South Jersey drummer, songwriter, and studio owner Ryan Hilsinger, also known as Sleepy Rye, last month released the first single off of his upcoming debut EP. Blending together multiple influences, his EP A Bit of a Non-Person has a little something for everyone. In addition to getting ready to release his own music, Ryan is also working on a musical compilation via his studio AGL Sounds in Cherry Hill, NJ to benefit multiple charities (reach out to him to get involved). Be sure to check out his EP which drops tomorrow, March 2nd, and to learn more about Ryan and the ways you can collaborate with him, check out our interview below.
Read moreOrdet – “You Are Now Leaving the Boardwalk of Fame & Happiness” (EP Review)
By Sean McCall | Posted Saturday, November 24, 2018
Ordet is the personalized emo-acoustic work of Connor Rothstein from Voorhees Township, New Jersey. Debuting with the 7-song EP, You Are Now Leaving the Boardwalk of Fame & Happiness in April of 2014, Ordet shares very personal and raw experiences through this collection of songs. The acoustic album was recorded within two days in the spring of 2014 through a TASCAM Portastudio at his house, which makes this record very pure and unique.
The EP begins with a track titled “It’s a Dirty, Dirty, Lonely Drug,” which has a very beautiful yet moody/spooky feel to it. I really like how up-close this song is. It seems to be dealing with the mix of emotions after going through a break-up. This introduction track covers a range of emotions from sadness to anger and everywhere in between. The end chants, “If this is all just a means to an end - then a man in my shoes is falling off the edge,” which is a power-emo line.
The second track, “Dying… To Survive,” has great guitar work. The cord structure and changes are tasteful and expected. This song deals with reminiscing to the times where we chose our vices to suppress our sadness of losing love.
The third track, “Everything & Her,” is one of my favorites. The guitar is very straightforward, catchy, and pretty. Besides the guitar work, the lyrics are poetically beautiful. The overall theme of this song deals with loving someone so much to the point where you prioritize them over you; loving someone else more than yourself. Love is powerful and can make you feel so small when it’s ripped away. This song is emotional, but also very sweet in regards to Jane Doe.
“Heartbreak is a Five-Letter Word” is also one of my favorites because it immediately hits you with a feel-good campfire mood. I personally love Connor’s voice in this one. I think his voice really shines in this range. This song continues with the melody of losing love and regret. The last line, “These songs don’t belong as much to me as they belong to you,” pulls at the heartstrings.
The fifth song, which is essentially the title track, is an emotionally optimistic journey. It deals with the idea of finally overcoming the past, defeating depression, and essentially just moving on after going through a traumatic situation.
The sixth song is a 7-minute atmosphere of purely boardwalk noise titled “The Things I’m Sure Of,” and the final song, "(Epilogue) April 5, 2013” is a very catchy acoustic jam. With sweet electric guitar lead throughout the song, “Epilogue” is reminiscing of the boardwalk, the memories, and the past -- while accepting something and someone new, the overall theme of moving on and becoming “gone" from someone else’s life. It has a very hopeful and optimistic mood, which ends the record perfectly.
Overall, You Are Now Leaving the Boardwalk of Fame & Happiness is a raw and emotional journey of love lost, youthful summer nights, missing friends, and coping with those feelings. The first half is dealing with the initial frustrations and sadness, and the second half is life playing its course and turning those settings of defeat into lessons. You can feel the growth throughout the EP, which is a beautiful thing Ordet accomplishes.
Connor Rothstein is also an incredibly talented photographer and genuine human being. Be sure to check out his work and follow “@cemeterytapes” on social media. He does a lot for so many people out of the kindness of his heart, so make sure to support him and give him a follow!
chill/hilarious - "21&colder" (EP Review)
By Sean McCall | Posted Wednesday, August 15, 2018
Chill/hilarious is a 2-piece indie band from Cherry Hill, New Jersey. The band consists of Zayna Youssef and Jack Meidel. They are a DIY band who recorded their own music. Zayna plays drums and sings, while Jack is on guitar and making the band's recordings possible. chill/hilarious’s bio is: “she plays, he plays, she sings,” which pretty much wraps up their two-piece vibe perfectly.
Their most recent release, “21&colder” was recorded by their guitarist, Jack Meidel, and Chris Kearney, who is in Jack's other emo-band from NJ, Aw Shucks. 21&colder was recorded at PKD studio in Springfield, PA.
The first song on the EP is titled “Make Leaf,” which opens with a solid jam for the first minute or so of the song. It introduces their heavier, more dynamic aspect of the instrumentation. When the vocals came in, it immediately brought the dynamic level down to an intimacy with their vocalist, Zayna. My favorite line in this song was “Yeah, I know you’re showing off, that's kinda- lame.” I love the musical breaks of stops in this song, and this part left only the “lame” to be heard in the vocals which really caught my attention before ending with another instrumental jam at the end. Definitely a great short and sweet start to the EP.
The second song, “Greengrass,” immediately opens up with a lot of energy and a great hook. A minute or so into the song, they bring the dynamics down again and make the vocals super prominent and intimate again. I feel as though this song is talking about striving for change and just an all-around self-perspective. I really like how they continue to reintroduce the instrumental breaks and jam endings.
The third song is titled, “Ice Water,” and the vocal melodies in this song really reminded me of Anthony Green almost mixed with Title Fight which is super interesting and catches your ear for sure. This is another short track that holds a lot of emotions.
