“I’ll stay with you Right here in the picture that your memory drew Charcoal skies and glitter stars, and paper moons I’ll stay with you”
-Ren Richards, “Paper Moons”
This one is for anybody who has ever struggled to let go.
This past Friday, Nashville-based songstress Ren Richards gave us “Paper Moons,” a melancholic indie rock offering written as “a poignant tribute to her grandmother’s fight with dementia.”
The track begins with the distant sound of children’s laughter, representative of the innocence lost as our memories fade from view. Nostalgic, 90s alternative-influenced guitar tones chime in gently atop a somber, steadfast acoustic progression, working together with Richards’ sad, yet soothing melody to illustrate the bittersweet divide between the opportunity to cherish the moments we’ve shared, and the anguish of longing for days gone by.
“Paper Moons” was produced by Blake Mohler (Happy Landing) and Wes Harllee (Ruthie Collins), and it’s right here for you.
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
Conversations about mental health came to the societal forefront during the COVID-19 pandemic.
That period also proved prolific for songwriter Andy Du Rego who, under his Black Suit Devil project, is preparing to release the 8-song album, The Eternal Sleep, on June 28.
“I had a burst of creativity, due to everything going on in the world and my personal life,” Du Rego said. “The songs flowed out of me easily, as I had a lot inside that I wanted to say. After recording the bed tracks, I didn’t revisit the songs for quite some time, as I worked on my own mental and physical health.”
The album was recorded over several years, in three different locations — Brantford, Ontario; Hastings, Ontario; and San Pancho, Mexico — as life’s moments inspired Du Rego to move multiple times.
Through life’s changes, he always came back to the music with new inspiration.
“I record all of my own music in my home studio by myself, which allows me to record at my convenience, and when I feel inspired,” Du Rego said. “The recording process picked back up months later with a six-week drum session in Brantford, before moving to Hastings, where the bulk of the record was recorded, on and off, in a two-year period. After leaving Hastings, I headed to San Pancho with my recording gear for the winter, where I recorded all the vocals for the album.”
The first taste of the new record — “Passage” — is a raw ballad with a classic rock flair. Du Rego’s gravelly vocals illustrate the anguish of a man enveloped in his own mental health struggles, crafted in an effort to show solidarity among all those fighting similar battles.
“’Passage’ is a song about the struggles of depression, mental health issues, and addiction; a song bringing awareness to the increasing rate of suicide in our communities that does not get talked about often,” Du Rego said. “I wanted to let people know that you are not alone in this fight. That many people from all walks of life — myself included — experience mental health issues and struggle with these on a daily basis. I wanted to send a message to look after each other and really communicate with one another, to see how the people in your circles are doing.”
Along with the rest of the record, “Passage” was mixed by 2-time Juno Award winner Kevin Dietz (The Glorious Sons , JJ Wilde), and mastered by Noah Mintz (Broken Social Scene, Billy Talent). Listen below!
There’s nothing like falling in love underneath the bright city lights.
The Mad Sugars — who, you should know, just released their much-anticipated full-length album, Personal Space — give us that sweet feeling with the new music video for focus track, “Lost Among the Avenues.”
The video — shot by Nita Ann — takes us through popular Nashville haunts including Printers Alley and Sid Gold’s Request Room, as frontman Adam Lawrence sings about the adventure of embarking on a night on the town with a new flame.
Sonically, those who are familiar with The Mad Sugars will be happy with this one, as it’s another example of the band’s penchat for high-powered, highly danceable alt-rock. With that being said, there’s also a Killers-esque new wave sensibility that comes to the forefront, with radiant synths that shimmer like the city skyline on a clear summer night.
Get “lost” with this one below. It’s an experience you’ll never forget!
Between Nashville’s established status as a country music mecca, and Music City’s ever-growing pop and hip hop ecosystem, the city’s rock scene often doesn’t get enough love here in 2024.
Gloom Girl MFG might be the band who changes that.
The high-powered punk quartet calls Nashville home, and they’re getting ready to release their EP, Polycrisis, on May 3. The lead single, “Crimes,” is out now — and it gets the whole thing off to an explosive start!
“Crimes” features relentless guitar riffs accompanied by a tight, swaggering rhythm section — calling to mind the edgy alt-punk heyday of bands like The Vines and The Hives. Meanwhile, the charismatic Paige MacKinnon establishes her undeniable presence, as she illustrates the raw complexities of our human experience.
