All posts by Alex Cook

Chris Kirby Swaps Funk for Earnestness on ‘Close to You Again’

If Chris Kirby can’t be on the road, you know damn well that he is going to sulk in his home studio at Funk Island Lab, crafting lyrics designed to help you share in the experience. His latest single, “Close to You Again” is a direct jab to feels, using the power of roots-pop to lament the loss of human connection; a song so forlorn that Kirby can’t even muster up his signature funky soul stylings. Continue reading Chris Kirby Swaps Funk for Earnestness on ‘Close to You Again’

Loviet Finds the Hollow Core of Success on ‘Jawbreaker’

With her new single, “Jawbreaker,” Loviet reflects on the darker side of ambition, asking whether—like the candy—it is our victories that prove to be hollow, or is it ourselves that contain nothing more than a dark empty space within our souls that will eventually consume us if this hunger is not satiated? And, again, much like the named comestible, this single has been crafted with several layers of sweet candy-coating, granting us the time to reflect upon the dissatisfaction yielded by our life choices. Continue reading Loviet Finds the Hollow Core of Success on ‘Jawbreaker’

Adam Baxter’s ‘By The Fire’ is an Ode to Simple Pleasures and the Rustic Life of Newfoundland’s Past

Adam Baxter’s childhood home was a more-than 200-year-old house on a dairy farm and his latest single, “By The Fire” is a celebration of everything that entails. It’s an ode to simple pleasures and, in particular, the comfort and vital necessity of any solid homestead: the fireplace. Continue reading Adam Baxter’s ‘By The Fire’ is an Ode to Simple Pleasures and the Rustic Life of Newfoundland’s Past

ECMA Announces First Round of 2021 East Coast Music Award Winners

With an evening hosted by Jay Malone and Justine Williamson, the 2021 East Coast Music Awards took to social media for a cootie-free virtual award show. Featuring performances by Beòlach, Classified, Hauler, Jimmy Rankin, Keonté Beals, Les Hay Babies, Like A Motorcycle, Rachel Beck, Rich Aucoin, Rose Cousins, Silver Wolf Band, and Zamani, the evening saw the first batch of 14 award-winners named, along with a special tribute to Rita MacNeil, performed by former bandmates friends and more to celebrate her induction into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. Continue reading ECMA Announces First Round of 2021 East Coast Music Award Winners

Layne Greene Briefly Taps Into—and Out of—His Subconscious to Pen ‘Prospects’

Have you ever had a fantastic, life-changing dream with all the potential in the world to make you, wildly successful, immensely popular, fabulously rich, and a dark horse entry for Time Magazine’s Person of the Year, only to have it evaporate the moment you open your eyes? That’s basically the theme of Layne Greene’s new single, “Prospects,” except that, all the more annoyingly, it’s the details of perfectly ordinary things just slipping away, back into the ether. Continue reading Layne Greene Briefly Taps Into—and Out of—His Subconscious to Pen ‘Prospects’