Category: New York City

Elliot Lee Review: Bubble Gum Pop

Posted on Posted in #ilivefor, 2020, alternative, Alternative pop, Artist Bio, Backstory, Blues, Change Campaign, dark pop, dream pop, dreampop, electronic, Emo Pop, Facebook, Future Star, Good Vibes Only, Guitar, Indie, indie music, indie music playlist, indie playlist, Indie pop, indie pop playlist, Inspirational person, Instagram, Interview, Music, New York City, Pop, Pop Music, Pop Rock, Soundcloud, Spotify, USATagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Elliot Lee

Shore Fire Media

@jocronin65

Photo taken by Shervin Lainz

Editorial

This month I have focused on musicians who are passionate about mental health. If I could give a megaphone to them, they’d all speak strongly in these subjects that they believe in.

The first week I wrote about Sarabean. Sarah is a 16-year-old musician from Florida, and has been open about her struggle with depression and loneliness in her music. She wants to make music that other people her age and/or are lonely too, and let them know they are not alone.

The second week I wrote about Trish Discord. After Trish graduated from college with a degree in psychology, she integrated her love in psychology and music by making songs that talk about mental disorders. She did this by writing about what people with a certain mental diagnosis go through both symptomatically and emotionally. She did this as a way to raise awareness for those disorders.

Last week I wrote about Seepeoples. After Will Bradford and the band decided to halt their music journey in 2011, Will went into rehab because he was struggling with addiction. When he came out of rehab and decided to return from Seepeople’s hiatus, the band continued to be a voice for their fans who have very different opinions and views than most of the society. The band stood for something that others are afraid to stand for, just like how so many who struggle with mental health are afraid to stand up for themselves.

This week I am writing about Elliot Lee. Elliot stands for a lot. She stands for mental health, stigmas, and much more. If you browse through her Instagram, she has been very vocal about standing with the Black Lives Matter movement too. Her music is for the masses as she says in her song Dirt, and if I could give the megaphone to anyone of these musicians I’ve mentioned above.

I wouldn’t hesitate to give it to her.

Table of Contents

  • Editorial
  • Who is Elliot Lee?
  • Inspiration Behind Elliot Lee’s Music
  • What’s Next for Elliot Lee?
  • Thank You Notes
  • Conclusion

Who is Elliot Lee?

Music has always been a huge part of Elliot‘s life for as far back as she can remember. “My earliest memory is of laying in a red flyer wagon & listening to music on my portable CD player while my mom pulled me around the parking lot on a warm, humid night in Hawaii,” she tells me.

As a child she had to move on from many homes and friends who were her people/things to lean on. At one point she found it hard to open up to people and kept everything bottled up inside her. According to American Songwriter, Elliot said that “I started listening to music that really spoke to me and I realized that I could use music as an outlet for myself”. As a result, she pulled out her ukulele and put her thoughts and feelings on paper as she played various chords.

Today Elliot doesn’t only have music to help her with her baggage, she also has fan base that is like a family. “It feels like life put us through so much & one of our rewards for surviving so long is this comfortable little community of fellow misfits, a place where we can finally feel understood & safe. That’s what it is for me, at least. I hope others feel the same,” Elliot says about her fan base.

(At one point) I went through a really dark time in my life, music felt like the only friend I could turn to. I started using songwriting as a means of venting & coping with my experiences. Since then, creating music has kind of become a survival tactic for me.

Elliot Lee (8/5/2020)

Inspiration Behind Elliot Lee’s Music

There are many people in society that struggle to keep a smile on their face without masking their emotions. There are also many people in society who don’t struggle to keep a smile on their face without masking their emotions. But what music does for everyone rather they like it or not is so powerful. Music finds that happy medium.

Elliot explains that Upside Down is “a deep dive into what it feels like to go through hardships & continually struggle to get out of bed while grappling with all the ‘what if’s’. What if l didn’t care so much about others’ opinions? What if l didn’t always feel inadequate? If I didn’t struggle with all of this, maybe 8 would be strong enough to lead my bubblegum soldiers to the top of the world, but for now I’m content with keeping them company down here. :)”

Music like hers is why so many people like myself consider music as an essential piece of their life, if there was no music then there is no coping strategies, no meaning to life, no purpose to share our thoughts or opinions, etc. This is why I admire her so much, and even the word “admires” doesn’t do the justice of how much her music means to me and so many others.

