JONNY POLONSKY – Artist Spotlight and Album Review: “Kingdom of Sleep”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Artist Spotlight, Reviews6 Comments

Jonny Polonsky

Singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Jonny Polonsky has been actively involved in the music industry for over a quarter century, both as a solo artist and as a session musician and member of several bands, however he’s never become a household name. He grew up in the north Chicago suburb of Wilmette, Illinois, where he started playing music before he was ten, and performed in his high school orchestra and jazz band. As a precocious teen, he began writing songs and recording them on homemade cassettes, handing them out to friends and using them as an excuse to go backstage and meet some of the musicians he admired.

One of them was Reeves Gabrels, who was a guitarist for David Bowie and now with The Cure. Gabrels in turn introduced Jonny to Frank Black/Black Francis of the band Pixies, who ended up producing his first demo. That demo resulted in famed record producer Rick Rubin signing Polonsky to his record label American Recordings. Here’s the demo for “In My Mind”, which was later used in 2012 for episode five of the first season of the HBO series Girls.

The demos were eventually released, however, Polonsky re-recorded the songs himself using digital home recording equipment, and self-produced what would become his debut album Hi My Name is Jonny. The album, released by American Recordings in January 1996, showcased his strong songwriting, singing and musicianship, and received critical acclaim from numerous international news outlets including The New York Times and MTV.

Following the record’s release, Polonsky and his live band supported Frank Black on his North American tour, and also played the Second Stage of the 1996 Lollapalooza summer tour. He spent the next several years touring with other acts like Pete Yorn, and working as a session musician for such acts as Donovan. In 2001 he released an EP There is Something Wrong With You, and a year later moved to Los Angeles, where his connection with Rick Rubin led to work as a session musician on albums by Minnie Driver, Neil Diamond, Dixie Chicks and Johnny Cash, among others. In 2004 he released his second album The Power of Sound, and in the spring of 2005 he and his band opened for Audioslave on their North American club tour.

Serendipity and the power of networking paid off once again for Polonsky, as this time his touring experience with Audioslave led to him becoming part of the short-lived band Big Nose with Audioslave/Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk and bassist Tim Commerford. Big Nose collaborated on two songs with Tool and A Perfect Circle frontman Maynard James Keenan. who used those songs for his music/art project Puscifer. That resulted in Polonsky having a collaborative relationship with Puscifer lasting from 2007 to 2010, during which time he also toured with the band as their guitarist.

Eight years would pass before Polonsky would release another solo album, and in 2012 he dropped his third LP Intergalactic Messenger of Divine Light and Love, a fine work that saw him experiment with more psychedelic and alt rock elements. On his 2015 album The Other Side of Midnight, his music continued to evolve into a darker, more atmospheric sound with greater used of synthesizers and programmed drums, all self-recorded on his laptop. Also, his singing style incorporated more falsetto and whispered vocals.

In 2018, he released his fifth album Fresh Flesh, a fascinating and eclectic work that fused alt rock with post-grunge, psychedelic and shoegaze elements. The album was recorded with his live band in two days at Rick Rubin’s Shangri La Studios in Malibu California, and features guest performances by vocalist Mark Lanegan (formerly of Screaming Trees and Queens of the Stone Age), and drummer Kevin Haskins of the band Bauhaus, (and formerly with Love and Rockets and Tones on Tail). The title track “Fresh Flesh” is particularly good, with trippy synths set to a haunting melody, and highlighted by a blistering guitar solo.

On March 6, Polonsky returned with his latest album Kingdom of Sleep, an eclectic collection of eight captivating songs. He delves deeper into dream pop and vapor wave territory here, while retaining some of his signature alt rock and psychedelic elements. It also sees him going full-circle, in a sense, as like Hi My Name is Jonny, Kingdom of Sleep was entirely self-recorded and produced at home. Polonsky moved to Brooklyn, New York in 2018, and no longer has his old band of musicians nearby to record an album with him.

