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Gen Dietzel

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Music Reviews + Other Ramblings

Meagan Aversa Shines With 'Luminescent' 

Meagan Aversa's Luminescent is so beautiful. The vocals are sweet but somber and the harmonies are very poignant, as are the lyrics. I was immediately drawn to the vulnerability Aversa expresses through her delivery and was hooked to the song from the first line. 

In the second verse, Aversa sings "the seeds you sow made a home in my respiratory system", which is officially one of my favorite lyrics ever, and as she talks about clearing the blockages, it feels like a warm hug to oneself as they move on. The way she sings "look at the mess/you were left with" at the end of the bridge is so hauntingly beautiful.

In addition to the vocals, Aversa plays all the instruments on the track, and produced, mixed, and mastered it herself, which all accumulates into a wonderfully constructed piece that perfectly encapsulates the mood of having one's light taken from them. Fans of Joni Mitchell and Stevie Nicks will definitely hear the poetic influence of their work on Aversa's writing style. I love how Aversa can combine poetic lyricism with a straightforward story telling ability.

I love this song. Period.

Luminescent by Meagan Aversa is streaming on all major platforms now. Give it a listen. You won't regret it.

 

02/23/2021

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Bel Holiday's "Mama Mountains" is a Force to be Reckoned With 

Bel Holiday: if you don't know her, you will soon.

Her single, Mama Mountains, off of her upcoming album, Mess of A Mind (to be released on February 12th, 2021), is a breath of fresh air at a time where the world needs an artist like her. In a song where she liberates herself from any expectation of perfection, she shines through stellar vocals and poignant, poetic, yet accessible lyrics.

The skill Holiday exhibits vocally is equally matched to her lyricism. Mama Mountains, inspired by a spiritually awakening hike, paints a beautiful picture of keeping the faith in one's journey. Her vocal styling is very unique, and the way she sings her verses as if she is climbing up and down scales is genius as it paints a physical picture of both the struggles and triumphs of healing. As the second verse hits, Holiday shifts from detailing a spiritual experience to a plea, her vocals becoming more intense and compelling, closing out the verse with a powerful "mama mountains/sense me/feel me". Combining acid rock, avante garde jazz, and dream pop sounds daunting, but she has done it so well. With the story-telling ability of the greats like Joni Mitchell and a voice that is in a league of its own, Bel Holiday is a force of nature.

(And she will be blowing everyone away on the newest season of American Idol, airing February 14th, 2021)

01/31/2021

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I Am Obsessed with Kathryn Gallagher's "Whatever You Can Do" 

Kathryn Gallagher has one of the most unique and compelling voices of modern Broadway, and she shines with her solo music.

Gallagher's new single, Whatever You Can Do, is a song that belongs on playlists with the modern greats of pop music, like Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, and Phoebe Bridgers. When she sings, "I told you not to come/now we're covered in blood", coupled with the vulnerability of the chorus "You do/whatever you/can do to/love me/hate me/erase me/replace me", Gallagher beautifully paints the story of a relationship where one gives their all and gets very little in return, while the other person is still wrapt in the person they are so ambivalent about. 

In the second verse, Gallagher sings "lying on my back in my childhood room/did you know I cry every time I hear from you", and I am OBSESSED with the juxtaposition between grown feelings and childish naiveté. It's relatable in such a heartbreaking way. The feeling of being helplessly in love and continuously drawn to someone that does not deserve your love is something that transcends age, gender, and sexuality. 

In the last chorus, Gallagher switches the narrative and says "I did/whatever I could do/to love you/save you...", and says that it wasn't enough, that this love and effort was only ever subjected to criticism, humiliation, and projection. 

She delivers these beautiful lines in a hushed tone with a hint of rasp, which conveys the emotion exceptionally well. Along with shame and heartbreak, there is an element of pleading to her voice, and it genuinely brought tears to my eyes, further illuminated by the last line of the song "please have mercy on me".

This song actually reminds me, thematically, a lot of Hayley Williams' body of work titled Petals for Armor in that there is a certain fierceness to the vulnerability Gallagher expresses. It is brave to be vulnerable.

And if I could give a piece of advice to anyone who may relate to this song: it is not your responsibility to fix or save someone. You deserve someone who is worthy of your love.

You can stream Kathryn Gallagher's Whatever You Can Do on all streaming platforms.

xo

01/29/2021

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Ann Wilson Still Soars with Tender Heart 

Ann Wilson is undoubtedly one of the best vocalists of all time, and she knows just how to hit me right in the heart. With her new single, Tender Heart, which she released on January 22, 2021, her raw vocals combined with a soulful organ and poignant lyrics, cut straight to my soul.

