Categories
Female Lead Music Religion

The Top 5 Unheard

1.Oslo by De Joie
De Joie really captures the joy of thriving where you belong. Listening to this song put a smile on my face and I hope it will do the same for you.
written by Dallas Fluegel
2.Disclosure by The Silent Critics
When I first heard The Silent Critics I was hooked. The music and lyrics were interesting, but the vocals were breathtaking.

written by Dallas Fluegel
3.If Only You Knew by An Atlas To Follow
An Atlas To Follow is a magical song that you will not regret listening to. Get yourself into your best music environment and enjoy the music.
written by Dallas Fluegel
4.Alaye by JKS Sundar, JKA Shalini
Our only foreign language song (so far) is made for U.S. radio. If you like the current EDM trend you’re going to want to hear this.
written by Dallas Fluegel
5.You Are Mighty by Melonie Caudle
This song truly captures how amazing and mighty God is. His unfailing love are things that we all need to be reminded of on a daily basis. I hope you get as much from this song as I do.
written by Shaina Hawkins

You can go directly to our Top 5 playlist on Spotify or YouTube.

Categories
Massachusetts

Unheard Boston, Massachusetts Music

The Blue Between Us by The Novel Ideas

The Novel Ideas are a quartet from Massachusetts. This country folk band of friends describes their music as ‘pastoral, harmony, and plaintive Americana.’ However, I would just call it folk with a tinge of country. Currently The Novel Ideas have 4,398 monthly listeners on Spotify allowing them to be the focus of this week’s artist spotlight.

The Novel Ideas debuted their first album in 2012, a nine track collection of folksy goodness. My favorite song of the this album is The Blue Between Us. A tribute to the wonderful place we all call home. Enjoy your next four minutes of life by listening to The Novel Ideas’ The Blue Between Us. Lyrics and Commentary Below.

Lyrics (Courtesy of LyricFind)

Well my mind’s still limber but my heart’s grown old
From the time I left the only place I know
And it makes me happy we didn’t get let go
I couldn’t stand to see our love just decompose

Now I’ve been walking home nearly every night
And here’s to everyone I ever loved but had to leave behind
For the one thing I can’t find though I’ve been looking half my life
And it’s damn hard to explain but I will try it if you like

If you ask me once I’ll tell you so
That the blue between us never felt so cold
And I miss the folk singers from the days of old
When a three-chord song could save your soul

And no I’m never on time least that’s what I’m told
So why’s everything feel like it moves too slow?
And if I were scared I wouldn’t let it show
‘Cause if I die tonight I’m not going home

Why’s it seem so wrong to miss the town you love?
When there’s just one state that you cannot stop thinking of
I wouldn’t say I’m patriotic but I think that’s what I’ve become
Sometimes it takes where you are not, just to remember where you’re from

Was it my fault that I meant every single word I said?
When I told you it was not the end
And if everything goes wrong, I hope we can get along
If I lost you I would lose my best friend

And now we’re weathering the storm, side by side we’re looking on
It takes a certain kind of love to bear this load
But it’s not the tired romance of the open road

Commentary

I’m not sure why, but I love a song filled with grief. The desire to be somewhere, something, or even someone else can be conveyed so well in music as compared to other art forms. You can experience the distress of the artist in the combination of vocals, instruments, and lyrics that can’t be matched in a brush stroke, chapter, or picture.

The vocals and feel of this song pair perfectly together to express the distress of the singer. A person whose pleasant angsty voice magnifies the lyric’s message of longing. The soulful harmonies give the song depth while the honest lyrics portray a bold authenticity. The singer is nearly embarrassed with his intense feelings for missing home, but I find it endearing.

Here’s a novel idea.

Sometimes the things we are embarrassed by are the same things that endear us to our loved ones and watching world.

What do you think?

The Novel Ideas can be followed the on Facebook or Twitter. You can purchase their debut album on Amazon and iTunes or give directly to them to show your appreciation on bandcamp. I have bad news; as of September of 2018 The Novel Ideas are no longer a band, but you can still enjoy their music on Spotify and YouTube.

