A Team or Single Person?

Despite the royal “we” I use sometimes If Ever Your Listening (IEYL) is a solo venture. All the content is original and written by me. For the longest time I was the only one who published it as well. Even though it is just me and I could have made this publication more of a vehicle for my personality I decided to let the articles speak for themselves. I envision IEYL in the same light as Rolling Stone Magazine, not Robert Christgau (now, And It Don’t Stop). Eventually, I want to employ writers and editors. In the future I may…

A Review of Real Estate’s 4th album, In Mind

The Elegant Aura of Their Production

I came into Real Estate’s 4th full length curious and unassuming. After giving the album a few listens I found their laid-back approach both welcoming and a sign of maturity. Instead of hitting you over the top of the head with an overbearing hook or chorus line their instrumentals wash over you with their pleasant sounds and mellow lyrics. The band’s more welcoming appeal has rewarded them with a consistent fan base, and a great track record in the dream pop genre. In Mind keeps to that tradition.

Expert Songwriting

While the Jersey…

Happy Sunday Team!

Some Great Writing

I hope we are all having a relaxing and therapeutic weekend. Welcome to InTune’s monthly address for July. There were so many great in-depth pieces this month. I want to tip my hat to Terry Barr Arthur Keith and Ljubica Lazarevic for sending me fantastic articles. They all connected unforeseen dots in the musical world. More importantly, you continued to form your own style and bring new readers to the publication. Cheers!

Recruit! Recruit!

Last month it was all about quality over quantity. This month’s theme will be about recruitment. In keeping with our quality north star, look for…

A Common Ancestor

If you are a common consumer of music, you may have heard Tyler, the Creator’s single, “WUSYANAME,” or Drake’s hit song, “Wants and Needs,” on the radio. On the surface, they may both sound like the same type of song. In both tracks, there are hard-hitting drums, complex rhymes, and rapped hooks. In either case, is the music rap, or trap? What’s the difference? How would one know?

This piece is meant to clarify the main differences between rap and trap. Moreover, it’s going to highlight distinguishing features in hip-hop sub-genres. …

Riff Summer Challenge

The Riff’s Summer Challenge

Did you get it, sweetheart?

No…

Here, honey, catch!

I could hardly believe my eyes as it was happening. I was talking to Margo Price during her set.

Governors Ball

It was an overcast and unexpectedly chilly summer day on Randall's Island. The place was Governors Ball (2018) and I was happily standing in the front row during Margo Price’s performance at the well-known festival show. Price looked like a country star that day. She was showcasing her slender physique in a black top/shorts, decorating her look with a light transparent jacket that was embroidered with cute glittered white stars.

IEYL’s June 2021 Album of the Month: Jubilee by Japanese Breakfast

Background

To understand Japanese Breakfast, you need to dig into Michelle Zauner’s past. The bandleader is an Oregon native who got her musical feat wet in eastern Pennsylvania in the mid 2000’s. She was in Pennsylvania for college and majored in creative writing. At the same time, she was in an indie pop band called Post Post. After graduating from school she moved to Philadelphia and headed a emo band called Little Big League. In both cases, she led the bands and made expressive experimental post-punk music. …

Happy Humpday Everyone!

We are almost through the week. This has been the calm before the storm for me. I have a lot of workshops to organize across the next few weeks. Things are about to get really exciting and stressful. As I sent more emails than I ever wanted to read, visited new schools, and made countless zoom calls, I found refuge in the songs below.

Before checking out the tunes, if you haven’t already, breeze through some of my posts since the last playlist article. Since last time, I wrote about the long history of sound recording. I…

IEYL’s May 2021 Album of the Month: Daddy’s Home by St. Vincent

Background

St. Vincent’s artistic abilities started in an honest place and excelled into respected musical circles. Born Annie Clark, the singer took to music after receiving a red plastic guitar from her mother. From there on out, she fell in love with composition. In her adolescent years she started playing original songs for her Aunt and Uncle’s jazz duo when they would tour. She continued to develop her skills into high school and went on to join the school’s jazz band and perform in the school’s theater club. …