Posts Tagged pop
new music: Madame Gandhi
Posted by Amy Steele in Music on October 24, 2019
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new music and tour dates: K. Flay
Posted by Amy Steele in Music on June 11, 2019
Grammy-nominated K. Flay released a new single– “Sister”– with a dark driving beat and uplifting lyrics. It’s from her upcoming album Solutions which is out July 12, 2019. Her music combines analog synths with live bass and guitar, infusing pop, rock, hip-hop, and electronica.
Here’s what the Illinois native had to say about sisterhood: “Being a sister isn’t about gender or DNA. It’s about unselfconscious love. About saying I’M HERE, I LOVE YOU, IT’S OK TO BE YOURSELF, and hearing those words echoed back. Not because you asked for them, but because they’re true. Girls are sisters and boys are sisters. Dads are sisters to their sons. Mothers sisters to their mothers too. I’ve come to understand that family is created. Family is a verb. It’s something you build day by day, sometimes in the hot sun and sometimes when everything is going wrong.”
About the album title, Flay said: “The solution to almost every problem is usually really simple. For me, it’s so basic: staying connected to the people I love, taking care of myself the way I’d want my friends to take care of themselves, and doing things I know are going to make me happy – not what social media or strangers or society tells me. So many of my past records were about problems. Right now I’m in a place where I’m looking for some light. Balance is important. Life doesn’t have to be chaotic in order to be meaningful.”
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES
6/7 – Las Vegas, NV – The Cosmopolitan
6/10 – Indianapolis, IN – The Vogue
6/12 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s
6/14 – Manchester, TN – Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
6/15 – New Orleans, LA – Howlin’ Wolf
6/16 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
6/29 – West Valley City, UT – LOVELOUD Festival
8/2 – West Allis, WI – Wisconsin State Fair
8/3 – Long Beach, CA – Alt 98.7 Summer Camp
8/24 – Cheyenne, WY – Edge Fest
9/3 – Phoenix, AZ – Marquee
9/5 – San Diego, CA – Observatory North Park
9/7 – Oakland, CA – The Fox
9/9 – Vancouver, BC – The Commodore
9/11 – Seattle, WA – SODO
9/13 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom
9/14 – Missoula, MT – The Wilma
9/17 – Minneapolis, MN – First Ave
9/19 – Chicago, IL – The Riviera Theatre
9/20 – Detroit, MI – The Crofoot
9/21 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom
9/22 – Toronto, ON – Phoenix
9/24 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Steel
9/25 – Boston, MA – Royale
9/26 – Philadelphia, PA – TLA
9/29 – Washington, DC – 930 Club
9/30 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore
10/2 – Nashville, TN – Marathon
10/4-6 – Austin City Limits
10/11-13 – Austin City Limits
10/12 – Denver, CO – The Fillmore
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new music: Mae Muller
Posted by Amy Steele in Music on May 28, 2019
North London singer-songwriter Mae Muller reminds me of Lily Allen. She’s edgy and has that speak-sing going on. This new song “Anticlimax” has a grooving beat and a sunny, confident vibes.
Muller said: “Anticlimax is a feel-good song about a not so good situation. I wanted to capture that feeling of disappointment when you’ve liked someone for ages and then you finally end up giving it a go and it’s nothing like what you thought it would be! It all works out in the end though because it made me realise my worth and that I don’t have time for a time waster!”
The 21-year-old gained attention when she posted Rihanna and Frank Ocean covers on Instagram. She’s released two EPs-After Hours and Frankly.
Mae describes music as her weapon: “I won’t write a sad song, I’ll write a bad bitch thing like ‘I’m going to fuck your life up’. It’s my way of feeling strong.” Very cool.
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FALL TOUR: Billie Eilish
Posted by Amy Steele in Music on July 23, 2018
16-year-old alt-pop phenom Billie Eilish kicks off a headlining North American tour on October 23, 2018 at Roseland Theater in Portland, Oregon. Tour stops include Boston, Los Angeles, Toronto, Chicago. Ethereal vocals mix with dark lyrics to create beautiful and often haunting songs. Her debut EP ‘don’t smile at me’ has 761 MILLION combined streams globally. This month, “Lovely (with Khalid)” was also officially certified as RIAA GOLD in North America and PLATINUM in Australia. Born and raised in Los Angeles by two actor/musician parents, Billie Eilish began singing in the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus when she was eight years old. She co-writes a lot of her music with her brother Finneas O’Connell.
