Tag Archives: new music

Earworm of the Week: Bad Suns, “Cardiac Arrest”

Posted on by
Reply

Decided to start a new segment here on jrzygyrl.com, in hopes of re-inspiring myself to write more often.  Meet the Earworm of the Week – a piece where I’ll give you a new song that will get so stuck in your head that you’ll end up playing it compulsively.

So…the debut Earworm, “Cardiac Arrest” by The Bad Suns out of Los Angeles.  Recently signed to Vagrant Records, this guitar-driven four piece just wrapped up recording their debut EP, expected out sometime this year.  It’s hard to find much about them online, as is typical with the scrubbing o’ the web that goes on once a band gets signed, but here’s what I know:

The Bad Suns (Chris Bowman – lead vocals/guitar, Ray Libby – guitar, Gavin Bennett – bass, Miles Morris – Drums) formed sometime in 2012 in Woodland Hills, CA.  The fellas are super young – Bowman is only 18! – which makes the next bit totally ballsy.  They sent a demo of their song “Transpose” into make-or-break-you LA radio station KROQ, where it got picked up on the Locals Only show and generated some big buzz. Just last month, they shared the bill with the new Brit hotshots, The 1975, giving them some even bigger exposure as that band has taken off here in the States.

Their first single, “Cardiac Arrest” is insanely catchy and has some big chops – the lyrics are a little green, but at 18 years old, what do you expect?  With the right team around them, I have a feeling this band is going to make a huge splash.  Without further adieu… your new Earworm.

Pickup “Cardiac Arrest” on Bandcamp for $1.

(Credit where credit is due:  Thanks to Sara, The Gallery’s manager, for turning me onto this band!)

More The Band Suns:  Tumblr | Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp | Soundcloud | Red Bull Music Interview

8 Even Better Ways to Discover Your New Favorite Band Online

Posted on by
2

Recently, I was reading an article on Mashable when I noticed a teaser to another Mashable article titled “8 Ways to Discover Your New Favorite Band Online.” Given that Mashable is geared toward more technically savvy/Internet-heads like me, and music is pretty much the love of my life, I got super excited.

Talk about clicker’s remorse. What a freaking let down! Lamest article on music discovery I’ve ever read. Of the 8, there were TWO that were worthy of mention. The other six? iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, Spotify, Rdio and YouTube. And even worse, it didn’t even really tell people how to use some of the lesser known features of these popular resources that could actually help them FIND new music.

Look, we live in the Internet age. There are literally hundreds of thousands of great music resources out there – blogs, apps, video channels, you name it. I have four or five dozen favorite ways to discover new music. Sorry, Mashable, I love ya, but here are 8 Even Better Ways to Discover Your New Favorite Band Online.

1. Noisetrade.com
Get bands to buy into to giving away their music in exchange for fan email addresses and zip codes? Might sound far-fetched, but Derek Webb and his crew in Nashville have done it. Artists control what they can give away – full albums, samplers, live tracks. Even better, fans can tip artists if they so choose, or easily click to promote their downloads on other social media channels. Hundreds of artists giving away music and thousands upon thousands of fans getting exposure to new artists. Win, win, win. Recent artists to give music away on Noisetrade: The Civil Wars, Radiohead, Jars of Clay, Courrier and The Dirty Guv’nahs.

2. Daytrotter
Daytrotter takes some of the hottest up and coming artists (as well as respected, long-established ones) and records them stripped down in small studios or at intimate live performances. They stream the sessions free for anyone to listen to, and for just $32 a year, you can become a member and download sessions. Combine it with some of the best music writing out there today and unique artwork of each artist, and you’ve got a recipe for million-dollar concert vault. In addition to a full-featured website, can also download the app for your device. Recent featured artists on Daytrotter: Ben Howard, The Maine, Grace Potter, Counting Crows, Half Moon Run and TONS more.

3. Soundcloud
Think of Soundcloud like an audio-only Facebook. Follow artists and friends, repost sounds you like, explore new sounds. In addition to oooooodles of new music that I’ve found there, you can also check out podcasts (for example, the excellent Audio Astronauts), audio books, and just about anything else that people can record. In addition to the Soundcloud website, you can also download an app for your devices (App Store or Google Play).

