Bursting with layers and layers of guitars atop sonorous drum beats, "Jim" tunnels its way deep into your head and runs circles around whatever song you had stuck in there before it. ...
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VINYL DESTINATION: AN INTERVIEW WITH RECORD STORE OWNER DAVE PERRY
interview by Michael McCarthy I remember back in the winter of 2013 – 2014 at some point when my artist and photographer friend Josh Bernard first took me to Mill No. 5 at 250 Jackson Street in Downtown, Lowell, Massachusetts. The fourth floor of the mill was being developed into a mall of...
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#songoftheday / #amlistening = POLLY SCATTERGOOD: “RED”
Spoiler alert: the above video for Polly Scattergood's seven-minute+ new single, "Red," is part two of a five-part short film she'll be releasing this Spring. We've included part one here as well....
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#songoftheday / #amlistening = ADAM JENSEN: “INMATE 8576”
"Lost my head inside this cell / I'm all alone / This place is hell," sings alt-pop/electro-pop singer/songwriter Adam Jensen on his powerful new single, "Inmate 8576." It's the first new song we've heard from Mr. Jensen in quite some time and...
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#songoftheday / #amlistening = POPPY: “ANYTHING LIKE ME”
"You shouldn't be anything like me," pop star turned heavy metal kid Poppy sings insistently on her ferocious new single, "Anything Like Me," which finds her sounding not unlike a female Marilyn Manson. "I'm sorry for what I've become / Because I'm...
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#songoftheday / #amlistening = Yael Naim – “How Will I Know” (Live at Studios Ferber)
There's a strong foreboding feeling to French-Israeli singer/songwriter Yael Naïm's new single, "How Will I Know," for which she's just released a devastating live video recorded at Studios Ferber....
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FIRST IMPRESSION REVIEW: HALSEY’S MANIC
by Michael McCarthy Today, the 17th of January 2020, marks the release of alternative pop singer/songwriter Halsey’s highly-anticipated third album, Manic. The first single from the LP, “Without Me,” was released back in October 2018, so to say this album was a long time coming is an understatement. Granted, at the time “Without...
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YOUR BRAVE BOTANICALS: AN INTERVIEW WITH JOHN BUSH
interview by Michael McCarthy Late last year I posted something on Facebook about wanting to replace some of my prescription medications with natural alternatives and a few of my friends commented and asked if I’d tried kratom, something I wasn’t particularly familiar with. I had seen it before, however, at a local convenience...
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#songoftheday / #amlistening = ROBBIE WILLIAMS: “TIME FOR CHANGE” + ALBUM REVIEW
This year Robbie Williams finally did something I've been waiting for him to do for over 20 years: he released a Christmas album, appropriately entitled The Christmas Present. Not only that, it's a double album. If you get the deluxe edition,...
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It’s a #premiere! It’s a #songoftheday! It’s “The Stones” by Ismay!
Today we are pleased to exclusively premiere Ismay's delightful and ethereal musings about very rare, glow in the dark stones that a friend once showed them. As they discuss in our interview below, they were a new type of stone, unlike anything they'd ever seen before....
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#songoftheday / #amlistening = BAR BRUTAL BAND: “SPECIAL TERMS” DEMO
Bar Brutal Band, has just released a spot on new single, albeit in demo form, called "Special Terms," which I simply had to share with you. It's just too good for me not to. ...
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ROLLING ON: AN INTERVIEW WITH FRANKIE BANALI OF QUIET RIOT
interview by Michael McCarthy The following interview with Quiet Riot drummer, songwriter and bandleader Frankie Banali was conducted on October 22nd, 2019, the day after he made the following announcement via metal podcaster Mitch Lafon’s Facebook page: <<I just want to let all of my friends and fans know what’s going on with...
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INTERMISSION (WE SHALL RETURN)
Hey there! In case you haven’t noticed, I’m taking the month of October off from Love is Pop. I sent out an alert on social media, but I admittedly forgot to post something here on the site. There are two big reasons for the break. 1: I need this time to work on...