In an email to her fans, Wilson stated that Tender Heart was written about coming to terms with an "inescapable truth". The song hits deeply as it speaks about the naiveté and innocence of heart that has not yet been hardened by experience and hard truths. Wilson says that the lyric "innocence is still a part...of your sore and tender heart" refers to the "invincible belief in the beauty and purity of love". Wilson's lyrics are just as poetic as her email, and is a song that I will have on every single heartbreak playlist I make from here on out. 

Though she rose to fame through Heart's signature 80s rock, I feel as though Ann Wilson shines the brightest when her vocals are the main focal point of the song. Her voice is smoky and vulnerable. Every line she sings initiates an intimacy with the listener that is hard to achieve, and she has a knack for making people feel less alone. The way Wilson delivers this song feels like a much needed warm hug on the coldest of days. As we, as a human race, are reconciling with some hard, unforgiving truths regarding the world around us, Tender Heart reminds us that though the world may try to harden us, and though we may feel heartbroken, we can remain soft. There is a pureness and a uniting quality to feeling love in its truest form, and through this love, hope can never die.

Thank you, Ann, for reminding me of how wonderful it is to love. This song is brilliant. It brings tears to my eyes every time I listen to it.

You can stream Ann Wilson's Tender Heart on all platforms.

01/22/2021

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Idina Menzel's Bridge Over Troubled Water is Everything Music Needs Right Now 

Originally written for and published by Affinity Magazine.

On Thursday, Idina Menzel announced that she would be releasing a live album, idina: live, on October 5th via her instagram story, and subsequently posted about it on all her social media channels, also announcing the pre-order will begin Friday, September 7th, prior to joining Josh Groban on his Bridges tour. 

Of course, as a fan of Menzel for close to 15 years now, I immediately pre-ordered the album when it became available, and with the pre-order, she released the studio version of her cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water", which she and her band recorded in a studio in New Orleans when she was on tour in the summer of 2017. 

Having seen the tour twice, I knew that her rendition of Bridge Over Troubled Water was beautiful, but I did not expect it to be as absolutely breathtaking as it was. 

Using more soulful instrumentals in comparison to the folksy instrumentals of the Simon and Garfunkel version, and clearly pulling musical and vocal influence from the late Aretha Franklin, who Menzel has cited as her "idol" and as the "greatest singer ever", Menzel shows off her vocal agility and finesse. She moves through vocal runs and navigates through the low end of her chest voice, into her belt range, and even a bit into her head voice, effortlessly and seamlessly, proving once again that she is one of the most skilled vocalists of her generation. 

Including her vocal prowess, which is a quality generally missing from many music artists today, Menzel brings such power and emotion to every single note she sings. She sings every note with intention--it's not just about the vocal acrobatics that she can masterfully perform; it's about the way she can make her audience feel--which is what makes her one of the greatest artists alive today. 

Idina Menzel represents everything an artist should want to be: someone who can leave you speechless regardless of the notes they are singing; someone who can bring tears to your eyes with certain phrasings. 

I have never had a cliché rom-com movie moment with my partner until last night, when we sat on the roof and listened to Menzel's cover of Bridge Over Troubled Water and both started crying because of how that song was able to make us feel, and because of where Idina Menzel's vocals could take us both within ourselves and within the universe. 

Music and artistry is not about perfection. It never has been. It shouldn't be about charts and perfectly hit notes. It should be about a deeper connection to oneself and the world around them, and every time Idina Menzel sings, she does that for her audience. 

Music needs more of that. 

Image Credit: 

https://www.facebook.com/IdinaMenzel/photos/p.10158642481719616/10158642481719616/?type=1&theater

09/07/2018

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INTERVIEW: Nicole Nelson

originally published by Indie Witches

Check out our interview with Nicole Nelson of Dwight & Nicole!

 

 

1) Hey Nicole! Thanks for interviewing with Indie Witches. How did Dwight & Nicole come to be?

 

It’s my pleasure to talk with you :) Dwight & I first met in Boston, Massachusetts. We were both just out of our teens, fronting our own bands and playing a ton of shows locally. We sort of grew up in that scene, and we really loved each other’s voices. Eventually we started calling each other up onstage to sing together and our chemistry onstage was literally its own entity. It was tangible! So we followed that energy - started a side project “Dwight & Nicole” for fun. The next thing we knew - our shows were selling out, offers started coming in, and we were writing an album together. Things evolved quickly after that, (and romantically as soon as we were both single at the same time lol) Then it all just sort of burst into reality.

 

2) Being a powerhouse vocalist, how do you combine the technicalities of singing with the emotional delivery of a song? 

 

For me, the emotional aspect of singing is everything. My favorite singers deliver a feeling - and I don’t really care as much if they are technically so great. I’m more impressed with the mastery of the communication of feelings through a song. That’s what makes music so incredible - when that little bridge forms between people having a timeless, shared experience.

