Category Archives: Music

Music defines my world.

Get Happy with Boys on the Radio

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I don’t know about you, but I have about had enough of winter.  As I type, the temperature in Charlotte is falling rapidly and will soon be below freezing.  It is March 26th, people.  We should be busting 70 degrees every day.  This constant cold and gray has got me in a funk … and I need some music to get me out of it.

Luckily, there’s Boys on the Radio.  A couple of years ago, I caught on very, very, very late (like a decade late) to Lovedrug.  Boys on the Radio is the new project of Lovedrug frontman Michael Shepard, along with Rich Condon, Christian Hayden, and Dylan Williams.  I am a sucker for a unique voice, and Michael’s just lights me up.  So he could basically sing Beowulf – in the original medieval English – and I would be totally okay with it. Anyone who was in Bennett Lamond’s Medieval Lit class at Washington College understands the power of this statement!

The band is based in Nashville, and lucky you, Nashville folks…They are playing their first hometown show this Thursday, March 27th, at the High Watt.  Go.  Do not miss this band.

BOTR did a little Facebook pre-release of their first single, “Youth Anthem,” which I freaking LOVE. It’s catchy.  It’s fun. And it is going to my theme song for 2014 (I’m turning 40 this year…I need to remember that it’s just a number!). They’ll be putting out a full release later this spring, but for now, you can preview four tracks over on their Soundcloud page.  I’m teasing “Carried Away” below…because it’s a summer song.

And I think we could all use that.

More Boys on the Radio: Web | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud

 

Something New: Grizfolk

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Long overdue on a lot of posts, including a Rock Boat recap and a review of the new Mighty Oaks album, Howl.  Yeah, yeah, yeah. Coming soon, I promise.

But for now… I may have mentioned to a few of you that I’ve kind of got a thing right now for little keyboard-sythpop action.  So when Justin Hopkins posted about a new band to check out… Grizfolk fell right in line with what I’m craving…and more.  It’s sort of this hybrid synthpop-acoustic-folky sound. Great lyrics. I’m TOTALLY digging it.

Hailing from Venice, California, the quintet just dropped their debut EP, From the Spark (iTunes | Amazon) , on February 25th. The lead single, “The Struggle,” is a total earworm, but pick up the 4-song EP is for just $2.76 and get the REAL gem, “Waiting for You.”  Obsessed.  Watch their performance of this beaut during their Jam in the Van session below.

The band just wrapped up an opening gig for ZZ Ward in the U.S. and is now off to Europe for a bit.  So bummed that I missed them in Charlotte….

More Grizfolk: Web | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Earworm of the Week: Deaf Havana – “Everybody’s Dancing and I Want to Die”

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I do love the poppy sing-along, kids.

And this week’s Earworm is just that. Unfortunately, I’m late, late, late on this bus.

Say hello to Deaf Havana, a sextet from the East coast of England that have apparently been making music together since 2005 – where have I been?  With lots of guitars and loads of windows-down, open lungs, get stuck-in-your-head lyrics, it’s pretty easy to see why they have almost 135,000 likes on Facebook.  (Don’t let the super polished sound fool you, these kids look the rock n’ roll part with leather jackets and loads of tats…love it!)

Their latest album (there are several, so I have some catching up to do), Old Souls, was released in the U.S. this week on Razor & Tie.  Their PR Juggernauts are pushing the singles “Mildred, Lost a Friend” and “Boston Square” (which is free on Amazon right now and was released as the iTunes Single of the Week in Canada this week), but I am crushing on “Everybody’s Dancing and I Want to Die.”  So, without further adieu… your new Earworm.


P.S.  They’re currently on a limited North American tour.  Of course, they aren’t coming to Charlotte…or anywhere near it, for that matter.  But, if you live in a major U.S. city, you might be able to catch them!

More Deaf Havana: Web | Facebook | Twitter | Old Souls on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify

Pondering the Plight of the Modern Musician with The Well Reds

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Volume is the soon-to-be sophomore release from Atlanta's The Well Reds.

Volume is the soon-to-be sophomore release from Atlanta’s The Well Reds.

Being a musician these days isn’t easy.  Costs of recording, merch, and touring mount up quickly.  Couple that with the fact that there are more artists vying for listeners ears than ever before, and that an increasing number of listeners are choosing less-profitable methods of hearing music… and, well, let’s just say it’s not easy to be a musician these days. However, artists continue to pour out their energy, their soul, and their wallets to make music for us.  Maybe that’s because they have an innate NEED to do it.

This idea is humorously captured in a new video from The Well Reds, a pop-rock four-piece from Atlanta, Georgia that has been gaining steam over the last three years.  The video is for the debut single “BPM (I Feel Rhythm) from their forthcoming album, Volume.  The fast-paced, dancy number spells out the plight of today’s modern musician … having to work a day job to fund your true passion.  While the video playfully depicts band members working day jobs (my particular favorite is Torin as a barista…), the sentiment is clear:  we do this because we love it, because we love our fans, and because there’s nothing that makes us feel more alive.

The best part of all of this? The single is available for free download on Noisetrade RIGHT NOW.

Check out the video for “BPM (I Feel Rhythm)” and get stoked for new music from these fellas!

MORE INFO ON THE FORTHCOMING ALBUM FROM THE WELL REDS
The sophomore release from The Well Reds, Volume was crowd-funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign in early 2013. For the last 10 months, the band has been diligently at work in the studio with producer Joseph Prielozny. Watch for more news on a release date here soon!

More The Well Reds:  Web | Facebook | Twitter | The Violet EP on iTunes and Amazon

New Music from Mighty Oaks

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Hi.  Happy 2014.  I’ve been a total blogging slacker.  I’ll get better, I promise.

Although the year has gotten off to a slow start, there have been a bunch-a good music things a brewing this week, a ridiculous concert calendar shaping up through March, and The Rock Boat is only five weeks away.

But today…today brought the best thing of 2014 so far.  A new (and unexpected, which makes it that much sweeter!) song and video from Mighty Oaks – the American-Italian-British trio living in Germany.  AND, even better… news that they have a new album, Howl, coming out on February 28th!

The band describes “Brother” as “a story of friendship, youth, and adventure.” The video is darling. My loyal-to-the-core heart loves the story, adores the idea of friendships so strong that time can’t weather them. I’m telling you kids, this band…this band is going to win hearts in a big way.  2014 is their year.

I am already hopelessly obsessed with this song.  Give it until 1:30, I bet you will be, too.

If you’re lucky enough to live in Germany, you can pre-order the new album on iTunes or Amazon. (I’m hoping that it will be available in the States soon, too… but if it’s not, I may have to find a German friend willing to buy it for me on release day!)

More Mighty Oaks: Web | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud | Just One Day EP