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ISSUE 008 JULY 2021
+ MOON TAXI , ALMOST MONDAY, TIK TOK SUCCESSES + DISCOVER: PHILADELPHIA, PA MELODIC MAGAZINE
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CONTENTS //
LAUREN SANDERSON DANIEL POPLAWSKY 2 MELODIC MAGAZINE
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INTRODUCTIONS
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LISTEN WHILE YOU READ (PLAYLIST)
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THE SUCCESSES OF VIRTUAL SHOWS
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ALMOST MONDAY
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GET TO KNOW: PHILADELPHIA, PA
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MOON TAXI
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ARTISTS OF TIKTOK
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LAUREN SANDERSON
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ON YOUR RADAR
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easy life, meet me @ the altar, lady dan, maggie lindemann
ALBUM REVIEWS
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ISSUE 008 // JULY 2021 Founded in 2014, Melodic Magazine was established with the goal of providing news of your favorite artists, exclusive interviews, in depth album reviews, exciting show reviews, and the one of a kind photos that go with it. We know how complicated the industry can be, so we'll do the sorting for you. At Melodic, you're only seeing the info that keeps you wanting more from your current and future favorites.
MEET THE TEAM:
founder // editor-in-chief victoria goodwin editorial assistant bria vacca digital design victoria goodwin + hailey collins cover photo daniel poplawsky @danpopsd contributing ezine writers bella shirk, christine sloman, dena schaeffer, erin crowley, jones willingham, marisa graham, nicholas barlow contributing ezine photographers angel escobar, cole ferguson, daniel poplawsky, don vancleve, kelly hammon, ross bustin
FOLLOW US:
website www.melodicmag.com instagram @melodicmag twitter @melodicmag facebook: melodic magazine spotify melodic magazine look out for the next issue www.issuu.com/melodicmag
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LISTEN WHILE YOU READ:
E L I H W N E D A LIST E R U O Y E EEN BE U Q derson n a I Like It S t u n B e r u La derson n o a S n lter Eg A Laure a l mpa andy c n o Tame I t t co k LUD B G y lipstic r r N e b YU w D - stra U L B Disney t G a N d U a Y ese - M l i m e l castle sa d u o l c i9 Luna L ike 199 L y e l Val txts g n o l World e h t e Lubalin se ant to w I n nso YEAR h o D J E T o S Hob A WA s jxdn htmare g i n e f phet o r P easy li e h mT Pillow A y I M r n e a ife Und Lady D n K n man Garden e d r n i a t L l e Hurt I The A e l Maggi p @ o e e o The P Meet M T n One o y s l r n e d O n e Sa on - Th s r Lauren e d n Heroes Sa n n w e o t r e u La i - Hom x a gether T o n T o t I o p M e bs xi - Ke a T n ey bee l o i a h Mo onday eople p m t n s e o k o alm ay - br d n ’s over o y t r m a t p s o alm hen the w h s i ause l i C E t s e i l o l i L B ilish Billie E
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You can’t read a feature on almost monday without hearing about surfing. The trio based out of San Diego met through surfing and threw incredible DIY shows at local surf shops that led to a team-up with producers Mark Needham (The Killers, Neon Trees) and Simon Oscroft (The Aces, The Naked and Famous) and the release of their debut EP don’t say you’re ordinary. That surfing background might have telegraphed almost monday’s future because they are currently riding the wave of success with the release of their follow-up EP til the end of time and appearances at nearly every festival happening this fall. til the end of time is a pulsating piece of sunny indie-pop, with songs like “hailey beebs” and the lead single “live forever” accumulating hundreds of thousands of monthly listeners across streaming platforms. It’s an impressively ambitious work of music that is seemingly designed to slot into your summer party playlists, but also sounds immaculately produced when listening through headphones. We talked with almost monday about the EP’s release, how the pandemic impacted the writing process, and what to expect from their festival appearances this summer.
