Kristin Hoffmann: ‘New Directions’ EP

Posted on by Colby Pines

Kristin Hoffmann recently released a follow-up EP to her full album, The Human Compass. The EP, New Directions, is comprised of three remixes to songs from the previous album. While the EP attempts to transform her ethereal Renaissance pop songs into something more electronic, it fails to realize the true purpose of a remix, which is to take an old song and shed new light/offer a different perspective by adding and subtracting certain qualities.

The original album has some undeniably beautiful piano melodies. Add Hoffmann’s distant, ethereal vocals and you’ve got a catchy pop tune, right? Unfortunately not. One of the qualities that the original album lacks is the presence of a single catchy hook or pop-ish melody. While melody is certainly important in any remix, it often does not have to drive the track like it does in most pop songs. With this in mind, I was hopeful that the three remixes could offer something that the original album did not.

With the exception of the “Ghosts” remix, New Direction doesn’t do much for the original tracks. While the songs do manage to maintain their prettiness, there isn’t much there electronically. I kept wondering when the track was going to “hit,” and then the song ended. For me, the piano and the vocals only carried the tracks for so long until I started drawing comparisons to Evanescence minus the crunchy guitars.

I do feel as though New Directions more successfully captures Hoffmann’s ideas and the original album’s ethereal goals, but it is unfortunate that the EP lack the sort of electronic punch that remixes need to be cool remixes that are worth a listen. Hoffmann sings about “a distant lullaby” in “Ghosts,” and that seems to be what this endeavor is: A distant lullaby that is too far away to serenade us to sleep, but just enough to keep us awake, like the ticking of a fan or the dripping of a faucet.

Fresh Spring Fragrances

Posted on by Kate Foster

The sun is out, the flowers are blooming, and you’re putting all your sweaters away. Stop right there. There’s one more thing you have to do to officially call in spring, something you may have never even thought about: switching out your perfume. Your winter variety is likely too heavy for the next few months, and thankfully designers are abound with light, fabulous new fragrances. I’ve chosen my five favorites below – what better excuse is there to splurge on yourself?

Dolce & Gabbana Dolce

Ahh, to be in Sicily right about now. This fragrance is inspired by the designers’ sweet memories of this exotic island, and infused with a mixture of gorgeous white flowers. It smells light and beautiful, and is WAY cheaper than a D&G gown. Need I say more?

Balenciaga Rosabotanica

This perfume is for the rebellious – it’s made of roses, but a more rare, green variety. Plus, citrus notes ensure that you don’t stink like your Grandma. And who could resist that bottle? So wonderfully graphic!

Elizabeth and James Nirvana White

Just like when you were five, Mary-Kate and Ashley have got you covered. This peony and musk fragrance is the more airy alternative to their Nirvana Black. Why not pick up both, and have all four seasons under your belt?

Aerin Lilac Path

There’s a reason Aerin Lauder’s fragrance line is so popular, and it’s not just because of her last name. Lilac Path is particularly sweet, with notes of the purple flower, angelica seed oil, and orange flower. It’s no wonder Aerin herself says it “captures the spirit of spring and makes it last.”

Jo Malone Peony & Blush Suede

Admittedly, this cologne came out a season ago, but I couldn’t resist putting it on my list because it is my favorite fragrance of ALL TIME. And it features all of the best scents ever: peonies, red apples, jasmine, rose, gillyflower, and blush suede. Just try and resist its charms, why don’t you?

Spinning Vinyl: Blondefire’s ‘Young Heart’

Posted on by Alexis Tiedemann

Blondfire says it all as Erica Driscoll sings, “So you turn a new rotation, and live a silent dreamy sigh.”

The album cover and design reflects the innovative music that Blondfire creates. The album cover is a mix of classic album art, reminiscent of the Rolling Stones’s fuzzy and glamourously out of focus Goats Head Soup cover, with a modern, artistic take on vinyl. An insert reveals a picture of the brother and sister, Bruce and Erica Driscoll, and the back is a vintage photograph of Erica holding flowers. Very sixties. And I love it.

The record itself is an awesomely mod, half-pink, half-white flower design with a green center. It looks rather awesome spinning on my Crosley record player.

And as the record begins rotating, I do just what Erica is crooning about. I “live a silent dreamy sigh.”

Young Heart is young and playful. It is bright and optimistic. The indie-pop band keeps it refreshingly raw, not letting the electronic parts overwhelm the instruments or Erica’s airy and luminous vocals.

“Waves” reminds me of a summer spent with my best friend, exploring the freedoms of adolescence, making bracelets, stealing our parents’ alcohol and kissing boys on the beach. In fact, almost every song reminds me of some fond, youthful memory.

Some tracks, like “Dear in Your Headlights” remind me of every weekend I spend in the beautiful city of Athens with my even more beautiful friends. She perfectly captures the age of half-innocence, and meager attempts to grow up while simultaneously staying young. Blondfire protests the monotony of adulthood as Erica sings, “I don’t wanna be like them, I don’t wanna be like you, I’d rather be a monster, just howling at the moon.”

The instrumentals are clean and brilliant. They are simple but powerful, and perfectly supplement the dreamy voice of Erica Driscoll. Songs such as “Wild and Wasted” and “Life of the Party” capture the playful, danceable vibe that Blondfire is clearly going for. But more somber and thoughtful tracks, like “We Are One” bring the message back down to earth.

Young Heart  was a delight to listen to on vinyl. Not only did I enjoy the fun, carefree music, but I loved the art of it. Listening to old, classic albums on the record player is obviously wonderful, but listening to a new artist on vinyl is a new and exciting experience, especially when Blondfire is the band that’s spinning.

SXSW 2014: Emily Wolfe x Vinyl Mag

Posted on by Emma Cramer

Austin singer-songwriter Emily Wolfe has caused quite a stir in the music scene as of late, with national recognition on both NPR and MTV’s Buzzworthy in the past year. We had the distinct pleasure of being able to sit down and talk with Emily and her band including keyboardist Hannah Hagar, bassist Sam Pankey, and drummer Jeffery Olson, and chat about their experience at SXSW and what is next in store for the rocking quartet.

VM: You put out your EP Mechanical Hands last year. How was the experience of working with Mike McCarthy as producer?

Emily Wolfe: We love Mike. He is so cool but in the weirdest way. He always wears the same exact outfit, which so do I, so I get it. It’s just easy. He is really good at helping us explore our creativity.

Hannah Hagar: He makes us all feel very comfortable and brings out the best performance

EW: Yeah, exactly. And he knows what to say to get us in the zone, because I remember this one time I played this guitar part, and he said, ‘hey, you can do it better than that.’ And I was like, for some reason, that’s very motivating.

VM: You were just recently featured on MTV’s Buzzworthy for your new single”Swoon.” How does that feel?

EW: Man, I was at work on my computer on Microsoft Outlook – boring sh*t – and I got this Twitter notification that MTV followed me. And I wondered if that thing was up, because I knew it was going to happen. I saw it, and I texted everyone.

VM: “Swoon” seems to have more of an edgier rock ‘n’ roll feel than your earlier work. Why the change?

EW: I feel like, as a band, we have been evolving in that direction for a while, and “Swoon” had such a sass factor. I was just jonesin’ for some sexy rock plus roll.

Sam Pankey: It also reflects the musical aesthetic that we all kind of wanted. We listen to a lot of the same music now and really dig people like White Denim and White Rabbits, Jack White – all the ‘Whites.’

Jeffery Olson: I also feel that this has been the first song that we have recorded where we felt like this was a band, not just a song-writer with some hired guns. And we have been trying to get out of that and prove to people that we are a band. It’s the band that works hard together and creates the music.

VM: So you have already preformed at SXSW this year – how was that experience?

EW: Great, it was so fun, man. We have done two shows so far, and tonight we have our last one. The first one was really great and a lot of fun, and the crowd was really into it. It was super sunny; it was like beaming – almost like Satan was breathing on me – hot. Like I was inside a dog’s mouth, but it was a blast. And the second was awesome, although it was really early at like 6 a.m. for KGSR, but when we all get on stage together its like a party.