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DISCOVER A SUPERSTAR IN THE MAKING: AN INTERVIEW WITH MICKY JAMES
interview by Michael McCarthy When I went to see Phantom Planet at The Sinclair in Cambridge, Massachusetts on the 19th of September, I couldn’t have cared less about whoever was going to open the show. I’d been a big fan of Phantom Planet for around 15 years and had never seen them live...
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UP TO TEN: AN INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL SWEET OF STRYPER AND SOLO FAME
interview by Michael McCarthy What can I say about the great Michael Sweet that I haven’t already said? This is Love is Pop’s sixth interview with the extremely talented, super busy Stryper frontman/songwriter/co-lead guitarist and solo artist. We love the guy here at Love is Pop HQ and he’s always such a joy...
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#PREMIERE / #SONGOFTHEDAY WITH INTERVIEW: MICHAEL RIDER’S “CAPITAL”
review by Michael McCarthy Today I’m delighted to premiere Manhattan-based dream pop singer/songwriter Michael Rider’s new protest anthem, “Capital.” From its punchy main beat to its layers and layers of instrumentation and subtle vocal samples, which glide along under Rider’s lead vocals like a surfboard under his feet, its production is complex enough...
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PREMIERE / INTERVIEW: KATRINA STUART’S BLUE ROSES
interview by Michael McCarthy “All your blue roses don’t mean a thing,” sings Los Angeles-based singer/dancer/model/actress Katrina Stuart on her haunting new single, “Blue Roses,” an R&B and pop hybrid about someone hurting you and trying to fix it with flowers (or, I imagine, other material things). “You can take your pretty flowers...
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CONCERT REVIEW: PHANTOM PLANET WITH SPECIAL GUEST MICKY JAMES AT THE SINCLAIR, CAMBRIDGE, MA, 9/19/19
review by Michael McCarthy photos by Mary Ouellette / @mythamareica Last Thursday night on 9/19/19, I was fortunate to catch Phantom Planet live at The Sinclair in Cambridge, Massachusetts, otherwise known as Boston’s sister city. The tour is Phantom Planet’s first in over 10 years, as the band recently reformed after a decade’s...
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#songoftheday / #amlistening = MANDY MOORE: “WHEN I WASN’T WATCHING”
It’s hard to believe, but it’s been an entire decade since Mandy Moore released her last album, Amanda Leigh. During many of those years, she was married to someone who I will not name and I couldn’t fathom why he didn’t produce an album for her. After all, her last two albums had...
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CALLING OREGON: AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN HALL OF TENTS
by Michael McCarthy When I listen to indie pop band TENTS‘ dreamy new album, Medicine, I tend to feel like I’m floating in the clouds, perhaps riding a magic carpet. Their music sweeps you up, almost providing an out of body experience, giving one a natural high. Suffice to say, listening to it...
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CONCERT REVIEW: BABYMETAL AT THE HOUSE OF BLUES BOSTON 9/11/19
review by Michael McCarthy photos by Joshua Bernard This past Wednesday night on 9/11/19 the extremely popular Japanese heavy metal band Babymetal returned to Boston at the House of Blues on Landsdowne Street and blew away the packed house with their ferocious jams. (Swedish heavy metal band Avatar opened the show with a...
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#songoftheday / #amlistening = PHANTOM PLANET: “PARTY ANIMAL” (BAND PLAYING BOSTON ON 9/19/19)
Today Phantom Planet has unleashed a veritable "Party Animal" unto the world. The guys are celebrating the band's 25th anniversary this year and if that's not a reason to party then nothing is. ...
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STILL NOT FAKIN’ IT: AN INTERVIEW WITH THE LEGENDARY MICHAEL MONROE
interview by Michael McCarthy The legendary singer and multi-instrumentalist Michael Monroe first rose to popularity in the early ’80s with his band Hanoi Rocks, which has proved to be one of the most influential bands in the history of hard rock, punk rock and heavy metal with the band’s unique and infectious sound,...
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#songoftheday / #amlistening = MXMS: “WHAT’S MY NAME”
Today, September 10th, is World Suicide Prevention Day, and MXMS have just released this edgy new single, "What's My Name," to draw attention to that. We think it's a moody gem that's sure to become an anthem for many of the depressed people who'll listen to...
