'IS EVERYBODY GOING CRAZY?' / NOTHING BUT THIEVES: SINGLE REVIEW

March 20, 2020

BY EMMA SCHOORS

Nothing But Thieves reminds us that heaven’s a mindset away with their latest single, “Is Everybody Going Crazy?”

Hailing from Essex, England, the band has seen nearly every destination on the face of the planet. Playing packed shows in places like Russia, Thailand, the US, and Mexico, relentless touring has earned them a dedicated, close-knit group of fans, and plenty of life experiences from which to derive musical inspiration.

Almost nothing provides more vivid inspiration than current events, and the band is no stranger to delving into politics and religion. Debates surrounding both subjects have fueled global citizens to take action against bigotry and intolerance in recent years.

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Lyrics from Nothing But Thieves’ catalogue are known to be soulful and intensely relevant, thanks to guitarist Joe Langridge-Brown, who often shares lyrics from the band’s songs on his social media.

This new tune is no different in that respect. It digs into the heart of the problems global citizens are facing, which seem to have no end. A pandemic is flurrying around the world, for a start.

The anxiety and utter hopelessness that people are experiencing is acknowledged with the line, “We’re so hopelessly faded.” However, this pessimism is met with optimism and gratitude with, “In this wounded, sinister place, we’ve only got each other.”

Lead singer Connor Mason is known for his Jeff Buckley-like vocals, but he has a style all his own that is worth a thousand words. His angelic voice is almost reminiscent of a guitar, which blends effortlessly with guitarist Dominic Craik’s well thought out parts. This combination of melody and grit is part of what makes the band members so compatible.

Philip Blake is the heart of the band, with gritty bass riffs that add an edge to the lightness of Mason’s vocals. Similarly, drummer James Price is a master of his craft, opting to create a drumming style all his own instead of fitting the mold. This adds another layer to the complex machine that is Nothing But Thieves.

Each and every member of Nothing But Thieves is irreplaceable, which ensures quality, deeply relatable songs that touch the hearts of nearly everyone who encounters them.

“Is Everybody Going Crazy?” isn’t the first song that the band has hit out of the park, and it won’t be the last.

MOPOP FESTIVAL: PREVIEW

March 16, 2020

BY MADELYN STELLINGWERF

The MoPop Festival — taking place in Detroit, Michigan — released their lineup on Wednesday along with their brand new location: Detroit’s Historic Fort Wayne Park.

The festival is two days long and scheduled to occur on July 25th and 26th. The festival prides itself on having different acts every single year, and in the seven years it’s been going there has never been a single returning act, and this is done in order to keep a fresh face on the festival and its audiences. The festival, since its 2013 debut, has gone from 7,500 attendees to 20,000 in the matter of only a few years.

As for this years lineup it is as follows: Khalid, The 1975, Kaytranada, Purity Ring, Doja Cat, Phoebe Bridgers, Orville Peck, Still Woozy, Hippo Campus, Peach Pit, Girl In Red, Beabadoobee, Bane’s World, Beach Bunny, Dayglow, Kota the Friend, Oso Oso, Dogleg, Charity, Who Boy and whiterosemoxie.

In addition to the musical acts there will be a number of local vendors providing food and other activities. Some of these alternative activities that are currently slated are: the Mo Arcade, Craft Bazaar, Food Truck Rally Alley, and much more! The local vendors and food trucks list will be announced within the next few months.

Public sale began today on their website: mopopfestival.com and tickets begin at $129.95 for GA weekend and $289.95 for Yacht Club VIP Weekend passes.

'I THINK ABOUT YOU ALL THE TIME' / GATLIN: SINGLE REVIEW

March 13, 2020

BY KAYLEE PICKENS

Take a rollercoaster ride of emotions with alt-indie newcomer, Gatlin.

Nashville-based artist, Gatlin, is commanding attention as she enters the music industry with full force. She exposes the intense feelings that come with any toxic relationship in her latest release, “I Think About You All The Time.”

Gatlin’s new love song is for the ages! The 4-minute song starts softly, with a solo guitar, and builds to its crescendo. “It’s a song about romanticizing a person who is unable to give love, wanting love from them, but knowing they are incapable,” she admits. Gatlin's honesty draws you in with not only her entrancing vocals but also her lyrics.

Bursting at the seams with love, heartache, and passion, “I Think About You All The Time” intoxicates the mind and heart. This song highlights the unhealthiness within relationships where your partner manipulates or play games. With lyrics, “You really got me bad/ With a girl I didn’t know you had,” Gatlin sings through her guilt and heartbreak.

“I Think About You All The Time” is Gatlin’s second single of 2020, following “Talking to Myself.” Gatlin continues, “The production of the song matches my emotions — really vulnerable in the beginning, but the track just grows and ends with chaos and muddiness in a powerful indie-rock way.” Sticking to simplicity within her drum beats and guitar patterns, Gatlin pairs her raw emotion to her latest track.

As the song weaves through its verses, “And I know you know I know you’re no good/ But I know you know I’d love you if I could,” illustrates that cycle of going back to someone who’s not right for you.

As the bridge and end of the song pulses, you catapult through the ins-and-outs of this track and relationships. The song concludes with repeating lyric: “I think about you all the time,” reminding us that you can run from your thoughts.

This song took me by storm and showed delicacy within intensity. Let this song work its way to your playlist and enjoy the latest artistry from Gatlin. Follow Gatlin (@gatlin) on Instagram for more!

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Gatlin enters 2020 with a flourish and unveils herself as an honest artist with her second single of the year.

