Seize the moment

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Before sitting down to write I found myself feeling shame for not doing as much as I would like. Looking through this creation of mine and taking myself too seriously. Introducing ridicule to a space within me that needs nothing but encouragement.

I write because it is something that I enjoy. I write because I like to share my thoughts and perspectives with others. I write because I enjoy reading the writings of others.

Reminding myself of this helps the flow resume. Lately I have been spending my time writing to reflect more than anything else. It sometimes makes me forget about this aspect of writing that I enjoy just as much. Crafting together a message inspired by my present moment. In this moment I wanted to share my feelings about an experience I had at a concert. A message brought to my heart from a moment of divine timing.

Flashback to October 15th 2022

I went to my first Princess Nokia concert and it was one of the most special moments I have had in my life. I felt happy, present, free, and seen for who I am. Dancing to the sounds that filled the concert and connecting with an artist I admire; it felt other worldly. I’d like more of my days to have this same kind of magic. A magic that carries over well into the next day and seeps into all that I do. Including writing, freely expressing and sharing my gifts with others.

I showed up to the concert early, excited and nervous to be there on my own. Two days prior I’d started drawing a picture of Princess Nokia and intended to give it to her at this concert. This is the second time I’ve made such an attempt. For both the reason was the same; to gift the artist who has gifted me with so much inspiration and motivation with an image of themselves that is one of a kind. And this time it happened! I was right there front stage, singing along to the song”Blessings” really feeling the music when Princess Nokia called me onto the stage. In a daze of excitement I joined her and we talked for a moment, she asked my name and thanked me for my gift. I wish I could recall her exact words but my excitement blocked my mind from letting her words fully settle in. All I know is that was she said to me was kind. I gave her a big hug and rejoined the concert. She read the note I’d attached to the drawing out loud to the crowd, I felt proud of myself. It all felt so surreal and as the moment passed she began to speak about passion and having a purpose in life. If not for my passion I wouldn’t have had the courage to create the art that I do. Same goes for all of us. I appreciate artist like Princess Nokia, always showing up as herself regardless of outside influence. Her music has always spoken to me, she speaks her truth in a way that’s contagious. Seeing her live and experiencing this moment inspired me to always show up as myself no matter what, because it’s one thing to be looked at but another to be seen.

Music That Lifts You Up

Music Reviews

This weeks sounds are all aligned with Positive Affirmations; words meant to make your spirits high when you feel low and that serve as a reminder for times when you may forget just how amazing you are. I have been listening to these since the start of this month, so I wanted to move away from the Sounds of the Week(check out my previous blog series) which focused on weekly tunes. Now I’ll be sharing music every month that is both enjoyable and I feel has a great message over all.

That is the wonder of music, sounds and messages can hold a different shape for every being who listens to it. All of these songs have given me something to look forward to each day, sounds that resonate and put me in a good mood. May they do the same for you!

GRATITUDE- Londrelle

First up we have “Gratitude” by the lovely Londrelle. This is the first song I have ever heard by this artist and I immediately went for the full album experience after hearing this song. With Positive affirmations layered on top of a melodic saxophone, Gratitude opens your heart and brings you to a space where appreciation can be felt. I believe in being within a spirit of Gratitude, giving thanks where thanks is due. Even for the mundane or things we may take for granted; like the shine of the sun and the breath in our lungs. Listening to this song made me feel so happy and calm.

Everything deserves Gratitude, thats my everyday attitude
Londrelle

LOOSE MY COOL-070 SHAKE

Next we have a favorite here on the blog; the lovely 070 Shake’s Loose My Cool. I love this song because at first glance it is a feel good, feeling yourself type of beat. Then you listen to the lyrics and it makes the song even better. I enjoy listening to music that keeps my mind right, a lot of what you consume stays with you under the surface. There lies your subconscious and so much lives in our subconscious mind, why not consume music and content that tells your brain “I am confident and looking forward to growing more into the best version of myself”. 070 says it more elegantly, not wasting anytime to speak light over the mic:

I’m shooting for a higher self, a higher frequency
and you don’t gotta to touch me I can feel your energy
070 shake

This song reminds me to focus on being my best self each day and the important lesson of being aware of the energy that surrounds you. Whether that be energy within another being or the vibes within an environment, being mindful of either can protect you in so many ways. Energy carries and you don’t have to physically connect with someone to catch it. Food for thought for real, I love this song.

TIME (YOU AND I)- Khruangbin

Last (but never the least) we have Khruangbin’s Time(You and I). This song takes me to a place where my heart is glowing and I can really feel the groove. It’s an uplifting gem of a love song thats for sure. The kind of love song that reminds you of your inner child and can usually be brought out when you’re with that special someone. This songs gives just the right amount of reality; we will indeed grow old but hey THAT’S LIFE!

