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 moreInterview with Chelsea Carlson (Singer/Songwriter, Musician)
NJ’s Chelsea Carlson has been keeping busy during the pandemic as a multi-genre singer/songwriter, member of the Renaissance Faire-inspired trio Bardy Pardy, and as a music teacher giving virtual and in-person lessons to students K-12. On Friday, February 11, you can also see her perform live as she opens for the band The Wag at The Coffee House in Edison, NJ. Chelsea has a ton of new music coming out later this year, as both a solo artist and through Bardy Pardy. So how has she been able to juggle all these creative endeavors while remaining so upbeat?
Read moreInterview with #Elevated. New Single, "Paradise"
By Sonia Schnee | Posted Friday, January 22, 2021
If you’re craving that old school, boy group sound of Boyz II Men, New Edition, and *NSYNC, then look no further than South Jersey’s own #Elevated, who just released their newest single, “Paradise,” on YouTube, Spotify, and other audio outlets. Check out our interview with the talented quintet, below, as they discuss how they’re “bringing back old school vibes with a modern twist.”
Congratulations on the release of your new single! What can you tell us about the title (“Paradise”) and the meaning behind it?
For some of us it is interpreted in different ways. One interpretation is "the beach and perfection." What we could do for a significant other is living a life that feels like a dream and live a life where we are content. Another interpretation is last year, we were struck with hardships such as the pandemic. We want to eventually reach that small spec of light at the end of the tunnel we call 'Paradise.’ This song is a soothing and uplifting song to help us go through our inner struggles that we have experienced during these hard times!
What inspired you to create this?
The winter feeling is always soothing, so we wanted to create a song that explores that feeling of calmness and joy.
Where did you record/who did you record with?
We recorded at Vince's (one of the #Elevated members) house. We self-produced everything and hired a mix engineer to mix and master!
Tell us about #Elevated. Who's in the group? Where are you from? How did you find each other? How would you describe your style? Who are your influences?
#Elevated is a 5 member guy group from South Jersey!
Kevin (baritone), Josh (tenor), Vince (baritone/countertenor), Will (bass/tenor), and Donovan (bass).
This group consists of two of Vince's friend groups: Will and Donovan were in Vince's high school choir and often sung together, and Kevin and Josh were in Vince's university and often jam and sing together in the piano room.
The group started with Kevin, Vince and Josh who performed for an event at Rutgers University. We decided to become a group right after. We later added Will and Donovan to make a 5 member group! Our music is old school with a modern twist. We grew up listening to old school R&B and pop such as Earth, Wind and Fire, Boyz II Men, Brian McKnight, New Edition, Michael Jackson, etc. We also enjoy some of the modern artists as well such as Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, Ne-Yo, Ed Sheeran, Charlie Puth, Bruno Mars, etc. We miss boy bands or singing groups that can sing acapella like Boyz II Men, *NSYNC, etc., so we want to bring that sound back.
What are you looking forward to in 2021, personally and/or professionally?
We're looking forward to more opportunities and to a better year overall.
Finally, where can people find your music?
Follow us on Instagram: @hashtagelevated
Subscribe to us on YouTube: http://youtube.com/hashtagelevated
Check out our latest single, “Paradise”:
The song is available on all audio platforms!
Here is also a link tree to see our other content: https://linktr.ee/hashtagelevated
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
We have been growing a small fan base on YouTube through various contents such as reaction videos (2k subscribers).
EP Review - LUCAS by Pyrex
By Sean McCall | Posted August 13, 2019
Pyrex is the musical project of Luke Knoblauch from South Jersey. Pyrex describes himself as Ambient Rap, and debuted his first EP Lucas in September of 2018. Pyrex said, “I wrote this on my notepads app over the years and just turned it into music.” He also gives a special thanks to Jayradda, Kevin Dunne, Mike Kratz, and Nick Fysz for their contribution to Lucas.
The introduction song is “MSbang! (feat. jayradda)” which opens up with a vocal heavy hook that has you bopping your head immediately. The hook “Self-reflection is that all I ever know, are you just bored, or should I just take you home? Always texting on your cellular phone, I try to just let you go” cuts deep, and the song deals with coping with the emotional loss of a loved one. One of my favorites is featured on this track too: Jayradda (or Jorge Estrada) of comeupcomedown and Heather Grey. Jayradda has the prettiest voice, and it especially shines in “MSBang!” He has super tasteful vocal runs and emotional lyrics in this track.
The EP seems to talk about the struggle of loved loss, battling with substances and vices, and the love of streetwear. Overall, Pyrex is portraying that although life can be tough and sadness prominent, he is still striving to live his best life.
