Welcome to Le Café Music Podcast! The music podcast for indie artists and music fans looking for something new. We’re back for a new season after one hell of a 2021.
In just seven episodes, we reached 62 countries, 711 cities, and 6 continents
The goal of our show is to get your music out to new ears all over the world. No charge. If we like it, we play it. Simple as that.
We are featuring 5 new artists today; all first-timers on Le Café Music Podcast.
Tag Ryan – Misfit
I met Tag while working as a singer for Carnival Cruise Lines. Dude came in mid-contract as our new guitarist and just let it rip. Young, hungry, and…sexually charged. This track is a perfect representation of who Tag Ryan is, and I love it. Tag Ryan on Spotify
Reverend James Elmore Jenkins – Woman
Now for something totally different. This is our first Gospel track we’ve played on Le Café Music. With a little blues and soul, the Reverend gets his message out beautifully. From his 2021 album “Bound for Glory” Reverend James Elmore Jenkins on Spotify
Colm Gavin – I Always Will
Colm Gavin is an Irish singer/songwriter from Dublin. His new EP “The 1992 Tapes” reached #1 in the Irish Singer/Songwriter charts #4 in the pop charts, #56 in the American Songwriter charts, and #81 in the overall charts in Italy…on the day it was released. Colm Gavin on Spotify
ttypes – Rock Bottom in Shanghai
Midwestern singer/songwriter Tim Krauss is ttypes. His new single “Rock Bottom in Shanghai” depicts a person living in Shanghai, lost in nostalgia over a former lover, and smoking far too much weed. Musically it takes inspiration from The Kinks, Kate Bush, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!, and mid-70s John Lennon. ttypes on Spotify
Nathaniel the Great – Cash Out
Nathanial the Great is a recording artist and songwriter from Brooklyn, NY. He’s worked with DJ Khaled, French Montana, Fat Joe, Wu tang, LL COOL J, just to name a few. Nathaniel the Great on Spotify
You can catch us on Twitter: @lecafemusicpod @ryanlouisTST and @shaggy0077
Submit your music to us at lecafemusicblog@gmail.com
Magnus Sörensen and Marcus Bohm are the two guys behind the brand-new duo Hazy Weekends. Both of them have a background with other projects; Marcus comes from the indie band Kyte and is still active with the Swedish group Marcus Bohm & the BANG! Magnus was the lead singer of Suburbia and can also be heard in his solo project Magnus Sörensen & the Captains Inc. The two of them started writing music together in the trio Crossing Memory Lane and that’s where the idea of Hazy Weekends was born.
It started as they discovered writing together led to a whole new creative process and the result sounded like nothing they would’ve come up with on their own. They decided to occupy a secluded cabin in the woods without any disturbances such as internet, phones, neighbors or telly, but with only the peaceful silence of the nature surrounding them… and of course a couple of instruments.
The result is the freshly released EPs “Hurricane” & *Chloroform”
If you are a regular listener of the show, you’ve heard ThBenj before with his singles Flip It and Slip In Th Mud. This is his 3rd time on Le Café Music, and we will continue to support this dude! Check out the new release, nananana!
Aaron Carter and his fiancé split up one week after the birth of their son…because Aaron Carter is, and always has been a little douchebag.
After one follower asked if he was battling addiction, Aaron replied with…
“I’m not suffering from any addiction problems that is very appalling and rude of you to say I expect an apology,” the 33-year-old man child replied.
Three days after the horrible crowd surge at Travis Scott’s Astroworld that left 10 people dead and hundreds of others injured, the rapper publicly announced he would pay for victims’ funerals.
As Rolling Stone reported Monday, the family of nine-year-old Ezra Blount, the youngest victim, told Scott’s legal team they wouldn’t accept his money. Attorneys representing four other victims say they have also declined the offer.
A family member of one victim stated, “It’s bullshit. If you gave a shit about these families, you wouldn’t have to put out a press release for everyone to see saying he’s willing to pay for a funeral,”
Travis Scott played on for almost 40 minutes after ‘mass casualty incident’ was declared at Astroworld.
Officials declared a mass casualty event at 9.38pm, but the rapper continued to perform until around 10.15pm.
RIP Little Man
You can catch us on Twitter: @lecafemusicpod @ryanlouisTST and @shaggy0077
Featuring new music by Loops & Loops and Patrick Tabaks.
Loops & Loops – doubts New Yorker, Pete Bogolub, also known as Loops & Loops, got crazy productive during the pandemic…unlike some of us. Loops & Loops began as a side project during quarantine, mostly experimenting with lofi. After a few short months, Loops & Loops had recorded over 60 songs and had released two albums.
Patrick Tabaks – Country Side Our track of the week comes from Latvian singer-songwriter, Patrick Tabaks. You may remember Patrick from episode 4 when we featured his track Like Home.