Interview by Jones Willingham
Photos by Cole Ferguson + Kelly Hammond
Melodic Magazine: How did you guys meet? Dawson Daugherty (vocals): Luke and I have been friends for a while — we grew up together and played music together when we were younger. I met Cole through some friends while surfing when I was like 16 and heard he played guitar, so the three of us just got together and threw some shows coming out of high school. Melodic Magazine: Every press release I’ve ever read from you guys talks about those legendary DIY shows you put on in surf shops — they sound absolutely wild. Do you have any favorite memories from that era of the band?
Cole Clisby (guitar): More than anything, it was just cool to see the growth. We’d text everyone we know begging them to come to our first show, and the more we did, the more unfamiliar faces we saw. I think the last show we played at the surf shop had close to like 250 people there when the room only held 80, and we realized we didn’t even know that many people! So it was rad to just see it grow beyond just our friends liking our music. Melodic Magazine: Something that was incredibly impressive about you guys is that you pretty much evolved into this band while the pandemic was happening. How do you think you were able to maintain that buzz despite COVID-19 happening around us?
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Dawson: You know, in the pandemic, the most difficult thing was losing shows. It was just pretty challenging to build a new fanbase because we had to look solely on the internet. On top of that shift, we made the decision as a band to just really focus on putting as much good music out as possible and good visuals to go with it. We worked with frequent collaborators on most of our music videos and we just put most of our time and energy into keeping fans interested in what we were doing without touring. Melodic Magazine: Is there a theme that unifies all of the tracks on til the end of time? Dawson: When we were trying to pick out songs for this EP, we were going over stuff we wrote before the pandemic, during the pandemic, and very recently. We just consistently landed on tracks that centered around enjoying your time while you’re here and celebrating youthfulness. Look at the song titles — “live forever”, “til the end of time”, “this is growing up” — they all focus on enjoying what’s right in front of you and making the most of your life while you’ve got it. Melodic Magazine: Walk me through the writing process of “til the end of time”. Was that written pre-pandemic? Dawson: That was one of the songs that we wrote during the pandemic. We were kind of bouncing ideas around with our producer Simon [Oscroft] and then suddenly the lockdown happened and he had to jet back to New Zealand. I’m not gonna lie, it was seriously tough going from being in a room together to having to finish everything up online; there’s a certain energy when it’s us and Simon in a room and then suddenly we went to telling him to turn it up on his speakers so that we could hear it over a Zoom call. I don’t think we’ve ever written a 10
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song like “til the end of time” for that reason, and it definitely took the longest to write out of all of the tracks because of it. Melodic Magazine: It sounds like y’all prefer to let projects come together naturally rather than force songs together. Dawson: Yeah, one of the tracks (“live forever”) is the oldest song; we wrote that ages ago in Brooklyn. And then the other tracks are kind of all over the place with their timelines — I guess that’s kind of reflective of our general philosophy in that we’re more focused on writing good songs and then figuring out where they go rather than perfectly lining up a whole EP in advance.
SIMILAR ARTISTS: Foster the Peop
LISTEN: “live forever”, “hailey beeb
Melodic Magazine: Okay, I’ve got to know: the track “hailey beebs” — do we know if Hailey Bieber has heard that yet? How’d that name come about? Dawson: (laughs) I don’t know! We haven’t heard. I hope she has. The name actually stuck around as a joke. Like I said, it’s an older song, and the demo had a rhyme that had “Hailey Beebs” in it, and the song just sat for a while. When we started to piece together songs for the EP, we were just asking ourselves “what do we call it?” and we just decided to keep it as “hailey beebs”! Melodic Magazine: How do you think your sound has changed from “broken people” to now?
