“Dust In The Sunlight” by Dust In The Sunlight – A Song Feature

    The vocals and melody radiate warmth, while the lyrics express a willingness to remain cool. “Dust In The Sunlight” voices a willingness to keep a relationship a secret in order to appease the other person. The concession is described with poetic elegance in the first four lines:

You whispered hello

Still it hangs in the air like smoke

Raise my hand in half-surrender

I’ll pretend, just a friend

     “Dust In The Sunlight is from a duo with the same name as their single:
 “The song speaks about being caught up with someone who's emotionally unavailable and being prepared to compromise your own values in order to keep them around. We liked the imagery of the title so much that it became the namesake of the band.”

     The duo is Annie Rew Shaw and Billy Wright. They are equally skilled vocalists, which is evidenced during their harmonization and undeniable during vocal layering. Twice, a verse is started before the end of the previous verse. In both cases, the word “oxygen” is layered with the start of the next verse. It is done skillfully and elegantly.

      Dust In The Sunlight is based in in the UK. Annie Rew Shaw and Billy Wright met by chance, and quickly recognized how well their voices melded together. Within 12 months of their formation, Dust In The Sunlight signed a record deal with the label Project Melody. Together, they plan to release their first E.P in 2020.

     “Dust In The Sunlight” by Dust In The Sunlight

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dustinthesunlight/

Streaming and download options: https://project-melody.lnk.to/GxAOv

Lyrics of “Dust In The Sunlight” by Dust In The Sunlight

You whispered hello

Still it hangs in the air like smoke

Raise my hand in half-surrender

I’ll pretend, just a friend

Breathe you in, oxygen

No one knows it

Keep it secret, keep it tight

Float by like dust in the sunlight

Dust in the sunlight

Oh, behave in any way you want

Just let me know

Or/ I’d change just to make you stay a minute more

Kept me hidden, stashed away

Your creature comfort, misheard name

The all-pretending, it means nothing

‘Til you lose it

Snatched away like oxygen

If no one knows then there’s no pressure

Love with no pain

Empty pleasure

Dust in the sunlight

Dust in the sunlight

Oh, behave in any way you want

Just let me know

Or, I’d change just to make you stay a minute more

[Repeat]

Jacksonport - Free Saturday (“FL&R”)

     Finding songs that can be legally downloaded is easy. The difficult task is to find legally downloadable music that we recommend. Our plan is to post at least one Free, Legal and Recommended (FL&R) song each Saturday.

      “Western Stars” has a melodic calmness and vocal beauty. The song is from Jacksonport, the project name of John Fatum. Jacksonport was named for a small town in Door County, the peninsula on the eastern edge of Wisconsin. Fatum grew up in Brooklyn, but spent summers in Jacksonport.

     In addition to John Fatum with the acoustic guitar and percussion, contributors to “Western Stars” were Julian Pollack (aka “J3P0”) on keyboards and Taylor Ashton on banjo. Fatum is the lead vocalist, with harmony vocals provided by Hannah Read, David Moss, and Taylor Ashton.

     “Western Stars” by Jacksonport (name your price - "tips" appreciated)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jacksonportmusic

Website: https://www.jacksonportmusic.com/

Lyrics of “Western Stars” by Jacksonport

Who are you

And who am I

To watch the world go by?

Sipping from the moon

Between bites of apple pie

We're two little lights

At the edge of a dock

Two little lights: Western Stars

Burning bright

We guide the night

The whole world's dark

It's a little bit cold out here

But the sky's so clear

I can see alright

Now look me in the eyes

I know you see yourself in mine

I see a troubled mind

That's a little bit lost out here

But if you choose

There's a path in front of you

The starlight's shining through

The corner of your windowpane.

We're two little lights: Western Stars

Burning bright

We guide the Night

The whole world's dark

It's a little bit cold out here

But the sky's so clear

I can see alright

Two little lights: Western Stars

Burning bright we guide the night

The whole world's dark

It's a little bit cold out here

But the sky's so clear

I can see alright

I can see alright

“Honest” by Caroline Culver – A Song Feature

      Her voice engages in a slow-dance embrace with the lyrics of “Honest,” as Carolina Culver vocally displays the anguish of being in a relationship that is held together by inertia. “Honest” is about remaining silent instead of being honest. In explaining the song, Culver said:

  “It’s easy to lose sight of who you are when you're with the wrong person. So, I wrote this song about not being real with yourself and the relationship you are in. It’s also about finding my honest self-expression as an artist.”

     Caroline Culver’s connection to the song is apparent in the nuances of “Honest.” The lyrics are included at the bottom of this post. The two verses surprisingly have a total of only eight lines. There are three occurrences of the chorus, but each takes a different approach. In the first, the vocals are somewhat guttural and a little angry – “If I’m being honest / I don’t feel the way I should / You don’t wanna leave / But I wish you would….” The second occurrence of the chorus begins around the two-minute mark. Now, for most of the chorus, every other line is harmonized. The second voice (probably overdubbing) has a gentleness that smooths the edginess of “Honesty.” Another difference is the repeating determination to “keep my mouth shut” at the end. This second occurrence is separated from the third by a short, distanced call. Then, Caroline Culver jumps to a higher octave, until the song suddenly quiets for the outro. It is powerful.

