Writing about music in lieu of human interaction
Matt Dickun is a Pittsburgh composer--currently residing in Thailand--who leads the jazz outfit Dikon. Thommy Knoles: COPY CAT, one of Dikon's recently released EPs, was designed to sound like "Thelonius Monk, only with Bootsy Collins was playing bass and Madlib was the musical director." "Almost Blues" is a strong encapsulation of this ambitious synthesis; it's … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Dikon – Almost Blues
Rapper Moemaw Naedon and producer C.Scott's September project, River Rats, emerged from days and nights spent outdoors on the banks of the Allegheny. As is often the case with these artists' work, River Rats is dusty, sample-heavy, and gritty, a real throwback hip-hop record. The meditative, jazzy "Owls in the Sun," which brings Driving While … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Moemaw Naedon & C.Scott – Owls in the Sun (feat. JM the Poet)
Death metal quartet RITUAL MASS recently released "DESCENT/SEPULCHER" (Steel & Bone Productions) a crushing two-part single. RITUAL MASS prefers to put their band name, album and song titles, and even lyrics in all capital letters, an appropriate move for a band whose music is forceful, heavy, and LOUD. "DESCENT/SEPULCHER" is a punishing, seven-minute track broken … Continue reading Daily Yinz – RITUAL MASS – DESCENT/SEPULCHER
Rapper Juss Jala continues her run of ferocious verbal beatdowns with "Vapor Rub," a single released in August. The track positions Juss Jala's flows-- cold and serrated as a steel bread knife, as always--against looped piano, knocking bass, and subdued percussion. The atmosphere is menacing; Jala fills her bars with boasts that double as put-downs … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Juss Jala – Vapor Rub
Lindsay Liebro is a Pittsburgh high school senior whose rousingly defiant single, "Wasted Potential," recently went viral after being confused for a Taylor Swift leak. "Wasted Potential" would stand on its own even without the boosting by confused Swifties; it's an irresistibly catchy power-pop anthem that positions journal-scrawled (or, rather, notes app-typed) yearning overtop a … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Lindsay Liebro – Wasted Potential
Fortune Teller, a psych-rock duo consisting of guitarist Giovanni Orsini and drummer J.J. Young, are due to release a new album, Collapse (Steel City Death Club), in October. "Metal Earth," one of two singles released in advance of Collapse, is an apocalyptically sludgy maelstrom of a song that turns the doom knob up to 11. … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Fortune Teller – Metal Earth
Rappers G Kiddo, Bolt, and Baby Swervin unite for the celebratory "Watchu See In Me." The track sees the emcees trade melodic verses back and forth, delving into their values, goals, and accomplishments. The three work as a unit, each one riffing on the song's central refrain ("Tell me what you see in me/Why you … Continue reading Daily Yinz – G Kiddo x Bolt x Baby Swervin – Watchu See In Me
The dream-poppers of Flower Crown recently released "The Billy" in advance of their album Heat, due out September 24th on Crafted Sounds. The single is a buoyant power-pop anthem that uses chiming, major-key guitars, resonant drums, misty synths, and stacked layers of vocal harmonies to convey a sense of blissed-out optimism; Mojave 3 would be … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Flower Crown – The Billy
Kinetic are an ensemble, led by pianist Joe Sheehan, whose pieces weave together traditional Ghanaian folk songs and original chamber music. For Kinetic's most recent release, Dances of Lake Volta, Sheehan reworked a number of pieces from the group's 2018 album, Songs of Lake Volta, and then added several new ones for good measure. One … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Kinetic – Another Day
Dream-poppers The Real Sea follow up June's swooning "Paper Machete" with "Jeong Kwan," premiering this morning on Bored In Pittsburgh. The single pays tribute to the titular Seon Buddhist nun and vegan chef, a woman who uses simple, homegrown food to explore the eternal. The song hits like a sunrise--slight at first, and then radiant--starting … Continue reading Daily Yinz/Premiere – The Real Sea – Jeong Kwan
