[ New Music ] "Hollows" the exciting new release from City Mouth!

Artist: City Mouth 
EP: "Hollows"

Bandcamp via Take This to Heart Records

A pop punk/indie rock/pop band from the south suburbs of Chicago. (Evergreen Park, IL to be exact.)

This five piece draws influence from bands like Taking Back Sunday, Ellie Goulding, Glen Hansard, Jimmy Eat World, and The Wonder Years. 

Make sure to check out their Facebook page for future tour announcements. 
City Mouth Facebook Page


          "A changing of seasons can often feel like a personal reinvention, specifically the transition from Winter into Spring. The cold, harsh winds of Winter come with a lot of heft; you've trapped yourself indoors for nearly three months and everything around starts to slowly die as you pine for an escape by any means necessary. You're forced to reflect on personal traumas and the twisted thoughts that like to wait until the darkest, coldest nights to rear their ugly heads and torment you until you feel like you might just break. It's in those moments that you search for even a sliver of light -- something bright to cling to, and something that makes you feel both understood and accepted, and nothing has done the trick better than the iridescent pop music of Evergreen Park's City Mouth. 

          On 'Hollows,' City Mouth offers a kaleidoscopic view of the human condition; focusing mostly on the importance of learning to pick yourself up off the ground and continuing to move forward after being anchored down by personal trauma for what might feel like a lifetime. This comes to a head on songs like the ambitious opener "Lay Awake." The sing-song cadence of the first verse feels playful and full of a youthful energy that contrasts the feelings of jaded bitterness that make up the lyrical content -- the track sees horns that give way to synth and a chorus that ensure listeners that "You are not alone when you lay awake." And again on the brutally honest "Body and Blood," which wastes no time taking listeners to the plunging depths of personal trauma and broken faith, as communicated by the lyrics "Will fear of God send me to heaven?/Or am I gonna need something more?/Because I've been terrified from the beginning/I just wanna know what I should prepare for/The Bible hasn't given me comfort/I was baptized on a bedroom floor/where I taught myself this feeling was my fault/and I don't want to feel the shame anymore."

          The EP, which was produced by Dan Lambton of Real Friends and engineered by Dave Knox of Real Friends and AJ Khah of Sleep On It, sees City Mouth wanting to help you to move forward from the depths of personal plaguing, inviting you to revel in the jubilance of early Spring as waves of synth and horns swell around flawless vocal melodies and songwriting poignant enough to make the middle of April feel like the breath of fresh air that kickstarts life anew."
- via City Mouth / Bandcamp

[ New Music ] Leah Capelle latest single "Docs" promotes self-love while overcoming insecurities

Artist: Leah Capelle

Song: "Docs"

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          Leah Capelle's music is a modern blend of pop and melodic rock all revolving around her captivating lyrics. Originally from Chicago, this award-winning singer-songwriter has been studying music and performance all of her life. Leah attended The North Shore Music Institute, Berklee College of Music in Boston, and is currently majoring in Music Industry at USC Thornton School of Music on the west coast. She made the big move to Los Angeles for school, and the opportunity to work on music with Grammy winning producer Jeff Bova (Celine Dion, Blondie, Meatloaf). When she's not recording, or performing in the LA area, she tours with her live band along the coast, and at showcases like SXSW in 2015 and 2016. Today we are taking a listen to her latest single "Docs" from her upcoming EP Joshua.

          Right away we are drawn in by Leah's sultry polished rock vocals. Heavy guitars chug along with driving drums and bass rounding out their huge sound. Vocal harmonies layer in throughout the verse and into the chorus. Production and overall recording quality is on point, with great dynamics between sections, and a diverse blend of melodic instruments. Vulnerable, and honest, Leah sings about her struggle with finding her identity through material things like leather jackets, new boots, hair cuts, and expensive cocktails.  As the song progresses she goes into detail about the emotions attached to these price tags, and how she doesn't feel good about herself unless she's looking her absolute best. "Going through my closet, trying on my clothes, thinking if I can find something stylish I’ll feel better, I think I’ll get a haircut, find a fresh new look, maybe if I just chop all my hair off I’ll feel better".

          A relatable song that will surely pull on the heartstrings of anyone whose struggled with insecurities or tried to make their way into a new crowd of peers. At the end of the day, Mark Twain said, "it's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog".. and we think Leah Capelle has more fight than anyone in the ring. With a serene vocal presence, a contemporary songwriting skill-set, and a dynamic live band and producers working behind the scenes, Leah Capelle is a star on the rise.

Check out more from Leah Capelle on Spotify:

[ Album Review ] Scott St. Louis releases impressive self-titled solo record

Artist: Scott St. Louis
Album: Scott St. Louis
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          Scott St. Louis is an alternative pop/rock singer songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist from Long Beach, CA. His self-titled solo record features an impressive cast of musicians; Stephen Ferrone (Tom Petty) on drums and percussion, Abe Laboriel Sr. on Bass (Elton John), Jimmy Earl also on Bass (Jimmy Kimmel), and Russ Irwin (Aerosmith and Sting) on piano, and a few other notable musicians Michael Sanford (guitars), Aaron Danks (lead guitar), and Mike Malone (piano and organ). Scott has toured and performed extensively in the United States, London, Scotland, Berlin, Hamburg, Prague, China, Japan and Thailand and many other smaller venues in between. He has collaborated with networks like CBS, handcrafting songs for television, and collaborating with countless bands and recording artists as a lyricist, musician, and/or producer. 
Scott defines his record as "An intense trip into one man's version of human relationships and the pain that presents itself through the process.". Let's take a listen.
 

