MICKY JAMES - LIVE AT THE MET - THE PHILADELPHIA SPECIAL: REVIEW

February 15, 2021

by emma schoors

“Micky James - Live At The Met - The Philadelphia Special” is an exhilarating, soulful live show full of incredible vocals and raw musicianship.

One of my closest held beliefs about music is when you hear a song you immediately adore, or see a musician who’s self-expression you admire, you have to say something. Because though the chances are the musician gets similar comments all the time, it’s always worth it to express that love. I will always be afraid of not fully incapsulating what’s great about the music I love, or in this case a live show that connected heavily with me, but I have to try.

Though I’ve been an admirer and fan of Micky James’ work since the end of 2017, I came into the live show with no specific expectations. Concerts are fluid and shouldn’t always be compared to the recorded versions of the setlist. But I was utterly blown away by what I heard as the opening song, “Tie Me Up,” began.

Watching musicians get comfortable onstage is always amazing, but especially so with this performance. Imaginative lyricism reminiscent of a late-60’s Beatles track broke through right away with the opening lines:

“I'm up with Lisa in the stars with her rubies

While the ant hill animal people

look up and look through me.

I'm seeing crystal clear, kaleidoscope,

deer in the headlights.

So full of life, so drop your kite, Mr. Sinister.

Let me go.”

Guitarist Ryder Stuart immediately gripped audiences with his guitar parts, notably with the incredibly clean riff that plays just before the second verse of “Tie Me Up,” as well as the beautiful guitar nearing the end of “Walk The Line.”

Speaking of, “Walk The Line” was one of the most stunning live performances I have ever heard. It’s hard to overstate how difficult it can be to find a sound and look that truly reflects how a musician feels and who they are, but this performance in particular felt so utterly raw and authentic. Bassist Adam Jessamine was one of the highlights; the bass in the entire show was phenomenal, but I found myself appreciating the low end even more during this track. Starting at 17 minutes and 34 seconds all four musicians began the second verse, and the build up of the first verse became completely worthwhile. About a minute later, James sang one of the most hard-hitting lines:

“I won't cover my tracks, never look back.

Hear the footsteps are following my back.”

Drummer Josh Grigsby shone on “Rest Of The Best,” with a hard-hitting drum intro and a firm hold on the rest of the song. It should not be overlooked how effective his drumming is during the rest of the performance, though: songs like “Kings” and “New Heart” were made infinitely better through his craft.

One of the most impressive parts of the performance was James’ seemingly effortless voice control. He navigated “New Heart” by moving in and out of falsetto like it was nothing. Though I knew his voice was fantastic, there was something about the electricity and passion evident in the live show that accentuated it.

If there’s one artist you check out this month, let it be Micky James. If there’s one concert you watch, let it be “Live At The Met.” Each and every song was performed beautifully, and the lyrics will leave you knowing a little more about yourself than you knew walking in.

'ROUTINE' / SAM MACPHERSON: PREMIERE

February 11, 2021

by emily harris

Red Bank, New Jersey native Sam MacPherson has earned a name for himself out in his current residence in LA. With honest lyricism and smooth-flowing sonics, MacPherson’s sound is simple and pleasant to the ears, and to the heart when you read into the lyrics. His newest single, “Routine,” is no outlier to his already unique discography. The single, his first of 2021, marks the beginning of a new era of his work. The song is the first of four new singles off his debut EP coming later in the year. With a soulful tone and delicate melodies, “Routine” is bound to be a beautiful addition to his first EP release.

The vocals for this track were recorded in his childhood home in just twenty minutes. The feeling of comfort flows well into the fully produced track by Andy Seltzer. MacPherson’s vocals are nothing short of raw and vulnerable, which add to the beauty of the song. Written about the realization and depth of true love after it’s too late, the theme is something listeners can easily relate to. With the lasting chorus of “falling in love was a part of my everyday routine” ringing in your ears, the track lends itself to be listened to multiple times in a row. The story is honest and the delivery of the track works hand and hand in that way.

