If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Rosie Cohe What we've loved the most about the singles from Kendra Morris' upcoming album is how each one has been based in soul but adds in another element, making each song completely different from the others while still sounding cohesive. Her latest, "Back With Me," continues her soul experimentation, with this one adding in doo-wop. The song has this timeless quality, sounding both vintage and modern to the point that you can't quite place when it was made. As much as we've loved all the songs from Next , "Back With Me" might end up being our favorite. Kendra Morris has developed a truly special sound. Kendra Morris says of her latest single: "I love '50s and '60s doo-wop soul, and I feel like this was the song that wound up inspiring the entire record."  You can watch the video for "Back With Me" below. Next is due out September 19 on Colemine Records/Karma Chief Records, and is available for pre-order here ...

Photo by Rosie Cohe Kendra Morris has been mixing other genres into her soul meets pop sound, from reggae to doo wop to jazz to drum and bass. Her latest single, "Something in Common," continues that trend, except for this one she adds in some modern folk. That leads to an absolutely stunning single. It's quiet and impossibly captivating. Seriously, the first time I listened, I put the song on in the background just to check it out, and caught myself slowly stopping what I was doing to fully focus on "Something in Common." The laid back song focuses on Morris' vocals, which are on full display here. If you haven't previously joined us on the Kendra Morris background, now is the perfect time. You can watch the video for "Something in Common" below. Next is due out September 19 on Colemine Records/Karma Chief Records. For more on Kendra Morris, check out the artist's website . Upcoming tour dates are below the video and include September 21 a...

Photo by Mitch LaGrow Mae Powell's previous singles have all been mixtures of different genres transformed into something fresh yet familiar. Her latest single, "Where Will Love Go?," is no exception, although it's not quite as much of a mish mash as the songs we've previously covered. This one is predominantly jazz and soul based, with just enough of a modern pop sound to keep it sounding current. "Where Will Love Go?" is stunningly gorgeous. It's laid back while being upbeat, chilled out in a way that's going to make you want to dance. Even though I can't say the sound is rooted in 60's pop or psychedelia, there is something oddly hippie-esque with the track. I don't think it's possible to listen to this one without a smile on your face. Mae Powell says of her latest single: "I wrote ' Where Will Love Go?'  when I was going through a really big break up and moved to the farm where my mom lives to process and figure ...

Photo by Rosie Cohe We've been loving the singles from Kendra Morris' upcoming album. Her songs have been a fantastic mix of soul, pop, and doo wop. Her latest single, "Flat Tire," is all of those things but with reggae guitar added in. It's an instantly addictive song that will make you wish your workday was over and you could engage in any summertime activity that doesn't involve being chained to a computer. The fusion of reggae and soul in "Flat Tire" makes the song one of the cooler sounding ones we've heard in a while, and it has a certain vibe going that makes it impossible to determine a time period for. It could have come out any time in the past sixty years without sounding like a specific era. According to Kendra Morris, the song expresses "... me and my maniacal ideas just trying to make my way and a living in the world as an artist, as well as my stubbornness and refusal to conform, which can sometimes lead to the results not bei...

Photo by Mitch LaGrow Hailing from the Bay area, Mae Powell has this fantastic ability to transcend genres to create these amazing songs that are impossible to assign a label to. "Contact High" is a brilliant and joyous mix of soul, pop, folk, garage rock, and probably a few more we haven't heard since we haven't listened to the song enough times yet. The song is an absolutely delight, with positive and sunny vibes throughout. It somehow also transcends time by sounding like something that could have come out in 1968 and also completely like 2025. "Contact High" is a fun song that is just begging to be a part of all of your summer activities. Mae Powell says of her latest single: " The idea for  'Contact High'  came when my stoner elderly neighbor Phil suggested I write a song called contact high, but about good vibes instead of about weed. We laughed at this concept together but it stuck in my mind, and when one of my best friends was going thr...

