Lauren Minear's Music Takes You On a Journey With CHASING DAYLIGHT - Music

    Lauren Minear is a genius of a musician with an impressive past that ventures far beyond music. As a professional psychotherapist she learned to understand the human mind, as well as people who were suffering, in order to give them what's known in psychology as "Self Actualization," healing the damage from the psychic pain her patients possessed. Such insight means her album's writing packs a greater psychological wallop than many of her peers in the modern era.

    While Minear spent many of her early days in Nashville, Tennessee, a successful career brought the lady to NYC, New York, where she earned some impressive musical accolades with the instruction of a guitar player so cool you know who Bonnie Raitt is, George Marinelli, as well as legendary folk artists like Steve Earle, Tom Prosada-Rao, and acclaimed musical songwriters Alice Randall and Joe Croker. This profound, in person experience gives Minear's compositions a historical foundation based on personal instruction from the best in the business. 

    All of these artists are apart of the art Minear makes with music. "Chasing Daylight" is one of the songs from her second album, CHASING DAYLIGHT. It features smart chord progressions, inspiring lyrics, a mood lifting chorus and concepts such as humiliating one's self for a significant other, knowing it's a road of pain, loneliness and confusion. A relationship with another human is like life. You can have fun together, sometimes you don't want to be there, and in the end, there will only be memories. Were they worth it?

A series of shots from the various music videos Minear has made.

    The song has a surprising twist near the end. You are expecting cheerful folk/country/pop/rock, hoping the character within the song will make it. "Chasing Daylight" does not give you a definitive, encouraging answer as to whether this person ventured through the murk. Just like us, living life, they are still trying, and at least there is hope. Indeed, Minear's previous psychotherapist career has clearly given her greater wisdom when creating art about what it is to be only human.

    "Bone Tired" is certainly a song for people who need both a break and some uplifting encouragement. It's soft yet darkly deep, like the depths of distant seas. The lyrics describe a woman who has been worn down, yet persists. Chiming, high-tonal notes gleam amidst haunting words about suffering, understanding and transcendence. The chorus features back up vocals helping the listener feel as if they are not alone. It's happy, uplifting and sadly honest, without being corny, mawkish, or boring. Folk rock elements and even a touch of bluegrass twang, imbues the track with an earthly endurance.    

    Another previously unreleased track you'll find that provides your ears with something else beloved is "The Sun." It's a celebrational track...a simple message about appreciation. Sometimes in our life there is someone who is there for us. This song is about them. There's a warning in the lyrics, though. Just like the survivor in S.E. Hinton's "The Outsiders," you gotta stay gold, Pony Boy. Near limitless, divine powers are conferred upon the object "The Sun," appreciates. Is it God? A father? Husband? The Sun, itself? Like any impressive poetry, a good song interprets itself openly to wise listeners.

    Minear's mighty musical majesty has propelled her to popular places where audiences appreciate pure talent tempered by experience like New York City's The Bitter End, Rockwood Music Hall, and Brooklyn Music Kitchen, to name a few. "I just want to keep making the best songs I am capable of making and connect with people through them," Minear says. "I would love to start playing to festivals and larger audiences."

If you are playing here, you're a musician who has made it.

    This incredible, original, creative artists isn't about pride. Her ambition isn't just "making it big," whatever that can mean to any artist. Minear's audio adroitness is also motivated by a very real transpersonal commitment...her family. That's where her work finds sincere motivation. "Mostly I want to watch my kids grow up. They are my greatest inspiration. I keep making music so they can experience me as a whole person doing something I love deeply with the time I'm away from them." An admirable, moving statement we should all think of, as life flies by irredeemably.

You can find out more about Lauren Minear, here: https://laurenminearmusic.com/

Follow her on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/laurenminearmusic/

Don't forget Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/laurenminearmusic

She has a whole YouTube channel devoted to her music, with videos! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4XJIcAZWSuYDyuoq-xc47w

L.A. Underground Hip Hop Veteran Blu Collaborates on COLAMP - Music

COLAMP FT. BLU, KATIE BURKE & RELIC FOX, "BUGGIN"

    COLAMP is a shortened, blended, slang of "Cold Lamp," which is itself a reference to the single "Cold Lampin' With Flavor" by the beyond legendary Public Enemy. To "cold lamp" is to, well, listen to the song and decide for yourself. Like many lyrics composed by Flavor Flav, the term is open to interpretation. I see it as a combination of staying cold (Flavor Flav is in a vehicle with air conditioning when referencing the song), chilling out, being aware, and looking good. 

It did. They couldn't. 

    Blu blew up with his 2007 album "Below the Heavens," where he teamed up with Exile, a producer you'd better recognize. Now his team includes COLAMP, Katie Burke and Relic Fox, who is also a member of KDT's band ElephantBird. The end result of this proud partnership is "Buggin." It's a solid impact of single, featuring the audio explosion of talent you can expect from such a combination. There will be a YouTube link to the single after this blog post. You'll notice there is animation to go with the video, a visionary choice that gives "Buggin" a timeless, endearing quality. 

Still playing, performing, composing and creating. Good talent doesn't quit.

