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Everyone knows RUNN from her heart-shattering collaborations with such producers as Illenium, Steve Aoki, Seven Lions, Dabin, Au5, Kai Wachi and so many more. She’s had several big records recently, but now she’s got what could be her biggest yet as “How To Be Happy” sees her return to solo releases!
“How To Be Happy” is one of those songs that is catchy in all the right ways. Her subtly playful tone portrays a web of emotions that are complex enough to strike the soul of any adult, while the melodic bedroom pop style as a whole is something someone of any age can vibe to. It’s always a special time when singers we recognize from some of our favorite producer hits release solo music and we hope you enjoy this one as much as we did. Definitely worth some real estate in your Spring playlists.
New York’s house maestro Rich Furniss has just came out swinging with his masterful original “Game On.” The disco inspired gem is just the right kind of song you need for your playlists as the weather starts to warm up.
Right from the start, you already know just how groovy things are going to get. Rich’s alluring production takes a minimal approach, but he manages to add a certain level of complexity with a plethora of sounds and samples dancing and weaving through the mix. If there was one record we’d deem to call this year, it’d be this one. With a couple of heaters out already this year, Rich is setting himself up nicely to make a major splash once this year is through. Make sure to add “Game On” to your playlists and stay tuned for more!
PS, if you’re still into downloads you can get this one free!
Singer, songwriter and actress Aliana Lohan is making her return to music with the soulful cinematic single “Without You.” This gospel inspired original sees her soar and re-establish her space within music after a public hiatus, although Aliana has been working her magic behind the scenes continuously writing.
“Without You” is powerful, yet chill with orchestral instrumentation that gives the song a larger than life feeling to it. Aliana’s performance is stunning, at first luring you in with a subtle verse that explodes into a hook that will leave you with goosebumps. As the weather starts to turn cold, this is just the right kind of song you want to cozy up with as you stay warm inside. Expect more from Aliana as we move into the new year as she has some other releases already locked in. On top of that, she’s also set to return to acting in an upcoming Christmas romantic comedy alongside her sister Lindsay. Big moves incoming!
I haven’t written a blog review/write-up/article/whatever the hell you want to call it in what feels like… well, a long ass time. But Petey, otherwise recognized as PeteyUSA on TikTok, has ripped me out of my journalistic retirement with his twelve track debut album Lean Into Life released on Terrible Records. Even if only one person becomes a fan from this I’d feel accomplished, because this LP is just that good and Petey is just that type of honest talent that deserves everyone’s attention.
We’ve all been going through it this pandemic, and a lot of us have seen numerous changes in our lives that have really just beat us down. Whether we’re using humor, alcohol, food or music to persevere, we’ve all got plenty of crap to cope with and Petey offers up an extremely authentic expression that not only gives us a peak into his relatable life, but a vastly dynamic musical escape and an anthem that will give you a kick in the toosh to push back when life is feeling like the villain of your movie.
Lean Into Life as described by Petey himself is “of the indie-rock variety,” but it’s so much more than that. Sliding through styles with ease, Petey does follow a sonic centerline but infuses a lot of electronic instrumentation into the mix for a clean balance of the organic and synthetic.
What strikes me most about Petey’s music is his authenticity. That word is thrown around a lot but it’s not until you come across someone like Petey you realize what that actually means. We can describe it, we can repeat the definition, but the term’s true nature isn’t something that’s really quantifiable. Not to get too hippy dippy, but it’s truly felt and I can certainly feel it pulsating through from start to finish on this LP.
As someone who was born, left and returned to the Golden State, I can 100% live by Lean Into Life‘s first track whose chant “I’d rather be depressed in California” which has become my go-to answer for everyone who’s asked me about moving elsewhere.
Following up are a string of my other favorites including the quirky “Apple TV Remote,” the previously released hit “Pitch A Fit!” and the heartfelt love anthem “Don’t Tell The Boys” which has literally made me cry several times while listening and thinking about my own girlfriend.