4. Shazam (App Store or Google Play)
This one might be the best-known on my list, but I use it CONSTANTLY, so I can’t neglect talking about it. How many times have you been somewhere or watching a TV show and heard a song and wish you could find out what it was? Shazam is your answer. Two clicks on your phone or tablet and it does the work for you with surprising accuracy. Hold your device up, let it hear the song and … boom goes the dynamite, within a few seconds, you have the name of that earworm. What’s more, in the iPad version of the app, there’s real-time tagging to let you see what other folks are Shazam-ing. Great way to discover what is catching everyone else’s ear…

5. Bandsintown (iTunes or Google Play)
If you like going to see live music, this app is a MUST have. Best way to find out about artists (or new artists you might like) that are coming to your area. The app scans your music library to track artists, but it also allows you to view concerts your friends have RSVPed to, as well as popular events in your area. I think most of my music friends probably know about this one, but just this week, I had a non-music friend email me and say, “Thanks to you I found the bandsintown app! Going to see Marc Broussard in October! Just letting you know that my soon to be concert addiction will be all YOUR fault (and I love you for it)!”

6. BalconyTV
This is one of my favorites that not many people seem to know. I stumbled across BalconyTV about three years ago when some band or another that I like had a session there. BalconyTV is a global concept where musicians play on “balconies” (sometimes decks, sometimes rooftops, but the general idea of somewhere higher up) in nearly 50 different cities (channels) all over the world. The sessions are short, one or two songs, and often enriched by the sounds of the city and weather – cars, wind, foot traffic, etc. Bands are usually local or regional, but every once in awhile a national or international band will show up on a channel around the world. BalconyTV started more than six years ago, so you can find a lot of old videos of once small, unknown bands that are huge acts now (like The Script in Dublin in 2007). I have discovered so much wonderful new music via BalconyTV, but my favorite find to date is still Mighty Oaks. Recently, BalconyTV became more interactive when it added a “judging” component where you can vote between the stronger of two sessions; rankings are used to score the sessions on a global basis. Check out recent sessions from Passenger, Matt Pond PA, Josh Doyle, Matt Corby, Youngblood Hawke, and The Dunwells.

7. Band of the Day (App Store)
I’ve written previously about Band of the Day, so I am not going to be long winded. This app is based on one really simple idea: push a band out a day to music lovers so that they can discover new music. The app has a pretty broad range of artists, from up and comers to long established bands, pop to rap to funk to electronic. From within the app, you to read bios, listen to songs, post about discoveries to other apps (Facebook, Twitter), listen to “mixtapes” (which select from featured Band of the Day artists), track artists you’ve listened to on the app, and check out the most popular Bands of the Day. Recently featured artists include one of my newest favorites James Bay, The Musgraves, Robert Randolph and more. Unfortunately, this one’s only available for Apple users as an app, but the website offers the same experience.

8. TastemakerX (App Store)
I’ve also written about TastemakerX before, but it’s such a unique concept that I couldn’t leave it out of this list. Self-billed as a “fan-powered game for music discovery,” TastemakerX is a way to strut your ability to know a good artist when you hear one. In short, you buy “records” of bands (with fake dollars, or “notes”). And then, a bit like the stock market, as more people buy records of the same band, the value of your collection goes up. You can “trade” out records if you want (selling off underperforming artists or to “make money” because a record has gone up in value). With great features that allow you to see what bands are hot and trending among other users, or to follow users with similar tastes to yours, you can easily find dozens of new bands to listen to. I love this app. I literally login every day to see how I’m doing and I always find something new. The ONLY complaint I have is that a lot of bands that I listen to just aren’t on the app yet – I’m not sure what store or base the app pulls from. However, you can email them with suggestions. I have in the past and they do listen and add them (Saints of Valory, for example…who, by the way, I own nearly 100,000 records of at this point…I’m driving my own cost up!). Again, only available in app on Apple devices, but you can also play online via the website.

This list certainly is just the tip of the iceberg, just a few of my most used and favorite features. So tell me what I’m missing! What other ways are you finding new music? Let me know, and maybe I’ll post “Even More Better Ways to Discover Your New Favorite Band Online.”

Something New: Liam Titcomb

Posted on by
1

I love all music, but if I had to pick a genre that was my “power alley,” it would be singer-songwriter every day of the week, and three times on Monday.  So I thought it only appropriate that before I got to sleep to head into Monday, I share one of my newest favorite musical finds – a Canadian fella named Liam Titcomb.

There is nothing more than I love more than the sound of a great singer and an acoustic guitar.  Liam’s lilting voice pulled me in immediately and I made fast work of downloading his Love Don’t Let Me Down EP – which led to me immediately pre-ordering his new album, Cicada, set for release on August 7th. Anything this man sings, I want to own.

I’ll have to do a bit more buying because Liam’s been doing this songwriting thing for quite some time – he was signed to Sony Canada at age 15!  Apparently, the Canadians are trying to keep him all to themselves…why am I just now hearing about this talented singer?  Sorry ’bout your luck, Canada.  I found your secret and I’m sharing it with the world.