John Hinckley Jr, The man that shot Ronald Reagan in an attempt to win the love of Jodie Foster…has been releasing his own music.
According to the Associated Press, Hinckley wants to use music to make a new name for himself. “I’m a musician. Nobody knows that. They just see me as the guy who tried to kill Reagan.
Billie Eilish recently made an appearance on Sesame Street, singing Happier Than Ever with the Count.
The Foo Fighters have made a comedic horror film after staying in a haunted house while creating their latest album, Medicine at Midnight.
Dave Grohl will star in the film, titled Studio 666, alongside band members Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett, and Rami Jaffee. The film will also feature Whitney Cummings, Will Forte, Jeff Garlin, Jenna Ortega and Leslie Grossman.
Follow Us!
You can catch us on Twitter: @lecafemusicpod @ryanlouisTST and @shaggy0077
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Big news, everyone! We are joining Anchor FM and Spotify to bring you Le Café Music Podcast!
As soon as we post on Spotify, we will let you know. We’ll post every episode right here.
Until then, follow @liamcainmusic on Stationhead and listen to our live radio show! Our intro show will be live today at 3:30. Come request a song and hang out!
Welcome to the weekend, my friends! It is NMF, or otherwise known as New Music Friday! Let’s see what’s new this week!
H.E.R. – Come Through (feat. Chris Brown)
This song is sexy, I won’t lie. There’s not a whole lot of good R&B out there these days. The genre just hasn’t been the same since the classics from the 90s and early 2000s. Come Through kind of brings me back to that.
This gonna be the best song this year, HER does not miss and Chris brown is Chris brown!! They did a song in 2019 that was also fire but everyone slept on it https://t.co/qPQc3Y4dSS
But you should come through tonight I’m chilling on the Westside, boo Call my homegirl, tell your best friend You can slide too on the low, a remote location I don’t want them see me gettin’ faded
The Weeknd – Save Your Tears (Remix feat. Ariana Grande)
I know, I know…you’ve heard this song a million times.
Ariana puts a fresh spin on it, and the video is wild. Cartoon Abel creates an Ariana Grande sex doll.
Honestly, I think this is the remix we didn’t know we needed.
“Save Your Tears” (Remix) with @theweeknd debuts #1 on the iTunes Worldwide Song Chart 🩸🌍
Met you once under a Pisces moon I kept my distance ’cause I know that you Don’t like when I’m with nobody else I couldn’t help it, I put you through hell
Sasha Sloan – when was it over? (feat. Sam Hunt)
Our third duet of the week comes from a genre I don’t talk about enough.
Country.
I mean, it’s more on the country-pop side. I like it. It’s relatable and Sasha and Sam’s voices blend perfectly together.
When was it over for you? When was it over? When was the moment you knew That you were gonna walk out eventually? It’s still not over for me
Teddy Swims – Set The Bed On Fire
This is another one I’d stick in the country-pop genre. I’m just gonna say it. I f*cking love this song. This dude has some serious talent. If you haven’t seen him before, Teddy became a YouTube sensation with his amazing covers of popular songs. Like this one with almost 20 million views:
That voice, dude. I’m jealous.
Here is the Atlanta, Georgia native with his new single, Set The Bed On Fire.
So if you’re gonna leave me, leave me In the middle of the night Set the bed on fire
NMF Conclusion
That’s gonna wrap it up for me. For more new releases, check out the updated NMF Spotify playlist right here.
Last night’s 2021 Grammy awards finally took place at the Staples Center in Las Angeles after being postponed due to COVID. In case you missed it, we have the full list of winners and the best…and the worst of the live performances.
I have to start by giving props to Trevor Noah. Hosting an awards show is hard enough as it is. He did it with NO audience. Just a few cameras in his face and the nominees sitting at socially distanced tables with masks on. It felt a bit awkward at the beginning, but he found his groove and he did an incredible job.
Performances
Harry Styles – Watermelon Sugar
Harry Styles kicked the show off with his hit, Watermelon Sugar. It was pretty cool to see the performers just performing for each other like a jam session. Here is Harry and his feather boa.
Billie Eilish – Everything I Wanted
Billie took the stage with her bother, Finneas O’Connell to perform Everything I Wanted. I’m not gonna lie…I am a Billie Eilish stan. She’s incredible. Check out a short snippet here.
Haim – Steps
This is my first experience with Haim, and I gotta say…I’m a fan. There’s only a 38 second clip, so here it is!
Black Pumas – Colors
I love the Black Pumas. So soulful, so unique compared to everything that’s currently out there. They were up for 3 Grammys last night, including Record of the Year
DaBaby ft. Roddy Rich – Rockstar
It was a pretty dope performance. It’s a shame there’s only a 38 second clip to this one. I’ll give you an interview with ET Canada, which shows a bit more of the performance, and some 2 of my favorite Tweets from it.