Photo by Mitch LaGrow The latest single from Mae Powell is going to be a must listen for everyone. "Tangerine" is the perfect song to listen to as we finally enter warm weather in New England and are looking forward to summer finally arriving. The song is a little bit jazz, a little bit pop, a little bit soul, and a little bit folk. The warmth of Powell's voice is the highlight of "Tangerine." She pulls you completely in and takes up all of your attention the moment she starts singing, and you kind of want it to never end. Powell borrows from so many genres to create her sound that the end result is a song that should be universally loved by any true music fan. Mae Powell says of her latest single: "I wrote 'Tangerine' as a testament to my squishy heart. This idea of a tender heart being akin to a fruit getting smushed in the bottom of a bag, making a mess but also making everything smell really good. I will always be an advocate for living with you...

Photo by Rosie Cohe This week looks like it's going to finally looking like summer in the Boston area, so we're a little more inclined to enjoy a fun pop song than we normally would. According to the press release for Kendra Morris' latest single, "If I Called You" is "A true unapologetic pop song." That's certainly true, but the song still keeps everything we've loved about Morris' more soul based singles. Of course, those singles weren't exactly pure soul either, but "If I Called You" is much more upbeat and pop focused than the previous singles of hers that we've covered. This is a fun song that even the crustiest rock purists are going to be unable to resist. Kendra Morris says of her latest single: "I am the ultimate daydreamer. Whenever I’ve had a crush on someone, I welcomed the emotions that go with it. To create a world in my head of all the possibilities with a person that doesn’t even know who I am...it can b...

Photo by Rosie Cohe For her latest single, Kendra Morris has penned a song for her ten year old daughter. "Dear Buddy" is a laid back soul song that is quite simply lovely. The song is oddly comforting, and incorporates a vibraphone and glockenspiel that offer some extra melody, but also add a slight lullaby vibe to the song. Writing a song about your kids has tripped up many a legendary songwriter, but Morris' latest is fantastic. While her previous single, "In My House," was a hybrid soul song that added a few other genres into its sound, "Dear Buddy" is mostly a straight up soul song that could almost have come from anytime in the past four or so decades. Kendra Morris says of her latest single: "You can love so much it hurts. I wish that I could live all the rough patches that may come in life for my daughter, protect her from all the bumps & bruises. But, sometimes, the most important lessons are in those bumps, bruises... how can you app...

Photo by Rosie Cohe Brooklyn's Kendra Morris' latest single can best be described as soul, but that doesn't quite fit her sound correctly. "In My House" kind of starts off as a doo wop meets soul song, except for the drum beat, which is more along the lines of jazz meets drum and bass. Morris' vocals have this unique feel as she sings in a way that I can best describe as ramblin' soul. And then it evolves into a flow that's not quite hip hop but isn't not hip hop that the press release compares to Busta Rhymes, which isn't wrong. Plus, there's a certain sense of indie rock's DIY vibe to the entire song, even though I would never consider "In My House" indie rock. The whole thing feels oddly familiar while being rather unique, which has us dying to hear what Kendra Morris is going to release next. Kendra Morris says of her new single: "It's an overlap of my messy little New York apartment and the clutter that’s constan...

Photo by Matthieu Joubert GA-20 have an upcoming 7" featuring their cover of Dolly Parton's iconic "Jolene," and for the B-side they chose to cover another country classic. Lee Hazelwood wrote "Still as the Night" and the song was popularized by Sanford Clark in 1958. GA-20's version features Andie Bell on vocals as a duet. Even though GA-20 are more known as a blues band, and this is more of a country song, the trio go in more of a vintage surf rock or 60's spy/noir sound than either of those genres. It's a surprisingly stripped down sound for the trio, as they normally play amped up dirty blues. As far as covers go, GA-20 once again nailed this one. Guitarist Matt Stubbs says of his band's choice of covers: "As much as we love traditional blues music, we also have a soft spot for traditional country and songs that tell a story. These are two great storytelling songs." You can listen to GA-20's version of "Still as the Ni...