by Jane Lambert

Kenzy Kyx Spins Heartbreak Into Pop Gold on Her Debut EP “Glitter”

There’s a giddy rush to Kenzy Kyx’s debut EP Glitter that is much like a friend pulling you onto the dance floor before you even finish your drink.

Across four tracks she takes the bruises of her twenties – bad love, self-doubt, tiny wins – and spins them into fizzy and defiant pop. It’s pop, but pop with teeth and personality, full of sly jokes and big choruses.

Listen here:

Kenzy’s voice is the glue. It has that grainy warmth that recalls Stevie Nicks in her prime, but she flips it over sleek modern beats that nod to Sabrina Carpenter and Gwen Stefani.

You can hear the path she’s taken. Scribbling lyrics as a kid, falling for poetry in high school, a formative trip to Nashville that convinced her to jump in with both feet. She writes and composes everything herself, which gives these songs a diary entry honesty even when the production is sparkling.

The opener, “Take It Easy” has an easy breezy flow with shimmering vocal harmonies and sets the tone for the EP.

The title track “Glitter” elevates the collection with its shimmering, euphoric soundscape. Layered synths, groovy bass lines and bold melodies create a playful yet empowering anthem about transformation and embracing change. It’s a song that encourages listeners to dance, shine and revel in the beauty of stepping into their own power, blending current pop hooks with subtle nods to timeless disco.

Then there’s Kenzy’s bold cover of No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak.” Rather than a straight copy, Kenzy reimagines the 90’s classic in her own voice – slower, moodier, but still melodic – giving the track a depth that contrasts beautifully with the EP’s brighter moments. Honoring Gwen Stefani’s original while making it fit her sonic world, it reflects the EP’s recurring theme of letting go and moving forward.

Lead single “I’m So Glad” is the obvious standout. It’s a glittery breakup anthem built for shouting in your car with the windows down. But the other songs on Glitter carry the same playful defiance, mixing hooks with a sly wink that makes you feel like you’re in on the joke.

There’s vulnerability here too, but Kenzy has that skill for turning messy feelings into something you actually want to move to.

Glitter stands out and is not a cautious first step by any means. Kenzy Kyx is not just trying to mimic anyone else’s lane. She is building her own, one glitter coated hook at a time, and inviting listeners to come along for the ride.

Connect with Kenzy Kyx:

Website / Instagram / Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube

08.29.25

by Jane Lambert

VIDEO VOYAGEUR: 3 Q’s WITH ANIMALS IN DENIAL

Animals-in-Denial-shallow-cover-rock-grunge-metal

With its emotion and frenetic energy, “Shallow” stands as one of Animals in Denial’s most striking and personal songs.

Written by Christian Ines during a tumultuous and destructive relationship, the track captures the chaos of love that is built on lies, obsession and abandonment.

Now paired with a haunting new video directed by Jon Paul Anderson, “Shallow” plunges viewers directly into Ines’s headspace – a first person descent into a relationship unraveling in real time.

We sat down with Christian to talk about the story behind the song, the inspiration for the visuals and how a chance discovery on YouTube led to a creative partnership that brought his vision vividly to life.

Watch the Official Music Video to “Shallow” here:

1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically in this way?

Well I wrote the song when I was going through a horrible relationship. It was full of drama and part way through I started to realize that this was just some sort of game and that the feelings she claimed to have for me, were completely shallow. It was one of those songs I knew I wanted to have a visual component ie video for, but I was a bit stuck at how to do it.

I wanted it to convey the vibe of where my head was at, and to make a person watching feel like they were a fly on the wall in my head. So the choice to visualize this way was really me finding the right video maker with the right eye and sense of frenetic clarity. The director/maker Jon Paul Anderson, and I hit it off and he completely understood the vision and really fleshed it out more and really nailed it. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to take the lead on the project.

2. What was the inspiration behind this new video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?

As far as the inspiration for the new video, it was always a song I wanted to have a video for, as it’s really meant to look like you’re inside of my head while I’m going through a relationship that’s really just a train wreck in disguise. I wanted it to feel frenetic yet clear, as during that time and relationship hot and cold can’t even begin to describe it. One minute you’re feeling like you and this person can withstand the weight of the world, and others you don’t even know if she likes you. I wanted it to also convey a feeling of loneliness or more like abandonment as that’s what I was feeling when I wrote the song.

