Make sure to check out the new site at music-rag.com

2.26.2014

Waiting For The Sun

       Jolie Holland's "Waiting For The Sun" off her forthcoming album, Wine Dark Sea (due out May 20), has a sweet folk swing and heavy jazz influences that leave the track feeling warm and inviting. The prominent saxophone and electric guitar riffs add a fun change of pace to the hummable melody and Holland's soulful vocals make the track irresistible as she croons the line "just waiting for the sun to come out of hiding".
       Look for Holland's self-produced LP coming this May, check out the single below, and head to the sites to find out more about the artist.
"Waiting For The Sun" Jolie Holland
- E

2.24.2014

Music Related News

       As I missed last week's Music News, this week's will be an amalgamation of some of the music headlines and releases from the past two weeks.
  • Marty Thau, producer, manager, and founder of Red Star Records, passed away early this month. He worked with so many amazing bands throughout his career and was, himself, kind of amazing (especially if you're a fan of the punk/new wave scene). Thau is quoted as saying "rejection is my middle name. I've been called almost every complimentary or contentious name in the book... I was wise enough to know that all you can do in life is be who you are. Some will love you for yourself, but most will love you for what you can do for them."
  • Miley Cyrus set out on her Bangerz tour and it's just as wonderfully fun loving and exceptionally weird as you would expect. 
  • Drake got into a short Twitter war with Rolling Stone when he stated that he was done with "doing interviews for magazines. I just want to give my music to the people. That's the only way my message gets across accurately". Apparently, the magazine tried to pit him against Kanye and then 'took away' his cover and replaced it with a picture of the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman (the horror). Basically, Drake was upset because he believes himself to be incredibly important. 
  • Follow this link to hear tracks which will be featured on St. Vincent's self titled album, due out tomorrow in the US.
  • Dubkiller released a remix of Sick Puppies' "Telling Lies" and, though I haven't listened to the band since Dressed Up As Life, Dubkiller's mix is great enough to get me interested in the band again. Check it out for addictive beats and a rhythm you can't not move to. Sick Puppies Telling Lies Dubkiller Remix
  • Timeflies released their video for, "All The Way", the first single from their upcoming debut album, After Hours, and it's just as fun as the song itself.
  • Sleep Thieves released their second single from You Want the Night and you need to hear "City of Hearts" if you like good music. 
  • The Trews released the first single, "What's Fair Is Fair", from their upcoming self-titled album and it's solid rock sound is wonderfully addictive.
  • Jacob Latham's "Pay Attention to the Rain" from his Midnight Train EP features truly amazing lyrics, vocals which don't try to be anything more than they are (a refreshing change of pace), and a solid rhythm that supports a hummable melody. The entire EP is just so great.
  • Fred Page released "Concrete" and I became completely addicted to his lyrics.
  • Lost In The Trees released their album Past Life and it is gorgeous. Each track features the band's honest lyrics and flawless compositions and their new sound is softly hypnotic and completely addictive.
  • Undiscovered Soul's "Tandem" is one of the most addictive songs you're going to hear. The band features six separate members from parts of Europe and, while that would be enough to give a lot of bands a composition which is too full, Undiscovered Soul relishes in the chance to include so many different layers in their tracks and it comes out sounding perfectly balanced and more than worthy of playing on repeat; plus, the lyrics are fantastic.
  • Problems, solo project from Justin Walkden, released two singles that need to be played when you're laying in the sun over spring break. Check out "Bruised" and "Alighted" for tracks that will be wandering through your mind for the next week.
  • Runaway Dorothy's The Wait will be released tomorrow and you need to get it for some good music; check out their single, "Give Me A Reason".
  • The Menzingers released the first song from their upcoming album, Rented World, due out April 22, and "In Remission" features solid guitar riffs and lyrics you're going to want to sing along with. 
  • Tokyo Police Club released the third single from their forthcoming Forcefield and "Tunnel Vision" is just as fantastic as ever. It evokes images of their earlier albums with the fun lyrics that we first started to hear again on their second single ("Hot Tonight") and that fantastic solid rock sound that has been so prevalent on their first two albums. This band is amazing and this latest track has me thoroughly excited to hear everything else on Forcefield.
  • Melanie Martinez released the wonderfully creepy and slightly haunting "Dollhouse" and I haven't been able to stop listening to it on repeat.
  • Kat Dahlia's video for "Crazy" was straightforward, keeping the emphasis on the song (and it's diary-esque lyrics) and is really only great because it added Dahlia's attitude to the song, which somehow made it even better.
  • Helios will be available for release tomorrow and "Hurricane" and "Love Don't Die" should have you thoroughly excited for new music from The Fray. The lyrics are always fantastic, the band is just as great (maybe better) live as they are recorded, and the music could not be catchier, so grab the album tomorrow (or pre-order now).
  • The Vamps released "Wild Heart" as a single on iTunes this week and it's everything pop, cute, and fun that could ever compete with the youth's love for One Direction. It is disturbingly catchy.
  • Breathe Carolina's Savages is available for pre-order now and their single "Sellouts" needs your attention (Danny Worsnop makes it fun).
  • Eli Young Band's 10,000 Towns is available for pre-order and "Just Add Moonlight" is far too addictive for the feminist in me to stomach (you should probably just buy it and listen to it on repeat until you're too tired of it to play it again).
  • American Authors Oh, What A Life is available for pre-order now and you want to get it. I've spent the last month listening to this album on repeat and I can tell you that it is so far past addictive and so much better, as a whole, than "Best Day Of My Life", that it's going to be your favorite album to play on repeat this Spring.
  • Beck's Morning Phase will be released tomorrow and you should just get it, because it's Beck and it will no doubt be fantastic. Listen to "Blue Moon", "Waking Light", and "Wave" now. 
  • Strange Talk's Cast Away is available for pre-order and you should just grab it now because all of the tracks are fantastic and you'll be happy to get the immediate downloads of "Cast Away", "Morning Sun", and "Young Hearts". 
- E