With an accompanying music video dropping alongside the single, the visuals are bound to add a nostalgic feeling for the song’s running time of three minutes and fifteen seconds. If you’re looking for a soulful artist with a true attention to lyrics and sonics, look no further than the work of Sam MacPherson. You may just want to discover him while he’s still small, because he is bound to make waves in the industry soon!

COUSIN MOUTH: INTERVIEW

February 10, 2021

by mariah estran

Through living life, we’ve all developed a past formed from numerous experiences. It’s what makes us human, by shaping us into dynamic individuals. For the psychedelic R&B group Cousin Mouth, they’ve found beauty in that concept, conveying it in their latest single and beautiful visual for “New Memories.”

The track is magnetic due to its soulfully striking guitar chords that emphasize Alex Burns' rich vocals as gentle backing vocals bring in an angelic tinge. And the music video only elevates that tone — multiple characters are introduced to represent Burns as he views them through a window of a moving car. A compelling preface to the storytelling and experimental sound to come from their upcoming album MayflowerPeacemakerHolyredeemer.

Cousin Mouth took time to speak with us about “New Memories," how they have found their sound since working on their first album Medusa, and what listeners can expect for their sophomore LP.

You’ve recently released “New Memories." What’s the story behind this track?

Cousin Mouth: “Well, without naming any names [laughs], a lot of it comes from my reflections on a shall we say sort of rough conversation with a former partner of mine. I draw a lot of my lyric writing and subject matter directly from my life, conversations, and experiences and things like that, so I guess I’ll just say there’s a few direct quotes in there [laughs]. More broadly though, I was looking to reflect on the ways in which our past conflicts, past selves and experiences have a way of inevitably resurfacing in ways we sometimes don’t expect, often for better but sometimes for worse. Relationships can become very strange battlegrounds when things bubble up from our past or habits creep in where we don’t expect or realize.”

You have this unique, psychedelic R&B sound. How have you developed your sound for your recent releases?

CM: “A lot of it comes just from what I’m generally listening to and how I’ve been writing the last couple years. I knew after our first record Medusa that I wanted to work more with the musicians I’d been performing for shows with in a more stable live-band-type set up and had been pretty much constantly working on the new stuff while finishing the first record. I think I was just interested in creating something that was both very visceral and personal, but also sort of big sounding and theatrical in a way. I also wanted to make a body of work that kind of adopted some of the more left field pop influences I generally look to, Todd Rundgren, Prince, D’Angelo or the Isley Brothers. They all have a way of writing that are obviously incredibly listenable but at the same time very complex and intricate and draw a lot from jazz or funk or blues in subtle or not so subtle ways. I’m a giant Alice Coltrane fan and also had been listening to a ton of Bjork when writing some of this so I think some of the more special or weird sounds or structures come from that too.”

You’re recently released the music video for “New Memories.” What was the inspiration for this visual?

CM: “I had intended this video to be a sort of visual center piece for the album. The characters in the video are meant to be reflections of myself, or different aspects of my creative personality. The title of the album itself is a jumble of the names of all of the characters in the video, kind of like Ziggy Stardust, I had intended the album to be conceived from a different sonic or thematic space for each track in some way. And with the video I thought it would be a cool idea to force all of these characters into the same physical space. As I mentioned, I wanted to express a sort of theatricality with this record, so I came up with all of these costume characters to represent different aspects of the music or the themes or voices I think the record conveys. The track itself again is a reflection on how we interact with different parts of our past and how they come to the forefront in unexpected ways, so I felt like the song was a perfect fit.”

Your next album, MayflowerPeacemakerHolyredeemer is about to drop. How does this LP showcase your growth from your debut Medusa?