This performance was pretty awesome. It felt like a music video. I have no idea what they said, but I enjoyed it.
Dua Lipa – Levitating ft. DaBaby/Don’t Stop Now
Dua Lipa is a crazy-good performer. Every movement is choreographed, from her steps to her fingers wrapping around the microphone. Precision at it’s finest. She’s a badass on that stage.
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak) – Leave The Door Open
This was probably my favorite performance of the night. That could be my bias showing, as I’m a huge fan of both of these guys. They really go back to the 70’s with this one. I love it.
Taylor Swift – Medley
Taylor Swift was doing Taylor Swift things on stage. Not my cup of whisky, but she is great at what she does and I respect the hell out of her. She looked great, sounded great, and the set was beautiful. Here is 6 minutes of Tay Tay.
Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak – Good Golly, Miss Molly (Little Richard Tribute)
These guys can do no wrong. A great tribute to the late Little Richard.
Lionel Richie – Lady (Kenny Rogers Tribute)
In a beautiful tribute to the late Kenny Rogers, Lionel Richie sings a great rendition of Rogers’ hit, Lady.
Brandi Carlile – I Remember Everything (John Prine Tibute)
There is no video of this performance online yet, so I’ll give you Brandi’s interview about the performance.
Brittany Howard – You’ll Never Walk Alone (Feat. Chris Martin) Tribute to Gerry Mardsen
Brittany Howard is an absolute powerhouse. The Alabama Shakes singer teamed up with Chris Martin on the keys with this beautiful tribute to Gerry Marsden.
Mickey Guyton – Black Like Me
Sending a powerful message at a time we need it most, Guyton has a stunning voice and she really showed it last night.
Maren Morris and John Mayer – The Bones
Morris on vocals and Mayer on guitar…that’s a nice sound. I’m not a huge fan of the song, but Morris does have a beautiful voice and you can never go wrong with John Mayer on guitar.
Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion – WAP
Here’s where things get weird. Look, I respect both of these women and their art, and I congratulate them both on their achievements…but cancel culture has me a bit confused. You want to get rid of Dr Seuss books and Mr. Potato Head…but WAP (Wet Ass P*ssy) is cool to play on primetime television? I’m just confused where that line is for you cancelers out there. Personally, cancel culture is a bunch of bullshit and it’s getting out of hand.
Don’t get me wrong. They performed the shit out of this song. The choreography was on point and the set was dope. It also provided the GIF of the night, thanks to Post Malone. I laughed SO hard at his reaction.
I need to know what was in that red solo cup he was drinking out of during WAP. Post put on a great show. He didn’t miss a note and it was an emotional performance.
Lil Baby – The Bigger Picture
In the wake of the trial for the death of George Floyd and the anniversary of Breonna Taylor’s tragic death, this performance was poignant.
Doja Cat – Say So
I’m a fan of Doja Cat and her performance last night was off the hook.
BTS – Dynamite
BTS always puts on a show. K-Pop artists are trained and groomed for years before they even hit a stage. Everything has to be spot-on. There is a dark side to that part of K-Pop, but that’s another story. These guys are dope and seeing K-Pop blow up in the US makes me really miss Korea.
Roddy Rich – Heartless / The Box
The final performance of the night provided great ending to a fun night of live music that I needed.
