Just before lockdown last year, Matt Tarka had finished tracking a few songs he’d planned on releasing throughout 2020. The shutdown proved to be a blessing in disguise for Tarka, who was able to continue fine-tuning his compositions. Among Tarka’s new songs is “Good Morning, Sympathy,” a poppy and upbeat tune absolutely baked with a certain sense of much-needed optimism.

The Northern Virginia artist who goes by the handle Music Giff has spared no influences on his most recent album, “Bad Love.” The touches of gospel, blues, R&B, funk, and even country are sprinkled liberally on a compelling new album from this unique musical talent.

It’s been a long, strange trip for Music Giff, who in a former life was an Army helicopter pilot. Even while serving the nation, he knew he someday wanted to be a songwriter.

“It started in flight school as a stress relief. I didn’t play the guitar at the time, so it was all lyrics and belting out melody into a Casio mini recorder. Yes, a mini cassette recorder,” Music Giff said. “Honestly, I surprised myself.”

Since 1978, Canada’s second favorite prog rock sons SAGA have been rocking nonstop. Over their four decades in existence, they have sold over 10 million albums around the globe. In America, they are best known for their hits “On The Loose” and “Wind Him Up” from the 1981 album “Worlds Apart.” To celebrate the release of their compilation album, Keith Valcourt caught up with SAGA’s founding member (and longest running player) Jim Crichton from his home in the great white north to discuss SAGA’s long career, the effects of having a hit record, and why their U.S. label wanted a “Hot Chick” on the cover and not “an old guy with a map.”

Like New Order? Depeche Mode or their less popular cousin band
Camouflage? How about early Nine Inch Nails without all the screaming?
Of course you do. That is why you need to know about the Washington, DC based musical collective known as Data Recovery Project or DRP for short. Led by synth head C.P. Kush (Keyboards and Vocals) and featuring Daniel
Hill (of Yellow Tie Guy fame) on additional vocals, keys and guitar, the duo play danceable retro pop through a series of programmed beats and keyboard riffs. Lyrically they are affected and reflective about the world around them. Providing a dark danceable soundtrack for these dystopian times. I caught up with CP at home in D.C. to input some data into the machine and discuss influences, vibing and a made-up character called “Safety Bear.”

It’s funny how an artist can often be linked to a city or regional area. For Juliana Hatfield that area is Boston, Massachusetts or more specifically the neighboring Cambridge, Mass. It seems appropriate that the woman who started her career in the “College Rock” band The Blake Babies would be identified with a town known for two of the world’s most well-known institutes of higher learning Harvard and M.I.T. After going solo Juliana released a slew of cool records. She also spent time as a part time member of Boston’s favorite sons: The Lemonheads playing bass and singing backup on their breakthrough album, “It’s a Shame About Ray.”

When Jamie Darken first began writing the songs that would appear on his debut solo EP, Burial, he imagined he was crafting demos for Cherry Ames, a local Washington DC area indie-rock band that Darken performs as vocalist, guitarist, and bassist. With Cherry Ames on hiatus amidst the global shutdown and performing in venues unavailable as an option, Darken’s drive to make progress with the ideas on his own eventually brought the tracks to the place where it simply felt right to release as his own project. The result is five songs written, produced, and performed by Darken, with the exception of leading single “This Could Be Your Home” co-written with fellow DC area musician Christopher Mathews-Larsen.