Eliot Lipp gives us a twofer with “Know By Now” and “Guitar Maniacs” this New Music Friday. Is it that time already? We have new music by Bslime, doing everything in his power to keep the Young Stoner Life name alive; a fun and quirky breakup anthem by Eline Noelia, a remix from Heartracer, and an organic song about existing between worlds by Sofia Gillani. As usual, you can find all this and more on the Alchemical Records Multigenre Mixture playlist on Spotify and YouTube. Be sure to follow the playlist for excellent new music daily.
Even though we love instrumental music it holds a special place in our hearts, we don’t have a history of featuring instrumental music on our publication very often. So it’s very exciting to be sharing these two recent releases from Eliot Lipp’s forthcoming LP, Encounters, available later this year. “Know By Now” actually does have a soul-infused vocal performance sampled throughout, which lends the song something of a Moby feel. In “Guitar Maniacs” the guitar and synth fill the space for vocals might reside. There is so much personality throughout his music that, even in the absence of vocals, the spirit and feel remains clear. It’s no wonder the folks at BBC 6 Music, FIP, Pitchfork, Indie Shuffle and Magnetic Mag have shown their support for Elliot Lipp in their publications. His talent for mingling multiple influences into one song without watering down the ‘message’ is exceptional.
Commenting on the songs contained in Encounters, Eliot says,“I’ve been wanting to make this record for a long time. I’m always curious how much personality I can add to a beat while still keeping it mellow. As much as I love synthesizers and drum machines, the real stars of this show are the pianos, guitars, flutes, strings, and acoustic drums. The organic textures really resonated with me while I was writing melodies. I think those textures allowed for something more delicate than I’ve made in the past.
Atlanta Rapper Bslime’s new single “Baguette (feat. Persona Jackson” presents so well from top to bottom. The boomiest of bass lines thumps aggressively while the repetition of the keys captures our attention at the higher frequencies, bringing the vocal performance to the forefront of the mix, remining listeners that “the finer things in life aren’t obtained easy.” “Baguette” sets out to prove that YSL is in safe hands for now and the future, and we can’t deny. I might as well have put this track on repeat; I found myself coming back to it so many times. We expect hip-hop fans the world over doing the same.
“I’m Good” by Eline Noelia is the best way to celebrate a breakup. The song turns the tables on the topic by casting aside the spiral into sadness in exchange for sass, swagger, and a truly positive and uplifting vibe that indicates it is for the best. Eline Noelia of Tønsberg, Norway presents some of the best power-pop we’ve had the pleasure to have on our radar. We’re big fans of this track’s huge dynamics and the variety of instruments used to create the environment in which Eline’s vocals truly shine. “I’m Good” is Noelia’s fourth release (and our favorite so far) since signing to Warner Music Norway in November 2021. The track is preceded by “Don’t Pray For Me”, “Shockwave”, and “Ecstasy”, all available now wherever you wanna rock out or dance, your choice.
The original version of “Edge of My Heart” is more of a ballad, certainly delivering a slower feel that brings out the song’s thoughtful nature. However, the St. Lucia Remix brings the track onto the dance floor with a more progressive feel. Either way, this track about positive relationships and their power to shape us certainly has complexities and layers to it that will hopefully highlight the versatility offered in the production and classic pop songwriting of Heartracer. The band’s modern sensibilities merge with their influences (Tears for Fears and Aha) may result in landing on a number of charts within multiple genres.
Niall McCabe brings us the beautiful and elegant story of the “Stonemason” in his latest single. McCabe’s vocal performance and finger-plucked guitar are certainly the centerpieces for the tale of an “immigrant worker dreaming of a home and love he can no longer return to” inspired, says McCabe, “the men who left Ireland in the 50’s to build the great cities of the world”. The atmospheric arrangement that joins in later is purely icing on the cake as the strength of this song is already so clear within a few measures. We expect Niall McCabe from Clare Island off the coast of Co.Mayo will be added to your list of favorite folk singer-songwriter storytellers.
“Writing ‘Won’t Be One’ was totally organic,” says Sofia. “It was what I was inspired by at the time, and this song actually helped define the artistry behind Sofia Gillani, becoming unbound by any genre or style”. We love the way the song so clearly resonates between the worlds of pain and positivity. you. “There’s healing in pain, and there’s loss, and there’s gain”. “Won’t Be The One” is thoughtful and reflective, perhaps event meditative; the marimba-like instrument throughout lends the track an almost worldly vibe. Born and raised in London, now in Surrey, Gillani has released four songs since 2020, each with their own videos, and her single ‘Water Run Dry’ has been featured by BBC Introducing. We think listeners will be thoroughly taken with her authenticity.
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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Recent Articles March 21st. A day that I will always think of amazing album releases. DC-based musician, producer, and singer-songwriter, Rachel Levitin, released Witty Banter
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.
