If you haven’t checked out DustCar yet, it may be worth your time to join the Discord server where every two weeks they host a songwriting competition open to everyone as a way to encourage musicians of every skill level to challenge themselves to create something musically. Over the course of 2021, Brambleshadow4 made several contributions to the competition and combined them into The Scraps album which showcases a variety of genres ranging from a singer-songwriter style of just ukulele and vocals, to heavy chiptune, and even a live Christmas remix from TrotCon! This album is a great example of how the DustCar community challenges its participants to try different things in their music as well as grow through the experience!
Pop
[P@D] StealingShad3z – Radio Silence | Pop Rock
It has been a while, huh? This Qilin of Brony music is still breathing, and today I’m excited by some FOE goodness courtesy of StealingShad3z! If a song could set a theme and environment on point, it would be this. For all you FOE fans, you notice right away this is the moment Lil’ pip is out of her stable with a mighty big reality check of the wastelands. Shadz’s melodies with his guitar work and that soft base speak of the horror Lil pip is seeing for the first time. The thump of the drums and Shad3z’s vocal work (which is always a treat) sell the violence, fear, and will to survive. As lyrics tell the emotions, the music aids with this haunting but lovely tone – like there is a bit of hope that a friend could be around the corner, or your end. As always, this Qilin asks you to judge for yourself. It’s good to be back.
BGM – Maremas! | Rock
Mares!
Everypony who loves mares like I and BGM do, check this song out!! Such a wonderful fan song and gift for Hearth’s Warming! The ponies are singing to us! Rocking guitars along the voices of our beloved ponies, make us happy!! Let’s spend the holiday the brony way once again my brethren!
Check my wall of text comment on the video for more details about how much I love this song if you want!
[PF] Skyshard – Guiding The Way (feat. Acouste Wholenote, Studio Quinn & Zelizine) | Alternative Electronic
The second full-fledged alum that I hosted with my project Pony Family is out now, and this exclusive from Skyshard & Friends is just SO wholesome and like the kind of pony music we miss, I just had to have it as the opener!! I hope that you will enjoy this trip to Equestria! And do check out the rest of the album that is filled with pony emotions! Find it on Bandcamp here! Links to all the musicians who contributed in this song can be found in the description of the album on Bandcamp!
brambleshadow4 – In Harmony (feat. SpinScissor) | Indie Pop
brambleshadow4 and SpinScissor have teamed up to create this super sweet tune that bridges the gap between G4 and G5! Argyle (SpinScissor) shares Equestrian lore and lessons in friendship with Sunny, and it’s nice to have this moment where the importance of the G4 heroes is passed along. The story is musically driven by light arrangements that echo the love between the characters and the love that is present in the stories they share. The strings at the opening help set the emotional hook, and then the string melody, and light percussion pull your heart into the song. When the arrangement fills out with punchy bass and synth keys it has a “small band at a summer festival” vibe. The vocals match perfectly to the arrangement, delivered with a tender confidence throughout, and the little harmony at the end of the song is a nice touch. This song is a big ol’ hug for your ears and your heart, and I hope that you enjoy this sweet story as much as I did!
Synthis – Floating | Future Pop / Chillout
Ever felt like you’re in a void – hovering uneasily in the clouds, separated from a world below that you can’t quite see or reach? You’ve no idea where you’re going or, even worse, if you’re heading anywhere at all. These emotions are familiar to me, and, apparently, I’m not the only one. Sam Synthis, one of the most talented singer/songwriters in the fandom, has skillfully captured this caught-in-the-clouds feeling with his latest release, “Floating.” Powerful lyrics highlight the reality we humans face as we all struggle to make sense of the world we live in and bring it under some semblance of our own control – a goal that inevitably eludes us and often leaves us feeling “empty and broken,” with “loose ends” scattered around the seams of our lives along with the realization that we’re all “floating towards forever.” Such deep reflections might lend themselves to dark or heavy musical rendering, but Synthis’ smooth vocals combined with a chill melody and instrumentation carry hope and positivity, making the lyrical message reflective and relatable rather than dark and heavy. I ended up feeling that although we sometimes find ourselves in a “Ground Hog Day” that never seems to end, though we sometimes feel empty and broken, we’re not alone in this. There’s not something wrong with us. It’s part of the human experience. And maybe it causes us to stop looking so much at the clouds around us or the world below us for answers. I, for one, have learned to look up.