An Aria

       Ninetails released the second single from their forthcoming EP, Quiet Confidence, and it is just as hypnotic as the EP's first single, "Radiant Hex".
       The track undulates at a steady pace as a solid rhythm sits in contrast to a fluid melody while a wandering piano and solid guitar riffs add a fun twist to the dreamy track and lines like "if you want it, be the first to take it, and if you need it, you're gonna have to fight to get it" are softly doled out over the EP's recurring vocal motif (first featured in "Radiant Hex").
       Get the EP when it's released March 10, because every track is just as gorgeously put together as this one.
"An Aria" Ninetails
- E

Like Always

       Richard Tyler Epperson gives listeners a modern take on the folk genre with his track "Like Always". The track features a steady rhythm, insistent piano melody, and solid folk chords supported by just enough of an electronic presence that it keeps it interesting and makes it undeniably catchy. 
       The music is gorgeous and lyrics which state "'cause dreams they are only what you make of them, so why don't you stop your lies, there ain't no need to pretend, that you're alive" and "like a man ridden with his shame, I feel I'll never ever be the same, oh like always, I'll always be insane" will leave you wanting to listen to the track on repeat so pre-order the forthcoming album, Hourglass, from Bandcamp now and get an immediate download of his first album, Falling Between the Stars, so that you can keep listening to great tracks like this one. 
"Like Always" Richard Tyler Epperson
- E

Red Tuxedo

       The Griswolds' most recent video features animated cameos from current popular artists plus cute throwbacks to everything nostalgia-inducing from your childhood, making it just as sweet and steady as the song itself. 
       The melody's sweet, if hesitant at first, and the soft rhythm keeps the song moving forward towards its all too soon finish, all the while maintaining a signature sound The Griswolds have perfected which feels just like hanging out at the beach. 
"Red Tuxedo" The Griswolds
http://wearethegriswolds.com/
Bandcamp
Facebook
Twitter
- E