In an interview with The Big Takeover webzine, he explained “I live in an apartment in Brooklyn, so I can’t make a lot of noise, and I’m not in a position where I can spend thousands of dollars in recording studios or in hiring musicians. So that also plays a large role in why I’ve been recording everything on my laptop and most of the drums are electronic. Plus it’s fun. I like these sounds. For this record, I felt like making really pretty, dreamy, beautiful and melodic music that painted a picture. I was listening to a lot of Cocteau Twins and Prince. And David Lynch is always an inspiration. I love his films, but his records are really great, too. They are strange, little worlds you can enter and feel like you are somewhere new, just like with his movies.”

Johnny Polonsky Kingdom of Sleep

The album opens with “Ghost Like Soul“, a moody track with languid, psychedelic synths creating an appropriately spooky and mesmerizing atmospheric vibe. Polonsky’s breathy vocals alternate between an eerie, electronically altered monotone to an almost menacing whisper, while guest vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala (of the bands At the Drive-In and The Mars Volta) provides echoed spoken word vocals. The lyrics are cryptic and packed with meaning, and though I’m not sure, the lyrics seem to speak to changing societal and cultural mores, and how those in power use communication and propaganda to influence our thinking: “Seasons change and people get strange / In the courtroom of your mouth, you put all tongues on trial.”

Polonsky changes things up on “Sign in the Window“, a lovely song with a bouncy, driving beat and soaring melody that reminds me a bit of Future Islands’ “Seasons (Waiting On You)”. The smooth synths and gently strummed guitar provide an enchanting backdrop for his breathy vocals as he sings of his love and desire “All I want is for you to be real / And let me heal inside your light.”

On the wonderful Beatle-esque “The Weeping Souls“, he uses lush sweeping strings, keyboards and flute, combined with an exuberant mix of chiming and jangly guitars, and layers them over deep, rolling percussion to create an exhilarating and colorful soundscape. Polonsky fervently sings the rather explicit lyrics: “We live inside of a dream / If you let me in I’ll protect your heart / Turn lead to gold / I live inside of your thighs / Just to make you cum / And avert your gaze from the weeping souls.” It’s one of the standout tracks on the album.

Another favorite is “No Tears“, an achingly beautiful dream pop song with drop-dead gorgeous chiming guitars and magical synths. Polonsky’s breathy croons are positively sublime as he laments of a love that is no more: “Oh what more can you say? / After you cry yourself to sleep / And there are no tears left to weep.” “Take Me Home” has a rich cinematic feel, with dark, pulsating synths, twangy guitar and harmonica giving the song a sweeping Sergio Leone Western vibe. On the sultry “You Turn Me On“, he leaves no room for doubt as to his carnal intentions as he seductively croons “You turn me on / Close the window, shut the blinds, leave your panties and your past behind.”

“Aenerone” is an enchanting, mostly instrumental track with sparkling ethereal synths accompanying a mesmerizing synth bass beat. The only lyrics are “You / Me / Us / We / All Of Us Are On our own.” “A Willing Eye” seems to speak to the incredible power of love, and opening oneself up in order to be able to love others, and accept love in return: “To realize you’re alive when you’re most vulnerable / Ooh you’re the only want I want /You lift me up above the fear/ To see with a willing eye is all it takes.” Polonsky’s soaring cinematic soundscape is a lush backdrop for his plaintive, breathy falsetto vocals. The song ends on a positive note with him reassuring us that “Love is the force that does surround you“.

It’s an uplifting and beautiful close to a really marvelous album. With Kingdom of Sleep, Jonny Polonsky continues his winning streak of delivering solid, well-crafted albums that reflect his ongoing desire to keep pushing himself into new musical realms. While reaching back to the past for classic stylistic elements, he simultaneously manages to create music that’s fresh, cutting-edge, and always a pleasure to hear.