ple, COIN, Valley
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Dawson: It’s interesting - I think that being creative in general, one of the most underrated-ly hard things to do is to find your sound. I’m not sure how other bands do it, but we really just get in the room with our team and just try to write a good song; however that happens is how it happens. So coming back to your question, finding our sound has been this interesting and weird thing of asking ourselves “Do we make another ‘broken people’?” or “Do we branch out a little bit more here?”. And I’d say that we’re on our way to doing that by putting out music consistently that’s a little bit different from the last release, you know, and hoping that it’s translating for people on the other end. Melodic Magazine: Do you ever feel any creative pressure to follow up the success of the first EP? Luke Fabry (bass): I don’t think so. I think we want every song to be really good, but we don’t really go there thinking about numbers or streams. Obviously you’re in control of it while you’re writing it, but trying to force music to do the exact same thing previous releases achieved. Melodic Magazine: I think y’all might be on every single festival lineup this summer. Dawson: (laughs) We’re working overtime on that right now, man. It’s gonna be wild. Melodic Magazine: Is there any festival in particular that you’re looking forward to? Luke: I think the one that’s on our mind right now is Lollapalooza because it’s coming up first. We’re working through rehearsals to get our show ready. It’ll be the three of us and then our friend on drums, and we are so excited to bring these songs to life on stage. Dawson: We love them all. We want to play them all. Give us all the festivals! MELODIC MAGAZINE
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GET TO KNOW
PHILADELPHIA, PA Welcome to the City of Brotherly Love, the home of the Liberty Bell. Most notable for its historical value and delectable cheesesteaks, Philadelphia is also home to an underground, one-of-a-kind music scene where everybody feels like a somebody. While you’re here, be sure to stop on by the infamous Tony Luke’s cheesesteaks. favorite local musicians 4vr • best bear • bria elena crash cathedral • hayley dare jazmine sullivan • l8x• mia giovina mosin nagant • rubber • rushil sleep house • soul glo spirit of the beehive
favorite local radio stations 96.5 tdy • alt 104.5 q102 philly •radio 104.5 whip radio• wkdu 103.3 wxpn • wxtu 92.5
favorite local music venues favorite local photographers bob sweeney • cami liberty carolyn lederach • don carter john vettese • jordyn lyric megan finnerty
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barbary • bb&t pavilion bourbon and branch • fillmore foundry • johnny brenda’s met • milkboy • ortliebs tla (theatre of the living arts) underground arts • union transfer warehouse on watts • world cafe live
“what are other awesome things about philly?” DYLAN SAYS: Mid le
VANESSA SAYS: Cherry Veen Zine, 4333 Collective both promote great local shows and online events!
y Grange Recordin
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JORDYN SAYS: Midley Grange Recording, Creep Records, Landmine Studios, Bluebond Guitars, Grindcore House
ios, a, Milk Boy Stud w a W s, rd co e R Repo CAITLIN SAYS: l each 4th of July a iv st e F ca ri e m Welcome A
TORI SAYS: My favorite thing about Phillys music scene is the drive and creativity all of our on the rise artists have to offer the city! Philly is all about do it yourself and creating a name for yourself in this huge industry! Our city loves every genre!
DID YOU KNOW? TIMELESS musicians from Philly include: Patti LaBelle, Chubby Checker, Hall & Oates, Boyz II Men, Questlove, DJ Jazzy Jeff and more. MODERN artists like P!NK, Meek Mill, Questlove, The War on Drugs, Diplo, Amos Lee, and Christina Perri all rep Philly as home.
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Interview by Christine Sloman
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Press Photo by Don VanCleave
Live Photos by Ross Bustin
Having spent the past 15 years selling out shows and headlining festivals, the guys in Moon Taxi know how to pull off the whole “being in a band” thing. The Nashville rockers have experienced quite a lot together, and the nostalgia they feel looking back at all of those memories can be heard on their latest album, Silver Dream. The band made most of the album on their own, which gave them the freedom to experiment with their sound. As they dabbled in genres such as folk, alt-rock, and soul, Moon Taxi took their music to new heights. New doors and possibilities were opened sonically, with the lyrics to these tracks staying as grounded and inspiring as ever. We hear about the importance of taking risks, standing up for yourself, and celebrating the good times, which are all essential functions of life. We had the opportunity to reminisce with Moon Taxi’s keyboardist, Wes Bailey, on the album making process, standout tracks, favorite memories with the band, and what it has been like playing shows post-lockdown. MELODIC MAGAZINE
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SIMILAR ARTISTS: Young the Giant, OneRepublic, Little Comets LISTEN: “Keep It Together”, “Live For It”, “Say”
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Melodic Magazine: Congratulations on the release of your fifth studio album, Silver Dream! What was the creative process like for this album, and how did it feel to have it come out after such a stressful year? Wes Bailey: Silver Dream was a unique process for us in that we co-wrote a lot of the songs with some fantastic LA songwriter/producers in July 2019. There are so many lyrics that fit perfectly into what people were feeling in 2020, so it felt good to have some songs that hopefully brought them comfort. “Yea it’s been a hard year for me too” from “Light Up” comes to mind. Melodic Magazine: “Hometown Heroes” became a huge hit during lockdown last year, and served as an anthem for frontline and essential workers. What was it like to see the track take on this meaning and connect with so many people? Wes Bailey: Those frontline workers are certainly the heroes of the past year. We never imagined the song would apply to that type of situation when we wrote it, but are so grateful that it could be heard from that perspective. That song will always serve as a reminder of their sacrifice.