VM: Any bands that you are excited to see or have already seen at SXSW that have really impressed you?

EW: They’ve got a list.

HH: I really want to see Policia.

EW: Young the Giant.

HH: But then there are also the bands you kind of stumble upon accidentally that can also be amazing.

JO: We are going to see White Denim too. That’s a given.

VM: How is the song-writing process for you? Do you follow a routine, or does it vary?

EW: It has definitely started to vary. But normally, I’ll write the lyrics, the melody, and the guitar part as well and then we will jam it out in rehearsal and out it together that way and fill in the rest.

VM: Is there any particular venue that you would jump at the chance to play?

HH: I think Red Rocks in Colorado.

Sam Pankey: Anywhere in New York; we did Brooklyn Bowl, and that was awesome.

EW: Oh, ACL fest; that is like a dream.

VM: Any artist dead or alive that you would collaborate with if you could?

EW: Ryan Adams, Jack White, Dan Auerbach, Jeff Buckley, Prince.

VM: So where can your fans and soon to be fans expect to see you after SX?

HH: We have a couple of shows in Austin, and then this summer we are still planning a few shows outside of Texas, but nothing is set in stone yet.

VM: Any new music in the works?

HH: In April, we are recording five songs, and then in October we are going back to do another five or six.

EW: We are playing mostly new things at the show tonight.

Music Festival Fashion Guide

Posted on by Kate Foster

Turns out music festivals aren’t just for those searching out great tunes and maybe a little acid trip here and there – they’re also made for the world’s chicest fashion set. Models, actresses and musicians alike line up in front of the stage each year to catch their favorite bands and flaunt their best style. And why wouldn’t they? Festivals are the perfect excuse to test out that “I tried really hard to look like I didn’t try” look. Slip on a few of my favorite pieces below – but only if you’ll let me live vicariously through you while you’re listening to my favorite bands. Pinky promise?

Cutoff Shorts

I know what you’re thinking: “Seen those a million times. Boring!” But here’s the trick: they don’t have to be. I love searching Etsy high and low for some super cool, cheap, handmade options. Some of my favorite shops: DesignedByTwo, DIRTYEGO, and Moon Shine Apparel. If you consider yourself a craft master, try your hand at making some of your own with studs and fabric paint. There. I dare you to find a single other person wearing the same shorts as you.

Crop Tops

This one can really go two ways, depending on your personality. Are you more into pretty frills? Try a shop like Necessary Clothing, which has tops with fringe, florals, and lace. If you’re more in the mood to sass festival-goers around you, check out Gypsy Warrior, your one stop shop for crop tops featuring cheeky band slogans and cats. Yes, cats.

Comfy Sandals

My best friend once made the ill mistake of wearing leather gladiator sandals to Bonnaroo, and lets just say her blisters were out of this world. Never again. Go for Chacos instead; I swear they’re not just for granola girls anymore. They’ve got some with ultra-thin straps so you can have the comfort of sneakers with the style of a gladiator.

Fresh Accessories

Even though the sweltering weather forces you into a shorts-crop top-sandals uniform, there’s no reason your look has to be blah. Urban Outfitters has some insanely glamorous, floppy straw hats to keep your face shaded, and H&M is my favorite for enormous sunglasses. And, not to sound like your mom, but don’t forget the sunscreen, okay?

SXSW 2014: Aer x Vinyl Mag

Posted on by Samantha Gilder

New-age hip hop duo, Aer, is comprised of Boston natives Carter Schultz and David Von Mering. Having just released their sophomore album earlier in March, the evolution in their style over the years is not only prevalent, but pioneer-style impressive. During SXSW, and (literally) hours into their arrival in Austin, we sat down with the two to pick their brains and find out what’s going on in their world. Give it a read, and follow that up with giving them a listen (I recommend “Feel I Bring,” but note that it’s been in stuck in my head for weeks now, and that’s a commitment in itself).