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#amlistening / #nowlistening = OH LAND: “SALT (ARTHUR MOON REMIX)”
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Oh Land ( Nanna Øland Fabricius) and Arthur Moon (Lora-Faye Åshuvud), two artists we've interviewed this year, have collaborated on a new EP! ...
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#songoftheday / #amlistening = MICHAEL SWEET: “SHINE”
Michael Sweet of Stryper is gearing up to release his tenth solo album, appropriately entitled Ten, which will be out on October 11 via Rat Pak Records in North America and Frontiers Music Srl in Europe. Today we're pleased to bring you...
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#songoftheday / #amlistening = BABYMETAL: “ELEVATOR GIRL” (ENGLISH VERSION) + U.S. TOUR DATES
Japanese metallers BABYMETAL have just released a new, English version of their smash hit "Elevator Girl" and we're loving it here at Love is Pop HQ! Like the original version, it kicks some serious ass. ...
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#concertreview #livemusic = RICK SPRINGFIELD @ MOHEGAN SUN ARENA 8/29/18
by Michael McCarthy First of all, I have to tell you something. When I go to shows that I’m there to review, I always write and post one. But when I go to concerts purely for leisure, I usually don’t review them because, well, I don’t think writing reviews is my strong suit....
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#songoftheday / #amlistening = RED VELVET: “UMPAH UMPAH” & AN EDITORIAL: WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE ASIAN MUSIC ON LOVE IS POP?
Here's a catchy and fun song for you all to get stuck in your heads, the silly "Umpah Umpah" from South Korea's red hot Red Velvet, one of today's top K-Pop acts and one that I've been a fan of for several years...
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WORLD PREMIERE: TENTS: “MEDICINE” (#songoftheday / #amlistening / #worldpremiere)
Tents recently announced that their highly-anticipated album Medicine will be released through Badman Recording Co. (STRFKR, Mark Kozelek) on October 11, 2019. Today we are pleased to unveil their video for the addictive title track, which features spritely, young dancer Eirlin...
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GET EVERY BOOK BY MICHAEL BEAULIEU FREE ON PROLIFIC WORKS FOR A LIMITED TIME
As you probably know I, Michael McCarthy, Love is Pop’s owner and primary writer, publish books using the pseudonym Michael Beaulieu. So far, I’ve published two satires, Becoming Madonna and Reckoning Daze, and the first four volumes of my popular, young adult, urban fantasy series Book of Shadows. And right now — for...
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#songoftheday / #amlistening: AMANDA PALMER: “DROWNING IN THE SOUND”
The always spell-binding Amanda Palmer's new single, "Drowning in the Sound" is yet another chamber pop masterpiece from the insanely-talented singer/songwriter....
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ALL THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS: AN INTERVIEW WITH DONNIE VIE
by Michael McCarthy I remember first seeing the video for Enuff Z’Nuff’s debut single, “New Thing,” on MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball and wondering what planet they were from. Sure, there were plenty of heavy metal bands – like Poison and Pretty Boy Floyd – who wore a lot of makeup, but Enuff Z’Nuff took...
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#songoftheday / #amlistening = The Darkness: “Rock and Roll Deserves to Die”
When I think of The Darkness, I tend to think of songs that immediately grab you then blast your mind into a state of shooting stars and euphoria when they hit their highly infectious choruses. ...
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DIVING IN THE DEEP END: AN INTERVIEW WITH MARIELLE KRAFT
by Michael McCarthy I recently saw singer/songwriter Marielle Kraft celebrate the release of her new EP, The Deep End, by putting on a sold-out performance at City Winery in Boston. It was the first in a small number of dates to launch the pensive but catchy EP on which Marielle wears her heart...
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#songoftheday / #amlistening = DOE PAORO: “MIDNIGHT CHOIR”
"We're never-ending," sings the always impressive singer/songwriter Doe Paoro as the chorus of her inspiring new song "Midnight Choir" comes to its finish, her voice sounding like that of an angel singing to us from up above the clouds. ...
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CONCERT REVIEW: MARIELLE KRAFT WITH VISITING WINE – CITY WINERY 7/19/19
by Michael McCarthy Last Friday night on July 19th, 2019, I caught Marielle Kraft with opening act Visiting Wine at City Winery in Boston, Massachusetts. It was a great night and I have to start off by praising the venue, which I found most impressive. THE VENUE: CITY WINERY BOSTON First of all,...
