Spencer
Courtesy of the artist/Will Cornfield
Welcome to the Monday Mix, where we showcase new music just added to the opbmusic broadcast. This week we feature a quirky song with a grab bag of influences, a young musician who bet on himself and won, and a track that proves that meditation and dancing aren't mutually exclusive.
Skyway Man - “Muddy Water”
The new single "Muddy Water" from the Oakland outfit Skyway Man evokes thoughts of classic blues music from its name alone. But the Portland label releasing this new album, Mamma Bird Recording Company, describes the work as "a psychedelic sci-fi gospel blues odyssey," and those nuanced elements certainly shine through as well. Despite that, its origins are pretty simple. "The song came to me riding my bike home from a Rolling Stones concert on a hot, muggy night along the Cumberland greenway,” said lead vocalist James Wallace.
Spencer - “Maybe”
Spencer took a gamble on himself early on in his career by dropping out of college and giving himself a deadline of one year to see where his dream of making music would take him. His self-produced track "Maybe" is evidence that he made the right choice. Spencer’s talent shines through on the song, as he utilizes a catchy, yet simple, backbeat that allows his quietly beautiful vocals and lyrics to provide depth and complexity.
Fenne Lily - "Alapathy"
Lily’s third single this year, “Alapathy” takes an infectious and danceable rhythm and wraps it up in her warm vocal delivery. The track comes from her new album “BREACH” which she describes as a meditative introspection; this song is the manifestation of a time when she “started smoking weed to switch off her brain.” The album was also created during a time of self-isolation Lily imposed upon herself before the pandemic, and the video for the song reflects that with beauty and a touch of humor.