Feature stories and artist interviews
A confident swagger rests at the heart of Billy Ray Rock’s aptly named “I’m Bringing Rock Back”. Everything about the sound stuns: from the righteous guitar riffs that run through it to the force of nature of the percussion. His voice seems to harken back to rock n’ roll’s greats. Shoutouts are given in ample…
Layla Kardan, her new single, You – out now – is a brooding, electro, r&b-tinged pop cut and a powerful ode to freedom. The controversial video – directed by Mad Juice the creative agency responsible for putting Arab girls in historical pictures for Pumas ME campaign pushes cultural boundaries in the more conservative…
For as long as it’s been around, rap music has been the ultimate hype up music. It’s played at parties, football games, and played before an exhilarating night out. It’s the art of coming up with words that not only rhyme and go together but make sense— the art of describing a specific feeling or…
@skopemag HQ – http://smarturl.it/skope The Inevitables release new song “The Weight Of The Worry” For those unfamiliar with this ska/punk supergroup project, they are featuring current and former members of a bunch of incredible bands including Vinnie Fiorello (Less Than Jake), Obi Fernandez (Westbound Train), Matt Appleton (Reel Big Fish), Billy Kottage (the Interrupters), John…
Summer of Love, as its eclecticism-alluding title would suggest, isn’t a record that features an artist in Robert Miller of Project Grand Slam who is even the least bit interested in coloring inside the lines. From the moment that we press the play button on the opening song in the tracklist, “Aches and Pains,” through…
Mardini is Chris Mardini, and he’s not your average modern artist to say the least, he is a force to reckon with on his new breakout debut EP – Out Of Pocket. I could just be sugarcoating something because Mardini is so young and has such a long future ahead, but when I am genuinely…
I want to see you dance, I want to see you party, showstopper and songstress Cristal Carrington sings. The song – “See You Dance” keeps the party bumping way into the winter months. Carrington, who hails from Baltimore, Maryland, is on the scene with her debut album Revenge. Spunky and freeing, “See You Dance” has…
The title track was released last month, following a duet with Sting (‘Little Something’) – a stunning track and different style for world-renowned jazz artist. Melody was recording the album where she lives in Paris when lockdown started and she auditioned musicians around the world when they needed the work. The entire album was made…
Democracy, in its current form, could use some help. Big changes begin with big rallying cries, and so democracy finally has a theme song. “We Need You” is the work of everyday American women from all different walks of life, united by the belief that a small group of people can make a huge difference.…
You Could Move In, the debut EP from New Brunswick, NJ singer-songwriter Ruby Ryan, opens with a big beat. Before long, the rhythm track is joined by a melancholy – but gritty – electric guitar riff. In a few quick strokes, a mood is established: longing, urgent, expectant, a little lovelorn, more than a little…
A stream of consciousness confessional approach reigns supreme over the sparse folk musings of Psychopath Etiquette’s “When Anxieties Attack”. Things are kept to the essentials merely a voice and a guitar at first. Within this careful construct a thoughtful musing emerges. Every word is delivered with so much honesty as each verse is weighted with…
Former Candlelight Red guitarist Jeremy Edge is quickly establishing himself as an axe slinging guitarist/singer, stretching his musical horizons beyond hard rock and metal. Deko Entertainment (ADA/Warner Music Group) has just released his new release, The Jeremy Edge Project, which features guest performances by Brandon Yeagley (Crobot), Brett Hestla (Dark New Day), and master blues…
Like many artists in this day and age, Parachute Words began as a project on a laptop. Citing influences in the likes of Frankie Cosmos, Car Seat Headrest and Neutral Milk Hotel, Parachute Words join and expand on a canon DIY artists changing the game from their bedrooms. The bands moniker is born out of…
Multi-platinum songwriter for KORN signs Hip Hop’s newest rising star, Matt Craven who’s debut takes #1 on the World Indie Music Charts Top 100. So, who is MATT CRAVEN the Hip Hop singer / songwriter from Detroit, Michigan? Well, not only is he the hottest new artist, but he was discovered and produced by Dennis…
@skopemag HQ – http://smarturl.it/skope Bee Bee Sea Release New Album ‘Day Ripper’, Share Music Video For Title Track Today, Italian garage-rock trio Bee Bee Sea release their new album Day Ripper via Wild Honey Records. To celebrate, the band have now shared the video for the album’s title track. Directed by Elia, the video could…
“Take the time to know me / Take the time to sit down / And I’ll tell you my story / What’s lost can be found” sing a passionate Twin Flames in the song “Outcast,” one of the more powerful performances to be observed on their new album Omen. Offering a genuine Album of the Year…
Lav releases rose-tinted new single “Reds”, the first track from a debut EP scheduled for February 2021 on Color Study, details of which will be announced in the upcoming weeks. The release follows a succession of buzzy singles, “From Me, The Moon”, “Wavvy” and “The Girls Before Me”, which has positioned the LA based artist…
Following the release of her folk-tinged single “Honey”, Scottish artist Emma Miller returns with her introspective new track “Sail Away” – further demonstrating her inquisitive nature as a songwriter. Experimenting with soft electronics and shimmering harmonies, “Sail Away” is a beautiful offering from the young artist. The delicate soundscape allows Emma’s powerful lyricism to take…
@skopemag HQ – http://smarturl.it/skope ALUNA RELEASES UKG REMIX EP WITH CONDUCTA Following the August release of her debut solo album RENAISSANCE via Mad Decent/Because, Aluna today releases a remix EP in collaboration with Conducta’s new UKG label Kiwi Rekords. The EP features five remixes of ‘Renaissance’ album tracks, each by producers from the Kiwi Rekords…
‘In The Middle Of Hope’ is the latest release from Mike Montrey Band and what a dynamite job overall on this 6-song set! This new record is chock-full of promising & optimistic messages, which we could all use right now! This album offers plenty of heart, soul and fine musicianship all around. The group is…
This project all started back in 2018 and has blossomed into 10 well-executed songs all dedicated to the great Neil Young. All songs on ‘Words’ are written by singer/songwriter, Neil Young with the exception of one written by Steven Stills of Crosby, Stills & Nash. Larry Schmid is on vocals, guitars, harmonica and mandolin and…
A celebratory atmosphere bursts at the seams with Hollis Jordan’s undeniable alure of “Runaway (ft. Zaire Danaé)”. Carefully considered choices mean that the buildup and breakdown of the track offers their own unique sense of pure bliss. Everything works wonders as it swirls about in a party-like spirit. Vocals rest front and center of the…
Alt rock band Last Kiss Goodnight (LKG), who rose to fame last year with their chart-topping singles “Love Separation” and “Miss Anything” from their debut album Immortal, have announced that they are unveiling their most rousing and politically-charged song and video to date. “Forty Five,” which addresses the country’s turbulent and troubling times, will be…
According to Atlas VPN investigation, music streaming services are now the largest source of revenue for recorded music. In 2019, music streaming accounted for $7.1 billion or 63.6% of all recorded music revenue, which reached $11.1 billion. To compare, CD sales revenue amounted to $4.3 billion and 55.2% of total recorded music sales in 2009,…
@skopemag HQ – http://smarturl.it/skope Swiss alternative indie/folk/pop songwriter Claudio Bagnato released and streamed debut album ‘Nowhere’ // Out now on CD, LP & Digital on every platforms As announced a few weeks ago : after sharing some various audio and video excerpts from the effort with the singles “The Shower”, “Rainbow” or “Brighter Day”, former…
From coast to coast, and across the ocean, soul singer Tracy Layne has pursued music just as much as music pursued her. This time, she’s taking on Nashville as a solo artist. “Music has followed me through all the stages of my life.” Layne moved to Nashville last year, and instantly began working on her…
This one will make you pine for the days when a couple of guitars and more than a couple pedals were just the things to conquer college radio. Ultra Major’s “Disaster” is a few friends, a few chords, and one earworm late ’90s-style hit. This isn’t the gimmicky rock star stuff; it’s one of the…
@skopemag HQ – http://smarturl.it/skope Osees Share “Weird and Wasted Connection” Track, ‘Metamorphosed’ LP Out 10/16 On Rock Is Hell It seems that every time you turn around, there’s another Oh Sees slab. Long ago we lost all capacity to be surprised that this sturdy unit keeps putting out records and that they’re really good. You…
As much as it’s been true of his past works, and especially those to have won him the respect of critics around the globe, I’m not sure that the groove and its magnificent power have played as big a part in making a song work Ronnue as it does in the new single and music…
The title “The Diva” can only be bestowed to one person. And that person needs to be fit to uphold the title correctly. If we look at “the diva” requirements, one must be an entertainment guru, an international icon, and a primadonna with all of the talent and none of the temper. The only candidate…
New Sydney pop duo Cat & Calmell share their glittering debut ‘dumbshit’ today. Darting between darkly-lit pop and shimmering R&B, the duo’s first single reveals a talent for transforming conversations they have together and online, with their already present audience, into swirling, genre-fleeting moments of brilliance: Cat (20) and Calmell (22) have a rich history…
Following up from her recent Pop/Ballad single ‘Fool for You’, Melbourne’s Rnb/Pop singer-songwriter Sheralyn May got back in the studio to write and record her newest Rnb track: ‘Baby You’ produced by RMR Productions, which will be released on the 28th of September. With a mix of Rnb and pop, Sheralyn May in ‘Baby You’…
@skopemag HQ – http://smarturl.it/skope Hamilton Leithauser and Lucy Dacus Team Up for Duet of “Isabella” “Indie rock’s consummate renaissance man” (Under the Radar), Hamilton Leithauser, has joined forces with fellow indie-rocker Lucy Dacus for a vibey, mellow version of Leithauser’s “Isabella” out now on Glassnote Records. SEVYN STREETER RELEASES BRAND NEW SINGLE “KISSEZ” FEAT. DAVIDO…
Hailing from Belfast, now Liverpool based, Irish songwriter Lucy Gaffney reveals new single ‘Send Me Away’, out today via Frictionless Music. An imperious dream-pop tune, ‘Send Me Away’ embraces contrast. Lucy’s voice rests transcendentally on a motorik rhythm, whilst luscious background synths combine with at times spiky guitars. The persistent tension and release paints a…
Clearly a genius in his craft, artist Chrystian Lehr is creating music that’s fresh and exciting. And judging from his solid fan base of over 300K active social media followers and subscribers across Instagram, Soundcloud, Facebook, and YouTube, the world agrees. His soulful magic can be heard on his latest EP Offline, which features the…
@skopemag HQ – http://smarturl.it/skope WELSHY RELEASES THE NEW SINGLE ‘HAITI’ It takes one spin of ‘Haiti’ to discover why it has captured the imagination of so many people. The topline, courtesy of Haitian vocalist Coralie Hérard, is irresistible: a gleaming mix of beauty, exuberance and sensual soul. It’s elevated by Welshy’s production, which skillfully highlights…
Waterplanet’s “Girl” is built upon a sparse backing of primarily rhythmic electric guitar. There’s drumming, but it’s relatively quiet. There is a counter melody provided by chimes. The vocals on the song’s chorus sound a touch like The Turtles sunshine pop of the Sixties (think “Happy Together”). The song’s title is a little deceptive. It’s…
Alex Price is from Ontario, Canada, but if his single is true to life (which he says it is), he needed to go all the way to Los Angeles to finally fall in love. He explains how the song was inspired by his first trip to Los Angeles. He’d been playing a guitar riff over…
Matty Marz says his single, “Mine!,” took a full three years to create. That sounds more like Steely Dan, which also took that long – but to create full albums! He describes the song’s lyrics to be about “a blossoming relationship.” Let’s hope that relationship didn’t take three entire years to blossom, as well. The…
Ryan Todd Garza’s single, “These Arms of Mine,” is taken from his album Ekam. The song is a soft and gentle recording, featuring Garza’s tender singing voice, which is placed atop acoustic guitar and accompanied by supporting violin. The track also includes organ running through it. It’s a pretty, if extremely sad, song. The album’s…
