Best New Indie Music Discoveries (7/26/2021) – “Fastracks” 13

Seth Glier’s new album The Coronation is an invitation to forge a new, more beautiful world out of the current chaos. “For most of my adult life, I’ve held the belief that humanity is right around the corner from something transformative,” Seth explains. “If we could only see that our separateness is an illusion, then a future of global cooperation and interdependence would be undeniable.

As the coronavirus locked down the world, I watched this long-held belief inside of me becoming a reality right before my eyes. The dolphins returned to the Venice canals, and millions of children saw the stars for the first time. I wanted this album to feel like a roadmap towards reunion in a reconnected and repairing world.”

Glier’s sixth album on MPress Records, The Coronation is a beautiful and powerful collection that explores an expansive range of musical styles and topics from the personal to the political. A Grammy®-nominated singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist from Western Massachusetts, Glier has also won five Independent Music Awards.

NPR describes his voice as “otherworldly” while praising him as “an engaging performer and storyteller.” His critically acclaimed, emotionally dense catalog of work often draws upon traditional roots music, experimental instrumentation, and moody atmospheres that result in soulfully intelligent stories that can alternately fight the power and break your heart.

After touring 250 dates a year for half his life, not being on the road in 2020 allowed Glier to write from a place of stillness. The Coronation’s credits reflect the spirit of interconnectedness explored in the album’s lyrics. “I knew at the onset that I wanted to work with many different people and producers on this record but I don’t think I knew why until after finishing it,” Seth explains.

“Being in collaboration is a constant reminder that our actions have profound effects on the subsequent actions of others and how powerful it is to be united in common cause.” While The Coronation has multiple producers alongside Glier himself — longtime collaborator Ryan Hommel (Amos Lee, Heather Maloney), Bill Lefler (Ingrid Michaelson, Dashboard Confessional), and Alex Wong (Delta Rae, The Paper Raincoat) — the record has a cohesive, mostly synth-driven sound. Guest artists include vocalists Everett Bradley (Bruce Springsteen, Hall & Oates) and rising star Raye Zaragoza, and cellist Dave Eggar (Coldplay, Evanescence).

“I think collaboration might be what makes ‘The Coronation’ a cohesive album,” Glier says. “It’s wildly diverse from song to song, and the making of it began to mirror a new world I wanted to live in.”

Glier will share songs from The Coronation on the road later this year while continuing to connect with audiences using his eclectic, often humorous, and always insightful artistry. Summing up the project, Glier says, “’The Coronation’ marks the emergence of our collective unconscious into consciousness and the transcendence of compulsion into choice.

I look at the last year of lockdown as sort of like an extended rehab healing us from the story of separation and offering us the courage to forge a new crown and become the rulers of that which had ruled us.”

Following the successful release of her debut EP , Dani Kristina has established her sound as an up-and-coming pop artist.

Her newest release, One Night Stand, a personal and heartfelt ballad, which features layers of strings, synths, drums, and passionate vocals written with Andrew Sporcic.

Just like Taylor Swift, Lennon Stella, Halsey, and countless other inspirations, Dani knows how to write bangers. Through the process of writing over 600 songs as a teenager and training as a classical pianist and vocalist, she has found her niche. Dani is a confident, mature, creative, and open-minded artist looking to build a team and grow her brand.

As a classically trained mezzo-soprano and pianist, Dani’s diverse musical roots allow her to experiment with complex harmonies within her songwriting. Growing up around Toronto, Ontario, she’s spent her whole life taking in diverse soundscapes, curating her own unique sound, and experimenting with different styles. Working alongside Grammy-nominated Trevor James Anderson, TikTok’s @katamogz (En Flique Creative), and other Toronto talent, Dani is dedicated to her vision and a strong supporter of local musicians.

Avant-pop British artist Fifi Rong is sharing the live performance video for her latest single ‘Dream On’ recorded during the third episode of her Yi Jing Live Performance Series and directed by Rok Pat.

