Saint Mars comes from the musical minds of Marc Darcange and Angelo Bruschini, the lead guitarist of Massive Attack. They are driven by not only their musicality and creativity, but also Marc’s own experiences with bullying as a child. They released their first EP in 2017, which drew lots of press and worldwide attention. Everything changed in 2017 when they met Tryzdin Grubbs of Ohio, who they discovered through his viral video of Adele’s “Hello.” Hand picked by Marc Darcange, he and Tryzdin share a similar story of bullying, which made their connection a match made in heaven.
Their newest single, “The Last Dream Ever Made,” features Tryzdon’s powerful and beautiful vocals. The song is a pop synthwave track with a big Depeche Mode vibe. “This is a song I had in me since I started making music and the fact that it has finally been given birth thanks to the voice of a young teen of the generation Z sharing the same footprint of social problems has for me a meaning beyond words,” says Marc. The song means a lot to him and the group as a whole. While the song is inspired by the feelings of isolation and outcasted, it’s more about finding the light in the dark, the strength in the sadness, and not giving up no matter the circumstances. It’s a reminder that you will come out the other side.
Listen to “The Last Dream Ever Made” here:
Tryzdin shares what this song means to him: “Music is a passion and something I want to share with the world, and something I am so proud to be doing with Saint Mars! ‘The Last Dream Ever Made’ is so powerful and really truly captures what music is all about. Music is about being different, stepping out of your comfort zone, and BEING YOU. Don’t be like anyone else, do what your heart tells you to do. Love yourself and be confident.”
You can find more on Saint Mars and their story and Anti-Bullying campaign via:
Rising lo-fi and bedroom pop artist, &seb, shares his newest single, “I’m Okay.” From age 11, &seb has been singing, playing piano, and calling himself a musician. Later on, he taught himself guitar and started tapping his computer keys (seemingly randomly at first) to make electronic music. After graduating from NYU, he decided to take his music to the public and released his first single, “New Blood.” With immediate gratification from digital numbers going up, he decided to pursue this creative, yet unknown, line of work further, hoping to bring the same good vibes to his listeners that his favorite artists brought to him.
“I’m Okay” was written about a dark time in &seb’s life, when his trust was betrayed. Though the song is mostly electronic, the melody is a catchy base and his deep and low vocals creates the depth of the song. The music itself is similar to that of Billie Eilish with a touch of Timbland and a hint of 80’s pop. You can hear his personal connection to the song; it’s about how he once repeated ‘I’m Okay’ to try and convince himself he was.
“‘I’m Okay’ stems from a breach of trust,” shares &seb. “I was pushed out of a project I was very passionate about, one that I pitched and started years ago. Once the ball got rolling, I was taken off the team without my knowing. It was pretty upsetting, so I ranted to one of my closest friends about the whole situation and about the specific person who pushed me out. Little did I know, that same person was listening in on my phone call. I had no idea and said some not-so-great things out of anger. They told everyone else, and almost ruined my relationship with some good friends.”
You can listen to “I’m Okay” here:
“I’m Okay” is bound to be a hit. This lo-fi and bedroom pop beat is rife with personal meaning for not only &seb, but will definitely resonate with others. We have all been in a similar situation and this relatable song gives us all a sense of relief, that we are not alone. “I’m Okay” is out now. Be sure to give it a listen.
Los Angeles-based dance-pop and electronic artist, Kao Wonder, just released his music video for his song “Safe Space” from his album, EVOLUTION. He employed his prior dance experience to guide the videos narrative, with Kao acting as a narrator in the story. Kao’s voice is very much like Neyo and his music is much like Dua Lipa meets Tao Cruz. “Safe Space” makes you want to dance along. We spoke with Kao Wonder and he tells us all about the video below:
Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically?
