Lav's Music Corner

Future Islands is a Baltimore based synth pop and indie pop act fronted by Sam Herring who emerged in the early 2010's as one of indie music premiere summer songwriters. The band found mainstream success after a viral performance of their most well known track Seasons  in 2014 and while they have failed to replicate that commercial success since then they still have a dedicated following among indie fans.  Review By Lavender: Future Islands have a discography of singles that can stand up to any of their indie contemporaries. Tracks like Vireo's Eye , Balance , Seasons , Ran  and the newest entry For Sure  are all incredible examples of their sound done to absolute perfection. The issue is that since their 2010 record In Evening Air  the band has failed to put an entire album of great songs together, and the limitations of their sound are just as apparent on As Long As You Are .  For the most part the singles here are once again great tracks with only one ex...

Hemlock Ernst is the rapper pseudonym for Sam Herring, who is most commonly known as the front man of contemporary synth pop and indie pop band Future Islands. After a full decade of releasing records with the band and featuring across a number of different records from his indie and hip hop contemporaries Sam saw fit to finally release a full length Hemlock Ernst solo record. On Back At The House  Sam teams up with producer Kenny Segal, a regular in underground hip hop, to see Sam craft an experimental rap record. Review By Lavender: I've dished out some praise to Future Islands over the years and I've even enjoyed the few moments Hemlock Ernst has popped up on records like Open Mike Eagle and Paul White's Hella Personal FIlm Festival . After a pair of intriguing singles I was really excited for this record, and while I don't think it will turn many heads in the underground hip hop world it is proof that Sam is a true multi-talented artist. The lead-up to this...