Grammy Winners
Record of the Year
“Everything I Wanted” — Billie Eilish — Winner
“Black Parade” — Beyoncé
“Colors” — Black Pumas
“Rockstar” — DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch
“Say So” — Doja Cat
“Don’t Start Now” — Dua Lipa
“Circles” — Post Malone
“Savage” — Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé
Album of the Year
“Folklore” — Taylor Swift — Winner
“Chilombo” — Jhené Aiko
“Black Pumas” (Deluxe Edition) — Black Pumas
“Everyday Life” — Coldplay
“Djesse Vol. 3” — Jacob Collier
“Women in Music Pt. III” — Haim
“Future Nostalgia” — Dua Lipa
“Hollywood’s Bleeding” — Post Malone
Song of the Year
“I Can’t Breathe” — H.E.R. — Winner
“Black Parade” — Beyoncé
“The Box” — Roddy Ricch
“Cardigan” — Taylor Swift
“Circles” — Post Malone
“Don’t Start Now” — Dua Lipa
“Everything I Wanted” — Billie Eilish
“If the World Was Ending” — JP Saxe featuring Julia Michaels
“Copland: Symphony No. 3” — Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor (San Francisco Symphony)
“Lutosławski: Symphonies No. 2 & 3” — Hannu Lintu, conductor (Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra)
Best Opera Recording
“Gershwin: Porgy and Bess” — David Robertson, conductor; Angel Blue & Eric Owens; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus) — Winner
“Dello Joio: The Trial at Rouen” — Gil Rose, conductor; Heather Buck & Stephen Powell; Gil Rose, producer (Boston Modern Orchestra Project; Odyssey Opera Chorus)
“Floyd, C: Prince of Players” — William Boggs, conductor; Keith Phares & Kate Royal; Blanton Alspaugh, producer (Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra; Florentine Opera Chorus)
“Handel: Agrippina” — Maxim Emelyanychev, conductor; Joyce DiDonato; Daniel Zalay, producer (Il Pomo D’Oro)
“Zemlinsky: Der Zwerg” — Donald Runnicles, conductor; David Butt Philip & Elena Tsallagova; Peter Ghirardini & Erwin Stürzer, producers (Orchestra Of The Deutsche Oper Berlin; Chorus Of The Deutsche Oper Berlin)
Best Choral Performance
“Danielpour: The Passion of Yeshua” — JoAnn Falletta, conductor; James K. Bass & Adam Luebke, chorus masters (James K. Bass, J’Nai Bridges, Timothy Fallon, Kenneth Overton, Hila Plitmann & Matthew Worth; Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra; Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus & UCLA Chamber Singers) — Winner
“Carthage” — Donald Nally, conductor (The Crossing)
“Kastalski: Requiem” — Leonard Slatkin, conductor; Charles Bruffy, Steven Fox & Benedict Sheehan, chorus masters (Joseph Charles Beutel & Anna Dennis; Orchestra Of St. Luke’s; Cathedral Choral Society, The Clarion Choir, Kansas City Chorale & The Saint Tikhon Choir)
“Moravec: Sanctuary Road” — Kent Tritle, conductor (Joshua Blue, Raehann Bryce-Davis, Dashon Burton, Malcolm J. Merriweather & Laquita Mitchell; Oratorio Society Of New York Orchestra; Oratorio Society Of New York Chorus)
“Once Upon a Time” — Matthew Guard, conductor (Sarah Walker; Skylark Vocal Ensemble)
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
“Contemporary Voices” — Pacifica Quartet — Winner
“Healing Modes” — Brooklyn Rider
“Hearne, T,: Place” — Ted Hearne, Steven Bradshaw, Sophia Byrd, Josephine Lee, Isaiah Robinson, Sol Ruiz, Ayanna Woods & Place Orchestra
“Hynes: Fields” — Devonté Hynes & Third Coast Percussion
“The Schumann Quartets” — Dover Quartet
Best Classical Instrumental Solo
“Theofanidis: Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra” — Richard O’Neill; David Alan Miller, conductor (Albany Symphony) — Winner
“Adés: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra” — Kirill Gerstein; Thomas Adès, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)
“Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas” — Igor Levit
“Bohemian Tales” — Augustin Hadelich; Jakub Hrůša, conductor (Charles Owen; Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks)
“Destination Rachmaninov – Arrival” — Daniil Trifonov; Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor (The Philadelphia Orchestra)
Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
“Smyth: The Prison” — Sarah Brailey & Dashon Burton; James Blachly, conductor (Experiential Chorus; Experiential Orchestra) — Winner
“American Composers at Play – William Bolcom, Ricky Ian Gordon, Lori Laitman, John Musto” — Stephen Powell (Attacca Quartet, William Bolcom, Ricky Ian Gordon, Lori Laitman, John Musto, Charles Neidich & Jason Vieaux)
“Clairières – Songs by Lili & Nadia Boulanger” — Nicholas Phan; Myra Huang, accompanist
“Farinelli” — Cecilia Bartoli; Giovanni Antonini, conductor (Il Giardino Armonico)
“A Lad’s Love” — Brian Giebler; Steven McGhee, accompanist (Katie Hyun, Michael Katz, Jessica Meyer, Reginald Mobley & Ben Russell)
Best Classical Compendium
“Thomas, M.T.: From the Diary of Anne Frank & Meditations on Rilke” — Isabel Leonard; Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor; Jack Vad, producer — Winner
“Adès Conducts Adès” — Mark Stone & Christianne Stotijn; Thomas Adès, conductor; Nick Squire, producer
“Saariaho: Graal Théâtre; Circle Map, Neiges, Vers Toi Qui Es Si Loin” — Clément Mao-Takacs, conductor; Hans Kipfer, producer
“Serebrier: Symphonic Bach Variations; Laments and Hallelujahs; Flute Concerto” — José Serebrier, conductor; Jens Braun, producer