I love the nostalgic feel to this song as well, hearing it actually makes me excited to grow older. Khruangbin is surely becoming one of my favorite bands, their music can fit any vibe or atmosphere. I personally enjoy listening to them while I am working, cooking, or going for a walk. You name it, Khruangbin can set a great tone to your day that is sure to keep your spirits high.

Thanks for reading, for more music reviews check out my other blog posts called Sounds of the Week!

Till next time, Lee Sunshine

Sounds of the week: Arthur Russell

Music Reviews

ARTHUR RUSSELL

Calling out of Context

This week’s sounds of the week we have the eclectic Arthur Russell. I came across the ’08 documentary Wild Combination: A portrait of Arthur Russell by Matt Wolf last week and was so surprised by what I saw. I was even more surprised by what I heard. Through a mirage of different home videos, clips from the artist’s past, and photos served as the introduction to a musician who seemed to embody what it meant to be a creator. In the documentary it was made clear that Arthur’s life revolved around music and the creation of sound. From the instrumentation to the signature echo in his voice, all aspects of his music involve a wild combination of sounds. Sounds that turned into songs which captured intimate and feeling driven moments in the artist’s life.

Trailer for Wild Combination Documentary

As I write I am listening to the Calling out of Context album, released posthumously by Arthur’s estate in 2000. An original compilation of sounds from what appears to be a multitude of sources, the 1 hour project takes you through seemingly honest renditions of the artists’ thoughts and experiences at a point in time. My favorite song from this album is That’s Us/Wild Combination. I really like how simple the songs appear at first, but once I listened a few times the layers to the song became apparent. The nuance of his singing, paired with the unpredictable melody, created a sound like none that I have heard before. One minute into the song I find myself dancing along to lyrics like:

Hard as I can be,
 it's never too hard
With this our love to see, by it's own light
Love inside of me, it's working at night

The sentiment of feeling love for another and ones self is relatable and touching to hear. This was a cool introduction to an artist I’ll be listening a lot going into this new year. It’s fascinating to learn how he created an abundance of music during his time. All despite not being chosen as a mainstream artist of his generation. A real testament to following ones passions in life with a faith that may appear blind to some, but at heart is what you came here to express in a way that is true. Thank you Arthur Russell, a truth sharer and inspiration to all artist out there. And Thank you Matt Wolf for making the film that brought this sound to my awareness.

Give it a listen for yourself and let me know what you think in the comments below!

Love and Sunshine, Peace

-Lee Sunshine

Sounds of the week: Ivery Mack & Remy Shand

Music Reviews

IVERY MACK

First up this week we have Ivery Mack, a local Chicago artist who just dropped his first collective project The Ivery Mack Experience . I had the pleasure of collaborating with Ivery in the making of the Artwork that accompanies this EP. Listening to each track from start to finish you truly get what the title calls for; an Experience. With 6 songs, this EP gives new and og listeners of Ivery Mack a look at what he is capable of. Genre has no restriction to this project. With a beautiful combination of lyricism and original flow, The Ivery Mack Experience is an exploration of multiple sounds with one voice leading the way through. From fiery rock and roll tracks like Fight the machine to the country twang of Little Wings , there is something for everyone who listens to The Ivery Mack Experience.

One of my favorite songs is 1000 MPH. Real movie music vibes, main character working towards his victory type energy.

"The whole world traveling 1000mph 
whose gonna stop you now? "

Clearly nothing is stopping Ivery Mack, not a thing.

Artwork and music go hand in hand with this EP, check out the lyric videos below to see some of the magic behind the cover art.

Created By Lee Sunshine

REMY SHAND

Remy Shand is one of my brothers favorite artist. I use to hear the song Take A Message over and over when I was a kid. I didn’t get it then, but I get it now. Take a message is what I like to call a 50/50 song. 50% of the beauty in this song comes from the message Remy is sharing (haha get it Message). The other 50% are the bongo backed instrumentals and movement in the sounds that shape the song. I haven’t listened to much of Remy’s music, but if this song is any indication of what he is capable of then I imagine it sounds great. I can see how my brother would listen to this and nothing else all night long. This song makes me feel nostalgic and loving, perhaps the way Remy felt?

Sounds of the week

Music Reviews

TORO Y ROME VOL. 1

Image Source

Kicking off this weeks Sounds are the Lovelee Rome Fortune and Toro Y Moi. Toro is one of my favorite artist. So listening to this collaboration between him and a new favorite, Mr. Rome, was super dope. The first song I heard from the project was 1000mph, when it popped up on my Spotify discover playlist last winter. Then I listened to the full Ep for the first time this past week and it was a much welcomed new sound. Rome’s conscious flow paired with Toro’s wavey vibes gives us 5 tracks of volume one (of what I hope to be a series of volumes) from these two creative beings. Listening to Love Yourself feels like a gift of affirmation, you really should

"Love yourself, love yourself
Look in the mirror, say "I love you"

hearing lyrics like these is what excites me about the music that is now coming back full circle from a time when music was about expression and uplifting those who listened to what was being shared.

