Writing about music in lieu of human interaction
KELS, the brassy-voiced singer/songwriter, will be performing her debut EP, Slow Ryde, this Friday at Millvale's Mr. Smalls. The EP's title track is a mellow, R&B-tinged bounce that sees KELS address a significant other who, even when feelings run cold in the midst of turmoil, is able to "pull me in, make me feel again." … Continue reading Daily Yinz – KELS – Slow Ryde
Singer/songwriter Michael Berginc performs as Reliable Child, and recently released an EP under the moniker. Some Blue Imagination II contains four tracks that range from polished pop-rock to acoustic balladry to Mazzy Star covers. "Twenty One" is one of the ballads; it's built around gently swaying guitar chords, droplets of piano, and swishing drums, and … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Reliable Child – Twenty One
Last month, up-and-comer Gabriella Salvucci released her self-titled debut EP on Misra Records. As one could have inferred from listening to its two lead singles, Gabriella Salvucci is filled with close-mic'd guitar strums, rich vocals, and warm pop hooks. "October," my favorite track from the EP, incorporates a light dose of baroque, featuring sighing background … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Gabriella Salvucci – October
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
Singer/songwriter Adam Merulli recently released volume 2 of Schoolhouse Sessions, a series of intimate live tracks recorded under his A-Money & the Downtown City moniker. "D'Olier & Grafton" is named for two streets in Dublin, Ireland, where Merulli spent time a few years ago while studying abroad in Paris. The song, a reflective number led … Continue reading Daily Yinz – A-Money & the Downtown City – D’Olier & Grafton
KELS's, latest single, "No Lie.," is a love song that would sound at home in any decade. KELS has one of those timeless voices, the kind of pipes you associate with a Winehouse or a Duffy. "No Lie." has the vibe to match; it's a gentle ballad that mixes touches of R&B, jazz, and traditional … Continue reading Daily Yinz – KELS – No Lie.
Kelsey (the mononym of Pittsburgh singer/songwriter Kelsey Hillock) released her second single, "Middle School," in June. "Middle School" was born on the back of a crowded boat in the Philippines, inspired by a Shanghai-based crush that sent Kelsey reeling back to the days of notes passed in class and handholding by the water fountain. What … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Kelsey – Middle School
Singer/songwriter Sheridan Woika releases the cathartic "I Explode" as the first single from his upcoming album, Playing House. Exemplifying Woika's penchant for confessional balladry, the song rides swells of organ as it builds from a hushed acoustic reverie into a soaring ode to combustible inner turmoil. Horns join in after a while, buoying Woika ever … Continue reading Song Premiere – Sheridan Woika – I Explode
Pittsburgh-based singer/songwriter Morgan Erina makes autumnal music that gives off that feeling of warm, comfy sadness. Erina's latest single, "Are You Happy," conjures some serious "For Emma" vibes, especially the interaction between acoustic and slide guitar, the former instrument delicate and precise, the latter silvery and glinting as it flows down over the fingerpicked latticework … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Morgan Erina – Are You Happy
Dejah Monea is a Pittsburgh singer/songwriter who recently dropped one of the more scathing breakup tracks I've heard in a while. "Fuck You Very Much" is a smooth, slow-burn rebuke of a lyin', cheatin' partner, an archetype as old as music itself. Monea is mad as hell at someone, and she's willing to go into … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Dejah Monea – F*ck You Very Much
Bored In Pittsburgh 