Without Fear: Album Review

Back at Coachella this past spring, I discovered Irish singer/songwriter Dermot Kennedy. I wrote about him and the experience a few months ago. On October 4th, Dermot Kennedy released his debut album Without Fear so I figured I had to do a review of it, especially since I’ll be seeing him perform for the second time this week!

Since the release, Without Fear has reached number 18 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart. The album contains a little bit of everything. It’s got pop-bangers like “Outnumbered”, “What Have I Done”, and “Power Over Me”. It’s got hints of electronic music in songs like “Moments Passed”, “Outgrown” and “Without Fear”. “Moments Passed”  and “Outgrown” even have elements of hip-hop as well, along with the song “An Evening I Will Not Forget”.

Lately Dermot Kennedy is being referred to as the Irish Ed Sheeran. I’m guilty of this comparison as well, but Dermot Kennedy is definitely different than the red-haired English pop artist. His music is a bit darker and more folk-focused than Ed Sheeran. I’ve also compared a few of his tracks to indie folk artist, Bon Iver, especially the song “Moments Passed”. One distinguishable trait in his music compared to other artists though is his Irish accent.

Since Coachella, Dermot Kennedy has definitely been growing in popularity. He is currently on tour in support of his new album in the U.S. and Europe. He will be touring into early 2020 playing larger scale venues in the U.S. I’m convinced Kennedy’s popularity will continue to grow as time goes on. If you don’t want to be late to the Dermot Kennedy party, I highly recommend listening to Without Fear. This is a debut album you don’t want to miss.

You’ve Got That Power Over Me

Back at Coachella this year during Weekend 1, I was walking out of the Mojave Tent after listening to Lizzo absolutely crush her set, when I was intrigued by the music I heard coming from the Gobi Tent right next door. I took a slow walk by the stage and really liked what I heard. It sounded like a mixture of pop, folk, and rock music. I looked to see who was on the stage and found out it was an artist by the name of Dermot Kennedy.

During Weekend 2, I went to his set with a friend after again hearing Lizzo perform some of her set. Although I was feeling kind of tired that afternoon and decided to sit on the side listening for a bit, I enjoyed listening to Dermot perform and told myself I was going to start listening to him after Coachella. Sure enough I followed through.

Dermot Joseph Kennedy is an Irish singer/songwriter/musician who hails from Rathcoole, Ireland, which is about 30 minutes from Dublin. He began playing guitar at age 10 and started songwriting by the age of 14, but did not start focusing on music until his late teen years. He played open mic nights, competed in talent competitions, and began busking on the streets of Ireland to get noticed. However, the use of a streaming platform is where his breakthrough came from.

He developed a following through Spotify and self-released music on the platform for the last couple of years. He released his self-titled debut album on January 4th and was signed to major label Interscope Records shortly after. His sophomore album Without Fear is set to be released in late September. Kennedy spent the last two years touring in Europe, Australia, and the U.S. He even played several major U.S. festivals including Bonnaroo in 2017, Lollapalooza, SXSW, and Austin City Limits in 2018, and Coachella in 2019. He will again be embarking on tour this fall in the U.S., Canada, and Europe in support of his newest album.

Kennedy’s style is just as I described it – a mixture of pop, folk, and rock music. He even incorporates a bit of hip-hop on a few of his tracks. His sound at times reminds me of a darker, more Irish version of Ed Sheeran. Yes, you can definitely hear the Irish accent in his music too. It’s actually pretty sick!

As I mentioned I first heard of Dermot Kennedy while attending Coachella this year. That’s why it’s always worth it to walk around and check out some sets by artists you might not know anything about at any music festival. You might just find something that you really like. I always feel like Coachella brings me to listen to different artists or gets me into artists I only knew a little bit about before. It was no different this year with the introduction of Dermot Kennedy. I highly recommend checking him out since he’s still very much on the rise. I may even try to see one of his shows during his tour this fall. He’s super talented and his tunes are pretty good as well. Here’s a few you might want to check out:

1. Power Over Me
2. Outnumbered
3. After Rain
4. A Closeness
5. Glory

Coachella 2019 Recap

I never got a chance to post about the set times. As soon as I arrived in Indio, I got down to business and before we all knew it Weekend 1 began. I haven’t posted a Coachella recap since I attended because I really didn’t get much free time working the festival the last two years. This year that changed a bit. I took a new position about 2 weeks before I flew to California and the rest is history.

