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Nothing to Lose - Single by Kerri Medders
Nothing to Lose - Single by Kerri Medders
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Album Rating
Kerri Medders is a 19-year-old LA-based singer-songwriter and actress from the Lone Star State of Texas. Not too long ago, she released a dreamy alternative tune, entitled, “Nothing to Lose”.

“Walking over Melrose, stumbling out Aroma, I’d go anywhere as long as it’s with you. Talking about the bands we love, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Sex, and Drugs, everything about you is new. Baby you redesigned, you redefined love. Changing all the colors I use. We’re just people with nothing to lose.” – lyrics

‘Nothing to Lose’ tells an adorable tale of a young woman who shares a budding new relationship with her significant other.

Apparently, she’s optimistic about her and her blue-eyed lover’s future. Later, she suggests that they should write down their memorable moments and script it like a movie written for the screen.

‘Nothing to Lose’ contains a relatable storyline and ear-welcoming vocals. Also, the likable tune possesses vibrant instrumentation flavored with indie-rock, alternative, and commercial pop elements.

“The inspiration behind ‘Nothing to Lose’ is the development of a new relationship and the stages of starting a new adventure with another person. You want every hour, every minute, and every second to be spent with that person. Even though those new and strong feelings are scary, it still gives you that feeling that there’s absolutely nothing to lose in loving someone.” – Kerri Medders

‘Nothing to Lose” pays homage to the end of an era in Kerri Medders’ life. That era began in 2014 and includes EP’s Etched (2015) and Lot 17 (2017).

Also, it launched her on a nationwide tour for High School Nation, where she opened for the Plain White T’s and Drake Bell in front of more than 90,000 people.

Since then, Kerri has performed over 70 shows in venues and festivals around the U.S., capturing the hearts of thousands of fans with her energetic stage presence.

“When you come to my show, I want you to be transported to my world. Just leave your worries at the door and take this moment to be with me.” – Kerri Medders

As an up-and-coming actress, Kerri Medders has recurring roles on the Emmy nominated CBS drama, SEAL Team, and the Emmy-nominated Netflix comedy, Alexa & Katie.

Also, she has guest-starred on Gamers Guide to Pretty Much Everything on Disney XD, Mystery Girls on Freeform, and Speechless on ABC.

Not too long ago, she wrapped her first feature film as a lead opposite Jackson Rathbone in Do Not Reply, which will be released later this year.
  
Zange - Single by Bongeziwe Mabandla
Zange - Single by Bongeziwe Mabandla
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Album Rating
Bongeziwe Mabandla is a singer-songwriter and guitarist from Tsolo, a rural town in South Africa. Not too long ago, he released a groovy Afro-folk tune, entitled, “Zange”.

“‘Zange’ (Never Before) is about being changed by love and never being the same again. It’s about finding a new beginning and feeling alive for the very first time. It’s a song about the idea that true and real love can ultimately save us.” – Bongeziwe Mabandla

‘Zange’ finds Bongeziwe Mabandla looking inward, recounting how time, pressure, and life’s experiences beyond the city have transformed him.

He drew inspiration from Frank Ocean and Solange to create music which carries his traditional Xhosa lyrics. ‘Zange’ is the title track from his upcoming album.

“The writing process for this album was very different from my other albums, this came very quickly. I had to make ‘Zange’ during tours and while working on other stuff, but I definitely enjoyed the process; it felt really refreshing and effortless. The writing process dealt a lot with my feelings of love and relationships. I think there is a lot of ourselves that goes totally bare when in love and I think and talk a lot about how the need for connection is so vital to us. The album starts off with meeting someone and how feelings evolve to love, and then the pain and heartache of being with someone. The last songs are about the end of a relationship and the cutting of ties. Basically, the separation of people who used to be incomplete without each other. ‘Zange’ is about time, and how things eventually unfold. Time can change so much.” – Bongeziwe Mabandla

Bongeziwe Mabandla was born in the lush, mountainous region of Eastern Cape, where he fell in love with art, drama, and music.

