Exuding vulnerability in a song is what separates the Joe Cockers of the world from the Justin Biebers. Yes that comparison is hardly even relatable, but it still effectively explains how the music world has been replacing raw emotion filled tracks with lyrically and melodically catchier ones to simply just produce a hit. It’s a shame, but makes fans more enamored with and appreciative of artists who sing with sensitivity.

Shockya’s latest obsession is with the indie rock singer, Amy Kuney. With her track “Kiss Me Like You Mean It”, Kuney shows how brittle vocals unleash a positively overwhelming sense of beauty that vocally rehearsed songs are unable to attain. Hearing a track performed live is supposed to remind you of the tune you’ve listened to relentlessly on your iPod, but it is also meant to amaze you just how emphatic live music can be. Kudos to Katy Perry for making her concerts a colorful spectacle, but how many fans can differentiate her New York show from her California one? Making each performance vocally stand out out amongst the others is what Kurt Cobain did back in the MTV Unplugged days and is what makes music a fragile and poetic art. A much deserved thanks is given to Kuney for bringing vocal unsteadiness back to music.

Stayed tuned to Kuney’s whereabouts in 2012 because she could be the next gorgeously heartbroken Fiona Apple.

by Lonnie Nemiroff