All The Way

       Timeflies released their latest music video for single "All The Way" from their debut full length album, After Hours, due for release April 29. 
     The video features athletes, Anastasia Ashley, Scotty Stephens, and Mark Reininga and stays just as upbeat and energetic as the song itself. 
       Lyrics "first time I saw you I knew right away, made up my mind you would be mine someday", "I know you hold back but just let it go, 'cause I just won't stand to watch you walk alone", and a chorus which states "when I love someone, I'm loving all the way, you know I'm the one to take you all the way" are adorable and fall perfectly in line with a beat which is far too addictive to not get caught up in and a melody that will be circling your head all week. 
"All The Way" Timeflies
http://timefliesmusic.com/
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
- E

Bruised

      Hypnotically revolving beats and a meandering melody give the track a dreamy feel while lines like "fall until I'm through", "I'll bend until I bruise", and the persistent and echoey repetition of "I need you" make the single even more addictive. 
      Listen to their other single, "Alighted", for more of their beach dream pop sound. 
"Bruised" Problems
- E

Beside Itself

       Mulholland's latest video for the fourth single from Feed the Beast is straightforward and captures the intensity of a track that holds prominent beats and states "you're so far under the influence, there's nothing quite like it" and the repetition of "you say 'gloria in excelsis deo'".
"Beside Itself" Eden Mulholland
- E

2.23.2014

It's Not My Fault I'm Happy

       Passion Pit supplies us with the most brutally honest songs of any popular artist right now but there is such a focus on their 'big' hits that their other amazing songs tend to be glossed over. I cannot emphasize enough how amazing Passion Pit was in a poorly lit bar in 2010 compared to their seemingly uninspired performance to a large crowd in 2011 and a concert in 2013 which had far, far too many 'fans' sitting during the performance (it is never okay to sit through Angelakos' performances). If you ever have the chance, see the band perform in a smaller venue with more dedicated fans, because it will make the difference between an amazing concert that sticks with you and just another in a line of 'okay' performances.
       The beat is steady and supports a swirling melody which will circle around your head for a while, but it's the lyrics that are truly amazing. Lines like "I know that it's always something, I'm just working with what I've been given, it's not my fault, I'm happy, don't call me crazy, I'm happy", "your past lingers like rain clouds, casting shadows below, I could live with so many burdens, I'd take all your hope and yearning, but there's no one I'd let take me for their petty little woes" and a chorus which states "it's not right, how am I the only one who sees us fight? What are we? Who are they? Who says those bastards don't deserve to pay? Well, it's the numbers, we don't stand a chance, so long as they're around, you're just another song and dance, it's not fair, still I'm the only one who seems to care" are all perfection.
"It's Not My Fault I'm Happy" Passion Pit
- E

2.22.2014

World On Fire

       The beat's solid, the melody is easy to fall into, and the repetition of "I set the world on fire" is just fun to sing along with. The band's vocals are always great, each of their songs has the best lyrics, and the band has already sculpted their sound to make it stand out from the rest of their genre, so grab their Royal EP and singles from iTunes now for some amazing tracks.
"World On Fire" The Royal Concept
- E

2.21.2014

Dollhouse

       Melanie Martinez stated during her time on The Voice that she never wanted to be seen as 'cute' and she has more than proven her tendency towards darker subjects with her chilling new video for her single "Dollhouse".
       The music video is wonderfully creepy, featuring subtle breathing at the beginning as the camera focuses in on a young girl playing with her dolls (very horror movie-esque) and actors whose faces have been done up to give them a plastic appearance.
       The single pulses with solid beats that urge a melody, which might otherwise be perceived as hesitant, forward at the same time that Martinez's smokey vocals are filling the track with an amazing chorus which states "places, places, get in your places, throw on your dress and put on your doll faces, everyone thinks that we're perfect, please don't let them look through the curtains, picture, picture, smile for the picture, pose with your brother, won't you be a good sister? Everyone thinks that we're perfect, please don't let them look through the curtains" and the haunting repetition of "D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E, I see things that nobody else sees" which carries the song to its end.
       Martinez has been working as an independent artist while creating material for her debut album, so make sure to buy this single from iTunes or Amazon to support the artist, then head to the sites below to find out more about album release dates/upcoming singles. 
"Dollhouse" Melanie Martinez
- E

