocal styles will love this creation by Yvonne Josephine.
Modern Mystery 
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