If you liked this song you might also like our article on We’re Okay by ghostbird.

Categories
Oklahoma

Unheard Oklahoma Music

All Because of You (feat. Graham Colton & Lindsey Ray) by Sooner The Sunset

Sonner The Sunset is Graham Colton & Linsey Ray of Oklahoma. They released their one and only album in 2012 titled Sonner The Sunset featuring a pop-folk set of songs that are catchy and fun. Currently, Sooner The Sunset have 65 Monthly Listeners on Spotify making them a perfect candidate for our Artist Spotlight.

Sooner The Sunset excelled at love songs. I enjoyed the electric-pop feel of Love is Landing, and I just adore the humming involved with Helium Heart; However, I wanted to introduce you to my favorite song of theirs, All Because of You. A sweet song that I like to pretend they made for each other, but who knows. Enjoy.

https://youtu.be/GeOjJEIs4yo

LYRICS (courtesy of songmeaning.com with a few corrections)

Left the door wide open
Didn’t have a clue
Thought that I had locked it
The lock was broken too
In you came like summer rain
Filling up my heart and yours too

I got all these symptoms I can’t describe
Tell me is there something that can be prescribed
All these nights of losing sleep
Left me in this state my heart goes

Pitter pat
I’m tongue tied
I’m feeling all these butterflies
My mouth is dry, can hardly speak
My heart keeps playing hide and seek
I think I’m coming down with something, love-sick kind of flu
I’m working up a fever and it’s all because of you

Do do do do do do (x3)
All because of you

I’ve been dead I can’t kick
No matter how hard I try
My knees are getting weaker and I can’t deny
Falling faster Falling deep
Felt it from the start
My heart goes

Pitter pat
I’m tongue tied
I’m feeling all these butterflies
My mouth is dry, cad hardly speak
My heart keeps playing hide and seek
I think I’m coming down with something love-sick kind of flu
I’m working up a fever and it’s all because of you

I’m in love
It’s all because of you
(I can’t keep from falling) x8

Pitter pat
I’m tongue tied
I’m feeling all these butterflies
My mouth is dry, can hardly speak
My heart keeps playing hide and seek
I think I’m coming down with something love-sick kind of flu
I’m working up a fever and it’s all because of you

Pitter pat
I’m tongue tied
I’m feeling all these butterflies
My mouth is dry, can hardly speak
My heart keeps playing hide and seek
I think I’m coming down with something love-sick kind of flu
I’m working up a fever and it’s all because of you

Do do do do do do (x3)
All because of you

Commentary

What is there to say? This is just a lovely song. I really love the idea of blaming the other person for your feelings. Normally, I would considerate that irresponsible, but here it is sweet. It’s kind of funny how the same concept can be both horrible and wonderful.

If you listen with really good headphones during the ‘I’m in love, it’s all because of you” bridge you can hear a sort of conversation going on in the background. This is an interesting concept to me. I do not understand it, but it definitely gives the song an extra bit of warmth. It is so soft I can’t make out any of what is being said, but i’m sure it is lovely.

You can listen to the entire album of Sooner The Sunset on Spotify or follow them on Facebook. You can purchase this song or their album on Amazon or iTunes. Graham Colton and Lindsey Ray both have solo careers which you could check out on Spotify as well.

If you like this song you might want to check out our article on The Soorleys.

Support Us

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Categories
Female Lead India

This Song Stands As A Positive Force In A Time Great Darkness Across The World, Unheard Chennai, India Music

Alaye by Jak Sundar, JKA Shalini

Jak Sundar is a producer from Chennai, India. He is a huge fan of Machael Jackson’s music and it is with this inspiration that Jak has set out to make pop music. In his song, Alaye, Jak enlisted the help of singer JKA Shalini. Shalini is also from Chennai, India where she lives with her husband and kids. Jak Sundar has 1 monthly Spotify listener, and JKA Shalini has 608 monthly Spotify listeners making them a perfect duo for this week’s artists spotlight

