This audio-only version of Surprise Baby’s Poison The Well almost didn’t make it to Vodka after more than 30 seconds of the bass and beat only. Then the vocal kicked in and I was instantly in love with this song-including the bass and beat! Surprise Baby is the product of singer-songwriter and musician Sarsten Noice and producer Claire Morison, who describe their musical style as rock and roll cowboy meets indie pop. They refuse to be slapped neatly into any particular genre which is a formula…
Read MoreThere is something about minor key songs that really grabs Vodka. Perhaps it is their rarity, but I prefer to believe it has more to do with how they make me feel. They send me down an introspective track, and if they are really good like this one, they are compelling multi-listens. Enter Eric Sleeper’s minor key and lovely Dragons (heard here). Eric Sleeper is a New Jersey-based singer-songwriter that borrows from multiple genres. While containing all of the best elements of modern independent music,…
Read MoreVodka describes In My Room (seen/heard here) from power pop multi-instrumentalist Noah Chenfield as full-on fun. While the subject of the song tends to be tried-and-true material (love y’all!) the feeling of this track is playful. Noah says that this track is: “a love song about a very specific time and place. I wanted to make something that would sound right for a lazy beach day…” Certainly In My Room is radio-ready. It’s the kind of pop song that you’d expect to…
Read MorePitou’s Big Tear (seen/heard here), and the title track for her upcoming LP, is a perfect example of Vodka’s title byline: “Music that isn’t the same old thing…mostly.” It is an example of vocals as both rhythm and instrument. It took only two listens for me to be blown away. The first listen was a “well, this is interesting” moment, and the second was “this is amazing!” Born and raised in Amsterdam, Pitou’s journey to her current style of music started…
Read MoreAJ Wander may just be getting started at releasing music, but he’s been at this since childhood when he was surrounded by his pianist father’s works and multiple instruments. These were the influences that got AJ interested in playing and eventually creating music. Take It All (seen/heard here) is from his forthcoming EP, due out in late 2022. The subjects of the EP explore the events and chaotic aftermath of an explosive breakup. As an example of this,…
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