The record closes with “The Outcome” which is definitely one of my personal favorites. The lyrics are very genuine and the music is simply catchy. I believe the lyrics in this song deal with holding in something that is true to you without question -- that other people or society around you makes you feel wrong for. The line “caught in a lie that I can’t help this time, why should I?” is super powerful. I love how this song makes you feel hopeful and almost joyful. It’s an awesome feeling to step out of your shell, and this song portrays that perfectly.
Overall, this record is powerful and pure. It’s short, and leaves you wanting more, which is an awesome thing to be able to do for the listener. There’s a lot of talent that goes into this 2-piece, and I strongly advise you check them out.
If you’re looking for a place to start, the intro song, “Make Leaf,” is great, and “The Outcome” is my personal favorite.
Regrown - "Out of the Picture" (EP Review)
By Sean McCall | Posted Wednesday, August 1, 2018
Out of the Picture is an EP by regrown from Voorhees Township, NJ. The band consists of guitarist/vocalist Ben Greenblatt, guitarist/vocalist Kyle Lloyd, bassist Chris Panto, and drummer Jake Morrell. The EP was recorded by Peter Delbuono and released January 4th, 2018. Regrown is an emo rock band, and their music shines in this genre; especially when you see them live. The record, Out of the Picture, opens with the intro track, “Woofus,” which sets the mood perfectly. It’s a simply catchy 6/8 jammer. The lyrics are vague, yet relatable, which grabs my attention. It ends with “I don’t want to feel like this… I’ll never win” and immediately transitions into the record's title track, “Out of the Picture.” This song, in particular, gives me “Sasha” by Turnover kind-of-vibes -- that general era of music. The theme seems to focus on losing the connection with someone who is very important to you and struggling to cope. They end the song with “I hope you’re okay” multiple times and close off with “cause I’m not okay,” which is a beautiful selfless lyric.
The third song, “February, or How,” brings back that 6/8 rock-n-roll kind of energy. The song seems to focus on falling out of love and how messy that can be, as well as the hardships of making mistakes and accepting them. This is another simple, and catchy, song that’s very easy to listen to. Later on in the song, the energy picks up and changes to a 4/4 fast-paced closing after repeating, “I won’t say I miss you…I swear to god I once loved you,” which is a very raw and honest lyric.
The closing song on the record, “Chuck Coleman Sesh Interruption,” gets a bit more aggressive and energetic. This song is one of my personal favorites. The music itself reminds me of “Young States” by Citizen. I believe this song continues the theme of coping with a break-up and how badly that can toy with your emotions. The ending of this song features a music almost-breakdown, which closes out the record perfectly.
Overall, regrown is a very energetic band that I’d highly recommend seeing live. Their combinations of singers mesh very well and create beautiful melodic hooks while holding very high energy. I’m very excited to watch this band grow and keep on creating genuine songs.
Interview with Graphic Designer/Printmaker Tin Vu
By Nicolas Palermo | Posted Friday, May 25, 2018
Art and sports are not often discussed together. However, creating art and playing sports share many similarities. Sculptors and painters have studied the human figure for centuries. There is a great deal of grace and beauty in the movements involved in a sport. Similarly, artists utilize the human body’s physical capabilities when creating. Look no further than Jackson Pollock wildly (yet equally methodically) flinging paint onto a naked canvas.
With this being said it is no surprise that Tin Vu, a graphic designer and printmaker from Cherry Hill, NJ is able to blend his love of sports so easily with his art. I spoke to Tin to get a better understanding of his influences and where he gets the concepts for his work.
Where are you located in NJ? Do you like that particular area, or are you eager to move out?
I’m from Cherry Hill, NJ, born and raised. I do actually enjoy this area and don’t mind living here, but I’m willing to explore other possibilities for my career as a graphic designer.
What mediums of artwork do you work in? Which one is your favorite?
I have experience in painting and charcoal, but I primarily work digitally for my illustrations. Occasionally, I also turn those illustrations into screen prints. Digital has quickly become my favorite medium because I have a flat color style that is much easier to fill in with on a computer than by hand.
I’ve noticed that you often blend themes of your love for sports (basketball) and music (hip-hop) into your creative output. Is this something you’ve always done? Does incorporating sports and music into your work come naturally or is it a conscious decision?
My love for sports and hip-hop leaking into my artwork is definitely something that I have always done just because it feels so natural. When I’m given a blank canvas to create a piece that I’m passionate about and am truly invested in, my mind always drifts to the subcultures that I am a part of—which also involves breaking, urban dance, esports, and skating.
As a musician, I often gravitate toward certain albums more than others based on the album cover artwork. Are there any particular album covers that you have always loved?
Some of my favorite album covers of all time include: Unknown Pleasures (Joy Division), The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me (Brand New), The September Wind (Naoya Matsuoka), Coexist (The XX), Acid Rap (Chance the Rapper), Madvillainy (Madvillain), Wolf Deluxe Edition (Tyler the Creator), All American Trash (BROCKHAMPTON), Currents (Tame Impala), The Low End Theory (A Tribe Called Quest), and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (Kanye West). I could go on forever because I love album covers as an art form so much.
I really enjoy your screen printing work. I believe that printmaking is an underrated method of creating art. Is there a particular reason why you often choose to work with screen printing?
I work with screen printing so much because it makes so much sense to add the flat colors of my work layer by layer. It really is an underrated medium that can go much further than just t-shirts (shout out to Dave).
Where can we find your work and follow you online?
You can find my work at tinvudesign.com, @tinvudesign on Instagram or facebook.com/tinvudesign.
Thanks for the interview, really enjoyed these questions!