“Woolf, L.P.: Fire and Blood” — Matt Haimovitz; Julian Wachner, conductor; Blanton Alspaugh, producer
“Adès: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra” — Thomas Adès, composer (Kirill Gerstein, Thomas Adès & Boston Symphony Orchestra)
“Danielpour: The Passion of Yeshua” — Richard Danielpour, composer (JoAnn Falletta, James K. Bass, Adam Luebke, UCLA Chamber Singers, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra & Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus)
“Floyd, C.: Prince of Players” — Carlisle Floyd, composer (William Boggs, Kate Royal, Keith Phares, Florentine Opera Chorus & Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra)
“Hearne, T.: Place” — Ted Hearne, composer (Ted Hearne, Steven Bradshaw, Sophia Byrd, Josephine Lee, Isaiah Robinson, Sol Ruiz, Ayanna Woods & Place Orchestra)
Best Music Video
“Brown Skin Girl” — Beyoncé, Saint Jhn & Wizkid Featuring Blue Ivy Carter — Winner
“Life Is Good” — Future Featuring Drake
“Lockdown” — Anderson .Paak
“Adore You” — Harry Styles
“Goliath” — Woodkid
Best Music Film
“Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice” — Linda Ronstadt — Winner
“Beastie Boys Story” — Beastie Boys
“Black Is King” — Beyoncé
“We Are Freestyle Love Supreme” — Freestyle Love Supreme
“That Little Ol’ Band From Texas” — ZZ Top
Conclusion
Congratulations to Beyonce for breaking the record for most Grammy awards by a female artist. Congrats to The Weeknd, who is a Grammy winner in my eyes. Seriously though…what’s with the snub? Dude’s been in the top 10 all year. Number 1 for a good chunk of the year. Get it together over there.
Happy weekend, buttcakes! It’s New Music Friday! Last week’s NMF is going to be tough to beat. But there is some good stuff this week!
Selena Gomez ft. Myke Towers – Dámelo To’
Selena Gomez officially released her first 7-track EP entirely in Spanish, Revelación. In an interview with Apple Music, Selena said that a project is something she has wanted to do for 10 years because she is proud of her heritage.
Here is Dámelo To’, which means “Give it to me.” This song is about doin’ it.
Stay, I want to lose my manners until dawn And all you have to do, you already know You say my name and I don’t care about anything Others try but no, they never achieved anything Others try but no Finish what you started…
Nick Jonas – 2Drunk
The most popular Jonas brother just released his studio album Spaceman. This is Jonas’ first solo album since 2016 when he released Last Year Was Complicated. When singing with his brothers, it’s that bubble gum pop for the teenage girls. Solo Nick Jonas is definitely leaning more to the R&B side.
This is definitely a song I can relate to. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been waaaay 2Drunk.
Too drunk and I’m all in my feelings Oh, well, now I’m high as the ceiling And, oh, I think I just hit my stride Till I wake up and hate my life
Rosé – On The Ground
Blackpink and K-pop fans have been waiting for this album for a long time. Rosé’s first solo album, R dropped today and reactions have been mixed.
i’m very disappointed in on the ground, i’m not going to lie to you. not only is the song bad, but the video is just blatantly lazy. there’s no effort to establish rosé as her own artist with her own artistic style, it just feels like an extension of a blackpink music video.
here is my opinion about on the ground. rosé is a wonderful vocalist with such amazing vocal colors. i like how she told story with the lyrics however the beat drop was not it, she couldve SANG MORE to showcase her vocals. it isnt a bad song just underwhelming.
We have a little bit of everything from her fans. We’ll let you be the judge.
Here is Korean pop superstar, Rosé with On The Ground
My life’s been magic seems fantastic I used to have a hole in the wall with a mattress It’s funny when you want it Suddenly you have it You find out that your gold’s just plastic
Machine Gun Kelly ft. CORPSE – DAYWALKER!
Now for something completely different.
DAYWALKER! is intense and actually gives me anxiety…but I kind of like it. This song is its own new genre…like “Screamo Whisper Rap.” I know that doesn’t make any sense at all and is an absolute contradiction, but you’ll understand when you hear the song.
AJ Mitchell – Cameras On
AJ Mitchell does not get nearly enough attention. I started listening to him when I randomly heard I Don’t Want You Back and his vocals blew me away. This dude can hit some ball-crushing notes, and I think the 19-year-old deserves a much brighter spotlight.
Check out his new single, Cameras On
Yeah I’ve seen it in my past Yeah that fake love it don’t last And I know what it will do to me (I know) When I think they want me well They tryin’ to make me someone else And I know what that will do to me (I know)
Conclusion
We had some highly-anticipated releases this week. None more anticipated than Rosé. There is a lot more to hear, so check out Spotify’s weekly New Music Friday playlist right here!
As announced by New Orleans officials yesterday, indoor live music is officially allowed to return in the Big Easy starting Friday.
There will obviously be some strict guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
No Dancing
No dancing allowed. Understandably so. It’s difficult to keep people 6 ft apart on a crowded dance floor. Makes sense.