2.20.2014

Crazy

       Kat Dahlia released the official music video for her insanely addictive single, "Crazy", and it's just as laid-back and fun as the song itself (although Dahlia's attitude in the video somehow makes the single sound even greater).
       Dahlia's vocals are smokey and rich, that beat is impossibly fun, the melody is going to be circling your head for days, and a chorus which states "'cuz I ain't been myself, lately something's going on, nah boy I ain't even slept, I been up all night long in my head, trying to figure out what I want, what I do, what I don't" will never quite leave you. 
       Watch the video below then head to iTunes to pick up the single. 
"Crazy" Kat Dahlia
- E

2.17.2014

Take Me With You

       Alyssa Coco and Matt Merritt make up the duo that is Roses & Revolutions and their latest (animated) music video for their single, "Take Me With You", features an impressive list of celebrity cameos that makes the video just as upbeat and fun as the song itself. 
       The song features Coco's rich vocals, a fun melody that flows perfectly along with a prominent rhythm, a sweet vocal melody, and lyrics which read "take me with you, I've been hanging on for so damn long so when you go, oh take me too" make the song undeniably catchy.
       Check out the sweet single below, head to the sites to find out more about the duo, and pre-order their self-titled EP on iTunes now to get an immediate download of this song. 
"Take Me With You" Roses & Revolutions
http://www.rosesandrevolutions.com/
https://twitter.com/RosesRevolution
https://www.facebook.com/rosesandrevolutions
- E

Concrete

       Page's vocals are satisfyingly full and carry unabashedly honest lyrics with such ease that it's hard to not get sucked into this song right away. 
       The instrumentation features slowly strummed guitars, steady piano chords, and a simple rhythm that urges the song forward. The sturdy instrumentation unwinds in time to give Page's soaring vocals the spotlight, then quickly builds itself back up in time to lend an extra sense of urgency to already desperate lyrics. 
       Everything from an opening line which states "so you know the Earth only turns one way, so you could look back and say 'no way' and I could be concrete but it all got crazy" to the end which unravels to the repetition of "won't you charge for your heart and be my light brigade" is brilliant, so check out "Concrete" and head to the sites to find out more about the artist.
"Concrete" Fred Page
- E

Forget-er

       Kris Bowers' "Forget-er" from his debut album, Heroes + Misfits (available March 4), features lulling vocals and a softly steady rhythm which lays over a number of harmonies that loop around to give the song a hypnotic and dreamy feel. 
       The composition comes apart at the 1:43 mark, introducing a gorgeous back and forth between the percussion work and the vocals, before slowly coming back around to give us a soft resolution which features the same hypnotic vocals and looping harmonies as the beginning of the piece.
       Check out the single below, get "Forget-er" on iTunes, and head to the sites to find out more about the artist.
"Forget-er" Kris Bowers
- E

Un Boombox Symphonique

       Kbit's (Kosta Andreadis) "Un Boombox Symphonique" offers a dreamy track with an atmospheric and lofty melody which is brought down to Earth by a steady rhythm that drips with synth beats. 
       Un Boombox Symphonique is available for purchase on Bandcamp now. 
"Un Boombox Symphonique" Kbit
http://www.kbitmusic.com/
http://kbit.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/kbitmusic
https://twitter.com/toadovsky
- E

