OpCritical - Not Alone
OpCritical doesn’t just make songs; they bring to the surface thoughts and ideologies that will haunt you, especially in their latest release, Not Alone.
Roxercat-Crime
The legacy of Roxercat will be through their fascinating music. If you haven’t heard of them, it’s a crime. You’ve never read foreshadowing like this. A trio that brings the life back to live music, we listen to their single today, called Crime. Sorry, but not sorry. Featured in their EP from earlier this year called Pearls, this is one of their hardest hitters. It is difficult to balance a groovy intro without it becoming the mainstay. However, if you have experience like Roxercat does, you’re going to live in the groove. With a bass intro leading to a swinging rock rhythm, you can feel the beat in your bones. When you thought that could be enough, a guitar solo pretty much kicks the door wide open. It’s like listening to Steve Vai, but there are incredible vocals involved. The bridge involves quite the exchange between the guitar and the vocals, and keeps the wattage of this song on max. If anything, I can guarantee you that you haven’t heard lead guitar work like that in several years from an indie band. There is a threshold of awesome that exists for a band to make a legacy. Roxercat crossed that threshold one EP ago. I can assure you this isn’t an advertisement of any sort, the proof is in the pudding. I’d have loved to have heard this one on The Italian Job, any really cool heist movie would do. I’m banking on an Ocean’s follow up just so that this band can make the soundtrack. You can listen to their EP and follow them on Spotify for more great rock and roll. For now, sign off with a calling card for crime.
Steve Young - Feelin' fine
Steve Young will bring back the classics with a twist and have us taste the tension in the air with Feelin’ fine, the perfect instrumentals ready to be consumed by us. A seven-course meal waiting to be devoured heartily with every beat. Steve knows how to drive a melody into memory. He strategically places his instruments and vocals, surprising us at every turn. What an exquisite way of showing off how suave a person feels. That’s the theme of the song, very Bruno Mars-esque if you ask me, with a pink of Wolfmother. The track has an opening that has us on our toes and fine lyrics, bordering between badass and classy. But what steals the cake but not the spotlight is the guitar solo. We can almost taste every cord progression in our mouth with the way it is played to perfection. The track takes its time, building up tension in a delicate way. And before you know it, the track has us surprised. The only film that successfully shows off how badass its characters are, completely, is Ocean’s 8. The playlist of the songs is filled with the classics but I’m sure that Feelin’ fine can easily blend in with the rest. The track is set out to be one of the most iconic songs in the current indie music market. You can see what all the noise is about by clicking on the links attached above and see for yourself what fine craftsmanship Steve Young Brings to the table.
Proklaim - Daniella
Proklaim makes revolution irresistible with his latest single, Daniella, and it is bound to change the rhythm of your heart and thoughts. He steps into the limelight with a set of infectious beats. The rapper started rapping in Namibia and hasn't stopped since. The way his bars strike like a hammer on a piece of hot rod sends chills down your spine. This track in particular not only carries the ability to disarm his listeners but also to probe the mind with several thoughts and questions. This modern-day poet has some of the sickest bars out there in business. His sharp words hold the world accountable for the implicit viewing of the Fourth Estate. The imaginary lines within many facets of society continue to get clearer and blurrier simultaneously. In a time like this, Proklaim makes it a point to create art that shakes the very core of your fundamental thoughts. Especially when he says, “The revolution will be televised.” The fact that he says this with a sense of celebration fills your lungs with hope for the future. He brings the world alive with a set of beats that liberate the body and pump our veins with music. The song belongs to a film that is as revolutionary as The Trial of the Chicago 7. The film already has personality, and a song like this only intensifies the experience. Keep an eye out for this gem; Proklaim can rile up a room and swagger away unbothered. It is a crime to let wit and wisdom such as this go unnoticed. Check out his work in the links attached above. Music like this paves the way for liberation for the body and soul.
