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EP: What Christmas Means To Me by Robert Bacon

Cherine Abulwafa
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EP: What Christmas Means To Me by Robert Bacon

Robert Bacon’s What Christmas Means to Me is a heartfelt ode to the season’s most treasured values: love, joy, togetherness, and the beauty of shared moments. The EP, set to redefine holiday music with its November 22nd release, capturing the universal spirit of Christmas while staying rooted in Bacon’s signature country style. With influences ranging from George Jones to Alan Jackson, Bacon delivers a festive collection that feels timeless yet refreshingly personal.

The tracks weave seamlessly through themes of romance, family, and faith, offering listeners both jubilant celebration and intimate reflection. Lines like “When I Found You, I Found Christmas” and “You and Me Are a Christmas Dream Come True” are brimming with warmth and affection, painting vivid portraits of love that feels like home. Meanwhile, the jazzy flair of “Here’s to Christmas Time” injects an infectious sense of fun, complete with an irresistible piano solo that could light up even the coldest of winter nights.

What makes this EP so special is its balance of playfulness and emotional depth. Bacon’s lyrics reflect his own life experiences, from growing up on a Midwest farm to raising a family of his own. This authenticity shines brightest in the closing track, a tender reflection on what Christmas means to him, filled with personal memories and heartfelt hopes for his children and loved ones.

Robert Bacon’s What Christmas Means to Me is a testament of what makes the holiday season special. With its joyful melodies, thoughtful storytelling, and undeniable charm, this EP is bound to become a staple for anyone looking to rediscover the joy of companionship and the warmth of love during the most wonderful time of the year. So, if you are asking whether Christmas can get any better? With music like this, I absolutely doubt it!

Wishing Well by Ava Valianti

Cherine Abulwafa
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Wishing Well by Ava Valianti

Ava Valianti’s newest single, Wishing Well, is a heartfelt masterpiece that captures the bittersweet journey of growing up. At just 15 years old, Ava has crafted a song that feels like a warm embrace, simultaneously nostalgic and touching. Her evocative storytelling and ethereal vocals create an emotional landscape that invites listeners to reflect on their own moments of transition and loss.

Inspired by the fading of beloved childhood places, Ava masterfully translates personal experiences into a universal exploration of change. The vivid imagery of “a beautiful structure of yellow and blue” anchors the song, symbolizing the joy and simplicity of youth. The slide isn’t just a memory; it’s a metaphor for the carefree wonder that adulthood often complicates. Ava’s lyrics, such as “My wishing well’s still full of pennies filled with all my hopes”, capture the tension between clinging to youthful magic and confronting the realities of growing older.

Musically, the track embodies Ava’s signature indie-pop style, with haunting melodies and lush instrumentation that seamlessly weave vulnerability into every note. Comparisons to artists like Billie Eilish and Gracie Abrams are well-earned, but Ava’s voice is distinctly her own—a blend of innocence and maturity that leaves an unforgettable impression.

The song’s bridge is particularly striking, where Ava reflects: “Jaded, faded / Complicated overrated nowadays.” It’s a quiet moment of resignation and yearning, underscoring the universal longing for simpler times. Yet, there’s hope woven through the melancholy, a testament to Ava’s resilience and belief in the enduring magic of childhood wonder.

Wishing Well is indeed a journey, one that gently cradles you in its arms and whispers that it’s okay to grieve what’s lost while finding peace in what remains. Ava’s ability to turn deeply personal reflections into art that resonates so broadly is a testament to her talent. With her debut EP on the horizon, Ava Valianti is undeniably a rising star to watch.

Mark your calendars for November 22, 2024, and let Wishing Well take you back to your own cherished memories, all while guiding you toward acceptance of the present. It’s a song that lingers, not just in your ears but in your heart..

You’ll Be Alright by Dana Schindel

Moataz Gwaily
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You’ll Be Alright by Dana Schindel

Dana Schindel’s country pop is warm and sweet on her newest single ‘You’ll Be Alright’, in which she showcases singing prowess through challenging melodies and a breathtaking delivery, next to a simply enjoyable piece of songwriting.

Canadian singer, songwriter, and pop musician Dana Schindel is based in Vancouver, Canada, and ‘You’ll Be Alright’ is her second single to date, after her debut ‘Keep Moving Forward’ dropped nearly two years ago. A singer with a piercing presence and stunning control, Dana’s singing is enough to make listening to her songs a joy but add her encouraging words and upbeat song building to the mix and you end up with a whole heartwarming musical experience.

