Listen: Eliza Hardy Jones - "Criminal"

After years of being a supporting fixture in the Philly music scene, classical pianist turned multi-instrumentalist Eliza Hardy Jones is finally going solo and it's about damn time. While she's played with Strand of Oaks, Nightlands, and even with Grace Potter, there hasn't been a band that drew out her innovative lyrical prowess like Buried Beds. And yet with "Criminal", the first single from her solo debut Because Become, Jones proves she has plenty to say all on her lonesome. "

Criminal" strives for and ultimately achieves a balance of Jones' former bands' styles and yet isn't just a distillation of her work elsewhere/the work of her peers. Rather, she's offering a peek into her own musical growth - Jones' gifts lie in simplicity both in her melodies and her sincere lyrical construction but she's not afraid to shake things up compositionally.

A straightforward piece of introspective pop whose parts spread outward instead of predictably in - there's brutal rock-tinged blasts of noise that keep everything from going down too easy and hint at the nuance of Eliza's seesawing lyrics. Instead of distracting however they enhance, engaging different parts of the aural palette to draw you underneath the surface of Jones' gorgeous vocals. "Criminal" is a wonderful introduction to Eliza Hardy Jones' solo endeavors; showing she's not just a talented pop songsmith but an artful arranger.  



Eliza Hardy Jones' debut record Because Become is out this Friday January 15th. You can pre-order the record now.

Pitstop: Buried Beds

When it comes to the art of selecting an opening band, Kishi Bashi is proving to not only a quick study but a gifted master. For the East coast leg of his most recent headlining tour (this time to promote recently released sophomore effort Lighght), he selected Philadelphia based chamber pop group Buried Beds. While the presence of a viola on stage was enough to theoretical link Buried Beds with Kishi Bashi by nature of their string-centricness, their tendency to quickly and efficiently rend all your preconceived notions about what you're about to hear makes Buried Beds the perfect support.



Buried Beds curiously operates on a higher tier of songwriting prowess; crafting delightful pop songs out of unlikely subjects from story tales, paintings, to dream journeys. Buried Beds are imaginative but not without restraint - able to present their fantastical vision in easily consumable slices of pop that nevertheless brim with an obvious heightened sense of musicianship. A fivesome onstage, Buried Beds greatest asset both in performance and on record is their versatility easily able to shift between lush, elegant arrangements, cacophonous percussiveness ("Breadcrumb Trail", "1000 Acres"), and sharp edged intricate rock-fueled pop ("Steady Hand", "Future Death") while retaining its resplendent harmonies. Any instrument could be the focal point or merely the jumping off point for an even more exciting musical journey and whether watching or simply listening to Buried Beds one thing is clear: the band is anything but predictable.





Buried Beds' most recent album In Spirit is available to stream on their website here.