It’s hard to write, much less record, a song that conveys true emotions. That’s why ‘Made of Gold’, the new track and video by Rayon Nelson, is so special. It conveys and expresses those times in our lives that we have all had. Times of loss and helplessness, when we feel at our lowest. Backed by creative genius both musically and lyrically, Rayon’s soulful voice and nuances really give experience to the lyrics and give the listener hope as well as heart.
About Made of Gold
Shimmering guitar lines and a pared-back arrangement serve as a backdrop to Rayon’s heartfelt confessions of failure and imperfection. ‘Made Of Gold’ chronicles those times when the wellsprings of our emotion overcome our flood barriers and overflow as we fail to uphold our own often fastidious psychological standards. “Hard times are no stranger to my door,” he sings, relating his personal struggle with our complicated and erringly human interior lives. It’s a richly layered song that thrums with the splendor of Rayon’s voice. Combining vintage and modern influences, ‘Made Of Gold is a haunting, soulful, and eminently relatable song which lays bare the touching contradictions at the heart of the human experience. It’s an impressive sleight of hand from an artist who is carving an original and beguiling space in contemporary music.
Often people think because you present yourself in a certain way, that you have everything together. Made Of Gold song attempts to show that even though these words that I try to live by are ‘made of gold’, I somehow still fall in doubt and I’m most certainly not perfect. I’m a closed person in general so this EP contains some personal songs, and I guess its a way of people getting closer to me.
About ‘Closer’ EP
Written and self-produced by Rayon himself, and mixed and mastered by Alberto Coin, Closer is a set of songs that draws listeners deep into Rayon Nelson’s artistic world. Confessional and tender in tone, the four songs that comprise the EP meditate on the concept of identity from four distinct viewpoints. From the soulful and relatable psychological interiority of lead track ‘Made Of Gold’, Rayon lays himself open. Following that, there’s the familial ‘Granny’ – a poignant thank you message to his grandparents, which he contrasts with ‘Where Were You?’, a heartfelt message to an absent father. Closing with the expansive and ambitious ‘Freedom’, Rayon steps outside of his persona and empathizes with the global oppressed. By his own admission Rayon is a guarded figure, but through the humbling honesty of ‘Closer’ he lays himself bare, and in so doing he reveals himself to be a relatable, charming, flawed, but also an incisive lyricist with an inimitable new sound.
EP Track Listings
- Made Of Gold
- Granny
- Where Were You
- Freedom
About Rayon Nelson
Lauded for his captivating and soulful vocals, Rayon Nelson has achieved remarkable status for an independent artist. With eclectic influences from Jamaica, London, and Suffolk, his music presents an inspirational and compassionate lyricism, set often to a sonic backdrop which encompasses a broad fusion of styles. Shaped by early exposure to an array of different music such as reggae, old school gospel, and soul from artists including Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff and Lauryn Hill, Rayon Nelson’s work is a matchless synthesis of the styles and vibes that formed him. He was shortlisted for Glastonbury festival, performed at Isle Of Wight Festival, and often featured on BBC Introducing and BBC 1Xtra whilst remaining unsigned. His latest EP ‘Yung Solo’ has attracted over 380k streams on Spotify, and has been featured in numerous blogs such as Hilly Dilly while attracting major industry interest. After a one year hiatus, Rayon is now releasing his Closer EP and intends to firmly make his mark in the music industry this year.
LINKS:
https://www.rayonsofficialmusic.com
https://www.facebook.com/rayonsofficialmusic
https://soundcloud.com/rayon-nelson
https://twitter.com/rayonnelson
https://www.instagram.com/rayonnelson
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Jammerzine’s The Week in #Indie for 9/9/2019
Jammerzine’s The Week in #Indie for the week of September 9th, 2019 includes exclusive interviews with TC&I and former XTC bassist/singer Colin Moulding, Moon Palace, Night Tongue, and Palm Haze plus premieres from Dar.Ra, Desensitised, Otis McDonald, Peter Saputo, and Resurrection Fern.
About Colin Moulding
Colin Moulding is one of my favorite bassists/multi-instrumentalists. I say this because he is one of those rare breeds that plays for the song. That, along with his TC&I partner drummer Terry Chambers, shows exactly how evident that fact is on TC&I’s new live album titled ‘Naked Flames: Live at Swindon Arts Centre‘. The music is played for the music and, what I mean by that is, that there is no ‘grandstanding’ on the instruments, however, there are beautiful re-interpretations of the classic XTC tracks that Colin and Terry were known for.
