Francesca Louise

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London-based folk-pop singer-songwriter Francesca Louise reveals her latest single, "Ride the Waters," from her forthcoming debut EP, Melancholic Antidote.

Francesca says of "Ride the Waters," "So many young girls feel that they need someone beside them to be able to progress and find success in their lives, but this song suggests the opposite. It is an encouraging anthem for independent and powerful young women." The song highlights Francesca's confident voice riding on an upbeat rhythm and buoyant melody.

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Music Reviews

On "Lost in the Country," Trace Mountains Is on the Right Track

Dave Benton's second album shows a heightened insight.

Whether it be a move to a new town or a worldwide tragedy that's spun any sense of routine off course, the art of keeping yourself grounded and centered is difficult to master.

Dave Benton has grown well-accustomed to major life changes in the past two years. Summer of 2018 marked the end of LVL UP, the scrappy indie rock band he co-founded in 2011 while studying at SUNY Purchase. Shortly after, he moved to Kingston, a town of about 25,000 just north of New York City. Benton's new record as Trace Mountains, Lost in the Country, doesn't quite reference these transitions directly, but its ten songs point at a desire to reach inward and utilize a more authentic voice.

Trace Mountains - Lost in The Countrywww.youtube.com


Lost in the Country sees Benton expand from the lo-fi fuzz of his last record, 2018's A Partner to Lean On. His knack for writing euphonious melodies is bolstered by clearer production and an expansive backing band, giving Lost In the Country a full, uncondensed sound. "Dog Country" spotlights a lap steel guitar solo, exuding the rich warmth of Americana and indie folk heroes like Kurt Vile or Cass McCombs. Other tracks like "Cooper's Dream" feature a subtly ominous musical saw, giving Lost in the Country . These juxtapositions echo the state of mind when entering a new, unfamiliar phase of life: a sense of apprehension but a steady assurance that things, eventually, will be OK. He revels in the bittersweet roadblocks as he attempts to find himself, as if embarking on a peaceful, picturesque hike only to be interrupted by the ring of his smartphone.

For Benton, creating songs seems to be his only constant. On opener "Rock & Roll," he cites music as his North Star—"It's all I got going / Don't know what else I'd do"—although the lyrics spiral into a poem about how, even with such guidance, he sometimes feels lost as an artist. The brief "I Am Leaving You" depicts the severance of a relationship for the better: "If you'd open up your eyes / You'd see how everything's all wrong / And you'd get to moving on," Benton declares. On the album's title track, he depicts a moment on tour when the singer of another band found him crying outside the venue and feeling directionless and insignificant. But the story ends on a more uplifting note: "The soul in my heart is always hungry," Benton sings, as if sighing with the relief of waking up each day with the freedom to do what fulfills him.

Quietly confident, Lost in the Country isn't so much about wandering off-track as it is about finding the drive to move forward. The destination might remain unknown, but the journey is headed in the right direction.

Lost in the Country

MUSIC

The Mowgli’s Drop Music Video for "Fighting with Yourself"

Go with the flow and get out of your own way.

The Mowgli's

Press PhotoThe Mowgli's

SoCal alt-rock outfit The Mowgli's recently released the music video for "Fighting with Yourself," featuring Katie Jayne Earl on lead vocals.

"Fighting with Yourself" resonates with '90s pop-punk savors, riding a tight surging rhythm gilded with shimmering guitars and Earl's evocative voice. The Mowgli's garnered immediate success with their first major-label LP, Waiting for the Dawn, leading to performances at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Bottlerock, and other festivals, as well as appearances on The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and Conan.

The Mowgli's - "Fighting With Yourself"youtu.be

Following 2015's Kids in Love and 2016's Where'd Your Weekend Go?, the band split with their label and released a pair of EPs, I Was Starting to Wonder and American Feelings. The Mowgli's comprise Joshua Hogan (vocals, guitar), Katie Jayne Earl (vocals), Matthew Di Panni (bass), David Appelbaum (keyboards), and Andy Warren (drums).

Right now, The Mowgli's are preparing to take-off on a nationwide tour with Plain White T's and New Politics. Catch The Mowgli's on tour.

Follow The Mowgli's Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

MUSIC

Johnnyswim Shines Bright on New Album "Moonlight"

The duo perfects and reinvents their signature sound on their third studio album

The husband-and-wife duo, Abner Ramirez and Amanda Sudaro, better known as their collective moniker, Johnnyswim, just released their third studio album Moonlight, and it is spellbinding.

The 12-song album is a result of writing and recording sessions that spanned much of 2018. Alongside Grammy Award-winning producer-songwriter, Malay (renowned for his work with Sam Smith and Frank Ocean), Johnnyswim provides a smooth and timeless blend of pop, indie, and folk, with subtle hints of R&B on this project. Moonlight marks the group's first release under Britannia Row Recordings/BMG, and longtime fans of the duo will hear just enough of the Johnnyswim they are familiar with while also discovering exciting new dimensions to their evolving sound.

