Tag Archives: alt-pop

Poppin’ Off: December 2024

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Your first weekend of December has its official playlist.

Let’s be real: the same goes for all of your other weekends.

This month’s Poppin’ Off playlist presents you with plenty of opportunities to dance your cares away. Once you return to those cares, never fear: there are some reflective tunes here, as well. We also snuck a holiday selection in, and look out for a super-slick synth pop section nestled into the middle.

“Pop” can mean a variety of things, and as always, all of those things have a home right here!

Track listing:
Streamers The Band – Gone In A Flash
Daniel Arci – Cold as ICE
Mara Liddle – hush hush
CMAGIC5 – Rock Paper Scissors
Alis Vibe – Body as a Vessel
Natisa Gogol – Heavens create
Sid Seth – Wave
Emma Driver – I Don’t Hate It, It’s Just Different
Caroline Romano – Born to Want More
znels – future now
Alison Leah -Meet Me in the Garden
Lawrence D. – Runaway
virtues – U.
Moody Joody – El Camino High
The Silent Room – Veins
Lo Fi Ho Hum – Boundaries
Charity Bliss – joy algorithm
Arya Phenyx – Please 2.0
Stranger Cat – Come My Darlin To The Sea
Lily Lane – Blue on Christmas

LISTEN: KJ Wild Critiques Your Social Media ‘Highlight Reel’

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Welcome to 2024, where real life is never quite as perfect as the images we portray.

KJ Wild are here with a timely (and timeless) reminder to look behind the filter on “Red Hot Magazine Girl.” The alt-pop duo — comprised of powerhouse indie artists Kiki Halliday and Jon Worthy — wrote this song as a critique on the tendency of modern society and its influencers to post only about life’s good parts, painting an unrealistic picture of life, love, success, and happiness.

“We always see smiles, celebrations, amazing achievements, and pictures displaying a sense that nothing is ever wrong in a person’s life — but truly, that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Worthy said. “Nothing is as glamorous as it seems, and a lot of people in modern society feel the need to make everything seem perfect. So, this song is us calling out those people that live for the picture and not the moment; the people that always have to share that smiling picture in front of the beautiful sunset, even though minutes before, they were potentially scrolling on their phone, comparing themselves to their peers.”

“Red Hot Magazine Girl” was built on an acoustic foundation, and was written and produced entirely by the band. The song’s structure and infectious melody offer a nostalgic nod to rock and roll’s early days, while its hazy indie rock ambiance lends a modern, youthful energy to the final product.

If you’re in Nashville, come out to The 5 Spot on Sunday, November 3 to hear KJ Wild perform this one live (and while you wait, treat yourself to a preview…)

LISTEN: On ‘bad guy,’ Brooke Martin Flies Past the Red Flags

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Raise your hand if you’ve ever ignored the red flags in a relationship.

If you put your hand up, Nashville-based pop artist Brooke Martin has something fresh for you. Her new single, “Bad Guy,” is a mellow cautionary tale about what it means to ignore the warning signs.

The project began when Australian-based producer Mark “New Haven” Benedicto (Imagine Dragons) reached out to Martin via TikTok. After they connected, Martin teamed up with co-writers Colleen Francis, Tom Pino, and John Frank to bring the idea to life.

“I’m very excited about this song,” Martin said. “It’s my first release with Mark, so when messaged me and wanted to work with me, I jumped at the chance. He’s an amazing producer. And his timing was perfect, because I had a song idea I thought would resonate with every girl who ignores the red flags in relationships.”

If you’re looking for more where this came from, you won’t have to wait long. Martin is working on a forthcoming EP Billboard-charting producer and artist Andrew Kirk and Grammy-winning producer Chris Penny, set for release in 2025.

“Runaway” to the 80s with Lawrence D.

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The neon glow of a clear Nashville night has nothing on the shimmer of “Runaway,” the new, 80s-inspired track from Lawrence D.

“Runaway” combines clean, catchy guitar riffs with retro synth tones and Lawrence D.’s silky-smooth vocals, taking us on a dynamic thrill ride that would find itself at home among The Weeknd’s best work.

Seriously… put it up against any track on Dawn FM, and try telling us it doesn’t fit right in. We dare you!

