Calgary based musician Clea Anaïs’ compositions centre on two things: their multifaceted artistic sensibility, and an emotional intelligence as sharp as a shard of bright-coloured crystal. After years spent working within her collaborative band, RALEIGH, and recording with bands like Woodpigeon, 100 Mile House, Reuben and the Dark, and Astral Swans, she unveils her debut solo record, Circle Zero.
With genre defying production and inimitable vocals, grounded in nostalgic groove and lush pop stylings,Circle Zero was born from an intense period of challenges, but makes a point of focusing on moments of beauty to evoke hope.
Circling fundamental personal truths, and acknowledging basic desires we share as humans, Clea acknowledges that “the best of the old has come forward on this journey, and the other space has been filled with new support, new love, a renewed iteration of myself.”
Filled with allegories, “Under the Blue of the Moon”imagines youthful freedom on the other side of global doom, beyond the conventions of dissolved human structures.
The rising indie folk singer/songwriter, Michael Gutierrez-May, has been working to help the underground folk music scene for almost 30 years. While he’s promoted shows, booked coffeehouses, and supported underground artists, unfortunately, he didn’t do enough to support his own songwriting endeavors. But in 2009, he decided enough was enough and started focusing on his music.
He just debuted his lyric video for his much loved song “Imaginary Tomato” from his latest album, Drifting to the Right. The song has a Bruce Springsteen style in both Michael’s vocals and guitar style, but there’s also a hint of Johnny Cash in the style and storytelling. Michael utilizes his background as a mental health therepist to inform his songwriting, especially “Imaginary Tomato.”
“‘Imaginary Tomato’ is a fun video created by Kat Reinhert about political ranting on the home front,” says Michael. He takes on his own frustrations on the political standing of the United States and his anger towards the former President. The lyric video is quite animated. The lyrics are guided by a tomato, but the tomato is telling the story to the viewer. It dances around the screen, guiding your eyes to the words and direction the words go. It’s the most telling lyric video I’ve ever seen.
Watch here:
The song is “inspired by current events with the added thought not to take oneself too seriously,” shares Michael. “This song came quickly, not long after the tomato idea emerged from my subconscious. The message of the song is to embrace tolerance and openness, keep hope alive and also not to be afraid of throwing tomatoes at repressive authorities.”
Emily + Shawn release a new single called “One Last Kiss” and we will play it one thousand times over! It’s a song that celebrates the freedom that comes with putting your foot down and just moving on. It’s reminiscent of the sounds of Gwen Stefani married with Sara Bareillis and The Lumineers, putting their own spin on folk-pop. “One Last Kiss” is infectious and hypnotic. You’ll find yourself singing along in no time.
“This song started out as a slow acoustic ballad, reflecting on our frustrations with the drag of the 9-5 workday. Making music is what we love, but our day jobs are a “necessary evil” in order to put food on the table while we shift our careers from typical corporate and government jobs into the music industry.”
Listen here:
The journey of Emily + Shawn started in college, where they met and fell in love with each other. While Emily began her career in music theater and took vocal lessons throughout high school and college, Shawn was writing and performing his own original music. In college, they were both in a cappella groups, where they started singing covers and making their own music together.
After college, Shawn moved out west for his day job, but he still performed regularly in and around the southern California scene. Once Shawn moved back east, he performed at the Bethlehem MusikFest and had a jingle he co-wrote used for a national Target ad campaign.
After they got married, they started making original music together – our sound and style combines Emily’s love for indie pop with Shawn’s love for classic folk & blues. We have performed in a variety of venues, from small cafes to crowds of over 5,000 people. In 2019, we began working with renowned vocal coach Wendy Parr, and our recently-recorded debut EP is produced by David Baron (Lumineers, Meghan Trainor, Shawn Mendes).
“We like the real stuff – the good stuff. The stuff that takes time and effort and attention to detail. Artisanship. Handwritten notes. Home made cocktails. Listening to records from start to finish. Finding and creating music that brings us in and takes us somewhere.”
Skylight Motion Picture presents “Music from the Film”, a full cinematic pop album that will take you on a journey from start to finish.
“Music From the Film” is an homage to much of the ‘bedroom pop’ music that shaped chief songwriter, Ezekiel James Hampton, in early adulthood. Despite this being a mostly electronically-produced album, listeners can expect more orchestral instruments such as piano, glockenspiels, woodwinds, and strings. The formula of building on infectious hooks with rich harmonies has not changed. All lyrics to the album revolve around two themes: moving forward after being emotionally unprepared for a broken heart and spiritual evolution born out of the ashes of religious culture.
Skylight Motion Picture states, “All lyrics to the album revolve around two themes: moving forward after being emotionally unprepared for a broken heart and spiritual evolution born out of the ashes of religious culture.” They are highly influenced by artists such as The Postal Service, Copeland, and The 1975, which is what gives them the hypnotic vocals and melodies.
This passionate, and charming record can be your soundtrack to life, from “Opening titles” all the way to “Roll Credits.”
Classified Frequency is back in action this year with their latest single and video for “Can’t Run Away,” which debuts today via all digital outlets. “Can’t Run Away,” is a prominent step in the band’s already notable career as they take everything to the next level. The video is skillfully crafted in black and white as it captures the spirit of their performance and overall essence of the band.
“The song is about a complicated relationship that you know you should walk away from but you can’t because you’re hoping things will work out or you care about that person so much, you’ll be there even if they break your heart. The video is obviously a performance video but also the first time we are able to get together and play since the Covid-19 pandemic.” – Classified Frequency
For fans of Cheap Trick, Bryan Adams, Butch Walker, Fall Out Boy, The Stereo, and The Darkness the groups brings a captiviating and vibrant Power Pop sound to the table as they create music on their own terms. With swirling melodies and harmonic instrumentation, the vocals tie in creating a sound that is powerful and bold from start to finish.
Hailing from Maryland, over the course of the past few years, Classified Frequency has been on quite a wild ride. They’ve released 3 EPs alongside a series of successful singles, garnering attention from Alternative press to New Noise Magazine. They have been nominated for 6 Wammie Awards, and have opened for the Gin Blossoms, Cowboy Mouth, Everclear, Fastball and Vertical Horizon among many others. “Can’t Run Away,” is an absolute power ballad that will keep you coming back for more.
On “Can’t Run Away” the music and lyrics were written by Matthew Berry, and produced by Jim Ebert, mixed by Jamie Woolford, engineered by Sean Russell, mastered by Dan Coutant and Recorded at 38 North in Falls Church, VA. The video was directed by Ken Lasso. Classified Frequency is Matthew Berry (Composer, Vocals, Guitar), Matthew Everhart (Bass), Mike Vance (Keyboards, Guitar), and Andy Hamburger (Drums).
Classified Frequency’s “Can’t Run Away” is out via all digital outlets today, as they gear up for an eventful year ahead.
Hailing from the coastal strawberry fields of Camarillo, California at the edge of Los Angeles’ Santa Monica Mountains, Steven Doman is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and audio engineer with an affinity for nature.
His new EP, Our Lady Of The High Appalachian Mountains, drew inspiration from the process of moving from California to Québec in 2016 and the moods that followed.
Focus track, “Follow The Ripples,” is a gentle piano-led pop song, written for the film En Eclaireuses by Constance Chaput-Raby, a documentary about a group of girl scouts adventuring in the forest of Estrie, Québec.
“Tulip’s head above the breeze, pendulum in the wind.” Psychedelic and warm, “Follow The Ripples” features lyrical contributions from Doman’s partner, multi-disciplinary artist Grace Singh.
Modern Mystery 
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