The punchy production is fantastic, supported by Schindel’s prominent acoustic rhythm guitar line, and the familiar, easy going chord structure for a song that is just very easy to love. Schindel’s vocal delivery is equal parts acrobatic and conversational, speaking volumes on her singing talent and making listening to ‘You’ll Be Alright’ a lovely and approachable experience.

The jubilant “alright’ chants in the background are the cherry on top of this sweet, encouraging song. A song written to be that last push someone needs to get started on their big, scary next step, Schindel’s words are wise and relatable, her push is gentle and reaffirming, and her songwriting just lovely.

Gonna Love You by Stephanie Westdal

Moataz Gwaily
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Gonna Love You by Stephanie Westdal

With a mystique that runs through every instrumental layer and continues to her alluring vocal delivery and through each of the chords, Stephanie Westdal’s latest single ‘Gonna Love You’ is an infinitely gripping journey of alternative pop.

Based in Winnipeg in Canada, Stephanie Westdal is a singer and songwriter whose sound on her latest single is simply intoxicating. Creating a gorgeous ambience with seemingly simple and minimal chord movements, Westdal masterfully utilizes electronic soundscapes and ethnic percussion, alongside modal melodies to create a sound that draws you into an alien and mystical world and never lets go.

The song first showcases its intention with gently percussive synths laying down the song’s foundational melodic motif alongside a throbbing synth bass line. Stephanie Westdal’s words are sensual, and her delivery is infectious. The melodies are exquisitely colorful, and the short phrases make for an attractive vocal line that’s wonderfully balanced and masterfully restrained. The subdued and folkish percussion is the last piece of this different-sounding musical puzzle, nailing down the last piece needed to construct an atmosphere that’s unlike anything out there.

Desert-like and alien, Westdal’s ‘Gonna Love You’ sounds just like a dream. Moves like a dream as well with its elegant pace, nuanced structure, and fantastic mixing job. A truly fascinating piece of genre-defying musical goodness.

Finding Grace in the Simple Things: Midnight Sky’s Soulful Anthem, ‘A Few Good Years’

Michael Stover
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Finding Grace in the Simple Things: Midnight Sky’s Soulful Anthem, ‘A Few Good Years’

Tim Tye and Midnight Sky have a way of cutting through the noise, offering songs that feel less like fleeting entertainment and more like a warm embrace. Their latest single, “A Few Good Years,” originally the title track from their 2019 album, encapsulates this perfectly. Rooted in the enduring values of Americana and country traditions, the track serves as a reminder of what truly matters: love, resilience, and the small, irreplaceable comforts of life.

From the opening verse, Tye’s lyricism strikes a profound chord. Lines like “It’s the size of your heart, not the size of your home” ground the song in an unpretentious wisdom that feels both timeless and personal. This is storytelling at its purest—simple truths woven into a melody that invites reflection. The song’s structure echoes its message: uncluttered and intentional, much like the simple joys it celebrates.

The arrangement is lush yet understated, allowing the words to shine. Acoustic guitars strum with an easy, rootsy warmth, while the subtle interplay of pedal steel and soft percussion evokes the feel of a crackling fire on a cold night. The female vocalist’s voice—rich, weathered, and sincere—carries the weight of the lyrics with an authenticity that can’t be feigned. It’s not showy or polished to perfection; instead, it feels lived-in, like the story she sings.

What elevates “A Few Good Years” beyond mere nostalgia is its universal resonance. It doesn’t romanticize hardship but instead acknowledges it with grace, offering hope without veering into saccharine territory. The refrain, “A chair by the fire, old dog at your feet,” paints a picture of contentment that feels attainable, even amidst life’s inevitable struggles. It’s a hymn for the everyman, a quiet anthem for those navigating the peaks and valleys of existence.

As a follow-up to the more upbeat and danceable “Every Now and Then,” this track highlights Midnight Sky‘s versatility. While the former thrives on exuberance and romantic energy, “A Few Good Years” slows the pace, asking listeners to pause and consider the things that endure when all else falls away. Together, these songs reveal Tye’s gift for balancing introspection with levity.

In a music landscape often dominated by spectacle, “A Few Good Years” feels refreshingly grounded. Midnight Sky has crafted a song that invites us to cherish life’s fleeting moments and to find beauty in the everyday. It’s a sentiment worth returning to again and again—a soft-spoken masterpiece that lingers long after the final note fades.