Alaye is a song that has popular electronic music themes infused throughout the track like Shalini’s haunting voice, synthesizers galore, and an epic beat. It’s a song that belongs on the radio, and I hope it will take off in the United States soon. Since I am only a (sub-par) master of one language I reached out to JKA Shalini and she was kind enough to give me the lyrics of the song, which were then translated by a wonderful user of Reddit. But first, enjoy Alaye by Jak Sundar & JKA Shalini. Lyrics and Analysis below.

https://youtu.be/nwRUybTzjl8




Lyrics (in Tamil)Lyrics (English Characters)Lyrics (translated by ashokramach of reddit)
வானம் பொழிகின்ற மழைநீரே வா
சாலை நனையட்டும் நீ செல்ல
தூரம் கடக்கின்ற கடல்மீனே வா
வேகம் குறையாமல் நீ செல்லு

இங்கு தேடல் ஆயிரம் உன் இடம்தேடி வா
ஒரு பாடல் பாடவே உன் கதை சொல்லு

நில்லாமல் முன்னேறிச் செல்லு…
எதிரிகளை உன் பின்னே தள்ளு…
விழுந்தாலும் எழுவேனென்று சொல்லு…
நீ தொடுவானம் தொடும்தூரம் செல்லு…

அலையே உன் ஆற்றல் தாராயோ
அடியேன் இவன் நடைபோட
நிலவே உன் ஒளிதனை தாராயோ
நிலத்தில் இவன் கரைசேர…

நில்லாமல் முன்னேறிச்செல்லு…
எதிரிகளை உன் பின்னே தள்ளு…
விழுந்தாலும் எழுவேனென்று சொல்லு…
நீ தொடுவானம் தொடும்தூரம் செல்லு…

அலையே அலையே அலையே அலையே
அலையே அலையே உன் ஆற்றலை தர வா
நிலவே நிலவே நிலவே நிலவே
நிலவே நிலவே உன் ஒளிதனை தர வா

அலையே உன் ஆற்றல் தாராயோ
அடியேன் இவன் நடைபோட
நிலவே உன் ஒளிதனை தாராயோ
நிலத்தில் இவன் கரைகள் தான் சேர…

அலையே அலையே அலையே அலையே
அலையே அலையே உன் ஆற்றலை தர வா
நிலவே நிலவே நிலவே நிலவே
நிலவே நிலவே உன் ஒளிதனை தர வா
Vaanam pozhiginra mazhai neerea vaa
Saalai nanayattum nee sella
Dhooram kadakinra kadal meenea vaa
Vegam kurayaamal nee sellu



Ingu thedal aayiram un idam thedi vaa
Oru paadal paadave un kadhai sollu

Nillamal munneri sellu
Edhirigalai un pinne thallu
Vizhundhaalum ezhuvenendru sollu
Nee thodu vaanam thodum dhooram sellu



Alaye un aatral tharayo
Adiyen ivan nadai poda
Nilave un olithanai tharayo
Nilathil ivan karai sera



Nillamal munneri sellu
Edhirigalai un pinne thallu
Vizhundhaalum ezhuvenendru sollu
Nee thodu vaanam thodum dhooram sellu



Alaye alaye alaye alaye
Alaye alaye un aatralai tharava
Nilave nilave nilave nilave
Nilave nilave un olithanai thara vaa



Alaye un aatral tharayo
Adiyen ivan nadai poda
Nilave un olithanai tharayo
Nilathil ivan karaigal than sera….