The single follows the release of breathtaking single and videos ‘Another Me’ and ‘Only Man’ and precedes her upcoming self-produced solo album, There Is A Funeral In My Heart For Every Man I Loved to be released next spring. Fifi Rong has collaborated with the likes of Skepta (on his hugely successful UK No. 2, Mercury Prize-winning album Konnichiwa) as well as Tricky, Yello on their chart-topping albums Point and Toy, as well as Phaeleh and Emika.

The songstress has racked up over 3.2 million plays across major streaming platforms and received previous support from The Guardian, The Times, NME, FACT Mag, The Irish Times, Dancing Astronaut, Earmilk, Wonderland, CLASH Magazine, Complex, BlackBook Magazine, FLAUNT, XLR8R, MIXMAG Asia and The Line of Best Fit to name a few.

Beijing-born, London-based multi-talented singer Fifi is deeply involved in her project Yi Jing 意境 Live Performance Series. The video for ‘Dream On’ is representative of the project which is designed to bring the worlds of online concerts, short films, and performance/sonic/visual art all into one reality, with the aim to build a community of loyal aesthetes and avid music/art lovers.

The artist has also begun to release her work as music and multimedia NFTs, marking herself as one of the forerunners in the exciting field.

The singer-songwriter has found inspiration in new forms – from the undeniable stylings of modern music to her own complex cultural heritage and the texture of Wong Kar Wai’s movies.

In turn, her own sound can be associated with the likes of Bjork, Cocteau Twins’ Elizabeth Fraser, FKA Twigs, ANOHNI and Massive Attack as she displays contemporary ballads with atmospheric production with the emotional and melancholic tones of Shlohmo, Sevdaliza and the sultry sensuality of Lana Del Rey.

Providing a rare glimpse into the Yi Jing Live Performance Series, Fif Rong shares both the deeply intimate journey of her life and music in her latest music video.

Recently, the songstress has begun to speak out about her journey, revealing the tumultuous path she’s walked to achieve her dream. We see elements of this path mirrored in the video, where futuristic post-apocalyptic lighting melds with gently flowing chiffon, satins and bold florals: a meeting of two starkly different worlds that come together to create Fifi Rong.

Speaking of the video, Fifi tells us: “This is my first Live Performance Music Video and I love it. I am so proud of my Yi Jing Live team and grateful for their hard work, which is really paying off through this amazing piece of video art.

The filming set was built in my room. We had 3 cameras, complex lighting set up, organic effects such as a glass screen, water spray acting as rain, manual blue gel movement to create underwater effects and much more. I’m really happy about my performance and the sound too as it’s my first time performing the song! I prefer live music videos because it just communicates the song far better than a traditional music video.”

There are voices that transcend time; voices that would sound just as at home in the twenties as they do in the TikTok era. Carly Pearl has such a voice. Growing up in New York, Carly was exposed to a wide array of music. Her carefully curated mixtapes featured Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Bill Withers alongside Lauryn Hill, John Legend and Alicia Keys.

Carly Pearl is a work in progress, a raw, open, student of life. Some days she’s bright and carefree, other days she’s emotional and heavy. Her goal is for her music to reflect the dark and the light, the struggles and the lessons. As she writes through the waves of her life, she hopes her music helps people feel a little less alone in the world.

Beck Black was formed in 2014 in Los Angeles, CA – performing and recording since. Her most recent release was from last July: “Who’s Gonna Save Rock N Roll” with Beatles Ringo Starr on drums! She also is part of the duo “JYNX”, with two songs licensed to the popular Netflix film “Dumplin”. Besides making music, she has appeared on TV, films and online shows including S.W.A.T., Beverly Hills Pills, Ruth and Lori and others. Beck Black is releasing a new rock album in September, entitled “Hollywood Blvd” with the title song out now! More singles coming too this summer!