So the video takes a first person view, to try to make you feel like you’re me and going through the motions of something even though you know in your gut something isn’t quite right. Me and the director went back and forth over email and then he went to work filming and editing and what he turned in needed no revisions. I loved it when I saw it and thought he completely nailed it. I hope you like it.

3. What was the process of making the video?

The process for the video wasn’t mine, but it was basically me and the director going back and forth over email. I started looking for cool music videos on YouTube and found a really talented YouTuber named Jon Paul Anderson. He did a video for a nine inch nails song, called “Vessel” that I was blown away by. I reached out to the guy and we hit it off chatting and so I then told him I had a song I really thought his approach would be perfect for if he was interested. He said to send him the track and I’ll let you know. He came back super enthusiastic, and asked if I had any ideas, I replied with what I was thinking about being a fly on the wall inside of my head.

He followed up with me quickly, that he had some footage that he thought would be perfect he also had some ideas for some stuff he could shoot to add. The end result was something I was beyond proud of.

08.26.25

by Jane Lambert

Leaving Without Regrets in Reeya Banerjee’s Brand New Album “This Place”

On her brand new album This Place, Reeya Banerjee proves that home isn’t always a fixed location. Home can be a feeling, a memory or even a song. The record is equal parts intimate reflection and widescreen arena rock.

The album opens with an immediacy that pulls the listener into Banerjee’s world. Her vocals are warm, commanding and human, serving as the album’s compass and guiding us through songs of transition, loss, resilience and love that holds steady through change.

Standout tracks like “Snow” shimmers with atmosphere, while “Misery of Place” rides a darker, restless energy that nods to Banerjee’s rock instincts. “For The First Time” finds strength in its vulnerability, and the closing track “Upstate Rust” is nothing short of an anthem – its soaring choruses and full band firepower leave the listener uplifted and changed. Each track carries its own weight, but together they form a cohesive narrative about moving forwards while carrying the places and people that have shaped you.

The album fuses indie rock grit with dreamlike textures, bringing in influences that range from R.E.M. to Florence + The Machine without ever losing Banerjee’s distinctive voice. Her longtime collaborators in The Merseyside Darby breathe life into the musical arrangements, their chemistry palpable in every layered harmony and guitar lines.

What makes This Place so striking is not just its richness and emotional generosity. Banerjee doesn’t shy away from complexity. She embraces it, creating a body of work that feels both grounded and expansive. This is the kind of album that grows with each listen, offering new corners to explore and moments to hold close.

This Place is a record about movement, memory and the enduring beauty of connection. It’s like a map of the heart.

Keep up to date with Reeya Banerjee on her Website

Stream music on Spotify and Apple Music

08.26.25

by Jane Lambert

Moments Of Hit Hard with their Latest Single “Threshold”

With “Threshold,” Portland’s Moments Of come out boldly. It’s their first official single, but it doesn’t feel like a band still figuring out their footing. It sounds like a group that knows exactly what they want to say.

“Threshold” lives in that uneasy space between comfort and collapse, the realization that what once felt safe is now slowly suffocating.

Listen in here:

Ben Wilson’s vocal delivery is heavy with that tension while Jackson Howard and Adam Howarth’s guitars twist and collide in a way that mirrors the push and pull of the lyrics. The verses feel like they are holding something back as they coil tighter and tighter until the chorus cracks everything open.

That’s where the rhythm section really shines. Dan Dunham’s drums thunder underneath, and Kyle Gravel’s bass keeps the whole thing locked to a pulse that is impossible to ignore.

What is striking is how alive the song is. Producer Adam Cichocki lets the edges show and resists the urge to sand everything down. It’s raw but not messy, polished but not sterile – the kind of recording that makes you feel like you are in the room with the band.

There is a late ’90’s / early 2000’s DNA running through it, but it avoids coming off as just another nostalgia trip. Instead “Threshold” feels like a bridge between that era and now.

As far as debuts go, this one is bold. It throws the door open wide and dares you to follow. It’s hard not to wonder just how big Moments Of are about to get.

About Moments Of

Moments Of are an alt emo five piece from Portland, Maine who balance melody and grit with a skill for writing songs that hit straight at the heart.

What began as frontman Jackson Howard’s solo project quickly grew into a full band with the addition of co-vocalist Ben Wilson, guitarist Adam Howarth, bassist Kyle Gravel and drummer Dan Dunham.

Together they have built a sound that pulls from late ’90s and early 2000s emo and pop-punk while pushing it into sharper and more modern territory.