Alaye alaye alaye alaye
Alaye alaye un aatralai tharava
Nilave nilave nilave nilave
Nilave nilave un olithanai thara vaa
Welcome the rain that comes down from the sky
Let the road get wet for you to go
Welcome the sea fish that swims far
You go without slowing down



Among a thousand searches find your place
Sing a song and tell your story


Go forward without stopping
Push the opponents behind you
Say that you will get up even if you fall
Go as far as you can touch the skyline



Let the waves give the energy
For him to walk
Let the moon give the light
For him to reach the shore



Go forward without stopping
Push the opponents behind you
Say that you will get up even if you fall
Go as far as you can touch the skyline



Oh wave after wave after wave after wave
Come wave after wave to give the energy
Oh moon oh moon oh moon oh moon
Oh moon oh moon come to give the light

Let the waves give the energy
For him to walk
Let the moon give the light
For him to reach the shore




Wave after wave after wave after wave
Come wave after wave to give the energy
Oh moon oh moon oh moon oh moon
Oh moon oh moon come to give the light

Meaning (from the Artist)

“This song portrays the struggles of a young boy who is bullied and harmed by people
around him, which in turns makes the boy stronger and equips himself to face his struggles with the help of his affectionate brother… This song is dedicated to all the young children to grow up in life stronger and face all the hurdles in life.” ~ From the Youtube Description

Commentary

This song stands as a positive force in a time great darkness across the world. The human race is being bullied by its own members and the forces of nature. This song can serve as motivation that despite being knocked down we can always get up, learn from our mistakes, and face the issues at hand.

Let us therefore face the day with new strength. May you bring courage into your heart. May you fight for justice. May you be a force of peace in your home, neighborhood, and city. And finally, may you end this day knowing the world is at least a tiny bit better because of your actions.

If you’re interested in more music by JKA Shalini you can follow her on Facebook, Spotify, Instagram, or Youtube. JKA Shalini, herself, requests you take a listen to one of her newest songs, Alaathi.

You can follow Jak Sundar on Facebook, Spotify, Instagram, Youtube. You can buy Alaye on Amazon by following this link.

Huge thank you to ashokramach, who took the time to translate this song from Tamil to English.

Categories
Religion Tennessee

Unheard Nashville, Tennessee Music

Breathe Again by Swingin Hammers

Nashville Tennessee’s Swingin Hammers is Benjamin Rupe, father, husband, and a shockingly authentic human being. Ben describes himself as a fighter by nature and his mission is to “challenge unto life.” What does that mean!? I’m sure we can find out. Swingin Hammers currently sits at 6,473 monthly Spotify listeners making him a prime candidate for our artists spotlight.

Swingin Hammers released his self titled album in 2017 and Quite, Vol 1 in 2020. The song that really got my attention was Breathe Again from the Album Swingin Hammers. It is a raw, heartfelt ballad expressing deep, emotional truths. The song is simple, but stunning. It can have me nearly in tears and smiling in the same 4 minutes. There is so much I can say about it, but Benjamin was kind enough to tell me about the song and I will share that with you after you give the song a listen. Lyrics, Meaning, & Commentary below.

LYRICS (Courtesy of jesusfreakhideout.com)

Stepping out into the light
Look around you say it’s alright
It hurts to peel the bandage off
But I see now just what it costs

It’s like I can breathe again
It’s like I’ve got a heart within
It’s like I can feel again
Just learning to breathe you in

When I was clear, oh so honest
About the doubts and confusions in my mind
You did not, no, cast me down to hell
You just looked at me and you kindly smiled

It’s like I can breathe again
It’s like I’ve got a heart within
It’s like I can feel again
Just learning to breathe you in

Oh cause I been runnin’
Away from confession
I been lookin’ for healing
Where it’s not mine to find
Without the pain of a strong love
That loves enough to wound

It’s like I can breathe again
It’s like I’ve got a heart within
It’s like I can feel again
Just learning to breathe you in

It’s like I can breathe again
It’s like I’ve got a heart within
It’s like I can feel again
Gotta learn to, gotta learn to breathe you in

Meaning (according the author)

“Breathe Again is a song about how excruciatingly painful and how unbelievably freeing confession is. It was written with my porn addiction in mind mostly, but also my previous life in alcoholism as well. At least those are the two most tangible ones that I think of. I remember having to confess that sin of porn over and over again and how every single time it felt like a bandage that just needed [to be] ripped off. It was exhausting and TERRIFYING every time, but it would free me of my sin. All of that’s based off of 1 John 1:7-8. Here: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. All that to say, Jesus is incredibly kind to us.”

