Meet Me At The Altar’s EP, Bigger Than Me, has all of the energy that most of us wish we had.
Their style is pop punk. I think they would still be a good band if they went a little more punk or even if they were more pop. They could be successful in whatever genre they choose.
The band name reminds me of that 90s song, “Let’s Get Married.” I wonder if Meet Me At The Altar would ever do a remake. It would probably be cool.
All of the band members are from different states. It’s a miracle that they even met. They are making the long distance band relationship work.
If I listened to this album while working on re-doing the floors, would I make more progress? Totally possible. DIY projects require a lot of energy. Meet Me At The Altar could be the band that gets me through the next few weeks.
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Who is in the band?
Edith Johnson – Vocalist – GA Téa Campbell – Guitarist – FL Ada Juarez – Drummer – NJ Kaylie Sang – Touring Guitarist El Xiques – Touring Bassist
There are very few artists that can truly express all of their emotions – joy, anger, sadness- with music and not have the emotions running the show. Kassa Overall has a perfect balance of expressing his thoughts and creating music.
Overall’s music would be best described as a jazz/hip-hop fusion. The music is better than anything that people can describe. The word that comes to mind is transcendent.
The album reminds me a little bit of The Pharcyde but with more jazz influences. I love the song “Darkness in Mind.” Check out the video below.
Overall is from Seattle but resides in Bushwick – an area of Brooklyn, New York.
I’d like to listen to this record while the patriarchy crumbles to the ground. Then there will be music for dancing on the ashes of the so-called powers that be. Metaphorical ashes of course.
The EP, “Sun’s Out: Strung Out,” sounds like The Von Tramps are ready to party! Maybe our idea of what a party is has changed a bit but the spirit of partying is the same. People just want to have a good time – dance a little, drink a bit more than they should and watch other people have a good time. I do miss watching people and seeing their drama unfold right in front of me. So until it’s time to get back to a party out in public, there’s still good music to be heard wherever you can stream music.
The Von Tramps are a punk rock band from Minneapolis. I love their name.
The Von Tramps are Jenna Enemy- vox/guitar, Chelsea Oxborough- guitar, Krissandra Anfinson- Bass and Kieran O’Donoghue- Drums
Their music reminds me a little bit of ska/punk bands from the late 90s/early 2000s. Those were good times. Some people weren’t a fan of ska bands. I think those people must be deaf or something. Good music isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Maybe they don’t appreciate a good horn section?
If I could go to some dive bar and hear The Von Tramps live and in concert, that would be amazing. I might even go buy a new pair of Doc Martens for the occasion.
Los Angeles based composer, Katya Richardson, is quite accomplished. At the age of 15, the Los Angeles Philharmonic performed her orchestral work. Her resume is absolutely amazing. Check out her website to see all of her current and previous work. Richardson is nothing short of brilliant.
She also has released her debut album, Left from Write, that is available for everyone to enjoy. Richardson was kindenough to answer a few questions.
Where was your first concert as a fan? As a performer?
I was lucky to grow up around a lot of live jazz and classical music, so it’s hard to pick one experience! But one of my most memorable concerts was seeing Fleet Foxes at the Hollywood Bowl. It was so surreal being in a venue with that many people, and I was blown away by Robin Pecknold’s vocals. As a performer and composer, I’ve been playing piano for almost 15 years, having debuted compositions in venues like the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and The Royal Opera House in London. I’ve recently started singing too, both my own work and as part of a synth-pop duo, so I’m excited to explore more of that.
Do you have a bucketlist? If so, what’s on it?
Definitely to travel more! I want to find a way to combine my love of travel and music, like immersing myself in another country or developing a project based on the local culture. I’d like to finish a classical album within the next year – that’s my next immediate goal, aside from my usual film-scoring work.
What was the last thing that you read?
I’m in a graphic novel phase, so I just finished reading a series called Saga. It’s essentially a space epic/fantasy influenced by the world of Star Wars. So visually stunning!
What are you listening to at the moment?
Recently discovered an icy pop group called Litany, so mostly vibing to them. Been super into FKA twigs and Tame Impala too.
If you weren’t a musician, what would you be doing?
Something to do with genetics or neuroscience, since I’ve always loved biology. I’m fascinated by how an environment can change our genes and why the human brain is drawn to music.
Who would you like to collaborate with in the future?
Most of my work as a composer is multi-disciplinary, and collaboration is really central to what I do. I primarily score films, but regularly work with choreographers, dancers, and designers, and routinely record with live musicians. Some of my most experimental and meaningful collaborations have been through dance, so I’d love to explore more of that.
What do you want people to know about your music?
I just released my debut album, Left From Write! It is a hyperkinetic, electrojazz EP largely inspired by Flying Lotus and SOPHIE – featuring vocal loops, saxophone, and groovy vibes. Thematically, it celebrates dyslexia and individuality, commenting on issues that arise out of a standardized education system. It was originally written as part of a dance production at The Royal Opera House in London, in collaboration with a choreographer, lighting designer, and animator to visually and sonically recreate the multi-layered experience of a dyslexic.
