Randie O’Neil has done it again with her latest single, “Queen (of the Barstool Two-Step).” The country, Americana, and folk artist herself is breaking boundaries with this new track, fusing elements of alternative pop with folk, country, and rock all together in sound.
O’Neil describes her latest single as “actually a sad song about a lonely individual who just doesn’t want to be alone. They get dressed up and try to look their best and hope they don’t end up alone. They also know that it’s not true love but just alone in a crowd. It’s a covid song in that for lonely people, covid was even lonelier because there was no chance at connection.”
O’Neil puts her whole self into her writing and performances, using honest and witty lyrics about heartache and strength, paired with catchy melodies. With her roots-inspired sound, she has independently released multiple albums over the years. This latest single is one of many. With influences like Pat Benatar, Melissa Etheridge, and Fleetwood Mac you are sure to not be disappointed.
Make sure to go check out “Queen (of the Barstool Two-Step)”
Craig Norris Byrd has no problem writing songs about the trials and tribulations that life throws at us. The folk-rock singer/songwriter takes the personal and makes it relatable with his conceptual music and lyrics. His debut album, Remissions, gives us a look at his passions and values. The 10 track album is heavy with a cathartic artistic statement where he purges his pain and struggle into his music. “I am not so interested in publicizing what I have done, but I am interested in sharing where this album comes from,” shares Craig . “This album is a personal statement I had to get out of the way before I could move on.”
Remissions pulls from many different folk traditions, and harkens us to the likes of Paul Simon and a little bit like Johnny Cash. It was solely composed, arranged, and produced by Byrd, but features a bevy of ace musicians supporting his fine songcraft.
The songs on the album take on darker themes. His song “Your Bud” is about his father’s descent into dementia and how he never got to fix their relationship. “He died with much regret and never got the chance to meet my two sons,” Craig shares. “His mental acuity steadily diminished and he met his death in a hospital when he woke up from back surgery and did not know who he was and what was going on. He was unrestrained and proceeded to tear out his sustenance and medication tubing and get up to try and leave. This resulted in physical trauma from which he never recovered.” He sings “And I was wrong to let the pain I went through/keep us so far apart until just now,” trying to grapple and cope with the memory of his father.
Not every song is as heavy as “Your Bud” and “Gina Rides a Tiger,” a song about his sister’s death by breast cancer. He also has a few love songs, like “Consuelo,” which is sung entirely in Spanish and dedicated to his wife. It even has a bit of Latin influence in the way he plays guitar. The song “Merge” is a conceptual take on love going beyond the physical and thinking more about the emotional and mental aspects.
Needless to say, each song is vulnerable, raw, and poetic. What separates Craig from the pack is his openness and love for what he does. He writes music with a meaning, hoping to affect the lives of others in a positive way.
The new single “Midnight Love” by DJ Eliza May is entrancing and leaves you wanting more.
“I produced ‘Midnight Love’ in the beginning of the pandemic. I felt sad, lost and lonely, nothing felt right including my love life. Sometimes I felt numb both physically and mentally. All I really wanted was to feel loved but at that time I didn’t realize that love comes from within. Don’t ask for love – love yourself first and give love. You’ll see how everything changes. It took me 2 years to learn that and 2 years to release this song. I hope I was able to keep the emotions alive and make the track relatable.”
Eliza May is a DJ and producer based in Los Angeles. Her sets are an explosive mix of R&B, Hip-Hop, EDM, and Pop music with elements of turntablism and scratching. She has managed to gain an international audience, playing shows all across the globe, from LA to NYC, and France to Russia – her homeland. Eliza’s incredible DJing and production skills can be credited to her musical background as a classically trained pianist, as well as her mentors DJ Qbert and DJ I-Dee.
Eliza has released several original tracks including “Up In The Club” on UFO Recordz (#8 on Beatport’s Trap/Future Bass Top 100) and “BadMan” on Epidemic House Music, as well as some remixes, including J-Kwon “Tipsy”, Liam Payne ft Quavo “Strip That Down”, and Drake “God’s Plan”.
You can catch Eliza spinning regularly in the Los Angeles area, or in a number of cities across the country, including New York, San Francisco, Chicago, St Louis, D.C., and more.
“I was one of the youngest students in music school and my parents chose piano as my main instrument. I was at music school for eight years and although I finished it with merit, I never really enjoyed it. It required a lot of work, practice and missing out on fun times with friends (not that I had many of them, but still). Everything I did as a kid I tried to excel at (a true perfectionist). I was one of the best at my school (finished it with a gold medal), one of the best at my aikido group (received my blue belt very quickly) and I got a scholarship for university in Tyumen (about 15hrs drive from my hometown), so I moved there. By then I had stopped doing music for four years, but at university I was invited to work at a radio station. I was just turning songs on and off and talking during breaks. One day while scrolling vkontakte(Russian version of FB), I saw an advertisement for DJ courses. They offered a 1st lesson for free, I thought it was about radio DJing and decided to check it out. It was about club DJing. At that time, I knew nothing about it, couldn’t even tell the difference between trance and techno lol, but I had some free time, so I decided to stay and learn. I have always had the desire to learn new things and I liked it.”
