At first glance, it is easy to quickly mis-categorize Eli August in the slew of urban-dwelling, suspender-wearing baristas chasing authenticity. While there's nothing inherently wrong with handlebar mustaches, or curated lifestyle pursuits, when you listen to what Eli has produced and hear him talk about what he creates, it instantly becomes apparent that he isn't wearing a persona for the sake of art. Eli August's music is the truest form of himself.

He recently released a music video for his single Honey, which will be featured on his forthcoming album Is This Darkness. 



After watching the video, it wasn't a surprise to me when he said he drew inspiration from the words of Poe, Faulkner and Twain. Like the writers he admires, Honey attempts to highlight the inseparability of the joys of life and the inevitability of death. It is difficult for the literary-inclined not to jump to these words: 

The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends, and where the other begins?

-Edgar Allen Poe 

While Eli August showcases a range of emotions in his songwriting, Honey addresses death in a way that is everything but foreboding. The video features a parade of mourners processing through the countryside, but his lyrics access a depth that doesn't invoke obvious sadness. Like Poe, Eli August knows death is far more complicated than that. It is clear that he is not trying to mimic these writers, but instead transport his listeners to a time and place that is integral to his being.



After all of this, I found myself wondering who the Abandoned Buildings were. It's an apt name for his fellow band-mates. Eli is the primary song-writer, and says the band itself could have 1-9 people, given who is available, or what he feels the song needs. It's not that his band-mates are "abandoned" necessarily but there is some poetry to the idea of buildings that aren't always in use, but are occasionally  "explored" by this songwriter.

Whoever the lineup may be, there is no doubt that the Abandoned Buildings are genuinely committed to the creation of "Antebellum Anthems" and "Bygone Ballads."

Amid his Youtube portfolio of shaving ballads, Steampunk showcases, Edison bulbs and ever-evolving facial hair, I was caught off guard when Eli told me he was a Back to the Future fanatic. Really?  A series of spunky 80's flicks, full of puffy vests, possible incest and hover boards? That Back to the Future?

Then it clicked: Eli August is a man who uses his music to illicit nostalgia, and transport his listeners to another era. Of course he would be infatuated with a film that captured the hearts of multiple generations, myself included, and took us through time.

If you like what you hear, you can pre-order Honey here.

Follow @EliAugust on Twitter and Instagram to stay updated on the May 2016 release of Is This Darkness.

Sweet Baby Jesus, I have been waiting for this moment for so long. Ever since I saw Lake Street Dive perform in Columbus in 2013, their album Bad Self Portraits has been a staple in my music library.

When I first saw them at Skully's Music Diner, I had never heard of them. My best friend's parents had seen LSD's Colbert performance, and immediately bought tickets when they knew they'd be stopping through town. 

They bought an extra ticket for me because that's what your best friend's parents do (Thanks, Brenda & Kirk!).

That show ended up easily being one of the most genuinely fun shows I've ever been to. 

Lake Street Dive are young and talented, they all have music degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, and most importantly, they make all the white people at their shows a little bit better at dancing. Not a lot. A little. 

Every song is like a retro version of the angry old Adele messages we love and miss, but instead of making you cry over lost love, weird piano ballads, and some mediocre lyrics, it makes you want to dance and spurn your ex-lover with a drink in hand. 

What makes this group inimitable is their overall dynamic. They're all still relatively young, but they've been making music together for almost 10 years. The song-writing clearly plays to each members' strengths: the drums and bass play off of each other and drive every hip sway,  "McDuck"flaunts his multi-instrumental talents, and Rachael Price's powerhouse of a voice makes the panties of all humans in a 10-mile radius disintegrate. 

In order to come full circle, and to honor their television debut, I think it's best to share their recent performance of Call Off Your Dogs on the Late Show.

And just for kicks,some blessed soul on the internet has shared a video of a 12-year-old Rachael Price singing in Spain, just in case you wanted to spend your Friday feeling unaccomplished.

Lissie, live.