CHIC CHOC’s “Freedom” is a pulsating techno and dance single reminiscent of Massive Attack and Calvin Harris with a hint of softer pop elements similar to Dua Lipa.

The song is about women’s rights around the world, which also brings attention to the recent Iran protests that have sparked in the aftermath of the killing-in-custody of the 22 year old Mahsa Amini. “This event sparked one of the largest women lead movements in history and our song is in support of this,” shares the trio. “We believe that even if one woman does not have freedom, our freedom is incomplete. We hope to be able to inspire social change using our music as a medium.”  

“Freedom“ is an anthem for bringing on change, written with the intention to bring light to the constant battle for women’s rights. Each of the cities they sing about have particular instances associated with them where women were treated unjustly. 

CHIC CHOC is an electronic music collaboration between long time music veterans Connie Yin, Neda Zahraie, and Christina Crossin, actualized in 2019. The trio composes using drum machines, synthesizers, guitars, voice and a variety of sound filters and pedals. Listeners should expect a danceable groove, informed lyrics and an unexpected yet supremely elegant shift in feel and attitude from song to song.

Connect with CHIC CHOC

Website / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Spotify / Soundcloud

Singer, songwriter and musician KALEN leapt headfirst into early aughts Brooklyn – a vibrant music scene blooming in derelict DIY venues and undisclosed loft parties off the L train. With her ‘feet on the ground and her head in the sky,’ this New England native hauled her keyboard and amp up and down Bedford Ave, forging a sound rooted in soul, funk and electronic music. During residencies at Alligator Lounge and Spike Hill, Kalen became a neighborhood mainstay, performing high-kicks and jumping off amps in kinetic kinship with the audience.

More recently she’s exploring electronic music through the sinewy beats of her ‘Death By Piano’ (Hi-4-Head Records) project and performing with ambient rock band Late Sea, all while continuing her solo project KALEN. 

Regardless of musical genre, KALEN grabs your collar and pulls you into a compassionate embrace — her voice at once playful and penetrating, jazzy and soulful. Her confessional lyrics, heralded by American Songwriter, reveal the joys and heartbreaks of artisthood in the midst of Brooklyn’s culture-shifting drumfire.

She’s performed at Brooklyn Bowl, Rough Trade, & Joe’s Pub, DC9 (Washington D.C.) and Hotel Café & The Mint (LA). During the pandemic, KALEN brought us into her world streaming her moody tunes in late night solo sessions. Performing live again KALEN tailors each performance (and the accompanying visuals) to the specific site and space, from analog slide projectors coupled with poetry and acoustic bands in Brownstoner salons to projection mapping and thumping tracks with a full electric band on stages around NYC.

Connect with KALEN

Website // Instagram // Facebook // TikTok // YouTube // Spotify

Evolving from rock origins, The Lad Classic pull from the familiar and add their own flavour to create something deeper. Combining influences from soul to pop, gospel to funk, the trio recently completed their forthcoming debut EP with producer Dave Schiffman (The Strumbellas, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Audioslave, Adele, Rage Against the Machine).
“I don’t care about the way you walk in, or all the boujie places you’ve been.” Their latest offering, “Feelin’ High,” is about meeting someone who instantly lifts you up because of the connection you feel to who they are as a person and how you vibe together. Not because of what they do for a living, or what they wear, or how much money they have.

On air at 102.1 The Edge, Alan Cross regarded them as the next big rock band to come out of Toronto since The Glorious Sons.

Blaze

Toronto-based songwriter and psychotherapist, Kalila Badali, is sharing a new single from her upcoming project, Panacea. The dreamy and melodic folk of the lead single is an expression of the deep desire which Kalila felt to “help and fix” a good friend of hers who was suffering from mental illness.

Unconsciously, I’ve attached myself to you. Rhizomal, with roots instead of a body.

“Sometimes love makes you lose track of where you begin and another person ends. It can feel really good in a way, deeply connected and supportive, but ultimately it’s not great to lose boundaries. That can lead to all sorts of resentments and confusion,” explains Badali.

Even though it felt like the friendship may have been lost at the time of writing “Panacea,” Badali is grateful to still have this person in her life, just the way they are.

Tara Van is releasing the second single from her upcoming album, Rise (due April 2023), the hopeful reflection on self-love that is “Back In Love.”

Composed after a brutal breakup, “Back In Love” is a “self-soothing anthem” in Van der Kolk’s words, an ode to the hopeful nature of rooting oneself once again. 

The melodic, acoustic pop song layers Tara’s harmonies and empowering lyrics to create a peaceful, sonic cocoon.

“Back In Love” reflects on the challenges of being ‘too much’ and the recognition that for oneself and for the right people, one can never be considered ‘too much’ of anything.

Listen to “Back In Love” here: