Madi Diaz - "Why'd You Have to Bring Me Flowers"

By -

Photo by Allister Ann

Madi Diaz has long been one of those artists that seems to be on the precipice of breaking out, and her upcoming album might be what finally does it. Her latest single, "Why'd You Have to Bring Me Flowers," is a melancholy country/Americana song that leans heavily into the singer-songwriter genre. It's a simple song consisting of Diaz's vocals and guitar, but it couldn't be more captivating. Diaz just has this little something in her voice that is impossible to resist, and her songwriting keeps getting better with every release. Don't be surprised if your kids/nieces and nephews are mentioning Diaz at your next family get-together, which will be followed by hearing any of the songs from Fatal Optimist being played in your office by the spring.

Madi Diaz says of her upcoming album:

“Fatal Optimism is the innate hope for something magical. It’s the weird faith that kicks in while knowing that there is just plain risk that comes with wanting someone or something. It’s when you have no control over the outcome, but still choose to experience every moment that happens, and put your whole heart in it.”

You can watch the video for "Why'd You Have to Bring Me Flowers" below. Fatal Optimist is due out October 10 on ANTI-, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Madi Diaz, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video and include October 20 at Arts at the Armory in Somerville, MA and October 21 at Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, MA.


Sat. Oct. 11 - Nashville, TN @ The Basement East @
Mon. Oct. 13 - Charlottesville, VA @ The Southern Cafe & Music Hall #
Tue. Oct. 14 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry at The Fillmore Philadelphia #
Thu. Oct. 16 - Washington, D.C. @ Union Stage #
Fri. Oct. 17 - Lancaster, PA @ West Art #
Sat. Oct. 18 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg #
Mon. Oct. 20 - Somerville, MA @ Arts at the Armory #
Tue. Oct. 21 - Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse Music Hall #
Thu. Oct. 23 - Ann Arbor, MI @ The Ark #
Sat. Oct. 25 - Evanston, IL @ SPACE #
Sun. Oct. 26 - Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre #
Mon. Oct. 27 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry #
Thu. Nov. 13 - Seattle, WA @ Fremont Abbey Arts Center ^
Fri. Nov. 14 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios ^
Sat. Nov. 15 - Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret ^
Tue. Nov. 18 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent ^
Thu. Nov. 20 - Los Angeles, CA @ Highland Park Ebell ^+
Fri. Nov. 21 - Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy + Harriet's ^

@ with Benjamin Francis Leftwich
# with Clover County
^ with Morgan Nagler
+ with Olivia Kaplan

On Repeat...

The New Limits - "Normal Day"

By -
Image
Photo via Facebook According to their Bandcamp profile, The New Limits are a "Boston ska band with a taste for rocksteady, reggae, soul, and rock n roll." They just released a single that shows off their sound perfectly. "Normal Day" is a laid back ska song dripping with soul. You know that joke that goes around every few months saying that ska is the sound that plays in a twelve year old's head when they get an extra mozzarella stick? The New Limits are the grown up version of that sound. This is ska/rocksteady for adults. It's ultra chilled out music with some of the best horns in the city. Even if you haven't listened to ska since your youth, you need to check out "Normal Day." This might help re-open the entire genre to you. The New Limits say of their latest single: " What is normal, anyway? Some of us just want a nine-to-five. Others cry at the thought. 'Normal Day' has nothing to do with quarantine and lots to do with figuri...
Read more

The Beths - "Mother, Pray for Me"

By -
Image
Photo by Annabel Kean For their latest single, New Zealand's The Beths have released "Mother, Pray for Me." This is a heartbreaking ballad consisting of Elizabeth Stokes' vocals and guitar with just the slightest hint of organ. It's a deeply personal song for Stokes, made obvious with how intimately the song comes across. It truly feels almost confessional, and it's quite simply beautiful. The Beths are most known for huge little indie rock gems perfect for bopping along to, but "Mother, Pray for Me" is quite the opposite. Stokes' vocals and lyrics are right up front on this one, and I can't imagine it any other way. Elizabeth Stokes says of her latest single: “I cried the whole time writing it. It's not really about my mother, it's about me — what I hope our relationship is, what I think it is, what it maybe actually is, and what I can or can't expect out of it.   “My mother is a first gen Indonesian immigrant, and very Catholic....
Read more

Brennen Leigh - "Dumpster Diving"

By -
Image
Photo by Lyza Renee Brennen Leigh has quickly become a favorite of ours, with her take on a classic country sound with a slight sense of humor. Her latest single, "Dumpster Diving," which she describes as a "trashy little tune," is everything we love about the musician. It's a vintage style country song that comes in at a punk like one minute, forty-eight seconds. With a chorus of "Dumpster diving, this ain't gonna last / Dumpster diving, 'cause baby you like trash..." how can you possibly resist. Leigh's latest gives us a decades old sound with modern sensibilities and her fantastic voice that's tailor made for this genre of music. It's almost like a collaboration between Loretta Lynn and Shel Silverstein, and who doesn't want to hear that? You can hear "Dumpster Diving" below. Don't You Ever Give Up On Love  is due out October 3 on Signature Sounds, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Brennen Leigh,...
Read more