2.16.2014

On Our Way

       The Royal Concept's music sounds like a solid mix of San Cisco and Black Kids with just enough of a Phoenix-esque influence to maintain and flesh out a youthfully exuberant rhythm which could otherwise have a tendency to spin out ahead of the rest of the song. 
       The melody is fantastically 'hummable' (meaning, it's going to be popular; since the 1700's, if a melody was hummable, it was popular [unsurprisingly, people like being able to sing to their favorite songs]), that rhythm could not be more perfect, there is both a vocal melody (of la, la, la's) and a whistling melody, the lyrics are fun and, when the song hits its sweet spot in time for that chorus to kick in, it's impossible to not get pulled into the song.
       Check out the video for "On Our Way" below to see why you should really start falling for The Royal Concept's music and get their Royal EP and new single, "D-D-Dance", from iTunes now. 
"On Our Way" The Royal Concept 
https://twitter.com/theroyalconcept
http://www.theroyalconcept.com/
https://www.facebook.com/theroyalconceptmusic
- E

2.15.2014

2/15

       Listen to the monthly playlist to hear good music from some of the artists/bands you should be paying attention to this month. 
"Morning Sun" Strange Talk
"Luck" American Authors
"Weapons" Hudson Taylor
"Bridges" Broods
"Synesthesia" Chuckie Campbell
"True North" Eric Zayne
"Happy Alone" Saintseneca
"Good Guy" Lakefield
"Past Life" Lost In The Trees
"Don't Say Goodnight" Hot Chelle Rae
"Fall Apart" PawnShop Kings
"Give Me A Reason" Runaway Dorothy
"Ready Set Go" Royal Tailor
"We Won't Go Home" The Colourist
"Hot Tonight" Tokyo Police Club
"On Our Way" The Royal Concept
"Tiny Robots" Manolo Panic
"Coming Home, Pt II" Skylar Grey
"Let the Night" Dirty Vegas
- E

Never Stop

       This may be the sweetest song SafetySuit has put out, if only because the lyrics are so adorable that they overshadow the softly building composition and the bands wedding version of this track is just as sweet as it places the emphasis on Brown's vocals and that soft piano melody. 
"Never Stop" (Wedding Version) SafetySuit
- E

2.14.2014

2/14.2

       A second Valentine's day playlist for you guys; you can decide which one works best for you.
"All I Need" AWOLNATION
"Safe" The Airborne Toxic Event
"Oh, It Is Love" Hellogoodbye
"On Your Side" SafetySuit
"Dance So Good" Wakey Wakey
"A Long Time Ago" Timothy Bloom featuring Dezi Paige
"Red Tuxedo" The Griswolds
"Teach Me How To Be Loved" Rebecca Ferguson
"Ho Hey" The Lumineers
"Past Lives" Ke$ha
"Sold My Soul" Cattle and Cane
"Never Gonna Give You Up" Julian Taylor Band
"Morning Sun" Strange Talk
- E


2/14

       If you're already tired of Valentine's day, that's cool; there are plenty of songs that agree with you.
"Be Your Bro" Those Darlins
"Love You When I'm Drunk" MIKA
"Why Can't We Be Friends" Smash Mouth
"Your Body Is A Weapon" The Wombats
"Merry Happy" Kate Nash
"Restraining Orders Are Another Way of Saying I Love You" Maradona
"We're Going to Be Friends" The White Stripes
"Next In Line" Meese
"Erase Me" Kid Cudi featuring Kanye West
"Deadbeat" Lightning Love
"Your New Beloved" Lovelife
"Too Close" Alex Clare
"People Say" Portugal. The Man
"Never Going Back" Samantha Crain
"Dance, Dance, Dance" The Red Hot Chili Peppers
"We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" Taylor Swift (you can't have Valentine's day without Swifty)
- E

