Tag: Neo-Soul

100 Best Songs of the 2010s – #75: “Out of My League” by Fitz and the Tantrums

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews2 Comments

The song at #75 on my list of 100 Best Songs of the 2010s is “Out of My League” by Los Angeles-based pop/neo soul band Fitz and the Tantrums. Although they’d been making music since 2008, I was not familiar with them until my musical awakening in late summer 2013. One day I discovered the Billboard Alternative Rock chart, and it was a revelation! I saw songs by lots of artists I’d either never heard of, or who I knew about but wasn’t aware they had new music out. One of the songs riding high on the chart at that time was “Out of My League”, and I instantly fell in love with it’s exuberant piano and bass-driven synth pop grooves. The song is so damned electrifying and catchy, and I couldn’t get enough of it. I became a huge Fitz and the Tantrums fan, and bought their CD More Than Just a Dream, which also features their terrific follow-up single “The Walker”. I loved that CD so much I played it nearly to death over the next six months.

Fitz and the Tantrums are headed by front man and lead vocalist Michael Fitzgerald, and includes the lovely Noelle Skaggs on co-lead vocals, James King on sax and flute, Joseph Karnes on bass, Jeremy Ruzumna on keyboards and John Wicks on drums and percussion. A unique aspect of their music is that they have no designated guitarist, but they more than make up for it with a strong rhythm section and generous use of King’s sax (though it’s not prominent on “Out of My League”). Sadly, their two follow up albums have been rather disappointing to me, as well as many of their early fans and music critics. They seem to have abandoned their earlier soulful, groove-based sound in favor of a more pop-oriented style that just sounds generic and predictable. Also, their newer stuff hasn’t utilized Noelle Scaggs’ great vocals nearly enough. I still like them though.

I saw Fitz and the Tantrums in concert in a double bill with Young the Giant (two of whose songs have already been featured on this list) at the Los Angeles Forum in August 2019. They put on a fantastic show.

YELLOW SHOOTS – Single Review: “Wonderful Day”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews4 Comments

Yellow Shoots wonderful day art

Man, time flies when you’re having fun! It’s hard to wrap my head around the fact that it’s already been more than four years since I last featured Brooklyn, New York-based artist Yellow Shoots on this blog. (You can read my article here.) I remember being blown away by his soulful and sultry vibes, and it’s heartening to see his star continue to rise. He fuses R&B, soul, funk, jazz, psychedelic and hip-hop grooves to create his own unique neo-soul sound that envelops you in raw sensuality and emotion.

Yellow Shoots is the music project of singer/songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Greg Matthews. His artistic name comes from his experiences with synesthesia, a neurological phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway, such as sound, leads to an automatic, involuntary response in a second sensory or cognitive pathway, such as sight. He sometimes sees vivid yellow colors when hearing music (a common form of synesthesia is known as chromesthesia, for sound to color), hence his name “Yellow Shoots.”

He started releasing music after moving to Brooklyn from Philadelphia in 2014, beginning with his single “Pieces”. He’s put out a fair amount of music in the years since, including his marvelous Prince-influenced album everything in 2018. One of the singles “make it to the summer” has been streamed more than 446,000 times on Spotify. Now he’s back with a new single “Wonderful Day“, from his forthcoming EP Naked, due out in June. Released via LaReserve Records, the song was written, performed and produced by Yellow Shoots, mixed by Javon Gant-Graham, and mastered by Dan Millice. The track has already been featured on TIDAL’s official .WAV playlist.

Yellow Shoots
Photos by Elijah Craig

About “Wonderful Day”, he explains: “This song combines my 90s rap and R&B roots with late 60s/early 70s records I dug as a teenager. It’s sorta like Nelly meets Zeppelin. It’s a trippy love song I wrote last Summer about being comfortable with the past.” The song has a languid and funky trip hop beat that forms a chilled backdrop for his strummed acoustic guitars, soulful bass, gentle percussion and hazy psychedelic synths.

Yellow Shoots electronically alters his warm, sultry vocals at various spots in the track by doubling and/or speeding up the pitch in a manner similar to what Prince was doing in the 80s. The result is quirky and utterly charming as he croons the sweet lyrics to the object of his desire, hoping she has similar feelings for him: “I put my cards on your table, throwing out the clues / If an apple or a pear, I need your divine / And I think about you every day. I’m hoping I’m the paper underneath your pen.”

Follow Yellow Shoots:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream his music:  Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / Tidal
Purchase:  Amazon / Google Play

New Song of the Week – THEMORETHANEVERS: “Stubborn Dreamer”

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Themorethanevers

Themorethanevers is the music project of Santa Cruz, California-based electronic producer and composer Wayne Brown. Skillfully blending elements of atmospheric chill, trip hop, EDM and soulful R&B, the creative and imaginative young artist weaves lush and mesmerizing soundscapes. As an aside, when I asked Brown about his unusual moniker, he explained, “Themorethanevers is an idea that anyone can be more than they ever felt is possible. Believe it or not, it actually originated from a Daft Punk cover video [of their song ‘Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger’] called ‘Daft Hands’. When I was a kid I was obsessed with performing the daft hands video. I realized that if you held your hands a certain way, it’s spelled ‘morethanever’. I fell in love with the name.”

Last year he started releasing a series of singles, beginning with “Simple Things”, followed by the enchanting double single “Seascape/An Angel’s Dream of Sleep”. In early January, he dropped his brilliant little EP Bionic, and now returns with a wonderful new single “Stubborn Dreamer“, which I’ve chosen as my New Song of the Week. The song is a collaboration with Oakland-based vocalist and close friend Grace D, and features added vocals by South African rapper Killa-Stryder.