LINKS:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeyKX6mvA6dFdIx39a3S89g/videos
https://www.facebook.com/tcandimusic
https://www.facebook.com/groups/433386610411385
https://soundcloud.com/user-316294301
https://burningshed.com/tcandi_naked-flames_cd
https://burningshed.com/tcandi_great-aspirations_cd?filter_name=colin%20moulding&filter_sub_category=trueAbout Moon Palace
On August 23rd, Moon Palace officially release their new album titled ‘Shadowcast’! And to celebrate this new milestone in, what I consider, to be a monstrous juggernaut of an original #indie band, We get an in-depth interview with Carrie Biell, Moon Palace bassist and vocalist. Along with her sister Cat and the rest of the band, Moon Baby have solidified themselves in the minds of many and the hearts of everyone that hears them. Their music is an exciting mix of underground and demands to be heard.
LINKS:
http://moonpalacemusic.com
https://twitter.com/mo0npalace
https://moonpalacemusic.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/moonpalaceband
https://instagram.com/mo0npalaceAbout Night Tongue
In this Jammerzine Exclusive, we talk to, who I feel, will rapidly become legends in the #indie music scene. I am speaking of Night Tongue. Originally from Australia and based in Los Angeles, Night Tongue are the dynamic duo of Carisa Bianca Mellado and Andrew Dalziell. Their new upcoming album is titled ‘The Stag King’ out October 11th. An added bonus is they were kind enough to let us embed their new track titled ‘Flood’ off of ‘The Stag King’. Definitely worth a listen to. After you listen to that give the interview a listen. It will put a lot into perspective because we talk a lot about their style and sound, which is original and inspiring in many dark and creative ways.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/nighttongues
https://twitter.com/NightTongue
https://nighttongue.bandcamp.comAbout Palm Haze
Palm Haze is a duo that knows what they want musically. And they get it with their new album titled ‘Rêve Bleu‘. Released on August 30, 2019, the album is an almost complete showcase of what Palm Haze are going for and where they are headed.
And, in this interview, we get to catch them right at that special breaking point. That point to where you, the listener of this interview, will get to say in a year that you heard about them a year ago when your friends ask you if you’ve heard of this amazing new band called Palm Haze. And in that interview, we catch singer/bassist/co-founder Anna Wagner about this special point in their career and what it’s like to be in an emerging band in this era of global #indie while on their tour through Canada.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/palmhaze
https://twitter.com/lovepalmhaze
https://www.instagram.com/lovepalmhazeAbout Dar.Ra
Dar.Ra has dropped his full load with the new album titled ‘New Kinda Normal’. We got a taste of what was to come with the video for ‘Diamonds in the Shadows’ back in February, but this was nothing like I suspected. That track fooled me in many ways. What I mean by that is that every song and I mean every song, not only threw me for a loop as to what I expected vs. what I got but impressed me deeply for those very reasons and much, much more.
This is a mega-diverse album, to say the least. ‘New Kinda Normal’ is not an album to pigeonhole into a single musical genre. I mean, you have everything modern from electronica to raw and raucous rock to funk to quasi-punk, and it’s not only done with earnest from a talented musician but from a true fan of each style. If you are of the mindset that you want an entire album dedicated to your style of music and nothing more, then I must confess that this album may not totally be to your liking, but, if you like an adventurous trip through the musical world of a genius, then press play and leave the controls alone. You won’t be disappointed.
LINKS:
https://facebook.com/Dar.Ra7
https://youtube.com/kushadeep7
https://twitter.com/kushadeepmusic
https://instagram.com/dar.ra.bradyAbout Desensitised
Desensitised has released their new track titled ‘Emily’. ‘Power trio’ is a term that, sometimes I feel is overused when it comes to a band with three members, however, it truly fits here with Desensitised. Fits as in this is a trio with power. That power streams through the speakers with the confidence of a 50 piece orchestra and a mission, and that mission is to rock. And rock, they do.
LINKS:
https://www.desensitised.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/DesensitisedUK
https://www.youtube.com/DesensitisedUK
https://www.instagram.com/DesensitisedUK
https://www.twitter.com/Desensitised_UK
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7MyayQoHtb8xXPivCqQZJL
https://soundcloud.com/desensitisedAbout Otis McDonald
Basked in originality and drenched in progressive creativity through a soulful sensuality on steroids comes Otis McDonald with his future classic titled ‘Body, Mind and Soul’. While harking back to the giants of Soul and R n’ B via his own musical genius, Otis gives one of those feel-good thumpers for the summer at a date that makes you wish summer was another 6 months longer. Otis manages to keep the groove in the pocket while cutting loose in a way only a true aficionado of the genre can, and that is what makes this genuine and not a knock off like we are all too used to these days. Otis McDonald is the real thing.