Commentary

When the Church is done right it is a breathtakingly beautiful institution. I remember my first taste of confession. I remember being afraid to say what I was going through. I remember being scared of being kicked out of the group. And then I remember my friends responding with a smile and some of the most powerful words in the world, “Me too.”

You did not, no, cast me down to hell
You just looked at me and you kindly smiled

Wow. What a moment. To know that I wasn’t alone in my brokenness meant so much to me. Overtime I have become fully known and fully loved. Being fully known means my church group knows my past and they know my thought life, past and current. They have heard the darkest, most vile thoughts of mine and have welcomed me into their home. It’s crazy. It’s wonderful. It is powerful.

Benjamin says Swingin Hammer’s mission is to ‘challenge unto life.’ I think this means he wants encourage people to not live a life of mediocrity. The life he is imploring us to is one of authenticity and meaning where we can be fully known and fully loved, then fully know and fully love others.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness.” ~ Jesus in John 10:10

If you want to hear Benjamin’s additional commentary on the song you can find it below.

You can find Swingin Hammers on their website or follow them on Facebook, Youtube, or Spotify. You can get a free copy of Swingin Hammers most recent album here. You can buy the self titled album, Swingin Hammers on iTunes or Amazon.

As always feel free to share the music, the website, or maybe even both with your fellow music lovers.

Categories
Music Tennessee

Unheard Knoxville, Tennessee Music

If Only You Knew by An Atlas To Follow

In 2012 An Atlas To Follow released Golden Sun, a six track EP, and toured through 2014. Since then their website has become entirely Chinese and they haven’t posted on Facebook one time. This Knoxville, Tennessee modern indie folk band consisted of Thomas Smith (lead singer), Zac Smith, Amanda Kinney, & Josh Jones. Currently An Atlas To Follow has 6,053 monthly Spotify listeners making them an excellent candidate for our Artist Spotlight.

An Atlas To follow slowly formed into a four piece band over the years of 2009 and 2010. Thomas and Amanda met and discovered each other in a study abroad program in 2009 and started singing together shortly thereafter. Golden Sun was An Atlas To Follow’s only album, although they did release an album under another name in 2010, Suite C.

The first track on the Golden Sun album to catch my ear was Be Kind To Boston. I loved the harmonies and how the song builds up. However, after I dived into the album a new favorite quickly emerged. Enjoy the second track from the Golden Sun album If Only You Knew by An Atlas to Follow. Find lyrics and the meaning below.

Lyrics (Corrected from songlyrics.com)

Let me tell you dear,
I know I said it’s just a story
But the truth is
I write words to form a crutch
to help me get by
It wasn’t my intention to leave
you out in the cold
I wrote this all down and I put it in a song
Cause I found that my words fail me
When I need them most
I’ve got a way with words
But I’m not sure it’s the good kind
Cause I let them get away from me
And I just hope that you’ll find
That your name is hidden somewhere
Deep between most of them

Bah-di-dah-dah…..

I once had a mind to let this run its course
But the wind and the rain had their way with us
Cause something deep inside me said I had to learn the hard way
I’m scared of being alone, but I’m scared to look you in the eyes
And ask you if you’d like to dance with me
Because I’ll make a fool of myself
These words are nothing more than pebbles thrown
In desperation at your window pane
Just hoping that the rhythmic sound
will help you sleep tonight

If only you knew
If only you knew
If only you knew
If only you knew
If only you knew
If only you knew

Bah-di-dah-dah…..

If only you knew
If only you knew
And if only you knew
If only you knew

Bah-di-dah-dah…..

Meaning

I really really like this song. There’s something magical in the bah-di-dahs. It feels like its taking me somewhere. It makes me close my eyes and smile.

I really like to dive into the meaning of a song’s lyrics, but I love it when it artists tells us (most of the time) what the song is actually about. In an interview, An Atlas To Follow expanded on the meaning of the album and what each song meant to the writer.

