Now It's On

Concert Spotlight: SYML at The Loving Touch - Ferndale, Michigan 2/27/19

After fronting the band Barcelona since 2005, Seattle based musician Brian Fennell struck out on his own in 2016 as SYML. His first EP, Hurt For Me, was released that same year but it was his 2018 EP In My Body that served as my introduction to Fennell's solo project and holds the title as my favorite EP released last year. I've been hoping for a Detroit area date from SYML and that was finally realized when his tour with Dean Lewis was announced, including a show at The Loving Touch in Ferndale. 

SYML is gearing up to release his first full length album as the self titled project is slated to arrive May 3rd. He's been steadily releasing single tracks off the new album for the last few months including "WDWGILY", "Girl" and new single "The Bird", so I expected to hear some of the newer material mixed in with earlier stuff in his live set and that is exactly what he delivered. For these dates, Fennell is playing solo, jumping from acoustic to electric guitar as well as the keyboard, while also fleshing out his live sound with electronic beats and effects. I was glad to see this as opposed to an all acoustic show, although I do look forward to seeing him play with a full band which is coming on future headlining dates.    

SYML took the stage at 8:00 sharp and went right into "Body", the first song of his I ever heard and the one that got me instantly hooked to want to hear more. Up next was "Wildfire", another track from the In My Body EP, but the version performed live was quite different as it has been re-recorded for the new album. The new arrangement adds electronic beats and a larger production from the piano and strings version on the EP without losing the beauty of the song. New single "The Bird" followed with Fennell then asking the audience if they had any questions they wanted answered. 

After the lighthearted Q&A, it was time for a SYML version of the classic Leonard Cohen song "Hallelujah" with many in the audience singing along to my surprise. Maybe I'm showing my age, but this was a fairly young crowd. Dean Lewis' fan base skews young, and it was pretty refreshing to hear so many familiar with this song. SYML then dug into the new album with "Break Free", a song he introduced as one written after an encounter with a misogynistic individual he encountered in music circles. Of course a few people in the crowd asked for "Where's My Love", SYML's biggest hit to date which he promised was coming, but before it did acoustic versions of "Girl", a song written for his young daughter, and recent single "Clean Eyes" were played. In recorded form, "Clean Eyes" is the most danceable pop song in the SYML catalog to date. It was interesting to hear it stripped down to acoustic guitar, although there is no stripping down that catchy, anthemic chorus. Closing out the set, of course, was the wildly popular "Where's My Love", a gorgeous ending to a fantastic 40 minutes of music. 

Afterwards, SYML met with a line of fans, old and new it appeared, over by the merch table for pictures and autographs. He confirmed to me that plans are in the works for a headlining tour with a band to coincide with the album release. Hopefully that tour will include a stop in the Detroit area as there are a number of songs more conducive to a full band left out of this solo set. And let's face it, with a performer and songs this good, 40 minutes just aren't enough. Here's to an extended, headlining SYML show in the future.     

Video Spotlight: Dido "Give You Up"

A new album from Dido was the first pleasant surprise of the 2019 music year. Nearly twenty years after the release of No Angel she is set to return with the release of Still On My Mind, her fifth album and first since 2013, on March 8th. There have been a couple of teaser tracks released, including the stunning "Hurricanes", and now the first proper single and video are here for the lovely ballad "Give You Up". It's a classic Dido breakup song and she's looking and sounding as beautiful as ever in the Sophie Muller directed video. I will, of course, have a full review of the new album upon release, as well as coverage of the Toronto concert from her upcoming tour, my first time seeing Dido in close to twenty years. In the meantime, enjoy the new video below.     

Single Spotlight: Jessica Hernandez "Baby"

Jess is back! I've been a huge supporter of Detroit's own Jessica Hernandez since I first saw her perform a solo set back in 2010 in Ferndale as an opening act. Upon hearing THAT VOICE, and picking myself up off the floor because of it, I made sure to watch out for any local shows Hernandez had planned. That led me to see her fronting her band The Deltas all over town and I still have the posts and a lot of great memories of sweaty, packed shows to prove it.    