THE GUTTER DAISIES: INTERVIEW

March 2, 2020

BY DANIELLE HOLIAN

The sky's the limit for the band, The Gutter Daisies, as they keep on progressing with their indie, grunge music since they established in 2017. Grabbing listeners’ attention from across the globe, they have just released their brand-new track ‘Celebritiy Suicide’. “There is nothing to prove and so much to express,” The Gutter Daisies stated, and with many tracks under their belt to stream online or purchase on physical the band are on the rise to something more.

Unclear Magazine caught up with The Gutter Daisies for an interview ahead of their single release and to dive a little deeper into the band itself.

For our readers, please tell us a bit about your background in music.

Doug Rockwell: “We all started playing at a pretty young age. I remember seeing "Basket Case" by Green Day on MTV (back when MTV still played music), and I was hooked. That's what I wanted to do. I started playing guitar at 8, got my first band together at 12, and did my first tour at 17. When I was around 19 I got into music production, and eventually started writing and producing for other artists as well.”

What inspired the band's name, The Gutter Daisies?

DR: “We wanted a name that represented what we all kind of felt during the time we formed. We were all battling our own demons, but knew there was a light to be found. We wanted a name with contrast. To us, The Gutter Daisies is a name that represents how something beautiful can still grow in the darkest of places.”

Who or what are your musical influences?

DR: “There are so many! Green Day, Nirvana, Phish, Incubus, The Toadies, The Hives, The Foo Fighters, Vulfpeck, Barney The Dinosaur, Big Bird from Sesame Street, the thick layer that forms over chocolate pudding when you let it sit out for too long, failed relationships from fighting over chocolate pudding while watching Sesame Street, life, and not Michael Bolton.”

What inspired your latest single “Celebrity Suicide”?

DR: “A few years back, a celebrity had taken their own life. It was sad, and everyone was talking about it (with good reason). But I started noticing that within all of the emotional posts people were making on social media, a slew of them seemed extremely contrived and shallow. There were people posting selfies of themselves with the perfect lighting, an obvious photoshop job, and it was overall a completely irrelevant moment compared to the caption, which read, ‘oh my gosh I'm heartbroken right now… I can't believe he's gone.’ People were using this person's tragic untimely death to grab attention for ‘likes’... And this spreads beyond the average social media user. This has been going on in the media for years. People try and capitalize on other people's misfortunes for ratings, subscribers, viewers, etc… And sometimes people aren't idolized until after they're gone. I'm not saying there aren't genuine people grieving, of course there are. But it's almost as if one needs to do something drastic just to be heard. Lose your voice to show you once had a voice.”

Can you describe what your songwriting process is like? And how do you divide the creative process between you?

DR: “I'll usually bring in a song idea, sometimes with finished lyrics, sometimes just music. If Mike and Miles dig it, we'll smooth out all the edges and finalize the structure. Mike and Miles are great at what they do, and somehow they find a way with every song to make it 10x better than it originally was. After we're happy with it, I'll finalize the lyrics if I haven't already. It's pretty straight forward. It starts with a skeleton, and ends with all the essential organs wrapped in musical flesh. Sounds gross. But hey, that's music. Gross squishy flesh of emotions and melodies.”

How has your sound, taste, and energy progressed since the band began?

DR: “We look at our first EP as our set of training wheels. We were a new band trying to figure out who we were. I think the progression we've made since then has been a decent one. We've become more comfortable and confident in our musical skin, and in our lyrical content as well. We try to challenge ourselves to think outside of the box of what we'd normally do. Usually if it makes us uncomfortable, we try to run with it. Energy-wise, I think we've gotten a little more aggressive, but a little more mid-tempo. But that's now. Tomorrow could be completely different. That's the fun of it. Our only intention is to have no intention. If it feels good, we roll with it.”

What do you think music right now lacks in terms of social awareness to their audience?

DR: “I think there are a lot of artists trying to hop on a bandwagon. People think they need to be a carbon copy of the biggest thing out there. Sometimes it works, but a lot of times they disappear a month later. You need to be your truest self for people to believe what you stand for. Listeners are very good at sniffing out bullshit (most of the time). I think the less someone cares about sounding ‘cool’ and the more they care about the actual art and delivering a message, the more people will notice. I do think within the last 5 years, there's been a lot more honesty showing up in lyrics in mainstream music, and that makes me happy.”

What would you say was your biggest challenge breaking into the music industry?

DR: “Everything. It will try to stop you in every way possible. But the challenges are the knives that shape you, so it's a hazing process that every artist needs to go through.”

What do you want the listeners to take away from your music?

DR: “Honestly, we just want people to hear us for what we are, and not anything else. We're not trying to be anything other than that. There's a sincerity in each of our songs because every note comes from a genuine place. Regardless if someone likes us or not, if they can respect us for what we are, then we've done our job.”

And finally, what does 2020 hold in-store, thus far, for The Gutter Daisies?

DR: “Lots of new music, tons of shows, and of course a music video for ‘Celebrity Suicide’ very soon! Our next live show will be at on March 7th at Sassafras Saloon in Hollywood. Also, I'm personally really excited to buy a new pair of shoes and maybe a nice Hanukkah sweater.”

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LOVERS & FRIENDS: PREVIEW

February 21, 2020

BY HANNAH MAYORGA

Angelenos, get ready for all your favorite 90’s and 2000’s hip-hop throwbacks as Goldenvoice presents: Lovers & Friends who welcomes a list of popular headliners such as Mrs. Lauren Hill, Usher, TLC and more! Under the California sunshine, on May 9th, 2020 The Dignity Sports Center will host the first annual Lovers & Friends festival with rumored special guest Snoop Dogg who recently announced the festival on his Instagram. So come on down to dance and sing to your favorite throwback jams!

Get your tickets here.