But the song that sticks out to me the most as one of the most genuine, fun, funny, sad, awesome, and unique songs is the title track “Lean Into Life.” It’s a 5 and half minute journey that is structurally different from usual expectations and is the aforementioned masterpiece that has become a mantra for my own life. Petey does everything right on this one and gives us what I imagine is his most deeply personal song. It’s minimal, yet cathartic, it builds in all the right ways. Despite showing vulnerability, it feels like this song – and the full LP – were loads of fun to craft. I could go on and on forever, but I don’t want to bore you with my adoration as you can plainly see I believe Petey to be a special musician.
Petey wants to just be a guy making stuff, and that’s something I can get behind. With lifeless brands taking over, it’s nice to see a genuine creative take the stage and deliver something extraordinary, yet down-to-Earth. I hope Lean Into Life hits you as hard as it did me, and make sure to also check out PeteyUSA on TikTok if you’re into alt-comedy. I could do a whole other review about his hilarious antics as one of my favorite TikTokers, but let’s leave it to the music for now. Enjoy.
Sony Music Asia has a new endeavor that is proving to be quite the cultural powerhouse. Sakura Chill Beats is Sony’s new Youtube channel where they are highlighting talent from across the world by giving them the exclusive opportunity to officially remix some of anime’s biggest hit theme songs. Their latest is from Tokyo Machine, who took on KANA-BOON’s hit song “Silhouette” which is the theme for the internationally acclaimed Naruto.
Tokyo Machine delivers a smash hit of a remix that certainly lives up to the legendary status of the original song. We totally understand that music in another language can be hard for some to enjoy, but Tokyo Machine really did a number on this one and created something that sounds so fun that it’s hard not to enjoy. So go on ahead and drop this one into your gaming, driving, partying or whatever other kind of playlists that you got rolling.
It’s always a pleasure to share a smash hit debut from a new artist and that’s just what we have here from California’s David Frank. Just a head of his wedding in a few weeks, David has dropped his folk pop anthem “When You Know (You Know).” This is for all the lovers out there!
Catchy from start to finish, “When You Know (You Know)” establishes David as a strong new act that has potential to make it as far as anyone. He’s already established himself as a super songwriter working with the likes of Kygo, Merk & Kremon and more, but now David gets to shine on his own, and boy does he shine. Even if you’re not coupled up with a partner, “When You Know (You Know)” still pulls at your heart strings. Drop this one in your Summer playlists and let your friends know that David Frank is here and he’s got plenty more to come.
If you’ve been paying any attention, you’ve likely noticed that I haven’t posted anything in well over a year. In fact, very few people have posted on TMN recently. We won’t get into reason why, as today we’re focusing on why we, or rather I am back with another post.
Call it serendipitous. Call it kismet. Whatever you label it with, it’s a strange and rather comical reason why I’m here, writing up a song. It all started four nights ago, as I was watching the Nuggets’ playoff game, enjoying a cocktail, and scrolling through NBA twitter. In a moment of jubilation, celebrating the Nuggs somehow stopping Dame Lillard from sinking an endless amount of threes, I tweeted something snarky. That snark (seen below) was followed up by a brutal ratio from a guy named Jack–a Trailblazer fan and one half of the Portland-based SUNDRESS.
After a bit of playful Twitter sparring, we both followed each other, and came to find out that he had read TMN in high school. And, that I was a big fan of what Jack and Khal were making.
So, that’s why we’re here today, taking a peek at their latest release, a remix of long-time TMN favorite The Knocks‘ latest tune, “R U High?” Loaded with vibes for days, this flip of what was originally a moodier piece is reimagined as more of a warm weather take. Driven by well-sampled vocal cuts, and a fresh lead synth that walks the line of feeling trop, without going overboard, this stellar remix is primed for this weekend’s Memorial Day pool party.
This is SUNDRESS’ third release, but more are on the way soon. I recommend following them across your favorite social channels and staying tuned in. I’ve had the pleasure of previewing it, and they’re pretty damn fantastic.
I guess the only thing I have left to say to these two is Go Nuggets. See you on Twitter for the rest of the series.