Later, he moved to the city of Johannesburg in order to develop his own unique style as a guitar-toting musician, bringing pieces of the countryside with him.

“I want people who listen to my music to hear that I am getting older. I’m thinking about different things. I wanted to talk about love because so many of us are so alone and so broken that we would do anything to love. Love reveals us. Before I wrote this album I thought: “What is going on inside me?” I realized that I think about love and the lack thereof, all the time. Feeling alone, looking for love, being heartbroken, getting up and all the mess that comes with loving someone. The title track is about the good times, making memories that will shape you forever.” – Bongeziwe Mabandla
  
Laura Jean Anderson is an LA-based singer-songwriter from Olympia, Washington. Not too long ago, she released an EP of live in-studio tracks, entitled, “Live From Studio Hotel Earth”.

The 6-track project contains songs from her debut EP, entitled, “Lonesome No More”, alongside a cover of The White Stripes’ “I’m Lonely (But I Ain’t That Lonely Yet)” single.

“I miss my mother, I miss being her one. As crazy as I was, I guess I wasn’t much fun. Sometimes, I miss her so much, want to hop on the next jet. I get lonely, but I ain’t that lonely yet.” – lyrics

‘I’m Lonely (But I Ain’t That Lonely Yet)’ tells a depressing tale of a young woman who is in need of human contact. Apparently, she doesn’t want to bother her loved ones, therefore, she doesn’t tell them that she misses them.

Later, she admits that sometimes she wants to give them a call, but doesn’t want to feel like a pest. Even though she feels regret for being desolate, she keeps on keeping on. What she really wants is to find a friend, someone who she can talk to one on one.

‘I’m Lonely (But I Ain’t That Lonely Yet)’ contains a gloomy storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and guitar-driven instrumentation flavored with sentimental blues and folk elements.

“Making a record and having the vast possibilities of production and instrumentation is exciting, but there is something special about limitation. This live EP brings the songs back to how they were written. Back to those intimate moments of writing alone late at night with just me and my guitar. These songs are really personal to me. All about very vivid moments and stories of my life so being able to record them stripped-down and intimately was really emotional but beautiful. The day of the recording was really special for me. I’m a huge believer in the power of a community of people. So it was really special having my old friend Theo Karon record this in his new studio.” – Laura Jean Anderson

Laura Jean Anderson had a strict Mormon upbringing. During her teenage years, she used music as an outlet for rebellion and enhanced her vocal skill in church choirs.

After a bronchitis-ridden audition, she gained acceptance to California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), where she studied classical voice.

Since then, she has gained experience as a blue collared musician who built her career working odd jobs which involved painstaking hard labor.

Get acquainted with her music by streaming her “Live From Studio Hotel Earth” EP via Spotify.

Laura Jean Anderson recorded her “Live From Studio Hotel Earth” EP in one-take.

Also, this summer, she will embark on a tour as direct support with L.A. alt-rock outfit Grizfolk.
  
You'd Be Mine
You'd Be Mine
Erin Hahn | 2019 | Romance, Young Adult (YA)
8
7.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
I was so excited to read this book, because I love country music with all my heart, especially some of the older music that Hahn weaves into this book. I read this on the heels of WHEN IT'S REAL and couldn't help but compare the two. I fell hard for REAL. My reaction for MINE varied, though I still enjoyed it a lot; for sure, the two--while romances--are very dissimilar in many ways.

This book has some really dark tones to it, and both Clay and Annie are struggling with some major demons. Each have dealt with some major sadness in their lives, and Annie's past with her parents is honestly just awful. As a result, this isn't a light, fluffy romance, and it has some surprising emotional depth to it and its characters. Annie, especially, is really easy to like and to root for.


