Welcome to the Monday Mix, where we showcase new music just added to the opbmusic broadcast. This week, we highlight some captivating neo-soul, a folk revivalist writing about quarantine, and the return of an L.A. rock band with a story to tell.
Moses Sumney - "Cut Me"
The Skinny: Moses Sumney released part two of his new double album "græ" last month, along with its fourth single, "Cut Me." This track features a vividly artistic video which Sumney directed himself. The song is about pain and the lessons learned as a result, which are expressed in the lyrics "if there's no pain, is there any progress?" Sumney's message is accented by his captivating neo-soul vocal style and its synergy with a funky periodic deep horn interlude.
Ondara - "Lockdown on Date Night Tuesday"
The Skinny: Quarantined in his home in Minneapolis, the artist Ondara (formerly J.S. Ondara) has been passing the time creating an acoustic album exclusively about this unique time of COVID-19. His folk ballad "Lockdown on Date Night Tuesday" slows things down to take a deep breath within our chaos. Contained within this breath is the story of he and his wife preparing for an elegant date at the dining room table. He's explained the intimacy of the song stating, "Even the stuff that's personal can be quite universal," now as he reflects on our shared situation.
The Airborne Toxic Event - "Come on Out"
The Skinny: Frontman of The Airborne Toxic Event, Mikel Jollett, has dropped both a new album and memoir in the past few weeks, both titled "Hollywood Park." This song, "Come On Out," is a personal single straight from the pages of his unstable childhood, growing up in, and escaping from, the infamous Synanon cult. "'Come on out' is about the night I ran away from home when I was 11 years old," Jollett said. Through the warmth of his delivery wrapped in an early '80s new wave sound, the song is effective in creating the haunting beauty of the unknown world he's waking up to.
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