Connect with Jonny: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream his music: Spotify / Soundcloud / Apple Music
Purchase:  Bandcamp / Google Play / Amazon

Song of the Day Challenge – Day 4: “I Need A Light”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Favorite Songs5 Comments

Song A Day Challenge

Today’s Song of the Day Challenge is “A song by a band you wish was still together.” It’s always sad – or at least bittersweet – when a favorite band of ours calls it quits. Rather than choose a song from one of the great bands of the past, such as the Beatles, Doors, Led Zeppelin, Eagles, etc. – as the idea of any of them getting back together is either impossible or preposterous – I thought I would pick a song from a smaller, more-recent band. A handful of bands I’ve featured on this blog over the past 4 1/2 years have later parted ways for one reason or another, and one that hit me hardest was the dissolution in 2018 of Kansas City rock band Run With It.

The band consisted of Miguel Caraballo on lead vocals and guitar, Ben Byard on bass and backing vocals, and Daniel Cole on drums, and they were an engaging trio and excellent musicians who played as a tight unit. They were one of the first bands to follow me on Twitter in late 2015, and also one of the earliest bands I featured on this blog, first in February 2016, then again in April 2017, when I reviewed their excellent EP How to Start a Fire. One of the songs on that EP was “I Need a Light“, a gorgeous, uplifting song of hope. Thankfully, they’ve kept the video for the song on YouTube.

Also thankfully, Miguel is continuing as a solo artist under the name Just the Miguel. What band do you wish was still together, or would you like to see reunite?

Top 30 Songs for April 19-25, 2020

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's4 Comments

1. BLINDING LIGHTS – The Weeknd (1)
2. USED TO LIKE – Neon Trees (4)
3. DON’T START NOW – Dua Lipa (2)
4. ADORE YOU – Harry Styles (5)
5. BLACK MADONNA – Cage the Elephant (6)
6. CAUTION – The Killers (10)
7. EVERYTHING I WANTED – Billie Eilish (3)
8. VAN HORN – Saint Motel (8)
9. LOST IN YESTERDAY – Tame Impala (9)
10. HERO – Michael Kiwanuka (12)
11. SHINE A LITTLE LIGHT – The Black Keys (13)
12. OH YEAH! – Green Day (14)
13. OVER AND OVER – Amongst Liars (16)
14. BAD DECISIONS – The Strokes (17)
15. YOUR LOVE (DÉJÀ VU) – Glass Animals (18)
16. DELETER – Grouplove (20)
17. DANCE OF THE CLAIRVOYANTS – Pearl Jam (7)
18. MARIA – Two Feet (25)
19. LET’S FALL IN LOVE FOR THE NIGHT – FINNEAS (24)
20. ME & YOU TOGETHER SONG – The 1975 (22)
21. LOVE YOU FOR A LONG TIME – Maggie Rogers (11)
22. UNCHAINED – Devon Gilfillian (15)
23. BEAUTIFUL FACES – Declan McKenna (26)
24. LEMON DROP – Absofacto (27)
25. IF NOT FOR THE FIRE – The Million Reasons (28)
26. TEXAS SUN – Khruangbin & Leon Bridges (19)
27. HELL N BACK – Bakar (30)
28. LONELINESS FOR LOVE – lovelytheband (N)
29. THE BEST – AWOLNATION (21) 21st week on list
30. RUN – Joji (N)

Song of the Day Challenge – Day 3: “Hot Fun in the Summertime”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Favorite Songs6 Comments

Song A Day Challenge

Today’s Song of the Day Challenge theme is “a song that reminds me of summer”. There are so many obvious and great songs celebrating summer that I love, so it was really tough to choose only one, but choose I must! My pick is the wonderful Sly & the Family Stone classic “Hot Fun in the Summertime“. The song came out in the summer of 1969, and I remember it being a hit during the start of the fall semester of school.

