Writing about things that do and don't exit
Mitcham Tuell's Mome Rath project (named for the tiny, two-legged puffballs from Alice In Wonderland) infuses dance music with a jittery, unsettling energy. Mome Rath's debut release, Kitchamajig, contains vaporous melodic swells, fast-twitch drum programming, brass accents, and a few garbled vocal samples. "Sunlit," the album's second track, is both its strangest and most subdued … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Mome Rath – Sunlit
In September, noise-poppers Barlow celebrated the 10th anniversary of their first set by releasing an album called Walls of Future. Even though Walls of Future's title wouldn't sound out of place affixed to a big-budget Marvel picture, the album itself, like so many of Barlow's others, is gloriously lo-fi. Recording at home using Logic and … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Barlow – At Home
Rapper Shamar recently released the introspective "Overcasted" in support of his new album, Overcast Thoughts. "Overcasted" is one of those straight-talk tracks: no hook, no refrain, just bars, delivered in a relentlessly steady cadence and backed by a misty instrumental. Shamar touches on a lot over the course of the song's three and a half … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Shamar – Overcasted
Bishop Ivy's new EP, parasocial, explores loss and loneliness through the lens of glossy electronic pop. Imagine if the two Justins (Bieber, Timberlake) got their hearts broken, teamed up, and went on a Shlohmo binge; parasocial resembles the fruits of that hypothetical collaboration. Digitized drums boom, pulses of bass worm their way beneath darkly sleek … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Bishop Ivy – CAN’T IMAGINE
Canary, a duo whose gossamer ballads recall slowcore stalwarts like Low, released a four-track album called Here in early October. Here contains a blend of acoustic and electronic instrumentation, the two elements tied together by Helena P. Nichols's vocals, which range from new-agey to baroque (albeit a super downtempo offshoot of baroque) in nature. Opener … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Canary – Fools
A.D. Showcase describes itself as "a group of creatives who came together to create a space for other like minded individuals and display their art. Rather, it's music, dance, painting, etc. Our focus is the artist and their success." This Friday, November 19th, A.D. Showcase is hosting an event in Homestead called The November Project, … Continue reading A.D. Showcase – The November Project
Glo Phase, a producer who moved from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles earlier this year, recently released a new record on the 100% Silk label. With each album, Glo Phase consistently manages to balance crystalline gloss and soulful warmth, and Early Moments is no different. Misty keyboard tones wash over beds of crisp, organic-sounding percussion, like … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Glo Phase – Ice Sleeper
Think Good Audio's Michael Haynes was hospitalized earlier this year with a severe case of COVID-19; his October release, Breathe, wordlessly chronicles the harrowing experience. Breathe's ten tracks, each less than two minutes long, lead the listener through the doors of the ICU, past beeping ventilators and disembodied gasps for air, and into the light … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Think Good Audio – day by day
Producer Nice Rec, whose tag you may have seen affixed to tracks by any number of Pittsburgh rappers and singers, goes the solo route with September's Drink The Blue Sky. The album's Bandcamp page features a quote from Russian author Yevgeny Zamyatin's We, a dystopian novel whose story revolves around the inhabitants of a totalitarian … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Nice Rec – Cold Blood
Scratchy Blanket, a quintet that specializes in emotive indie rock, recently released an affecting single and video called "Bloom." The song, which guitarist Harrison Thurman describes as "taking inspiration from punk stalwarts Tigers Jaw and local heroes Adventures," is a clear-eyed look at a relationship that seems to have run its course. Singer Shannon Keating, … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Scratchy Blanket – Bloom
Bored In Pittsburgh 