Four years ago I saw so few reasons to live. I felt like my voice wasn’t worth being heard, so I kept everything behind a closed door. But since finding this outlet, I’ve been able to help people, and that alone is my new reason to live…. I want people to hear my music & know that they deserve to be heard too.

Elliot Lee

What’s Next for Elliot Lee?

Elliot wants to continue making music that allows her listeners to have a safe space, but she also wants to try new things as well. “I sort of just plan to go in whatever direction feels fun & true to who I am as a person!” she says.

But for now, the pandemic is quite literally putting a pause to everything. She wants to meet her fans, but right now she’ll have to wait. However, that is not stopping her from writing and other creative things.

I implore everyone who enjoy her work as much as I do to click on the links below, and keep an eye on them for more content in the future!

Thank You Notes

Not to make Elliot feel bad, but this article literally took over a year to prepare. The reason why it took so long was because Elliot had a lot of moving pieces happening within that year. Long story short, I eventually tracked her down through her record label (Photo Finish Records). Who may I say are very nice and professional people! At the end of the day, everyone including myself is happy, and I wouldn’t of had it any other way.

Elliot Lee’s links:

Photo Finish Records:

Unedited Music Blog’s Links:

Conclusion

Have a wonderful week, and remember to respect other people and to stay safe. If you feel sick then stay home until a doctor or medical professional clears you. If you have to go into public also remember to wear a mask.

GoodBadUgly by Elliot Lee (2020)

Trish Discord Review: Educational Rock

Posted on Posted in 2020, alternative, Artist Bio, Backstory, Classic Rock, Dogtooth, Facebook, Guitar, Indie, indie music, indie music playlist, indie playlist, Indie Rock, Instagram, Interview, Music, New York City, Pop Rock, Rock, Singer, Soundcloud, Spotify, USA, YoutubeTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Trish Discord

Independent

@jocronin65

Editorial

One of Trish‘s favorite bands is Green Day, not that there newest music is great… Because it definitely isn’t. They definitely are notable for their amazing debut album Dookie. If you listen to a lot of their most famous tunes like Basket Case, Longview, Brain Stew, and Welcome to Paradise talks about something on the lines of what Billie Joe Armstrong opened up about when he was 20.

According to many sources who quoted Billie directly, he felt a form of mid-life crisis were he genuinely thought he was going to die at an early age. That thought process has been in his head ever since.

So as a result, he made music that reflected his thought process. One could even make a case that he was making music about something that he was about, because most of the time that’s all he thought about for a good period of time in his life.

That’s exactly what Trish Discord did when writing her debut album Is This my Mental Breakdown. She took two of her passions, psychology and music, and combined them into a hybrid.

Table of Contents

  1. Editorial
  2. Who is Trish Discord?
  3. Inspiration Behind Is This My Mental Breakdown?
  4. What’s Next for Trish Discord?
  5. Thank You Notes
  6. Links
  7. Conclusion

Who is Trish Discord?

In the beginning Trish started to write music in order to release emotions and connect with other people. After studying psychology in college she realized she had a unique opportunity that allowed her to intertwine the world of mental health into her music.

So quite literally she took the mother f***ing DSM V and made songs about some of the most commonly known diagnosis.

Trish has garnered (my new favorite word) a large audience of musicians and 90’s rock fans to, because afterall Trish‘s music does sound like something the Cranberries would make back in the day.

I started to write songs as a way to release my emotions and decided I could connect with others. I also knew I had a unique background having studied psych so I could write songs about that.

Trish Discord (8/1/2020)

Inspiration Behind Is This My Mental Breakdown?

Although Trish says it wasn’t hard too hard to use the DSM as a reference to make the songs on her first album, “it was actually hard to get the emotional part correct with each song because I knew it had to be realistic and also factual.” As a result she leaned on most of her friends who have struggled with some of these diagnosis in the past.

The human mind is a fascinating thing, especially to a large majority of people who decide to make a living out of helping people just like Trish and I. I definitely applaud her for taking her passions and molding it into a new way of raising awareness for a subject that has been stigmatized for way too long.