I loved the funky soul music of Sly & the Family Stone and this was probably my favorite song from them, though I also loved “Dance to the Music”, “Everyday People” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” a lot too. The insistent piano riff that serves as the driving force for the song’s melody is fantastic, as are their signature horns and Larry Graham’s funky bass. Sly Stone’s smooth, soulful vocals contrast nicely with the more passionate vocals of his sister Rose as they sing the joys of summer vacation, love affairs and picnics in the sun.

Song of the Day Challenge – Day 2: “You’re the One That I Want”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Favorite Songs8 Comments

Song A Day Challenge

Today’s Song of the Day Challenge theme is “A song you’d sing as a Karaoke duet”, and my pick is “You’re the One That I Want“, which I did in fact sing as a Karaoke duet many years ago. The fun, exuberant song was sung by Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta for the 1978 film version of the hit musical Grease, which they both starred in. John Travolta is a decent actor, but was not a good singer. Neither am I, so my part of the Karaoke duet was perfectly fine.

“You’re the One That I Want” was not in the original stage musical, and was written by John Farrar specifically for Olivia Newton-John’s appearance in the film (along with her other hit song “Hopelessly Devoted to You”). The song originally written by Warren Casey and Jim Jacobs for the final number of the stage musical was “All Choked Up”, however it and another of their original songs were removed from both the film and soundtrack album. I think “You’re the One That I Want” is a superior song, and so did many others. It’s the kind of show-stopping finale number audiences love, and is now included in most contemporary stage performances of Grease, rather than the original number. It was also a worldwide smash hit, topping the music charts in the U.S., Australia, UK, Ireland, Germany, and numerous other countries. It spent nine weeks at #1 in both the UK and Australia.

Song of the Day Challenge – Day One: EMINEM – “Lose Yourself”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Favorite Songs3 Comments

Song A Day Challenge

I saw this Song of the Day Challenge on my friend Cathy’s blog Catherine Micqu, and thought I would give it a try. Cathy, who’s from Luxembourg, is a terrific and thoughtful writer, and shares a lot of great music too, so do check out her blog.

The song challenge was launched by Rockhal, the biggest musical venue in Luxembourg, on their Instagram account, but like Cathy, I think I will share my selections here instead. Day 1 is “a song that motivates you”, and my pick is the Eminem classic “Lose Yourself”.  He wrote the song for the 2002 film 8 Mile, which he also starred in, and chronicles the struggles of the character B-Rabbit, and how he overcomes his problems and obstacles to gain the respect of other rappers. But in a broader sense, the song speaks to zeroing in with a laser focus on one’s dreams, and not letting anything or anyone dissuade you from doing everything you can to realize those dreams. If music is your dream, then you need to ‘lose yourself’ in it to make it happen. Like Eminem says at the end of the song “You can do anything you set your mind to, man.”

“Lose Yourself” is considered by many to be the greatest rap song ever, and was a huge hit, spending 12 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and also reaching #1 in 19 other countries. It won an Academy Award for Best Original Song, and Grammys for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Solo Performance. It’s one of my favorite songs of all time, and ranks #2 on my 100 Best Songs of the 2000s.

EML’s Favorite Songs – THE POLICE: “Every Breath You Take”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Favorite Songs7 Comments

The_police_-_every_breath_you_take

My favorite song of the 1980s, and one of my top 10 favorite songs of all time, is “Every Breath You Take” by English rock band The Police. It was the lead single from their hugely popular and critically acclaimed masterpiece and fifth and final album Synchronicity. The song was a massive hit, spending 8 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, 4 weeks at #1 on the UK singles charts, and also reaching #1 in Canada, Ireland, Israel and South Africa. It was the best-selling single and #1 song of 1983, and the fifth best-selling single of the 1980’s in the U.S. Rolling Stone named it the 84th best song on its list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and it won Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group. In addition, Sting received the 1983 Ivor Norvello award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors.