2.13.2014

Weapons

       Hudson Taylor's latest music video is just as desperate and haunted as the song itself (though through a much harsher lens, clearly).
       The duo's sound is reminiscent of a modern day Everly Brothers; the only thing which stands against those solid guitar melodies are the brother's pure vocals which feature articulate lyric lines that scream of a tendency towards hopeless romantics ("put down your weapons, lets be defenseless, surrender your love and no more secrets" and "this is how it is when it all gets wild, you can hit me hard, hit me hard as you like, if only you could see it through my own two eyes, you could see the view from the other side"). 
       It's truly fantastic and their sweet vocal melodies make it so very difficult to not get hooked on these tracks which start as soft indie folk melodies and always manage to build into a frenzied desperation by their end. 
       Check out the latest video from the Irish duo below then head to the sites to find out more about the band. 
"Weapons" Hudson Taylor
http://www.hudsontaylormusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/HudsonTaylorMusic
https://twitter.com/hudsontaylor
- E

Don't Say Goodnight

       As soon as this morning's interview is finished, I will give you guys more great music to listen to but, for now, you should enjoy the fact that Hot Chelle Rae has given us, yet another, single which is impossible to not become addicted to.
       That soft piano melody leads into a prominent rhythm that pulls you into the song while a solid beat and fun lyrics keep the song moving forward, with the same gorgeously soft piano melody continuing throughout. The song hits its sweet spot when it dips into its bridge at 2:10 and it's so hard to not want to dance along to the song after that; just give in and have fun because this band is fantastic at making tracks which feel just like summer.
"Don't Say Goodnight" Hot Chelle Rae
- E

2.12.2014

Coming Home, Pt II

       Skylar Grey's sequel to Diddy's 2010 hit, "Coming Home" (which features Grey's vocals on the chorus), is unobtrusively moving. 
       The piano melody stays the same but the theatrics of the last video are gone, leaving the focus on Grey's piano work and a coming home video thrown for a soldier from Winter Park, FL. The simple video work, combined with Grey's haunted, yet hopeful, lyrics ("and the blood will dry underneath my nails, and the wind will rise up to fill my cells, so you can doubt, and you can hate, but I know no matter what it takes, I'm coming home") is simply gorgeous.
"Coming Home, Pt II" Skylar Grey
- E

2.11.2014

Music Related News

       You guys should have gotten your music related news yesterday, but I got caught up playing around on the new website; I cannot wait until I can share it with you guys (I love it way more than anyone should love an intangible object).