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#albumoftheday = Ingrid Michaelson: Stranger Songs
Indie-pop, singer/songwriter Ingrid Michaelson has just released an exquisite new album called Stranger Songs on which every song is inspired by the Netflix series Stranger Things. The album came out just before the new season of Stranger Things started so a lot of the references were lost on me until I started watching...
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DEFINITELY NOT MADE OF CHEESE: AN INTERVIEW WITH ARTHUR MOON
Arthur Moon is a wondrous collaboration between Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Lora-Faye and musicians Cale Hawkins (Quincy Jones, Bilal) and Martin D. Fowler (a composer for This American Life). Arthur Moon is also the moniker that Lora-Faye herself goes by. (More on that in the interview.) Arthur’s debut album is out on vinyl now via...
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MOVIE REVIEW: GOD OF VAMPIRES
by Michael McCarthy One of the most interesting things about writer/director Rob Fitz’s God of Vampires is how it starts: like a regular hitman type of movie with character Frank Ng (Dharma Lim) doing a job that’s a bit difficult, yet he glides through it with a degree of ease and precision that...
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#songoftheday / #amlistening = TEMPTRESS: “NAKED”
"Naked" is the latest single by South London production/artist duo Temptress, which consists of Jess Belgrave and Vlad Woodham-Smith, who've run up a couple of million streams since 2016. It doesn't take a genius to figure out why that it is when you listen to...
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EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT ROB FITZ BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK
interview by Michael McCarthy Every Wednesday night at 7:30, the Luna Theater, located in Mill No 5. at 250 Jackson St. in Lowell, Massachusetts, hosts Weirdo Wednesdays. Filmmaker/make-up artist Rob Fitz is the man, the myth and the legend who selects the movies each week and introduces them. Nobody but Rob knows what...
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THE RETRO-FITTED FUTURE OF ROCK: AN INTERVIEW WITH MIKE FITZ OF BAD MARRIAGE
interview by Michael McCarthy I love going to see bands I grew up with like Tesla, Poison, Warrant, Firehouse, Lynch Mob and so many others who’ve reunited during the last several years. Or just plain never went splitsville. These guys still kick as much ass as they ever did and some sound even...
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#songoftheday / #amlistening = Starbreaker feat. Tony Harnell & Magnus Karlsson – “How Many More Goodbyes”
"How Many More Goodbyes" is one of my favorite songs from Starbreaker's excellent third album, Dysphoria. If it's not one of the best power ballads you've heard in ages, then you must be listening to something pretty great that I'm completely unaware...
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#SONGOFTHEDAY / #AMLISTENING = Cœur de pirate: “Ne m’appelle pas”
MUSIC (GODDESS STYLE): AN INTERVIEW WITH NATHASSIA
interview by Michael McCarthy “Synchronize your mind with me, a revelation,” sings Nathassia – channeling the Sumerian Goddess of love and war, Inanna – on her new single “Goddess.” It’s a trippy, electro/pop/dance/world music song that’s so, so good, it’s almost as divine and addictive as chocolate. Just listen to the mesmerizing track...
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BOOK REVIEW: AMID SUMMER’S NIGHTMARE BY APRIL L. WOOD
review by Michael McCarthy As the story begins, our heroine, Summer Wormwood, finds herself sentenced to spending her summer at Camp Bitter Tonic. It’s kind of like summer school, but also like a charm school and, more importantly, a school for witchcraft. The students learn everything from cooking to having good posture to...
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CONCERT REVIEW: BAD MARRIAGE / THE CRINGE / TESLA: 4/19/19: CASINO BALLROOM, HAMPTON BEACH, NH
by Michael McCarthy all photos by Michael McCarthy except Bad Marriage BAD MARRIAGE I was under the impression that The Cringe and only The Cringe would be opening for Tesla when I left for the show at the legendary Casino Ballroom on Hampton Beach in New Hampshire last Friday night, April 19th, 2019....