Funny enough, when I wrote this song, I was actually paying homage to all my female friends who considered the LGTBQ nightlife (bars/clubs) their ‘safe space’. Many of them would say to me “well this is my safe space, here I don’t have to worry about men and their ancient pick up lines, I don’t have to worry about other women judging me or acting a certain way towards me. There, I can actually have the most fun and be myself and just have the best time ever with in such a free spirited culture.” How could you forget an answer like that?! I couldn’t! So I wanted to take that and turn it into a love song. It wasn’t that easy at first as love songs aren’t my forte lol, but when I was at the airport on my way to Atlanta to record with my Producer(s) (shouts to Tedy P. and Ced Ivory), I couldn’t figure out how to start it out….until I looked up and saw a guy take off his face mask (because he was eating – COVID rules), and he smiled at this female who smiled back at him from across the way. You could feel that type of warmness in the coldest of winters! So I said to myself, “It’s the smile for me,” and the the rest of the song wrote itself out. I would hope that’s one of the things that makes someone feel intricately connected when they meet their soulmate.
Tedy P and I have this thing before he creates each song, he always begins by saying to me “tell me how you’re feeling about this tune”, and I said for this particular track I want to pay homage to the musical decade that helped shape me and my creativity; the 90s! Something like the New Jack Swing, mixed with a little hip hop and up-tempo R&B, and Pop. Make it as if we were in1995. He did just that!! When the song was done and I heard the final mix, I literally shed a tear because it reminded of growing up in Brooklyn and all my friends back home. It reminded me of a time before social media, when we would run outside and play ‘Tag ‘ or ‘Mother May I?’, Double Dutch or Hand-ball in the park or on the side of a building. Just the fun we had outdoors, music would be BOOMING from someone’s boombox, house or car, It gave me this nostalgia that was a balm to my heart, so I knew I had to do a video to project these thoughts to the world, because I know someone in this world wants to take that same trip down memory lane with me. To get away from all these current politics and redundancies and just remember what it was to be a kid playing until the street lights came on. These thoughts are my “safe space”…
What was the inspiration behind this video(visuals, storyline, etc.)?
Well as you know, the concept of the song Safe Space is someone being their “safe space”, meaning being with someone you are comfortable with, not afraid to be vulnerable with, the person who you can be your honest and truthful self. As fun as that sounds and as great as that concept is…what if we took an alternative look at the premise; suppose there is an object or place that you consider your “safe space”? What if it’s cooking? What if it’s teaching? Or…like me…..what if it’s PERFORMING ? My team and I decided to explore these alternate roads and rather tell the traditional story of’ ‘girl meets boy’, why not make Dance’ the safe space for our protagonist instead? If you look at the video closely, you will see two individuals who met doing what they love to do, which is dancing (shouts to my leads Indo Hayes (who assisted me with the choreography of the video and Malik ‘Gvmby’ Bannister who is also phenomenal). From an innocent viewer’s eyes, during the club scene it looks like as time progresses the two leads in the video separate, which makes our lead male character sad and a bit lonely in his solo scenes, but the element of surprise comes when you see an older version of them in the end still together. So what was he sad about? He actually hurt his leg, which prevented him from dancing alongside his beau (this is why he was at the doctor’s office and this is also he had a horrible limp with his leg up in the club scene) , but still, when he looks to the alley in his older form, he’s reminded of how much dance was his safe space. So the love story is there …..but the ‘subject’ of the love story is what makes it so sweet, and my Creative Director, Joaquin Sagarra, did a fantastic job of telling this story visually. As far as the “setting” of the video goes, that was from my Videographer Jimmy Collier. He knew we wanted to keep the dedication to the decade of the song, but he also reminded us that the Caribbean/Afro culture shouldn’t be forgotten about during these times,..especially with the Caribbean influence in Brooklyn (interestingly enough this also was a HUGE influence on me, shout out to my favorite restaurant still standing back home… the infamous Tower Isle Patty Shop, i can literally taste my favorite chicken patty w/ cocoa bread as I write this and it was literally one block over from where i lived 😉 ) . It was like the icing on a perfectly lined up cake!! 3 tier !!! This is what made this particular video soo monumental for my team and myself? This idea was so big in fact, that it inspired Ced to go BACK and remix the song and create a ‘Riddim Remix” (which basically adds elements of dancehall/afro beats to the song), in which we used for the video and which was released Friday 11/5. All in all, this project was such an experience!
For 25 years, Chris Pastore has been writing and performing music. Right out of college, he hit the Baltimore music scene where he fronted and toured with the group Fat Apple in the late 90’s. Set to release his first album in 10 years, Turn the Music up Loud is a compilation of old songs he’s recorded over the years and new ones he’s recorded with some talented friends at the Wrightway Studios in Baltimore. “For me, songwriting is a constant, a daily routine, interactions, daydreams, struggles and jubilation, love, fate and sometimes just a good hook and a solid groove,” says Chris. “Some take years to cultivate and others come in minutes. The words and music can intertwine so simply like pieces of a puzzle when finished, stories like little voyages, then subject to the listeners interpretations and mood.”
