jazz – Jellybeans in the City

Vancouver-based Filipina singer-songwriter Dey Rose maintains a gripping sense of vulnerability on her debut EP, Panting Heart—released on all digital platforms worldwide via Lilystars Records.

Intricately written and produced to capture a sound of lasting resonance and warmth, the 6-track record blends jazz-infused pop with folk, country, blues, prog rock, ’70s soul, and R&B, while exploring fascinating new directions in terms of arrangements and lyrics. With an eclectic selection of songs grounded in evocative storytelling, the Baguio-born musician presents a snapshot of confessional intimacy in the time of restlessness and paranoia, freeing herself from the conformity of others and social expectations.

The EP’s focus single “Di Mo Lang Alam” is inspired by the stories of new friends Dey Rose met in the Philippines. Its smooth, jazzy runs and suave rhythms swoop and slide effortlessly in the background, while the Filipina-Canadian artist’s mesmerizing vocals take the center stage in a rejuvenating light. It’s easily one of the best songs in the record, a balm of sunshine that conceals its very brooding narrative with a tale of caution and hope.

Other must-hear gems include the throwback-sounding jam “Puzzle Piece,” the bluesy ballad “Paulit-ulit,” the vocally arresting tune “When I’m With You,” and the title track “Panting Heart.” The EP’s signature sound feels like a hodgepodge of influences that range from Lolita Carbon to Etta James, Amy Winehouse to Lorde, seamlessly rendered to capture a wide range of emotions strengthened by both experience and technique.

Musically diverse and engaging, Panting Heart serves as a testament to Dey Rose’s incredible maturity as an artist of characteristic composure. It delivers moments of earnest beauty and restraint in equal stride, inhabiting a sense of balance for good measure.

Dey Rose’s Panting Heart EP is now available on all digital and streaming platforms worldwide via Lilystars Records.

Image and details provided by Lilystars Records in a recent press release.

Singapore nu-jazz band The Steve McQueens have released their long-awaited brand new single ‘Firefly’ via Singapore based indie label Umami Records, exactly 143 weeks after their last release, full length album ‘TERRAЯIUM’ in 2017. The release comes fresh off the band’s ‘Nerd Lounge’ tour at the start of the year where they played shows at the Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival, Tokyo Big Romantic Jazz Festival and the Esplanade Singapore.

The Steve McQueens have provided the following statement announcing the new song:

“Firefly generates its own light
Firefly generates its own beauty
Passion flies like fire
Passion dies with no desire
Passion is beauty
– The Steve McQueens”

‘Firefly’ is the lead single of The Steve McQueen’s new EP ‘Nerve Endings’, scheduled for release on 7 August 2020, featuring music from the band’s ‘TAPE’ tour in 2018. The band is currently writing and recording new material for their fifth album, ‘The Observer’, to be released in 2021. The band provides some insight into the thinking behind the project: “The Observer stands apart, an indifferent spectator at the ongoing culture clash between the jazz traditionalists and the new guard, smiles quietly to himself and just makes music.”

‘Firefly’ by The Steve McQueens is available everywhere at this link.

About The Steve McQueens

The Steve McQueens refuse to be pedestrian; they don’t live in the transient, or the touch-and-go. Swerving between cool seduction and gripping magnetism, they are ambitious to light the world up with their progressive brand of self- titled neo- vintage soul- funk. They have played to growing attention at festivals like the Tokyo Jazz Festival and Summersonic (Japan), Java Jazz (Indonesia), SingJazz (Singapore), Melbourne International Jazz Fest (Australia) and Jarasum International Jazz Festival (Korea). The quartet formed in 2013 as a forging of four mercurial talents in Singapore, a small country punching above its weight in Southeast Asia’s music scene. Critically acclaimed, The Steve McQueens will leave an indomitable mark on any listener with their music.

About Umami Records

Umami Records is a Singapore-based indie record label founded in 2013. Much like the “5th taste” reputation of its namesake, the label strongly believes in discovering new, interesting sounds that run underground and away from the mainstream. The label’s tight-knit, curated roster thus far has included releases from Linying, The Steve McQueens, brb., Evanturetime, CampFire, Martin Baltser, Phoria, Oriental Cravings, and more.