A lot has happened in the nine years since I first saw Jessica Hernandez play in metro Detroit. There was a much deserved major label deal that she rightfully walked away from, two fantastic albums on Instinct Records, a performance on David Letterman's show that left the legendary host fawning and raving afterwards, countless tours across the country and a growing fan base. But more important than all of those professional accomplishments, there was her marriage to Kyle Straka of the band The Growlers and the couple's first child, Stella Jean.

It is Stella that is the inspiration for Hernandez' first new music since becoming a new mom, the funked up, discofied and so aptly named "Baby". Hernandez describes the new single as a look at how much becoming a parent changes you, but it is also a celebration of still being able to have a career as a woman in music with her "baby by my side." Of course it's a jam, would you expect anything else from Jessica Hernandez? And of course the Kate Hollowell directed video to accompany "Baby" features Stella at the end in an adorable cameo. 2019 is already off to a great start, there is new Jessica Hernandez music in the world. And it's always an honor to feature it here at Now It's On.          

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Album Spotlight: All Hail The Silence - ‡ (Daggers)

BT is a legend of electronic music. Never afraid to experiment or push into new dimensions, he's a true innovator of the genre. His 1999 album Movement In Still Life in particular is one of my favorite electronic music albums of all time, covering everything from hip hop to trance to alternative rock. It's a masterpiece. So when a new BT project is in the world, it has my attention.

The All Hail The Silence project has been in the world so to speak for some time. Christian Burns, formerly of the band BBMak, had collaborated with BT before, most prominently on his 2010 release These Hopeful Machines. In 2012 the two discussed recording an entire project together as a duo and All Hail The Silence was born. An album was recorded and slated for release that year but the duo decided to put the project on hold to focus on solo projects both were also working on. There have been stops and starts since then including live shows and an EP released in 2016. But 2019 finally sees the release of their highly anticipated full length album Daggers, fashioned as ‡ on the album cover. 

So what should you expect from Daggers? Well BT has made it clear from the start this project was recorded entirely on analog synthesizers. No computers were used in the creation of this album giving it the throwback to the 80's feel they were aiming for. Think Depeche Mode, think Human League, think any number of great 80's synth-pop bands. Given that I grew up in the 80's and Pet Shop Boys are second only to Prince as far as my favorite musical acts of all time, of course this project has massive appeal to my tastes. Although there are plenty of stand-out tracks to choose from, none hit me as hard as "Looking Glass", the highlight of the album for me. The chorus sears itself in your skull, BT's production is insane, seriously listen to this one through headphones, and Burns slays on vocals. It's a microcosm of what the fourteen tracks on Daggers hold. Burns on vocals over BT's masterful production taking you back to one of the greatest eras of music.   

As great as "Looking Glass" is, there are loads of other can't miss tracks on Daggers including "Talk" with its mesmerizing keyboard lines, the uplifting pop track "The Alarm" and the darker vibes of "English Town"and "Broken Satellite". BT and Burns have crafted 2019's first must hear release, an album certain to be among the best electronic music releases of the year and one I'll be playing loud and often.       

Favorite tracks: "Looking Glass", "Talk", "Stand Together", "The Alarm"

Daggers was released January 18th, 2019 via KSS3TE Recordings.

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Album Spotlight: Frances Cone - Late Riser

Originating in Brooklyn but now based out of Nashville, Frances Cone may sound like a solo artist but is actually a duo consisting of Christina Cone and Andrew Doherty. A classically trained pianist, Christina Cone is the voice of the project, providing lead vocals on their material. The band formed in 2013 and released their debut album Come Back that same year with input from other members but are pared down to the duo of Cone and Doherty for the follow-up, Late Riser.    

Frances Cone's music is very much in the pop and rock realm, with added ambient and electronic flourishes to at times give it a dreamy feel. Late Riser is one of those short, concise albums we used to get back in the day. Ten tracks, no filler, clocking in at 34 minutes. It's always refreshing to get a release like this in today's age of overstuffed albums to help inflate streaming numbers. The opening track is so important to reel a listener in, especially if you're new to a band, and "Wide Awake" does that here. It's a shimmering ballad with a Prince-like drum pattern and ethereal chorus. Catchy choruses and melodies are abundant throughout the album with "Arizona", "Waterline" and "Failure" among the highlights. Late Riser is an early favorite in 2019.

Favorite tracks: "Wide Awake", "Failure", "Waterline", "Arizona"   

Late Riser was released January 18th, 2019 via Living Daylight Records.

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