In some ways, Moonlight sounds like the album that Johnnyswim has been aiming for since their 2014 full-length debut, Diamonds. A seamless blend of pulsating, upbeat pop-rock fun and dreamy, heart-on-sleeve ballads are exactly what fans have come to love and expect from the band. Moonlight revels in this characteristically cohesive juxtaposition of sounds but it also takes this sound a few steps further, branching out into some more sonically daring and complex territories than ever before. Part of this is almost certainly due to Malay's production and influence, which is audible on many of the songs. But another factor is that Ramirez and Sudaro have clearly matured as songwriters, providing a more nuanced, layered, and eclectically-influenced musicality to Moonlight that sets it apart from the rest of their discography.

If you've never heard Johnnyswim before, Moonlight will be the perfect introduction to the band. This album proves that careful, brave, and honest songwriting (along with some pristine production) is a surefire recipe for musical achievement.

Moonlight



Dustin DiPaulo is a writer and musician from Rochester, New York. He received his MFA in Creative Writing from Florida Atlantic University and can most likely be found at a local concert, dive bar, or comedy club (if he's not getting lost somewhere in the woods).


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Gabrielle Aplin Returns with Another Hit Poised to Top the Charts

The popular singer-songwriter crafts a fun and dreamy love song in "Nothing Really Matters."

Gabrielle Aplin

Singer-songwriter, Gabrielle Aplin has come a long way from posting acoustic her cover songs to Youtube.

That is precisely how Aplin amassed her following, though – by showcasing her vocal chops and acoustic guitar skills through dynamic re-imaginings of songs by the likes of MGMT, Mumford and Sons, Bob Dylan, Adele, and Ed Sheeran. These covers would lead to Aplin's being signed by Parlophone records in February of 2012. It did not take her long to break into the mainstream. By December of 2012, Aplin landed herself a number one hit on the U.K. Singles Chart for her cover of Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "The Power of Love."

Aplin is back with another offering for the Singles Chart, this time in the form of an original song, "Nothing Really Matters." The new song sees Aplin setting down her acoustic guitar and folk sensibilities in exchange for a more pop-oriented, synth-driven love song. "Nothing really matters, no, nothing really matters but you," Aplin playfully sings over a huge, stadium-ready chorus.

The song is as bouncy and fun as it is ambient and sincere. Sweeping synths and quirky samples of Aplin's vocalizing provide the backdrop to an exciting and giddy love song. "Nothing Really Matters" is a meticulously produced and expertly executed track that deserves a spot on the pop charts – don't be surprised if you hear it dominate the airwaves in the months to come.

Nothing Really Matters



Dustin DiPaulo is a writer and musician from Rochester, New York. He received his MFA in Creative Writing from Florida Atlantic University and can most likely be found at a local concert, dive bar, or comedy club (if he's not getting lost somewhere in the woods).


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Noah Kahan's New Video Pokes Fun at an Old Rock Star Trope

The folk-pop singer-songwriter's latest video, "Mess," is an ode to man's best friend

Noah Kahan started gaining attention for his music when he began uploading songs to SoundCloud at eight years old.

Kahan, now 22, is realizing his lifelong dream of being a professional musician and singer-songwriter, and he has seen a great deal of success. Since signing to Republic Records in 2017, he has begun collaborating with producer Joel Little (known for his work with artists like Lorde and Khalid), has toured extensively, and has received a lot of recognition. His 2017 debut single, "Young Blood" has garnered over one million streams on the YouTube channel, IndieAir, and the follow-up, "Hurt Somebody," landed him a performance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Noah Kahan - Messwww.youtube.com

Now, Noah Kahan is back with yet another single, "Mess." The video for the song is a tongue-in-cheek play on the old trope of the homesick musician on the road. Although the song is a familiar – though sincere enough – lamentation of the alienation and estrangement felt by the nonstop touring that often comes along with musical success, the video approaches the subject with a self-aware sense of irony. Kahan is not pining for his family or a lover as he forlornly separates M&Ms by color in his backstage dressing room before a show. Instead, Kahan is tormented by how much he misses his dog.

The viewer is offered a series of vignettes in the video, some of which present the standard rock-star-on-tour sadness that we're familiar with, while others show Kahan having intimate, love-at-first-sight moments with other people's dogs that are equal parts endearing and creepy at the same time – at least until it becomes clear that these dogs are meant to be stand-ins for his own. By the time Kahan finally does make it home from tour, however, we expect a big sappy reunion where the beloved pup runs to greet her human in slow-motion, but it turns out – in a comically sad twist – that the dog has more important business to attend to in the front lawn.

Fans of Mumford & Sons, Hozier, and Cat Stevens will want to give Noah Kahan a listen. He will be on tour – and presumably missing his dog more than she misses him – in Europe and the UK come April.


Dustin DiPaulo is a writer and musician from Rochester, New York. He received his MFA in Creative Writing from Florida Atlantic University and can most likely be found at a local concert, dive bar, or comedy club (if he's not getting lost somewhere in the woods).



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