Melodic Magazine: You recently played a small string of shows in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia. What were these shows like? Did it feel like things were back to normal? Wes Bailey: Things are very close to back to normal and that excites us a lot. The pod style shows are a bit different for us because obviously people are so spread out, but we’re just thankful to be playing again. The new songs are sounding great live and we’ve been doing some really cool stuff with them for the show. Melodic Magazine: Of course, tours were canceled/rescheduled last year due to Covid. They are just now starting to come back and you guys recently announced that you will be hitting the road in a couple of months for the Silver Dream Tour. Are you ready/anxious/excited to be properly touring again? Wes Bailey: We can’t wait to see all the friends and fans we missed out on last year, and of course some of our favorite venues. We’re very excited to get back out doing what we love.
Melodic Magazine: Do you ever get nervous for shows or performances, like a television appearance or even just a nightly show on tour? Wes Bailey: I remember being really Melodic Magazine: Is there a track on nervous for Letterman because it was our Silver Dream that speaks to you the most? first Late Night appearance. I stared at the Wes Bailey: I personally love “Above ceiling the whole night before trying to The Water” because it was written solely imagine how the day of show would go. by the band; it feels like we have more Other than that, we’ve played probably ownership. I love its message about the over a thousand shows at this point so person or people in your life keeping your nerves aren’t really an issue at this point. head held high when things are low. CONTINUE READING >> MELODIC MAGAZINE
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Melodic Magazine: Having been together since 2006, is it mind-blowing to think that it’s been 15 years of Moon Taxi? Did you all think you would still be together at this point? Wes Bailey: And what’s even more rare is that it’s been the same five guys who have eaten Five Guys burgers together since 2005. I always imagined we would last this long, despite all the high cholesterol.
Melodic Magazine: Any funny or embarrassing memories you have with the band that you can share with us? Wes Bailey: I was accidentally left at a rural Alabama gas station by the band back when we were in a van and I had no cellphone. I used a telephone book to locate our drummer’s parents who lived 30 minutes away. I was also in a tux.
Melodic Magazine: Where do you see Melodic Magazine: What would you Moon Taxi in another 15 years? say has been your favorite project or Wes Bailey: Less shows, more babies. I think we’ll keep putting music out in some endeavor with Moon Taxi, be it a tour, a performance, an album, a collaboration...? capacity ‘til we start writing songs about prune juice and social security. Wes Bailey: Seeing the massive streaming success “Two High” had in 2017/2018 was really rewarding. That song had so much meaning to us, and to see it connect in such a big way felt like our years of hard work were paying off.
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A Glimpse at Artists on TikTok If we try to define 2020, it’s overwhelming to think of everything that has happened. So, let’s not. Instead, let’s lay back on our favorite comfortable surface and get to scrolling. After all, some of the greatest accomplishments in music for the last year came because of our tendency towards that same endless scrolling. Before the pandemic, TikTok boasted 800 million monthly users. The pervasive social media app now has more than 1.1 billion active monthly users. There are many artists who boosted their followings through the app during the pandemic, these are our favorites.
