Artist Spotlight

Macy Rodman Releases a Sugary Single & Music Video “Love Me!”

Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter, artist, and showgirl Macy Rodman announced her newest album Unbelievable Animals, out August 27 via Shamir’s Accidental Popstar Records. The massive, sugary, propulsive sound of the record — confession and heartbreak set to club-ready beats with ‘90s radio rock inflections — is decidedly not the sound of quarantine or isolation. It is the opposite — the sound of reemergence, of rebirth, the return to the dance floor. Liz Phair, Faith Hill, Cher, Madonna, and more heroes of that era spiritually inhabit its tracks, where slick pop production and the sneering punk attitudes of Marianne Faithful and PJ Harvey mingle at the ‘90s New York nightclub.

Premiered on PAPER, the first taste out today is the electro-thumper “Love Me!” single & video. Macy explains: “‘Love Me!’ is about getting back with an ex who you know is bad for you. No matter how poorly they’ve treated you in the past, they keep charming their way back in and you just want them to love you.” She’ll be celebrating with a New York show at C’mon Everybody on July 2.

Moving to New York from remote Juneau, Alaska to initially pursue her dreams in fashion, the underlying trans rage of repressed youth — searching for a space of belonging, reaching through media for escape — becomes a theme of the Brooklyn resident’s work, though her media landscape these days is populated by pop stars and rom coms. Couple this with the absurdism of fantasy, a purposeful schizophrenia of a slew of characters that inhabit her songs, and you get closer to her new album. “The title ‘Unbelievable Animals’ prevailed because while writing the record, I saw my life in past loves laid out in front of like a Discovery Channel special and it made me feel like I wasn’t alone in my feelings. We are all just Unbelievable Animals,” Macy says.

The new record, chopped down to 12 tracks after challenging herself to write 20 songs in 30 days, is therefore a turning point, one that leaves her more vulnerable than ever before. The stakes are higher because it is real in the way her previous work has not been, where personas emerge in order to analyze and get over the breakup that left her reeling. It becomes a balancing act of finding a continuity with her previous work and using this project as the vehicle to recover from the baffling heartbreak, not to mention the conditions of the pandemic. It is a personal risk, but a logical next step for a delightfully unpredictable artist.

Macy creates worlds that are not surreal, but hyperreal — where everything is false so everything is true, where the relativity of truth becomes defined by the ecstatic moment of performance and experience. Evident from the release of first her EP HELP (2016), and subsequent albums The Lake (2017) and Endless Kindness (2019), she forges avenues of escape, works that viscerally grab you, but you can’t believe it’s happening. Much like the films of David Cronenberg, her favorite filmmaker (“long live the new flesh” is tattooed on the inside of her left arm.) But that’s the joy of Macy’s work, the constant turmoil of self discovery that accompanies such a disconnected world, where anyone could see themselves reflected — if only they turn away from the world’s endless hall-of-mirrors long enough to take a look.

Photo Credit: Pvssyheaven

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Artist Spotlight

Vincent J. Rigney unveils the emotions of digital heartbreak with his recent single “Ghosting”

“Ghosting,” the latest single by Vincent J. Rigney, feels like an intimate sonic confession reflecting modern heartbreak’s complexities. The UK-based musician employs a soulful rasp in his vocals, imbuing the track with a sense of vulnerability. As the concluding single from his second EP, ‘Steel Town Boy,’ “Ghosting” delves into the quiet devastation of a friendship that gradually dissipates into digital obscurity, leaving behind unanswered messages and unresolved questions.

Rigney’s songwriting is razor-sharp yet incisive and poetically engaging, effectively depicting a relationship in which two individuals who once shared everything but now exist as strangers within the digital realm. His delivery embodies a profound emotional weight, encompassing feelings of frustration, confusion, and a tinge of longing intricately woven into the fabric of musical composition. It transcends the theme of lost friendships to explore the psychological impact of being left behind without explanation. The melody, enriched with alternative rock textures and bluesy undercurrents, perfectly underscores the song’s exploration of emotional absence.

Artist Spotlight

Tim Ainslie & The Vibes stirs a quirky anthem for climate awareness with “Ain’t No Turning Back”

Embodied by a robust exploration of musicianship, Tim Ainslie & The Vibes’ latest single, “Ain’t No Turning Back,” delivers a foot-stomping, riff-driven call to accountability with a refreshing ride through the intersections of creativity, environmental urgency, and musical individuality. Inspired by climate change, the song packs a powerful message, urging everyone to take responsibility for the state of the planet. What makes “Ain’t No Turning Back” compelling is its ability to blend the weight of a serious subject like environmental crisis with a quirky, infectious rhythm that breaks the mold of today’s overproduced bedroom pop culture.

Tim’s intricate guitar work shines through, taking center stage with his unapologetically dynamic approach to performance, which effortlessly pairs with the song’s upbeat yet haunting melody. There’s an undeniable rawness to the old-school spirit of this track that harks back to when musical expression thrived without the constraints of formulaic production. It’s a nostalgic nod to the early blues-rock infused with a modern conscience, a clear signal of Tim’s adventure as an artist who values authenticity.