Hitting the Right Notes

      I had zero expectations for the Brook & The Bluff's opener, Savannah Conley, back in April. But man, was I wrong about Conley. She knocked my socks off in Athens and has now done it again with her debut album Playing the Part of You is Me .     Conley grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, seemingly destined to in the country music scene by her music industry parents. After giving artistry a shot in 2018, Conley quit producing singles for a while until the pandemic brought forth new emotions that were perfect song inspiration. This album is her true debut into the indie world that undoubtedly suits her well.     The title track is entitled Help Myself . Conley sings about waiting on her lover and wanting to be there for him even though he continuously hurt her. Finally, she sings "I need help / but can't help myself." The piano melody is fierce and swallows in listeners, quickly realizing how relatable this song truly is. Stronger and str...

     Here are a few of my favorite tracks, artists and albums from the past month. 1. The Kiss of Venus by Paul McCartney and Dominic Fike     This out-of-the-box collab shocked me at first; but after one listen, I was hooked. I personally like this version better than the original released on McCartney 111 in 2020. With the original version having only an acoustic guitar, the harpsicord, and McCartney's voice, Dominic Fike brought in a R&B style and modernized the smooth ballad for McCartney III Imagined .      The track is inspired by a book McCartney read on the movement of our solar system. The phrase  The Kiss of Venus was used by the author and pulled into a song by McCartney. The Kiss of Venus explores the beauty of life and growing up, even when some tasks seem mundane. It reminds listeners to stop, see and understand the world around them with lyrics like "have you read the paper?" 2. Eat Your Young by Hozier     Insp...

     Roland Faunte is a blatantly honest artist who writes about real life struggles - especially mental health. His debut EP - Sewing Kit - can easily bring you to tears as Roland describes his long battle with depression.     Sewing Kit  is a masterpiece in so many ways. Faunte wrote, sang, and produced the album completely on his own. Not only highlighting the struggles faced with mental illnesses, Sewing Kit covers the insecurities all humans face as result of our society and culture. You will feel seen and heard as you listen to the EP, and there is definitely some way you will relate to the lyrics.     The opening song Hand Over Hand  details Faunte's battle with depression over the years - the highs, lows, and okay moments. This title track definitely sets the mellow and reflective tone of the EP, easily segwaying into the other seven songs to come.     His next single A Happy Life  portrays a step-by-step fall into the ...

     March 17, 2023 - Hozier, world renowned singer-songwriter from Ireland, released an extended play entitled EAT YOUR YOUNG and announced a global tour.     The new EP is a supposed Birthday gift to fans - as Hozier's Birthday was on March 17. He said it was an "added joy" to release the three-track record on his special day, but releasing music itself is already a gift. Along with the singer's Birthday, March 17 was also St. Patrick's Day - a special day to Hozier's Irish heritage.      The entire album UNREAL UNEARTH will be out sometime in the late summer months. Following the release, Hozier is scheduled to go on tour starting in the United Kingdom on June 25 and will make his way to the United States on September 9. Madison Cunningham will join him on all legs of the tour as the opener.      EAT YOUR YOUNG is a soulful EP with a highly symphonic background. Although many of his melodies are unchanging and consistent througho...

      The first of fourteen shows: The Brook & The Bluff kicked off their Spring 2023 Tour in Athens, Georgia on April 8 at Georgia Theatre.       The band consists of Joseph Settine, lead singer and rhythm guitar, John Canada, drums and vocals, Alec Bolton, lead guitar and vocals, Fred Lankford, bass guitar and vocals, and Kevin Canada, who accompanies the quartet on the keys.      The show was the first of their tour to sell out. Fiercely loyal fans packed into the 1000-person Georgia Theatre, with little standing room to spare. This venue generates intimacy - with easily achievable interaction between artists and the crowd.     Savannah Conley - a folk, country, and pop music singer with four released EPs - opened for the band.        After a short intermission, the lights dimmed as Kevin Canada began on the keys, permeating the theater with the piano version of LITTLE SHEETS. Fans exploded ...

      In 2006, Trevor Terndrup mooned a taxi during a night out in downtown Nashville, Tennessee with his five best friends.      A couple weeks later, when the group of five students decided to form a band while at Belmont University, there was no better choice than Moon Taxi as the name.     Now, 16 years later, the band has grown tremendously and is inseparable.      Each of the artists - Trevor Terndrup, Tommy Putnam, Spencer Thomson, Tyler Ritter, and Wes Bailey - got into music at a young age. They all had parents and grandparents who were passionate about music and pushed them at a young age to play an instrument.      Moon Taxi started out as a local band and slowly grew their platform by touring around the country before social media skyrocketed.     "We had very grass roots and never did anything crazy marketing-wise to gain a larger audience for a long while," said Thomson.     During th...