VM: It appears March and SXSW are the beginnings of an extensive tour for you two- what is the ratio of time spent on the road as opposed to off?

Carter Schultz: I’d say about 65 percent  on the road and 35 percent off. It’s definitely what I prefer; I get stir crazy when I’m home in Boston.

VM: Are there any artist comparisons that you frequently get that you’re over hearing about?

CS: Anything “Frat Rap” – get out of here with that. I hope you didn’t have all of these bands you had compared our sound too…

VM: Well, I did have one in mind, but I wouldn’t consider Gym Class Heroes “Frat Rap.”

CS: Oh, no, I’ll take Gym Class Heroes any day. I just hate being put into that pool of college rap, or anyone who is just doing it really “normal.” If you really listen to our music, it’s clear how different it is than that, but I honestly think the real comparison solely comes from our age. We are of the typical college kid age, but that’s as far as it actually goes.

VM: What are you most excited to see and/or do, being that this is your first year at SXSW?

CS: I want to go to Iron Works; I want to see The Felice Brothers, and I’m really excited to be playing the same showcase as Dom Kennedy and Casey Veggies.

David Von Mering: I’m looking forward to everything Carter listed, but also to finding a new artist.

VM: Do you feel like you’ve had a breakthrough moment into the industry yet?

CS: I feel like we’re not even close. We’ve had our moments where we’ve had sold out shows where it felt a little surreal, but I wouldn’t say there’s been a “break.”

DVM: It’s funny, because I feel like five years ago the big “break” was just signing a deal, and now deals aren’t really prominent or even normal. I wouldn’t say we’ve had a break, but the “Feel I Bring” video did a lot for us.

VM: Currently, what are your favorite releases of 2014?

CS: I’ve been bumping Satellite Flight (The Journey to Mother Moon) by Kid Cudi a whole lot lately, and obviously the new Arctic Monkeys has been on replay non-stop since it came out.

VM: Are you two hands-on with your own social media accounts, or does anyone handle that for you?

DVM: Our manager usually does boring, dry announcements, but other than that it’s one of us.

CS: I think it’s so important to give that personal interaction. It takes tweeting, “Haha thanks” or a little smiley face, but that means so much to the fans. I’d say that we owe most of our success to the tools on the internet.

DVM: I’m not totally satisfied with my Twitter, personally, but I’ll get there. The thing with that is you can tweet one thing, and it gets totally misconstrued into something else. I do love Instagram, though, and all the photos from artists that I follow- I like that sh*t.

VM: Have you ridden in a pedicab yet?

CS: A bike cab? I have not, but our hotel is like seven miles away, so maybe they can take us that far. It’d probably take like eight hours or something insane like that. I did see this beautiful girl today who was a pedicab driver, and she had these leopard pants on- I may have to find her later.

VM: Do you both participate in songwriting, or is one of you more prevalent than the other in that aspect?

CS: David is the one who is most prevalent, because he produces all of the music that you hear. But in terms of songwriting, we each collectively come up with a concept, and I’ll write my verses to the concept, and David will write his hook to the concept. So I’d say we each have our respective duties, but David takes on the bulk of it.

DVM: Our songs usually start with instrumentation, so I usually try to let that dictate where I personally go with it. Also, if I have an idea but Carter doesn’t like it, we scrap it or vice versa. But definitely instruments come first and play the most part.

VM: What can we expect from Aer for the rest of 2014?

CS: Over the summer, we are touring the UK, and later in the summer we’re going on another tour that’s still in the works. In the fall, expect videos, more music, and just more.

DVM: This is just the beginning, kind of like one of those sitcoms like Seinfeld or Friends; there’s still a lot more to come from us.

Style Steal: David Bowie

Posted on by Alexis Tiedemann

Years ago, in 1969, David Bowie’s single “Space Oddity” landed on earth. With it, Bowie brought a sense of style the world had never seen. From androgynous space suits and fascinating prints to sparkles and fur, Bowie never failed to completely blow away the rules of fashion as he did the same to the rules of music. We brought a few of his signature styles down to earth this week, while still reaching for the stars.