  • The Royal Concept released their single "D-D-Dance" on iTunes and now I can't get enough of them; it's San Cisco meets Black Kids with an extra punch of pure youthful energy and it's a perfect mix of folk pop, dance-able melodies, and fun rhythms that has me more than a little addicted to their music.
  • Hudson Taylor released their music video for "Weapons" and continued to show that they are the most amazing, and most promising, thing coming out of indie folk right now. Look for their name soon because it won't be long until you can't get away from their music. 
  • Friday, February 9, marked the fifty year anniversary of the day The Beatles first arrived in the US, giving us the, much loved, phrase 'British Invasion'. The Beatles early songs weren't very thought provoking, but their music matured as their fans did and the band is a perfect example of how best to stay in the spotlight and your fan's playlists.
  • It's that time of year when you can start buying your SunFest tickets again; it's not the 'best' music festival, you will have one day when you're soaked through with rain and another day where you've definitely garnered third degree burns on your hands from leaning back on the cement, but it's tradition and it's fun. Of all the festivals I've been to, none have this same sort of relaxed feel and it's awesome to be there the first three nights because it's so 'empty' on the weekdays (though it does make Sunday's crowds slightly unbearable). 
  • The Colourist, the debut full length album from The Colourist, is available for pre-order now and you're going to want to grab your copy; the band is coming on to the indie pop scene strong and their songs are so fun it's ridiculous. Their only real competition, sound wise, is going to be Echosmith and, between the two, I'd put my money on The Colourist; while Echosmith has nice lyrics, the tracks feel light and the vocals could be better and The Colourist already has a fully mature sound with solid vocals that are easy to listen to, as well as some great lyrics. Check out their video for "Fix This" for something amazing.
  • Broods' "Bridges" is the free single of the week on iTunes (US) this week and it's slowly building electronic beat sucks you in with its hypnotic waves and soft vocal melodies.
  • Hot Chelle Rae released their latest single, "Don't Say Goodnight", and the song sounds just as fun as you've come to expect from this band. I've tried not to get addicted, but it just feels like summer and warm nights and there's no point in denying this single's greatness. 
  • Justin Bieber was not smacked by NBA's Blake Griffin; it was a satire story posted by a sports site which got picked up by other news sources who ran it as truth. I can't believe I'm actually disappointed that a person was not physically assaulted. 
  • Andy Blunda, former Fastball guitarist, released his second solo EP, Messages, and the songs are so great that they demand your immediate and full attention. They're truly fantastic and only get better with each listen. 
  • PawnShop King's "Fall Apart" sucks you in slowly, so that you don't even realize you're hooked until you're sitting there singing the chorus under your breath and trying to figure out what it's from. You can get the single, for free, by clicking on this link now though, so do that (because I have waited so long to start getting music that is free for your personal use, not just for the site's use, and I'm super excited to share this with you).
  • Billy Ray Cyrus' "Achy Breaky Heart" has been resurrected by Buck 22 who took the song and made "Achy Breaky 2". I honestly can't. The video is all shades of ridiculous, the song is an average looking mess, and I kind of wish I had never listened to it, because this weird remix will be in my head for far too long now; it's as mindnumbingly unimportant as the original, with the added bonus of being just as horribly catchy (it won't leave your head and it's bad).
  • Nickel Creek got back together and released "Destination" and I am super fucking excited to hear new music from them. It's been far too long since the classic folk band gave us a sweet melody to sway along to and their lyrics are just as articulate as ever. 
  • Manolo Panic came out with their interactive music video for "Tiny Robots" and it's just as amazing as the song itself, plus super entertaining. 
  • Skylar Grey released "Coming Home, Part II" and it's completely gorgeous and shows off the depth in her vocals perfectly while carrying over a chorus you already know and love into her latest work, making it easier for you to already be addicted to this new song. Plus the video is simple and beautiful and captures the song's sentiment with gorgeous ease.
"Coming Home, Pt. II" Skylar Grey
- E

We Won't Go Home

       The Colourist's debut self-titled album is available for pre-order on iTunes now and you should grab it because they're going to be your new favorite indie pop group. 
       You know the band best for their infectious single, "Little Games", which has been circling around your head for months and their other tracks are just as addictive and easy to dance around to. 
"We Won't Go Home" The Colourist
- E

2.10.2014

Young Hearts

       Strange Talk's latest single, "Young Hearts", is really the most important song you're going to hear for a while. 
     The track feels simultaneously fuller and lighter than the band's earlier work while the lyrics are completely amazing (not a single line is bad) and that melody will be stuck circling your head for days (and you'll be happy about it).
       A chorus which states "grown ups, what do they know, living by the stories on the radio, bad news on the T.V., headlines are made of reality, we're young hearts, look at us go, all we really need is a stereo, we're young hearts look at us go, there's no stopping us we will carry on" is put together so articulately that it's impossible to not want to sing along and the chorus is only made better when the composition drifts into its vocal hook (a series of 'na, na, na's which are ridiculously addictive). 
       Lines like "we wake up and we go to school, together breaking every rule, they say that we're just young and fools", "remember all the memories and every little fantasy, careless of our destiny", and every other line in this song are fantastic because they show that the band has actual talent and that they can create a song that could stand on its own, without its insanely catchy chorus, if need be (that's great because bands that don't need a catchy chorus to support their songs can create the most crave-able music).
       Basically, every line is amazing, the composition is so far past perfect, and that beat is going to make you want to dance, so you might as well fall in love with the song now. Check out the sites below and get the song from iTunes now. 
"Young Hearts" Strange Talk
- E