“My producer and I were sitting in his studio in Nashville, TN and he created this nice 80’s track,” Lawrence D. said. “I wrote the record that night. It reminded me of a Red Ferrari drive on the roadside of the beach somewhere in Miami. My other producer added the bass line, and I had the idea to bring the live electric guitar into the fold to give it an electrifying rock feeling. I love everything about this record, and I hope whoever is listening will love it, as well.”

After Beating Cancer, Emma Driver Triumphantly Returns with ‘Try Hard’

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There are times when a song is more than just a song; when it is a statement of arrival, and a significant step on one’s healing journey.

“Try Hard” — the new single from Nashville-based songwriter Emma Driver — is one of those moments. The first single from her forthcoming EP, Ashamed to Admit This (coming spring 2025), the tune unveils a new sound from the former Fresh Lady. Combining anthemic pop sensibility with a robust pop punk edge, Driver sings about confronting one’s insecurities and using them to serve others facing similar struggles.

“Try Hard” also marks a significant life milestone for Driver, who faced mortality in the form of a lymphoma diagnosis at age 27. Lyrics like “what a nightmare to be perceived” — written before her diagnosis — took on an entirely new meaning, as she lost her hair to chemotherapy and became unrecognizable even to herself.

In the end, music ultimately helped her transform her fear and shame into art — while still allowing her the room to be vulnerable and accepting of her own humanity.

“I used to think that I would get to a point when I just didn’t care; like a switch would flip, and I’d just know who I was and be good. But now in remission, I still catch myself,” Driver said. “I fully beat cancer and am over here worried about if a random person thinks I’m cringe. I’ll always care, because it’s human to want to be liked, understood, and validated. Finally putting this song out feels like owning this part of myself I used to feel shame about, and that’s so freeing.”

Free yourself from your own fears of judgment when you play this one at max volume!

WATCH: Sloan Golden’s ‘Parking Lot’ Encapsulates the Feeling of a Panic Attack

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Photo credit: Kelsey Pecchia

We all need a place to go when the world feels heavy.

For LA-based indie pop artist Sloan Golden, that place has always been her car — it has been a place for hard conversations, as well as a refuge where she has collected her thoughts. She translates these real-world experiences into art in her new single and video, “Parking Lot.”

“My seventeen-year-old self, who sat alone in her car in the Best Buy parking lot having a meltdown, wouldn’t believe that all that pain she felt might’ve been worth something,” Golden said.

“Parking Lot” — co-written with Jensen McRae and produced by acclaimed indie rock musician, Runnner (Skullcrusher) — was crafted to represent “the sonic encapsulation of what an anxiety attack feels like.” Golden’s aim was to help listeners connect to the release via their own similar experiences.

“I intentionally never mentioned the title of the song within the lyrics, as I want listeners to be able to place themselves in their own ‘parking lots’ without me ever having to say it,” Golden said.

The video expands on this notion. Directed by Madi Boll, the cinematic offering begins with a disagreement — and Golden’s seemingly complete dissociation — outside of her own birthday party, as she retreats to her car to gather herself.

“A panic attack feels like everything inside of you is at hyper speed while the world outside is hazy and out of sync,” Boll said. “This got me thinking about a world where everyday objects move in sync with our mental highs and lows, and thus ‘Parking Lot’ came to life.”

LISTEN: With ‘be kind & rewind,’ znels Lets Us Re-live the Good Parts

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No matter how red the flags become, our minds like to reflect on our past relationships with a fondness that can seem downright delusional.

Ohio-based alt-pop artist znels offers us this view through rose-colored glasses on his latest single, “be kind & rewind.” Supported by an airy, pastel soundscape — think along the lines of 5 Seconds of Summer, with a dash of Owl City — we get to fall in love with our exes all over again.

Or, at least the things about them we actually liked…

“Have you ever wanted to jump back to a moment in time and just stay there? ‘be kind & rewind’ is a nostalgic daydream for when everything felt perfect,” znels said. “It’s a breakup song for when things turn out to be so much different than you wanted, but you stay a little bit delulu by living in your head and replaying the good parts.”

It may be brand new (released May 10), but the release “be kind & rewind” has been a long time coming. In fact, it’s the song that inspired znels to begin releasing music under his current project.

“It took two years to get to this point of feeling like it was ready to be released. I spent so much time with the song to get things like the lyrics, word choices, key, and BPM right,” znels said. “I produced and released my first two singles independently, but for this one, I was lucky to work with producer Connor Daniel (Iann Dior, The Veronicas, Demi Lovato), who really helped take it where I wanted to go.”

