Opeongo is the moniker of 28-year-old singer-songwriter Keegan Trumpour from Midland, ON. After releasing Miasma in October 2019, Opeongo’s sophomore follow-up, we’ll all go with (the-will-o’-the-wisp), is set for release in spring 2022.
New single, “tragedy,” is the first track that producer Aaron Goldstein and Trumpour recorded for the forthcoming album. The song’s subject matter deals with the shameful ways of Canada and its history and Trumpour’s own place within both this country and its past. All at once, he felt humbled by the beauty of this country and its land, and astonished and ashamed by our repeated wrongdoings against those whose land we have stolen, those whose culture we have tried to erase, and those whose people we have abused and murdered.
Etty Lau Farrell, vocalist for the band Satellite Party and lead singer-dancer for Kind Heaven Orchestra has made her first video for her debut single as a solo artist “He’s A Rebel.”
The single which is produced by her legendary husband, Perry Farrell, the godfather of alternative rock as co-founder of Jane’s Addiction and Porno for Pyros, the song pays tribute as a cover of the iconic 60’s trio, The Crystals. “He’s A Rebel,” showcases Etty as a strong vocalist and performer.
The sultry video shows the true essence of Etty as both a musician and performer. The vibrancy of the song shines through as she gracefully showcases her dancing abilities.. Adding to the storyline, we see Etty alongside her husband Perry, going for a wild ride as they head off into the sunset on their motorcycle after a passionate embrace.
A Billboard #1 chart topper in 1962, the musical piece touches base on a well-revived classic love-story trope–the bad, socially rebellious boy, and the lovestruck, innocent good girl. The tune of the song begins with a dramatic twist, incorporating a rhythmic, 70’s beat to the original melody and leads listeners into the tantalizing strums of the guitar to make itself known, as Etty’s heavenly voice begins to belt out the heart-warming lyrics. Transported to another world filled with romance, desire, and hypnotic instrumentals, the astoundingly constructed symphony of musical elements and ethereal vocals highlight the unmistakable talent of this emerging songstress. Although the unknown rebel The Crystals sang of remained elusive, Etty’s tune taps into her love of Perry and their rebellious life together.
Throughout her long and fruitful musical career, Etty has accumulated a multitude of hit songs with Satellite Party and Kind Heaven Orchestra, including ‘Machine Girl,’ ‘Awesome,’ ‘Spend The Body,’ ‘More Than I Could Bear,’ ‘One,’ and ‘Let’s All Pray For This World.’ Working alongside her husband, the duo have made a name for themselves outside of their individual music careers in the festival industry with his flagship event, Lollapalooza. Lately, Etty has been working tirelessly on their newest project, a nightlife concert series, Heaven After Dark; which launched in Los Angeles on February 17th. With a growing following across her social media platforms expressing her own identity, Etty’s charismatic, mischievous, and fascinating life has captured the hearts of her audience and amplified the excitement for this musical release.
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.
Jay and Sofia make up the DJ and electronic producing duo All of the Above, or AOTA. The Southern California duo is carving out a spot within the industry with their quality productions and groove-filled performances. With a musical background ranging from rock to metal, AOTA have crossed into the EDM genre to deliver a dynamic style and sound. With every release, the SoCal natives will have listeners engulfed into the world they create with atmospheric productions.
AOTA wouldn’t exist without Sofia, who pushes their musical boundaries. She’s dabbled in a few musical projects, ranging from drumming to guitar work. Her love for EDM and rock is what makes AOTA what it is. Jay brings in his own style and influence, with a love for EDM and Metal music. This influence is what gives Jay a different perspective on their music and what provides him a unique sound and style for creating and playing their music.
The recently released their newest single, “Inside My Head,” an EDM and tech house single that makes one feel at ease and calm. Unlike some of their other songs, “Inside My Head” isn’t meant to get one feeling hyped in the traditional sense of the word. Instead of increasing your energy for a party or rave, this song wants you to be mindful instead.
“Inside My Head” sustains a beat the whole time with occasional electronic riffs here and there. When the song gets to its climax, we hear “inside my head,” the only words in the song. While you may not hear this song at a rave, it shows AOTA’s musical range and their ability to explore sounds and styles. “’Inside My Head’ was inspired by the two and a half years of the pandemic where it was difficult to see friends and family and the toll it took on our mental health and fortitude,” shares AOTA. “Being unable to socialize in person and with the weight of worldy issues, politics, and personal matters, it became easy to feel trapped in a prison inside my head.”
Modern Mystery 
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