I worked a lot during the days leading up to the festival. I also worked Thursday and Friday, Day 1, but by Saturday I was free to have fun and prepped at my leisure for the following week. I worked offsite at the Renaissance Hotel in Indian Wells doing check-in for the campground I work at. On Thursday we were open from 12 p.m. until 2 a.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m., which changed to 8 p.m. during Weekend 2 because of the road closures happening around 9. We also opened for an extra 6 hours on Saturday morning-early afternoon of Weekend 1 because more people than expected did not check in. However our check-in manager released me around 7 p.m. Friday night of Weekend 1 so I went to the festival and was able to see every Friday night act I wanted to see.

The 1975 set was my favorite of the festival. It was crazy because I walked into Coachella and went straight to the Main Stage for the set. I didn’t stop to take Coachella in like I normally do when I get in the festival for the first time. There was barely time to look at the art or anything else. It was worth it though for the set I was about to see. Matt Healy brought it, from cool visuals to a moving platform onstage that Healy walked and danced on. I also stood next to two members of the band All Time Low, which made for an added bonus to the set. I danced my face off and had the best time. As soon as the 1975 ended we went straight to Outdoor for the end of RÜFÜS DU SOL. I tried not to prioritize RÜFÜS because I’ll be seeing them in August, but I was happy to catch some of their set. They killed it as usual. Once they ended, it was back to Main Stage for Janelle Monaé. She was a lot of fun and brought tons of female fire power to the Main Stage. She even brought out Lizzo during her set.

Throughout the two weeks I was able to see all of if not part of almost every artist I wrote about. I saw Turnover, Bob Moses, part of Maggie Rogers, part of Gryffin, part of Tame Impala, Mansionair, Lizzo, Zedd, and Ariana Grande Weekend 1. Maggie Rogers played at the Gobi tent which was way too small for the masses that she brought to her set. That was the only reason I went to Gryffin instead during Weekend 1 since their sets overlapped. I stayed for her entire set Weekend 2 since it was slightly less crowded. During Weekend 2 I saw ARIZONA, all of Maggie Rogers, Weezer, part of Billie Eilish, part of Lizzo, Dermot Kennedy, most of Zedd, CHVRCHES, and NGHTMRE. I also attended Kanye’s Sunday Service, which was a once in a lifetime experience. I skipped Mac DeMarco overall. I feel like I really attended Coachella this year, but worked at the same time. Dermot Kennedy was really the surprise set for me this year. He was incredible and made me a fan. His style is very Bon Iver-esque, but Irish. CHVRCHES was also an incredible set. It was definitely my second favorite, which worked out to be the second to the last Coachella set I saw Weekend 2. My favorite set, The 1975, was the first set I saw Weekend 1. I definitely started and ended Coachella strong.

Once Saturday hit, I had time to take in the art, which payed homage to art of the past 20 years, and enjoyed plenty of ice cream in the festival as well. The astronaut from 2014 came back with a new design, as well as the hippos from 2015. The Spectra tower will be there for a few more years and was also back. The event also had several more pieces for Coachella fans to take in. The antarctic dome became one of my favorite attractions on the final day since it featured a RÜFÜS DU SOL theme this year. I went inside 3 times. I was also inside the festival for the ideal sunset hours and fully immersed myself in the Coachella vibe.

I love Coachella so much as you all know, and I’ve loved working it and attending it. This year held a special place in my heart though. I met new people, got closer with people I knew before, and got to hang out with so many of my friends over the 3 weeks I spent in the desert (Stagecoach included as Week 3). I felt a happiness that made me appreciate music, my life, my job, and the people I’m surrounded with. I don’t really have the appropriate words to describe it. It was beyond words for me this year, and I hope next year can compete.

Thanks again Coachella for all the big moods, good vibes, and sick times. There’s no place I’d rather be.

Coachella Band Preview: Billie Eilish

Guess what…Coachella 2019 begins next weekend!!! The three month wait is almost over! With that being said, there’s been a few changes since my last blog post. It was just announced this week that Kanye West will be performing his Sunday Service on Easter Sunday during Weekend 2! This is big news. Since Kanye and Justin Timberlake dropped off the bill as Coachella headliners, the hype for this year diminished some. Adding Yeezy to Weekend 2 was the perfect addition Goldenvoice needed to generate more excitement for a weekend that didn’t sell as well in certain aspects. The other change/news that happened is that I’m no longer going to have the same position at the festival that I committed to and have worked for the last 2 years. It’s definitely me stepping outside my comfort zone a bit, but I accepted on certain conditions, with some of the biggest being that I had great access and some free time to enjoy my favorite festival! I’m not sure I’ll be able to be at the event on Friday so I might be skipping the 1975, RÜFÜS DU SOL, and Janelle Monaé, which is a huge bummer, but I’m hoping for the best regardless.

