Our weekly (or however often) roundup of this week’s discoveries and old faves. Usually it’s friends of mine or just music I like. Now including “liner notes” to help guide you through this journey and hopefully introduce you to some new, great music!
We’re heading into Music Pro Summit, an online music conference put on by the fine folks at Indie Week in Toronto, Canada, so I’ll start including some of those artists in here as well.
CAS WEINBREN –I’M FINALLY ME (DISNEY ZOMBIES 3 SOUNDTRACK)
My friend Cas in New York City wrote the music for this great track off of the latest Disney smash Zombies 3. I’m actually finishing up a single with him and another singer…
CARLEEN –ENTROPIC
Carleen and I are working on a cool track with my friend Cas. I met Carleen at an online event focused on sync music placements (i.e. music for film & TV). Anyway, she’s originally from Utah but has been in Los Angeles for quite a while. I really dig this cut of hers. Definitely worth a listen!
THIS MAD DESIRE –OPEN HEARTS OPEN MINDS
The title track from my forthcoming album! This track features drums by Dan Konopka from OK Go and LOADS of background vox from people I met at Indie Week-related conferences and elsewhere. Recorded during the pandemic, the lyrics are about finding strength and spreading love. In a way, our singing this song in Philadelphia, San Francisco, Vancouver, and elsewhere was our quiet contribution to spreading some kind of hope in the middle of the Covid crisis.
THE TRAGICALLY HIP –BLOW AT HIGH DOUGH (LIVE AT THE ROXY)
Iconic Canadian band early in their career at a gig in Los Angeles. I saw them many times and he introduced this song with a different title every time. Here, Gord Downie calls it “Blow Me”. Also, every time they played it, he’d replace “some kind of Elvis thing” with “some kind of STAR/LOCAL CELEBRITY thing”. That always made it really fun. Who was Gord going to name-check tonight??
NIKKI LANE –FIRST HIGH
This track came up in one of those Spotify “artist playlists” that follows whatever album you are listening to. In this case it was our “American Dream” release.
TYLER ALEXIS –I MISS YOU TONIGHT
Tyler is a singer based in LA also and I’m pretty sure I first encountered her at an Indie Week related conference? I can’t even remember but I’m on her Discord so I see her commentary daily. She does quite a lot of livestreaming on Twitch. I really like her voice.
DIAMANDA GALAS –DO YOU TAKE THIS MAN?
Speaking of voices, Diamanda Galas has the most incredible, bone-chilling voice I’ve ever heard. I’ve seen her live TWICE and both times I sat and was stupefied for 90 minutes. The sounds coming out of her in combination with her piano playing are devastating and unrelenting. This track is from her “lighter” more R&B album The Sporting Life that she made with John Paul Jones (yes, THAT John Paul Jones). Sometimes I cover her song “Baby’s Insane”.
TOM WAITS –GOD’S AWAY ON BUSINESS (LIVE)
I saw Tom Waits do something like 7 encores at the Hummingbird Centre in Toronto. Each time, there was a team of college guys that would carry the grand piano onstage and then dutifully carry it off. It was hilarious.
AJR –I WON’T
Another Spotify suggestion I’m checking out. Clever indie pop.
IDENTITY SOUP –AT ALL TIMES
My buddy Big John Leacock appears on our song Red Shift off of our American Dream release. Anyway, this is his son!
COMA HAZE –MULTIPLE CHOICES
I met this dude on set in July. He’s a cool rapper based in Toronto.
TEEN IDLE –BURNING
Our first Music Pro Summit attendee! Sara Abdelbarry is a New Jersey based alt-rock artist.
NEO ARC –MOVE!
Another Music Pro Summit attendee!
MODERN DAY MIDAS –HOW’S IT GOING TO BE
MATTE ROXX! –WESTSIDE!
EVA ARCO –VENGA VAMOS
These last three are all people I’ve come across in my friend Tianda’s Discord community. I always try to check out everyone’s latest releases. So much talent out there these days!
And with that, this wraps up this week’s playlist. Hope you enjoyed it!!
If you like this playlist, please share it and follow these artists. Music is the fuel that fills our soul.
If you are an artist that would like to be included in the future, reach out anywhere and I’d love to check out your tunes!
Yours in music,
Mac