I, myself, have already shared about my struggles with anxiety, a horrible terrible beast that can sneak up on someone at any point in their day or life. Now I could give you the definition of anxiety according to the DSM, but lets be honest… No one wants me to because everyone genuinely knows what anxiety is. However, as common as it is, anxiety is just as stigmatized as every other mental disorder.

People who do not fully understand anxiety think it’s not an actual medical illness, even though it is a common diagnosis given by a doctor or professional.

People also think that people with anxiety can just snap out of it if they want to. However, I doubt a person having an anxiety attack can just snap out of it they want to.

I find that the DSM can be very misleading if you are trying to look for answers on why you behave the way you do. I’m not saying that people with depression are depressed because the DSM told them they were. What I’m saying is… That’s not what it’s there for.

In my personal opinion, the DSM is there for two things… 1. For medical personal who are required to diagnose DMH clients, and 2. to show that other people in the world also suffer from these symptoms in more or less the same way.

So while Trish Discord’s album is a great way to raise awareness for mental health, I highly suggest that people stay away from diagnosing themselves for various reasons that can lead to various thinking patterns.

Social is about depression and the stigma that people with it face from their close circle and society.

Trish Discord

What’s Next for Trish Discord?

So what is next for Trish Discord? “I want it to stay indie and if I could achieve something where I could live off my music or make a profit while connecting with a fan base that would be the dream,” Trish tells me. 

While that’s a basic goal for a lot of musicians, it quite honestly isn’t a goal that is often achieved. For that reason, she is pushing as hard as she can to get her music as much exposure as it can get.

She is also aiming to continue raising awareness for mental health in her music. Trish plans to release in the near future another album talking about how the 2016 election had affected people and herself personally.

While she is trying to save up to produce and record this album, you can follow the links below to stay up to date on the progress she is making towards this next album.

Thank You Notes

I would like to thank Trish Discord for keeping in touch with me up, she is a great person, and I am looking forward to working with her in the future.

Trish Discord links:

Unedited Music Blog links:

Conclusion

Have a wonderful week ahead, and remember to respect each other no matter your differences. When you go out wear a mask, and if you’re sick then stay home… You know the rest, I’ve said it many times before!

Is This My Mental Breakdown? (2020) by Trish Discord

Cooper Phillip [unedited] Music Review

Posted on Posted in #ilivefor, 2017, 2018, 2019 Pop Music, 2020, alternative, Alternative pop, Artist Bio, Backstory, California, dream pop, electronic, Europe, Future Star, Good Vibes Only, Indie, indie music, indie music playlist, indie playlist, Indie pop, indie pop playlist, Inspirational person, Instagram, Interview, Music, New York City, Pop, Pop Music, Remixes, Russia, Singer, Soundcloud, Spotify, USA, YoutubeTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
Cooper Phillip

According to Coalition for the Homeless, in April of this year there were a total of over 60 thousand people who were homeless in New York City. Just over 19 thousand were single adults. But that only counts for the people who live in homeless shelters.

There is very minimal to no information on the percentage of people who were homeless and then proceeded to live a more productive life. But if you ask me what that percentage would look like, I would tell you probably pretty small.

Fortunately, Cooper Phillip is one of those extremely lucky people to rise from the burden of homelessness in a city where the homeless population is the worst in the country.

She came into the situation with endless possibilities. She knew she could accomplish whatever she set out to do, because her mother who was a successful musician saw a lot of talent in her daughter.

“I believe we underestimate ourselves often and our fear takes over. My goal is to show people that they are stronger and can do much more than they think they can”, Cooper says.

Phillip’s story is nothing short from inspirational. And the fact that she is using her story to inspire her listeners makes her one of the up-coming role model figures of today.

Cooper was born in a small town in Russia, raised mainly by her grandmother and Aunt. Her mother was rarely ever around as she was touring the world as a master violin player. With the absence of her mother, Phillip found comfort in music and more specifically Ella Fitzgerald’s music. She taught herself every Fitzgerald song in detail.

As a kid Cooper grew up in an opera house, watching a lot of classic ballets, operas, and classical music. “Growing up in musical theater inspired me to continue learning music,” she says. Not too long after, she enrolled in the well-known Moscow State Classical Academy, where she worked tirelessly on her voice and other musical skills.

