Evanescence took the heartfelt angst of rock from the nineties and put a powerful female voice behind it. Then Florence + The Machine introduced a breath-taking feminine grace to its epic beautiful rhythms. And now we have Evelyn.Is who are a perfect culmination of those two great bands. An Imploding Fear is a riveting exploration into musical poetry, an edgy in-your-face explosion of raw emotions. The lead female vocalist, Brittany Hayes, pours her heart and soul with sultriness, heart-wrenching vulnerability, and graceful confidence. Evelyn.Is makes music that tears me asunder with a rush of beautiful feelings. Their full album is slated to come out very soon, and since I received a sneak peek I can assure you that the album is glorious, so watch out for it because it’s going to give you multiple eargasms.
“How much do you miss me?” She asked. I took her hand and pointed it to the stars. I whispered gently into her ears as she continued to gaze upon the behemoths of twinkling lights above “You see those stars that are so far away? The amount I miss you every time you’re away is from here to up there and back again.” And she smiled unlike any smile I have ever seen before.
“Through chaos as it swirls, it was us against the world.”
This song is awesome on all levels. It’s so awesome it hurts because I most likely won’t sleep tonight due to me listening to this song on loop for the next couple of hours. Coldplay, unlike other bands, don’t live in a bubble of their own pretentious musical successes. They don’t stick with merely “what works”, they evolve and adapt. It’s clear Coldplay has taken various cues from the music world. The first minute is clearly inspired by Passion Pit’s infectious Sleepyhead and Little Secrets, with the slightly discombobulated vocals and synth piano. Regardless of what influences have contributed in Coldplay’s slight change of sound, they still are recognizable as the one and only Coldplay, no one else can make music this explosively awesome. Coldplay, you continue being one of my favorite bands of all-time and captivating my heart with your awe-inspiring melodies.
“‘Cause you use your heart as a weapon and it hurts like heaven.”
Clocks - Coldplay (featuring Buena Vista Social Club)
Two things I love beyond anything else in this world in one package of audible perfection. Those two things are one of my favorite bands of all time, Coldplay, and the masterwork of Cuban salseros, Buena Vista Social Club. Honestly, there is no limit to how much I can listen to Clocks, it’s a perfect song. For me, it has never gone old or felt played out. Every time I listen I fall in love with it all over again. And once I heard this Buena Vista Social Club cover I went absolutely bonkers. Not only can I fall in love with a song that has stuck with me through thick and thin, I can also dance my heart out to it! Genius!
“Tides that I tried to swim against have brought me down upon my knees.”
Kids In Technicolor (Knights Remix) - Coldplay vs. MGMT vs. Daft Punk
Right now I shall indulge you with an extravaganza of alternative bliss. Three iconic songs of our time all sewn together into nostalgic perfection. Everything in our modern era is a remix. We look around and advertisements, films, television shows, fashion, art, and everything else has borrowed elements from something made before it. Some might say it’s a lack of originality, our inability for new ideas. I say it’s our evolution, we build upon works of art that were already magnificent and we still make them better. We live in a world where nothing is truly original, how could it be with already several millennia of art already created. However, it really doesn’t matter whether something is original, what is important is its authenticity and whether whatever you created contains and conveys a true meaning to you.
“Memories fade like looking through a fogged mirror.”
The violin is one of the most beautifully sounding instruments in the world. Its sound is striking yet soft at the same time. No other instrument can stir the feelings inside of you as well as the violin can. And to hear two of my all-time favorite songs, Chicago by Sufjan Stevens and Clocks by Coldplay, two songs that have taken me to the most beautiful places of my imagination mashed up and covered in violin is an experience I doubt I will go through often. This is what heaven must sound like because this song is pure audible divinity.
“Closing walls and ticking clocks, going to come back and take you home.”
It doesn’t matter how far you are, whether you are a short drive away or even halfway around the world, your heart will always be right by my side. You might not realize this, but everything you do makes me glad to be alive. I see you in sadness, forgotten by those around you, taken for granted, and I wonder how the world can be so cruel to someone as beautiful as you. It might not mean much as I’m just one man, but for as long as I’m breathing you will never leave my mind. Every thing about you is perfection; from the little snort in your laugh, to your undying curiosity that takes us on wild adventures that sometimes leads to trouble but always ends in good fun, to your gorgeous glistening eyes that reflect the stars that shine for you. Know this, you only deserve the best in this world, don’t let anyone tell you different. You are the most amazing woman I have ever known.
“Look at the stars, look how they shine for you and all the things that you do.”
Here was an idealist who lost all hope. The glass that was once half full is now fully empty. He treads on the shards of broken dreams. He was a hopeful romantic, hoping that one day he would sweep the woman of his dreams off her feet. Time passed and passed yet there was nothing. Not even a single connection. He was living in a cold reality with no sight of a spark to warm his heart. He grew up listening to songs of love, ones that told you not to worry because your soul mate is just around the corner. He grew up watching movies of the underdog wooing the most beautiful girl in school. He grew up with false hopes. He was an anomaly, destined to be forever alone.
But then he discovered a band that spoke the truth. The lyrics, ethereal in its delivery, teared down a wall he was encasing himself in. He heard the words “Nobody said it was easy.” and then it clicked in his crowded mind and empty heart. In that moment he felt as though someone out there in the world knew exactly what he was going through. These weren’t airy messages that shoved false hopes down your throat, this music was real. It wasn’t all rainbows and happy faces nor was it drenched in tears of sorrow. It was instead a perfect median. Nothing is easy in this world, we all have to wake up each day and make the best of it. It takes an effort to be truly happy, but the work is always worth it. This song transformed him. He no longer was alone in this world, music has become his savior, a proverbial helping hand when things got rough. And once he truly embraced the beauty and transcendental power of music, he knew that Coldplay would forever have a place in his heart.
“I was just guessing at numbers and figures pulling the puzzles apart. Questions of science and progress did not speak as loud as my heart”
“Whoa”, as Keanu Reeves iconically says in every movie, is exactly what I think while listening to a song by Coldplay. This band knows no bounds in my heart. I will eternally be obsessed with them and their beautiful moving rhythms that always puts me in a blissful mood.
Zen of Blogging wishes you a Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year!
“Words go flying at the speed of sound to show how it all began.”
What happens when Indie makes passionate Latin love with Salsa? For my entire life I grew up with Latin music. I’m a lover of all that is Salsa, Merengue, and Latin Jazz. However, since the past few years I’ve become obsessed with indie music. So here is music that unites both worlds for me! Indie meets Salsa, a match made in heaven for any Latino in Williamsburg.
Track Listing:
My Girls (Animal Collective) - Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra
Keep The Car Running (Arcade Fire) - Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra
Clocks - Coldplay and Buena Vista Social Club
Wolf Like Me (TV On The Radio) - Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra
Come Together (The Beatles) - All Artists
Donde Estas, Yolanda? - Pink Martini
How To Explain - The Cat Empire
Sol y Sombra - The Cat Empire
High and Dry (Radiohead) - Buena Vista Social Club
Stairway To Heaven (Led Zeppelin) - Rodrigo y Gabriela
Se A Cabo - Santana
Latin Girls - Black Eyed Peas
“Every night my dream’s the same, same old city with a different name.”
My name is Ariel Viera, I'm a twenty-something year-old hedonist from the greatest city in the world, New York City, who is constantly high on life. This is the music I passionately love.
If you want to ask me a question or want to chat you can email me at: avierazen@gmail.com