The 3 movements act as a narrative, looking at individuality as something organized and chaotic, but ultimately human. While I would love for this piece to encourage more discussions about dyslexia and destigmatize learning disabilities, in the end I always strive to make music that is fun. Left From Write is exactly that – it is a love letter to being human, and I hope you enjoy listening to it!
Julia Bardo released her debut album, Phase, on March 6, 2020. Her sound is reminiscent of 60s singers like Petula Clark and Nancy Sinatra. It’s very retro.
Bardo’s hometown is Brescia, which is in the northern region of Italy. Her current residence is in Manchester, England.
Bardo taught herself to play the guitar. For awhile, she played in a post-punk band. She was still searching for her own musical voice so she decided to go solo. I think she will continue to evolve as an artist because she will always want to express herself.
If only, I had a pair of go-go boots . . . I wish that I had a basement so that there was a space to listen to old records and wear clothes from the 60s.
Have you guys heard of Sebastian Gaskin? Well, you are all in luck because I’m sharing his music with you today. He’s from Split Lake, Manitoba but he looks so familiar . . .
He kind of resembles my boyfriend. They could be long lost cousins or siblings. It’s like listening to my boyfriend sing to me but not exactly. I’ve never heard my boyfriend sing – just play the guitar and bass
It has all of the feelings of love – the good and the bad. The falling in love and the heartache. What is it that we love about songs with a touch of heartache? I think it’s that it’s a feeling we’ve all had. Commonality.
Gaskin’s music is like a more modern version of old school 90s R & B. Plus he plays the guitar just like my boyfriend. Except that my boyfriend plays metal and jam band stuff.
3. Where would you want to listen to this record?
I would want to listen to this album everywhere. So in the living room, bathroom, kitchen, backyard, computer room. I will definitely miss going to concerts this spring. Thank goodness for YouTube and Sebastian Gaskin.
Puta Volcano of Greece has just released their album, Amma, within the last few days. Their musical style is hard rock/post-grunge. I think they are better than 99 % of post-grunge bands.
They remind me more of Alice in Chains except with a female singer. Puta Volcano has been together since about 2012. They are nothing if not persistent in sharing their music with everyone. We have to give them credit for staying together in times when bands don’t make it beyond five years. It’s a tough business.
My favorite song on the album is “Kassandra’s Gift.” I’m not sure if the song is based on the Cassandra/Kassandra of mythology. The curse that she received from Apollo was that she would see prophecies and no one would believe her.
It would be kind of awesome to listen to this album while visiting volcanoes in Greece or Mount Vesuvius in Pompeii. Maybe shake your fist at the volcano and shout “Puta Volcano!!” It would be epic.
Until it’s safe to travel, we’ll just have to watch volcanoes on YouTube and shake our fists from the comfort of our homes. As soon as it’s possible, I hope to see Puta Volcano in concert.
PUTA VOLCANO is: Anna – Vocals Alex Pi – Guitar Steve Stefanidis – Drums Bookies – Bass, Backing Vocals
Korie is a singer/songwriter who has released an EP, “This is Korie.” She refers to her style as Soul-Fusion. Whatever you want to call it, I call it a symphony of awesomeness. Some people would call her music acoustic soul.
The album is not like other acoustic soul albums. She has her own sound that I really enjoy. My favorite song on the album is “My Love will Find You.”
Korie is from Lagos, Nigeria. Fun fact: She is an economics graduate. So Korie can entertain and also help the world figure out how to improve the economy or why consumers do strange things. She probably understands why some goods are scarce during a pandemic and others are not. I recommend being a consumer of Korie’s music.
Honestly, this album is filled with positive vibes. If I could travel around the world, I would put Korie’s music on a nomadic/vagabond playlist.
Bonny Light Horseman released their self-titled debut album in January. I’ve put off listening to it but the album is definitely worth the wait. The band call their music “mystical semi-trad folk jams.” I’m here for it 100%.
They don’t necessarily sound like Peter, Paul and Mary but I get that same feeling that I used to get when listening to my mom’s 8-track. Maybe you could call it comfort. If the 8-track was still around, I would put this album in the rotation. My favorite songs on the album are “10,000 Miles,” “Bright Morning Stars,” and “Magpie’s Nest.”
Anaïs Mitchell, Eric D. Johnson, and Josh Kaufman came together from different musical projects to form Bonny Light Horseman.
Bonny Light Horseman will be playing at the Railbird Festival in Lexington, Kentucky this August. I thought a railbird was something related to trains. (It’s a spectator at a horse race that stands along the rails.) This album would be really great to listen to on a train trip. Either way – horse race or train trip or my mom’s basement- I will be listening to this album for eternity.
Nicotine’s EP, An Open Letter, is something really special – a powerful mix of spoken word, R & B and jazz.
It reminds me of what it is like to be young and single and all of the drama that comes with it. I’m not saying it is exactly like Beyonce’s “Lemonade” but it has similar elements. It’s not for me to say that it’s better . . .
Nicotine is originally from Texas but is currently based in New York. She was scheduled to play at SXSW this year but it was canceled.
There are some explicit lyrics. Maybe don’t play it in the car with the kids. I will be playing it in between picking up and dropping off the kids. My car radio is on the fritz so it’s gonna be “Bantu Knots and Boudain” all day when the kids are away.
