By Carlos Ramirez
The therapeutic nature of music has never been up for debate. Sad? Cry to some country. Mad? Scream to some metal. Happy? Scream to some Metal!
So, what happens when a person training to be a Music Therapist creates? Soothing sounds and lighthearted jabs at relationship norms of course.
Erin Vadala’s tone is intimate, especially at the beginning of her latest song, “Robots”. The lead vocals aren’t a whisper, but they do give the impression of an “indoor voice”. This calm vocal approach is paired with a guitar and no other instruments until the ooos of ghost-like harmonies join with a bassline before falling into another verse. The bare bones of the intro and a few other sections make the build that much more impactful. Each section adds or removes another element – a very engaging approach to the arrangement. Electric guitars and rock beats push the song into a crescendo that peaks after the 2minute mark where Vadala stretches more powerful vocals during within the main melody.
What stands out the most are some unique chord changes. Ending certain phases on minor chords hit the ear just right. Those chord changes along with the harmonies get the listener smiling and swaying before they’ve even realized a vibe has been caught.
As for subject matter… The Bostonian musical therapist described the song as “… a tongue-in-cheek exploration of gender dynamics in relationships”. Hmmm.. Someone in the relationship is acting like a robot unable to open up or ‘process’ emotions? Or! Based off the line “… it’s cute to be stupid/Robots are hot” maybe a robo-himbo? Humor is a great healer as well after all. Seems Erin Vadala’s approach to music – at least on her latest track – is to make sure the listener is soothed and giggling.
Check out “Robots” below, or find it on the Alchemical Records Multigenre Mixture playlist on Spotify.
Carlos Ramirez is a broadcaster from the DC region and lover of all things performance art with experience in theatre, television, and radio. Carlos believes one of the most important details that makes music magical is the culture. Supporting the artist is just as important as enjoying their art. Therefore, when he’s not on the air, you can find him at every open mic, hole in the wall, and basement show in town. @LosOnAir
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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
By this point in his life, Foghat founding drummer Roger Earl has visited quite a few doctors. But what may be surprising is that the percussionist, 77, is quick to point out that many of the medical professionals who have worked on him also enjoy rocking out.
“Nearly all the doctors and surgeons I know, they all play something: trumpet, sax, violin, guitar,” Earl said recently. “There’s not too many drummers that are surgeons, there’s probably a good reason for that!”
Earl half-jokingly invites his surgeon-rockers to join him and the other members of Foghat onstage at the Fillmore in Silver Spring March 9, where they will be headlining the Rock and Roll for Children Foundation benefit for the Children’s Inn at NIH. Earl, the only original member of Foghat still in the band, will be banging the skins behind guitarist Bryan Bassett and other members Scott Holt and Rodney O’Quinn. “Slow Ride,” the band’s 1975 megahit, is all but assured to be on the setlist, along with tunes from Foghat’s most recent record, “Sonic Mojo.”
When D.C. venues were ready to reopen after COVID-19, indie pop duo GLOSSER was ready to perform. The two, Riley Fanning and Corbin Sheehan, formed the band pre-COVID out of a shared aesthetic vision and passion for music storytelling.
Their first album *DOWNER* was released in January 2023, however they have decided to release a deluxe version exactly one year later containing four new tracks – two remixes, a reimagined song, and a cover – that they are hoping will give it a second life and allow them to continue performing around the area.
The band explains that they have spent many shows opening for touring bands that traveled through D.C. “We made music and then venues started to open again,” Sheehan says. Rather than having the “typical grungy” D.C. band experience, they uniquely went straight to club shows.
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.