CM: “I’d say for me the biggest improvement has mostly been in my abilities as a bandleader and songwriter. Writing with the intention of translating a solo guitar and vocal song for a live band with drums, bass, keys, background vocalists and sax or flute is a new and strange skill I’ve begun to learn through this record. For the first record, since I was working with my brother Donald Lee Roland II, his production abilities and incredible vision sort of acted as a writing partner because I was able to basically just work alongside him in the process of shaping the songs from a musical standpoint. With this record, I really wanted to force myself to visualize and communicate all of my ideas to a full band, as well as challenge myself to do the work of seeing the project all the way through by myself from start to finish. Like really be a part of each step from tracking to engineering to packaging. It was definitely a process and a pretty steep learning curve sometimes [laughs], but I think people will feel that it’s a pretty unique vision I was trying to convey.”

What do you hope listeners take away once they listen to this upcoming album?

CM: “I mean, I mostly just want people to like it [laughs]. Honestly though, I truly think it’s a pretty unique listen and I can’t really think of too many other projects that sound like this one. With really everything I write or create I try and convey an honesty and realness that I think helps make for a pretty direct experience in listening, lyrically, sonically, the whole thing. I think every song on this record in some way speaks to a very real human experience, sure they may be particular to me or my experience, but I think the album is a good point of meditation on a lot of the pretty basic things we all go through in relationships, and life and stuff like that, hopefully it helps.”

Lastly, you have such a stellar creative vision for storytelling through visuals. Will there be more music videos in the works?

CM: “Definitely. Not to spoil anything, but I’m riding a horse in the next one… [laughs]. It was my first time riding one, but I gotta say, I’m converted. In the meantime, the album will be out end of February and our vinyl presale ordering started the same day as the ‘New Memories’ video release. Things are definitely happening regardless though [laughs].”

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CORVYX + JOEY DEAN: INTERVIEW

February 8, 2021

by pankhuri bhutani

After successfully collaborating on their covers of Christina Aguilera and A Great Big World’s “Fall On Me” and Lord Huron’s “The Night We Met” respectively, queer couple and independent recording artists Corvyx and Joey Dean are back again with a completely alluring rendition of Miley Cyrus’ “Night Crawling” featuring Billy Idol off of her wildly successful new album Plastic Hearts.

This iconic release marks their third collaboration. The track which was released on January 21st (Corvyx’s birthday) has already amassed over twelve thousand listeners in just a span of over two weeks.

We recently caught up with the talented Corvyx and Joey Dean in order to discuss some insights into the making of the track as well as what fans can expect from their upcoming collaborations.

Hi there, thank you for joining us on Unclear! Let me start by talking about your recent cover of Miley Cyrus’ “Night Crawling.” How did the idea of covering this track initially come into existence?

Corvyx: “Actually, we decided to film an album reaction to Miley’s newest record ‘Plastic Hearts’ on my YouTube channel and the response to the video was overwhelming. Additionally, we both genuinely loved most of the album and a few tracks were practically begging to be covered. We asked the viewers of the reaction video if they’d want to see a collaboration from the album and our decision was clear. This new era of Miley spoke to our musical taste as we both love the sonic qualities and and nostalgia associated with the 80s and 90s. The rock and roll high energy of ‘Night Crawling’ was exactly what we were looking for, as this was our third collaboration and the previous two (‘Fall on Me’ and ‘The Night We Met’) explored the emotional, vulnerable side to our music.”

Kindly walk us through the creative process behind the song. Did you face any sort of challenges during the production stage of the track?

Joey: “We knew we wanted to keep the energy Miley and Billy Idol originally created for this track and push it even further into the depths of synthwave, 80s nostalgia with a bit of contemporary flare. It may seem easy to create productions that emulate the same energy as the original, but it could actually sometimes be more challenging than changing the production entirely because you have to navigate paying homage to the original vibe and energy of the track and still give it your own spin. We knew where we wanted to take this. We thought ‘The Lost Boys,’ but 2021.”