 

3) What attracts you most to the indie soul genre?  

 

I think it’s where I naturally find myself sort of fitting. I am a true independent artist. “Indie” meaning I do not not work under a larger entity that directs my career, or dictates my music, or my look. The “Soul” part is more about my approach as a vocalist. I am a very passionate singer. 

 

4) What is your music making process like?  

 

I follow my muse as much as possible. Meaning that spontaneity rules. I rarely “schedule” time to write, etc. I am so immersed in music in my everyday life. We have a drum kit in our living room & instruments all over our house. So we can easily run with creative moments whenever they strike. When a song comes to me, it usually comes in pretty compete in my mind already. Like a download. Or maybe it’s more like a birth. Maybe it’s both.

 

5) Who has been your greatest inspiration in life? 

 

As an artist, my biggest inspirations probably lie somewhere between Roberta Flack & Mavis Staples. As a human, I think my older brother inspired me the most. He passed away suddenly when we were teenagers and I completely adored him. Loosing him felt like my world was ending, and a large aspect of it was. Through that devastation, I learned that music can literally help to repair a broken spirit. I also learned that I was very strong. And it was through knowing him in this life that I learned to embrace every moment, and to love fully and completely above all else. 

 

6) Favorite book and why?

 

If I have to pick one favorite book, like a desert island book... I think I would go with “Zen Mind, Beginners Mind” by Shunryu Suzuki. That book literally rocked my world.

 

7) How was working with Joel Hamilton and what was the recording process like? 

 

Working with Joel is so special. It’s actually not easy for me to put it into words - and that’s saying something because I LOVE WORDS ! Making a record with Joel changed my entire perspective on how it could be and should be done. He is a master. Also, I have never felt more at home in a creative space (that is not my actual home) as I do at Studio G.

 

8) Being a woman in music can be difficult. Do you have any advice for other young girls and women in the industry? 

 

Yes! I would say that when it comes to making major decisions - like the signing of contracts, and making major choices about the trajectory of your career - know that the final decision is 100% yours. Put your trust not in the things that people tell you, but in the way that they make you FEEL inside. Tap into that, and follow your inner guidance and intelligence above all else! Trust this: You are crafting your own life, and you are calling experiences to you that are very personal and custom to what you need to learn on your individual path. Do not let anyone else’s dreams for you interfere with what you know to be true within yourself. When your own inner guidance seems far away- then you know it is time to unplug for a while and go seeking within. ALSO- leave all comparison behind. Look instead for ways to celebrate those who you admire. Lift yourself up and lift each other up!

 

9) We hear you have some exciting new music coming next year! Anything you can tell us about that? 

 

Well, it is by far the most personal music of my life. This collection of songs were born as part of a path to healing. We had no idea that they would be any good until we started listening back in the studio. We were kind of taken aback. It’s like that spark that lights up when you see children start to grow into these beings that you couldn’t have ever fathomed. They have a life of their own, and it’s more beautiful and original than what you were capable of imagining beforehand.

 

10) Any upcoming shows/tours? Where is the best place for fans to follow you? 

 

We are currently hopping around the Northeast doing one off shows while we finish making this new album. Later in the year we’ll be touring all across the US in support of it - we’ll be announcing dates pretty soon. I think the best way to follow us is on Instagram - we post there a lot @dwightandnicoleYou can also check our website www.dwightandnicole.comfor news updates & links to everything (twitter, FB, YouTube) + our tour dates.

 

#interview#music#musicblog#womeninmusic

Read on Indie Witches

REVIEW: Wildfire by Mikayla Menzies

originally published by indie witches

With a dreamy, moody atmosphere, Mikayla Menzies opens her song, “Wildfire,”with the lyric “there’s a voice in my head, but it’s not mine.” Her sultry but vulnerable voice moves the song to tell the story of a woman recognizing and owning her uniqueness and her power, as well as her ability to overcome her past relationships and demons.

 

The song itself is very nostalgic, accentuated by the moodiness and simplicity of the

instrumentals. However, as the bridge builds, she states “you can’t put me out/you can’t chase me down.” The song transitions from a story about longing to a story of freedom and empowerment. As a wildfire, Menzies illuminates that she cannot and will not be held down or tamed.

 

Fans of Billie Eilish, Lorde, and Maty Noyes would find themselves right at home among

Menzies’ vocals and lyricism. Her smooth, sultry vocals combined with her poetic lyricism is

enchanting. With just synth keyboards and a simple beat, Menzies draws the listener’s attention to her voice, which conveys a nice balance of vulnerability and power. Ultimately,“Wildfire” is a beautiful statement, declaring that one should not be ashamed of their vulnerability or their power because that is what sets people free.

 

Check out Mikayla Menzies on social media for upcoming music and shows!

 

xo Gen Dietzel

Read on Indie Witches
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