TSM Artist #HotList: September 29th, 2020

Welcome to Top Shelf Music Artist #HotList: Episode 12, with your host Alexia Johnson!

Artists featured:

Total Hip Replacement — “Lost In Thought”

For a funky, light and breezy sound, we bring you Total Hip Replacement! If you are a fan of The Skints, this is a new band to check out. Total Hip Replacement is a pop/jazz/ska group from Denmark, taking the musical world by storm and our hearts along with them. The song “Lost In Thought” is off the band’s Bliss album and is about forgetting your troubles for the time being and going off to a land of your own creation — a dream better than our reality. I’m not sure how the band does it… perhaps it’s their talent itself speaking or their production, but listening to this song literally transports your mind to an early afternoon at a beachfront festival, with a drink in hand and a smile on your face. With the warm sand between your toes, you will not make it through this song without skanking to the beat.

Band links: Facebook

Common Saints — “Summer Sun”

The song starts out with a funky and heavy bass line, before dropping into a sound almost reminiscent of the late 1970s in a lounge club. As you might expect, the song then goes into a bit of saxophone, before settling on a light and breezy, jazzy sound. “Summer Sun” makes you feel like you’re enjoying a nice event at dusk, with all the colors of an auburn sky and warmth on your shoulders. With a sultry vibe, Common Saints bring about the perfect tone to a relaxed and funky afternoon.

Band links: Facebook

Amanda Juline — “Echo”

Originally from Guam and now living in Colorado, Amanda Juline is not what you would expect in the BEST WAY possible. How does a woman manage to capture the ethereal sounds of Lana Del Rey, paired with the emotion of Kimie Miner, yet still produce a style and sound to reggae I have yet to have heard before? “Echo”, off Amanda’s Love in the Moment EP, starts out with a heavy drum lead and takes us right into a classic rub-a-dub sound. Yet, her voice seems to coax you to an almost dream state: a place where you can be free and become who you were always meant to be. It is almost as if she is your subconscious reminding you of your inner power. The song lyrically touches on how we are all in the world together and how every action leads to another. Life is almost a mirror; we cannot underestimate our own inner power and the direction we can take ourselves if we only had the courage. The middle of the song features a lovely guitar solo, similar to Santana’s earlier days, adding an almost Latin vibe before settling into the final chorus. She leaves us with the words, “What do you echo?” Word that remind us all that we have the power inside to control our environments or, at least, our perception of those environments.

Artist links: Facebook

Bitter Defeat — “Light That Shines”

I don’t know how to explain this song, but the sound totally captures my high school experience. The band is clearly influenced by The Ramones, The Melvins, Misfits and Talking Heads. This is the band for you if you are into indie rock with a classic upbeat rock and roll vibe: the band to dance to at your high school prom or the theme to your college cram session. It is just a super fun song about continuing through your life, even when it seems like it changes so fast that you can’t keep up. “I only want to see the light that shines in your head,” is a main lyric to the chorus, reminding us that those we love, only want the best for us or, perhaps, could even be interpreted as the vocalists speaking to the listener to remain vocally positive through your struggles. Give “Light That Shines” a listen and let us know what you think in the comments!

Band links: Facebook

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Follow your host: Instagram

*ALL BANDS HAVE GIVEN RELEASE FOR THEIR MUSIC TO BE FEATURED IN OUR MUSIC DISCOVERY SERIES*

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