With all of that news and my departure date now being a day early, this will be the last blog post for a little while until I return from my stay in Indio. If I have a second next week, I may make a post about set times and which sets to hit, but no guarantees. So for now let’s get into the last artist I’m previewing this year, Coachella newcomer, Billie Eilish.

Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell, from Los Angeles, California, had an interest in music from a young age. She joined the Los Angeles Childrens’ Chorus at the age of 8 and started writing and singing her own music by the age of 11. She also comes from a family of actors and musicians. In 2015, at age 13 she recorded the song “Ocean Eyes”, which was written by her brother Finneas for his band. The same song was released as Billie’s debut single on SoundCloud the following year. She also released the single “Six Feet Under” in 2016. At the end of the year “Ocean Eyes” was released worldwide through Darkroom and Interscope Records.

In January 2017, Billie released an EP of “Ocean Eyes” remixes. Her third single “Bellyache” was released in February. She released several more singles in 2017 leading up to the release of her debut EP Don’t Smile at Me. One of the singles she released in 2017 was included on the soundtrack for Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why.

Billie embarked on tour in 2018 and continued to release singles. She contributed to the soundtrack for the second season of 13 Reasons Why with the song “Lovely” featuring Khalid. Just last weekend Billie Eilish released her debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?. The debut album features a few already released singles, but a ton of new music.

Billie Eilish’s music is a soft, dreamy type of pop music. It’s comparable to the sound of artists like Lana Del Rey and Alina Baraz. It’s super vibey. Eilish’s vocals are trance-like and you can tell her musical influence draws from plenty of different styles of music.

I first heard Billie’s song “Ocean Eyes” while in Sacramento for an event in 2017, but I didn’t realize it at the time. It was actually the Goldhouse remix of the song too. Once I figured out what the song we were listening to in that fateful Snapchat video from Sacramento was (“Ocean Eyes”), I decided to download it. Since being announced on the Coachella lineup and hearing about Billie Eilish from a lot of different sources, I decided to start listening to her a bit. She’s definitely going to be a highly anticipated set this year at Coachella.

She plays Saturday. In her first Coachella appearance she’s already highly billed as well. I think Saturday has a stacked lineup, but I’d expect to see Billie on the Main Stage or the Outdoor Stage. We only have a few more days until set times are released for Weekend 1, so at least you don’t have to wait that long to find out anymore anyway. You have one more week to listen to all the Coachella bands and songs so here’s a few more from Billie Eilish to add to that list:

1. ocean eyes
2. lovely
3. when the party’s over
4. bury a friend
5. idontwannabeyouanymore
6. bellyache
7. you should me in a crown
8. wish you were gay
9. watch
10. my boy

 

Since this is the last band preview of the year, Happy Coachella Guys! I hope your Coachella is filled with sunshine, great tunes, and all the good vibes!

Coachella Band Preview: Lizzo

I might be in Miami this week to work Ultra, but there’s no blog breaks during the Coachella countdown, especially when Weekend 1 is 2 weeks away! After I return from Miami, I have a full 5 days at home then I leave for what becomes my Coachella workcation. It’s about 3 1/2 weeks this year, but Coachella is worth it. I’ll also be working Stagecoach, hence the extra week away. We’ll see how that goes. Coachella is definitely what it’s all about. Enough about me though, I’m wasting valuable time that you could be listening to tunes. This week I’m previewing a Coachella artist full of female empowerment.

Melissa Jefferson, aka Lizzo, got involved with rap music in high school while growing up in Texas. As the years went on, she took it to the next level and joined two rap/R&B groups, Lizzo & the Larva Ink and The Chalice. She moved to Minnesota while in her 20’s which is when she started rapping as a career. She released her debut album on October 15, 2013. It received some local and national success earning her a spot opening for Har Mar Superstar. She was named the Twin Cities Best New Artist by Minneapolis-St. Paul alternative newspaper City Pages. She was also named to Time’s 2014 music artists to watch.