It’s interesting to learn the back stories behind many of our favorite songs, and the one for “Every Breath You Take” was fraught with tension, both in terms of it’s creation and during its recording sessions. Sting wrote the song in 1982 after his split from his first wife Frances Tomelty and early in his relationship with Trudie Styler, with whom he began having an affair while still married to Frances. He and Frances had been next-door neighbors to Trudie, who also happened to be Frances’ best friend! The affair was widely condemned, and Sting retreated to the Caribbean to escape the tabloids.

He wrote the song while staying at Ian Fleming’s Goldeneye estate in Jamaica (Wikipedia), and the lyrics are essentially from Frances’ perspective; they’re the words of a possessive and jealous lover who’s watching “every breath you take; every move you make” of their partner. In a 1993 interview for The Independent, Sting recalled: “I woke up in the middle of the night with that line in my head, sat down at the piano and had written it in half an hour. The tune itself is generic, an aggregate of hundreds of others, but the words are interesting. It sounds like a comforting love song. I didn’t realise at the time how sinister it is. I think I was thinking of Big Brother, surveillance and control.” Ironically, many interpreted “Every Breath You Take” as a love song, which amused Sting to no end.

The recording process for the song was also fraught with difficulties, as personal tensions that had been simmering between the band members, especially Sting and drummer Stewart Copeland, came to a head. In a 2004 article written by Richard Buskin for Sound on Sound webzine, Synchronicity music producer Hugh Padgham claimed that by the time of the recording sessions, Sting and Copeland hated each other, and verbal and physical fights between them were a frequent occurrence. The tensions almost led to the recording sessions being cancelled, but fortunately for us, band manager Miles Copeland (Stewart’s brother) intervened and calmed tempers enough for them all to continue. You can read that fascinating Sound On Sound article here.

One of the amazing aspects of the song is how minimalist the instruments really are for such a magnificent track. Sting wanted fairly simple, straightforward instrumentals for the track that would basically consist of his bass, Andy Summers’ guitar parts and Copeland’s drums keeping a very straight rhythm with no fills. Tensions arose when Copeland wanted his drums to have a greater impact. Padgham recalled, “Stewart would say, ‘I want to fucking put my drum part on it!’ and Sting would say, ‘I don’t want you to put your fucking drum part on it! I want you to put what I want you to put on it!‘” Thankfully, Padgham convinced Sting to let Copeland add more drum parts, along with keyboard synthesizers and the single-note piano keys that give the song it’s signature hypnotic melody. Sting overdubbed his bass, as he often did, plus he added sounds from his Dutch upright electric double bass (which he nicknamed Brian) to achieve a fuller sound.

For his part, Stewart Copeland was never satisfied with the final product, and later commented: “In my humble opinion, this is Sting’s best song with the worst arrangement. I think Sting could have had any other group do this song and it would have been better than our version—except for Andy’s brilliant guitar part. Basically, there’s an utter lack of groove. It’s a totally wasted opportunity for our band, even though we made gazillions off of it, and it’s the biggest hit we ever had.”

Well, I strongly disagree, and so apparently did millions of others who loved the song enough make it a massive worldwide hit. I think it’s brilliant, and as close to perfect as a song could possibly be. I had it on repeat while I wrote this piece, and found it utterly captivating every single time. From the moment I hear that opening drum blast, the song thrills me as much today as it did in 1983.

Every breath you take and every move you make
Every bond you break, every step you take, I’ll be watching you
Every single day, every word you say
Every game you play, every night you stay, I’ll be watching you

Oh can’t you see, you belong to me
How my poor heart aches with every step you take

Every move you make and every vow you break
Every smile you fake, every claim you stake, I’ll be watching you

Since you’ve gone I’ve been lost without a trace
I dream at night I can only see your face
I look around, but it’s you I can’t replace
I feel so cold and I long for your embrace
I keep crying baby, baby, please

Oh can’t you see, you belong to me
How my poor heart aches with every step you take

Every move you make and every vow you break
Every smile you fake, every claim you stake, I’ll be watching you
Every move you make, every step you take, I’ll be watching you

The music video, filmed in black and white and directed by British rock band Godley & Creme, won the Best Cinematography award at the 1983 MTV Video Music Awards.

