Singer-Songwriter
Brian Wilson Performs “God Only Knows” and “Love and Mercy” on Colbert: Watch
Brian Wilson popped up on Thursday night’s episode of the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The Beach Boys singer-songwriter performed two of his most timeless ballads — “God Only Knows” and “Love and Mercy” — remotely from his grand piano. “Hi, this is Brian Wilson everyone,” the old bard announced over his keys. “I just want you guys to know that we’re all in this together.” From there, he dove right into the crescent waves of his veteran falsetto — as angelic as ever. Watch the replay below. Don’t forget: On June 19th, Wilson and legendary songwriter and arranger Van Dyke Parks are reissuing their first collaborative album, 1995’s Orange Crate Art. So, if you’re looking for some rays, well, there you go. In related news, his embarrassment of a cousin Mike Love recently...
Lady Gaga Doesn’t Need Pop (Pop Needs Lady Gaga)
Lady Gaga is a living legend. Only a little over a decade since the release of her 2008 debut album, The Fame, Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta has cemented her place among the best of the best — not only in music, but entertainment itself. Critical acclaim, a legion of fans, and a slew of awards (including tough Grammy and Oscar victories toward an eventual EGOT) are just the shallow end of Gaga’s dominion. Her versatility, her creativity, her skill, and her work ethic all make her a standout from her contemporaries — far more than any of her much-publicized outfits. More than anything, though, Gaga is an artist who’s not afraid to fail, and any past failures have only made her stronger. Looking back, they’ve become an extension of her idiosyncrasies, the likes of which she’s shared to ...
Grace Sings Sludge Shares New Song “Friend to All”: Stream
Grace Sings Sludge, the solo project from Grace Cooper of The Sandwitches, has shared the new song “Friend to All”. It’s the latest single off her forthcoming album Christ Mocked and the End of a Relationship, which just received the new release date of July 17th. Christ Mocked… is her fifth album under the Grace Sings Sludge banner, but the first recorded at a proper studio. If “Friend to All” is any indication, she’s definitely benefiting from crisper production. The new single is a lovely journey into gothic folk. Over gentle, minor-key guitars, Cooper spins an anxious tale of a downtrodden woman who’s “been friends to all,” in her own way. Cooper’s singing is expansive and expressive; she loves to whittle down a vowel until it’s little more than a hum, and then flip her voice upwa...
Meskerem Mees Is Not Your Average “Joe” on Her Debut Single: Stream
You may not know Belgium-based singer-songwriter Meskerem Mees just yet, but she’s ready to charm you with a formal first impression. At least that’s the plan for her debut single, “Joe”, which she’s released today along with an accompanying music video. Mees is a 20-year-old indie folk artist with Ethiopian roots. Armed with an acoustic guitar and a gentle, scratchy voice, she whisks up music akin to Joni Mitchell, Laura Marling, and Jade Bird in a modest but nurturing style. After stealing the spotlight at local live shows in Europe, she’s finally begun making moves to formally record and release her music. That’s where “Joe” comes in. With a soothing, strolling guitar melody, Mees tells the story of a wandering man who won the protagonist over when she was just a teenager. The narrative...
Soccer Mommy & Friends Singles Series Launches with Jay Som: Stream
Sophie Allison, aka Soccer Mommy, has announced the new Soccer Mommy & Friends Singles Series. Every two weeks she’ll be releasing a paired set of covers. First up is Jay Som taking on Soccer Mommy’s “Lucy”, with Soccer Mommy returning the favor for the 2016 track “I Think You’re Alright”. To tackle Soccer Mommy’s Color Theory-standout “lucy”, Jay Som digitally manipulated her voice to drop it down an octave, while also occasionally accompanying herself in her normal register. This creates a kind of uncanny valley effect, so that the melody sounds lovely and just slightly wrong. “I had an extremely fun time recording the ‘lucy’ cover,” Jay Som said in a statement. “Sophie has such a special way of entwining catchy melodies and sometimes dark chord progressions. I feel very lucky t...
Laura Marling Performs Quarantine Version of “Held Down” on Colbert: Watch
Updated for the pandemic era, The A Late Show with Stephen Colbert now sees musical guests perform from their respective self-isolation spaces. Such remote, stripped-down settings may require some acts to make major adjustments to their arrangements, but for Laura Marling, whose intimate folk translates seamlessly. Broadcasting from her cozy London living room Friday night, Marling delicately offered up “Held Down”, a quiet yet still powerful single from her recently released Song for Our Daughter. The new album came out last month during the peak of the coronavirus, so its tracks feel especially tied to this time; watching the UK songwriter sing, “‘Cause we all want to be here now/ And we all want to be held down” in front of her fireplace certainly has a different meaning in co...
Bob Dylan Announces New Album Rough and Rowdy Ways, Shares “False Prophet”: Stream
Bob Dylan has announced the release of his album of entirely new material in eight years. Entitled Rough and Rowdy Ways, the 10-track LP will be available starting June 19th through Columbia Records. The legendary troubadour previously previewed the album by unveiling “Murder Most Foul”, a 17-minute track about President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, and “I Contain Multitudes”, which takes its name from a Walt Whitman poem. To coincide with today’s announcement, he’s unveiled a third track in “False Prophet”. Rough and Rowdy Ways will be available in a variety of configurations, including as 2xCD and 2xLP sets. Pre-orders are now ongoing. Dylan’s last album of original songs, Tempest, came out in 2012. Since then, he’s recorded several collections of standards, most ...
