Great and Little Escapes
The Great Escape in Brighton has released another batch of 100 performing artists, and – no surprise – we know only a few artists and are seriously excited about Hachiku. This means we need to devote some listening time to our festival preparation. To get this started, we also include some discoveries in today’s glamglare favorites playlist.
One artist I‘m particularly excited about is Chloe Slater, who was already among the initially announced artists. The 21-year-old singer/songwriter rose to fame on TikTok and is known for her politically charged messages about all that is wrong from the perspective of a young person.
It helps that she looks like the proverbial girl next door. If people like her don‘t want to take it anymore, it must be serious. But more importantly, it gives hope that there is still enough sanity around to make this world a better place for everybody.
Chloe will be today‘s Song Pick of the Day. Also, check out her latest EP, Love Me Please, and the interview with NME.
Two weeks ago, we went to the Metropolitan Opera again to see a special revue celebrating the work of Cole Porter produced by crooner and actor Harry Connick, Jr. We started to appreciate The Met only after 24 years living in New York, but better late than never! A night at the opera is surprisingly affordable, as opposed to Broadway. The tickets, that is, not the drinks at the lobby bar.
We sat in a box with a slightly obstructed view for $35 per ticket (incl. fees) to experience entertainment at its best. With a live big band, video, and theater, Harry Connick, Jr. celebrated the work of the great American songwriter – one of the very few who did both, composition and lyrics – and the power and beauty of music in general. It was a limited engagement for a few days, but I would not be surprised if the show comes back in the future.
Coincidentally, we caught a Netflix movie Find Me Falling with Harry Connick, Jr., about an aging rock star who wants to sort of retire in Cyprus. It is a romantic story with lovable characters and little suspense – just the right thing for V-Day season.
We’re going on our winter break in Lisbon next week, so the programming for the following two newsletters will be lighter. As always, you can look forward to a new song per day. The Song Pick of the Day series never stops.
glamglare favorites
Listen to glamglare favorites on Spotify, Apple Music, or below on YouTube.
This week, we have five artists that were announced for The Great Escape in Brighton. Let’s listen to Bria Salmana, Kita Alexander, GAUCI, Nancy Williams, and total tommy.
Song Pick of the Day
Listen to/watch all seven songs on YouTube. Follow our daily updated playlists on YouTube, Apple Music, or Spotify for the 50 latest Song Pick of the Day features, or subscribe here to receive them in your mailbox in real-time. Thank you for following us and sharing the excitement.
"Fun for Everyone” – there is not much to add to this sentiment, except that we’re looking forward to seeing Hachiku again live and that her new album will come out at the end of the month. Oklou released last week her fantastic new album "choke enough." Our Song Pick of the Day is the ethereal opener "endless."
NYC singer/songwriter Cornelia Murr put out a bright new single, "Skylight," from her album "Run to the Center," also out at the end of this month. "I want a new identity, I don't want to fake it," sings Marci Elizabeth, aka Girl As Wave, in her new slow-burning synth-pop "Good Enough."
"Canines" by Toronto-based singer/songwriter Zanski explores how the mind changes and tends to adjust memories in hindsight. The Norwegian dream-pop artist Yndling has a new song, "It's Almost Like You're Here," about growing apart. She will also showcase at the SXSW and New Colossus Festivals next month. Running away rarely helps, the Dutch singer/songwriter Robin Kester finds in her enchanting new song "Departure."
Albums We Are Excited About
Out tomorrow:
Nine Photos
Oliver and I are not only writing a daily song pick feature or the occasional show or album review, but we’re also having our minds and fingers on the keyboard set on not only one novel but an entire series.
The one we’re currently writing plays in 1995, while the other, which is almost finished, is set in December 2015.
With everything still greyish outside, it’s hard to take new photos, and I already did the “yellow Portugal theme” last week. So I decided to look in my 2015 archive! While I wanted to get a rainbow theme going, I didn’t quite find what I was looking for. Still, please enjoy this collection: show photos from Austin, TX during SXSW, pizza dough, a couple selfie from Berlin, one from a roof-top gig in NYC, and Happy Valentine’s Day with a heart-shaped beet in a Martini glass. Cheers!
(Photos: Elke Nominikat)