Her second album Big Grrrl Small World was released in December 2015. She eventually signed with Atlantic Records and released her first major label EP Coconut Oil in 2016. Through 2017 and 2018 Lizzo dropped a few more singles like “Water Me”, “Truth Hurts”, and “Fitness”. She also joined Haim and Florence and the Machine on tour in 2018 as an opener. Her third studio album and major label debut album Cuz I Love You will be released on April 19th, which is Friday of Weekend 2.

Lizzo has always been first and foremost a rap and R&B artist, but I feel like her latest album might sway towards a pop sound at times if her singles “Cuz I Love You” and “Juice”are any indication. I might be totally off, because the rap/R&B sound is there too. Her music also represents diversity with songs about positive body image, sexuality, and race.

I first found out about Lizzo last spring when I saw her open for Haim on their Sister Sister Sister Tour. She definitely made a statement as an opener. I wasn’t into her music when I saw her perform because rap music doesn’t usually appeal to me. Then I kept hearing about her from a lot of my friends, until finally I hopped on the Lizzo train this past winter after she was announced as a Coachella artist. “Good As Hell” became my “start the day” anthem for a while. In fact, it still is if I remember to ask Alexa to play it.

Lizzo plays Sunday at Coachella. Lizzo’s live performance claim to fame is her flute solos with the legendary Sasha Flute (you can look at the instagram page for more info on this flute naming). You can be sure there will be one or more flute solos at Coachella, especially during “Coconut Oil”. This year will be Lizzo’s first Coachella and she’s definitely gonna bring it. I can’t see her playing a main stage this year, but regardless of where she plays her fanbase has grown and it’s sure to be crowded. This is a set you’re not gonna want to miss. Here’s what you need to know to be ready for it:

1. Good as Hell
2. Juice
3. Water Me
4. Coconut Oil
5. Cuz I Love You
6. Fitness
7. Truth Hurts
8. Boys
9. Phone
10. Scuse Me

Coachella Band Preview: the 1975, CHVRCHES, A R I Z O N A, & Gryffin

3 more weeks! 3 more weeks! 3 more weeks! Coachella is in 3 weeks!!!! I know I write similar posts with the same hype level every year, but every year I’m that excited for Coachella, especially this year. Last year felt a little disappointing to me. This year feels like I have zero expectations. I’m just happy to be working the event, even if it’s not in the role I hoped for. To put it best, my hype level feels pure right now. Yours should be too! This week I’m previewing 4 bands because I’ve written about all of them before. Three of them I’ve written about when they played Coachella in the past. Two of them I’ve written about because I was into them at the time. One of them I’ve written about twice already. That band is the 1975.

The 1975 is headed out to their third Coachella. They last played in 2016 after their sophomore album I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It dropped. Since touring and promoting that album, the 1975 has released a third studio album and has a fourth on the way with a release slated for less than a year after A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships came out at the end of November 2018. Their fourth album Notes on a Conditional Form is due out this summer with the first single coming out in May. 2019 is definitely going to be a big year for the 1975.

In 2016, I saw the 1975 perform twice. Both times I didn’t pay for tickets to see them and both performances were at festivals, sweetlife and Lollapalooza. Since they’re back on the festival circuit this summer, I’m hoping I’ll get to catch them again at least once. They play Friday at Coachella and I can pretty much guarantee you’ll see them on the Main Stage or the Outdoor Stage. Here’s a few new songs and some old ones that you’ll want to know in preparation to see them:

1. It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You)
2. Chocolate
3. The Sound
4. TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME
5. Sex
6. Somebody Else
7. Love It If We Made It
8. Girls
9. Give Yourself a Try
10. Sincerity is Scary

Just like the 1975, CHVRCHES last played Coachella in 2016 and will be making their third appearance in Indio this spring. Since 2016, CHVRCHES also released their third studio album Love Is Dead on May 25, 2018. It debuted at number 7 on the UK Albums Chart. Their latest album also features a collaboration with Matt Berninger of the National. Recently CHVRCHES released the song “Here With Me” in collaboration with electronic DJ Marshmello.