“Golden Sun” has a lot to do with unrequited love, or rather, unrequited feelings, with the two bright spots on the EP being Call this Home and the title track. Louisiana was born from the frustration of still carrying around the weight of regrets and remorse from a failed relationship. Really it wasn’t a relationship at all; I was just very emotionally involved. The song does it’s best to say without saying that I was tired. Tired of having her in the back of my head every other day. Tired of not being able to move forward due to the delusional hope that something where I was might change for the better. Be Kind to Boston, If Only You Knew and Too Late to Say I Love You all come from the same situation where I had some very strong feelings toward a certain someone but knew that they weren’t shared. If you listen to them in the order listed earlier you can see the thematic arc of the “situation”: from hope to desire to desperation to loss. It all worked out in the end though, she changed her mind… and that album is in the works.”

I love happy endings! I hope y’all did too.

You can find An Atlas To Follow on Facebook, Spotify, or Youtube. You can purchase their album on iTunes or through Amazon. A large portion of this post was taken from an Interview found on sonicbids.com.

Categories
Female Lead Tennessee

Unheard Nashville, Tennessee Soul Music

Marching On by Kyshona Armstrong

Kyshona (KUH-shauna) Armstrong creates empowering music from her new home in Nashville, Tennessee. On February 28th, she released her newest album, Listen. It blends rock, blues, and R&B with uplifting lyrics. Kyshona Armstrong currently sits at 3,549 monthly listeners on Spotify making her a perfect candidate for our Artist Spotlight.

Kyshona’s mission it to heal people. She started her career as a music therapist. She and her clients would write songs together. She even worked with inmates. Eventually she felt the need to branch out and create her own music, but she never forgot her roots. Her songs are filled with empowering, uplifting lyrics to encourage the forgotten and marginalized.

I reached out to Kyshona Armstrong to find out where the song Marching On came from and what it means to her, and she was awesome enough to respond. But first, enjoy Marching On, the 9th song on Kyshona Armstrong’s album Listen.

Lyrics

Many the miles that I have traveled
So much pain I had to rise above
So many dreams have come unraveled
Still waiting for my love

I hear a distant Hallelujah
singing a change is gonna come

I can still find a song in this old guitar
I can still see a light in that dying star
I hear that jubilee choir and its singing into the dawn
Keep on Marching, child
Keep on Marching on
The road it may be long, but keep on marching on

Many the men who have fallen
by the hand of a mighty few
But we can hear their voices calling
children we’ve passed the flame on to you

I hear a distant Hallelujah
singing We shall not be moved

I can still find a song in this old guitar
I can still see a light in that dying star
I hear that jubilee choir and its singing into the dawn
Keep on Marching, child
Keep on Marching on
The road it may be long, but keep on marching on

I can still find a song in this old guitar
I can still see a light in that dying star
I hear that jubilee choir and its singing into the dawn
Keep on Marching, child
Keep on Marching on
The road it may be long, but keep on marching on

I hear a distant Hallelujah
singing We shall Overcome

I can still find a song in this old guitar
I can still see a light in that dying star
I hear that jubilee choir and its singing into the dawn
Keep on Marching, child
Keep on Marching on
The road it may be long, but keep on marching on

Diving Deep

I really dig the electric instruments in this song with the persistent beat. This instrumental combination gives the song a lot of power which is only amplified by Kyshona’s dynamic vocals. Kyshona was kind enough to give me details about how the song was created and how the meaning has changed for her in light of recent events.

“Marching On was written following a conversation with my co-writers, Simon Gugala and Jason White. Simon had the chorus in mind and it got us thinking about all the things that are lost when we chose to only focus on lack.

In the time of protests and pandemic, this song had taken a more pointed meaning that no matter how long the road and difficult the journey, we must continue to march for those that came before us and for those that follow our lead. Shifting our focus from what is wrong with the world, to what we can purposefully do to make it better.”

Yes. We can all look around and see that something is wrong with this world, but let’s not stop there. Surely there is something we can do to purposefully to make it better. What’s the first step?

Listen.

Kyshona Armstrong Performs Marching On live on Lost River Sessions

Visit Kyshona Armstrong’s website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Spotify.