IZA GRAU – Album Review: “Vastness Hurts”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews4 Comments

Iza Grau
Photo by Barbara Pasquariello

Iza Grau is a dark wave rock band based in Modena, Italy, who recently released their outstanding debut album, Vastness Hurts. (It dropped Friday, April 3rd, which seems to have been a big day for new music releases, as this is the fourth in a series of seven reviews I’m writing for music released that day.) It’s an astonishing work that I loved at first listen, and am pleased to now share it with my readers. The album contains nine stellar tracks, all of them dark, complex, melodic and thrilling, with influences that call to mind The Cure, Depeche Mode and Interpol, three bands I dearly love. In their own words, their music “draws its influences from the obscure imagery of the industrial / new wave movement of the last century, combined with visual inspirations such as Wim Wenders’ Berlin and the claustrophobic spaces of ‘Possession’ by Zulawski.”

Making this awesome music are Luca Amadessi (vocals), Sergio P. Cardinali (guitar), Alessandro Stefani (guitar), Roberto Fordiani (drums) and Giuseppe Longone (bass).  Released via Cleopatra Records, Vastness Hurts was recorded by Simon Maccari at Peak Studio in Rubiera, Italy and mastered at by Giovanni Versari at La Maestà Mastering Studio in Forlì. The interesting cover art “You and whose army” for the album was created by Giacomo Vanetti.

Iza Grau Album

The album kicks off with “Naiad“, and within seconds of hearing those haunting guitar notes, ominous synths and deep, buzzing bass, I’m hooked. Amadessi’s smoky vocals hover in a sweet zone between seductive and menacing as he croons “All your nightmares turned out to be your lovers, your lovers tonight.” His vocals rise to impassioned wails as the music explodes in the final chorus with screaming guitars and dramatic synths that leave me covered in goosebumps.

I’m barely able to catch my breath before “The Grace Within Nocturnal Animals” arrives on an exhilarating wave of driving beats and dazzling guitar riffs. With its retro 80s new wave grooves and descending guitar lines, the song has a brooding Depeche Mode/The Cure vibe, and I love it! The dual intricate layered guitar work by Cardinali and Stefani is spectacular, dancing over Longone’s smoldering bass line. It’s one of my favorite tracks on the album. And speaking of great bass lines, Longone’s driving bass on “Cage of Blessing” is a thing of wonder. Once again the guitar work here is breathtaking, with frantic riffs of resonant jangly guitars that seem to pay homage to The Cure. Fordiani smashes his drums like a raging beast, and Amadessi’s powerful vocals are spine-tingling.

As the album unfolds, the great tunes keep coming on strong. “Recoil” is a dark, melodically beautiful hard rock song with stunning guitar work. Amadessi’s sultry, passionate vocals sound better than ever as he fervently sings “Changing evermore / Till you destroy your lies / Till your pain becomes a cross, and you’re about to die.” The anthemic “Inviolate” delivers raging riffs of gnarly and chiming guitars, nimble bass grooves and a thunderous mix of crashing cymbals and pummeling drums. By now, I’m in absolute awe of Iza Grau’s jaw-dropping musicianship.

“Northern Lights” starts off with distant-sounding psychedelic synths, then watery riffs of jangly guitars wash over us, plunging us headlong into a mysterious and beautiful soundscape as Amadessi ominously croons “Your life remains forever in the frail form of whirling waves / Waiting for a slow dive / It’s a slow dive into your fleshy rage.” Many of Iza Grau’s dramatic lyrics are rather allegorial and enigmatic, in their words “influenced and shaped by the theme of ‘the double’ that governs the forces of nature and humanity.”

