Tag Archives: music

04.19.22
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“One Last Kiss” is the Folk Pop Melody We Want

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.”

Find Emily + Shawn via:
Website // Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // TikTok // Spotify // Soundcloud

04.15.22
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Skylight Motion Picture’s Latest Cinematic Pop Album Reveals Their Depth of Sound

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.”

Listen here:

Find Skylight Motion Picture via:

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

04.08.22
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Premiere: Brittany and the Blisstones Debut “La La Love”

The island pop duo Brittany and the Blisstones specialize in heart-crafted and smooth songs that sit in your soul, bringing love and serenity to any listener. Their musical style is unlike anything else with an expansive artistic palette of pop, orchestral, rock, jazz, reggae, ska, Latin, new wave, and beyond. Brittany Bliss contributes sultry vocals, jaunty ukulele playing, and co-writes the songs alongside her partner Reid Givens, an accomplished drummer and percussionist with an expansive command of rhythms and a keen sense for the healing power of good grooves. 

The duo has started recording their debut EP, La La Love. “The pain that comes with living is inevitable, and it can breed fear that may stop us from daring to dream. Our songs are about finding the courage to face these fears, and being vulnerable and evolving,” shares Brittany. Reid adds: “These songs are born from our collective experience. There are uplifting vibes here, and when the songs are sad, they are there for solace.”

Their first two releases from La La Love, which are now streaming, took listeners by storm, setting them into a state of mindfulness and calm. Their new release, “La La Love,” the title track, continues the island vibe and reggae beat utilizing trumpets and other horn instruments. The song is about love, romantic and otherwise. “We believe that love is something that is always there, it’s ever-present, but it’s on us to recognize it and invite it to be part of our lives,” Brittany and Reid share. “That realization and invitation is what ‘La La Love’ is all about.”

“La La Love” carries almost an Alanis Morrisette meets Susan Tedeschi vibe. There’s a jam feeling, but also a deliberateness behind the music and lyrics. Brittany’s voice carries a separate, yet cohesive sense of peace and love as she sings “Love is what’s left over when the fighting’s through.” 

Listen here:

Love exists even in pain and fear. It’s that part of our lives we can’t see that it’s the most present. “La La Love” is entrancing and hypnotic. You’ll be bound to replay the song over and over again. 

Find Brittany and the Blisstones via:

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

04.01.22
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Dear Midnight Reveals Their Debut Electronic Pop and Downtempo Single “Fool’s Gold”

Dear Midnight is the San Francisco-based electronic music duo, who formed in 2020. The frontwoman, Jessa Callen, is a conservatory trained songwriter and harpist and has worked on productions such as Mozart in the Jungle, Bel Canto, and Confessions of a Shopaholic as well as a Cordless Recordings (Warner) artist with her group The Callen Sisters.

Dear Midnight blends wordsmithing with jazz harmony and electronic grooves to create songs that speak to the heart and soul of issues like the un-reality of social media, temptation, opioid addiction, and unconditional love. Both versatile multi-instrumentalists, they wrote and recorded their debut EP, Siren Song, in their home studio, combining 90’s trip-hop with electro-pop sensibilities, filtered through the lens of a singer-songwriter.

Their newest song from Siren Song was just released, entitled “Fool’s Gold.” This electronic pop and downtempo song has the sense and stylings of a singer/songwriter in the way it’s structured and performed. “Fool’s Gold” has a strong Tori Amos vibe throughout with a Goldfrapp or Massive Attack influence on the overall electronic sound. Jessa’s vocals are entrancing and the beat and melody makes you want to sway your body.

“Fool’s Gold explores the trope ‘all that glitters is not gold,’ concluding that things are not always as they seem and that beneath a glamorous façade there could be something else entirely,” shares Jessa. It’s a deep reminder that being so trusting can get you in trouble or cause pain.

Listen here:

Fool’s Gold is the band’s debut single from their upcoming EP, Siren Song, set for release on May 20th, 2022.

Find Dear Midnight via:
Website // Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // YouTube // Spotify // Soundcloud

03.28.22
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“Queen (of the Barstool Two-Step)” is Randie O’Neil’s Latest Single from her Upcoming Album

Randie O’Neil has done it again with her latest single, “Queen (of the Barstool Two-Step).” The country, Americana, and folk artist herself is breaking boundaries with this new track, fusing elements of alternative pop with folk, country, and rock all together in sound. 

O’Neil describes her latest single as “actually a sad song about a lonely individual who just doesn’t want to be alone. They get dressed up and try to look their best and hope they don’t end up alone. They also know that it’s not true love but just alone in a crowd. It’s a covid song in that for lonely people, covid was even lonelier because there was no chance at connection.”

O’Neil puts her whole self into her writing and performances, using honest and witty lyrics about heartache and strength, paired with catchy melodies. With her roots-inspired sound, she has independently released multiple albums over the years. This latest single is one of many. With influences like Pat Benatar, Melissa Etheridge, and Fleetwood Mac you are sure to not be disappointed.

Make sure to go check out “Queen (of the Barstool Two-Step)”

Find Randie O’Neil via:

Website // Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // YouTube // TikTok //  Spotify // Soundcloud 

03.18.22
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Craig Norris Byrd Premieres His Debut Solo Album, ‘Remissions’

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.

Listen to Remissions:

https://soundcloud.com/cnbyrd/sets/remissions/s-zjdEMp2EwqJ?si=ac6d8097262443bd8bc9ca4be5e87bd1&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

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.

Find more on Craig Norris Byrd via:

Website // Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // YouTube // TikTok // Spotify // Soundcloud