This first outfit is inspired by Bowie’s love for black and white stripes. We paired a basic black peplum top from an Athens, Georgia store, Pitaya, with some chevron parachute pants from American Threads and some far out jewelry. Shapes are very important, and lines and peplum make this outfit stand out.

This next outfit is straight from space. We built this outfit around the shoes, which I got off NastyGal.com as a part of their Shoe Cult collection.  We paired them with wild space leggings and a faux fur coat, both from local Athens vintage stores Dynamite and Agora. The necklace is a Goodwill find, where unique jewelry is always abounding. David Bowie had a knack for weird leggings and fur, and we thought this outfit did his style justice without being as out-there as Major Tom himself. This outfit is perfect for a concert or a night out. Or the moon. Your call.

The leggings in this next outfit were also from Dynamite and were impossible to pass up in an article about David Bowie’s style. Not only are they tight, but they are incredibly bright with an exotic print. We added a faux leather top from American Threads to complement the leggings without taking too much away from them. We used Bowie’s love of blazers to finish off the outfit.

The last outfit is a one shoulder sparkly dress from Macy’s. We absolutely love the radiant vitality of the dress and the triangle shape pattern. It reminds us of the leotards that Bowie loved to wear on stage. But a little bit more suitable for those of us who aren’t from Mars.

David Bowie’s music set him apart from all the other pop musicians of his time. But he took it a step further with his style. Before there was Madonna or Lady Gaga or even Miley Cyrus with their shocking fashion statements, Bowie was breaking down the walls of the fashion world and blasting off into space. Now, especially coinciding with the rise of electronic music, that futuristic space style has become a modern trend. By updating and adapting David Bowie’s unique fashion sense, you can make a statement that will attract satellites and suitors alike.

SXSW 2014: The Mowgli’s x Vinyl Mag

Posted on by Samantha Gilder
We’re bums and had memory card issues with our Mowgli’s pics, so here is a photo of them at the Pandora Showcase! Credit: Natasha Moustache Photography

Kicking off one of our favorite weeks in the year, day one of SXSW began with a complimentary Bloody Maria and an interview with American rockers, The Mowgli’s. Not too bad, eh? When they’re not touring and spreading endless love and good energy across the world (which doesn’t seem to be all that often), these guys are creating feel-good music that’s generating a buzz all over the billboards. Read all about our sidewalk chat session with Colin Louis Dieden before their set at Maggie Mae’s below, and be sure to catch these guys on tour while you can!

VM: What was your most noteworthy experience from SXSW last year?

Colin Dieden: Well, last year we played at Stubb’s with Walk off the Earth, Cold War Kids, and the Specials, and that was a really big, awesome show. It was kind of one of the first times we got to showcase on a huge stage for our publishers and our label and just everyone.

VM: Is anyone from the band actually from San Francisco proper?

CD: We’re not, actually. Some of the band members are Los Angeles locals, but that’s it. We took this trip to San Francisco and fell in love with it, so we decided to write a song about it.

VM: So did you expect “San Francisco” to become the hit single that it did?

CD: I definitely didn’t expect it to become a “hit,” but it also wasn’t surprising that it did. We had been playing that song for about four and a half years at that point, and everyone at the shows was attracted to it and would sing the loudest to that song. It definitely became the anticipatory song of our shows that the crowd was waiting for, but I was surprised by the timing of it all. We had been playing that song forever, and all of the sudden it’s being played on the radio and all of these places. Going from 20 kids to 20,000 kids singing your song is definitely a trip.

VM: I read about your summer in Venice where you would play up to five gigs in one day, which is pretty standard for a lot of bands during the week of SXSW. What are the most shows you’ll be playing in one day this year?

CD: I think today [Tuesday] we have about four of five, and I’m not even sure if that’s including press stuff. Last year we did a lot, and I was expecting to play less this year, but apparently that’s not happening. We’re just going to wring ourselves out like wet rags and love it.