“‘Crimes’ is about someone who’s right in the middle of an emotional explosion,” MacKinnon said. “They’re fed up trying to play the game of love as they see it. And through that we’re speaking to a truth about how intertwined our human experiences in the world are with the way we show love to one another. It can be messy and it can be beautiful too.”
The Ghost Club has been catching fire lately. In addition to their recent set at SPIN’s official SXSW showcase in Austin, they just released one of the first music videos ever shot on a limited-release Kodak Super 8 camera.
The video — for their single, “If I Fell (Don’t Wait Here For Me)” — was directed by Ben Turok. Shot on 8mm film and presented in black and white, these visuals carry a vintage ambiance befitting the track’s Springsteen-esque sensibility.
While The Boss’ influence is felt heavily on “If I Fell,” the familiar sounds don’t stop there. Flares of modernity permeate the soundscape, whether through its warm, glistening keyboard arrangement, or the raw, punk-inspired emotion behind frontman Domenic Dunegan’s vocals.
“‘If I Fell’ came from a period when a lot of bad stuff was happening in my life, including breaking my hand and not being able to play music for a while,” Dunegan said. “I was also trying to come to terms with being alone after a breakup, and I realized that part of pulling yourself out of a bad spot is accepting the fact that you need to be self-reliant and do it on your own.”
There’s plenty to enjoy here. Why don’t you dive right in and experience it for yourself?
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)
In fact, those are the artists who begin this week’s edition of UMC20. From there, we’ve got a healthy heap of Americana, followed by various styles of rock, from the straightforward to the experimental.
Track listing Alexis Donn – Witch Wound Foundation Mecca – Healer Instinct Lord Goldie ft. Antjuan Johnson – Hold On ARREIS – Five More Minutes Rome – Forever Max McNown – Dead Set Dustin Kensrue – High Scalers Pug Johnson – One Hand on My Whiskey Caitlin Cannon – The Alchemist Kat & Zach – Winter Flowers Bronco Redahan – High on Lonesome Amistat – seasons Beharie – Desire Max Blansjaar – Anna Madonna YEARB4 – BABY I’M DYIN’ Sun Atoms – Tower of Song Tell My Sons – Nothing Left to Say The Fever Haze – I Love it Here Johnny Manchild and the Poor Bastards – So Much Better SMILEZ – Self Sabotage
Hyperpop? We’ve got it. Soulful hip hop? Yep. Americana and rock? Check and check. We even lead off with a new, disco-inspired cut.
Every week, we task ourselves with the responsibility of providing 20 fresh, interesting new tracks. Thanks to you, our job is never too difficult. These tasty jams — plus not one, but TWO episodes of our Official Podcast — should keep your ears, hearts, and minds satisfied all week long.
Track listing Helena Hallberg – Surprisingly Disco Titans of Siren – Daytrip Game Changer – Just Sayin’ Spence Brown – Scotch Thoughts Izzy Rage – Wreck TsukiMai – Selenophile Rose Starring – Violently Sad Cardiac Half – Gloom The Trampoline Delay – Excuses Excuses Alisa Amador ft. Quinn Christopherson – I Need to Believe Sam Gyllenhaal Band – Mary Does (Acoustic) Sarah Gargano – Red Solo Cup The Atomic Age – Heart Sarah Free – Sober Laney Jones – Stay at Home Crow and Gazelle – Take It Away Patrick Davis – Southern Roots Brother Dege – Turn of the Screw The Kentucky Gentlemen – Beg Your Parton Mikayla Lewis – All is Well
I’ve got to be honest — what caught my attention first about Laney Jones’ submission of her new single, “Stay at Home,” was the following description, which made its way into the submission form:
Jones’ newest song, “Stay At Home,” released this February is an acid lick taste of where the band is heading. Sonically rich and lofi, it hints of Doolittle-era Pixies without the stale, microwaved mouthfeel of someone trying to reheat the 90s grunge scene. At the core, as usual, it’s their songwriting that begs more from the listener. Using hyperbole and the popular pandemic catch-phrase to question modern man’s true sense of reality and humanity.
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves! The reverb-rich new tune brings forth the more mellow sensibilities of 90s alt-rock, while a simmering psych-folk ambiance helps to paint an interdimensional sonic landscape.
If you want to experience this one live, you have opportunities coming up across the country. Nashville dates at The East Room and Bowery Electric bookend six SXSW dates in Austin, as well as a Los Angeles date at Gold Diggers on March 21. For now, catch the vibe below!