Grace D
Grace D

Themorethanevers explains that there’s a specific purpose behind the song: “In ‘Stubborn Dreamer’, we speak of the complex relationships new artists have with their loved ones. It’s often hard for the ones who are so protective of us to see us as the artists we are, refusing to believe in our visions as artists who can make a great impact on our communities. We are stubborn artists, resisting all obstacles that may come our way in order to pursue a dream. Our goal for this track is to encourage people to continue striving for their [own] interests and develop their sense of self. We all have dreams. We just want the ones around us to see our dreams the way we do. Encourage and support the artists you know and love.”

Against an enchanting backdrop of glittery synths, Themorethanevers layers a sensual trip hop beat, which serves to not only drive the song forward, but also pulls us quite willingly into a dreamy atmospheric soundscape. With a sultry vulnerability to her vocals, Grace D softly croons of breaking free of people who hold you back from realizing your dreams and full potential, and knowing that ultimately, one has to be able to make it on their own:

Temporary babies fucking with the fish and crazy
But my focus nearly hazy
But then let them go, unfaze me
Sadness never leaves your face
Dreaming happy endings
How long til you say
I got this on my own
Scared to think of ways to grow
Push me and direct me

Then Killa-Stryder enters, rapping his verses in response to those sung by Grace D. He expresses his regret for mistakes he made in their relationship, but also asks for her forgiveness and a second chance. While acknowledging that he misses the sex, he also states that he misses her on an emotional level, and asks whether she thinks he helped her reach some of her own goals:

Girl I really miss your vibe
I’m really hoping that the love is still alive
I’m really thinking about being in between your thighs but
Please don’t compare me to all the other guys
Cause your lovin’ was a blessing
I heard you got scared girl
I really got the message
If I was honest with you then you wouldn’t have left me
Your mind is what really I’m really obsessed with

Before we part ways, there’s a few things I gotta ask
Like was it worth it?
Did I help you reach your purpose?
Why does love with someone always hurt me?

The song ends with a flourish of harsh industrial synths, abruptly ending the dreamy vibe. It’s a superb track.

Follow Themorethanevers:  Twitter / Instagram
Stream his music:  Spotify / Soundcloud / Apple Music / YouTube
Purchase:  Google Play / Amazon
Follow Grace D on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gracekobayashi/
Follow Killa-Stryder on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kamikaze_monsuta/

BRIDESMEN – Single Review: “Overwhelm”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews2 Comments

Bridesmen

I have a special admiration for artists who are willing to speak out about social and cultural issues, working to break down barriers. With that in mind, I’m pleased to feature Los Angeles-based artist Bridesmen, the music project of the astonishingly talented and thoughtful singer/songwriter Kenton Chen. Known for his work on NBC’s a cappella singing competition program Sing-Off, as well as his performances with Postmodern Jukebox and Scary Pockets, Chen’s latest project Bridesmen is a departure from his jazz/soul/a cappella roots. Through Bridesmen, Chen strives to explore the darker side of human nature, and the struggle over how to be a good person in a world that marginalizes you, i.e. a ‘bridesmen’ at a wedding.

As a gay Asian second generation immigrant, Chen grew up feeling isolated, constantly hiding behind masks to protect himself. With Bridesmen, he aspires to uncover these masks in an effort to live a boundless and truthful life. Through his songs, he tries to articulate feelings of loneliness and the effect it can have on people. Chen explains “We hurt when we don’t understand each other and we hurt when we are unwilling to change. The best thing we can do is be ourselves within the context of what we were given. I want people to know that as I have grown and matured as an artist and a human being, I’ve come to realize that my specific experiences of being gay and Asian are not particular to me. My life story reverberates far beyond my specificities, and anyone from any race or sexuality can empathize with the need to belong and be understood.”

Following the success of his soulful single “Someone Who Loves Me”, Bridesmen has released a gorgeous new single “Overwhelm“, along with a captivating video. The song speaks to our internal battles we have over our emotions. As Bridesmen explained to online magazine PRIDE: “Many of us walk through life with dual personalities: the strong, defensive façade, and the soft, sensitive core that we struggle to protect. We view our softness as weakness, as something we need to suppress or hide—whether with television, alcohol, or other distractions. But the more we push it down, the more it begins to fester, until it all boils over in a dark cloud that feels overwhelming. Thus, ‘The Overwhelm.’” He adds, “We Americans don’t talk about mental health, and the shame we attach to it is prohibiting us from addressing it head-on. It’s a vicious cycle. We feel isolated, so we produce negative thoughts, but because we don’t discuss our struggles, we feel more isolated, driving us deeper and deeper into the abyss.”

Musically, the song starts off with atmospheric keyboard synths as Bridesmen softly sings “Oh I’m not fighting this anymore. It never did me no good.” The music gradually swells into a sweeping soundscape, providing a lush backdrop for his breathtaking vocals as he plaintively croons of suppressing his overwhelming pain: “Swallow it down, swallow it down, before it consumes me. Seeing it now, wondering how, how not to lose me. I’m afraid to fade away, so I take in all the pain.” He really has a remarkable voice – so clear, resonant and beautiful.

The stunning video shows two dancers, played by Stephanie Kim and Raymond Ejiofor,  interpreting the song through their movement, and interacting with Bridesmen. He explains, “By letting them actually express themselves, I am setting my emotions free. I can learn to love the naive child and also the jaded guardian, recognize how important they are, as they guide me through The Overwhelm”. The video was beautifully directed by Seth Iliff.

Connect with Bridesmen:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream his music on Spotify / Soundcloud
Purchase on iTunes / Google Play