Salem Ilese, who gained immense popularity for her viral hit “Mad at Disney,” started with 1,757 followers and 31.7k likes in August 23, 2020. Less than a month after that, she surpassed 1.1 million followers and 8.6 million likes, and now has over 2.4 million followers in 2021! Salem’s skills in production and singing keep growing, as do her account and repertoire. With a writing credit on a recent release from TXT (Tomorrow By Together), a popular South Korean group, Salem’s impact continues to expand internationally. This May, Salem released her (L)only Child EP. It is refreshing to see that even with her rising stardom, Salem includes a healthy dose of humor, self-awareness, and humility in her videos.
@lunaliband
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@salemilese
Luna Li went viral in March of 2020 and has continued to create soothing, expertly crafted covers and songs since then. In her videos, she is often seen playing electric guitar, violin, or harp. The way each song is played with finesse and skill makes it easy to see why her account has over 25k followers and 179k likes. Hannah Bussiere, the classically trained multiinstrumentalist behind the Luna Li image, is broadening the scope of what it means to be an Asian woman in indie pop. With numerous performances on Japanese Breakfast’s upcoming tour this fall, I hope Bussiere’s authentic message will continue to gain momentum.
Valley is a Toronto-based band consisting of four members: Michael Brandolino, Alex Dimauro, Kara James, and Rob Laska. Since their first TikTok in February of 2020, the group has reached over 31k followers and 524k likes on the platform. With a collaboration invitation for their single, “Like 1999,” the group went viral, and they only seem to be gaining traction. At the beginning of June, the group released a new single “SOCIETY,” which details their disdain for the formulaic methods of making pop music. In the past, they toured with The Band Camino and Lennon Stella, and this fall they will be hitting the road to open for COIN.
@lubalin
@thisisvalley
Lubalin is another Canadian TikTok-er that really blew up over the last year. Many know the “Turning Random Internet Drama Into Songs” series that he began posting in December of 2020. His impressive musical chops can be witnessed in his earlier videos, too. The virally successful artist says that although the finished product of a TikTok is less than a minute, the creation process has “boosted [his] production skills and [the] speed of production.” With a recent collaboration featuring Jimmy Fallon (and Alison Brie), Lubalin seems to have carved out a niche for himself. His adroit skill for creating quirky, comedic music is more than worthy of the 3.1 million followers and 27.1 million likes he has garnered thus far. When not making hilarious video snippets, Lubalin spends his time making beautifully produced songs like his newest release, “Double Helix,” which came out at the end of May.
While 2020 feels for many like a liminal experience, it is comforting to think that it was not a complete record scratch of a year: music changed medium. Many popular artists like Lizzo, Jason Derulo, and Megan Thee Stallion gained an even bigger following thanks to TikTok. People with smaller followings in music were able to grow, too, as did people outside of music. This past year cannot be defined in one article, video, or song, but I am grateful to see the way people learned to redefine themselves. To the people who took time to share, create, educate, and grow: I cannot wait to see what you do next.
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On May 14th, alternative pop artist Lauren Sanderson dropped her new single “Queen Bee”. This single is a fun and adventurous tune that has come just in time for the summer. Accompanying the single is a music video from Sanderson featuring Sevahna de Leon. The video has already racked up hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube, and rightfully so. This is Sanderson’s second single as a newly independent artist, after previously being signed to Epic Records. Earlier in her discography, you can find some unique bangers off of her previous works such as Don’t Panic! and Midwest Kids Can Make It Big. Both of these records have put her on the map and have earned her hundreds of thousands of listeners. She is an artist to watch and definitely on the rise to stardom. Last week Lauren announced she will be heading out on tour starting July 23 and hitting cities like LA, Chicago, Nashville, and others! We were able to ask Lauren some questions about what she’s been doing during the pandemic, the silver lining to the pandemic, and what she’s looking forward to the most in the future! Interview by Dena Schaeffer Photos by Daniel Poplawsky
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Life’s too short to not live on your own terms.