Masks are still mandatory, along with proper ventilation, social distancing, and where the trumpet player can and can not empty their spit valve. All musicians must be 6 ft (1.8 meters) apart on stage and wear a mask while not playing their instruments. Bars will only allow 75 people inside, as well.
COVID-19
COVID has shut down the live music scene in the US and most other countries for nearly an entire year. New Orleans was one of the early hotspots in the country and has been dealing with on-and-off closures, making it difficult for bar owners and other small businesses to pay their rent.
Musicians have been out of work. Personally, I was performing with my band in Thailand, which was the first country outside of China to report cases. I, along with many others in the industry, was stranded in a different country with no source of income.
Musicians are hungry to get back to work. I know I am. I know many of our readers are as well.
Conclusion
The question has to be asked…
Is it too soon?
We’re not out of the woods with this virus yet. Do you think we should hold off until Summer and let more people get vaccinated? Should we say “f*ck it” so small businesses and musicians can get back to work right away?
I’m on the fence because I am a musician and I support small businesses. I’ve also felt the effects of this virus. It’s honestly no joke.
What do you guys think? Let me know in the comments!
I woke up to “YG Stop Sabotaging Lisa” trending on Twitter today. The alleged mismanagement of the Blackpink superstar from Thailand has been a topic of controversy for quite a while. Fans are officially tired of it.
Lalisa Manoban
Back in 2010, Lisa auditioned for YG Entertainment in Thailand at the age of 13. Out of 4,000 others, she was the only one chosen by the South Korean entertainment company. Yang Hyun-suk, CEO of YG, officially offered young Lisa a position as a trainee.
At 14, Lisa packed her bags and moved to Korea to become YG’s first non-ethnically Korean artist to join the company. Her training lasted 5 years before she officially made her debut as a member of Blackpink in 2016.
#RespectLisa
On February 2, 2021, #RespectLisa trended all over the internet after anti-fans racially abused Lisa. These comments mainly came from group chats in China and Turkey. They were based on her appearance and the fact that she is from Thailand…which is just plain ignorant. I lived in Thailand. It is a beautiful country and the people are lovely and attractive.
Leaked messages from the group chats called her ugly because she has dark skin, they said she looks like a man and even called her a “ladyboy” which is what Transgender people are labeled as in Thailand.
I mean, seriously? (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images for Coachella)
Real BLINKs came to her rescue with the hashtag, #RespectLisa.
K-Pop Scandal
The Korean pop industry is no stranger to scandal and controversy. Everything from sex slavery, prostitution, drug rings, assault, rape, and a string of suicides. Some really disturbing stuff. For some specific examples, watch this video:
#YGStopSabotagingLisa
YG is now being accused of sabotaging Lisa’s career in a variety of ways. They are making it look like simple mismanagement, but there seems to be a lot more to it.
#YGStopSabotagingLisa started trending on Twitter this morning. BLINKs are DONE with YG. Here are some examples.
Intentionally sabotaging her style. It is well-known that YG and other entertainment companies control everything their artists say, do, and wear.
— iamnotwhoyouseeme (@Iamnotwhoyouse2) March 7, 2021
while all 3 are looking glamourous & colorfull, you put Lisa on what a casual wear , looking dull uncoordinated and moving her on the back Yas ! GREAT!
— United States 🇺🇸 0327 (@L1SA_NYC_USA) March 7, 2021
Conclusion
In my opinion, it is clear that something fishy is going on with YG. In fact, it couldn’t be more obvious. If you are a Blackpink and Lisa fan, show her some love. #ygstopsabotaginglisa.
Lisa’s first solo album will be released soon and YG has not promoted it at all. Here’s her first single, Say So.
Let me know what you think in the comments, and show your support for Lisa!
Welcome to another edition of Le Café Music’s Indie ArtistInterview Series. Today’s guest is dark pop indie artist, ya.
Hey ya!
Sorry, I couldn’t help myself
Now that I got that out of my system, let’s get this thing started.
Intro
Ryan: What’s up, ya! I’ve been looking forward to having you on! Can you give us a little intro?
ya: I go by the name ya. Eighteen years ago, I was born into a family of business working parents and one older sister, based in Moscow, Russia. Alongside the rest of the family and family friends coming over to our grand house parties hosted strictly every weekend, I grew up in what would be called a “holiday house”, somewhat far from the city, in its own isolated universe.
My music making began then, yes probably from the day I was born. It came to me naturally and noticing that, my parents (not too musical themselves) encouraged me to take vocal, opera and piano lessons at a private Moscow school I was attending. When I was about 11 years old, a lot has changed for me but my music making remained; I moved to the Coast of Spain with my family and got into a British school, changing my first language and the language of my songs which I was already writing at the time. The strange juxtaposition of these two countries heavily influenced my music-making, aesthetics of my life and my character; the cold and cynical Moscovite has fused with the fiesta-summer-time lover.