"Everything in me speaks music with a fluent tongue. Surely it's genetic, but my parents certainly haven't done me any favors. If anything, their deaths nearly killed the music in my soul."


As I said, I quite enjoyed the music aspect of the book. Not just the country music part, but the overall fact that the book is centered around a tour. It's really fun to get glimpses into tour life--especially since everyone is so young. Pretty crazy how much responsibility and freedom they all have. There's also a lot of songwriting and emotions displayed through songwriting, which I loved. (Side note: As a child, I always dreamed of being a country singer-songwriter. This was probably due to my intense love of Mary Chapin Carpenter, which lives on to this day. Alas, I cannot carry a tune or read music, so this dream has yet to come to fruition.)


"That's the glorious thing about music. It speaks to the very heart of things in the most absolute and obtrusive way."


The one hard thing for me was that the book got rather repetitive in the middle with both Clay and Annie going on about how they were wrong for each other. It seemed to stall the plot for a while, as I felt like we were waiting for a bit for something to happen. Yes, we realize each was damaged, but it seemed like the book hit on that just a little too much/too often for a while.

Still, this was a really good read. It's very emotional and honestly heartbreaking at times. If you're a music buff, I think you'll enjoy it even more, because of all the musical scenes and songs woven into the book. The characters are very real and go through a lot. There's no insta-romance, and you will root for Annie and Clay, even though you'll want things to move along a bit in the middle. I totally cried at the end, which is a major sign that Hahn did a good job. 3.75 stars, rounded to 4.
  
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Kurt Vile recommended Good Old Boys by Randy Newman in Music (curated)

 
Good Old Boys by Randy Newman
Good Old Boys by Randy Newman
1974 | Singer-Songwriter
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"And then after that I got into Good Old Boys, which is a more refined thing, and at first I was like, no, I like Sail Away better, but Good Old Boys: he'll be singing like a love song, like a song like 'Marie', best love song ever, but then if you listen close, he's like, ""I love you the first time I saw you, and I will always love you Marie"". And then you realise, y'know, ""I don't listen to a word you say, when you're in trouble I just turn away"". You realise it's a love song from an asshole, a Southern asshole basically! There's another song on there, called 'Guilty', and that killed me. You've got to listen to the lyrics on that song. He starts out: ""Yes, baby, I been drinking, and I shouldn't come by I know, but I found myself in trouble, and I had nowhere else to go"", but then the production's amazing, it just kicks in with the drums and he's like: ""Got some whisky from the barman, got some cocaine from a friend"", and then it builds up and builds up, he's talking to his girlfriend. He's obviously a shit and he's shown up drunk at her doorway, and the punchline at the end is: ""You know I just can't stand myself and it takes a whole lot of medicine for me to pretend that I'm somebody else."" It's incredible! He always mocked the singer-songwriter thing, even though he was inspired by it. I say that in his moments like 'Guilty' and 'Marie', he says it better than Bob Dylan or anybody, or even Neil Young; obviously they're still talented at being real, they're both clever, they can put you on psychedelically any time they want and say [their lyrics] mean something or not and give a very cool response - not too cool, they can just answer any way they want, just be immortal. But Randy Newman has the concise moment that hits you in the gut; sometimes, I think, he's nailed it better than Bob Dylan. I totally think it's important to have humour in records. That's my personality anyway, but that's the best thing you can do, really. Because I was sometimes sad or melancholy, but I think the people that just ran that home, like in the grunge era, fucking like Smashing Pumpkins - I liked them when I was a kid - or even Eddie Vedder - no offence on them really, but at the same time they're victims of thinking there was this movement, like in the '70s, that there was this utopian dream that they'd change the world, like Crosby or something. But it's too one-sided after a while. Like fucking darkness in grunge - I don't know, no relief whatsoever? It's bullshit, it's too one-sided, it's not the way life is: life isn't that fucked, but it is. I just think that people, when they get too dramatic, it comes off like a bummer."

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