Melodic Magazine: Can you introduce yourself and tell us a little about you? Lauren: Hi! I’m Lauren. I’m a Capricorn and I have a pitbull named Angel. I like music and tennis and fashion and traveling and my girlfriend! I just cut all my hair off, therapy is my favorite activity as of lately. Melodic Magazine: You started recording music in your bedroom in Indiana. Today, you’re touring and playing the largest festivals in the nation. Was there a catalyst/ turning point behind this? Lauren: My Spaces EP hitting the iTunes charts. Moving to LA and signing to a label obviously catapulted me out in the open! Going through label struggles and getting out of my deal, to now being empowered being independent. The turning points don’t stop. Life’s funny that way.
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Melodic Magazine: This pandemic has left most of us with lots of downtime. What have you been doing to keep busy? Any new music or artists you’ve been listening to? Lauren: Weirdly enough ive been playing lots of tennis. It’s kind of my escape at this point, I just wish I had more partners. I’ve also been learning guitar since I’ve always wanted to incorporate that into my live shows! As well as playing other instruments like piano and drums. I’ve been listening to Tyler [the Creator]’s new album, Dominic Fike, Willow Smith, girl in red, beabadoobee. Excited for the new Lorde & Clairo albums, too. Melodic Magazine: “Queen Bee” just recently got released, how would you say COVID-19 affected the music making process/release of this single? Lauren: If anything I just wanna get back in the swing of things. Releasing music, touring, album, EPs and not have to worry about damn covid for any of it. Melodic Magazine: How would you say the pandemic affected your mental health? Lauren: Well, I started therapy 2 weeks ago if that says anything. Lots to work through on this end.
SIMILAR ARTISTS: FLETCHER, Charlotte Lawrence, Pink LISTEN: “Queen Bee”, “The Only One”, “To The People I Hurt” Lauren Sanderson, from Fort Wayne, Indiana, is an independent artist and rising voice in alternative pop music. The Indiana native has continued to make waves in the music industry following her 2020 debut full-length album Midwest Kids Can Make It Big. Her raspy voice, storytelling lyrics, and genre blending style that blends hip-hop, pop, and R&B have put her on tours with artists like FINNEAS and Chase Atlantic. Lauren Sanderson is only at the beginning of what is sure to be a superstar career, you’ll want to be along for the ride. CONTINUE READING >> MELODIC MAGAZINE 25
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Melodic Magazine: Has there been any silver linings to this pandemic in terms of your music career? Lauren: Life’s too short to not live on your own terms. Release what you want, when you want, how you want. I’m coming back to my passion and trying to worry less about how I’m perceived. Melodic Magazine: What are you looking forward to doing next? Lauren: I look forward to releasing my next body of work which will come out by fall. I’m still perfecting it and finishing it up, but as soon as it’s done im sending that shit! Be ready! Melodic Magazine: What are you most proud of and what do you hope your listeners take away from listening to your new music? Lauren: I’m proud of being able to experiment and not worry about staying in one particular box or “sound”. I want people to listen to my music and be whoever they wanna be. Maybe my lyrics or energy will be the thing that inspires them to do that.
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on your
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EASY LIFE #alt-indie #r&b
SIMILAR ARTISTS: Alfie Templeman, Circa Waves LISTEN: “nightmares,” “sangria,” “pockets” The rise of Leicester-based band, Easy Life, from Leicester, United Kingdom, is no surprise. Being part of the illustrious and iconic Chess Club Records alumni, in which they released indie-pop anthem “pockets” to wide public support. The band went onto sign with industry heavy-weights, Island Records. This five-man group, fronted by Murray Matravers is only going to get bigger. After having released debut studio album, Life’s A Beach to critical acclaim, achieving a No.2 album in the UK Charts.
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MEET ME AT THE ALTAR #pop-punk #alt-indie
SIMILAR ARTISTS: Paramore, Stand Atlantic LISTEN: ”Garden,” “Feel a Thing,” “Hit Like a Girl” Meet Me @ The Altar are an energetic pop punk band featuring vocalist Edith Johnson, guitarist/bassist Téa Campbell, and drummer Ada Juarez. They each are from different states but found each other through the power of the internet. Formed in 2015, the band discovered each other through YouTube covers and ever since have been inseparable. In 2020 they signed to Fueled by Ramen and re-released their hit single “Garden”, along with “Hit Like a Girl”, and most recently “Feel a Thing”. Now set to hit the road with All Time Low, these 3 women are stars and are paving the way for more diversity within the pop-punk scene.
