Crimson99 - "Open Up Your Heart"

By -

Photo by Guillaume Landry

Crimson99 is the musical name of Dominican-Canadian artist Maria Brousseau-Labbe. Her latest single, "Open Up Your Heart," combines indie rock with alt-pop, and is heavy on the pop side of things. The song showcases her vocals, which while being soulful and smooth, also have the slightest bit of grit that helps suck you in and elevates the song to the next level. What's the most compelling about "Open Up Your Heart" is how it moves through musical styles. It starts off more in the pop range with some folky elements, and ends in a whirlwind of an indie rock goes bluesy burst. It happens to gradually that you barely notice, and the transition feels completely natural. Crimson99 is making pop music that borders right on the mainstream while keeping things truly interesting.

Maria Brousseau-Labbe says of her latest single:

"Open Up Your Heart is about the desire to backslide. It’s about missing things from your past that never truly served you but felt good in the moment.


"This song is also a reminder that, as the great Sam Cooke said: 'A change gon’ come, oh yes it will.' You won’t always be hurting, and you won’t always feel alone, but often, if not always, the only way out is through, and you need the right attitude to make it to the other side."

You can listen to "Open Up Your Heart" below. Daredevil is due out October 2, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Crimson99, check out the artist on Instagram.

On Repeat...

Hiding Places - "Waiting"

By -
Image
Photo by Calli Westra Brooklyn's Hiding Places are originally from North Carolina, and that sound is all over their latest single. "Waiting" has a strong alt-country meets dark indie rock sound. The song is as hypnotic as it is heartbreaking. Even if you're not paying attention to the lyrics, the vibe of the song is overwhelmingly dark and somber. There's plenty of country twang and indie rock fuzz throughout the song, with the music carrying the weight of the song as much as vocalist/guitarist Nicholas Byrne's voice does. The song is stunning, both in its beauty and mood. I feel like I've been sitting on "Waiting" for a while now until I could fully wrap my head around it. Hiding Places has something truly special here. Nicholas Byrne says of his band's latest single: "Hiding Places’ first bassist, Anthony Cozzarelli, left the band in July of 2022. I wrote the chorus the day before Anthony left the band. I recalled the slow death of my ...
Read more

Failure - "The Air's on Fire"

By -
Image
Photo by Lyndsey Byrnes With their upcoming seventh overall studio album, the highly influential band Failure will have released more albums since reuniting in 2014 than they did during their first run. The first single from that album, "The Air's on Fire," shows the band expanding their sound while still being rooted in what has always made them great. The song is a dark and moody one that is always threatening to explode but never quite does. This is an example of 90's alt-rock meets art rock at its very finest. It's the kind of song that could easily have come out thirty years ago, but that doesn't mean it sounds dated. After the first listen, "The Air's on Fire" will sound like a killer alt-rocker from a 90's band that hasn't lost a step at all. The more you listen, the more complex Failure get on the single, and the more the song reveals itself to you. Ken Andrews says of his band's latest single: “That song is directly about my ...
Read more

Mama's Broke - "How it Ends"

By -
Image
Mama's Broke, the post-folk Canadian duo of Lisa Maria and Amy Lou Keeler, have just released a break up song that might be their most accessible yet. While the previous singles from their upcoming album have a certain darkness or a sense of foreboding, "How it Ends" sounds relatively upbeat. Considering this is a song about how you never think you'll find someone as good as your ex after a break up, that's quite a feat. This is a traditional folk song with some slightly modern folk harmonies. As much heartbreak as their is in "How it Ends," there is also the warmth of remembering a recent relationship. You can listen to "How it Ends" below. Narrow Line is due out May 13 on Free Dirt Records, and can be pre-ordered here . For more on Mama's Broke, check out the artist's website .
Read more