-John Barnes

West Hill Road by The All’s Eye Triol

Moataz Gwaily
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West Hill Road by The All’s Eye Triol

‘West Hill Road’ is designed to groove. An expansive, superbly tight jam constructed of one solo after another, all wrapped in a mix that’s descended from heaven in its fullness and confidence. All Eye Trio’s latest single is bound to be a timeless funk jam.

Based in New York, All’s Eye Trio is a newly formed super group composed of the exceptional talents and years long combined experiences of Kris Yunkers, Ari Joshua, and Ben Atkind. The trio are hitting the shelves with their debut single, a genre defying, 7-minute behemoth of funk grooves, snappy guitars and succulent organs. ‘West Hill Road’ is pure joy to the senses.

Yunkers and Atkins, previously members of GOOSE, join forces with Ari Joshua to deliver this funk gem. The trio are bringing forth a style that’s rhythmically, harmonically, and melodically rich, in spite of a relatively simple composition. In fact, it is the simple composition that allows the layers of instrumentation to compound with such efficiency, resulting in a sprawling tapestry of textures and timbres that is wholly fulfilling.

With solos as juicy, patient, and rewarding as those found on ‘West Hill Road’, All’s Eye Trio are debuting with an absolute blast. If you caught All Eye’s Trio on their recently concluded tour, then we are envious of you. The trio are a promising powerhouse of musical talent and musicianship that is wholly worth keeping an eye out on.

 

El Día Después by Horizonte Lied

Moataz Gwaily
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El Día Después by Horizonte Lied

The oozing synths and intricate layering on Horizonte Lied’s latest single, the electronic marvel of ‘El Dia Despues’, make it a gripping release that’s rich and full of detail, if not for everyone.

A band based in Monterrey, Mexico, Horizonte Lied are specialized in alternative, electronic rock that incorporates dark synth and rhythm textures for results that are usually alien, organic, and experimental. The veteran band was formed in 1992 by Alex Ezert who sings and produces, accompanied by Bernardo Garza, responsible for synths and percussion.

‘El Dia Despues’ is the title of their latest single. An intricate construct of musical layers that are consistently throbbing with a dark energy that’s just infectious. What first hits the listener is probably the off-kilter vocals, buried in the nuanced mix. The music of ‘El Dia Despues’ is also gripping. A journey in noise and shoegaze, the song slithers around most of the time, leaving space for the vocal story to unfurl before a hook kicks in with a conventional beat that rights all the wrongs and transforms the whole arrangement into a sweetly addictive foray into adventurous genres and challenging soundscapes.

Horizonte Lied prove that they are unafraid of challenging norms with their latest single, the infectious and bold ‘El Dia Despues’.

Consumerist Dream by Soleil River Nation

Moataz Gwaily
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Consumerist Dream by Soleil River Nation

Soleil River Nation continues to grip audiences and amass new fans with her social commentary and infectious songs that are way too early for her age of just 10 years. An obvious superstar in the making, Soleil River Nation’s latest single is an absolute indie pop gem.

Originally from the thriving cultural hub that is Manila in the Philippines, the 10-years-old musical prodigy is now based in Miami, Florida. Having taught herself to play the piano at just 7 years old, Soleil’s musical prowess was easily discovered at a young age, nurtured and appreciated as well, as the young singer would go on to release gripping singles with unusually aware lyrics for her age. On her latest single, Soleil explores the burdens laid on kids and teenagers by the rampant culture of consumerism in ‘Consumerist Dream’.

‘Consumerist Dream’ is a dream pop song with a pair of breezy chords jumping perpetually back and forth, creating a hypnotizing dynamic alongside the song’s punchy and straightforward beat. The song’s simple arrangement leaves a lot of space for the young singer to shine with her soulful delivery. The results are immediately joyful and gripping.

Soleil River Nation’s ‘Consumerist Dream’ is punchy and simple. A piece of pop music that continues to showcase the young singer as a talent to keep an eye on.

 

Hamilton Indie Electronic/Pop Duo Allegories Release Stirring Cover of Talk Talk’s “It’s My Life”

Sistra News Team
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Hamilton Indie Electronic/Pop Duo Allegories Release Stirring Cover of Talk Talk’s “It’s My Life”

Experimental indie pop group Allegories are releasing their first cover following a recent string of original singles, delving into the world of the iconic equal parts experimental and pop group Talk Talk, led by the late Mark Hollis.

Allegories member Adam Bentley has long been skeptical of “It’s My Life,” associating it with the No Doubt cover that he was forced to listen to “almost every day for five years” during his time working at a hardware store.

After Talk Talk‘s “It’s My Life” got stuck in bandmate Jordan Mitchell‘s head for two months (due to a chronic condition called stuck song syndrome that Jordan suffers from), Jordan began learning and recording “It’s My Life” and prodded Adam to revisit the song to see it in a new light.

The urgency in Mark Hollis’ vocals struck me. And by covering the song, I felt like I was taken back to a place of admiration and passion, and away from Gwen Stefani. Keep Talk Talk away from Gwen at all costs. – Adam Bentley of Allegories

Allegories‘ take on the classic is an impassioned plea sung by Bentley, faithful to the original’s marrying of a climbing bass melody and steady beat – both performed by Mitchell, awash in a world of synths and electronics.

I thought it might be therapeutic to learn this song. Recording the music came pretty easily after every part had been playing over and over in my head for so many months.
– Jordan Mitchell of Allegories

PHOTO BY JORDAN MITCHELL

The duo uses subtle production effects to lend an otherworldly quality to this classic pop track.

In 2014, the duo known as Allegories began to experiment across genres, melding eclectic soundscapes with pop inclinations. Gathering further inspiration from DJing house and hip-hop nights around town, Allegories went onto create indie-electronic music that shifts throughout the over/underground spectrum.

Allegories‘ music is at once earnest and abstract, tricking listeners into the thought that they might be hearing straightforward dance music before the duo’s inherent eccentricities shift interpretation. They deliver unguarded ballads as effortlessly as they develop layers of cut up samples reaching into the worlds of IDM, shoegaze/dream pop, and psychedelia.

Auteur Research

Montreal’s MEGGO Unveils Raw, Soulful Single “brooklyn pt. 1” Ahead of Debut ‘eavesdropper ;; death stories {chapter1}’ EP Out January 2025

Sistra News Team
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Montreal’s MEGGO Unveils Raw, Soulful Single “brooklyn pt. 1” Ahead of Debut ‘eavesdropper ;; death stories {chapter1}’ EP Out January 2025

MEGGO, the creative project of Montreal-based musician and producer Megan Ennenberg, presents her latest single, “brooklyn pt. 1,” a track that captures both the spirit of New York and the artist’s unique sound – fusing atmospheric layers with raw, acoustic textures. Known for her work with FLEECE and now venturing into an intensely personal soundscape, MEGGO blends indie-folk, jazz, and field recordings, bringing her listeners into a world of delicate observations and heartfelt introspection.

Recorded through an iPhone voice memo on a Brooklyn rooftop, “brooklyn pt. 1” is infused with intimate, found sounds: the murmur of a crowded bar, the intricate chords of a jazz musician, the hum of a busy street. These elements create a textured, nostalgic feel that MEGGO describes as “cathartic as hell.” The track is taken from her forthcoming eavesdropper ;; death stories {chapter1} EP which is set for release in January 2025.

I like naming songs after where most of the collected sounds come from; Brooklyn, New York, where this track was born, feels like its own character in the song. “pt. 1” hints there’s more to the journey – a story that unfolds with time. It’s been a long journey of experimentation. At the end, you’ll hear a raw moment of me working through the song in real time – a reminder that the creative process isn’t always polished. It’s exciting to me to release a song that has an obvious mistake in it. I want people to ask themselves “Why does hearing someone make a mistake make me uncomfortable?” MEGGO is about taking risks and being real, and sharing what that looks like. – MEGGO

PHOTO BY FLAVIE LEMÉE

Through her use of raw, analogue-inspired production, MEGGO‘s music embraces imperfection, free from pitch correction or heavy digital effects. Her work channels her Pacific mountain roots and indie influences from Montreal, embodying a genre-defying sound that feels intimate, authentic, and deeply emotive.

“brooklyn pt. 1” and the upcoming eavesdropper ;; death stories {chapter1} EP honour life’s brief, beautiful moments, inviting listeners to share in the rare intimacy of sounds captured as they surfaced and songs recorded as they’re being written. MEGGO hopes her work will encourage listeners to embrace the quiet details, tune into the music woven into their everyday surroundings and find beauty in life’s inherent impermanence. 

Auteur Research

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