On the Rise: Highlighting OCSA's Up and Coming Musicians
Anya Ernst - Co-Editor-in-Chief, Kyle Keller - Multimedia Co-Editor, and Cas Kesig - Managing Editor
Alix Page (CM’20): “Stripes”
Wait where did I hear this song? It was in Perks of Being a Wallflower right? No wait, Booksmart? Actually it’s just Alix Page’s debut single “Stripes”. The passionately angsty lyrics are reminiscent of Page’s influences like Lorde and The Killers. There is an overwhelming feeling of nostalgia throughout the song’s effortless build, making it an ideal anthem to both blast in the car with your friends or to cry about that special someone in your bedroom. It’s simple chord progression at the beginning of the song pulls you into a completely different direction by the end, bringing you along on the inner dialogue of working through heartbreak. The sampling of noise makers and birthday party buzz crescendos into a powerful and raw ending that floods listeners with Page’s all too relatable emotions. After listening to “Stripes”, one can not help but anticipate what’s coming next from Page!
Spotify - Apple Music
Emma Madison (ACT ‘24): “Stars”
“Stars” by Emma Madison will make anyone listening feel like they are in the music video at the end of a romantic comedy as the credits roll. Madison’s uplifting ballad is exactly what we need in a time like this. This song is perfect for having an at home dance party and will instantly boost your mood and give you the confidence you need to get through the day. Madison is like a mini Taylor Swift or Natasha Bedingfield full of energy and sweet, clever lyrics.
Spotify - Apple Music
Alex Niles (ACT ‘20): Alex Plays Alex
Never has the term “the man, the myth, the legend” applied to someone more than Alex Niles. Well-known for his articulate manner of speaking, seemingly effortless musical talent, and keytar (admit it: everyone loves keytars), Niles recently released Alex Plays Alex, a lithe jazz album studded with co-performers like jazz guitarist Martin Taylor (“Like Before”) and acclaimed vocalist Claire Martin (“One Touch”), among many others. If I’m being honest, I have no clue how Niles got so many talented people to contribute to his album — but it certainly paid off. In his work, the listener is treated to eloquent jazz piano (tickled by the masterful Niles himself), simmering, bristling drumwork, and stunningly varied sounds and flavors, all living and playing under the same roof. And yet, a certain, unmistakable flavor permeates each track, and I believe I know why. From the deep synths of “Like Before” to the power-pop gesticulations of “Child’s Play,” Alex Plays Alex is never without its fairy dust: the certain glittery quality that makes Alex Niles’ collar-pop of an album so goshdarn irresistible.
Spotify - Apple Music
Thomas Wyman (IM-JS ‘20): “Drop”
It feels as though “Drop” begins as close to you as it possibly can. When the piano begins, you almost feel as if your face was pressed right up against the window as you watched the rain, and Wyman’s music is your mother pulling you away, scolding you for smudging the glass. The piece is at first unassuming — it treads carefully, never leaving its veil of haze — before the synths open up and the sun arrives: the rain you were once seeing with your nose mashed up against the glass is now all around you, falling in waves, soaking the waking world through. Meanwhile, the piano continues in its articulate way, carving a path around you as you spin and teeter-totter, ready to catch you if you fall. “Catharsis” is a word that comes to mind. “Hope” is another. In a time of blistering uncertainty, “Drop” is a silent, unassuming portal to a rainy day where the sky is full and the world is singing.
Spotify - Apple Music
Kyle Keller (CW ‘20): big fanna life tho. might sticka round.
Few things combine vagabondish whimsy and existential peril as well as Kyle Keller’s debut album big fanna life tho. might sticka round., besides maybe a Steinbeck novel or freighthopping. An 8-track acoustic ode to all stages of life, Keller constructs folksy ballads with a gothic twang, conjuring memories of a rural life never lived through its intimacy and authenticity. There’s no doubt that he drew on his creative writing background to craft the character that lives and breathes in the childhood tempest of “Quarters in a Tin Can” and midlife restlessness of “Time Off”. Keller is earnest and lyrical in his storytelling; each song is saturated with folklore, guaranteed to transport any listener to a simpler, sometimes somber era. In more ways than one, this album is the aural adventure of a lifetime.