Writing about music in lieu of human interaction
Singer and rapper Quashon Sligh releases the single "Me" in advance of his upcoming album. Quashon, whose voice and singing style hearken back to the days when Usher and Ne-Yo ruled the airwaves, channels the latter's "Miss Independent" with "Me." Quashon pays tribute to a woman who's "been through so much"; she's moved from the … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Quashon Sligh – Me
Marissa Sabatucci's Her Royal Lowness picks through the wreckage of a relationship with a two-track single called on the bridge where you left me. The music on OTBWYLM is built around whispering acoustic guitar, and features raw lyrics that outline a former partner's manipulation, addiction, and betrayal. The single's opening track, "Sleepy Apartments," explores the … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Her Royal Lowness – Sleepy Apartments
Swampwalk releases two versions of a tender little track, one stripped down and the other 8-bitted. Swampwalk's first take of "Clouds" combines gentle acoustic guitar, lonely strings, and a ticking electronic beat to create a meditative groove that's just a bit cattywampus, giving it a rough, homespun charm. The second take, recorded live from The … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Swampwalk – Cloud
The Universe Online's fourth release this month is a glitchy, mumbly ballad that sounds like it was improvised in the midst of a lonely night, maybe around 3 AM. Where some Universe Online tracks forego vocals, the human voice takes center stage here, mournfully sifting through phrases and thoughts like an internet-dwelling Gertrude Stein overtop … Continue reading Daily Yinz – The Universe Online – MAD, BOUNDLESS LOVE
DJ Workaholic specializes in a frenetic, supercharged style of electronic music known as "happy hardcore." Workaholic's new EP, Phosphene (released via the Metamind Artistry Collective) contains sugary synths, caffeinated tempos, and gobs of monstrous bass. "Really Nasty," a track built around pounding, merciless drum programming, bludgeons you over the head with a two-note hook (not … Continue reading Daily Yinz – DJ Workaholic – Really Nasty
Where 1970's Italy had Goblin, 21st century Pittsburgh has Zombi. The prog duo's latest EP, Liquid Crystal, was released last week on Relapse Records. Liquid Crystal displays Zombi's skill at creating sweeping, epic instrumental pieces using the classic prog toolkit (see: badass guitars, bombastic drums, cinematic synths). Like the stratospheric manta rays gliding across its … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Zombi – Black Forest
Birds Unltd. specialize in rhythmic, synth-heavy psych-pop music; "Still Holding on to You" is the group's latest single. The track contains five minutes' worth of swaggering guitar, chunky bass, phased cymbals, and buzzing keyboard lines, these elements creating a forceful groove that anchors dreamy, free-floating vocals that express trepidation over a relationship. It's like Franz … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Birds Unltd. – Still Holding on to You
Purchase Steel City Death Club's latest live compilation to support the Mr. Roboto Project, one of Pittsburgh's most treasured DIY spaces. The pandemic continues to wear on artists and venues, so please consider helping to ensure that a pillar of the city's music community makes it through. The compilation itself contains hard-driving live performances from … Continue reading Steel City Death Club – Live @ SCDC Compilation #2
Erika June Christina Laing (whom you may know from Working Breed) strips her sound down from art to alt with Erika June and the Tunes, who recently released their first single. Where Working Breed plays around with high concepts (see: speaking plants, singing saws, and cicada-centric storylines), Erika June and the Tunes take a more … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Erika June and the Tunes – Other Girls
Luwi trades in a mournfully melodic brand of spacious, wavy hip-hop, sometimes eschewing the genre altogether. Luwi's latest single, "Bend & Bruise" (produced by Julio), takes things in a particularly analgesic direction, its slow, curling beats, weeping strings, disorientingly reversed tones, and cavernous reverb combining to create a palpably hypnotic atmosphere, like a depression blanket … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Luwi – Bend & Bruise