The second track, “Happy”, is hands down my favorite track on Lucas. The hook “I just want to make my way back home” is one of the catchiest things I’ve heard. The beat is very upbeat and catchy. “Happy” brings you sadness, optimism, and nostalgia. Everybody interprets songs differently, which makes music so beautiful. This track definitely hit me with nostalgia, and just makes me want to drive my car blasting “Happy.”
The third track, “Dead,” opens up with an old-time sample, and discusses the topic of wanting to quit life; the overall idea of just feeling stuck and stagnant. I really love the second verse’s melody and choice of harmonies around the 2-minute mark. The beat and dissonance of the vocals gives me an older Kid Cudi kind of vibe.
“Kai” is the fourth track off of Lucas, and this is definitely up there with “Happy” for me personally. The beat and piano in the song is beautiful, and the lyrical content discusses the use of drugs, smoking, and drinking. The vocals are melodically beautiful throughout the song, but Pyrex’s vocals especially shine through towards the end around the 2:45 mark.
The second to last track, “Space Cowboy,” is another favorite that almost acts as a reprise and brings back the theme of “finding your way back home” that was introduced earlier in “Happy.” This track’s super spacey and dreamy, which is right up my alley. It definitely gives me an older Kid Cudi vibe again.
The last track, “Dreamin.In.Reverse.flp,” was produced by Jayradda and is another beautifully atmospheric track. The beat on this song has an uplifting feeling while still glowing with tension. I think this song concludes Pyrex’s EP perfectly, and the production value is Grade A.
All in all, I think this was a solid initial release. It talks about subjects that are tough to talk about, has a solid consistency of sound, and is purely authentic . Be sure to check out Pyrex’s single, “Truly Free”, if you’re looking for more Pyrex.
Instagram: @GUCCIBOYLUKE
Wild Dust – “Wild Dust” (EP Review)
By Sean McCall | Posted Friday, November 30, 2018
Wild Dust is an authentic Rock n’ Roll / Punk Band from South Jersey / Philadelphia area. The band consists of Derrick Robbins on vocals, Connor Rothstein on the rock stick, Eric Labar on the other rock stick, and Dave Girolami on drums. Their self-titled EP was released on August 1, 2017. Wild Dust recorded at Gradwell House in South Jersey.
Wild Dust opens the EP with “Open Graves” which is immediately energetic and punk as hell. I really enjoy the rhythm guitar work in this song, because it truly is pure rock n’ roll. This song is definitely a spooky one. It opens up with “a ghoul appeared to me in these waterless canyons- went by the name of God,” and ends with “I can’t be sorry that my hands were the last hands your cold, dead eyes have seen.”
The band seamlessly transitions with a hot baseline to set the mood for the second track, “Devil’s Water.” Lyrically, this song goes way harder than raining blood. “If it’s raining and it’s pouring, don’t slip in mud, because if you do, you’ll slip in blood tonight.” That’s hard. I noticed a lot of the EP has a variety of bass/drum grooves and breaks which I personally really appreciate. “Devil’s Water” has a sweet instrumental break around the 2:45 mark and ends perfectly. Definitely a track you should peep if you have yet to listen.
The third track, “Red Magic,” has my favorite guitar part on the entire record. It opens with this chorusy guitar riff that strangely reminds me of Nirvana in a good way. I really love the emotional in this song when they chant, “There’s not a soul here to save me” followed by some authentic rock n’ roll solo riffage. I also really loved the feeling of musical exhaustion towards the end of this track. If that doesn’t make sense (most things I say don’t), then check it out for yourself.
The second to last track, “Mojave Flower,” continues the energetic feeling and theme of blood, death, the devil, and most importantly, rock. “I’m a brushfire howling in the night, estranged gunslinger, I’ll murder you tonight” is a bold hook, and I f**k with the vision. This song also has another classic rock solo that’s definitely recorded with a Les Paul, in case you were itching for riffs.
The record closes with “Church in the Wildwood,” which is hands down my favorite title track of a song. This song is a slow jammer at the start. I love the lyrical theme of this song. You can hear the emotion and exhaustion in the vocals, which is a beautiful thing to be able to portray. The idea that you view heaven as “homes built by the Lord,” just to find yourself giving into vices and “finding God” in a bottle is a powerful thing.
Overall, this record is a dynamic journey of aggression, rock n’ roll, and mid-western feeling punk. Lyrically it is very raw, and poetic. I really like how they play with the idea of the Devil and God. This is definitely a record you’d want to throw on if you’re looking to get some aggression out. Also be sure to check out their first single, “Karaoke with the Devil,” from January of 2017.
Side-note: Wild Dust’s Live show is also a trip, and I definitely recommend seeing them. Their Next Show is at The Pharmacy in South Philadelphia, on December 15th, 2018 if you’re looking for something to do.