Ready to hear where it went? We can oblige!

UMC20: An Explosive Start to April (April 3, 2024)

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Rock and roll is alive and well, as you’ll hear throughout the first half of this week’s UMC20.

This week’s compilation is frontloaded with a variety of electric guitar sounds and turbo-powered swagger. But, as always, there’s something for everyone this week. Americana lovers will want to pay close attention to the middle of the playlist, while pop, soul, and hip hop fans will particularly enjoy the latter portions.

And, as always, we’ve got some useful nuggets from that Official Podcast of ours waiting for you at the end. Check those out — especially if you fancy yourself an artistpreneur!

Track listing
Another Dead Rockstar – 1985 (Can You Help Me)
Gloom Girl MFG – Crimes
The Mad Sugars – Lost Among the Avenues
The Fever Haze – Last Night I Killed a Man
JT Loux – look into my eyes
Lurve – Run, Get Drunk, and Fall in Love Again
Lone Tree – Miss You
OPIATE – Lay
Black Suit Devil – Passage
Medium Build – Knowing U Exist
Old 97’s – Somebody
Travis Feutz – Utah
The Flying Raye – The Ballad of Leslie Cochran
Swamp Dogg ft. Jenny Lewis – Count The Days
Annie Scherer – You Like The Blues
Eliza Hardy Jones – Counterfeit
Rex & The Rhyhtm – Umbrella
Lindsey Lomis – Long Way Down
pher, – moon
Spence Brown – By My Lonely

UMC20: The Best of March 2024

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What a stacked month!

Between the 20 songs that comprise the UMC20 Best of March 2024, and the two latest, completely epic episodes of our Official Podcast, The Quinn Spinn, our end-of-month compilation contains nearly three-and-a-half hours of listening enjoyment!

Get it while it’s here. Next Wednesday, we’ll drop the first all-new UMC of April. Soak up the memories from the month that has been!

Track listing
Bootsy Collins ft. Snoop Dogg, Fantaazma, Wiz Khalifa, and Dave Stewart – The Influencers
Spence Brown – Scotch Thoughts
Miles Squiers – 24 Hours
Game Changer – Just Sayin’
Adam Paddock – Sweet Ohio Light
Izzy Rage – Wreck
TsukiMai – Selenophile
Cardiac Half – Gloom
YEARB4 – BABY I’M DYIN’
The Minimum Wage – Everyone Is
Pepperwood – Drowning
The Ghost Club – If I Fell (Don’t Wait Here For Me)
Crow and Gazelle – Take It Away
Max McNown – Dead Set
Dustin Kensrue – High Scalers
Kat & Zach – Winter Flower
Bronco Redahan – High on Lonesome
The Kentucky Gentlemen – Beg Your Parton
Mikayla Lewis – All is Well
Rome – Forever

UMC20: We Do This on Wednesdays Now (Mar. 20, 2024)

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The official Wednesday debut of UMC20 gets off a funktastic start!

Yes, we happened across the latest masterpiece from Bootsy Collins in our inbox this week. Throw Snoop Dogg, Fantaazma, Wiz Khalifa, and The Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart into the mix, and we knew we had to lead off with this one!

From there, this turbo-powered artist lineup brings you the variety you’ve come to expect around here. From established artists to up-and-comers, and from Nashville locals to international flavors, no stone is left unturned this week.

Track listing
Bootsy Collins ft. Snoop Dogg, Fantaazma, Wiz Khalifa, and Dave Stewart – The Influencers
ARREIS – Straight to Hell
Alexis Donn – I Love My Birthday
Lord Goldie ft. Kyd Dynomyte & Lil Lac – Back Down
Foundation Mecca – Tribal Love
Baurkli – Growing Pains
Miles Squiers – 24 Hours
Adam Paddock – Sweet Ohio Light
Bryan Howell – Like Summer Thunder
The Minimum Wage – Everyone Is
Pepperwood – Drowning
The Ghost Club – If I Fell (Don’t Wait Here For Me)
Andrea von Kampen – Such Love Does
Maddie Zahm – little me
Fie Eike – Sad
Medium Build – Knowing U Exist
Tucker Woods – Somersault
Max McNown – Turned Into Missing You
Josh Fortenbery – Bored to Death
Tenille Townes – Thing That Brought Me Here (Truck Song)

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