Their debut single “Threshold” marks a definite turning point. It’s unapologetically honest and sets the stage for their forthcoming album At Least You Found a Way to Disappear.

Keep up with Moments Of on their Website

08.25.25

by Jane Lambert

VIDEO VOYAGEUR: 3 Q’s WITH POEMS

Every band has a song that feels like a turning point, and for San Diego indie group Poems, that moment arrived with “Afterparty”.

Equal parts anxious confession and electrified catharsis, the track has quickly become their live closer and a fan favorite. Now, with a brand new video directed by rising LA filmmaker Christopher Shaibi, the song has taken on a vivid new life, one that mirrors the tension of dressing up for the night, only to feel like an outsider the second you walk through the door.

Poems are a band unafraid to dig into vulnerability, pulling from their own struggles with identity, prescription medication and the heavy fog of anxiety that often lingers around young adulthood. Yet their music never wallows.

Instead, it channels those insecurities into commanding vocals, raw emotion and the kind of guitar driven textures that recall early 2000’s indie icons while carving out something distinctly their own.

We sat down with the band to talk about the making of the Afterparty video, the influences that shaped its story and how this release signals where Poems are heading next.

Watch the Official Music Video for “Afterparty” here:

1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically in this way?

Afterparty was born from memories of the past, being an adolescent wallflower at every party attended. It’s about that feeling of wanting to break out of your shell and be that person you want to be, but crippling anxiety taking hold of you in every moment.
We chose to visualize the song this way to really showcase what it’s like being in that constant state of living in your own head. Imagine dressing your absolute best for the party, only to arrive feeling like you have to pretend to be someone just to get through the night.

2. What was the inspiration behind this new video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?

We definitely pulled some inspiration from some of our favorite music videos. Over the years, we really loved staying up to date with Interpol and The 1975’s style of storytelling through visuals. We didn’t want to divulge too much of the storyline through the visuals alone, but leave a more broad landscape of what they song is trying to convey.

3. What was the process of making the video?

We were able to get in contact with a really awesome video creator by the name of Christopher Shaibi in LA. He has worked with some heavy hitters in the industry as he is really starting to make a name for himself, so we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work with him.

We rented out a studio in LA for the day and dug in. We were able to give Chris a rough outline of how we wanted to final product to look, and he far exceeded our expectations! It was so fun to see our song vision come to life!

Keep up to date with Poems on the Website

08.21.25

by Jane Lambert

Poems’s “Half-Life” – Wrestling with Anxiety in Sound Form

Emerging from the vibrant San Diego indie scene, Poems have created an EP that captures the complex experience of young adulthood, exploring self-discovery, vulnerability and the quiet battles we face with our own minds.

From the first notes of “Placebo”, lightly fuzzy guitars and nuanced, commanding vocals pull listeners into a world of reflection and emotional honesty. Half-Life conveys a lived experienced, and a sense of wrestling with internal tension and the fragile beauty of confronting one’s own anxieties.

Listen in here:

“NFS (Naked For Science)” builds on this foundation, exploring the interplay between identity, medication and personal vulnerability. Sparse and carefully chosen lyrics leave room for reflection, while the vocals have a cool detached energy reminiscent of early 2000’s UK indie rock.

“Afterparty” is a track that ties the narrative together with more depth. It portrays the inner dialogue of someone navigating anxiety and self expectation, set against shimmering and pulsing guitar lines that underscores the tension inherent in the song. Produced by Billy Foster (Fontaines D.C., Wet Leg), mixed by John Catlin (Inhaler), and mastered by John Greenham (Billie Eilish), Half-Life gives the band’s vulnerability a lot of space to breathe while retaining a crisp and professional sound.

Poems turn personal struggle into music that resonates beyond just their experiences. Each track is a careful balance of tension, reflection and hope, proving that indie rock can be both introspective and captivating.

This is a band growing into its identity, unafraid to explore the messy, complicated terrain of the mind.

About Poems

Poems began releasing music in 2021 and expanded in 2022 with two new members, solidifying their sound as a full indie rock outfit.

The band has performed at venues across California, including Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, The Music Box in San Diego, and Brick and Mortar in San Francisco, opening for acts such as The Never Ending Fall.

Their first EP West Coast was released in 2024, followed by Half-Life in 2025. Poems explore themes of anxiety, identity, and coming of age themes blending UK-inspired indie rock textures with personal storytelling.

Connect with Poems:

Website / Instagram / Spotify / Apple Music