The Mid-Week Pickup for June 15, 2022
“On You_” by Sonny Beckett
“Song´s about that time when everyone around you is doing what they are supposed to be doing, but you are trying to figure things out… life, love, friendship.” — Sonny Beckett
“The Room” by Hannah Ascher
“The Room” captures the universal feelings of loneliness and the longing for connection that may have been particularly acute during the pandemic, but which unfortunately persist in the lives of so many. Social media technically connects us to thousands if not millions of people (as the song notes, “It’s just me and a million friends”), but it is full of “mixed messaging” and distorted reality and fails to provide the true companionship and friendship we require in our times of need.
“Dontchawanna” by Patrick Ames
In the heart of wine country in California, you may encounter the proper wordsmith and storyteller, Patrick Ames. Patrick is a man who plays to his own inner muse, revealing a complex set of inspirations and incantations from the eclectic songwriter. One can expect more than a dash of the raw, dark, and mournful, along with hopeless romance, artistic conviction, and a fiercely in-the-moment, DIY approach where the recording style is both instrument and live-ness detector.
“The Baptism” by Smoky Mountains
Consisting of married singer/songwriters Adam Lazio and Frances Lawson, Smoky Mountains forge classic outlaw country and Americana to create a sound all their own. From different parts of the continent, they met in Los Angeles and started playing music together in 2019. With a swampy rhythm, featuring pedal steel by Bob Bernstein and lead vocal by Frances, debut single “The Baptism” tells a story of a woman’s quest for redemption.
“Ghosts” by Jonny Grönholm
“LOOK TO THE SKY-PHILLY MIX” by SUPA PHILLY
“At 3 am one November morning, we were driving on the Atlantic City Expressway. A large, triangular “flying vehicle” floated across the highway, and my car ground to a halt. We jumped out, watching it float past us, making no sound. We got back into my car, and my car started! We wrote the song about it, and this Mix adds legendary R & B vocalists, Charlene Holloway, Paula Holloway, Annette Hardemann, and Vance Hardemann (Lou Rawls, Patti Labelle, Teddy Pendergrass) for a gospel feel in the chorus of this rock song.” — SUPA PHILLY
“Gold” by Miller & Sloan
MILLER & SLOAN are Barney Miller & Blake Sloan. A spin-off of the legendary New York Pop/Funk outfit Miller Miller Miller & Sloan. Featured in the documentary “We Don’t Wanna’ Make You Dance”. They came up in the 1980s as peers with groups like The Beastie Boys (who talk about MMM&S in their recent biography Beastie Boys Book) as well as artists like Chaka Kahn & even The Clash, (both of whom they opened for back in the day.)
“Something Bad is Gonna Happen to You” by Nick Andrea
A retro-offering in the truest sense evoking images of the commercial funk of prime-era James Brown. The fast-paced lyrics about a grudge-fueled showdown pay tongue-in-cheek homage to the action movies of the 1970s and 1980s. “This one doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s about having fun in a golden style you unfortunately just don’t see anymore.”
“Nothing Else” by The Degrees
Among the wider influences that drive The Degrees, from classic soul songwriters like Bill Withers to the 90s trip-hop spirit of their home city, the production on Nothing Else gives another strong nod to the UK street soul sound. It feels like it could sit rightfully alongside your favourite Rae & Christian or Young Disciples records, a lost vintage that you had on vinyl somewhere…
“Lost Ship” by Greg Herzenach
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