Ryan: Haha I love that. The “holiday house” sounds dope. Living in Thailand, I have met a lot of cynical Moscovites starting to fuse with island life, so I get it.
CHANGE YOUR BODY
Ryan: When I first started working for Estabrook Road Records, I was listening to unsigned artists on Spotify. When I first heard your voice, I was like “Damn, this girl has a very strange vibe, but I kind of love it.” Jason (Payne) agreed, and you were my first artist signed to the label. You released your album with us in January. Tell us a little bit about it.
ya: My debut album Change Your Body came out on the fifth of January this year and it is the best and the most autobiographical thing I have created in my life so far, I have shared so much of myself with anyone…Change Your Body is a clear representation of my life; my childhood, my internal world, my teen years, my career…But it is not limited at me. In the album I explore ideas of reincarnation, growing up, creative progress, and artistic dehumanization. Change Your Body has endless meanings…
I feel that somehow the album came to represent the future; globalized, genderless, faceless, unified. The revolution of humankind, fusing with technological advancements; the possibility of being able to choose your body or the body of your child, already experienced through the obsessive editing of your representation on social media. I strive to musically represent the one ultimate being and be the voice for those who fear being defined.
Ryan: That’s deep as hell. I love the album and what it represents. I don’t know how many times I’ve listened to it since it was released. Here is the title track, Change Your Body
Vision
Ryan: What’s your favorite song on the album?
ya: My favourite track on Change Your Body is Vision as it is the ultimate ya song, i wrote it when i just turned 16 and two years later the song still makes me feel the same way. I know I say that I hate being defined but if I had to choose one song to define my style, define my essence, it would be Vision, 100%. I was very lucky to find an amazing producer through SoundBetter, JD Stefan who allowed the song to reach its potential.
Ryan:Vision is an awesome song. You and JD did a great job on it.
Influences
Ryan: Your musical style is very interesting. Who are your biggest influences?
ya: I grew up on jazz, blues and funk (being influenced by dad’s taste.) For me any blues artists (that I listen to) are IT. Blues to me feels more right than anything else and has influenced me far beyond just my music but my lifestyle and life views.
If I had to name an artist, it would be a pop star, Miley Cyrus. Her influence also went way beyond my music. Actually, musically I was not so much influenced by her in the actual music style etc, but what she stands for.
“Change is a thing you can count on.” Miley sang, and her encouragement of embracing moments and not tying yourself down to any one identity has been so meaningful to me. Even when she was on Hannah Montana and I was a kid in Russia, she became my first ever idol; from early age, I felt this desire to be ALL, to have no limits and yeah I saw that in Hannah Montana hahah. Since then, I’ve stood by her and expanded these ideas to my own projects, like Change Your Body.
Ryan: Wow. I would have never pegged you as a Hannah Montana kind of person haha. But you’re right, the message is great and one I think every young girl would benefit from.
Collaboration
Ryan: That being said, what artist would you love to collaborate with? I have a feeling I already know the answer to this one.
ya: Goes without saying, Miley Cyrus…besides her, Young Fathers whose music I feel very deeply, and I think they are just next level, their music feels sacred to me and I would be humbled to take part in that.
Ryan:Young Fathers makes so much more sense to me. But I would love to hear a collaboration between you and Miley. That would be interesting. What’s your collab process like?
ya: With collaborations, the process is quite different from my usual songwriting; like in my personal life, I work better when I’m alone and in full control. I get a lot of collaboration requests and usually it consists of someone sending me an instrumental. Sometimes with part of their vocals on it and the only thing I need to do is write melody and lyrics for my voice, keeping in mind the aesthetics of the other artist to so it doesn’t clash.
In these cases, I’m more detached and sometimes will work on a song for weeks, changing the lyrics until the best result is reached whether with fully my own songs the process takes about twenty minutes, plus potential future polishing and producing. I have only had one collaboration so far which in my view matched to the standard and authenticity of my original solo music which is the song Cult on my album in collaboration with a Rhode Island – based rapper, Nerdteck. Maybe this is because I originally wrote the song, my hook and verse with acoustic guitar and later found a perfect instrumental.
Ryan: I totally get being detached, especially when you’re not in the same room together. I do love the fact that technology allows us to collaborate from Spain to Rhode Island.
Outside of Music
Ryan: What do you enjoy doing when you’re not making music?
ya: Limitless. I find myself very grateful to still have so much interest in almost everything from which I can learn something. All forms of art, of course I am very involved in. I write anything from prose, poetry to screenplays and theatre. I am very into film and actually have had filmmakers in my family. It’s another career I’m pursuing.
