Author Archives: Krissie

The Sunday Funday Playlist – September 25, 2011

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Man, rough week.  Coming back from two days off of work sounds like it would be easy, but the work week beat me up this week.  Hoping that the coming week will be better.  Least I’ve got some fresh new tunes to get me through it.   Maybe they’ll power you through this week!

1. Call Up Dad – Damon Smith & The Quality Lightweights
Frickin’ A, Australia.  Can you please stop putting out so much great music?  Balcony TV strikes again; described by the hostess as a “local band,” I was intrigued by their look and OH.MY.GOD.  Instant love. This is alt-country at it’s absolute finest. I’m entranced. Kinda remind me a little of Jakob Dylan…if Jakob went really, really dark.  Their album, I Thought I’d Be Someone By Now, is a little pricey by U.S. standards – $16 – but you can pick up a few choice tracks individually at their Bandcamp page.


2. Reaction – Acres of Lions

Gotta thank my Twitter music buddy RingosMyUncle for cluing me in to this great little rock band from north o’ the border in British Columbia.  This catchy little ditty, complete with whoa-ohs, pops and snaps, is enough to keep me dancing around the room even during a gloomy rainy day like it was on Friday. I’ve only downloaded a handful of their other songs, but I promise you, when my budget allows, I’m going back and picking up their whole Collections album that came out two weeks ago.

3. The Reckoning – Needtobreathe

If you’re not on the Needtobreathe boat yet…well, I just don’t know what to say to ya.  The boys from Possum Kingdom released their new record, The Reckoning, this week and it is just chock full of rock n’ roll goodness.  While “Devil’s Been Talkin'” is probably my favorite track on the album, the title track was probably the biggest surprise for me.  Diggin’ on it big time.  Pick up the new album here.

4. Big Bright Sun – Will Dailey & The Rivals

Appropriate for the first week of fall, I think, to put a song with “Sun” in the title on The Sunday Funday Playlist, no?  One of Boston’s favorite sons, Will Dailey & The Rivals released their new record this week, as well.  Will is one of those songwriters of whom I can never get enough.  He’s a very smart lyricist and he writes the catchiest songs. This song is tied for my favorite track off the new record – there’s clapping, does it really surprise anyone?  It’s a great song about reminding yourself of how great you can be when you believe in yourself…and I kinda need those positive thoughts in my world right now. “Kindness” is my other favorite.  Pick it up on Amazon or iTunes.

5.  Fly Me to the Moon – Grace Potter
The classic song “Fly Me to the Moon” has been recorded by so many amazing artists it’s kind of ridiculous.  Originally written in 1954 by Bart Howard, it’s been sung by classic crooners like Neil Sedaka, Dinah Washington, Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee, Mel Tormé, and Ol’ Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra (who, in my opinion, has the bestest version).  Well, step aside gang. My girl-crush Grace Potter has covered the song for new Pan Am TV show.  Are you kidding me??? My girl makes this song even better!  OH MY!  Pick it up on iTunes and watch the Pan Am promo here!

Get Your Kicks…For Free!

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Kick off your day right with The Kicks & a free download!

Nashville’s hot little Southern rockers (and Krissie Mix alumni), The Kicks, have a new song up for free download over at Brite Revolution.  If you like your rock with endless guitar riffs and the occasional 80s-rock reminiscent caterwaul, this song is a must have for you!

Pick up “Starchaser” here.

Fresh off a tour with Los Lonely Boys, these guys, who originally hail from Atlanta, are definitely picking up steam.  One of their songs was recently featured on “Pretty Little Liars,” so look out…the little girls will be digging on them sooner than later.  And you know what Samantha from Sex in the City said about success in showbiz … “First, the girls…”

And, if you REALLY dig what you’re hearing, head over to their website and pick up the “Pretty Little Thing” single for free, too – all ya gotta do is give ’em your e-mail address.

Here’s a video of them performing “Starchaser” acoustic – look at those faces, how could you not love ’em?

More of The Kicks:  Web | Facebook | Twitter | iTunes

The Sunday Funday Playlist – September 18, 2011

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Sorry this is late going up.  Seattle got the best of me.  Might be a day (or two) late, but I guarantee you…it’s not a dollar short!  Some great stuff this week! 🙂

1.  The Young Sons – Saints of Valory
Is this really a surprise that a new song from the boys is on my Sunday Funday playlist?  I think not.  Unfortunately, the boys haven’t loaded it to SoundCloud yet, so you’ll have to go over to PureVolume to download it for free.

2.  Tattoo Girl – The Hundred Days
Shelia Taylor is actually a rock n’ roll goddess.  She turned me onto this little San Francisco band a few months ago, and gave me their CD, Really?, last week.  Not gonna lie, it took me a couple of days to get past track 2 – this song – because it’s so phenomenally catchy and make-you-want-to-dance-in-your-office-chair-fix-a-bad-day awesome.  This live from SXSW version is the only one I can find online…but it should give you a good idea of how infectious it is!