I’ve never been a huge CHVRCHES fan, but I did watch their performance on the live stream in 2016. I remember being really impressed with Lauren Mayberry’s stage presence. I’m hoping to see them live for the first time this time around. They play Sunday and I’m sure they’ll be on the Main Stage or the Outdoor Stage if previous performances are any indication. I’ve casually listened to CHVRCHES over the years and as a casual listener here’s my best recommendations on what songs to listen to so you’re ready to see the band play their third Coachella:

1. The Mother We Share
2. Leave a Trace
3. Miracle
4. Recover
5. Clearest Blue
6. Get Out
7. Here With Me (Marshmello ft. CHVRCHES)
8. Gun
9. My Enemy
10. We Sink

Almost two years ago I wrote a post about A R I Z O N A. It was about 3 years ago that I started listening to the band, not the state. They weren’t that big at all. I saw them perform in the fall of 2016. They opened for Hayley Kiyoko at a 450 person capacity venue. Neither were that big. Flash forward to last summer, both bands joined Panic! At the Disco on their Pray For the Wicked Tour arena tour. A R I Z O N A played to a packed Bud Light Stage at Lollapalooza and Hayley Kiyoko joined Taylor Swift onstage during Taylor’s summer tour after simultaneously selling out her U.S. headlining tour. It’s safe to say both A R I Z O N A and Hayley Kiyoko have come a long a way. Last year Hayley played her first Coachella. This year it’s time for A R I Z O N A to visit the Coachella Valley for the first time.

Since releasing their debut album, the band has played numerous other festivals as well as going on their own headlining tour in the fall of 2017. Last summer they released two new songs. They also recently released the song “Find Someone” at the end of February. This spring they play Coachella on Saturday. I’m not sure where you’ll find these guys at the festival but I would expect them to play a late afternoon set. I’d also recommend that you get to their set early. If their first Coachella appearance is anything like their Lollapalooza set last summer, it will definitely be crowded. Out of all the bands on the lineup this year, this is one that I’m most familiar with and high on my list of bands I’d love to see perform at the festival. I’ve been following the group for a while so I know quite a few of their bangers. Here’s what you need to know to be ready for their Coachella debut:

1. Oceans Away
2. I Was Wrong
3. Electric Touch
4. Find Someone
5. Freaking Out
6. Where I Wanna Be
7. Feed the Beast
8. Annie
9. Ain’t Gonna Leave
10. What She Wants

Last on the list of bands playing Coachella 2019 that I’ve already wrote about is Gryffin. Since playing his first Coachella in 2017, Gryffin has released several more singles and part of his debut album Gravity. The second part of the album is due to be released this year. The first half was released in December 2018.

Since getting into electronic music, I’ve always been into Gryffin. After previewing him in 2017, I learned just how cool his live performances are since they incorporate instrumentation along with standard electronic artist DJ production. I didn’t get to see him perform at Coachella in 2017, but I did get to watch his Lollapalooza set that summer. It was great. I’m eager to see what he has in store for his second Coachella especially now that part of his debut has been released with the other part on the way. He plays Saturday. I would expect his set to be at the Sahara Tent in the afternoon or early evening. I’m not sure how many people to expect, but the Sahara Tent is one of the most popular stages at the festival so give yourself enough time to get a good spot. To get you ready for Gryffin’s set, here’s what you need to listen to:

1. Tie Me Down
2. Feel Good
3. Whole Heart
4. Desire (Years & Years Remix)
5. Heading Home
6. Love In Ruins
7. Nobody Compares to You
8. Remember
9. Just For A Moment
10. Bye Bye

Coachella Band Preview: Zedd

In 1 month today we will be on the brink of Coachella 2019. Campers will be coming in. Hotels will be filled. That anticipation of another year of Coachella will fill the air. It will be similar to Christmas Eve with one exception: Coachella lasts 2 days longer than Christmas. I guess you can say that for any highly anticipated music festival, but trust me, Coachella is a special place in the festival world. That being said, there’s only 4 more weeks to learn the tunes of your favorite Coachella acts before they’re performed live on the Polo fields. This year I haven’t been as stoked for many of the electronic artists as I was last year. Most of the electronic acts I’m excited for this year fall on that indie electronic spectrum and are bands, not DJs. However, I decided there is one electronic DJ I’d like to see this year and that’s Zedd.

Anton Zaslavski, better known as Zedd, is an electronic DJ and producer. While growing up, he received formal training on instruments such as piano and drums and was part of a band. He got inspired to start making electronic music because of French electronic duo Justice. He first entered the EDM scene around 2010. He released two tracks on the website Beatport which included an original song and a remix of Skrillex’s “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites”. After that he began remixing songs of well-known artists such as Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, and the Black Eyed Peas.

In 2012 Zedd signed with Interscope Records and released his debut album Clarity. The album included the hit singles “Spectrum” featuring Matthew Koma and “Clarity” featuring Foxes. “Clarity” has since gone on to receive Platinum status. Zedd also received a Grammy for “Clarity” for Best Dance Recording. In the following years, Zedd went on his first headlining tour and sold out venues across 5 continents worldwide. He also released several more singles like “Stay the Night” and “Find You” in addition to producing songs for the likes of Lady Gaga on her 2013 album Artpop.