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES
07/28 – Mo Pop Festival – Detroit, MI
08/01 – House of Blues – Chicago, IL – SOLD OUT
08/02 – Lollapalooza Festival – Chicago, IL
08/04 – Osheaga Festival – Montreal, ON
08/10-12 – Outside Lands Festival – San Francisco, CA
08/23 – Republik – Honolulu, HI – SOLD OUT
09/15-9/16 – Music Midtown Festival – Atlanta, GA
10/02 – Bridgestone Arena (Supporting Florence & The Machine) – Nashville, TN
10/03 – Spectrum Center (Supporting Florence & The Machine) – Charlotte, NC
10/04 – The NorVA – Norfolk, VA – SOLD OUT
10/06 – All Things Go Festival – Washington DC
10/23 – Roseland Theater – Portland, OR
10/24 – The Showbox – Seattle, WA
10/28 – Metro – Chicago, IL
10/31 – The Phoenix Concert Theatre – Toronto, ON
11/02 – House of Blues – Boston, MA
11/03 – Irving Plaza – New York, NY
11/04 – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA
11/05 – Brooklyn Steel – Brooklyn, NY
11/07 – 9:30 Club – Washington, DC**
11/13 – Granada Theater – Dallas, TX
11/14 – Emo’s – Austin, TX
11/16 – The Van Buren – Phoenix, AZ
11/17 – SOMA – San Diego, CA
11/20 – The Fonda Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
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on tour: HANA to support Purity Ring on North American dates
Posted by Amy Steele in Music on August 26, 2015
electro-pop singer/songwriter HANA will commence her North American tour with a headlining gig on August 27 in Los Angeles. She’ll support Purity Ring at House of Blues in Boston on September 22.
Her music shimmers and shines with strong vocals and gentle, dreamy beauty.
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES:
08/27 – The Lyric Theatre – Los Angeles – CA^
09/02 – Rialto Theatre – Tuscon, AZ*
09/03 – Tricky Falls – El Paso, TX
09/04 – El Rey Theatre – Albuquerque, NM*
09/05 – Austin Music Hall – Austin, TX*
09/07 – Minglewood Hall – Memphis, TN*
09/08 – Marathon, Music Works – Nashville, TN*
09/10 – The Ritz Ybor – Tampa, FL
09/11 – The Fillmore Miami Beach – Miami Beach, FL*
09/12 – House of Blues – Lake Buena Vista, FL*
09/14 – Georgia Theatre – Anthens, GA*
09/15 – Orange Peel – Asheville, NC*
09/16 – The Ritz – Raleigh, NC*
09/20 – The National – Richmond, VA*
09/21 – Rams Head Live! – Baltimore, MD*
09/22 – House of Blues – Boston, MA*
09/23 – Upstate Concert Hall – Clifton Park, NY*
09/24 – Stage AE – Pittsburgh, PA*
09/25 – Midpoint Music Festival – Cincinnati, OH
09/26 – The Pygmalion Festival – Champaign, IL
09/29 – Boulder Theater – Boulder, CO*
09/30 – Boulder Theater – Boulder, CO*
10/02 – Knitting Factory – Boise, ID*
10/03 – Knitting Factory – Spokane, WA*
10/04 – McDonald Theatre*
^ Headline
* Supporting Purity Ring
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music review: Callaghan
Posted by Amy Steele in Music on April 3, 2015
Singer/songwriter Callaghan moved to the United States from London in 2010. She blends Americana, folk and pop in her cheerful songs. I call it alt-country. Her sophomore album A History of Now will definitely make you feel 10% happier after listening to it. “We are all, right now, writing a story which will one day fascinate someone,” Callaghan says. “The way we live, the decisions we make, and the moments of hope, grief and happiness which punctuate all our lives will one day make someone stop, think and wonder. All of us are writing our own ‘history of now.’”
The running theme throughout A History of Now is mindfulness and everything’s okay. There’s the toe-tapping opening track “Best Year” that just oozes optimism—“this could be the best year of our lives/ tear up the rule book leave it all behind/ work all day til you close your eyes/ let’s get out of this town/find some bluer skies.” Catchy beats and a cool arrangement usher in “We Don’t Have to Change the World.” Sometimes you get a Shania Twain vibe with Callaghan, like on the track “Crazy Beautiful Life.” It’s an up-tempo optimistic track that’s both catchy and thoughtful. Both strong women with the ability to cross genres and be expressive. A favorite song is “Free to Be” — an exuberant celebration of being yourself complete with an invigorating tempo and infectious lyrics. Sometimes Callaghan gets dreamy and pensive. There’s the wistful “I’ll Take You Away” and the romantic, makes-you-feel-like-slow-dancing, country twinged “When You Loved Me” and gorgeous arrangement and aching vocals of “Lost.” Thoughtful lyrics and lovely arrangements combined with diverse emotive vocals conveys empathy and sentiment. Callaghan scores again with her sophomore album.
