'I WANNA DO DRUGS' / CHANEL & THE CIRCUS: REVIEW

September 22, 2020

by emma schoors

Chanel & The Circus’ “I Wanna Do Drugs” is a fun and upbeat tune, accompanied by an equally eclectic music video, that reminds us of the fun of live music.

The song is relatively simple in subject matter: drugs. However, the vocals and mending of drums and techno-beats hides a relatable and sort of rightfully depressing lyric: “I wanna forget everything.”

In these past several months, many of us have missed the pure fun that comes with live music, and this track is reminiscent of the way that shows can allow people to forget about life for a while. On more literal terms, the song is about drugs and falling in love.

The music video showcases plenty of color and visual stimulus, and is the perfect counterpart to the song.

Chanel & The Circus have provided an easy and relatable tune for anyone missing the rush of normal life.

'NOBODY GETS ME (LIKE YOU)' / WALLOWS: REVIEW

September 9, 2020

by emma schoors

“Nobody Gets Me (Like You)” is one of Wallows’ most unpredictable musical and visual endeavors yet.

Braeden Lemasters carries the vocals of this track as the main character in the band’s coordinating music video. The video, a continuation of “OK,” the band’s last single, is a creative play on romance and parties. It includes countless quotable moments, which fans are sure to make inside jokes out of. It’s a hodge podge of color and sound, and it works perfectly against the backdrop of the new track. The band has entered a new phase in their career, complete with a new sound and a much larger fan base, and they’ve entered that phase with ease.

One look at the band’s latest Spotify playlist, fittingly entitled “quarantunes,” lends you a clue about their influences: Tame Impala, ABBA, and Vampire Weekend, just to name a few. But there’s something distinctive about Wallows that transcends the sum of their parts.

Maybe it’s their rightful bravery and willingness to experiment with different sounds, or their heartfelt dedication to their fans. Maybe it’s their willingness to speak out against injustice and fight for just causes. There’s no way to truly pinpoint one thing that makes the band incredible, because it’s a mixture of hundreds of things.

That’s the unfiltered beauty of Wallows: you can’t pin them down to one genre, or one lyrical matter, or one targeted audience. They’re available to anyone willing to listen, and over the past couple of years, countless fans have taken up that opportunity.

I remember driving past Amoeba Music in Hollywood the week that Wallows was set to debut their first EP Spring, and the pure magic in the air that came with knowing that somehow, someway, the band was going to make it big. Seeing their name on the record store’s signature marquee was electrifying, and that excitement has only grown since then.

If you haven’t yet, consider taking a gander at “Nobody Gets Me (Like You).” Worst case scenario, you’re not into it. Best case scenario, you find a new band to love.

'ROSE' / SUSAN: SINGLE + MUSIC VIDEO REVIEW

August 8, 2020

by emma schoors

Susan’s latest single, “Rose,” is a beautifully executed track about self love and self understanding. It is the fourth track off the monthly released project cleverly titled “suepreme.”

Exploring a range of complex topics perfectly, “Rose” evokes a deeply unsettling emotion; one that’s reminiscent of confusion surrounding one’s self. Though this confusion takes up some of the subject matter, it does not last long. The song is also, on the opposite end, about understanding on a deep level who you are, no matter the environment you grow up in, or the challenges you face. This development is much needed in music, and to see it approached so well is a breath of fresh air.

The track is backed by a music video directed by Charles Maddocks and Susan Reby. For anyone looking for an interesting and well thought out song about love and understanding, “Rose” is a great place to start.

'DON'T TOUCH THE QUEEN' / KEZAR: MUSIC VIDEO REVIEW

September 20, 2019

BY MIKAYLA LAWLESS

“Don’t Touch the Queen” is the newest music video to come out of the indie pop band Kezar. It focuses on seven fierce women who come from various professions, from a computer science initiative director at Google, to a film director.

The song was actually inspired by an incident that was witnessed in a club. The band’s front member, Jack Mosbacher, was speaking to a woman when a man who was drunk stumbled up to her and groped her. She immediately punched the man in the face and stated: “Uh-huh. Don’t touch the queen.” It was a wildly empowering moment to experience, and that's when the project was born.

The music video begins with each woman introducing herself, explaining who she is in this world. Each scene shows each woman in her daily life; taking care of the kids or directing a film. Throughout the video, each woman puts on beautiful dresses and gowns, framing their faces with crowns made of flowers or gold. Lyrics such as, “she is a victory, she is a legacy,” give power to the message being made. One specific moment in the video that sparks chills throughout all of its viewers is when all the women confidently place their crowns — made of leaves, flowers, or even pearls — on top of their heads. In comes a wave of confidence, and most importantly, a sense of control. Too often, women are made to feel as though they have no authority over their own lives. They feel as though they cannot change their lives, that they are stuck living as the same person everyday. Wearing their own individual crowns shows their individuality.

The end is definitely one of the most breathtaking pieces of art this video has to offer. All seven women walk up the stairs, a few carrying gasoline and lighters. They ultimately end up in front of a plaque, seemingly having set fire to it. The plaque is meant to symbolize all the hardships they have been through, personal and in society. It is an incredibly moving message of how these seven women decided to take control of their lives in spite of what the universe was throwing at them — and it insists that anyone else can do it, too.

"Don't Touch the Queen" by Kezar. Buy + stream the song here: https://ffm.to/kezardttq Directed by Sarah Wilson Thacker.

'BILLBOARDS' / AIMEE DEBEER: SINGLE + MUSIC VIDEO REVIEW

May 31, 2019

BY BRE CURA

We are all searching for answers, to know more about who we are, and to find solutions for problems we cannot remedy on our own . When presented with quick and easy ways to become someone, we start to lose pieces of ourselves. Aimee deBeer’s new single, “Billboards”, takes a deep look at the insecurities and doubts that humankind is left with in our current culture. Upon first viewing the music video paired with Aimee deBeer’s poetic tune, immediately the viewer is drawn in by the beautifully orchestrated videography and editing technique. With the first verse echoing the solemn phrase, “Everything is beautiful, and no one feels the pain,” deBeer walks in solitude down an empty highway, as rolling hills provide the backdrop for her dreamy environment. Pictured around her, almost interrupting the serenity of her world, are towering billboards, reading things like “skinny me” and “you don't need questions when we’ve got all the answers”. Alluding to the underlying message surely to come in the following verses, these slogans portray the values society deems important enough to plaster on the billboards we see. Painting a picture of what our culture convinces us of, that we should care about the method of a temporary solution, so long as it makes us feel better in the moment. A powerful chorus is heard as more and more billboards appear throughout the scenery. A certain mantra throughout the song, listeners are again presented with the powerful line, “Everything is beautiful, and no one feels the pain”. Written on some of the billboards are advertisements for pet clonings, and other ways to escape the harsh realities we all must face (such as the death of a pet, human interaction, and basic necessity). The line, “Got a problem, go get stoned. Prescription overload. Just numb all the devils that haunt me,” reflects the idea that in today's world, so many people escape their emotional and physical needs by drowning themselves in remedies provided by people only looking for a monetary gain, and whose intentions might not always be pure. While the video itself seems to be based in one location, it is all that is needed to portray the powerful implication within the song. deBeer has done a fantastic job of summarizing a monumental message in a way easily understood by anyone who might listen to the track, or watch the music video. The end of the video reveals a spaceship rising above the hills, and Aimee flashes off the screen, leaving the end of the story up for some interpretation. “Billboards” is a great reminder to not let yourself be defined by what the world insists you should be, and to focus on values you truly believe in.