For those aspiring musicians out there, here is yet another reason to show Otis some respect; His music got its global start on Youtube. Read this interesting article on how he made his career through royalty-free music via Youtube HERE.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/otismacmusic
https://twitter.com/OtisMacMusic
https://www.instagram.com/otismcdonald
http://www.otismacmusic.com
https://soundcloud.com/otismacmusic
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Ps1M3A9ck9G3gbPjllg7T?si=zX2m-sU5ShGUf9pw9c6dJw
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCej6bRv8lR48AEbQvdb_9CgAbout Peter Saputo
The first thing that caught my attention about Peter Saputo’ new single titled ‘Let Me, Please?’, released today, is his voice. His voice is such a beautiful monster that simply soars over the music like a guiding light with such a power as to make you take notice. That is just the beginning, however. The music, although at times seemingly competing with the voice, is actually the voice’s best ally. By giving Peter’s vocals a solid score to soar to, the hooks become more prominent and the notes are highlighted with such an intensity that you can get trapped at the moment the song creates and really let the emotion in. This is s solid lesson in songwriting.
LINKS:
https://twitter.com/pjsaputo
https://www.facebook.com/petersaputomusic
https://www.instagram.com/pjsaputo
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCBEnlYK7qMi3VM-W0shFAQAbout Resurrection Fern
Resurrection Fern is one of the many new and up and coming artists promoting their music on Twitch, which is a brilliant idea considering the white noise that Youtube and Spotify have become. She has done this to the point to where is a Twitch partner, and not just for her social media skills. Take ‘Savanna’, her new single. This track is brilliant and beautiful with the glow of a talented and original songwriter who knows how to express herself musically. ‘Savanna’ is heartfelt because it is from the heart, not a song merely written for listens, but from experience.
LINKS:
https://resurrectionfern.net
http://twitch.tv/resurrectionfern
https://twitter.com/ResFernMusic
https://www.youtube.com/resurrectionfernClick HERE to watch Season 5 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 4 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 3 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 2 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 1 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.LINK:
https://jammerzine.com -
An Exclusive Interview with Bishop Tha DJ (The Week in #Indie Segment)
Jammerzine has an exclusive interview with underground legend DJ Bishop Tha DJ. Having just released his new album ‘#trueOGseries Vol 2: New Day Co-Op’, I get a chance to have a really good conversation about a diverse and informative, yes informative, album with one of the kings of collaboration. To say king of collaboration is an understatement. To say the least. Just check out the talent on this album. You have Bishop swapping swing with his mega-talent brother, Sun Zulu. You have Ashley S., Defcee, Eze Jackson…. I could go on. As we say in this interview, #trueOGseries is hopefully a roadmap as to where hip hop is going. Forward to its roots with a new perspective. Moving forward.
Watch the full episode HERE.
LINKS:
https://linktr.ee/trueOGseries
https://linktr.ee/SunZulu
https://empire.ffm.to/trueogseriesvol2Click HERE to watch Season 7 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 6 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 5 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 4 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 3 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 2 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 1 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’. -
Soundbytes: Andy Cooper Exclusive Interview
‘The Layered Effect’ by US rapper/producer Andy Cooper offers a punchy reminder of the creative fun to be had in digging for breaks, stringing up loops and layering up strata of sound. Brimming full of delightful inflections from the world of Jazz, Easy Listening, Film Soundtracks and Hollywood voices, it’s a perfectly stitched sound patchwork that pays loving homage to the classic, funky days of early rap. A touching testimony to the joys of Hip Hop then and now.
More than just the skinny white dude who’s into old school beats, Andy Cooper has won his stripes after a twenty year stint with Hip Hop trio Ugly Duckling, then a couple more hanging out with The Allergies, not to mention the recent release of eight 7” singles, an EP and now his second solo LP. What is utterly charming is how enamored and respectful he is how it was at the beginning AND of how it still should be. Far from being the “old timer/delusional revivalist” he describes in ‘Last of the Dying Breed’, Cooper cares not about color or age, but that rap stays fresh, exciting, competitive, similar to a precious martial art.
For Andy, rap is a noble form. He’s a wordsmith extraordinaire, snappy and audacious, tipping his hat “to all the microphoners who still bring that dedication and expertise to their craft” and choosing to work with equally rapid sparring partners like Blabbermouf and MC Abdominal. Ownership of the genre is a constant theme throughout the LP. Like a contact sport, you punch and fight your way to the mic and once there “no one can take it from me”. Reverance is constantly being paid to the dons that went before, overtly Rick Rubin & the Def Jam crew, but covertly the Reggae sound systems and jazzers of old.
Not a sloppy note or shabby rhyme here. It’s an album that pops and fizzes with quirky beats and funky rhythms from start to finish. With production lines neater and sharper than a pair of sta press trousers, it’s impossible not to be seduced by the sheer buoyancy of the lyrics, beats, and intention. A refreshingly entire body of work with no low points, only head-nodding highs. It’s good to stumble across a Hip Hop album that has you giggling, thinking, singing and wearing out the soles of your shoes all at once.
LINKS:
http://www.youtube.com/user/uglyducklingvideos
http://www.instagram.com/andycooper75
http://www.facebook.com/acooper75
http://soundcloud.com/rocafortrecords/sets/andy-cooper-the-layered-effect/s-qKLg0
http://rocafortrecords.com