Zedd’s second album True Colors was released in May 2015. In the lead up to the album release, Zedd released the single “I Want to Know You” featuring Selena Gomez and the single “Beautiful Now” featuring Jon Bellion. Zedd embarked on his second world tour in 2015. Since then, he has released singles routinely. Some of those singles include hits like “Starving” feautring Hailee Steinfeld and Grey, “Stay” with Alessia Cara, and one of 2018’s biggest hits “The Middle” featuring Maren Morris and Grey. Zedd hasn’t released an album in 4 years, making him due for one soon.

Zedd plays a house/electro house style of electronic music. He draws influence from classical, dubstep, and progressive house music as well. At this point though, Zedd’s music can even be considered pop because his hits have become pretty mainstream. In fact, there’s a bunch of electronic artists that fit that category too since electronic music has risen in popularity in recent years.

I usually write about how I became a fan of the artist I’m previewing, where I first heard them, or some sort of story about them, but honestly I’m not a huge fan of Zedd. I just know a lot of his songs because many of them are very mainstream. I will say “The Middle” became a guilty pleasure of mine last spring and “Starving” was another guilty pleasure in late 2016. It was actually one of my favorite songs to play on guitar for a while. I know Zedd’s music well enough that if I were to pick any electronic DJ to see this year, it would be him. I think his set will be fun to be at and it’s sure to have a huge draw as well.

Zedd plays Sunday at Coachella 2019. This year will mark his 4th Coachella appearance. In 2012 and 2014, Zedd played at the Sahara Tent. In 2016, Zedd was the Outdoor Stage headliner on Saturday night. If Zedd isn’t the Outdoor headliner again, he most definitely will be playing the Coachella Main Stage right before Ariana Grande. In fact, we might even get a Zedd and Ariana collab during one of their sets since they did team up on Ariana’s “Break Free” in 2014. You might already know a ton of Zedd’s music, but in case you didn’t, here’s what to listen to in preparation for his Coachella 2019 set:

1. The Middle
2. Clarity
3. Starving
4. Happy Now
5. Stay
6. I Want You to Know
7. 365
8. Lost In Japan Remix (originally by Shawn Mendes)
9. Spectrum
10. Beautiful Now

 

 

Coachella Band Preview: Maggie Rogers

We’re almost at the 1 month countdown until Coachella 2019 Weekend One. As per the usual, the hype for me is real! Over the last month or so, I periodically secured my travel plans to the point that I’m almost ready to go. I hope everyone else has done the same. Mostly I just hope you all have been focusing on the music. Today I’m previewing an artist I didn’t initially plan to write about when figuring out my previews. About a month ago, I watched this artist cover a Whitney Houston song on Youtube and I was shook.

Maggie Rogers, from Easton, Maryland, got involved in music from a young age. She played the harp, piano, and guitar while growing up in Easton. While in high school, she attended a Berklee College of Music summer program and won the program’s songwriting contest. She recorded her first album as a senior in high school at the ripe age of 18. She self-recorded her it, The Echo, in a broom closet. She released it in digital format back in 2012. Rogers released a second self-recorded digital album Blood Ballet in 2014 as a student at NYU. Her big “claim to fame” happened in 2016 though when she recorded the song “Alaska” for a master class with producer and artist Pharrell Williams. A video of Williams listening to the song went viral in June of 2016.

Rogers released her first EP Now That The Light Is Fading in February 2017. She began her touring career shortly before that and played the Jimmy Fallon Show in anticipation of her EP release. She also played several festivals in the summer of 2017 including stops at Firefly, Glastonbury, Lollapalooza, and Outside Lands. She continued touring and playing festivals into 2018 playing at Boston Calling, Governor’s Ball, Reading and Leeds. She also joined Mumford & Sons as the opening act on their Delta Tour in late 2018.

She recently released her debut studio album Heard It In a Past Life on January 18th, shortly after she was announced as part of the 2019 Coachella lineup. The album features her hit “Alaska” along with other singles “Light On”, “Fallingwater”, and “Give a Little”. I know it’s early but I’d expect Rogers to get a few Grammy nods in the coming year. She’s that good and her style is unique.