He just dropped his new single from his upcoming album. “Deliver Me” is an acoustic rock song with a gripping melody and a strong hook. With a musical sound that’s like the Allman Brothers meets Paul Simon meets The Grateful Dead and a voice much like John Mayer, this song is an inspirational one about facing your fears no matter how scary. His soulful, yet light vocals feel airy in contrast to his guitar, giving a feeling of being out of your own body.
“Deliver Me” acts as a musical hug to listeners who have found themselves somewhat in the dark. It’s a reminder that we have all been through moments of utter weakness and helplessness, and although it can be difficult, nightmares must be confronted, consequences must be faced, and there is a path forward. The music builds as the inspiring story unfolds, starting with a delicate acoustic guitar and ending on an orchestral crescendo.
“Deliver Me” is out now and available on all streaming services. This acoustic rock song is sure to be a hit.
Over the weekend I had finally watched the long awaited of Montreal documentary, The Past is a Grotesque Animal. I was hesitant to view this film for quite some time, as I thought it would destroy my perception of front man and songwriter Kevin Barnes. This proved to be an eye opening experience for sure. The film highlights the band’s career from the very start. Seeing all of the old footage of how the group came to be was rather charming and delightful. The behind the scenes footage was certainly a treat as well. Their vibrancy and quirkiness definitely shined straight from the screen. Every aspect of the band was touched upon. From troubling relationships, to the brilliant artwork and stage performance antics of brother David Barnes and co., it proved to be truly insightful.
Throughout all of the good times and struggles the band often continued with, the film focused quite a bit on Kevin Barnes’ inner demons. The depression, the anxiety, the need to make ‘good art,’ no matter at what cost. The one problem though, is the need to make ‘good art,’ lead to the departure of longtime and key players Dottie Alexander, James Husband, Bryan Poole (B.P.), alongside Matt Dawson and Davey Pierce respectively.
The thing that struck me most was how easily Barnes removed himself from them to make a complete musical transformation. What came to be one of the most celebrated band of the 00’s, has changed into so many forms that there feels like there is something missing, especially in a live setting. The ever exciting line up during onstage dance parties are something that I, as well as many fans, truly miss. Though change can be good sometimes, The Past is a Grotesque Animal, made Barnes out to have villain tendencies. Whether or not this was the intention, it was an extremely fascinating look into a phenomenal band that has hit home with so many listeners over the past several years.
I don’t think I will ever stop buying of Montreal records. Kevin’s songs have always struck a chord with me. This certainly gives me a different perspective into the world of of Montreal.
A is for Atom is the brainchild of Mike Cykoski. Recently releasing his latest EP, Song for You, the Brooklyn transplant creates a phenomenal record that will catch your attention immediately. For those who are fans of bands such as The National and The Flaming Lips, A is for Atom creates a sound that is truly unique and certainly pleases the ears.
Cykoski is strongly inspired by songcraft and the art of composing. He enrolled in the prestigious NYU music technology master’s degree program, later taking courses at the world renowned Julliard, and expanding his horizons by completing certificates for Harvest Works and Dubspot, further exploring his interest in electronic music.
It was there at NYU that Mike met his producer Julian Cassia in a film scoring class. Julian was quite taken with Cykoski’s compositions and had a great appreciation for his writing style as well as his international aesthetic perspective. Described as having “tastefully ethnic flourishes and, at times, some sturdy Brit-pop hooks,” the project began when Mike finished his master’s thesis and landed a steady job, making him both optimistic and introspective.
On his recent release,Song For You, he provides an outward expression, with songs that prove to be lively and upbeat.
A standout piece from the EP is the title track, “Song for You,” which Cykoski refers to as a ‘break up theme,’ stemming from his divorce. His haunting vocals swirl throughout the track which resonates throughout. His talent for combining emotional driven lyrics with stunning composition, shines through with “Song for You,” as well as every track on the EP. Check out the single below!
Modern Mystery 
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