      The instrumentation is also noteworthy. For the verses, an acoustic guitar is the prominent instrument. But there is Shoegaze-style guitar that enhances the effectiveness of the description. In comparison, the choruses feature guitar distortion.

     Caroline Culver is based in Nashville, but was raised in Atlanta. She describes the connection to the single:

  “’Honest’ is about being in denial and hiding from your real emotions. Whether those feelings stem from a toxic relationship or something else; I think no matter what - the most important thing to do in life is get real - confront these things. This song grows a new meaning in my life as I continue to sit with it. As a person, I strive to be honest with everything I do; I hope to be transparent with my songs. So ‘Honest’ has really helped me find my self-expression as an artist.”

     For streaming and download opportunities, go to https://on.cmdshft.com/-Honest. Today (March 27), she will perform “Honesty” live from her "living room” facebook.com/events/233527951379442/

     “Honest by Caroline Culver

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carolineculvermusic/

Website: https://carolineculver.com/epk

Lyrics of “Honest by Caroline Culver

Tattoos on his skin

Stories I get lost inside of them

Wake me up at 3am

Just to tell me that I’m something different

If I’m being honest

I don’t feel the way I should

You don’t wanna leave

But I wish you would

If I’m being honest

I don’t say what I could

You don’t wanna hear it

So I keep my mouth shut

Cherry lips pressed to his neck

We’re both sharing my last cigarette

He is darkness

The kind that makes you scared and gets you runnin’

If I’m being honest

I don’t feel the way I should

You don’t wanna leave

But I wish you would

If I’m being honest

I don’t say what I could

You don’t wanna hear it

So I keep my mouth shut

I keep my mouth shut, keep my mouth shut

Keep my mouth shut

If I’m being honest

I don’t feel the way I should

You don’t wanna leave

But I wish you would

If I’m being honest

I don’t say what I could

You don’t wanna hear it

So I keep my mouth shut

I keep my mouth shut, keep my mouth shut

Shut my mouth

“Be Fine” by Enola Fall - A Song Feature

     “Be Fine,” the single from Enola Fall is strong throughout, but increasingly explosive in the final 75 seconds. Lead vocalist Joe Nuttall describes the basis of the song and explains the reason for its more energetic final segment:

  “It’s a bit heavy, but the song is a conversation about suicide. Everyone seems to have known someone or worse, loved someone, who has taken their own life. The two choruses are the two voices that talk through the subject, and it ends with what I hope is a final message of determination.”

       Enola Fall would be a well-suited name for a band from NOLA (New Orleans, LA). But they are from Hobart, Tasmania. They have also recorded and performed in Los Angeles, California. Currently, the members are Joe Nuttall (vocals, guitar, piano) and Mark Woodward (bass, vocals, woodwinds).

     “Be Fine” by Enola Fall

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/enolafall/

“No Trial In The Dark” by The Holy - A Song Feature

     The Holy includes two drummers, a fact that justifies the excitement around the single “No Trial In The Dark.” The powerful percussion is not merely a benefit of the magic of studio recording. The power is possible in a live setting.

     The single begins with a synth swirl and a repeating, appealing guitar hook. The vocals soon join, and the emotional tone of “No Trial In The Dark” is established. The percussion lies in wait for more than a minute and a half. Creatively, The Holy incorporate a quiet piano bridge at 2:37. The song structure is far from conventional, but “No Trial In The Dark” is continuously attractive.

     “No Trial In The Dark” will be on the upcoming album "Mono Freedom," which recently had its release date pushed back to September 18 because of the current state of world health. The Holy is a band from Helsinki, Finland. The members are Eetu Henrik Iivari (vocals, guitar), Laura Kangasniemi (bass,synth), Pyry Peltonen (guitar), Eero Jääskeläinen (percusson), and Mikko Maijala (percusson).

     “No Trial In The Dark” by The Holy

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theholyhki/

Lyrics of “No Trial In The Dark” by The Holy

You said I look like Cohen

And that my poetry wasn't bad

Like a wide-open highway

Straight into my heart

I wish we'd met in another place

Some other time

Before the wall

Defined us all

Revolution will tear us apart

Throw us into a forest

In the night

There’s no trial in the dark

This city won't weep in the wind

It can take a little fight

You're from the other side

You are the other side

The other side

You are the other side

[Repeating]

I'm waiting for my love to come

Hailing for my only sun

She will be the only one

Who understands the things I've done

The other side

You are the other side

Strangers - Free Saturday (“FL&R”)

     Finding songs that can be legally downloaded is easy. The difficult task is to find legally downloadable music that we recommend. Our plan is to post at least one Free, Legal and Recommended (FL&R) song each weekend.

