Review: Charlotte Sands – Satellite

Charlotte Sands - Satellite
Adam Grundy

”I’m here to stay” sings Charlotte Sands on the title track of Satellite, her sophomore effort released today via her own imprint of CS Records. Charlotte Sands expands upon the world she created on her equally-thrilling debut, Can We Start Over?, and leans into a synth-heavy sound similar to artists like PVRIS and Metric with great results. The LP is filled with club-ready anthems of self-empowerment that accentuate the sound Charlotte Sands has crafted since she first stormed onto the scene five years ago. You’d be hard-pressed to find a harder working artist than what is presented here, and Satellite proves that her statement of “I’m here to stay” should be taken seriously.

The set opens with the vibrant title track that finds Charlotte Sands singing vulnerably over a synth-laden beat and it slow-builds to a picturesque chorus of, “And I’m scared of heights / But I won’t come down / I’m lost in your orbit / But I don’t want out / I’m yours in the day / And the dead of night / I wanna be your satellite.” The song is about finding that person who makes you want to spend all of your days and nights with, and completes your outlook on life. “One Eye Open” follows the great start to the LP with a haunting song about trust issues that laments in the pre-chorus of, “Let’s pretend / We don’t know how this ends / We could leave it for dead / But you’re so persistent.” Her command for tracks like this only further solidifies the star power that comes through the speakers in Charlotte Sands’ delivery.

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Review: Wealthy Jane – “Judy Wept”

Adam Grundy

The newest single from indie rock band, Wealthy Jane, called “Judy Wept” is a solid mix of swooning rock that recalls the booming alternative rock scene from the 90’s. Some may recognize the singer from his previous project, called Broken Field Runner, and he does a nice job of commanding the mid-tempo track with the same charm that I remember from the aforementioned other band. “Judy Wept” walks the listener through a difficult time in a person’s life where it feels like everywhere you look, reminders of the mess you made are prevalent.

Wealthy Jane share on the second verse, “Happiness by prescription, extended release / It helps her dance when people visit, keeps her time traveling / Now she’s back inside her kitchen smoking 100s,” to paint a vivid picture of this person’s mental health and how she’s dealing with her setbacks. The chorus reassures the fallen individual with, “No matter the mess that you made / It’s okay.” We could all use a friend like this to have when times get tough, and Wealthy Jane recognize this feeling with great poise and precision in their indie rock attack here. A worthy addition to that playlist you’ve been crafting, “Judy Wept” brings out some raw emotions lyrically, and highlights what this band is capable of creating.

MC Lars Launches ‘The Graduate’ Kickstarter

Kickstarter
Jason Tate

MC Lars has launched a Kickstarter for a vinyl pressing of The Graduate.

The record came out of a specific moment: early Myspace, the height of the RIAA lawsuits, cheap laptops, long van drives. I was making what I called “post-punk laptop rap” in bedrooms and studios from Oxford to Long Island to San Francisco, trying to connect literature, punk energy, and hip-hop in a way that felt natural.