07.14.23
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The Lost Messiahs Debut Stunning New Video for “Radiance of Moon”

The Lost Messiahs have been steadily establishing their reputation in the music industry, and their most recent offering, “Radiance of Moon,” serves as evidence of their ongoing evolution as a collective. This captivating and evocative composition, accompanied by an enthralling music video, possesses a haunting beauty that resonates deeply, drawing the listener into a realm of self-reflection and intense feelings. The track begins with a gentle guitar, its delicate notes beckoning you into its embrace. Its slow, contemplative melody immediately seizes your attention, drawing you deep into its world. Frontman James O’Connor’s vocals enter the mix, commanding the spotlight with their power and emotion. His delivery of the lyrics exudes raw honesty and vulnerability, forging a connection that is both captivating and relatable. The accompanying vocals of bandmate Martha Cummins swirl around like a gust of strong wind, as prominent handclaps find their way into the release.

Ollie Plunkett of The Lost Messiahs shared some insight on the release: “Radiance of Moon” was like a little drop of magic dropped  onto my guitar. From the moment I  started playing the guitar riff I got the vibe immediately and the lyrics and the sentiment just flowed like a natural spring. The song is a love song and is written from the perspective of gratitude for finding one’s soulmate in life. I could visualize myself in a beautiful garden with the most beautiful person in my life  in front of me. and the moon’s rays outlining her beauty. For the video I wanted to capture in some way that scene but didn’t want to represent it too literally. So the video is a bit more abstract but I think it still captures the feeling . The transitions between each frame  is deliberately slow to allow the lyrical content to gradually reveal itself.”

As the song unfolds, the instrumentation gradually intensifies. Drums, bass, and layered guitar work seamlessly join in, infusing the track with a growing urgency and tension. The accompanying video intrigues with stunning visually imagery with the lone, captivating character, making their way throughout the world. The intricate video seamlessly aligns with the song, as if it was tailor-made for it. Its imagery evokes a nostalgic ambiance, while incorporating visual metaphors and symbolic elements that enrich the overall experience, adding layers of depth. The chorus rises with exceptional strength, its unforgettable hook etching itself in your mind long after the song fades. The interplay of haunting vocals and intricate guitar work weaves an ethereal and otherworldly atmosphere, evoking a sense of mysticism and wonder that truly captivates the senses.

Connect with The Lost Messiahs:  Instagram | Spotify | Facebook | YouTube | Website

07.14.23
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Video Voyager: Best Not Broken’s “I Don’t Belong”

Best Not Broken

Boston’s Best Not Broken has built a reputation for high energy shows and catchy, power pop/rock original songs. Drawing from Brit Pop, Alternative Rock, New Wave, and their own unique brand of singer-songwriter sensibility, the band crafts soundscapes that appeal to fans of artists ranging from The Killers to Ed Sheeran.

Their thoughtful and, at times amusing, lyrics match the upbeat nature of the instrumentation, creating a fresh musical odyssey that is infectiously fun.  Their live performances showcase the band’s contagious energy and often evolve into interactive dance parties where the onstage antics compel fans to rock out and let loose.

Their new song “I Don’t Belong,” and the video, explores adolescence and finding where you belong. It’s a tribute to those that never quite fit in in high school, but ultimately find their way. It’s also tribute to the many aspiring rock stars that never quite make it but have a treasure trove of memories to look back on.

We got the chance to speak with Best Not Broken about their fun and relatable video for “I Don’t Belong”:

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

The song “I Don’t Belong” is a satire of a boy who graduates in the 90s, doesn’t align fully with any particular clique, dreams of being a rock star, but turns out to be just an average guy – which ultimately isn’t that bad! The song is intended to shine a spotlight on our inevitable silly high school regrets. The lyrics inspired the light-hearted, nostalgic video… which kind of wrote itself!

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

This song was dripping nostalgic references to the 80s and 90s and we felt compelled to bring them to life in the video. There was no shortage of visuals to choose from – from the Rubiks cube to the mullets… sadly they all felt to natural! 