When her mother realized her daughter’s pure talent she quit her own career that was flourishing and took her daughter on tour with her across Russia.

At age 17, Cooper moved to New York City with very little money. However, she was determined to pursue a successful career in international music just like her mother. She hustled and worked, performed at weddings and clubs, and slept in the storerooms of restaurants she sang in. She was relentless and set on her goal.

When offered to perform at an important performance in Los Angeles, she didn’t hesitate to take it and never looked back.

With music underlying themes of strength, grace, and empowerment, Cooper has already attracted 10 million followers online with her previous singles. “They love music that makes them feel a certain way,” she says.

“(Living on my own in New York) was a rough experience, but it was so vivid and full of life, so I think it’s one of the best periods of my life. I think it inspired me so much because I saw how many opportunities I can explore. Also, I found a true character in myself because I didn’t have to prove anything to anyone I just found my true self.”

~Cooper Phillip (6/23/2020)

Cooper’s music is a mix of catchy and inspirational pop, there’s a lot to like about her. Thank You Heartbreak really stuck out to me when I was listening to her music, the two parts of what her music usually is were present in this song. The song’s verses were about her story, her chorus was catchy, and the song ends in an empowering way.

Phillip doesn’t really hold anything back in her songs, and seems to be the kind of writer that gets genuinely bothered by holding back something. Her most recent single, Not Perfect, is another example of expressing her true emotions. The song talks about the importance of self-love and confidence.

She hopes this single and her story help people find their own confidence.

“As soon as the lockdown is over I’m going on a world tour.”

~Cooper P.

Cooper tells me that she wants her musical direction to stay honest. “I want my music to speak the truth about me and how I feel about the world,” she says.

She didn’t speak of any more music to be release at any point soon, so I am not expecting much on that end. But nevertheless as always keep your eyes glued to our socials, which you can follow below.

I would like to thank Alex High for connecting me with Cooper Phillip for this week’s article, I am very honored to review such a confident woman and musician.

You can follow Cooper Phillip on Instagram, and Twitter. You can stream her music on Spotify, SoundCloud, and YouTube.

You can follow Unedited Music Blog on Instagram,  Facebook, and Twitter. You can listen to our playlists on Spotify, and SoundCloud.

Have a fantastic week, and please remember to respect the ones around you and stay home if you don’t feel well. The pandemic feels like it’s settling down, but it isn’t so please stay safe!

Not Perfect (2020) by Cooper Phillip
Not Perfect (2020) by Cooper Phillip

Overall: 4.8/5

Not Perfect: 5/5

Speaking in Tongues: 5/5

Exceptional Feelings: 4.5/5

Thank You Heartbreak: 5/5

Low Key: 5/5

Party By Myself: 5/5

Silence: 5/5

Top Song: Party By Myself (2016)

Nikademis [unedited]

Posted on Posted in DJ, Glow Records, New York City, Nikademis, USATagged Leave a comment
Nick Liuzzi (Press Picture)