Callaghan
A History of Now
Release date: April 7th 2015
RECOMMENDATION: BUY IT
purchase at Amazon: History of Now
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Savoir Adore: music review
Posted by Amy Steele in Music on October 12, 2012
who:
founding members—
Paul Hammer [singer/songwriter/drummer]
Deidre Muro [singer/songwriter/keyboardist]
recent additions—
Tim McCoy [drums]
Gary Atturio [bass]
Alex Foote [guitar]
from: Brooklyn, New York
sound:
Funky, dream-pop electronica. Soothing and refreshing melodies entice you into a delightful wanderlust mode. Subtle influences of 80s synthpop [think OMD], 90s Brit-pop and garage party-rock meld on these hip-shaking tunes with modernistic sheen.
album: Our Nature [October 16]
label: Red Eye/ Popular Recordings
my picks:
“Dreamers”
“Anywhere You Go”
purchase at Amazon: Our Nature
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The Spinto Band: music review
Posted by Amy Steele in Music on May 1, 2012
Wilmington, Delaware’s The Spinto Band serves up geek-pop which reminds me of OK Go. The band’s third release, Shy Pursuit, brims with Disneyland-happiness cloaked in off-kilter lyrics. “Cookie Falls” opens with a swaying beat and soothing sing-songy vocals. Calypso beats provide the island vibe for “Muesli.” From its funky bass beat to its catchy chorus, “Take Out” stands apart.“Adda Lee” sounds very Latin with its twangy bango chords. If you like quirkiness and upbeat melodies then you’ll appreciate the value that Shy Pursuit adds to the iPod and gets you moving during your workouts.
Label: Spintonic Recordings
Release date: May 1, 2012
PR: Riot Act Media
purchase at Amazon: Shy Pursuit
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The Coathangers: music review
Posted by Amy Steele in Music on May 31, 2011
Although it’s 2011, an all-female band still stands out. L7 meets Hole meets The Donnas. The Coathangers growl, grind and sneer through its power rock songs. The clear anti-abortion reference in its names indicates pure brilliance for the Atlanta four-piece. There’s a fun, devil-may-care attitude throughout the album. “Go Away” blends sweet vocals with grungy chords. Snarling vocals herald a truly ass-kicking “Hurricane.”Girl power rules on the witty, lighter“Go Away:”“you keep on hoping / you try to be the one/ you try and you just can’t see/ you try and you just can’t see/ that you’re not the one for me.” The Coathangers show their range from darker to lighter tracks– some more rocking, some more poppy. “Sicker” churns out in a heavier mode. Larceny and Old Lace will charge you up and empower you.
Label: Suicide Squeeze
Release date: June 7, 2011
PR: 230 Publicity
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CD review: Norah Jones
Posted by Amy Steele in Music on November 19, 2009
Norah Jones
The Fall
Blue Note Records
The Fall is supposed to be an experimental record for Norah Jones and though I hear some country and some varying arrangements throughout, I hear many similarities to 2006’s Not Too Late. Both albums I adore for their sultry, somnolent qualities. Yes, that’s a good thing. Mellow, soothing music heals the heart. It reaches the soul. Jones methodically reveals her emotions through each song. She’s carefully crafted this album. The appeal of Jones is her bluesy, sultry moodiness and her moments of lilting purity. She’s not easy to categorize: not a pop singer, not a jazz singer, not R&B, not blues. Jones does succeed to combine all the best elements of each of those genres for her own signature sound. Jones wrote the majority of her songs and there’s an aching, longing and loneliness running through many of the songs. Stories of lying and cheating men, unfulfilling love and self-doubt. And Jones sings it all with aching maturity, wisdom and elegance. Singing with longing and tinges of regret on “I Wouldn’t Need You” Jones sings: If I could replace/ The things you gave me/ If I could see my face/ Without the tragedy/ Then I wouldn’t need you/ No I wouldn’t need you/ No I wouldn’t need you/ To love me/ But I do. “You Ruined Me” is a country-laced confession: You’ve ruined me now/ Though I liked it/ Now, I’m ruined/ I’m trying to part/ With what’s in my heart/ You’ve ruined me and how/ I thought I liked it/ And haven’t we all been here on the luscious, swirling “Stuck:’ Why can’t it be easy?/ Easy?/ Why don’t you leave?/Leave me?/Leave me be?/I can see you swaying/ I can’t hear what you’re saying/I’m sitting here stuck/ And plastered to my seat/ I think up a reason to leave/ when you finally stop speaking/ I’ll take a long slow/ Walk down Washington Street. On her last song, the vaudeville-inspired “Man of the Hour,” she honors the one who many never cheat on her or hurt her: her dog.
For anyone who’s been in love, wants love or has had a broken heart, The Fall will surely mend some wounds while you cry through the pain. That’s the power and wonder of music. That’s why music is such an essential aspect of my life.
GRADE: B+
–review by Amy Steele
[review copy courtesy of Blue Note]
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About Me
covering mostly music and books. focus on alternative/indie and women in music, literature and the arts. feminist. vegan. mostly alternative, a bit bohemian. Masters in journalism from Boston University. BA from Simmons College.
Entertainment Realm by Amy Steele is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at entertainmentrealm.comCopyright © 2009. All writing, unless otherwise noted, by Amy Steele.
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