3.  Ben Rector – Song for the Suburbs

The Nashville contingent, as I like to call them, is cranking out tunes faster than I can buy them these days.  Barnes, Wertz, Moakler, and the whole Ten out of Tenn crew…. and then there’s this kid.  I will make room in my wallet for Ben Rector any day.  His new album, Something Like This, came out this week.  This track (strangely, also #2) had me at hello.  Insightful and gorgeous.

4.  If My Heart Could Speak – Morrison Boomer

I saw these kids play at Pike Place Market in Seattle.  They were out busking like a million other musicians there…they were playing in a stairwell and the sound carried up.  I heard them before I saw them and dragged my Mom over to a balcony to watch them play for a few minutes.  We went on our merry little way, but I couldn’t get their sound out of my head – fresh, pure and absolutely GORGEOUS harmonies.  So we went back to find them and alas…they were gone.  I was so bummed, but at least I’d remembered their name.  Just as I was thinking, “Well, I’ll google them,” there they were!  They’d moved and were playing in a different space.  So I bought a few CDs and left Seattle happy that I’d found a new band to love.  This is a track off their little album Down the Hatch, which after two listens through on the plane, I may just be in love with.  Go check them out:  www.morrisonboomer.com.  If you dig what you hear, you can pick up their record on iTunes.

5.  Simple Man (Lynyrd Skynyrd cover) – Matthew Mayfield

Seriously, how could you not love this man’s voice?  One listen to this…and you’ll know that this song was made for him to sing.

Go Forth Young Sons (and Daughters!) – New FREE Saints of Valory Music & Show In Charlotte This Week!

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Saints of Valory

My favorite Young Sons, Saints of Valory, have a new song out for free download AND will be in Charlotte at the Live Out Loud Festival this Saturday, September 17.

You have three days, people.  Three days to download one hot new jam from Austin’s blistering little quartet, Saints of Valory, for nada.  Zip.  Zilch.  Free.

Go download “Young Sons” over at Pure Volume.  Then thank the boys for the gift by following them on Twitter.

Or, if you live in Charlotte, go check out this phenomenal rock band, along with Sequoyah, Margolnick, Paper Tongues and 13 other bands, at the Live Out Loud Festival at NC Music Factory this Saturday, September 17.  I have to miss it, and it is BREAKING MY HEART… so it would make me feel a lot better if they developed a massive following in Charlotte and had to keep coming back due to high demand.  Seriously, please go out, support these bands and a good cause.  Proceeds from the show go to Samaritan’s Feet and The Free Store to help Charlotte’s homeless and others in need.

And may you have a lovely little Tuesday earworm all day.  “We are, we are, we are far too young…”

More Saints of Valory:  Web | Twitter | Facebook | Bandcamp | iTunes | YouTube

The Sunday Funday Playlist – September 11, 2011

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Posting the Sunday Funday Playlist a little early this week!  Football starts in t-minus two hours, and there’s a possibility of a few beers happening, so I wanted to ensure I got this out to you without Guinness flavoring. 🙂 GO PANTHERS!

1. Pink Champagne – Lovedrug

The boys from Ohio make their second appearance on a Sunday Funday playlist with their brand new single, “Pink Champagne.”  We already know that I’m a little addicted to the sound of Michael’s voice, but this song just makes me long for big, 90s arena rock.  You can download this, along with it’s twin single release “Dinosaur,” here.

2. Human Heart – Carey Ott
I wish I could find this one somewhere to embed it here, but alas, I cannot – so nip over to Amazon to listen to it.  I am a total sucker for TV shows where friends who are OBVIOUSLY meant to be together yet spend forever fighting it.  That’s just one of the reasons that USA’s Necessary Roughness has become one of my new favorite shows.  So when Matt and Dani got together this week, finally, I was thrilled…and this is the song that was playing.  Color me sappy.

3. I Like the Ones – Austin Gibbs

One of my Twitter peeps (wish I remember who!) tweeted a video for a clothing company this week.  I inadvertently clicked on the link and this song was playing in the background.  Um, hello clapping!  I immediately downloaded it and have been bopping my head to it all week.  Such an infectious little ditty!  Wish I’d had this one before the Fall Mix was finished…it would have been a great add!

4.  Black Sky – Alpha Rev
My love for Alpha Rev is pretty well-covered territory.  They just finished recording a new EP, which was done the way records used to be done – the band all sitting in one room, recording together. They released the first song from these recording sessions for free download this week – “Black Sky” (get it here).  It’s AMAZING. It’s not available on SoundCloud just yet, but here’s a video from when the boys were recording that will give you a little taste.

5.  I Was Young – Gossling
BalconyTV strikes again.  Gossling, hailing from Down Under, caught my attention immediately with her child-like voice.  Not all of her stuff appeals to me, but this song, with it’s bad-guy Western theme, has been on constant repeat this week.  I’m so digging it.  Hope you do, too.