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CONTINUE FOR MORE ARTISTS >>>
LADY DAN #folk
SIMILAR ARTISTS: Torres, Caroline Rose LISTEN: “I Am The Prophet,” “Dogs,” “Misandrist to Most” Lady Dan, from Austin, TX, is the project of Tyler Dozier, a young singer-songwriter that is blending alt-country and indie together in a way akin to Madi Diaz and Torres. Dozier’s lyricism is both witty and resonant, focusing on real topics like the questioning of religion and familial strain. I Am The Prophet is an outstanding collection of songs that both serve as an introduction to the talents of Lady Dan and also an opportunity to jump into fandom before everyone else discovers her.
MAGGIE LINDEMANN #alt-rock #pop
SIMILAR ARTISTS: Olivia Rodrigo, Avril Lavigne LISTEN: “Knife Under My Pillow,” “Crash and Burn” Discovered on YouTube at just 16 years old, Maggie Lindemann moved from Dallas to Los Angeles to pursue her career in music. Her fierce vocals and ability to tap into universal fears make for attention-grabbing music, quickly gathering praise from the likes of Alt Press, Billboard, and Rolling Stone. Her songs have now been streamed over one billion times and serve as anthems to those who are trying to find their place in the world.
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ALBUM REVIEWS JXDN Tell Me About Tomorrow
by Christine Sloman
ARTISTS YOU MAY LIKE YUNGBLUD, Machine Gun Kelly RECOMMENDED TRACKS “A WASTED YEAR”, “ANGELS & DEMONS” I was cruising around in my car last summer, as some of us were wont to do just to get out of the house, when a song came on the radio that instantly snapped me out of the funk I was in that day. It was angsty, it was catchy as heck, and it left me begging for more. The song turned out to be “SO WHAT!” by up-and-coming pop punk protégé jxdn. Promoting the sound that Machine Gun Kelly put forth on the notable Tickets To My Downfall, jxdn’s tracks kept the pop punk revolution train moving full steam ahead. As he gives us his debut album, Tell Me About Tomorrow, jxdn lets us figure out if this train is worth getting on or if it is best to just pass up.
extraordinary talent of sounding like more than one person. His voice goes from bright and youthful in higher registers to raspy and more mature in the lower ones, giving the impression that he is being featured on his own songs. On “BRAINDEAD,” for instance, jxdn’s seasoned vocals drive the verses before opening up in the choruses, creating moments of great contrast. This ability definitely adds more texture to the songs, but it makes his collaborations with Machine Gun Kelly on “WANNA BE” and iann dior on “TONIGHT” almost unnecessary.
In the grand scheme of things, Tell Me About Tomorrow is not your typical “emo” record, where the songs are about hating everyone and everything. jxdn has the ability to tackle heavy topics such as mental health and addiction in a very real way, making his personal experiences universal. For example, jxdn sings, “I just smile right now / I’ve been lying out loud / I’ve been feeling real down” on the tortured “FUCKED UP,” owning up to how The beginning of Tell Me About Tomorrow dabbles hard it is to express these emotions. There is also in standard pop punk, with shouty choruses, drawn the semi-acoustic closing track, “TELL ME ABOUT out melodies, high energy drum fills, and lyrics TOMORROW,” which centers on one of jxdn’s that would make any emo soul feel heard. At first, friends and you can relate to that feeling of staying you think that this is just going in one direction, as strong for someone, when you really just want to songs like “PILLS” and “THINK ABOUT ME” are break down. more or less cut from the same cloth. However, the tracks start to deviate from this sound the further Overall, Tell Me About Tomorrow is definitely just we move through the album, as we hear tracks such the beginning for jxdn. It is a solid effort consisting as “ANGELS & DEMONS” and “BETTER OFF of 18 tracks, but you sense that jxdn is capable of DEAD” taking on elements of hip-hop and alt-rock. doing more. There are times when the album loses By giving us this mix, jxdn bridges the gap between steam, and other times when it feels too safe. But, early 2000s punk music and the punk music that is the more work jxdn does on Travis Barker’s label, heard today. the better he will get; jxdn will be sure to come into his own, and go very far – even if he decides to gets As far as vocals are concerned, jxdn has the chops off the pop punk train at the next stop or take it as for the pop punk genre, but also possesses an far as it can go. 32
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CAVETOWN Man’s Best Friend EP ARTISTS YOU MAY LIKE Mxmtoon, Dodie, Conan Gray, half•alive RECOMMENDED TRACKS “Sharpener” “Idea of Her”, “Guilty”
U.K’s powerhouse singer/songwriter Cavetown is here with his new emotionally driven EP Man’s Best Friend. You’re going to feel as if you’re floating on cloud nine while listening to this, as Robbie creates a dreamlike atmosphere in this new EP.