VM: How taxing is that? After this week, do you need some recovery time?

CD: Yeah, but we don’t get that. After this week, we’re out on tour for two months, so we really have to be careful with our voices and kind of take it easy as much as we can. But, as you saw earlier, I was drinking a beer, and I think it’s technically still considered morning-time so I’m not sure how much ‘taking it easy’ will actually come into effect.

VM: Which show are you most excited to catch as a viewer this year?

CD: I heard The National was playing, here but I’m not exactly sure if that’s right or not. If so, I’d definitely like to catch that.

VM: Explain the [strategy] behind the Kickstarter the band created where you claimed the band had been “kidnapped by a record-producing kangaroo.”

CD: I’m not sure if that was marijuana-induced or what, actually. We were doing it on our own before we had a record label and all of that. We had seen some really awesome Kickstarter videos, and we just thought it was funny so we decided to do one of our own.

VM: Being that you were active participants in the Occupy movement, were you exposed to any of the extreme situations in regards to violence or chaos?

CD: No, we weren’t. We were part of the movement in downtown L.A., and I’m not sure if anything went down there, but we definitely weren’t a part of any kind of police brutality or anything like that. It seemed like political climate of the place we were at was pretty mellow. We played some songs of the steps of City Hall and whatnot to promote the peace. I would love to say that I saw something crazy happen- actually, I wouldn’t; I’m glad that I didn’t.

VM: I saw on your Facebook page that you just recently shared what the band has been listening to and/or watching lately, and, naturally Beyoncé was on the list. Are you as obsessed with the new album as we are?

CD: We’re really into it! That song “Drunk in Love” kills me.

VM: Have you seen the music videos she made for each song?

CD: Oh, yeah. Katie from the band is obsessed with those videos. Beyoncé is an incredibly sexy woman.

VM: So, what’s next for The Mowgli’s?

CD: We’re touring for two months straight after this, and then we’re recording a new album in May. After that, we’ll probably just tour again for the rest of our lives or something.

SXSW 2014: Sol Cat x Vinyl Mag

Posted on by Emma Cramer

Sol Cat grooved all the way to SXSW from their home base in Nashville, Tennessee, and boy are we glad they did. Filling the airwaves with explosive psychedelic guitars, Sol Cat made an impressive showing at the Austin music festival with several showcases. We were lucky enough to get to sit down with the Johny Fisher (guitar) and Taylor Craft (bass) of the band and talk about their sound, funny stories from tour, and what is next for them.

Vinyl Mag: So you guys have an eclectic sound that brings together different elements from such a range of genres; how would you define your sound?

Johny Fisher: I would say we have a rock ‘n’ roll sound, where we really just like to get funky and groove. There are six of us, and we all have pretty simplistic parts, but we are fooling everyone with so many of us. We really just like to play music that we can groove to and bob our heads. The groove defines us.

VM: You guys have been touring for quite awhile now – any favorite memories or funny stories?

Taylor Craft: Every time we go on tour is great, but we have a running joke where we call Tom, our drummer, anything but Tom. One time we had the people at Chick Fil A people call him Toby, and he had no idea that was him. He is the newest member of the band, so we have to give him a hard time.

VM: So you all played last night at the Thirsty Nickel. How did that go?

TC: Yeah we did; it was our first gig of South by [Southwest] for Big Picture Media. It was kind of nutty, and the sound was out of wack where you couldn’t hear much. But we had an absolute blast playing for a packed crowd.

VM: Any showcases you guys are super pumped to perform?

JF: Yeah for sure! The Big Picture Media showcase yesterday was awesome, and we are really excited to play all of the others, but especially the Audio Tree party tomorrow night.

VM: You guys have been at SX a few days now; any other artists that have really impressed you?

TC: Well, we saw Snoop Dog hanging out, which was really cool. He is such a crowd-stopping guy. But as for bands, most of us are friends, and it is tough to discover new ones, because we are trying to support the ones we know. Also, we roll about ten deep everywhere we go, so that makes it kind of difficult to move around too much.

