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Jake Kussmaul

I come from a family who is passionate about all things music. I learned to sing at an early age, and by 13, had my very own Fender Strat guitar. I tried my hardest at learning all that I could. Because I was born with cerebral palsy, I had to teach myself an adaptive playing style. I learned to write and record my own music, despite these difficulties. In college, I started making great use of my writing abilities by reviewing music, as well as copy editing. I guess it's best to stick with what you know, while welcoming a fair challenge at the same time.

Single Review: Moonray – “No Stranger to Love”

Moonray initially made a splash this year with their two singles, “Hand of Queens” and “Come Away,” both of which were warmly received for their textural, dreamlike synthpop structure. Recently, the husband-and-wife duo, consisting of Jonray and Barbara Higginbotham, has successfully followed them up with their third single, “No Stranger …

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Album Review: The Retinas S/T

Pennsylvania’s The Retinas are an emerging trio from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Over the course of their career, the band has gained traction for their cathartic lyrical approach, as well as for their closely channeling the alternative boom of the 90s and garage rock revival of the 2000s. Following the success of …

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Estelle California Drops New Single, “Black Is the True Light”

Estelle California is an emerging singer-songwriter originally based in France. While learning piano at five years old, her ambitions were stunted due to childhood trauma; constant physical and mental familial abuse would cause her to temporarily lose her ability to speak. Despite this perturbing hurdle, she studied saxophone and dance …

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Interview: Randi Fay discusses her upcoming album, Intuition

After reviewing “Lone Wolf,” the recent single from multigenre singer/songwriter Randi Fay, I sought to gain more insight by interviewing Fay herself. In collaboration with producer Aaron Zinsmeister, she has crafted her latest symphonic electronica album, titled Intuition. The 11-track album had just wrapped its Indiegogo campaign last month, and …

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Single Review: Rob Equiza – “Nowhere to Run” b/w “When the Rain”

Rob Equiza is a Filipino singer-songwriter from Calbayog City, Samar. Although he has been writing, recording, and producing his own music since 2007, only recently has he made it available on major streaming platforms as of last year. Equiza’s sound was developed through various endeavors, including his home-based alternative folk …

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Single Review: Randi Fay – “Lone Wolf” ft. Aaron Zinsmeister

Randi Fay is a multigenre singer/songwriter based in Green Bay, Wisconson. Initially, Fay held an extensive career in veterinary medicine before a debilitating hand injury would force her out of it in 2001. A decade later, after regaining her momentum by way of non-profit work, music fast became one of …

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Interview: Life of Agony’s Mina Caputo talks River Runs Red, The Sound of Scars, band chemistry, and more

On October 12, 1993, veteran Brooklyn quartet Life of Agony released their seminal debut album, River Runs Red. The album’s sound contained elements of grunge, thrash, and hardcore – a combination that resonated strongly with alternative rock and metal fans alike. Coupled with a lyrical concept involving the motions of …

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Single Review: Luclover – “Her Loss (ft. DMXN)”

Luclover has always had musical talent in his bones, but that asset was not yet initially fostered. The Texas-based Moroccan rapper instead advanced as an aspiring basketball player, a path shaped through both traditional and at-home lessons. By early 2019, however, his drive for basketball had waned, and music would …

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