m u s i c Top Female Vocal Tracks to Enjoy This Fall (part I) By: Christian Davis & Monica Dolecka The Civil Wars - Falling – Featuring Joy Williams (Christian’s pick) With dark lyrics of love, this folk duet spellbinds audiences with their vocal chemistry and their uncanny image as two Alabaman sweethearts, circa 1864. The captivating pair, comprised of the ever-enticing Joy Williams and the handsome John Paul White, originally met at a songwriting workshop in Nashville in 2008 (144 years after their ghosts THE CIVIL WARS were buried holding hands in a confederate cemetery from the American Civil War). Following their first single, “Falling”, the duo’s first album Barton Hollow sold 623K copies, landing them the first of four Grammy Awards for Best Folk Album, and was the No. 1 album on iTunes and Billboard Folk Albums chart. Fans were devastated when the couple split in 2014. HAERTS Haerts – All the Days – Featuring Nini Fabi (Monica’s pick) Formed in 2010, Haerts hails from the heart of Brooklyn. Nini Fabi, Ben Gebert, Garrett Lenner, and Derek McWilliam first tied their unique talents after joining souls as music students at the Iceland Academy of Arts – and they’ve been on fire ever since. Their first album, Hemiplegia, was released in October 2013 and has topped charts across the globe. Nini’s voice is one of a modern Stevie Nicks, a confident feminine roar reflecting a woman proud of her eclectic spirit – yet sultry – as her hum echoes into a soft background of xylophone, guitar and tambourine. Nini’s contralto voice invigorates the air with power and passion, while instantaneously humming back to cloak the soft strum of the guitar. “All the Days” oozes of melodious beach instruments, evoking a story of emotions about life, loss and coveted summer love. Haerts undeniably celebrates a fondness for the simple life. The group is currently touring this summer in both America and Europe. The Hics - Tangle – Featuring Roxane Dayette (Christian’s pick) The Hics, an admittedly lackluster monicker, is actually derived from Hickory, the type of wood used to make drumsticks. The mellow, urban and somewhat tribal vibe of this 6-piece electronic act is likewise comprised of a female and male vocal duet, starring the mellifluous Roxane Dayette and baritone, Sam Paul Evans. Lyrically, they deliver an awe-inspiring blend of riddles that thematically play into the locked horns of intimacy and individuality, and their metaphors address the persuasive elements at play when it comes to falling both in and out of love; hence, “Tangle, be close, just go, too close, confined to illusion pulling me in, dissolving before me, about to give in.” After having met at Pimlico Academy in Westminster London, the group released their first full length EP Tangle, in August of 2013. Lykke Li - I Never Learn (Monica’s pick) Swedish-born indie-pop singer, Lykke’s Li’s first single, “Follow Rivers” (2011) borrows the girlish swagger of modern popmuse, Ellie Goulding. Lykke’s vocals emit into the air a soft sweetness, although her lyrics explicitly assure women as powerful and self-sufficient beings who endure some of life’s toughest hardships. Her solo soprano voice is timeless, incorporating elements of electronica, indie-house and classical, blended with traditional pop and alternative. Lykke’s lyrics flow as one melodious string of love quotes and random life mishaps. Her down-toearth attitude rings with positivism, as well as realism, expressing all the happiness love brings, whilst sustaining the awareness that sometimes loss collides with love. “I Never Learn” reminds us to learn from our mistakes and know when it’s time to move on. THE HICS LYKKE LI “Haven’t you seen me sleepwalking? ‘Cause I’ve been holding your hand.” Top Tracks: “Barton Hollow”, “Falling” “Golden things, we drew our names in the water. Now you’re gone – a love gone wrong – but I’ll make it.” Top Tracks: “Wings”, “All the Days” “Search for the divine to find the soul, the soul that encaptured mine.” Top Tracks: “Tangle”, “Lines” “I'm your star crossed lover. I lie here like a starless lover. I'll die here as your phantom lover.” Top Tracks: “I Never Learn”, “Follow Rivers” 14 revia reviamagazine.com <strong>#11</strong>, 2015
Featuring: Simply Sound Pop Culture The Apuli Brothers Featured on Windy City Live Summer Music Series Join us every Friday & Saturday starting at 6:30pm! Where? e+o Food and Drink 125 Randhurst Village Dr. Mount Prospect, IL