“Burn Everything” has an Interpol sound to my ears, and in fact, Amadessi’s moody, droning vocals remind me a bit of Paul Banks, but with an Italian accent. Another favorite of mine is “Endless Dance“, a dark and spooky track with ghostly synths, haunting riffs, buzzsaw bass and pummeling drumbeats, all accompanied by Amadessi’s menacing vocals that turn downright scary at the end.

The album closes with the title track “Vastness Hurts“, a melodically complex and gorgeous song that borders on symphonic rock. The intense, sweeping instrumentals and progressive metal elements create a breathtaking cinematic soundscape that’s truly spectacular. I’m sounding like a broken record and running out of superlatives, but yet again I have to reiterate that the powerful and intricate guitar work is fucking phenomenal. It’s a grand finish to a magnificent album that I happily label a musical masterpiece. Vastness Hurts is a remarkable work, and an impressive debut for this incredibly talented band.

Connect with Iza Grau:  Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream their music:  Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube
Purchase:  Bandcamp / Google Play / Amazon

SOFIA KATSAROS & CHRIS KEYA – Single Review: “Perfect”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews4 Comments

A growing trend in music today is the collaboration between artists located hundreds or thousands of miles apart, made possible by the internet and technological advances in music production. I’ve recently featured a few such collaborations, and my latest is the new dance single “Perfect” by the lovely Greek singer-songwriter Sofia Katsaros and Italian musician and producer Chris Keya. Sofia recorded her vocals along with studio instruments in Athens, and Chris produced, mixed and mastered the track at his studio in Rome. He also created an alternative Tech House remix, which I’ve included below.

Sofia Katsaros

Born in New York to Greek and Colombian parents, Sofia discovered her love for music at an early age. She relocated with her family to Corinth, Greece at the age of ten, then moved to Athens when she turned 18, and earned a degree at the American College of Greece. She speaks six languages: Greek, English, Spanish, French, Italian and Arabic! She also studied classical and modern song, dance and theater, and started her career in Athens as a professional singer and show woman. She’s collaborated and performed with many famous artists all over the world. In 2016, she returned to New York to further pursue some of her career goals, and while there, she recorded the sultry EDM single “With You Here Tonight” with American producer Alvin Anthony, which was released in July 2018.

She returned to Athens in the summer of 2018, and has written the music and lyrics for six new songs that are being recorded with four different producers from four different countries. The first of these is her collaboration “Perfect” with Italian producer Chris Keya (aka Christian Caruso), which dropped April 9th. Based in Rome, Chris started out as a rock and metal guitarist, but later became fascinated by electronic music and turned to producing music as both a solo artist and for other artists. His sound is a mix of various genres including Techno & House with some Electro touches. He’s a prolific artist, putting out a great deal of music over the past couple of years. A lot of it’s really good, so check it out on one of the music links at the bottom of this review.

Chris Keya

About “Perfect”, Sofia explains “It’s a fun dance song that speaks about the concept of true love, and how when love is pure, it protects us from all evil.” She wanted to write a song to cheer people up during these troubling times of killer viruses and widespread political and economic unrest. The track has a sexy Deep House beat, with glossy atmospheric synths and warm keyboards that are quite marvelous. Sofia has a vibrant and soulful vocal style that’s slightly reminiscent of Taylor Dayne, a singer I really love. The single’s aptly-titled, cause it’s perfect.

In the Tech Edit version, Sofia’s vocals are more sultry and smoky, and remind me of Christina Aguilera. Chris employs strong Deep House beats, but this time uses more industrial tech-sounding synths, and adds electronically altered vocals along with Sofia’s that create great dramatic tension that’s sure to make it a big hit in the dance clubs – if and when we’ll be able to return to them!