Fashion is very important to me, architecture, journalism, law and politic; literally anything within the arts and humanities spectrum. And it’s all I do. There’s not a part in my life where what I spend my time doing something that isn’t somehow related to my art-making. From more “fun” hobbies, I do indulge in parties when I feel the time is right, like I mentioned, I grew up in parties so it means a lot to me and it is the only time I can take somewhat of a break.
Ryan: That’s awesome. I’d love to read one of your scripts sometime!
Childhood
Ryan: Your music is quite dark. You…are quite dark as an artist. What were you like as a kid?
ya: I’ve been “dark” since I was born, and more and more so I become each day. As a kid, I was neurotic and obsessively religious. My psychological issues were the worst at the time of my childhood. I had to fully alone manage more than any person, especially child could, so it made me strong but bitter.
It’s like there’s this lack of connection between me and other people because I know I will never be able to fully open up to anyone, I won’t be able to be fully honest and have these genuine relationships that I see. I don’t know what image you’re getting from my childhood but even though it was dark, I did have a lot of friends and grew up well-off and it was beautiful but painful. Now I thrive in darkness and nothing really scares me, I just try to keep up my interest and lust for life.
Ryan: A childhood like that creates endless possibilities as an artist, and you seem to be using that as much as you can.
Dating
Ryan: If you could go on a date with any artist, who would it be and what would you do?
ya: If I could go on a date with any other musician it would be Playboi Carti. We would make vampire love to each other and creep in the night, drinking stranger’s blood.
Ryan: That is a terrifying image.
Pandemic Life
Ryan: What are you doing to stay connected with your fanbase during the pandemic?
ya: The pandemic hasn’t made changes in my career. I started my music career in the midst of the pandemic. Although I was doing live shows locally in Spain before harsh restrictions, all my fans were online from the beginning; mostly in the US and UK and for them I do regular live shows on social media and keep creating more content.
Ryan: I’ve seen some of your live shows on social media. I recommend you guys follow ya. Her links will be at the bottom of the page.
Live Gigs and Stuff
Ryan: If you could perform in any city in the world today, where would you go?
ya: If I could do a gig in any city, it would be LA because you know…where to promote yourself if not in LA? Plus, it’s one of the cities in which my music is listened to the most and I know people would go hard.
Ryan: That would be an awesome show. Can’t wait to get live music back. If you had to choose a “last meal,” what would it be?
ya: My last meal choice would be Russian pancakes with red caviar and a shot of Vodka.
Ryan: I learned to never drink vodka with Russians. I learned the hard way.
Motivation
Ryan: What keeps you going?
ya: What keeps me going is restless, obsessive ambition and not in an ego centrical way, but in a way that I genuinely feel and know and have felt and known my whole life that I need to release my art into the world ,as should everyone else who feels that need. Because if you feel it, the universe is in some way asking for it. We are all constantly changing the world and this feeling, in my opinion, means that there is some duty you have. That’s the way I often feel about my music and everything else in my life, actually. I feel it is my duty to make the best out of it. It’s a feeling that moves beyond the temporary, hedonistic wishes and basic human needs.
Ryan: Wow. That’s a great answer.
Conclusion
Ryan: We’re running short on time, so I have 2 more questions for you. What’s next for ya?
ya: Most of the time when I tell people about my plans, they end up not happening… I can tell you, I have big plans. The kind that some people laugh at, but it doesn’t bother me. What I can reveal now is my next biggest project is a music video for my most popular song Movie.
It’s pop track from my album, exploring the subject of identity and fame. My visual ideas for it consist of a surrealist music video in themes of selling the soul fused with the groovy, moody, modern pop sound. This will be my best music video ever, as I will be working with a film company in Moscow to make it as professional and as artistic as possible. For this, I have started a crowdfunding campaign which I hope will allow me to make this video come to life. At this point, it depends on my supporters, but I know I will do my best with the resources I do have.
One for the Fans
Ryan:Movie is the first song I heard from you. That was the one that made me reach out to you for the label. I can’t wait to see the video. One last question. What would you like to say to our readers?
ya: To my fans – Thank you for all your support and for spending time from your world to gain insight into mine. The connections we have are rare and very meaningful to me. And if you want to support me further, please, look into the crowdfunding or help me spread the word. I can guarantee you the most authentic and unique music video, and with it being for Movie, my most famous song and the most mainstream song, I know this project will go far. I’d love for you to take part in that.
To people who haven’t heard my music yet – I will very much appreciate you taking time to listening to my music. With it, I have opened myself up in a way I could never do in real life and have exposed myself in hopes to find a connection with the right person. If the right person is you, if you find something that moves you in my music, I know how valuable that is.
Ryan: Thank you so much for joining us today, ya. Your answers were incredible. I can’t wait for the video and I’ll chat with you soon!