Indie pop-folk singer/songwriter Eli Lev returns with his latest project born from the pandemic called Walk.Talk.Dance.Sing. The EP is set for release in April, though his string of releases from this project have already hit fans by storm. His catchy beat and infectious melodies married with his deep passion and love for his craft is what makes his work so inspiring.
He has released 3 singles previous to his most recent indie pop song “Vacation,” which was released in February. Each song was written about a specific emotion we all had during the pandemic. The first release, which inspired Walk.Talk.Dance.Sing, “Be Your Someone” is a nice Bon Ivor meets Ben Harper style sound about learning to coexist with your partner. This led to the next single, released a year later, called “Dancin’ on the Lawn,” a song with an Ed Sheeran vibe to it, is about the hope Eli has for the future of live music; he’s hopeful that we will all be together together again. Finally, “Move As You Do” is the slowest and most intentional. It takes on the ideas of the future and how fast you “should” be going to achieve life’s biggest moments. He takes is slow and says that he will get there when he gets there.
“Vacation” takes on a Jason Mraz vibe with a catchy beat and memorable lyrics. He sings about taking the little things in life during the lockdown and making them fun. He explains that it’s all about the mindset. “Escape! Travel! Movement! These three things were essentially non-existent and forbidden for two years during the pandemic so I wrote Vacation as a way to remind myself that everyday I could put myself in the same mental state if I was thankful for my partner and everything we had in life,” shares Eli. “We could be each other’s escape and peaceful feeling. I wrote this song turning all the mundane tasks of everyday living during the pandemic into something exotic and special and interesting – kind of like an extremely long vacation!”
Listen to Vacation here:
All his music is available for purchase and streaming now. Be on the lookout for his upcoming EP.
(Detroit, MI) January 27, 2022 – Ahead of her newest country inspired release, country and folk singer/songwriter Aspen Jacobsen announces her upcoming performances in 2022. “When I write a song, I start with a feeling—my main goal is to have a strong emotional exchange with the audience through my music,” shares Aspen. Not only is she a gifted guitar player, but she’s an extremely talented multi-instrumentalist who also plays bass, mandolin, piano, keyboard, and ukulele. She contributes these skills as an accompanist and arranger for other people’s songs.
Although the year has just begun, Aspen has already been booked for multiple shows for 2022. In February, she will be one of several singer-songwriters featured in the 2nd Annual Interlochen Singers & Songwriters showcase at the Traverse City Opera House, Traverse City Michigan. She is also one of six Interlochen singer-songwriting students that were selected to tour the Midwest together this spring between March 12th and 20th. The details haven’t been announced yet but will be posted on Aspen’s website before the tour. This summer, she will also be headlining her own show at the Trinity House Theatre on June 4th in Livonia Michigan and will be one of several musicians highlighted in Singers in the Round at The Parliament Room at Otus Supply in Ferndale, Michigan. She will also be playing some of Michigan’s most popular music festivals including No-East’r Music and Art Festival (6/10-12), Buttermilk Jamboree (6/17-19), and the Wheatland Music Festival (9/11-13).
Her new single, “Shouldn’t Give A Damn,” out now, is her take on toxic relationships in a modern country style, similar to Kacey Musgraves and an early Taylor Swift. The song will also be reimagined as a separate acoustic single later this year, featuring producer Dominic Davis on upright bass. “Shouldn’t Give a Damn” is the second release from Aspen’s 2022 limited-edition CD that is available for purchase on her website aspenjacobsen.com/music. She is only publishing 500 of these CDs and is personally signing and numbering each of them. For $40 fans will receive a CD while supporting her musical endeavors! These signed, limited edition CDs are planned to ship in August.
Aspen Jacobsen’s Americana, Folk, and Country sounds are not one typically heard with artists as young as Aspen. She hopes to carry the traditions of this genre while also making it more palatable with her generation.
Aspen previously explored musical theater, professional acting and opera, and these formative experiences may account for her polished onstage demeanor. She has played major music festivals in Michigan including Arts Beats and Eats; Wheatland Music Festival; Earthworks Harvest Gathering; Ann Arbor Summer Festival; and the Buttermilk Jamboree. She has also been invited to perform as an opener at premier Michigan listening rooms such as The Ark, 20 Front Street, Trinity House, and the Grand Rapids Listening Room. In 2019, Aspen was the youngest singer-songwriter to ever be featured in the Radio DJ Showcase at the Folk Alliance Region Midwest annual conference.
Where and When You Can See Apsen This Year: 2/3/22 2nd Annual Interlochen Singers & Songwriters at Traverse City Opera House, Traverse City, Michigan 3/12 to 3/20/22 Interlochen Singer-Songwriters Midwest Tour (details will be announced on Aspen’s website) 6/4/2022 Aspen Jacobsen @ Trinity House Theatre, Livonia, Michigan 6/11/22 No-East’r Music and Art Festival, Mio, Michigan 6/18/22 Buttermilk Jamboree, Circle Pines Center, Delton, Michigan 7/12/22 The Parliament Room at Otus Supply Singers in the Round, Ferndale, Michigan 9/10/22 Wheatland Music Festival, Remus, Michigan
As she prepares, she’s also writing new music amidst her bustling life as a 17 year old musician, balancing school, recording sessions, rehearsals, and applying to colleges. “Sometimes I wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and see guitar string marks ingrained on my face,” she quips. “But I know who I am, and I know what path I’m on. Every time I perform, I pour out my heart and soul and I feel my purpose.”
