If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Carlos Cabrera-Mayol Revenge Wife, the solo project of HOLYCHILD frontwoman Liz Nistico, is back with a new single off her upcoming album. "In the Flowers" is a wonderfully weird single that melds what could almost be too many musical styles. It's mostly an alt-pop track, heavy on the energy and danceability. Then the song starts bringing in some raging alt-rock guitar, and possibly the first ever use of autotune that I personally enjoy. If anything, the use of autotune helps make the song sound even stranger and more complex, particularly when Nistico harmonizes with herself while using it. "In the Flowers" is a joyous song that is still frantic and gives you a feeling of nervous butterflies while listening. Liz Nistico says of her latest single: “This song is about unconditional love. To me, this song is divine feminine energy. Because it’s so soft vocally but then the production is like a prog song. I wanted to merge femininity with hard rock.” You c...

Photo by Carlos Cabrera-Mayol Revenge Wife is the solo project of Holychild frontwoman Liz Nistico. Her debut single, "What If It *Is* Me?!," takes the electro-pop of Holychild in a different direction. The song feels a little more organic, adding in some indie rock sounds and also something that's almost folk? It's definitely a pop song, just not a pop song in the way you're used to. I hesitate to refer to "What If It *Is* Me?!" as quirky, but it's definitely unique and fun, going off in unexpected directions throughout its entire length. Revenge Wife sounds like pop music for people who normally dislike pop (but also pop fans!) The fact that Nistico's upcoming album consists of twelve songs, each representing a zodiac sign (this one is for Leo), and ends in an eleven minute sci-fi short story just makes it more intriguing.  Liz Nistico says of her latest single: “To me, this song is Dave Matthews with the windows down, running through a field o...

There is so much good music out this week. Artist : FKA Twigs Album : MAGDELINE Quick Description : Left-of-center R&B act back with more interesting tunes. Why You Should Listen : FKA Twigs is among the most adventurous artists in her lane. Overall Thoughts : If there’s one thing FKA Twigs is known for, it’s taking chances. No one in the R&B space is quite like her, and her new album, while still delightfully weird, is probably more noteworthy for how relatively accessible it is. Sure, these aren’t Lizzo bangers but they aren’t impenetrable, either, and that makes a difference here. If you’ve held off up to now, this is definitely a worthwhile onramp, but there’s certainly enough here for fans to really enjoy. (Also “fallen alien” is amazing.) Recommendation : A must-hear. Artist : HANA Album : HANADRIEL Quick Description : Sort-of retro pop music. Why You Should Listen : This is one of my favorites of the week. Overall Thoughts : For as much as I like 90s al...

Some solid releases this week! Album of the Week : Artist : The Avett Brothers Album : True Sadness Quick Description : Newest album from a band that's been all over the place since their mainstream breakout. Why You Should Listen : This is a return to form in some ways and just an interesting listen in others. Overall Thoughts : I can't say I've been in love with the recent output from the Avetts, with I and Love and You being great and the albums following it having some highlights but not quite reaching their apex. They've moved away from a more pure country-ish vibe, but come back to it a little here while still embracing the mainstream by finally embracing the totality of what they've become. Yeah, you have truly great songs (and classic-sounding to boot) like "Smithsonian" as well as legitimately crazy songs like "Satan Pulls the Strings," but the album itself is really one I've been itching to get back to after the first lis...

We actually had a new release this week! Kid Cudi - Speedin' Bullet 2 Heaven : Kid Cudi is interesting. He had some really great rap stuff, but got bored with/irritated with rap music and has been exploring rock music. This is sort of an "indie/alt rock" attempt from him, and... it doesn't work. I can't sugarcoat it, but this is really more a labor of love than anything else. If you're into his post-rap stuff, this might be something of value to you, but, for me? This really didn't do the trick and I couldn't even get through it. Avoid this. Cage the Elephant - Tell Me I'm Pretty : I haven't kept up with Cage the Elephant, although "Ain't No Rest For the Wicked" was a great song back whenever that came out. At some point they became a full-on bluesish rock band, and I didn't see that one coming. So in terms of meeting expectations, this is pretty interesting, but in terms of something I might want to revisit, that ...