By Daniel Warren Hill
Happy Saturday! It’s time for another installment of our weekly playlist update highlights. These are some tracks that we want to make sure you get a chance to check out, but for one reason or another we were unable to get into more detail about in other areas of our site. Hope you enjoy these as much as I do. Some of the artists below are releasing EPs or LPs tied to the tracks you see below, so be sure to check those out! Find these and more great songs on the Alchemical Records Multigenre Mixture playlist on Spotify and YouTube.
Virginia-based Alt-Rock band Native Love describe the sound of their latest single, “Wayward” as “a mix between Red Hot Chili Peppers and Led Zepplin,” and we couldn’t agree more. This power trio consisting of Thomas Fosdick, Sean Luffy, and Geoff Fosdick produce an entirely unique combination of textures and themes pulling from the two artists mentioned and layer upon layer of influences in between. That’s just for this track alone; a number of previous releases highlight even further musical explorations.
Jay Max has delivered a new and unique twist on “Stickwitu” by The Pussycat Dolls. Max reports he had the original song stuck in his head while collaborating with producer MGNTK and was shocked when he was able to place the melody and timing into perfect phase with the music from the track. The story just goes to show you how important it is to follow wherever your inspirations take you, even as the track sweeps you off your feet in this familiar but modern romance song.
A collaboration between Gelka and talented vocalist Natalie Holmes, “Body is a Home” is an empowering but emoitve body-positive dance track. A new installment of “Body” (from Gelka’s Wishful Thinking LP), “Body is a Home” is as musically spacial as the album art.
The title track from Blake Morgan’s brand new full-length album, “Violent Delights” is a downtempo track filled with tension both musically and lyrically; a song that may be a cautionary tale recognizing the lengths we go for love. Check out our coverage of “My Love is Waiting” and be sure to listen to Violent Delights for the full journey.
Available now on the new released EP ‘Kashimawo’, “That’s What I’m a Do” by UK-based hip-hop artist Kashi Sankara is a high energy track focused on achievement and success in the face of fear and self-doubt. Sankara’s other tracks on the EP are equally as motivating, inspiring, and encouraging.
The lead track from Sweden producer Bjorn Rydhog’s latest EP ‘New Day Coming’ is a happy-mellow indie electro-pop love song that reminds listeners not only to love the one you are with but to adore them. The track has a warm and whimsical feel leaving listeners with all the positive vibes and is a great opener to set the tone of the EP.
Hitting the mark for those who love classic rock and remember it for its blues-inspired roots, “Dirty Water” is a new take on an older original by Tony Valentino of The Standells. Freshly recorded with his new band and featuring Duane Waider on drums and vocals and Gary Kaluza on bass, if you love classic Rolling Stones or Bob Dylan when he went electric, then you’re gonna love this.
We can’t imagine a better introduction to the music of Leah Harris than “Shine”, a Classic Soul & 90s R&B-inspired track with a modern twist. The song is a reminder that you can be anything you want to be when you grow up, and if you have grown up and are not yet what you imagined you would be, there is still time to shine.
“Radical Honesty” by Jet Vesper is best described as Cupid meets Maroon 5. There is nothing but positive vibes in this Alt-Indie R&B / Electro Pop track encouraging you to live life to the fullest and always in honesty with yourself.
DC-based soul/rock band Gordon Sterling & The People have just released another exciting single about living your “Truth” complete with their signature sounds beautifully orchestrating traditional instrumentation into a deliciously groovy song destined to be on repeat.
The title track from Tishmal’s latest 5-Song EP, “You Got so High” is a song that reflects on lost love or a secret love that never had a chance to blossom. The song is emotive but balances the subject matter with driving energy carried by schoolyard hand claps and deep pulsing bass.
American electronic music producer, DJ, and tastemaker Destructo (Gary Richards unveils “All of Me” in collaboration with the mysterious MxNxSTxR. This house track will pump up any dance floor as it describes an infatuation with the possibility of becoming something more.
Australian artist & composer Matthew Liam Nicholson has just released a brand new, full-length, 13 track album Universal Outsider. The final single, “Bodies” is a reflective track exploring the otherwordly nature of human spirituality and our connection to each other, and to all things. While somewhat melancholy, it is incredibly dynamic and nothing like you’d expect unless you are already a fan of Nicholson’s unique body a work.
“Porcelain”, the latest single by Nashville-based, songwriter, singer, and producer Jeni Schapire, is an atmospheric and airy Indie Pop track exists somewhere between the awake and dreaming; a comparison between the person we are on social media and the person we are offline. “Porcelain” is of many recent singles by Schapire that you will want to become familiar with.
Northern-Virginia songwriter, producer, and multiinstrumentalist Jarrett Nicholay has released a brand new song and music video, “What Happens Next Will Shock You” which uses, among other things, examples from The Bible describing end-of-the-world examples and reminding listeners that there are yet future surprises in store for mankind.
Beach-fuzz-psychedelic L.A.-based rock band Velvet Starlings have just released the music video for “There’s Nobody There” from their critically acclaimed 2021 full-length album Technicolour Shakedown. Filmed at the height of the pandemic, the song and music video embodies the feelings of isolation experienced during lockdown. Returning this song to the forefront of listeners’ minds at this time is something of a celebration as the band has just released Technicolour Shakedown on vinyl and is back on tour for a number of festivals and UK tour dates.
The music video for “Feel The Fuzz” by UK artist common goldfish (Jonty Lovell) has a 90’s home video feel that really brings the spirit of togetherness and community through music to the forefront of this funky, groovy-filled track. In addition to a street performance in a graffiti-filled skate-park, viewers are treated to common goldfish’s psychedelic infused sounds throughout shots of smiling, head-bobbing participants you can easily imagine yourself as.
A Pop Punk anthem by female-fronted Philly band Stud Count, “Through My Window” is about the risks of letting someone into your world as much as it reflects our past selves. Complete with leather jackets, former presidents, and converse sneakers, the music video authentically expresses all the punk vibes conveyed in the audio. Stay tuned for Stud Count’s forthcoming LP later this year.
Daniel Warren Hill is an American musician, writer, and motivational speaker. He is best known as the frontman for Washington DC area Alternative Rock band YellowTieGuy, as co-founder of Capitol Groove Collective, and increasing the exposure of artists on a global scale through his work with Alchemical Records.
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Alchemical Records is a Washington, D.C. based music publication. We cover the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA metro area music scenes, including band interviews, articles about your favorite musicians, new music and concert dates.
