Single Review by William Ruben HelmsJun 10, 202519:30

New Audio: Dublin’s Galia Arad Shares Brooding and Intimate “This Close”

Galia Arad is an emerging Dublin-based singer/songwriter, who recently signed Dublin-based artist development label Rubarb Music. Arad’s Rubarb Music debut, the self-penned and self-produced “This Close” is anchored around strummed and plucked acoustic guitar, bursts of twinkling synths and skittering beats.

The broodingly intimate track is a a bit of a change in sonic direction for Arad, as the track sees her blending her long-held Americana-inspired songwriting with an alt-pop sensibility: Strummed and plucked, Country Western-styled guitar, bursts of twinkling synths and skittering beats create a broodingly intimate and lush bed for the Irish artist’s breathy cooing.

“This Close” showcases an artist, who can pair heartfelt, seemingly lived-in lyrics with a remarkably catchy hooks. Arad explains that “This Close explores the tension between craving and control- using vulnerability as a tool to capture after an endless game of chase. The production is inspired by that push/pull, and of course my own desires to kick off my pop girlie era.”

Video by William Ruben HelmsJun 10, 202515:30

Throwback: Happy 115th Birthday, Howlin’ Wolf!

JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 115th anniversary of Howlin’ Wolf’s birth.

Single Review by William Ruben HelmsJun 10, 202512:30

New Audio: rhythmspitter Shares Dreamily Hypnotic “Eastern Advance”

Arguably better known for playing bass in Red Thread Theory, Michael Mosley is a San Francisco-based musician, composer, producer and creative mastermind behind rhythmspltter. With rhythmspitter, Mosley explores instrumental indie rock and lo-fi beat-driven material that’s influenced from an eclectic array of sources, including Bill Laswell’s Material and Jah Wobble‘s Invaders of the Heart.

Each rhythmspitter composition sees Mosley weaving together a rich tapestry of instruments and rhythms from across the world. Each composition is meticulously crafted to resonate with listeners while providing a chill and captivating vibe that’s entrancing. With rhythmspitter, Mosley seeks to break down barriers and introduce audiences to a world of sonic exploration that they may not have encountered before — but he also hopes to open minds to the beauty of different styles and instruments.

Mosely’s latest rhythmspitter EP, The Antique Land is inspired by Alexander the Great and Percy Bysshe Shelley’s “Ozymandias.” “Eastern Advance,” the EP’s third and latest single is a percussive and hypnotic track featuring shimmering Middle Eastern-styled instrumentation and a hauntingly eerie vocal sample. The result is a composition that recalls the hypnotic and dreamy beauty of gnawa — but while possessing a modern, almost hip-hop like swagger.

Single Review by William Ruben HelmsJun 10, 202509:00

New Audio: Bedolina Shares Rousingly Anthemic “We Are the Clock Ourselves Again”

Ken Gould is a Philadelphia-based singer/songwriter, musician, frontman and creative mastermind behind the emerging, experimental rock project Bedolina. The project’s name is derived from the Bedolina Map, a rock in the Italian Alps engraved with a complex topographical map and petroglyphs of people and animals amidst villages and roads, created between 1000 and 200 BC.

The Philadelphia-based band can trace its origins back to just before COVID-19 lockdowns: Gould brought four songs to Miner Street Recording‘s Brian McTear (Kurt Vile, Sharon van Etten) and Matt Poirier. When pandemic lockdowns caused the world to grind to a halt, Gould was allowed the opportunity to create a new, diverse set of introspective songs.

Tour cancellations allowed The War on Drugs‘ Charlie Hall (drums) and Robbie Bennet (drums), along with Dr. Dog‘s Frank McElroy to participate in the recording sessions for the material that would eventually comprise the band’s recently released sophomore album Sun and Flamingoes.

Sun and Flamingoes touches upon themes of surrealism, fascist dystopia and the unsettling nature of the modern world, while socially, the album’s material sees Gould and company establishing a sound that weaves together elements of experimental electronica, indie rock and classic pop among others.

The sophomore EP’s first single “We Are the Clock Ourselves Again” is a woozy rock anthem that showcases Gould’s unerring knack for pairing rousing and remarkably catch hooks and choruses with a relentless, driving rhythm and Dire Straits-like guitars. Featuring The War On Drugs’ Robbie Bennett (keys) and Charlie Hall (drums), “We Are the Clock Ourselves Again” as Gould explains is about “perceiving life through your innate sense of right and wrong.” Highlighting self-reliance, the song encourages those listening to march to the beat of their own “clock.”

singer/songwriters by William Ruben HelmsJun 10, 202501:30

New Video: Franck Harois Shares Breezy “Au Rhythme Du Vent”

Franck Harois is French singer/songwriter and producer, who over the course of his 30+ year career has created music with a fiercely DIY ethos. Understandably, that has allowed, the French artist the ability to create freely and without compromise.

Harois’ latest single “Au Rhythme du Vent,” is a breezy bit of electro pop anchored around twinkling melodic synths, arpeggiated bass synths, bursts of squiggling of guitar and a remarkably catchy hook serving as a lush bed for the French artist’s dreamily plaintive delivery. The song sees Harois walking a tightrope between danceable Depeche Mode-like New Wave/goth and radio friendly pop.

Directed by Harois, the accompanying video for “Au Rhythme du Vent” was shot on the sun-dappled shores and forests of Biscarrosse, Bordeaux, France. The video emphasizes the escapist nature of the song.