Speaking of that, Maggie Rogers style of music combines dance music, folk, R&B and pop. It’s more art pop than anything. She had a background in folk music, but got inspired by dance music during her college days. Her latest studio album definitely adds a more pop sound to her music though, yet it somehow still stays true to her musical roots. Her vocals aren’t overly powerful like you might hear from pop artists like Adele, Florence Welch, or Banks, but yet it’s still so beautiful. Her vocals are trance-like and dreamy similar to that of Lana Del Ray.

I first heard of Maggie Rogers when I saw that she was opening for Mumford & Sons. I worked one of their shows in December and they brought Maggie out to join them in their song “Awake My Soul”. From that performance I knew she had a killer sound but I didn’t really give her music a shot until hearing her cover Whitney Houston’s “I Want To Dance With Somebody”, which she truly made her own. I started listening to her the next day on Spotify and then purchased her studio debut on vinyl right before I left for my second trip to Mexico.

Maggie Rogers plays Saturday at Coachella on her first visit to the 20 year festival. For the second year in a row, Saturday’s lineup seems stacked. After selling out her headlining tour this spring, I’d expect her set to be late-day to evening on the Main or Outdoor Stage. Even as a Coachella debut artist, I expect her set to be packed. Regardless of the time or place, I’d get there early for a good spot. I need to listen to more Maggie Rogers just as much as you might at this point, so here’s what I’ve been listening to on repeat:

1. Alaska
2. On + Off
3. Dog Years
4. Light On
5. Give A Little
6. Fallingwater
7. Overnight
8. Burning
9. The Knife
10. Retrograde

(Honestly just listen to all of Heard It In a Past Life!)

Coachella Band Preview: Bob Moses

We’ve made it through another month! One more to go before April arrives and everyone ventures out to the Coachella Valley for the 20th Coachella Valley Arts & Music Festival. I can hardly wait! I hope you’re as hyped as me. Since the lineup dropped, I’ve been purposefully holding off on previewing this band because they’re one of the top acts I’d like to see this year and I wanted to save some of those acts for the coming weeks.

Bob Moses is comprised of Canadian duo Tim Howie and Jimmy Valance. The band formed in 2012 in New York City though. Both band members are from the same area of Vancouver, BC. They went to the same middle school and high school, but never really hung out much during that time. They were both into similar styles of music too. It took a fortuitous random meet up while both lived in NYC to bring together what is now known as Bob Moses. The band was named after Robert Moses, who was a prominent figure in NYC history involved in the building of Shea Stadium and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.

The duo released their debut EP Hand to Hold in 2012 when their group was still playing warehouse shows in NYC. They signed to Domino Records in 2014 and released their debut album Days Gone By the following year. Their song “Tearing Me Up” gave the band some notable status earning the group a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording, while the remixed version of the song by RAC won the Grammy for Best Remixed Record, Non-Classical. The song also reached number 16 on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart. The group was hand-picked to play on the Ellen Degeneres Show in 2016 and also played the music festival circuit that year which included appearances at SXSW, Ultra, Coachella, Gov Ball, Bonnaroo, Glastonbury, Lollapalooza, and Austin City Limits among many others. After touring and playing festivals through 2018, the group released their second album Battle Lines in September 2018.

Their music style combines electronic and indie/alternative music. That style seems to be a theme with a lot of Coachella acts I’m previewing/interested in this year. Although the electronic/dance sound in their music is  certainly evident, I feel like the rock beats are very heavy in their songs. Their music blends both genres so well that it, much like Mansionair’s sound, creates a sensual, low-key style of club music.

I started to pay attention to Bob Moses when my friend Noah mentioned his interest in them after they were announced as an artist at a music festival run by a company we both work for. I heard their song “Back Down” and liked it in the fall without knowing it was their song. When I realized it was a Bob Moses track, I decided to download the song and add it to my fall work out playlist. Since they were announced as a Coachella artist, I’ve been listening to them much more. I even considered buying their latest album, but have not yet made that purchase.

2019 will be the group’s second Coachella performance. They played a late afternoon set at the Gobi Stage in 2016 and a surprise Do Lab set during Weekend 1. I expect they’ll play a similar size stage this year but at a later set time or a similar set time on the Main or Outdoor stage. I’m not sure how crowded their set will be, but I’m sure the draw will be bigger than their last time at Coachella.  If you’re into electronic indie style music or even just electronic or indie music, you should check them out. Here’s some songs you should listen to before heading to their set:

1. Tearing Me Up
2. Back Down
3. Nothing But You
4. Too Much Is Never Enough
5. All I Want
6. Heaven Only Knows
7. Enough to Believe
8. Before I Fall
9. Selling Me Sympathy
10. Talk

Coachella Band Preview: Janelle Monáe

Another week in Mexico and another week wishing I was in Southern California instead. Don’t get me wrong I love being in a warm climate in the winter, I just wish there was less humidity here. California has that kind of weather and they have it year round. We’re a little under 2 months away from Coachella now. The clock keeps ticking. The weeks become less. The planning intensifies and the time to listen to this year’s performers decreases. This week I’m previewing a female powerhouse who will be playing her second Coachella.