    The information isn't about to end. COLAMP is Emcee Nathan Nice, producer KDT Produced It, and DJ's Arbs & Breeze, a band of serious music professionals described as a "modern Golden-Era hip-hop group" by magazines that know what they are writing about. "Buggin" doesn't just have Blu involved, as mentioned before artists Katie Burke and Relic Fox also showed up to party, making the single a piece of history you don't want your ears to miss, courtesy of Veronique Records.

COLAMP

    "Buggin" is a song dedicated to Mental Health Awareness Month and all the people who suffer from mental disorders that are trying to live their lives without being victimized or being seen as victims. Societies have stigmatized mental disorders for centuries, and even today people with such problems are perceived as being dangerous, pariahs, or worse. Institutions imprison, drug and torture patients instead of rehabilitating them, and the streets are populated by homeless people with psychological trauma that should have been helped a long time ago.

KDT looking cool, confident, good and ready. 

    KDT's own mother took her own life in 1983 because of her personal mental illness, and the artist himself deals with having a genuine bipolar 1 disorder. This gives the song "Buggin" more personal personality than your typical rap song bragging about money and power. Blu's rap shares his experience dealing with a short term mental health difficulty that hurt him in the past, while Nathan Nice delivers a moving rap sharing his perspective as a good, close friend who is trying to help. 

    

Blu's rap lifts "Buggin" to a new, sentimental level with skill and respect.

    If "Buggin" is any indication, KDT's next production TAPE is going to be an album necessary to any proper collection. He has chosen winners for the dream team on TAPE, which features Anacron, The Lvxes, Ill Se7en, DJ Gilatine, Drew Anthuny and Life Rexall. Check out the song on YouTube. Enjoy the animation. It's all well worth hearing/watching, and the cause it's supporting is good indeed. 

Check out COLAMP on Spotify here.

Follow them on Instagram. I am!

Don't forget to check out Blu, like I said, he's cool, too. 

Tigers and Flies + New Released Four Song EP = Unexpected/Brilliant Fun! - Music

Meet the (newer, bigger) band!

A new EP is more than just a single. It's a promise. "More music is on it's way, enjoy this sample for now." There's a collector's quality to EP's. I own some from punk bands that were friends of mine back in the 90's which haven't even been pulled out of their plastic wrap. Any small collection of songs from a skilled, inspired musical group is precious, like a diamond from a mine.

Tigers and Flies have five people in their post punk, slightly funk, entirely original band and you can hear it. There is more sheer sonic energy in the performance. A brass section replete with trumpets and trombones does that. People like me don't use the term "ska" lightly...the band isn't confined to that genre...and the ska-type sound gives them more options, leading to fresher, more entertaining audio fare without the slightly limited onus of, well, you know, being a ska band.

Tigers and Flies kicking ass (acoustically) with brass!

Something to be aware of while enjoying these new tracks is that the group released the EP themselves. This means everything you hear on the splendid new creation Tigers and Flies composed is exactly what they wanted, free from corporate control or unnecessary, profit obsessed interference. They are proud of their punk rock Manchester, UK roots, including the creative freedom that city's music scene espouses.

"Adaptive Release" is the first song. The band could certainly start a show with this one. The opening has an adventurous quality leading to a punk beat and riotous vocals. Listen for the little touches background instruments bring to this piece. They are easy to miss. Detailed musical flourishes like that reveal some real composing genius.

Following is "Margate Itch." This took three good listening sessions before I could describe the song. The brass wails as the beat keeps the pace nicely. An inventive bassline holds it all together. Solid guitarwork and confident drums keep you interested throughout. The vocals are particularly cool, too. It's surprising to find a rock singer who understands variation, making the third song as smart as it is energetic.

A band so damn happy it's infectious in a fun, not medical way.

The next track, named "Compact Risk," is different than the others in many ways, including vocalizations that jump from conversational to serenading. The POV of the songwriting makes it stand out, as well as an opening that avoids the usual drum or guitar playing for something more original that ends up being a satisfying leitmotiv. It's not just a few minutes of music...the song's a journey for your ears.

The finale from the EP is "Walk in a Straight Line." This song is complicated in a fun way. Expect an audio odyssey with this one. It's hard in places, progressive in others, riotous by the end, with a punk party atmosphere worth hearing many times. The new brass instrumentals propel the piece after a strong start thanks to a jaunty beat complimented by soaring lyrics and clever guitarwork. Don't let the funky bassline distract you. It's a deep song, with poetic power.

My humble advice is to get your ears acquainted with the EP Tigers and Flies created for experienced fans and new listeners thanks to Nervous Entertainment ASAP. Good, honest music is as rare as a red emerald in these chaotic times. Your ears deserve the best. Without them, what would you listen to? Nothing. Give them the kind of songs collector's covet. The new EP by Tigers and Flies qualifies. The release date is 05/04/2024. Don't forget it.

Behold, the new EP in all it's glory!

Here is their facebook page...you can find out more about Tigers and Flies if you peruse it. 

Follow them on Instagram. It's more fun that not following them, which can lead to boredom. 

They are also active on X. Check the band out there, too.

Their last album, Among Everything Else, can be found at this site if you follow this wonderful link.

By the way...

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