Synthonic - Lampin
Synthonic released his latest album, Lampin, and it is a 3D sonic circus that never ceases to amuse and surprise you! This composer began his musical journey at the age of 7 with the piano and tuba, setting the base for his future exploration. By the time Kieron Garrett (his real name) was 20, he was already exploring jazz, and before you know it, he created Synthonic. He has played with several bands across the UK and is now riding it solo. This album has a few fun collaborations, such as Jeremy Dunning, Jack Birchwood and Visilis Xenopoulos. All Day, Every Day with Synthonic All Day, Every Day is the perfect start to the album. It is a trinket of sounds that comes from all directions like waves around your feet, and it tickles your senses initially. At first, it is just the guitar and keys. There is a suaveness with which he writes music, almost like he maps out entire cities in his music and surprises you with a turn here and there. His history with the keys and tuba shines here. By the time the saxophone has its moment, he has already sold you the experience of the album. Big Fat Funk Big Fat Funk is a song that comes at full force right from the start. The wind instruments, especially the horns, make for their own entrance in a song to shift the track to another level. But Kieron flips that belief on its head with this number. The track makes its entry with a crisp and loud boom of the sax. In every song, there is an instrument or theme that brings personality to the track, and in this one, it has to be the sax. Not just because it dominates the soundscape, but because it weaves itself wonderfully and complements every other instrument in the song. Spiral Spiral is the last and longest song on the album, and it truly stands true to its name. The track is fast-paced and employs a casino of sounds. The track is visually stimulating with the many textures of sounds Kieron gives us. In every number, synth plays a crucial role, but here it is the star. If the song had colours that represent it, for this song, it would all be neon that rushes into your senses. You'd better buckle up for the journey that he takes you on in this number; it is bound to give you a whiplash. He truly ends the album with a bang! With numbers like this, it is bound to be used in fast-paced films that throw one fact after another quickly. A film like Oceans 11 would make use of many sections in this album, but especially Spiral. If you are into fresh music, then Synthonic is the person for you! He has mastered the art of playing with jazz and synth in such a balanced manner. You can click on the links attached above in order to listen to this music bender.
Ari Joshua - Pork Fat
There is art, and then there is art that makes your heart leap and groove; that’s the kind of music that Ari Joshua focuses on in his latest release, Pork Fat. The track is a collaboration between Ari, Sherik, Grant Schroff, and Delvin Lamarr. The very name of the track sets the stage for what’s to come in the song. The songwriter, guitarist, and composer already has exposure to a variety of cultures, from the city he was born in (Cape Town, Melbourne) to the city he grew up in (Seattle) and the city he ended up moving to to study music. The style of music sticks to Ari’s usual flowing yet thumping jazz synth that swivels you off your seat and onto the dance floor. Ari’s music has always played with diverse textures and rhythms, always giving us the weekend experience in a song kind of vibe. For a track that begins so playfully, it takes a dramatic turn with the guitar. The track is a casino of sounds, giving us both the playfulness and seriousness of the gamble in one track. Everything in the track is so meticulously placed. Every instrument, from the horns to the guitar to the drums, everything adds to the drama, a wonderful theatre of music. The playfulness and a sleight-of-hand feeling in the song. A song like this would be wonderful in a film like Now You See Me or even Ocean’s 8, especially when Nine Ball (Rihanna) and her sister are hacking into a computer. So if you want to let loose and allow the music to guide your body, Ari Joshua is your guy. You can click on the links attached above and float away.
Oliver Pinder - love of my life
Welcome aboard the nostalgia train; Oliver Pinder will be your driver for the day. Buckle up as he breaks your heart with Love Of My Life. The singer-songwriter has a unique window into life, and he makes sure to use it in all his songs. The London-based singer-songwriter creates music that covers all moods, themes and genres but mostly pop, R&B and alternative. But his music has an indescribable staple sonic foundation/essence that he maintains! His latest release, Love of My Life, is raw and real. He isn’t in the mood to beat about the bush; the track begins with his vocals and the slow strumming of the guitar; everything else comes after. The rest of the band comes in like rain and all at once when we hit the chorus. The way the track is designed is truly cinematic and detailed. Every detail adds and moves in theatrically; it demands that your senses slow down and experience it completely. You can imagine a spotlight opening onto him alone in a room, like an intimate performance, a seamless and effortless endeavour to break the listener's heart. The track would work breathtakingly in a film like Promising Young Woman. There is something so disastrously heartbreaking about a friendship breakup. And to have this song accompany that ache would elevate many emotions! Of course it is easy to connect with a writer like Oliver Pinder because he is so raw as a singer and has a flair for threading together broken emotions through poetry in his songs! You can listen to this young and passionate singer in the links attached above.