Steely Hooves – Magic Mayonnaise | Electro
Yep, yep, this is exactly what you think it is, and it is amazing! This is a giant joke track if you haven’t figured it out yet, and the lyrics make that clear as day, but let’s start at the beginning. The track starts out with “Bing Bong” vocal chops and the melody slowly rising up from muffled to full-on pumping. As we get a melody change the amazing vocals by Steely Hooves set in telling of how unicorns once were and how powerless they are now. We get a hilarious chorus all about the four forbidden words, and right after that we get yet another fun bit of melody accompanied by some fun vocal chops and then some instrumental parts. After the wonderfully funny chorus we get straight back into another verse, this time focused on the judgement that ponies are passing because of what the unicorns used to be followed once again by the hilarious chorus. We end this wonderful piece on some more awesome melodies and vocal chops, providing a fun bit of variety from beginning to end!
Proofread by theCANderson, all the thanks to him!
Vanessa Hudgens – Gonna Be My Day (Childlike Wonder Remix) | Future Bass / Future Pop
It’s another G5 remix, and this time we have a wonderful track by Childlike Wonder! The track starts out right away with this lovely beat that pulls you right into the cheery atmosphere of the song. Then, as the vocals set in, we get an awesome melody that supports them really well. As we enter the build up, the vocals of Vanessa Hudgens are joined by the stunning voice of Childlike Wonder himself! Said build up is also supported by some vocal chops that really spice up the mix, and it’s mostly driven by the vocals similarly to the original song. The drop consists of two main parts: the first part showcases a perfect combination of Future Bass and Future Pop thanks to a beautiful instrumental section, while the second part combines the instrumental with more wonderful vocals by both Ms. Hudgens and Childlike Wonder. For the “Aaaaah”, which made the original really memorable, we actually don’t get much of a beat, which is a really fitting variation for the song. Right after that the beat comes back in full swing for another build up and a slightly different drop, which again works with some vocals from Childlike Wonder himself. We end this wonderful piece on a soothing piano melody.
Proofread by theCANderson, all the thanks to him!
TheHeatRush – Chromaticity | Pop Rock
chro·ma·tic·i·ty
/ˌkrōməˈtisədē/
- the quality of color, independent of brightness.
You want to talk to musicians ready and able to show their excitement about MLP G5. How about up and comer “The HeatRush” (I dig the OC from one dragon pony to another, LOL). Anyway, this song hits the ground running as you get the vibes that the pony bards and musicians of the modern Equestria are spreading stories already about Sunny Starscout’s feats. You could make the case that this song could be at the end G5 movie. Surprisingly enough, the song’s message is backed by a solid arrangement of positive and uplifting rock with lyrics inspired by G5’s mane 5, overcoming all of the lies, propaganda, racial stigma’s and conspiracy theories to bring back the magic for modern Equestria. Sometimes you need others that feel the way you do to inspire real change. As always, The Qilin asks you to judge for yourself. Let your colors burn bright like the title of this song!
SpinScissor – No More Apologies | Midtempo / Alternate Electronic
SpinScissor is honing the unique emotion in his songs even more through practice of the magic that is music, and this new release might just be a new peak! The emotional melodies throughout that incredible progression certainly resonated with me, while the heartfelt vocals are telling the commitment to newfound meanings explained in the description. Ethereal and magical, the piece will take you to higher planes!
Horse Music Herald 