Categories
Female Lead Pennsylvania

What Did She Say?

My Very Own You by Little Big League

Little Big League is an Philadelphia rock band consisting of Michelle Zauner (guitar & vocals), Deven Craige (bass), Kevin O’Halloran (guitar), & Ian Dykstra (drums). They released their debut album These Are Good People. in 2013 and Tropical Jinx in 2014. Since then Zauner moved back to Oregon to be with her mother who was diagnosed with cancer and the band has not released an album since. Currently Little Big League sits at 8,255 monthly listeners on Spotify making them a wonderful candidate for our Artist Spotlight.

Little Big League is best described as Rock-N-Roll. They have mesmerizing guitar solos with a wonderful ability to compose a song. Michelles vocals are… unique. Taken by themselves I would consider them adequate, but the band does a good job of mixing them in, using them as an instrument to tie the song together.

Their best song is My Very Own You, a short 2 minute track from their debut Album. I hope you enjoy. Lyrics and commentary below.

Lyrics (courtesy of genius.com)

Tell me all the parts I conquered first
Cause I know your kind, you’re a bad, bad girl

My very own you

Show me every inch they couldn’t reach
I will bring and claim bricks to build my place

My very own you

Tell me who
Who, who?
Tell me who
Who?

My very own you

Commentary

I love this song; musically it really resonates with me. It starts with this very interesting guitar riff, hits hard with the vocals and drums, then quickly changes the pace. During the break down Michelle’s ‘who who who’ are great. But my favorite part is the explosion of music at 1:37. Overall, it’s a beautiful 2 minutes.

I struggle with the meaning of this song. I think it could be about how we all fool ourselves in our infatuation with new partners. We fall for our own version of people, rather than who they really are. We make each person into my very own you.

In a similarly naive way we may even see ourselves as our new partner’s white knight – Tell me all the parts I conquered first… Show me every inch they couldn’t reach. I will bring and claim bricks to build my place. This is easy because they are just reciprocating our infatuation. We seem like everything they have been looking for, but really they are just making us into they’re very own us.

I think if everyone asked more questions at the beginning of relationships then maybe there would be less hurt in the world. It would prevent us from being disappointed because our partner didn’t live up to who we thought they were. It reminds me of a quote I once heard in my pre-marriage class, “resentment comes from unmet expectations.”

You can follow Little Big League on Twitter and Facebook and buy their music from iTunes or bandcamp. As always I would really love it if you shared this or another article from The Unheard with your friends. If you really love this song/vocals you can find Michelle’s more recent (lo-fi) music under her new stage name Japanese Breakfast.

Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Big_League_(band)
https://genius.com/Little-big-league-my-very-own-you-lyrics

Categories
California Female Lead

Doing Better Than My Best

Wasted by Chelsea Williams

Chelsea Williams grabbed my attention in college when my girlfriend at the time introduced me to I Stole Your Boots, a song that quickly found its way into my iTunes cart and recently played playlist. In search for my next post I thought about that song from many years ago and was very pleased to find the Chelsea William had released a new album just last month. Chelsea Williams is by far the most acclaimed artist we have featured and currently sits at 5,523 monthly listeners on Spotify making her a great candidate for our Artist Spotlight.

After listening through her new album, Beautiful and Strange, I found myself really enjoying her upbeat, pop country sound. Her vocals are well done, the lyrics are interesting, and the unusual instruments sprinkled throughout the record give the music a fun flair. She describers her music as, “Americana with a bit of modern pop, topped off by a healthy dose of reckless abandon…” Agreed.