BREAK AWAY

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Next up is the first Ep from the Lovelee Jubilee Jackson; writer, producer, and performer of Break Away. Everything about this project is beautiful, from start to finish you can hear and feel innerstandings of truth.

One of my favorite tracks is Solace , which opens with the most heart opening guitar solo. If you like instrumentals in the same lane as bands like Khruangbin, then listening to Solace will take you to the same place. The place where a guitar can sing a melody that resonates as if words had been spoken in the same tune. It carries you right into the song with more lyrical affirmations like:

"So I should breath in and close my eyes 
I can be myself through the day and night "

"I'm free to speak, think , and believe 
All this comes naturally 
Your suppression won't change me 
In solace I will BE"

Hearing projects like these is inspiring in a day and age where genuine expression through words and sound is harder to come by. Listening to artist like Rome Fortune and Jubliee Jackson give the listener more than just a song, you get an experience. Listening to Break Away is an experience worth having again and again.

NEO SURF

I love love love 070 shake and was happy to see a new release from them. I’ve been listening to this everyday non-stop since watching the music video.

With their signature deep and emotive voice, 070 takes us along the waves of their new single Neo Surf . This song sounds like a stroll back in time, yet the music video takes us into the near future. I feel calm, cute, and very cool when I’m listening to this, whether it’s in the car or with headphones. The song takes you away and places you back gently, with a smile on your face.

I look forward to hearing more stories from all of these artist.

Hope ya’ll enjoy, let me know what you think?

–Lee Sunshine

Sounds of the week: Sparks

Music Reviews

SPARKS!

The dynamic duo that has stood the test of time, an evolution of sound that can inspire and move you

This weeks sound comes from brothers Ron and Russell Mael, a pair who were for sure put here to create sound and share their music with the world. I discovered Sparks this week because of the awesome documentary they released on Netflix called The Sparks Brothers. It blew my mind that they’ve been making music since the 70s and are still going strong. Their sound has kept up with the times because they aren’t afraid to change or try something new. Listening to their music and watching their videos inspired me, if these guys can make music for over 20 years with the same enthusiasm for their craft each time, then I can totally switch it up and try out anything I’d like when it comes to creating and making new things of my own. Here are some of my favorite songs so far:

Repetition and emotion drive this song right where it needed to be, releasing an album called lil’ Beethoven gave me high expectations and they were exceeded. I imagined the instrumentals would be great and they really are, what they are able to do with one phrase was so lovely. I love this song, I was driving home yesterday when it came on and felt like I was in a scene of a movie where the main character does something cool and drives away at the end as a montage of their journey goes across the screen.

I have never heard music like this right here , this right here sounds like the essence of alternative sound. The lyrics are cheeky and simple, I love how they combine the instrumentals with their lyrics in a way that creates a story in the mind when you listen to it. Their music videos go together perfectly with all their projects, you can tell they really care about their music and what it is that they share.

Podcast inspired by the group

Sounds of The Week: Gus Dapperton + Coco & Clair clair

Music Reviews

Mr. Gus Dapperton

Music is one of my loves in this life of mine. I am soul grateful for sound, and the creativity that inspires beings generation after generation to make music that touches the hearts and minds of many. Lately I’ve found myself getting back into the way I fell in love with music; listening to music every day, starting the day with music, watching music videos and dancing. I started sharing music from my custom spotify playlists on Instagram awhile ago but didn’t keep up with it during the winter time. Now that I have this space to share, I wanted to write about some of my fav sounds of the moment. This week I am really vibing with Verdigris by the lovelee Gus Dapperton, a being of many talents who makes me wanna dance and sing with his upbeat voice and lively keyboard solos. I’ve been listening to this non-stop since last week and was excited to start my week with this song this rising. It is they type of song that calls you in and makes you want to sing along, a lot of Gus Dapperton’s music has that affect it seems. This entire album has no skips, not a pause, not a flop. Wether you’re making dinner or on your way out these sounds can make the moment feel great.

My new fav pop girlies

Another fav this week takes us back in time to a cute popy 80s vibe with crushcrushcrush by the lovelee duo Coco & Clair Clair. I wish I would’ve discovered this song in the summer time 😩 but it is so good to hear it now. Super cute and upbeat, the lyrics are dope as well. Coco & Clair Clair never disappoint with the simple yet quirky bars in their songs. My fav line is

“Let’s hang & watch Purple Rain (Pow pow)
You’ve got my attention (Pow pow)
You kind of look like a duck
But a bitch might start quackin’ (Pow)”

10/21/21 Today I watched Coco & Clair Clair videos for the first time and just had to come back to give them their due just. Their music slaps, its catchy and super cute. When I’m rapping and singing along I feel like I’m talking to one of my girlfriends who always makes me laugh. Their videos are very original and funny, they seem like artists true to their ways. I’m for sure a fan, now I’ll be looking forward to their next album. Here are a couple more jams from the duo that I’m enjoying on this lovely Thursday afternoon: