discovering and sharing the music that moves us

Author: Ambur Masen

Ambur Masen is a freelance writer whose "Breaking Waves" column aims to document wave music history as it unfolds. She is also a Hudson Valley local who loves nothing more than driving up and down the Thruway with her windows down, blasting the latest & greatest from the electronic underground. She is currently publishing with MendoWerks, Lightwood, The Electric Hawk, and others.
‘What Kind of Fool’ Are You? The Lovelines Help Us Find Out (Exclusive Interview)
15Oct By Ambur MasenNo Comments
Features, Interviews

‘What Kind of Fool’ Are You? The Lovelines Help Us Find Out (Exclusive Interview)

"I love recording with my sister. It’s like dumping a box of Legos on the floor and building something together."- Todd goings, The Lovelines Many musicians consider their bandmates to be like family, but in the case of The Lovelines, the music truly is a family affair. A sibling duo, connecting across the Atlantic, is responsible for making the special sort of sickly-sweet pop music found on The Lovelines' streaming platforms, including a new single, "What Kind of Fool Would Want to Fall in Love?" If you're a fan of dreamy romantics, clever songwriting, and soulful femme vocals--this one is for you. We also come bearing exciting news: Todd Goings, one half of The Lovelines, connected with us here at MendoWerks Magazine and gave us a look into the band's origins, this new singl...
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Worldwide Wave: Global Wave Music Tours 2023
30Sep By Ambur MasenNo Comments
Events, Features, Music

Worldwide Wave: Global Wave Music Tours 2023

Last year, we saw the wave community hit a couple monumental milestones: wave music at the Amsterdam Dance Event for the first time, the launch of the first-ever dedicated North American wave music festival, and much more. Later on this year, however, some major players in the wave scene are going to be hitting the road all across the globe. Many of these tour dates are first-time cities (and countries!) for these artists. That's right: we are getting wave music tours... worldwide! Read all about these tours and more, below. Worldwide Wave Music Tours, Forthcoming: These forthcoming international wave tours, led by Kompass Music Group artists barnacle boi, Brothel, and Skeler, are following the massive North American 'wave tour' that these three producers set out on together e...
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Your Guide to Bristol’s Misery Loves Company Music Festival
23Sep By Ambur MasenNo Comments
Events, Features, Music

Your Guide to Bristol’s Misery Loves Company Music Festival

"We're all sad, so let's be sad together." This time next week, a curious new UK-based alternative music festival, Misery Loves Company, will be taking place. A celebration of diversity, inclusivity, and of course, great live music, MLC is definitely worth considering as a late edition to your summer festival schedule. Why? For starters, the festival has 5 stages across 4 venues and features a line-up of over 40 bands hailing from all points on the heavy metal-alternative rock-emo-and-beyond spectrum. So listen up, all you current and "former" emo kids-- you lot in particular are going to want to pay attention to this. Below, you will find all the need-to-know information about the festival. You will also find a list of a few artists that we feel are particularly notewo...
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Introducing… ALLIESUN! (exclusive interview)
19Sep By Ambur MasenNo Comments
Features, Interviews

Introducing… ALLIESUN! (exclusive interview)

"Everything in life is creative: the way we speak, love, dance, live. [...] We’re just all humans doing our best."- ALLIESUN LA-based DJ and music producer ALLIESUN is someone that's been at the top of our 'Artists to Watch' list for months now. Her tunes are unique, her passion is inspirational, her vibes are immaculate... and we were lucky enough to have a quick chat with her about all things creative, professional, and emotional. Take some time to get to know ALLIESUN now--that way, you're already 'in-the-know' for when she takes over the industry. Read on to find the full interview. Meet ALLIESUN! AM: Hi ALLIESUN! It’s so good to see you again. Since it’s your first time here with us at MendoWerks Magazine, could you please take a moment to introduce yoursel...
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Welcome to the ILYIT Tour, brought to you by grandson
14Sep By Ambur MasenNo Comments
Events, Features, Music, Reviews

Welcome to the ILYIT Tour, brought to you by grandson

As much as I love going the distance (literally) for my favorite artists, I was so relieved to see that grandson was bringing his ILYIT tour to Albany's Empire Underground. This summer marked my fourth time seeing grandson live–and if I’m honest, he simply keeps getting better and better. From intimate picnicky acoustic sets to massive state fair stages and every size club in between, there isn’t a single environment where grandson’s music doesn’t fit.  With the European leg of this tour currently underway, I figured now might be a good time to talk a bit about what to expect from a grandson gig. “This is our first-ever concert in Albany…”  Before we get into the details about this particular stop on the ILYIT tour, I want to address a very good point that grandson made...
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Alter/Ego Returns with “Instance” by VARI
12Sep By Ambur MasenNo Comments
Features, Music

Alter/Ego Returns with “Instance” by VARI

Hex Cougar's Alter/Ego label returns in 2023 with a melodic-yet-glitchy new single by VARI: "Instance". This song is the first release coming from the label since its 2nd compilation album, which came out in April 2022. In short, there is so much movement in this one song that it's almost like embarking on a whole journey through outer space, all contained within three minutes. Do be sure to check it out. Listen to "Instance" by VARI on Spotify "Instance" feels like a cousin of the huge music that's been coming from REMNANT.exe, a fellow Alter/Ego artist-- but that statement is easily an oversimplification; VARI definitely stands on his own, with his unique take on cinematic electronic music. That first drop at around the 50-second mark is especially delicious, as i...
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Music Books by Women: A Reading Guide
4Sep By Ambur MasenNo Comments
Music

Music Books by Women: A Reading Guide

Despite the wealth of content available online, there’s still something special about thumbing through the pages of a book. The good news is, there’s no shortage of literature on all things music. The bad news is, the abundance of books out there makes it hard to decide which one(s) to pick up.That’s where we come in. Let us help you pick out your next read. In the body of this article, you will find a list of books that are definitely worth your time. As a little bonus, we selected titles exclusively written by women for this piece. Happy reading!  A MendoWerks Reading Guide: Music Books by Women Below, you will find a list of 5 books about music that were written by women. Among them are memoirs, essay collections, and more. Find these titles at a library near you with...
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Help! Mercury is in Gatorade! [a Retrograde Survival Guide, ft. Nick Neutronz]
2Sep By Ambur MasenNo Comments
Interviews, Music

Help! Mercury is in Gatorade! [a Retrograde Survival Guide, ft. Nick Neutronz]

“When the planet Mercury enters apparent retrograde motion, that marks the beginning of a span of misfortune down on Earth.” Wilder Davies, TIME. It’s that time again. What time? Well, we’re currently midway through the oh-so Internet-infamous, ‘Mercury in Retrograde,’ what’s what!  Now, there are a few things you might be thinking:  Oh no, not this again...  Oh no, not THIS again!  Or, perhaps– Oh no, what even IS this?!  Regardless of where you fall on the astrology-reaction-spectrum, this article is for you. That is because we are going to explore what exactly ‘Mercury in retrograde’ refers to, what it means for this particular season, and offer up some tunes to listen to while we wait for this chaotic season to pass.  We also co...
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Seraph. and w/out Unite on Intricately Emotional New Song, “Ache”
27Aug By Ambur MasenNo Comments
Features, Music, Reviews

Seraph. and w/out Unite on Intricately Emotional New Song, “Ache”

Two brilliant electronic music producers, Seraph. and w/out, teamed up on an intricate and emotional new song, “Ache”. This fresh wavy release serves as the second single off of Seraph.’s upcoming EP, Memento. The EP’s first tender single, “Pulse,” dropped earlier this summer. For fans of sophisticated and melodic electronic music, August 31st is the date you need to remember, as that’s the day that Memento is due out in full via The Tabula Rasa Record Company.  As for "Ache", this is a powerful song that can evoke a strong emotional response no matter how many times you hear it. At the heart of the song is this complicated, nostalgic feeling. We recommend that you take some time to find a quiet space listen to this track so you can feel it for yourself-- "Ache" i...
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AlienBlaze Enters her Villain Era with “Enemies With Benefits”
26Aug By Ambur MasenNo Comments
Features, Music, Reviews

AlienBlaze Enters her Villain Era with “Enemies With Benefits”

UK-based singer-songwriter AlienBlaze is back with a catchy new genre-defiant song, "Enemies With Benefits," out now via Sumerian Records. This release marks the artist's third with the label since her 2022 signing. It follows her inaugural single, "Not Yours Never Was," and her recent collaboration with OmenXIII, "Lovesick". Produced by The Nocturns, and loosely inspired by Elton John's “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," AlienBlaze denotes this song as one of her favorite releases to date. We definitely can see why. Make sure to take a few minutes and check this one out. Watch the music video for "Enemies With Benefits" by AlienBlaze on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvl9WWuPkMg With lyrics like "I want to stamp all over your ego with my platform heel..." and "I’ll ...
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