"Lips of an Angel" Hinder

via Vevo

Love is a beautiful thing.

But the concept of love in and of itself turns humans into the most cliche versions of themselves. The grief of heartache, in particular, is uniquely transformative, breaking down humans of all shapes into feral cretins. The heartbroken human will cry at random intervals in the Trader Joe's check out line after spotting all the last minute snacks they and their lover used to throw into the shopping cart "just for fun." The heartbroken human will take up new hobbies like Ship-In-A-Bottle or Tennis that never have lasting power. Most importantly, the heartbroken human will yearn–oh how they yearn–for a companion.

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MUSIC

Kalpee Waxes Nostalgic on “Miles Away”

Polished fusion of R&B, Pop, Calypso and Reggae Rhythm.

KALPEE

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From Trinidad and Tobago, singer-songwriter Kalpee recently released the video for "Miles Away," from his latest EP, Home.

Commenting on the song, Kalpee states, "Musically I wanted it to be real chilled, a fusion of rock, pop and reggae. Something that you could easily head bop to, but that still makes you feel like taking a drive down North Coast Road (In Trinidad) on an evening at sunset time."

Kalpee - Miles Away (Official Music Video)youtu.be


Kalpee exploded on the scene with the release of his first single, "No One," piling up more than 7.5 million views on YouTube, followed by "Colourful" and "Love Letter," resulting in over 25 million streams collectively.

Full of cool tropical textures, "Miles Away" offers nostalgic tones over an infectious beat. "It don't really matter where I'm at / Though I'm miles away, miles away / Can nobody take away the weight of my back / When I'm miles away, miles away."

Follow Kalpee Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

MUSIC

Lana Del Rey's Comments to Ann Powers Are Cruel—Though Not Unreasonable

The review was incisive, but Del Rey seems to have missed the point—unless that was her intention.

Photo by Jon Tyson (Unsplash)

Lana Del Rey has a problem with music critics.

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Lana Del Rey's music is whatever you want it to be.

For some, it's a collection of repetitive, glossy pop songs told from a subservient female perspective. For others, it's gospel for the modern era, an encapsulation of all the dread and wonder that comes from living in a world on the brink of the apocalypse. For others, it's transcendent and empowering, some of the best music of the modern era.

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MUSIC

Taylor Swift Soars in “Lover’s” Exploration of Complex Love

Swift finds her state of grace on Lover's more personal, sincere, and quiet tracks.

Taylor Swift attends the MTV VMA 2022 at The Prudential Center - NJ

Photo by Guerin Charles/ABACA/Shutterstock

When people think of Taylor Swift, they think of break-up anthems, heart-shattering love songs, and her ability to write and produce earworm singles.

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MUSIC

Nora Rothman, Founder of Queer/Femme Music Community Earhart, Premiers New Single

"Strange" is the bittersweet first single off activist and feminist Nora Rothman's forthcoming EP, 'Nothing New.'

Nora Rothman is setting what should be a precedent for every musician.

The singer-songwriter has long been blending her musical output with activist work, and she practices the feminist ethos that she preaches. Today, she released a new single called "strange"—an ethereal, buoyant new track that meshes her honeyed vocals and bittersweet lyrics with expert production from Kate Ellwanger (aka Dot).

The track is the first taste of her upcoming EP, Nothing New, out on July 12 on female-led label Unspeakable Records. It explores common themes of the human experience such as longing, nostalgia, and the gap between the past and the future.

It's the product of a musician who's spent much of her life blending the arts with social justice work. Rothman was born in Los Angeles, and after migrating to the East Coast to study creative writing at Brown, she returned to LA to pursue music and acting. She took a hiatus from the arts to serve as a field organizer for the Clinton campaign in 2016, and upon Donald Trump's election, she vowed to dedicate herself to uplifting "womxn's" voices through her work ("womxn" being an umbrella term for femmes, gender-nonconforming, and trans people that Rothman uses to describe the demographic her work is intended for).

She released her first EP in 2017. It was followed by a Remix EP that was created with a lineup of all-female-identifying producers such as Birch and Libra Rising, and 50% of the proceeds went to Planned Parenthood. During its release, Rothman vowed to work with exclusively female and gender-nonconforming artists, and since then, she has teamed up with artists such as Pakistani illustrator Areeba Siddique, who created the visuals for Rothman's song "Truth or Dare," and many more. Rothman has also used her artistic platform to support other feminist organizations like EMILY's List, selling out a direct-to-vinyl fundraiser for the foundation, which supports female politicians.

In 2018, Rothman launched Earhart, a platform dedicated to "celebrating femme, trans and gnc artists." Named after the legendary pilot, it's intended to foster support and community among that demographic, and features resources such as running lists of womxn in electronic music and in composition. It also curates regular playlists and features profiles of up-and-coming artists.

Rothman's music itself has drawn comparisons to the work of Joni Mitchell, Nora Jones, and other great songwriters who blend soft guitar-driven melodies with introspective lyrics. It's hard to say whether the best part of her work is that it was created by exclusively womxn or that, with its blend of dream-pop gauziness and 70's folk motifs, it's a pure delight to listen to—or maybe each these things uplifts the other, ultimately creating something truly great and profoundly relevant for our times.

Listen to "strange" here, and stay tuned for Nothing New, out on July 12.


Eden Arielle Gordon is a writer and musician from New York. Follow her on Twitter @edenarielmusic.


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