Music
“Dead Summer,” A Nostalgic Yet Contemporary Take On The Struggles During The Pandemic
The sun is shining, but people aren’t outside trying to take it all in. Everyone is confined to their homes. Crows are circling in the distance; something must be dead. If you ask Levi Zadoff and Dead Hendrix, it must be the summer.
“Dead Summer” is a joint EP by these two artists about the psychological effects of COVID, which can still be felt even today. “Dead Summer” represents a time when everything slowed down, and what would have been an enjoyable, fun time was anything but that.
Levi Zadoff is a pop-punk musician based in Los Angeles who believes in maintaining a sense of freedom in his artistry. His inspiration comes from pop-punk artists like My Chemical Romance and Nirvana. Dead Hendrix, whose name also fittingly represents his psychedelic sound, is a punk artist based in Canada. He covers true-to-life topics such as drug abuse, heartbreak, insecurities, and trauma in his music.
With a fusion of punk, pop, and rock, Dead Summer takes us through Zadoff’s and Hendrix’s thoughts as they process the pandemic. Love Game and Alone talk about the rabbit hole that has been sitting in your thoughts for too long. Love Game leans towards hard rock. It is loud and aggressive, and the drum chops used at the end give it a strong finish.
Alone is mellower with heavier lyrics; “Yea, I am numb to the core… I’m getting kinda tired of getting stoned and kinda tired of being home.” It is that gnawing feeling of no longer enjoying things that used to make you happy. The song also has some hints of EDM to it, especially with the bass drops and looping in the chorus.
Cant Be God has the most summer feel in the EP. It sounds easy and light. The instruments are muted and alternate between a subtle guitar riff and simple piano chords. They sing, “If I make my bed, I lie in it,” a willingness to accept whatever comes your way.
Dont Think It Could Get Much Better takes a satirical perspective of Dead Summer. Of course, things will get much better, but before they do, Hendrix and Zadoff allow us to wallow in the feelings of things worsening.
Hendrix and Zadoff have added the song Teenage Dirtbag as a bonus track. The sound is nostalgic, with guitar melodies that sound like they were made over ten years ago. The song is about missing someone, but you decide to stab them since you can’t have them.
With Zadoff and Dead Hendrix based in different countries, Dead Summer was created virtually. However, it’s hard to tell. The two bounce off each other’s sound well, making for a cohesive sound. Furthermore, the transition between different song styles is smooth, making for a trippy and enjoyable listen.
Listen on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/7v9FFhJrHoLLDiuNOIXy1H?si=vCrWap8nS8S6zM4iOJHFpg
Distrokid:
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/deadhendrixandlevizadoff/dead-summer-ep
Levi Zadoff Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/levizadoff
Levi Zadoff Website:
https://www.levizadoffmusic.com/
Dead Hendrix Instagram:
Artist Spotlight
Aaron Koenig and Nectaria mirror each other in new song “Love Yourself!”
Aaron Koenig’s latest single, “Love Yourself!” takes listeners on a heartfelt journey of self-reflection. This is the first time in his career that he shares lead vocals. Aaron and French singer Nectaria turn a simple idea, talking to your reflection in the mirror, into a funny but very moving musical conversation. “I first wrote the lyrics as a conversation between me and my reflection,” Aaron says. “But that felt a little self-centered. I asked my friend Nectaria to be the mirror, and it worked out much better.
Aaron wrote it while he was in a Berlin Airport detention cell for a night due to a court mistake. “I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong, but being in a prison cell still made me a little scared.” He remembers saying, “So the best thing I could do to stay in a good mood was to write a song about loving myself.” That raw feeling comes through in every note, which gives the song its honest, soul-stirring depth.
The song “Love Yourself!” is a soul ballad with expressive piano by Nicolás López Soto, from Argentina, who wrote and produced it. The song was recorded at Studio Constituyentes in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. It combines intimate instruments with cinematic storytelling to make a space where people can think, smile, and finally love themselves a little more.
Connect with Aaron Koenig on Spotify || Instagram || Facebook || Youtube
Artist Spotlight
The Real Mack The Knife celebrates where love and dance meet on “Santorini Agapi”
The Real Mack The Knife’s latest single, “Santorini Agapi,” is a dance song that feels less like a club record and more like a trip to a specific place and time. From the very first seconds, the listener is taken to a terrace in Santorini after midnight. The sea stretches out into the dark below volcanic cliffs, and the whitewashed walls still feel warm from the day.
A crash cymbal that sounds like a wave hitting stone opens the song, setting the mood right away. Then comes the clear, shimmering voice of a bouzouki, a bold and new choice in a genre usually full of faceless synth lines and predictable percussion loops. It’s a musical choice that subtly reveals what the song is about: dance music rooted in culture, memory, and place.
When the chorus comes in, “Santorini Agapi,” love in the night burning so bright, it sounds like a real anthem. The moment is perfect for people to raise their hands, sing together, and feel the warmth of a crowd moving together under the stars. The Real Mack The Knife makes more than just a dance track with “Santorini Agapi.” He makes a vivid sound postcard that combines rhythm, place, and emotion into a celebration of love, night, and the timeless magic of the Greek islands.
Connect with The Real Mack The Knife on Spotify || Instagram || Facebook || Youtube
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