          Scott St. Louis has a Bruce Springsteen quality to his voice, raspy, welcoming, and warmth emanating from every syllable that he sings. In the first track off of the album, we are greeted with an upbeat tune called "Today". This radio ready track is very well produced, clear vocals, a pleasant mix of bass drums and electric guitars, with the occasional piano melody bubbling to the surface. “Today is the first day of the rest of my life, it won’t be the worst day".

          In the next song, "I Think You’re Beautiful" (See Video Below) there is electric guitar ringing, a beautiful melodic part, harmonies mesh with Scott's voice perfectly, while bass guitar rolls over a steady rock groove. “I think you’re beautiful, and I hope that you can get that through your head, so please please don’t misunderstand this song, I care about you more than you should know”. A love song, wishing that one day his lover could gain his perspective, to see how much they mean to them.

          "Not Good Enough" blends layers of warm organ sounds, over arpeggiated guitar, drums, and bass. Scott's vocals are powerful and a little rough around the edges on this track, giving the song depth. “I feel so vulnerable telling you how I feel, but it’s obviously not good enough for you”

          "Follow You Down" boasts the most intricate rhythmic changes on the record, with a syncopated shaker beat and tight bass and guitar segments weaving in and out. Scott sings with promise and confidence in this time, “and wherever you go, I’ll follow you down” ..singing in bewilderment about people who all seem want to keep two lovers apart, when he is so sure they're made for each other. 

          "Stay" is where the album pulls you in, as it simultaneously drops down to acoustic guitar, piano, and a laid back groove. Subtle feelings of forlorn longing, Scott sings “Waiting for you to come around and catch me when I’m down, lift me up and then set me right again, drop me to the floor, and tell me you want more, and look me in the eyes, and you’ll stay." There is a notable lead guitar solo, dark and punchy right before the song drops back into the piano from the beginning, and buttery smooth bass brings out the low end.

          "Deepest of Loves " is an honest, vulnerable tune... who hasn't struggled with trying to be sober, or long distance relationships? “my emotions are dry, my head is a mess” Instrumentation is broken down to piano, guitar, bass, warm synth pads, powerful drums. “I know that we need some distance between us, my hope is one day we’ll get to enjoy this”, just two souls staring up at the sky seeing the same moon...  “I hope that you become content with you are, because who you are is beautiful”.

          On "Does Anyone Know the Way" a cool bass line and drum pattern push this song along, creating an exciting energy/current for Scott's vocals to swim through. He starts describing a man wandering through a two star ghost town, wanting to break free from the mundane, to a safe new place. “Let’s break out to a quaint little space, to a place that feels like home, does anyone know the way?”. Any traveler knows the feeling of wanting to find that safe place to call their own. It can be a lonely feeling, but empowering all the same.

          Closing out the album, we have "What I Wouldn't Give". The tune starts with vocals right away, immediately pulling on your heartstrings singing ”You have filled my heart with joy, you have filled my house with tears alike”. Throughout the song you can hear burly wurly organ / rhodes sounds, crisp, sometimes overdrive effected guitar, warm rounded bass, and drums keeping in the pocket perfectly. “What I wouldn’t give to hold you one more time, one more time, what I wouldn’t give to have you in my life one more time”
          Overall this album is a true reflection on the song craftsmanship and production capabilities of the talented, accomplished, multi-instrumentalist Scott St. Louis. We hope you take the time to listen to his self titled release! Scott's record is available everywhere digital music is available.
https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/scottstlouis

Watch the official video for "I Think You're Beautiful" by Scott St. Louis: 

[ New Single ] Ben Brookes "Integration (Not Segregation)"

Artist: Ben Brookes
Single: "Integration (Not Segregation)"
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          Ben Brookes is an acoustic rock singer-songwriter from the southern shores of Portsmouth, UK. He came to the United States to have his album produced with Mark Healey (Badfinger), along with the help of a Minneapolis based record label. His range of  influences are from British pop icons The Beatles, to American Folk rockers Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash.
Here's our review of Ben Brookes first single "Integration (Not Segregation)"from his debut album The Motor Car and The Weather Balloon.


        Ben Brookes sings longingly for a new world made up of the good things from this life. Leaving behind things that divide us as people like religion and race.  In his newly released single, "Integration (Not Segregation)", Brookes tackles a lot of controversial topics, including the potential for a WWIII and the use of weapons of mass destruction that could wipe out everyday existence. He follows this line of thought, questioning why there is such hate in the world, when it could be taken away at any moment. Things like racism and segregation,"Funny how the world is divided by race, but cut anyone in half and you know we all bleed the same". Brookes also talks about building a finding his way to Mars to start a new life, "It seems as though we're living in a world of oppression and fear, that's why I plan to build a rocket and get myself out of here". With the help of a Minneapolis record label (Martin-Guild), and a band made up of very accomplished musicians, Ben Brookes has a fully produced, radio ready sound on his track, including acoustic guitar, lead guitar, piano, synth effects, bass and drums. His vocals are crystal clear, and focused on sharing his message to listeners. The band has great dynamics, and an ear for melody and hooks. Overall this is a great recording, and just a glimpse of what's to come from Ben Brookes debut album The Motor Car and The Weather Balloon (coming soon), which we look forward to hearing.

Check out the video for "Integration (Not Segregation)" here: