Look out for Hayley Reardon and her new single Birds Like Little Soldiers. Hayley Reardon is a folk pop musician who is highly acclaimed for her storytelling abilities. After leaving Nashville to tour the world with her guitar, she spent the past five years gathering experiences and inspirations from different parts of the globe. Recently, she was based in Dachau, Germany for a six-month artist residency program. Reardon’s music captures the subtle nuances of the human experience with striking clarity, making her an exceptional storyteller.

Reardon’s single “Losing From Within” made waves and was featured on popular Spotify Editorial Playlists including Fresh Folk, Folk Pop, Morning Coffee, and Today’s Singer/Songwriters. Her latest EP, In The Good Light, was recorded in Barcelona, where she collaborated with local artists Pau Figueres and Aniol Bestit Collellmir. The EP has a Spanish influence, as Reardon found a new home in Spain during the recording process. She describes the experience of working with people from a different culture as deeply and effortlessly understood.

Raised in Massachusetts, Reardon started her music career at 15 and has since shared the stage with renowned musicians such as Lori McKenna, Rodney Crowell, and Anaïs Mitchell. Her raw and moving artistry has been praised by numerous publications, including Performer Magazine, which described her music as “brilliantly moving folk/pop with a lyrical depth and soul,” and American Songwriter Magazine, which called her work “a melancholy little masterpiece.”

Lenn, an artist from Bristol, has released their second single called “Silicone“. This track follows the success of their previous release, “Dreams are a Nightmare”, which has garnered support from blogs, Spotify playlists, and BBC Upload’s “Big New Sound” and being selected as a BBC Introducing “Showcase Artist”.

“Listening to this song gives me a real sense of how far I’ve come as a songwriter and to finally be releasing it feels like a big milestone. ‘silicone’ speaks more generally to the idea of wanting to know how our life choices will play out and the fear that we might be getting them wrong. For me though it is about my journey with music. Chasing a dream while finding purpose beyond just a selfish pursuit of how I want to spend my time with the added dimension of my faith and what God thinks about the whole thing.”

Lenn, grew up in a small town in Hertfordshire, and she didn’t discover any other music genres until she was in her teens. Lenn draws inspiration from the music of her contemporaries such as Bon Iver, James Blake, Banks, Ben Howard, and FKA Twigs.

Lenn’s unique vocal delivery and songwriting approach have already caught the attention of established artists in the electronic music scene. She collaborated with them on their “Unfold” album and subsequently joined Icarus on their sold-out UK tour in 2022.

Following the success of their multi-Grammy-nominated album, God Shuffled His Feet, which was released 25 years ago, the Crash Test Dummies from Winnipeg embarked on an anniversary tour. The overwhelmingly positive reception of their tour led them to return to the road in 2022 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their debut LP, The Ghosts That Haunt Me. While on tour in recent years, the band has been told various personal stories by their fans, ranging from dark to funny, which have inspired the band to start writing music again.

Their new single, “Sacred Alphabet,” is a stunning revelation that captures a feeling of awe. The instrumentation is minimalistic, incorporating “spectral” sounds and a choir made entirely of member Ellen Reid’s voice. “Sacred Alphabet” explores the metaphor of sound and symbol, imagining a world before the existence of subject, object, verb, or tense where sound had not yet been enslaved by meaning.

Le Couleur, a Montreal-based trio consisting of Laurence Giroux-Do, Patrick Gosselin, and Steven Chouinard, gained recognition for their glitzy electro pop sound, reminiscent of Studio 54, with their early releases including 2013’s Voyage Love EP, 2015’s Dolce Désir, and their debut full-length album P.O.P in 2016. After sharing a stage with Giorgio Moroder, the band took his advice and incorporated vintage influences such as 70s eroticism, psychedelia, disco, yéyé, and French chanson into their second album, Concorde, released in 2020.

Le Couleur’s latest single, “Sentiments nouveaux,” showcases their signature sound with sleek, polished production and languorous beats featuring layers of shimmering synth arpeggios and thumping bass. The song also features sultry vocals in both French and English, a Tame Impala-like guitar solo, and razor-sharp hooks that are sure to captivate audiences. The track exudes an 80s synth pop vibe and brings to mind acts like Nu Shooz.

“Sentiments nouveaux” is a teaser for Le Couleur’s upcoming album, set for release in the fall. With their infectious blend of vintage and modern sounds, the trio is sure to continue to captivate audiences and leave a lasting impression in the pop music scene.

The Oscars viewership was similar to last year, with around 16 million viewers tuning in, making it the second-lowest rated telecast.

The Oscars ratings have been a topic of much discussion and scrutiny over the years, as the annual ceremony is one of the most-watched televised events in the world. However, in recent years, the ratings for the show have been on a decline, leading many to question the reasons behind this trend.

One of the factors that have contributed to the decline in ratings is the changing viewing habits of audiences. With the rise of streaming services and the proliferation of on-demand content, viewers have more options than ever before, which has led to a fragmentation of the audience. Additionally, many people have become disenchanted with the Oscars due to the lack of diversity and inclusion in the nominees and winners, which has led to boycotts and protests. CONTINUE READING