Red Flag, Skin and Bones, & Beautiful and Strange are all good song from her new Album, but I present to you Wasted. Lyrics and Commentary Below. Enjoy

Lyrics

Stepped on one too many cracks
Did I break your back
I don’t want to tell the truth anymore
Tired of pinning down the facts
You can paint them black
And I’m feeling kind of cruel keeping score

AhhhHHHhhh x4

Change my name and my address
Can’t get further west
Still there’s something tugging at my sleeve
Doing better than my best
To outrun this mess
But somedays you just got to scream

AhhhHHHhhh x4

Well I don’t want to be a fool for you hunny
But right now you’ve got me wasted
I don’t want to be a fool for a you hunny
But right now you’ve got me wasted

Writing letters, writing hits
But nothing fits
You got one foot hanging out the door
So role the credits call it quits
We’re on the fritz
I can’t keep waking up on the floor

AhhhHHHhhh x4

Well I don’t want to be a fool for you hunny
But right now you’ve got me wasted
I don’t want to be a fool for a you hunny
But right now you’ve got me wasted

AhhhHHHhhh
right now you’ve got me wasted
AhhhHHHhhh
right now you’ve got me wasted

Commentary

Lucky for us Chelsea Williams shared her thought on this song via her website, so we do not have to guess at the meaning. The song Wasted is “about a destructive relationship that needs to have its plug pulled…”

Despite the subject matter the song has a cheery disposition and is even quirky at some moments. This is a reflection of what Chelsea Williams sees when she looks at the chaos in the world. “The overarching theme of Beautiful and Strange is that regardless of all the lies flying around and clashes in ideology, I still think that there is an exquisite charm and beauty to all of the chaos,” explains Chelsea Williams.

One of my favorite things about this song are the rhymes. I know I’m an old soul, but it feels like current music has gotten away from this and it’s nice to hear a song lean so heavily on rhyming. I also really love, what I can only guess is, the tuba. The song is already fairly fun, but the Tuba gives it a little quirk. I like quirk.

Let’s follow Chelsea’s lead and introduce a little more whimsy into our lives. Take a break from the news, dive into some new music, and enjoy a love song like I stole Your Boots by Chelsea Williams.

Connect With Chelsea Williams of Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube

Please share her with friends and family, and if you’re feeling extra generous please share theunheard.org as well.

Sources
http://www.chelseawilliams.com/about/

Categories
California Female Lead

You Haven’t Heard Alternative Like This

No Exit by Upset

Upset is an all female, west coast rock band. They released their most recent (self titled) album at the end of 2019 featuring 10 songs full of wonderful, classic alternative rock. Currently they have 2,895 monthly listeners on Spotify, but they deserve much more.

Upset’s music takes me back to my first rock love, 90s alternative. They showcase wonderful guitar riffs, marvelous distortion, and tongue-in-cheek lyrics. I really enjoyed several songs on their most recent album including Holy Basil, Brighton, The World Is Bigger Now, & Tried and True. However, I want to share their second song on the record, No Exit. Lyrics and Commentary below. Enjoy.

Lyrics

Say what you want to me
Choose your words carefully
I can’t keep a secret to save my life
What did I ever do
beside stick up for you
When nobody else was on your side

I may have called you names
Complained of all the times
I leant you money or gave you rides
But what I’ll never do
Is pretend that you
Never deserved our goodbye

Tear it down, break it up
Do what you got to do
What ever it takes to
Take the blame off you

Tear it down, break it up
Do what you got to do
Whatever it takes to
Take the blame off you

You do no wrong
It’s all you do

You do no wrong
It’s all you do

Commentary

Y’all. I can’t help but like this song 5 seconds in; the electric guitar riff calls to me. Then right away we get interesting lyrics ‘choose you words carefully… I can’t keep a secret to save my life.’ One of the more peculiar things about this song is that there is no lyrical chorus. Instead we get more of a musical chorus, which is fun and unique.

The meaning of the song is fairly obvious. It is about a friend who has decided to end the friendship despite the writer’s efforts in the relationship. Also, the friend intending to break ties seems to think they have no faults in the separation causing the writer to say, rather sarcastically, ‘You do no wrong; It’s all you do.’

The real wonder in this song is not the lyrics, although fun. You’ve got to go listen to this song to hear the magic. So go ahead, give it a listen, and while you’re there I highly encourage you to check out the rest of Upset’s self titled album and share them with your friends.

You can follow Upset on Facebook or Twitter.

What are some of your favorite all female bands?