Two abilities – the startup LYXR and the established star – Whitney Tai. Bookends in a wa

I’ve two abilities to direct you to this week, Whitney Tai and LYXR, each either side of the border.

LYXR is  right here in Mexico and is simply beginning out  – as but solely accessible dwell  and on YouTube.  Whitney Tai is a seasoned LA artist with a stable catalogue and a brand new track out, and who got here inside a hair’s breadth of a Grammy nomination this yr. I deliver you these two in the identical Music Sin Fronterias column as a result of they signify two ends of the spectrum – a band overflowing with uncooked expertise however simply beginning out, and a lady who, within the years I’ve adopted her since she began out, has turn out to be one of the inventive forces I do know.

First, is Whitney Tai, a breathtakingly sensible singer, songwriter, and producer who crafts among the most fun and emotionally deep music I’ve ever heard. Her latest launch is “Pisces Rising”, written, produced, engineered and sung by Tai, who additionally performed the guitar elements; backing vocals by Blak Emoji and blended and mastered by Tim Janssens. The one is now streaming on Spotify.

“Pisces Rising”  is the epitome of what Tai does; she has  created an emotional and musical parallel universe together with her outdated -soul childlike voice.   It’s dreamy, severe, haunting, on the sting of residing poetry.  Within the lyrics she tells of a soulful being – possibly her – and its relationship to this universe. Psychoanalytic, as is way of Tai’s music, it swirls with demons but in addition with the power to grasp them.  A gap rotating arpeggio launches you from star to star in her universe, the identical one she sucked you into with Apogee and “Starfish”,  holding you in a trance so all you recognize is the rising of her signal, the fish.

You possibly can’t take heed to a Whitney Tai track with out delving into your individual soul and shedding your self in melody and starlight.  “Pisces Rising” does all these issues, however with an intimacy past that of her earlier works. She is there with you, shimmering and glowing and possibly dripping moist with salt water and seaweed. Is the evaluation in “Pisces Rising” of herself, the singer/star sailor, or of you, the listener and learner? Play it many instances to reply that query. As you do, shut your eyes and let the wind catch your sails alongside the Milky Method with Tai as your star information.

The native expertise is LYXR, fronted by Ellizé Navarro.  Navarro works with a decent three-man group – Diego Ernesto Medeles, Dante Jimenez and Benjamin L. Guerra – to provide covers and originals that vary from delicate crooning blues and love songs to rocking dance numbers. Each Navarro and the band can change tempo, key, and tone in mid track, clean as glass, and with a smile as a result of they know the viewers follows it and loves it.

The band has been collectively a brief 10 months and is now taking part in in Lakeside’s common venues for rising and mid-range native bands. They usually do an excellent job, whatever the venue.

 I noticed them Friday night time on the Ajijic Spot, a beer and video games bar that has created a preferred out of doors music space on Ajijic’s Plaza. The Ajijic Spot’s magic is that it’s each intimate and limitless on the identical time. The band du jur is surrounded by a half dozen tables with its backs to the plaza, however inevitably an viewers varieties within the plaza with folks sitting on the partitions and even dancing. LYXR performed each to the Ajijic Spot viewers in entrance of them and to the broader group round them, a neat trick.  As a continuing stream of waiters, bathroom-seekers and seat changers flowed previous the band they have been unflappable.

I feel they are going to succeed, very like Ajijic’ s personal Mary’s Island band has succeeded (members of which have been on the LYXR gig and performed and sang in a visitor spot). LYXR is tight, Navarro’s voice has a terrific vary (she was raised in her dad’s piano enterprise and has been listening to and taking part in music since she was a wee youngster – and he or she strikes pianos together with her dad!), plus she is aware of the right way to maintain an viewers. They should tighten their harmonies a bit of and steadiness their sound system higher, however for a brand new band simply getting on the market, they’re rattling good. They don’t seem to be on-line but, however I believe that they are going to document one in every of their authentic songs and add it quickly. Within the meantime, take a look at my YouTube Channel for his or her songs.