Fall Apart

      Two brothers from California came out with an amazing song and you won't realize how addicted you are to their single until it's too late to do anything but listen to it on repeat.
       The sweet chords suck you in at the same time that the steady rhythm insists you move with the song and an adorable chorus ("this how books get written, this is why tales are told, and this is what we'll tell the children when we're old, c'mon take me home I've been waiting all my life for you, I could be alone if I thought I wasn't right for you, whatever comes along I'll be putting up a fight for you, c'mon take me home, yeah, let me fall apart with you") makes it so easy to want to sing along. 
       The track is not immediately addictive, but it grows on you, slowly, until you're sitting there humming it and trying to figure out where you first heard it and it won't stop circling in your mind until you've heard it again; save yourself the time spent trying to find it later by downloading the track (for free) by clicking on this link (or on the song title below) right now, then head to the sites below to support the band.
"Fall Apart" PawnShop Kings
- E

True North

       More than anything else, this should make you smile; Zayne's vocals are so satisfyingly rich that they're impossible to brush off and, with such classic vocals immediately taking precedence over anything else, it's hard to even focus on the sweet lyrics that run throughout until after a few listens. 
       The composition fuses together pop-rock, solid soul influences, and just enough of an electronic undertone to give the track some extra life while adorable lines like "staying out late till the sun came up, chasing emptiness, always testing my luck, heard the stories of love but they were not for me until you struck me down, like lightening, on my knees" and the repetition of "you're my star, my true north lady, you take me so far, but with you I'm home" make it impossible to not fall for this song (and so easy to start playing it on repeat).
       Head to the sites to find out more about the artist, check out his debut EP, Between Us, and listen to "True North" below. 
"True North" Eric Zayne
https://twitter.com/ericzayne
https://www.facebook.com/eric.zayne
http://www.youtube.com/user/ericzayne/videos
- E

Ready Set Go

       Royal Tailor set a new precedent for the Christian pop rock genre with their self titled sophomore album and their latest single, "Ready Set Go" (featuring Capital Kings), shows off their fun mix of pop beats and powerful lyrics. 
       The song is full of energy from its start, with a strong riff and prominent rhythm supporting fantastic lyrics ("broken hearts on the city streets, but I can hear that you're calling me to be the hope, be the light, be the love right now") and urging the song forward but, when the chorus comes around with "you put my life in motion" and a beat so great that it becomes physically impossible to not move along with it, you should be hooked on the band's music.
       This track will leave you craving more from the band so check out their sites below for more music, get the album from iTunes or Amazon, and look for more from the band on the site soon. 
"Ready Set Go" Royal Tailor (featuring Capital Kings)
http://www.royaltailoronline.com/
https://twitter.com/royaltailor
https://www.facebook.com/royaltailor
http://www.youtube.com/royaltailor
- E

Devil Inside

       The keyboard melody is immediate and hypnotic and it only gets better with dreamy strings and solid chords which intermingle with that melody gorgeously until a prominent rhythm picks up after the first minute. Lines like "put the devil inside me, with the wake of your company" and "darling, you have only, I'm the dreamer that your heart beats for" only make an addictive track even better and, when the song picks up around 2:46 it's impossible to not get caught up in it. 
       Check out the track from Blunda below, listen to his second solo EP, Messages, and head to the sites to find out more about the artist.
"Devil Inside" Blunda
- E

2.09.2014

Replay/ Disengage

       I would like to tell you guys that all of the posts are ready to go for New Music Monday, but that would be lying; there's plenty of great music for you to listen to tomorrow, I just haven't even begun to organize any of it. 
       I am craving new music from Sleeperstar though (because they're amazing) and I can't wait until the Monday when I can start talking about the music that will be on the bands next album, Lost Machines. For now, check out a track from the band's latest EP, Blue Eyes, and one from their debut full length, Just Another Ghost (and get both from iTunes now) and check out their sites below to stay up to date with the band's music.
"Replay" Sleeperstar
"Disengage" Sleeperstar
- E