VM: Do you guys have a favorite city or venue to play?

TC: Laredo, Texas has definitely been one of our favorite spots.  It’s almost like a little mini festival before South by Southwest every year. We are always treated like family there.

VM: What is the song-writing process like for you guys?

JF: We usually write songs part by part; no one writes each other’s either – we all just write our own. When we find something good that we can all agree upon, we build it up from there part by part. It is impossible to go into the studio and record a good record in a week with everyone rushing. Nothing great is made quickly; it’s about sitting on a track and seeing what comes to you with fresh ears.

VM: Would you say your music has evolved, and if so, how?

JF: Yeah, our music has most definitely evolved. We started with two and now we are a six-man group, so that has definitely changed the dynamic of the band. I would say our sound has changed as we have grown up, but if you don’t evolve as a band, you are doing something wrong. We really just focus on not being anything we aren’t, and if something isn’t turning out well, it is helpful to have five others telling you that it sucks and being honest with you.

VM: If you guys could collaborate with anyone dead or alive, who would it be?

JF: Wow, it’s really hard to narrow it down to only one. We are all influenced by such a variety of artists and genres. Our keyboardist really likes hip-hop, and the rest of us are so different as well. But if I had to narrow it down, I would say Willie Nelson, Herb Alpert..really anyone that’s real.

VM: So, what can we expect next from Sol Cat? Any new music in the works?

JF: Yep! We have a whole slew of new tracks sitting in our computer at home. Probably 40 or 50 tracks that we are just sitting on, tweaking. And we probably have about 50 more that we are in the process of making.

The Lovers Key: ‘Here Today Gone Tomorrow’

Posted on by Colby Pines

I have three Spotify playlists that I feel like I can listen to no matter my mood. The first is a bipolar irrelevance made up of a hodgepodge of genres. The second is dedicated to the soulful sounds of Motown, and the third is filled with 60s rock (minus The Beatles, whose music is “Spotifyless…” Thanks a lot, Paul). If that second and third playlist got together and made a baby, it would be made of bits and bytes and the best MP3 genes available… and it would probably sound a whole lot like The Lovers Key. Comprised of Christopher Moll and Maco Monthervil, The Lovers Key combines retro pop-rock instrumentals with soulful vocals. The band’s debut full-length album, Here Today Gone Tomorrow, is due out in early April, and is a must-listen for any fan of Motown or 60s Rock.

As the album title suggests, The Lovers Key attempts to tap into a bygone era with their 60s style. The album’s 11 tracks are primarily driven by fuzzy guitar and upbeat organ arrangements. Throw in Maco’s soulful, jazzy melodies, and you wind up with an album that seems to be made for head bobbing and finger snapping. Depending on the song, Maco’s voice could draw comparisons to nearly every soul singer from the 60s, but for me his voice falls somewhere between Jimmy Ruffin and Billy Stewart.

One of the things I like most about the album is that it’s not overproduced. There’s a very raw and real sound that coincides with the honest lyrics and the two genres (60s rock and Motown) that the album draws from. That rawness seems to express the band’s heart as much as it does this particular style of music. I listened to the album digitally, but the whole time I felt like it should have been playing on vinyl.  If you only listen to one song from the album, I’d recommend “Tell It Like It Is (Don’t Break It To Me Slow).” While this catchy, upbeat track captures the band at their best, “Maybe I’m Not Good Enough,” and “In A Perfect World” are also must-listens.

It’s awesome that this is the band’s debut album. I mean, they’ve only been together since 2012, so if they can manage to avoid the curse of the sophomore album, then it seems like they have a lot of room to grow and become even better, which is pretty exciting for any fan of retro rock and/or Motown. But before we go talking about a follow-up, give this album a listen. Fortunately for us, the Internet has ensured that basically nothing is actually here today and gone tomorrow, so be sure to snag a copy of Here Today Gone Tomorrow and let the music remind you of a time when records ruled and we didn’t have to wonder why The Beatles’ music isn’t on Spotify.