     Strangers is an Indie band from Widnes, Cheshire, UK. The members ar Liam McGrath, Sean Goddard, and Jamie Griffith.

     “Jaded” by Strangers 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strangersbanduk/

“Just 17” - An Update

    Slightly more than a year ago, we noted that 17 is the most significant age from a lyrical perspective. That post is at indieobsessive.com/music-lifetime-from-17-to-27. Just as one example of the significance of the age in music, the first line of the first song on the Beatles’ first album referenced the age of seventeen - “Well, she was just 17, if you know what I mean” (“I Saw Her Standing There”). 
     Within the last few weeks, two more songs joined lyrics-based 17 parade.

     Jet Black Alley Cat is a band based in Nashville. The members are Joe Wilkinson (vocals, Zach Douglas (guitar), Christian Harrison (guitar), Cristofer Johnson (bass), and Bryant Lowry (drums). In talking about “Rewind” the band noted that it is “a song of personal honesty and admiration of better times in the past. Vulnerability reigns in this track as it forces us each to face nostalgia vs reality head-on.”

     “Rewind” by Jet Black Alley Cat

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jbacmusic

Website: https://www.jetblackalleycat.com/

Lyrics of “Rewind” by Jet Black Alley Cat

Looking back on the old days

When I was seventeen and spiritual

I remember the steps, how I carried myself

Yeah, I was everything original

It was me and my friends on the town

Just singing our lungs out (singing our lungs out)

I wasn't told if I didn't hold tight

That my spirit could fade out

'Cause now I'm miserable                                                         

Staring at my wall all day

Sadly cynical

That none of this will ever change

They said, "Get out of the house

Drive a car down south to survive"

I'd rather slam on the brakes

Put on pause and a space in the time

Oh, then rewind

Then rewind

I envision my old ways

Back when love was just habitual

I felt the freedom to really expressing myself

It was extreme and fully radical

But maybe growing up the challenge is

Managing clutter and hard hearts and bored

I think maybe I'm a victim of too much noise

'Cause now I'm miserable

Staring at my wall all day

Sadly cynical

That none of this will ever change

They said, "Get out of the house

Drive a car down south to survive"

I'd rather slam on the bakes

Put a pause and a space in the time

Oh, then rewind

(Then rewind)

(Then rewind)

Oh, then rewind

Put on pause and a space in the time

Then rewind

Then rewind

Then rewind

Then rewind

     From Ponte, comes the UK band Glass Caves. The members are  Matt Hallas (vocals), Elliott Fletcher (drums), Connor Thorpe (guitar), and Eddie Clayton (bass).

     “Stephanie” by Glass Caves

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasscavesmusic

Website: https://www.glasscaves.co.uk/

“I'm Glad You're Happy” by Early Internet – A Song Feature

     Early Internet provides an exceptionally helpful explanation of the lyrics of “I'm Glad You're Happy.” The explanation is quoted in full below, but briefly, it’s about discovery through a social media app that your ex has moved on. Even with the explanation, the song is remarkably and enjoyably open to interpretation. The selection of instrumental accompaniment was unmistakably given much thought. At different times, we have different interpretations of the selections.

     The first seconds of “I'm Glad You're Happy” are ambient. Then, a guitar enters with easily distinguishable, slowly played notes. The guitar and ambient backing deservedly receive attention, but don’t distract from the vocals, which are solemn and evidence clear mindedness. The last three verses share three lines, but the middle occurrence (at 2:13) departs from the calmness of the other two. Suddenly, powerful percussion makes its presence, the guitars are fuzzier, and the vocals are overdubbed. Does this reflect a temporary surfacing of the pain?

     Early Internet is Dean Stafford, who is based in Los Angeles. He describes "I'm Glad You're Happy:"

  “It's a song about the initial moment of surprise and numbness that occurs when discovering your ex has moved on. It's about the strangeness of finding out while scrolling through a social media app on your phone. It's about the end of any lingering denial and wanting to be happy for this person, despite emotions. It's a song about acceptance. The song was written and recorded in Austin, TX with producer, Devon Corey, after meeting at a house show in LA.”

     “I'm Glad You're Happy” by Early Internet 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/earlyinternet

Website: https://www.earlyinternetmusic.com/

Lyrics of “I'm Glad You're Happy” by Early Internet

Stare at screens

Fiend for feeds and I scroll

New York City

Deals its hand and I fold

It’s coming up against me

Showing off your heart

Is everything against me?

I don’t think you are

Here’s the truth

Four frames in a booth

Flash your eyes

And catch me surprised

Separate

You move on, I still wait for what’s done

And all your echoes are gone

It’s coming up against me

Showing off your heart

Is everything against me?

I don’t think you are

It’s coming up against me

Showing off your heart

Is everything against me?

It’s coming up against me

Showing off your heart

Is everything against me?