by Erin Crowley
same emotional quality that he is known for.; he is raw and authentically himself, talking about things most would shy away from.
The EP features 7 songs, each different in their own way. “Idea of Her”, sees Robbie talking about a person he longs for, so much that it’s hard to even say the person’s name. “Guilty” is somber, with Robbie talking about feeling guilty about situations Man’s Best Friend incorporates Robbie’s no matter what he does. Each track on the signature songwriting skills and ability to EP is equally raw and beautiful and Robbie make each song different but still have the really hit it out of the park with this release.
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HOBO JOHNSON The Revenge of Hobo Johnson ARTISTS YOU MAY LIKE Oliver Tree, Rex Orange County RECOMMENDED TRACKS “I want to see the World”, “Jordans house”
by Nicholas Barlow
Hobo Johnson & the LoveMakers return with their iconic spoken word, dynamic music, and an ability to communicate the many problems of modern life. After a 2-year hiatus, without the control of a label, The Revenge of Hobo Johnson completes a collection of albums.
I Don’t Know How But They Found Me, and Bo Burnham. Alongside, in my own interpretation, a contemplation of God and the meaning of life in “Jordans house”, Johnson, otherwise known as Frank Lopes Jr., takes all in an extended inspiration from an eclectic mix of artists. After metaphor of waiting for listening to The Rise, The Fall, and The Revenge a friend to come to the door. of Hobo Johnson, it is clear that this album is a product of a (albeit short) life which has been Saying all that, by far my favourite track on the lived throughly. The defiance to stick to one clear album has to be “Prequel to Animal Farm“. A sub-genre rings true to this idea. I would hazard a reimagination, in verse, of the Orwellian life. Almost guess that even John Cooper Clarke would have anthemic music backs the rather sordid lyrics, a some fun with the nature of the lyrics. beautiful juxtaposition of meaning and musicality which makes it one of my favourite tracks. If not, Despite the majority of reviews having been of the entirity of Johnson’s discography. unsavory about the album, I feel that the album has a maintained authenticity, tenacity, and witty Speaking about the album, he cites Karl Marx charm to it. This may not be Hobo Johnson’s and progressive thought as an inspiration on strongest album, however, if there’s anything I’ve this project. “My last record The Fall of Hobo learned from music trends in the past – albums Johnson was my first time working with a major like these either show that an artist is going a label to release music. It was not for me. I decided new musical direction, or it will become iconic my next record needed to be entirely under my (Revolution 9 by The Beatles). own control… After converting our band into a democratic and egalitarian institution, we created The album discusses a heady mix of personal The Revenge.” and political; from the clear messages in “I want to see the World“, which is about the amount of I don’t know what’s in store for Hobo Johnson & anguish America has bought to the world, election the LoveMakers, but I’m excited to find out where tampering, and the wars, to the introspective they go next. themes of depression, relationships, and a wider theme of the hamster wheel of social media In three words, I would describe this album as: in “I want you Back“. The sprinkling of slight punchy, angsty, and accurate. bizarreness in “Outro”, with echoes of The 1975,
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