More About Aspen Jacobsen At just 9 years of age, Aspen found her purpose while busking for tips with a little red ukulele. Since then, the prodigiously gifted musician has earned awards and scholarships; has actively released EPs and singles; and she has performed at a variety of well-respected venues and festivals. Today, Aspen furthers a variety of Americana styles through a series of personal and purposeful singles.
Her story exudes classic Americana mysticism. Aspen bought a guitar purchased from busking, and, although she had your typical parents-mandated piano lessons previously, she immediately took to playing roots music on stringed instruments like it was fated. “I have no idea where it came from—something just clicked within me,” she says. She learned the basics by ear—a method that works for her today—and, at the age of 10, began songwriting. Soon after, Aspen was performing at listening rooms and festivals and was awarded multiple scholarships for her astounding musicality.
To date, Aspen has released two critically acclaimed EPs, and her songs have garnered prime recognition and nominations from such prominent songwriting competitions as the Independent Music Awards; Alternative Country Best Song Category; Blues & Roots Radio’s Song Contest; and International Songwriting Competition’s Teen Category. Aspen was awarded a scholarship to attend the Singer-Songwriter program at the Interlochen Arts Academy, one of the most prestigious boarding fine arts high schools in the United States. Most recently, Aspen has the distinction of being one of six singer-songwriter finalists in the YoungArts 2022 program, a competition which receives more than 7000 applications per year. She also holds sponsorships with Fishman, Reunion Blues gig bags and instrument cases, and Shubb Capos.
As of late, Aspen has been recording in Nashville and consistently releasing new songs which feature personal perspectives on social issues. The first single in this new project of songs is “Damned Dynasty,” a smoldering dose of indie-folk with tasteful melodic blues-guitar licks, an ear-worm vocal motif, and vocals that veer from honeyed low-tones to soaring high-tones. The minimalist production here leaves ample room to soak in Aspen’s insights on faith and religion. Her first verse is viscerally thought-provoking.
Aspen tells stories like a country artist and speaks her mind like a folk musician. Her personal and progressive original songs recall the approach of Joni Mitchell, and Ani DiFranco—two artists steeped in music history but not bound to it.
Los Angeles based pop artist, Lauren Waller, just released a new single that is sure to keep you coming back for more. “Dopamine” is the song we didn’t know we needed. This dark and textured pop song has a Lorde vibe in the music itself, yet her vocals are very much like Ingrid Michaelson. Her intimate and poetic lyrics in a song about a failed love story has an interesting relationship with the music. She manages to create this interesting space where the music makes the listener feel distant and disconnected, yet the lyrics tell a familiar story.
“Dopamine” is harmonic and melodic while also having an ere of dissonance to show the disconnect between these two people who are not really in love. She gets you moving and singing along while also making you feel out of place. It’s masterful.
Listen to “Dopamine”:
Lauren Waller has already had a strong career in music. Her resume includes performing on RTE, Ireland’s National Television, at the International Rose of Tralee Festival, and appearances at the Viper Room and the Hotel Café. She’s even opened for many iconic bands such as Wilson Philips, Anna Nalick, A Flock of Seagulls, and most recently: Tower of Power. She was set to open for KT Tunstall prior to COVID-19, but the show has since been postponed.
Her collection of work includs two EPs, a Christmas cover song, and a collection of original singles! Her latest EP—her second overall— no names here, blurs the line between the observational and the personal. Themes of relationships course through the five-song EP, and, in tone and lyrical content, Lauren expresses raw truths without feeling the need to tilt narratives in the way of happy endings. no names here is rife with stunning songs that whisk the listener away to sonic hemispheres replete with dizzying sensual vocals, undeniable pop hooks, and sleek electro-tinged atmospherics. Since releasing her second EP, Waller has shared a collection of singles that follow similar tones of mystery and edge, but also embracing the voices, accepting lost love, and playfully toying with the object of her affections.
Most recently, Lauren has shared new singles that mark a stepping stone in Lauren’s arc as a growing writer and singer; Lauren’s has entered this enlightened era with both confidence and swagger in her singles titled “Night Stalker” and “Best Coast.” “Night Stalker” is a sickly-sweet pop single featuring an edgy beat and sinister lyrics that are punctuated with slasher-esque references and harmonies. Between the lyrics, the melodies, and the production: Night Stalker melds culturally relevant, chilling horror with an up-tempo urban dance track. “Best Coast” is a summer anthem highlighting the party lifestyle that some know all too well in California. The lyrics poke fun with a fresh take on party culture. “Best Coast” is reminiscent of catchy 2000s hip hop and pure pop. The beats and production make “Best Coast” catchy, danceable, and relatable because we all know that in California, we like to party.
Modern Mystery 
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