The lyrics speak to the strength of enduring love, that no matter what problems may come or mistakes her loved one makes, she will always continue to love and support them:

The stars might fall, but when you call
I’ll be there ‘cause you’re perfect to me
The clouds may cry, turn black at night
I’ll keep you dry cause you’re perfect to me
The sun up high will shine its light
I’ll keep you warm ‘cause your perfect to me
The sky holds all the stars above
I’ll show you love ‘cause you’re perfect to me

Follow Sofia:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream her music:  Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / YouTube
Purchase:  Google Play / Amazon

Follow Chris:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream his music:  Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / Apple Music
Purchase: Bandcamp / Google PlayGoogle Play

JADED JANE – Single & Video Review: “Heaven is Heart”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn ReviewsLeave a comment

Jaded Jane Heaven is Heart

Almost exactly one year ago, I did an artist spotlight and interview with the hard-working and talented Olsson brothers Axel and Adam, who call themselves Jaded Jane. They’re both gracious and kind, and I’ve grown quite fond of them. Originally from Gothenburg, Sweden, and now split between Gothenburg and Glasgow, Scotland, the duo celebrate humanity and diversity through their music, writing compelling songs with positive, life-affirming lyrics and delivered with gorgeous piano-driven melodies and lush soundscapes. The brothers are prolific and busy artists, and have produced five outstanding albums since 2015, most recently 117 this past October. I reviewed “Trapped”, one of the stunning songs from 117, and you can read that review and my spotlight & interview by clicking on the “Related” links at the end of this post.

Jaded Jane is now back with another wonderful song “Heaven is Heart“, along with a powerful and deeply personal video. The song was written by Axel, and mixed and produced by their long-time collaborator and sound engineer Åke Linton. Axel was inspired to write the song from his experiences busking on the streets of Glasgow. He’s written on his social media of the challenges he’s faced trying to get their music heard, especially the struggles of being a street musician. He’s stated that he has met some of the nicest people and also some of the worst. But every once in a while, something really good can come from out of the blue:

“Being an artist is a challenging calling for anyone living in 2020. Playing the streets to let out my notes inside, led me to meet the person who played this song on BBC Radio Scotland for the first time in February on The Roddy Hart Show. What are the odds? From the streets to the BBC Radio. When you follow your passion you’ll find your true self. Big thanks to Paul English who discovered our music on the streets & premiered this song on BBC Sounds.”

Accordingly, the song’s lyrics speak to not allowing yourself to become totally beaten down and defeated by what can sometimes feel like an endless stream of adversities, but instead choosing to brush them off, forgive others as well as ourselves, and keep moving forward. Not always an easy thing to do, but it’s what we must do in order to survive in this often difficult world.

I’m beaten up inside
You’ll see it in my eyes
I’ve swallowed my pride
You won’t see it outside
Burned my candle down
They’re using me
We’re burning up inside
They’re using us

How long? How long will this go on?

Taking responsibility
For the choices I made
Forgive myself
I forgive everyone else
Letting go of the past
To live in the here & now
I’ll build myself up
My Heaven is Heart

So long, So long it’s been so long
How long. How long will this go on?

Musically, the song features Axel’s lovely piano, accompanied by delicate atmospheric synths and gently throbbing bass notes from what sounds like a moog synthesizer. His beautiful vocals have a haunting, vulnerable quality that’s quite touching. The artistic and imaginative video was directed and produced by Rachel Koumparou, and shows Axel naked in front of a blank background, exposing himself not only physically but also emotionally. His brother Adam paints the words ‘How Long’ on Axel’s shoulder and arm, then ‘Heaven Is Heart’ on his chest as he gracefully moves to the music, smearing paint on his face and torso as if beating himself up but also reveling in the joy of being alive.

“Heaven Is Heart” will be officially released for streaming and purchase on most music sites on May 16.

Connect with Jaded Jane:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream their music on Spotify / Soundcloud / YouTube / Tidal
Purchase on iTunes / Google Play