What was the process of making this video?

We knew we wanted the video to be shot in a high school. So the first challenge was finding a high school that would actually let us do it. We had the good fortune of getting access to Souhegan High School in Amherst, New Hampshire, which really was designed perfectly for our intended scenes. We hired 106 Studios to handle the video production and collectively brought in our actors and built out the drama. We pre-ordered a bung of 80s and 90s paraphernalia, and after two days of camera work, we had enough footage to tell our little story. We were so lucky to find all the awesome actors and contributors. If you haven’t yet tried to shoot an era-specific nostalgia video, we highly recommend it.. ha!

Connect with Best Not Broken via:

Website / Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Spotify / Soundcloud / Apple Music

07.14.23
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Video Voyager: Stephen Jaymes’ “Chief Inspector”

Singer-songwriter Stephen Jaymes might be best described as Charles Bukowski ditching whiskey for psychedelic mushrooms while feverishly ingesting Rumi poetry and Phil Ochs records. The LA-based artist is a punk poet; a wounded-romantic; a sonic noir auteur and a post-apocalyptic hippie. He is a gifted multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, singer, and producer. His music exudes the stylish playfulness of Prince with clever turns of phrases and occasional funk flashes, but it also conjures the stateliness and mystique of Leonard Cohen. Film and television editor Christal Khatib (Scandal, Transparent) hears “both of those ghosts and Johnny Cash too – all visiting the same body.”

His newest song “Chief Inspector,” and the accompanying video, is a noir inspired Jungian tale of a man who once locked up his shadow and is now hunted by it.The video reaches back in time to say a little something about the present moment. Wanting to evoke the LA noir imagery used in the song’s lyrics, the singer and the video’s producer Ross Kolton, were drawn to the iconic 1973 Robert Altman classic “The Long Goodbye” for its visually unique take on noir in the sunshine.

Easter eggs and direct references include a shot of Jaymes leaving the same tower apartment complex where Elliott Gould’s Philip Marlowe eked out a living. The film classic is noteworthy for looking back to the 40s to shine a light on the (then) current 70s culture. Similarly, Kolton and Jaymes look back to the 70s to indirectly reflect a modern Instagramed world, where a noir thriller of dark realities continues to unfold, now through millions of sunny lenses.

We spoke with Stephen Jaymes about the new video for “Chief Inspector,” which you can watch below:

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

In a nutshell, this is what happens when you start digging deeper into Jung while watching the Inspector Morse series. The song is about the choice we make to lock up a part of ourselves to achieve our (often stupid) objectives, and how that shadow part always escapes and hunts us down later. Morse is a hero of mine, the original “true detective” of modern television who is chased as much by his own ghosts as he is by the flesh and blood criminals. It was a rare instance where the lyrics all pretty much fell out in one go. I’d pay to have that experience every time. And what fell out was a “Cape Fear” scenario: Robert Mitchum is not happy; and he’s out to get you; and he’s you. In my case, I later realized, my shadow was hunting me down to demand I start writing and playing more music.

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

The video is the result of my collaboration with LA-based filmmaker and music video producer Ross Kolton. We both have a deep love of noir, so we were looking for a reference point that we could use. We wanted to literalize the song’s dark noir imagery and psychological tension, but also reflect how noir films frequently juxtapose that darkness against sunny LA. Our eureka moment came in the form of Ross’s idea to use the location from Robert Altman’s 1973 “The Long Goodbye” in the video. From that seed of an idea we found our story, and the video ended up being an homage to that film in many ways (toxic suitcase MacGuffin notwithstanding). 

What was the process of making this video? 