Here’s a video of Liam performing one of the songs that is on the Love Don’t Let Me Down EP and that will be featured on the new record.  I think I’ve played it 100 times in the three days I’ve had the EP.  Here’s hoping it gives your Monday a little boost, too.

More Liam Titcomb: Web | Facebook | Twitter

The Ultimate Friday Awesomeness: Saints of Valory, “Kids” EP

Posted on by
5

Saints of Valory have my heart with this smashing release.

I don’t often have a hard time coming up with words.  But, I will confess that I’ve been avoiding writing this post, mainly because I don’t know how to fairly write a review of the Saints of Valory’s new EP, Kids.  The fact of the matter is, I’m completely in love with their music, and I find it very hard to be objective.

So, to heck with avoiding journalistic bias…I’m going to take the advice of one of their lyrics and “Just say what you feel!”

If the goal of music is to evoke emotion and inspire connection, then Kids is a gorgeous success. This little group of six songs is nothing short of intrepid – it will leave you smiling, dancing, remembering your past and loving your present.  Lead by aerobatic vocals and memorable lyrics, the EP thrums with sweet, sing-along harmonies and is punctuated by an absolutely impeccable percussion.  Toss in a few ripping guitar solos, and a singer who tears it up on bass just as equally as he lets loose with his singing, and it may just be perfect.  It’s an album that you put on and before you know it, it’s played five times in a row and the songs have penetrated your brain by osmosis.  How do you know?  You find yourself humming the them at your desk, causing near-fatal wrecks to clap along in your car, and subconsciously singing them at the grocery store before you realize that the little old lady buying green beans next to you is looking at you a little strangely…

There’s no warming up, it just gets right in your face with a killer opening drum sequence that launches the EP’s title track, “Kids.”  (Aside: live, it’s even more epic – drummer Gerard Bouvier is whaling the heck out of the kit while lead guitarist Godfrey Thomson and keyboardist Stephen Buckle simultaneously tar the heck out of some floor toms). Lead singer Gavin Jasper invites you to experience the music with him, crooning, “Welcome to my story, to the story of my life…” and telling the tale of being “just kids, with our hopes, with our dreams, with our faults,” you’re right there, remembering when you were just a kid, too.

“Kids” is followed by the “More Dancing, Less Falling,” a delectable lyrical morsel which is sure to become a summer anthem for a large majority of their fans.  And by God, I do find myself dancing when this song is playing!  Sandwiched in the middle are the EP’s two most mainstream tracks, and the ones that are likely to inspire the most earworms – the fast-paced “Sweetest Sin” and a reprise of “Neon Eyes.”  With added layers of drums and guitars, “Neon Eyes” is now an amped up version of the acoustic track released earlier in 2011, but it retains its signature – and incredibly infectious – hand-clap rhythm.

When I first heard “City, City,” a mellow love song to the band’s home town of Austin, I didn’t love it.  But it’s grown on me, and being a lover of Austin myself, I can completely relate to it.  Stephen’s key work on this track is really spotlighted…the dude doesn’t get enough love for how freaking fabulous he is.  “Watch It Burn,” probably my favorite track on the EP, is the perfect end cap – it somehow feels like a culmination and a fresh start at once.  It starts slow, but then quickly ramps up and showcases brilliant guitar playing from Godfrey. The song doesn’t end as much as it crashes, finishing with building guitar that screeches to a halt and one final cymbal hit, closing the EP where it started on the drum kit.   And just like that, the EP is over…and you’re a little sad.

In today’s musical landscape, it’s rare to find artists that truly have the chops to back up their music.  Auto-tune, fancy editing software and production have become the norm, but with Saints of Valory, you get an absolutely true-to-life representation of their musical abilities…and Kids showcases exactly how much the Saints have to offer.  They’re able to write songs that are fresh and familiar all at the same time, which is why you hear so many people call them “radio ready” and compare them to Coldplay and the Killers, I think.  However, Saints of Valory’s songs have something more for me, something that brings them to life in a much bigger way – heart and passion.

And that, my friends, is what makes Kids so utterly bombastic and loveable.  Heart.

More Saints of Valory:  Web | Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp | Buy Kids in hard copy or on iTunes and Amazon

Memorial Day

Posted on by
1

Will Hoge posted a new song today – a demo from his upcoming album Modern American Protest Music.  Amongst our barbecues, parties and day off, it is a reminder of what today should really be about.

Thanks to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country.  Our nation is eternally in debt to you and your families who selflessly shared you with us.

More Will Hoge:  Web | Twitter | Facebook