Janelle Monáe Robinson better known to the world as just Janelle Monáe hails from Atlanta, Georgia. She was discovered in Atlanta when she was 18 by rapper, songwriter, and producer Big Boi of Outkast fame. Monáe was born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas though. Upon connecting with Big Boi, she was signed to Bad Boy records in 2006 after Big Boi’s friend and fellow artist and producer Sean Combs (Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Diddy) decided to take a chance on her. She initially released her first EP prior to her signing with Bad Boy, but her debut was then re-released with a slightly different title Metropolis: The Chase Suite (Special Edition). The record included two bonus tracks as well. It was received so well that Monáe earned a Grammy nomination for Best Urban/Alternative Performance for her single “Many Moons”.

Janelle Monáe’s debut album The ArchAndroid was released on May 18, 2010. Since her initial idea with Metropolis was to create a concept album that was to be released in 4 parts, The ArchAndroid contains parts 2 and 3 from the concept. The album debuted at number 17 on the Billboard 200 and earned Monáe another Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album.

She released her sophomore album The Electric Lady in September 2013. The album continued with the same sci-fi theme as its predecessors. The album debuted at number 5 on the Billboard Top 200. It was just prior to her album released that Monáe played at her first Coachella in 2013.

In 2015, Janelle Monáe created her own independent label Wondaland Arts Society (now known as Wondaland Records) in conjunction with Epic Records. Along with 4 other artists signed to her new label, the EP The Eephus was created. Monáe contributed to the EP with the song “Yoga”. She also collaborated with Nile Rodgers & Chic that year on the song “Pressure Off”. 2016 brought Monáe a new type of entertainment exposure when she appeared in Academy Award nominated films Moonlight and Hidden Figures. Prior to her film debuts, she voiced the character Dr. Monae in Rio 2.

Janelle Monáe released her third studio album Dirty Computer on April 27, 2018. It included the release of what was referred to as an “emotion picture”, which was a visual representation of the songs and story of the album. It debuted at number 6 on the Billboard Top 200 and has since received 2 Grammy nominations for Album of the Year and for Best Music Video for the song “Pynk”. Over the last year Janelle Monáe has toured and played the festival circuit in promotion of her latest release, which makes sense of her slated Coachella 2019 performance.

I would define her music as experimental. It’s experimental in the sense that it combines a variety of genres. It obviously infuses R&B, hip-hop, and pop, but also incorporates elements of soul, funk, and new wave. It’s musically advanced and brilliant, especially the concepts behind her music.

Honestly, I knew about Janelle Monáe as an actress before I knew about her as a music artist. Once I started seeing her name on festival lineups in 2018, I realized her talents went beyond film. I was introduced to her music this past fall, when a friend of mine told me to watch the Dirty Computer video. I did. I was impressed and I enjoyed several of the songs. There was also a lot of hype surrounding her from several of my co-worker friends who caught her performing at festivals or in concert last summer. Despite my exposure to her music, I can’t even say I’m a huge fan yet. I like her music, but I haven’t been listening to her constantly. I’ve just heard great things about her live performances, which is why I think her performance at Coachella this year is one that can’t be missed.

Janelle Monáe plays Friday. She’s billed as a top performer. To me, there’s no reason why she wouldn’t be playing the Main Stage right before Childish Gambino or overlapping his set and headlining the Outdoor Stage. Even though this will be her second Coachella performance as a solo artist, it’s not her second appearance. She joined Outkast on stage during their headlining set in 2014 and Grimes in 2016. I think she’s grown in popularity over the last year as well, which means her set will most likely be crowded. I’ll say it again…you don’t want to miss this set. Here’s a few songs you’ll probably hear during it:

1. Make Me Feel
2. Pynk
3. Tightrope
4. I Like That
5. Django Jane
6. Q.U.E.E.N.
7. Yoga
8. I Got the Juice
9. Electric Lady
10. Dirty Computer