 Nikademis
Interview & Review
      “I have struggled for a while now to find my sound and I think I am just starting to come around to it a little more, but am still not there yet 100%. I want my music to be something that people can’t put in a box and define with a blanket genre term” says Nick Liuzzi. Hopefully, that sound will include collaborations with artist like No 1 Knows, Elissa Castro, Amelia Cariddi. In my opinion, his sound so far sounds like a mix of rave music and dubstep.  
      Nikademis is based in Seaford, New York; a town that has raised Matthew Koma (DJ/producer/singer-songwriter who helped write Clarity by Zedd) and Jimmy V (iconic college basketball coach and cancer victim). “At the beginning of high school in the middle of my freshman year, I started a small DJ business with two of my friends. This was back in around 2012 or 2013. We got some low budget equipment and started DJing local parties. During this time one of those two friends showed me some electronic music that he was into at the time. I wasn’t too familiar with the type of music but I started to listen to it more and more and fell in love with it” Nikademis tells me. 5 years later, after graduating the second highest of his class with a 4.0 GPA and overcoming several surgeries and many procedures to fix numerous health issues, Nick’s work is starting to be a rather big success. All while attending a local college, maintaining a 4.0 GPA and producing his music with recently landing an official remix opportunity for Kap Slap.
        “One of his latest tracks ‘There For You’ featuring vocalist Amelia Cariddi is approaching nearly 13,000 plays on Soundcloud, and he is gaining popularity for his crossover collaboration ‘Be Mine‘ with LA singer, songwriter, and producer Adrian Delgado. After producing for nearly 5 years, Nikademis has gained more and more recognition for his tracks from artists such as KSHMR, Ryos, Angemi, Kap Slap, Snugs, Deepend, and others, and is continuing to work towards being the best he can be. His latest track, ‘Catch Me,’ earned him an official signed release on Glow Records and has since been praised by Kap Slap, Two Friends, Adrian Delgado, Robin Hustin, El Hornet (Pendulum), Samlight, and others. It received additional support from electronic music super-label Revealed Recordings, as it was added to the ‘Revealed Brand New‘ playlist on Spotify. It peaked at #29 on the US Soundcloud charts for ‘Hot & New’ Dance & EDM.”
– Nikademis Bio
      With a growing fan base, this up and coming producer finds influence in legendary DJs such as Zedd, Avicii, Swedish House Mafia, and Calvin Harris. He says, “two of the first influences of electronic music for me were Zedd’s ‘Clarity’ and Wolfgang Gartner ‘Illmerica‘, and I think those are two artists whose listeners can definitely hear in some of my music. I also am influenced by jazz styles and love to incorporate jazzy chords when I feel it fits”.
       “I’ve received so many great comments and messages of encouragement from fans both who have stuck with me from the beginning and some who have just joined the movement recently. Many of them are creative people as well (who) love to trade their content with me whether it be their music, drawings, etc, and I always love providing feedback. I think that’s something that’s really special” says Nick.
     Nikademis started with two albums in 2017 (Breaking the Silence and Chasing Time) which provided fans with a sense of an exciting mix of collaborated tracks and his own mixes. Breaking the Silence had really enjoyable tracks like Elevate, New Reign, and Havoc with an influence of rave and dubstep elements. His collaborations on this album were fantastic, however, I didn’t feel like Stix was a good fit for him. This mismatch is shown through as well in Chasing Time, but even that collaboration was overshadowed by songs like Weapons of Mass Destruction, Daybreak, and This Life is a Party. Although, Chasing Time wasn’t as good as his debut album because of songs that felt like they were missing vocals. The rest of the singles introduced fabulous collaborated tracks like Need You Now and Daybreak both featuring Elissa Castro for 2017. This year, he’s seemed to basically only focus on collaborated songs… And I don’t mind that… The biggest highlights out of all these singles will have to be Don’t Promise Me (featuring No 1 Knows), Catch Me (featuring Amelia Carridi), and Never Want To Leave (also featuring No 1 Knows). If you haven’t caught my pattern, yes I am obsessed with No 1 Knows… But further down the road, although the vocalist who collaborating with him, I would like to hear other new fresher voices in his collaborations.
      “Working with Amelia was a really great experience. Not only is she an extremely talented singer and songwriter of course, but she is so easy to work with and willing to do whatever will be best for the track. When I sent her the instrumental for Catch Me I was super surprised and impressed by how quickly she wrote for the track and was able to nail it on the first try. It was super refreshing to work with someone who is also very passionate about the music and is an all around great person as well. I definitely hope to be working with her more in the future” mentions Nick on what it was like to work on Catch Me with Amelia Carridi.
      The future looks bright for Nikademis, even though he doesn’t fully believe he found his sound yet. Nick wants his music to be unlike anything anyone has heard before as well as being diverse, appealing, and meaningful. “I feel a lot of meaning is lost in electronic music nowadays, so I just want to continue to make music from the heart so that hopefully I can bring back some of that meaning and convey my passion to the listeners” Nick says (who obviously hasn’t heard Memories… Do Not Open album by The Chainsmokers (which he definitely should!)). If you enjoy Nikademis’s tracks as much as I do, I highly encourage you to click the link above in green highlight on top of the page and follow him on Spotify… If you’re a SoundCloud person then here is his link: SoundCloud link… Or if you’re a YouTube geek then watch his music videos through this link: YouTube link! 
        I would like to sincerely thank Martin Tharaldsen from Housemania PR & Management for reaching out to me via my Hotmail, and Nick Liuzzi for his continued communication! Nick and Martin are truly good people, and I am very happy to apart of Nikademis’s journey into the music industry. For my readers, I am beyond happy to be back writing and I assure you that there are some remarkable musicians coming up for the rest of 2018 and upcoming in 2019! Stay tuned people, the ride has just begun!
Catch Me (2018)
by Nikademis (w/ Amelia Cariddi)
Overall: ★★★★3/4
Don’t Promise Me: ★★★★★
Catch Me: ★★★★3/4
Tomorrow: ★★★★1/2
There For You: ★★★★★
Never Want To Leave: ★★★★★
Daybreak: ★★★★★
Need You Now: ★★★★★
Chasing Time: ★★★★1/4
Breaking The Silence: ★★★★1/2
Top Song: Don’t Promise Me [feat. no 1 knows] (2018)
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The Upstart Crows [unedited]

