Xixax Film Forum

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VZ8WMh721c

Randomly recommended by the YouTube algorithm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCGKEr8CVDg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK5MdhdYdJw

Alright, someone get this girl a mic. She's recording all these videos on a phone.

Her cover of "Down In A Hole" went kinda viral (680k views), so that's probably why I got this rec.

Soundz sick! And dig the HXH too ~

She's stunning, honestly.

I have a strong bias towards female vocalists. That's my baseline. Other qualities I prize are unique vocal style and technical prowess. So, you know, singers like Hayley Williams, Elly Jackson, Susanne Sundfor, etc. I think Alicia Widar has that potential. Her vocal control is incredible, and I think I've yet to hear a single missed note.

She is channeling some real pathos in her recent covers. And there's a lot of subtle emotion in the "Linger" cover. (Hot take: The Cranberries' studio version of that song is a bit emotionally limp, which is strange considering the gut-punch that "Zombie" is.) I also like how she adds an Avril Lavigne-style flourish to "is that the way we stand."

Her "Say It Ain't So" cover (below) was posted a year ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpNHrtftj34

Alicia Widar spotted liking a Chaebae pic ~  a great bias, and she might not cover Twice but dope to know we're once.

A grunge kpop cover would definitely be something.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJSpZN0t3-I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLjDMV_onH0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtl0eDUvGUc

Well, looks like "Down In A Hole" passed 1 million views. Wow.

Just want to highlight these 2 covers she did a year or two ago.

Each day that passes without Alicia Widar having access to a studio is a crime against humanity.

http://xixax.com/files/Clip_WhiteMustang.mp3

^ Legit

Although there's still artifacts in her recordings, i appreciate the slight mixing on the acoustics in her room. Unless this is a touched up mp3, you can hear a lot of space in vocals without that reverb overtaking the guitar.

Actually yeah I made that clip in Logic Pro. I added a gentle reverb with mild modulation. And gain. Didn't do EQ or anything else, though. Alicia adds reverb to some of her videos as well. It just helps add clarity to compensate for the recording situation.

This clip in particular is probably a decent approximation of what she might sound like in a studio. In other videos the guitar can overpower a bit. In this one the guitar is understated and she really projects her voice.

(The original performance is here (https://youtu.be/t3-L44yW_g8); it's not that different.)

Ahh makes sense!

Here's hoping she does go for an album -- whether its covers or originalz would be interesting.

She mentioned somewhere that she has written some original songs but isn't sure about them yet, but that she would eventually like to record original songs in a studio. I have no idea when that would be, since she seems to be in absolutely no rush to capitalize on the success of her viral video. (Which is good.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsIvYPB4sW0

This, as they say, is a banger. Glissando in the last minute is on point.

Cover and original:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIAj5-ProgM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nco_kh8xJDs

This was uploaded early last month but has unexpectedly become my favorite cover of hers.

Helps to listen to the original. I would have no idea how to make an acoustic cover of this song. Her solution was to come up with her own clarified/simplified version of the melody which brings her exactly into the sweet spots of her vocal range. The melody in the original actually gets pretty loosey goosey and limp, especially in the back half. I prefer Alicia's version. Just.... awesome choices.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcMhTzO__Tg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9COTgWZ9f44


This is reminiscent of one of her old covers. The original Arctic Monkeys track essentially gives her talk-singing to work with, so she has to come up with her own melody. The bit starting at 1:30 ("to get to your eyes") is especially inspired and completely new.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFdE6GwJKG4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_2rM8A_1-w

That Deftones cover iz my fav of hers currently!
Followed close by with say it ain't so ~

Nice! Discerning minds think alike.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLDuTf85ErQ

i'm right there with ya, friend
i'm so ugly, that's okay cuz so are you, we broke our mirrors

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uC-Hj2b9weA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JDZ82m3naA

This one's a lot like Jeremy (https://youtu.be/TCGKEr8CVDg) and Lithium (https://youtu.be/lLDuTf85ErQ) where she's constantly pushing the lower limits of her vocal range. And something about that works so well. It's a choice completely devoid of vanity. She's just trying to explore the vibes. Which speaks volumes for her potential as an artist.

She sings "too low" in the vast majority of her covers, actually. Songs like There Is A Light (https://youtu.be/9t4inYcCO9w), Live Forever (https://youtu.be/jJSpZN0t3-I), and White Mustang (https://youtu.be/t3-L44yW_g8) are more in her natural vocal range. You almost get a sense those are too easy for her.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjR5taudfwU

This girl has god-level timbre.

The funny thing is how effortless this cover ends up looking, despite her description:

Quotehii guys! finally a soundgarden song. i find them super difficult to sing and play, but i tried my best. i really like soundgarden and this is one of my favorite songs from the band. hope u like it ;)

For real digging her cover of Jeremy by Pearl Jam more than the original lately, hah.

For sure. She emulates Eddie Vedder's style, but it's actually so much more. Her vocal flow is especially stunning in that video. And she does it by reworking the melody a bit to her liking – one of her greatest strengths.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdSMmAKmBj8

We've got a new top 5 contender, folks ^_^

For sure. I love Alicia's vocal choices and tone in the first minute especially. Perfect for the song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9YgwfJyaWg

Whoa...

Just got back from being out of town with very little signal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMsdGChZRus
<3 this upload started a trail toward a new phase for Alicia's music. Check out the pinned comments to see what I mean. Really dope cosmic influence. And although I know it was really the confluence of fans' efforts + Alicia's craft, to me, that iz the stars aligning.

When You Sleep iz so great - Alicia's voice iz really developing in the lower range. Stuck on You + When You Sleep feature multitracking for guitars 1 + 2, I forget, JB, are there more where Alicia multitracks?

And of course the highlight of the MBV upload:

Quotehi guys!! i'm going to be releasing an original song very soon and i'm super excited about it!!! usually i'm not very confident about the songs that i write, but i really love the song. can't wait for you to hear it :)

:yabbse-grin:

Agreed! This really feels like an inflection point for Alicia's career. And an exciting time to be a fan.

These last two are the first time she's added a second track. She just started editing the audio separately in GarageBand.

I just want to reiterate how freaking beautiful the When You Sleep cover is. Can't get over it. And it's gotten a rapturous response from the MBV/shoegaze crowd.

I can't wait for the original. No idea what to expect in terms of mood/genre, since her interests are so varied. Might drop this Sunday, fingers crossed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjOG0meK-vk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkHwZBPh4xU

I'm not totally sold on the tune of the original tbh, but Layne's voice is undeniable. As is Alicia's — what a robust vocal in this one.

Her description is interesting:

Quotehii! this one is my favorite alice in chains song. although i don't relate to this song that much, since i don't smoke and the only thing i drink is water and orange juice lol, i'm just completely hypnotized by everything about the song. layne's voice, the super distorted guitar. idk, every song from the dirt album is next level.

Smooth frettin' ~ dig it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SgWum9kHYk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL-6eOvCv-Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjPhzgxe3L0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HX_9XUayIo

0:37 is undeniable.

As with "Stuck On You," she seems to have re-written the chord progression. This is a more streamlined take that really fits her style. Similar to her stripped-down version of "When You Sleep" that focuses on the core melody.

Quotehii!!! one more from the smiths. i changed the song a little bit but i hope u don't mind :)

I ran across a negative comment on this video, which I won't repeat, but "boring" was the jist of the criticism. So this got me thinking. How would I explain the appeal to someone who's not on board? So here's my dumb essay.

For starters, and you'll have to trust me on this, it does go beyond "pretty girl sings nostalgic songs." If we set aside her vocal talents and talk about style and approach, I think it's primarily about subtlety.

Music taste is extremely subjective of course. To me, Adele sounds like unbearable shrieking. My system rejects overadorned vocals and basically any amount of melisma. So Alicia Widar's calibration is pretty much perfect. I prize tone and timbre and tasteful, subtle choices above all else.

I will absolutely acknowledge that not all of Alicia's covers expressively plumb the depths of emotion (although some certainly do). But let's appreciate the deceptively simple thing that's happening. Any song she interprets, no matter the subject, comes out clarified and sweetened, but somehow still raw. If you want to know who she is as an artist, that's the simplest way to put it.

I've seen some criticisms of her Alice In Chains covers—should you really be tackling this subject matter if you don't have that life experience? To which I say of course, why not, as long as you're honest about it. Alicia doesn't pretend to be anything she's not. In fact, there's a certain aesthetic joy in seeing a straight-edge sheltered girl sing about heroin addiction with hello kitty bedsheets and stuffed animals in the background.

Most of the time she's just being herself and exploring moods. And that's pretty great.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At4gAv8OE48

Simple & beautiful. And the new mic definitely makes a difference.

Wholesome vibes in her description:

Quotehiii!!!! thank u for 200K!!!!! i still can't believe it.

thank u for always leaving nice comments and supporting me, i never thought i would accomplish something like this :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Razm3c0yvA
:idea: more neat dual guitar work from Alicia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnqBGe72vdw

I think this is one of her best in a while. The section starting at 3:30 is magic — gentle/airy voice in the verse giving way to something more unrestrained in the chorus. Works so well for the song.

Alicia released a new version of her viral "Down In A Hole" cover — this one freshly recorded and fully-produced — on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/artist/3AKJmzx7aq91vOFnyNgGSu) and Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/artist/alicia-widar/1589049062).

Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on November 16, 2020, 04:38:30 PMEach day that passes without Alicia Widar having access to a studio is a crime against humanity.

Oh how far we've come since then. Her voice is captured clearly and produced beautifully in this track. Likely a good preview of how her original song will sound (and that's coming next month).

Alicia's first original song, called "Denial," is out! Streaming on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/15dPSXkoeIvVWsW78s4KDt?si=9c18d32c4a2b4d1f) and Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/denial-single/1589069134).

The dominant influence here is definitely Avril Lavigne, with a dash of Courtney Love and maybe even some Billy Corgan.

The section from 1:06 to 1:37 is magic. Has the best lyrics, too:

QuoteHey, I haven't seen you in a while
I can pretend this doesn't hurt me
It isn't time to whine

Living life big time
The atmosphere changed my mind
Hit my stride
I'm always right

It's interesting to see what register she chose to sing in when given free reign. And the choice is perfect imo.

Composition-wise, it's very poppy with a strong grunge undercurrent. It so closely embodies the style I expected that it's kind of scary. Pretty impressive as a first-time songwriter. This was entirely her composition, self-recorded and self-produced.

Weirdly, this part reminded me of Britney Spears circa 2000:

QuoteI'm all over the place
Runnin' away
But wanting to stay

Attached below is a super wholesome (but also informative) post!

Amanda Milanes, Alicia's primary mentor, does PR and booking for the music industry and seems pretty influential. (Everyone else I'm about to list follows her.) She responded to Alicia's post saying "just the beginning"...

Kiara Moreno is an accomplished recording & mixing engineer, and I think she did a great job mixing these 2 releases. I knew they were professionally mixed when they were about 3x louder than Alicia's recordings usually are. You can notice the pro mixing touches when the room sound fades out between lines. And the harmonies (which might be pitch-shifted duplicates, not sure.)

Bradley Hayes is a DJ and producer and has seemingly worked with most of these other people.

Also cheering Alicia on (and following her on Instagram) is Chloe Clements, A&R (i.e. talent scout) for Republic Records, which coincidentally is releasing the Licorice Pizza soundtrack.

Most of the above are followed by Jacqueline Saturn, president of Virgin Music Label & Artist Services, which is "is a full service partner to the independent label and artist community." These people are all in the same orbit. Seems that Alicia is very much a known quantity in this group.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjNBb5D38aA

Perfectly channels her influences. Very excited for all that follows.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HZ4vRYKmvc

Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on April 28, 2021, 04:58:19 PMHer vocal flow is especially stunning in that video.

Speaking of which...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuZmTXVKexA

Tell me you didn't get chills at some point during this cover, and I'll give you a dollar. Then I'll take the dollar back, because you're lying.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFhGZuaAdV4

one of my favorite songs of all time, and a certified classic for acoustic emo exorcisms

Quote from: WorldForgot on January 03, 2022, 07:22:24 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFhGZuaAdV4

one of my favorite songs of all time, and a certified classic for acoustic emo exorcisms

The second half of this cover is high-energy in an unexpected way imo. And the harmonies at 2:33 hit me like a truck.

Random fun fact – Alicia has recently confirmed that she's completely self-taught. Hasn't taken any guitar or singing lessons. Some quotes from comment replies:

Quote"i just looked at the initial chords on google, watched a lot of tutorials on youtube and i learned after practicing everyday :)"

"i've never taken a singing class, but around 2017 i started to get more interested and research vocal techniques, even though i still don't really know any lol"

"i grew up playing guitar hero and watching disney channel lol. so when i was 11 or 12, i realized that i wanted to be a singer :)"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SwBhyuq0ew

Description: "it was a little difficult to sing and play at the same time, but i hope you don't mind the mistakes."

Video: Effortless studio-quality performance with no mistakes.

Probably some of her best guitar play ever. Also, the vocals in the first verse are ridiculously clean.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOf3c2RGQkc

i don't think i could stand to be where you don't see me ~

Two weekends ago Mitski released Laurel Hell. It's been 8 years since Francis Forever and the song still cuts.
Water signs, fasten your seatbelts. Lyrics we know, feelingz for twilight 'til dawn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVCUAXOBF7w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlLrxGueEds

Warning: This cover has dangerous levels of cuteness. Proceed with caution.

This like her other Pixies cover (https://youtu.be/nD5_6K8uVJE) (which is up to 2.6 million views btw). She owns the weirdness of the original but very much gives it her own spin. The added layers are especially good here, and the new guitar sounds sharp.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jor31s-sIFU

This girl is absolutely bursting with personality...

Pure adorbz ~ Excited for this economist to shine musically ^_^