The goal was to make a tight doppelgänger drama that reaches back to “The Long Goodbye” to illustrate the tension between today’s dark realities and their sunny, Instagrammed exterior. Ross is super organized, so many of the shots were his ideas that we basically tested in the field. He has an approach to film that really synchronizes with my approach to songwriting: both of us leave a ton of room to capture the magical accidents in our creative process. On shoot day we started in the Hollywood hills where we paired a condo interior with the actual exterior of Elliott Gould’s apartment complex. We had a location waiting on the Westside for the “arrival” part of the story, so we literally worked our way east to west through Hollywood, stopping at some planned places and others that jumped out at us as we drove around. By the time we had finished with all the exterior “story” shots, we were exhausted. After he put together the first cut, Ross decided that the lip sync performance shots reflected that exhaustion. So we reshot the performance, weeks later, after I’d buzzed my head. This resulted not only in a treatment that better reflected our “sunny noir” aesthetic, but also emphasized better the doppelgänger theme because I look so different. Just another example of staying loose and allowing experimentation (and some director perfectionism) to work its magic. Thankfully I had no deadline as we hadn’t set a release date for the song yet.

07.12.23
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THE AMERICANS PLAY MCCABE’S GUITAR SHOP FOR “STRAYS” EP RELEASE – 7/16

LA based band The Americans take over McCabe’s Guitar Shop this Sunday, July 16, to play a very special release show for their EP, Strays (out July 21). At the show attendees will be able to purchase an advance copy of the vinyl that evening.

The night also features special guest, singer-songwriter Gill Landry as the opener.

The band’s distinctive, powerful works have captured the attention of a number of stars. They’ve backed Nick Cave, Lucinda Williams, Ashley Monroe, and Devendra Banhart, and joined Ryan Bingham on four national tours. They worked closely with Jack White and T Bone Burnett, joining Nas, Elton John, and Alabama Shakes in the PBS/BBC primetime series American Epic. They have appeared on The Late Show (CBS), and their music was featured in the films Texas Killing Fields, A Country Called Home, Little Glory, and the TV series No Tomorrow.

$20 / TICKETS

Find The Americans via:

WEBSITE | YOUTUBE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | SPOTIFY

07.11.23
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Michel Neray Debuts “The Road” from debut LP

As a singer-songwriter,  Michel combines the lyrical sensibilities of Leonard Cohen, the musical styling of Jason Isbell, and the vocal versatility of Billy Joel. His songs are musical journeys that dig deep into the human experience, with ear worm worthy melodies and quirky, intelligent lyrics.

As a professional motivational speaker, Michel also peppers his live shows with stories and conversation that keep the audience engaged beyond the music. 

Michel’s debut LP Kiss The Rock comes from an at first contradictory kayaking method.  When you are in white water and approaching a jutting rock your instinct is to paddle away from the impediment, in reality the safest method is to lean into contact with the rock and let the current push you to its side.  The metaphor of kissing the rock to life is all about embracing our challenges.

The collection of songs is a dynamic blend of Americana and singer-songwriter, where Michel’s unique artistic voice and inspirations meld.  Focus single “The Road” is a reflective and vulnerable track, whilst being driving in tone and cathartic in meaning.  An allegory to our personal journey as we travel through existence often in an uncertain space. 

“we are all ‘driving through the night with one headlight, but it’s better than driving blind’.”

07.11.23
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 Leanne Hoffman transposes heart burdened poetry into pulsing pop on “King Size Bed”

Leanne Hoffman performs a tightrope walk between the sensual immediacy of pop music and poetry’s revelatory nuance on her new album, The Text Collector. Using the swirling melodies and glitzed-up production of Top 40, the Nova Scotia-based multidisciplinary artist builds tension between soundscapes primed for pure pleasure and lyrics that address the interconnected relationship between desire and despair.

Highlight single “King Size Bed” originally was a poem. All of the tracks on The Text Collector were originally poems spread out from the course of a  year. Hoffman shares that this album is of self-discovery and awareness which lead her from being introspective on her former album, to accepting on this latest work.  Inspired by her love of pop music as a whole and especially fond of pop music from her youth, she set the poems to songs extending their longevity and reach in an approachable manner.“King Size Bed” was first written as a poem after Hoffman was at the end of a relationship, experiencing the now missing presence of her former partner on a bed that suddenly felt too big. Although the subject matter of the song is rather sad, Hoffman has purposefully hidden their meaning in a danceable pop instrumentation.