Browsing: Features

Mallow Hill is a fierce blues rock quintet made up of Mikayla Joseph on lead vocals, Danny Gwinn on guitar, Mac Dignam on keyboard, John Menefee on drums, and Chris Reynolds on bass, harmonica, and vocals. This Baltimore clan takes a unique twist on the blues and rock and roll. Mikayla’s blues drenched vocals might make Elle King a bit jealous. If their new single “Thinking Bout My Baby” has the Baltimore scene all riled up, imagine what kind of damage their debut LP will make when it comes out later this year. Mallow Hill steeps itself in today’s rich…

I was lucky enough to get invited to the Grand Opening of Close Up, a new jazz and music club that has opened in the Lower East Side of New York City. Owned by Daniel Gaynor and Solomon Gottfried, the club came to fruition out of the pandemic. As Solomon Gottfried puts it: “This is the first time the younger generation has a Jazz club to go to, run by people their age who understand them.” He went on to say that many places like Close Up have closed up in the past twenty to thirty years. The place is…

Education Through Music is a  nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing music education to underserved students in New York City. ETM held its 2024 fundraising gala on Thursday evening. The Gala – “Making Music, Changing Lives” – brought together supporters, advocates, and community leaders in celebration of the transformative power of music in education. Emceed by Hip-Hop icon and music journalist, Sway Calloway, the event opened with a choir performances of “New York, New York” and “Seasons of Love” by the students from PS 103 in the Bronx. The students were then joined by honorees Emmy Award-Winning Talk Show Host Adrienne…

Singer/songwriter Mia Day grew up in Capitol Hill outside of Seattle, Washington. Even though she looked to Taylor Swift for musical inspiration, she wanted her sound to be a bit grittier. Her parents loved the 90s Grunge era that she followed their amazing tastes in music. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden to name a few bands that helped create her sound. I recently chatted it up with Mia about coming to terms with songwriting, her love for 90s grunge, and where she is headed next. What made you pick up guitar and follow the grunge aesthetic? The first artist that made…

I talk to folk rock singer Brian Mackey about the death of his son, about his mental health, and how the birth of his daughter is leaning him into brighter days. He helped channel his sadness with his single “Dust On The Wall” off his gorgeous album Good Morning Ireland, which drops June 21. Brian, who is very active in the realm of supporting mental health partnered with MusiCares, the Recording Academy’s charity, to donate 100% of the proceeds from the track, “Saturday Night Sleeping.” Check out our interview below. https://youtu.be/o-G5PW_FSl0

Meet 60s/70s revival band Levitation Room. Their new album is saturated with that psychedelic experience. The band took their time to find the sound they wanted with the right producer (Glenn Brigman) as well. The band played Brooklyn’s Baby’s All Right this past weekend. Even though the band doesn’t seek fame, if it comes it comes. The band is on a spring tour currently that will wrap up on May 22 in Texas. I talked to the band about their new album Strange Weather, their trippy sound, and the lead single “Heaven”.  Where did you get the name Levitation Room…

Hide and Shine are a threesome based out of Kingston, New York that are truly blending the rock styles of the past into a modern-day cutting-edge style. The band consists of singer/songwriter Chris Kelly, drummer Michael Chambers, and bassist Chris Ferguson. Together their dynamic is unstoppable. I sat down to talk with the band about the production of their new album about how they got the now late great Steve Albini to help work with them, how the songwriting comes together, and how the band is gearing up for the future. How’d the band get together? My wife Tess is…

Pittsburgh based The Ghost Club has put together a killer rock record called King Whatever, due out this Friday. The band is reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen’s sound, which is a fantastic muse to have, hence the saxophone influenced vibe on their upcoming album. Bleachers and Jack Antonoff have been steadily influenced by the Boss himself as well (which we also discuss). I talked to lead singer Dominic Dunegan about the new album, their song “Another Little Sucker”, and stories from the road…. https://youtu.be/tLlYZgzQw28?si=wmXtXM42Uo74j7XM

I got to catch up with three singular artists fresh off the Sofar Sounds Discovery Tour. The “Portraits and Memoirs Tour” is sponsored by Salt Lick Incubator, a nonprofit artist development organization featuring board members including Jon Batiste, John Mayer and Charlie Puth. Each artist Modern Frequency interviews illustrates individuality, creativity, and independence in their own rights. The tour speaks volumes on new music and these three following females are making names not only for themselves, but for the genres they represent. I talked to pop/soul singer Alex Blue, folk artist Claire Ernst, and R&B maven LÉA THE LEOX. Claire…

Sam Evian is receiving critical praise for his new album Plunge. Four albums in, I was lucky to sit down with the singer, songwriter, and musician to see how he has evolved since his debut, 2016’s Premium. His musical style is a mix of country meets psychedelic folk. He was in good company making this record as Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker stopped by to record guitar with him as well on a few tunes. Evian is onto something new now—he began his own imprint called Flying Cloud Recordings and he’s the first artist on the label. In an era where…