This marks your third collaboration together. How would you describe the overall experience working with each other like?

Corvyx: “Joey and I practically share a brain. We spitball ideas off each other easily and we’re both MOSTLY willing to compromise on any artistic decisions that need to be made... (Ok, fine. I am usually the one that’s a bit more of a stubborn control freak), but in the end we always wind up loving what we create together. Every project we have worked on together has been received incredibly well by our supporters and strangers alike, and that always helps to make our decisions to collaborate even easier.”

If you both could describe your music in one word, what word might you choose?

Corvyx: “Ethereal.”

Joey Dean: “Nostalgic.”

Where do you draw your major musical influences from? If given an opportunity, who would you like to collaborate with in the future?

Joey: “We both draw from many genres and eras of music. Many of our sonic qualities and visual references/aesthetics can be traced back to the 80s, 90s, and mid 2000s with a futuristic cross section. Future collaborations? I would sever his limbs to collaborate with Lady Gaga and ironically, Miley Cyrus. Corvyx would sacrifice 7 virgins and a goat to create with the likes of Sia, P!nk, and/or Maria Brink (of In This Moment).”

What are the top three things on your bucket list regarding 2021?

Corvyx: “1.) 100K YouTube subscribers. 2.) Original music. 3.) New creative collaborations.”

Joey Dean: “1.) Releasing bangers. 2.) Killer visuals. 3.) Performing live (even if virtual).”

Q7) How are you coping up with the current unfortunate pandemic? Is there anything you are presently doing in order to maintain your creativity?

Corvyx: “We have both accepted that this could be our way of living for quite some time and the only thing to do is learn to work and live through it. Having an incredible group of people that support us virtually has made this weird, stagnant time much more bearable. Joey had to adjust a bit more than I had to because most of his career had taken place touring and performing at venues prior to the pandemic Most of my career as CORVYX had been established virtually and on my YouTube channel, so Miss Rona didn’t affect me too harshly (which I’m grateful for!). We have maintained creativity through the same outlets that inspire us all; other artists, films, books, living and experiencing life, and trying to make our younger selves proud.”

What’s next for you two? Is there anything that you would like to hint your fans regarding your upcoming projects?

Joey: “We always have ideas that endlessly fill our heads and eventually come to fruition. And the ideas we have for this year are BIG. Expect new music. New visuals. More collaborations. And live(ish) performances... possibly together. ;-)”

Lastly, is there any message that you wish to convey to your supporters from all around the world?

Corvyx: “Keep questioning the world around you and may that curiosity keep the embers of inspiration burning through even the strangest of times. Stay honest, humble, kind, and always listen to your guts. And one more thing: thank you.”

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'SURFACE TENSION' / GENEVIEVE STOKES: REVIEW

February 5, 2021

by emma schoors

“Surface Tension” by Genevieve Stokes is a melancholy tune that cuts right to the heart.

“It’s all on the surface, it don’t hurt anymore,” Stokes sings repeatedly, in a sort of cleansing chant. This is a common theme in the track. Though the lyrics reflect a genuine struggle, everything about it feels gorgeously simple. In keeping with this lyricism, Stokes sings, “Am I the perfect picture that you wanted before?” Though the vocals are calm and crisp, this is undoubtedly a song you can scream to. Echoey guitars and percussion help deepen and build up the sound during the second verse, but the bones of the song are enough to make it magical.

Putting visuals to a song can help listeners with the overall intended message of a song, and the accompanying music video for “Surface Tension” does just that. With an emphasis on fluidity and the beauty of nature, there’s a dark and weary element to the video, but it’s beautiful and sensical all the same.

Genevieve Stokes has a distinct talent for writing gut-wrenching songs, and “Surface Tension” is worth its weight in gold.

The official video of "Surface Tension" by Genevieve Stokes Download/Stream "Surface Tension": https://genevievestokes.lnk.to/SurfaceTensionIDFollow me :))In...