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NY, DENMARK & THE MUSIC IN BETWEEN: AN INTERVIEW WITH OH LAND
interview by Michael McCarthy Danish singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and composer Nanna Øland Fabricius, better known by her stage name Oh Land, is about as brilliant a musician as they come. The funny thing is, she had no plans of making a career out of music. Although she was born the child of composer...
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EVERYWHERE YOU GO: AN INTERVIEW WITH JOHN CUSIMANO OF THE CRINGE
interview by Michael McCarthy Hailing from New York, rock band The Cringe is about to release its sixth album, Everywhere You’ve Never Been, this Friday on April 19, 2019. Although it didn’t start out as a concept album, a theme became evident during its creation; each song was about somewhere the band had...
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JUMPING THE GENERAL LEE: AN INTERVIEW WITH JOHN SCHNEIDER
interview by Michael McCarthy If you were around in the late ’70s and early ’80s, chances are you watched a popular show called Dukes of Hazzard. It was centered around two brothers, Bo and Luke Duke. Bo was played by John Schneider. Luke was played by Tom Wopat. Bo was the charismatic womanizer...
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NOT YOUR ORDINARY POP PRINCESS: AN INTERVIEW WITH THEIA
interview by Michael McCarthy This Friday, April 12th 2019, New Zealand’s rising pop star Theia releases her highly addictive EP, Not Your Princess. She loves the word sassy and it’s no wonder why because it’s the perfect word to sum up her sound, which features lots of perky tunes with attitude, such as...
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Baby, You’re A Millionaire: An Interview with Chlöe Howl
interview by Michael McCarthy Pop singer/songwriter Chlöe Howl has been on my radar since she released her addictive 2013 single “No Strings.” And while she’s yet to release a full-length album, she’s continued to churn out fantastic singles and exquisite EPs aplenty. Last year’s Work EP, for example, is particularly infectious and a...
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#songoftheday / #amlistening = ILIRA: “WHISPER MY NAME” + “DO IT YOURSELF”
Rising pop princess ILIRA has two red hot tracks out right now via Insanity Records/Sony, "Whisper My Name" and "Do It Yourself."...
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TODAY WAS A GOOD DAY: AN INTERVIEW WITH LUCY SPRAGGAN
interview by Michael McCarthy Lucy Spraggan hails from the UK and she’s one of the most talented songwriters I’ve ever come to know. In all honesty, her lyrics are brilliant and I can’t think of another artist whose lyrics I like more. She’s truly gifted in that department, her songs often telling stories...
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#songoftheday / #amlistening = DOE PAORO: “SILVER SPRINGS”
It's no secret that singer/songwriter Doe Paoro is one of my favorite artists. If you frequent this site, you undoubtedly know that I regularly interview her. So, it should come as no surprise that I'm in love with her cover of...
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TRAVELS AND TUNES: AN INTERVIEW WITH LOU RHODES OF LAMB
interview by Michael McCarthy “So much to say I’m lost for words,” sings Lamb’s lyricist and vocalist Lou Rhodes as the duo’s new album, The Secret of Letting Go, begins. The song is called “Phosphorous” and it consists largely of piano and strings behind Lou’s ethereal vocals. It has a haunting and intoxicating...
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#songoftheday / #amlistening = The Cringe – “I Can’t Take It No More”
New York-based band The Cringe is one of my favorite musical discoveries this year. But I'll be honest with you -- I am totally late to the party on this one. ...
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#songoftheday / #amlistening = LAMB: “MOONSHINE” (FEAT. CIAN FINN)
The delicious and highly potent "Moonshine" is the third track to be released from Lamb's The Secret Of Letting Go, which will be out on April 26th, and it's certainly something new from the duo....
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#songoftheday / #amlistening = Vanessa Paradis: “Kiev”
"Kiev" is the second single from Vanessa Paradis' 7th studio album, Les Sources. It's my favorite song from the album, which is a bit of a departure for Paradis as it's her first album that really has more to do with telling...
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BOSTON BOUND: AN INTERVIEW WITH ALFIE OF HUDSON TAYLOR
interview by Michael McCarthy I first encountered the music of Ireland’s hugely popular duo Hudson Taylor when I caught them opening for Gabrielle Aplin a year ago this month. I’d been a big fan of Gabrielle’s for roughly a half dozen years and was so excited to finally see her live. So much...
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