Posted on Posted in Death Cab For Cutie, New York City, Soundcloud, The Upstart CrowsLeave a comment
The Upstart Crows
The Upstart Crows
Interview & Review
When I first heard The Upstart Crows music, the comparison of Jon’s voice with Death Cab For Cutie vocals was quite acceptable. Their debut album is focused around a relatable and personal subject that I believe everyone might struggle with at any age. Jon explains that “the album is a collection of independent stories connected by lyrical themes of isolation and abandonment presented in a very upbeat and energetic musical package. Kind of like how people are in real life.” This explanation of the album is truly what intrigued me about the band.
Jon started playing music “in high school, one of my friends wanted to start a band and told me to buy a bass guitar, so I did. Unfortunately, we didn’t get through two practices before everyone got bored, but I got the bug. So I asked my cousin for his guitar and started playing that instead. I wasn’t a fan of playing covers, so I just wrote my own songs instead.” Forest and Jon met each other in a college located in New Hampshire sometime in 2015. From 2016-2018, they worked on their debut album which is expected to be released on August 24th (Friday). Jon tells me that remarkable musicians such as the Gorillaz and Jack White influence their songs. They are hoping to build their fan base from just friends and family after their album release.
Jon Adams (vocals/guitar) says his favorite song on their album is What Did I Say, a reflective piece that sounds pretty simple but also very personal. Forest DeCoste (drums/bassist/vocals) tells me his favorite song is Mercury Kisses, a song I don’t personally find appealing except for the catchy riff.
  Their debut album has a good amount of songs that really caught my attention at first, and some that I don’t find as good as they could be. Melancholy Haze (which reminds me of High And Dry by Radiohead), Bad Medicine, Nice Guy (my new theme song 😋), and Lying & Crying are songs that really grabbed me. Personally, I found Tightrope Walker to be a very relatable song. Jon tells me, “Tightrope Walker is about a character who has trouble fitting in the world, he’s not a total outcast but he isn’t your everyday-Joe. He walks along that line, which can be very lonely. The story is about him looking for love but finding the typical methods to not really working for him (going to club/bar to meet people).” The song that I have to brutally be honest about are the following….. Song of Time sounds like Dixie Waillin, way too similar!
Jon tells me “we plan to try and expand our sound, I’ve been experimenting loop pedals and would love to create a fuller sound with our two piece set up. We also have just been trying to add different styles of music such as more personal lyrics and just trying to expand as an artist. We’re also trying to make new music so we don’t get bored with our own sound.”
Just like Jon sings in his last track (Wait for Me), for fans of this debut album…. “Good things come to those who wait”…… “We got a lot of songs in the works currently. Most of the music is done it’s just the lyrics that take a while. But I’m hoping we can release another album or EP in a year.”
      I would like to thank Jon for reaching out to me for a review, you guys defintely got good vibes from me! I will keep you all updated, so please find your way to my Facebook and Instagram pages under Unedited Music Blog! 
The Upstart Crows (2018)
The Upstart Crows

Overall: ★★★★1/2

The Upstart Crows: ★★★★1/2
Top Song: Bad Medicine
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