Breaking the Silence

I'm going to ease into this because it's been a while since I've had anything to say.

Here's what I've been listening to lately: 

James Bay - Just listen. Free downloads on his website. Anxiously awaiting the release of his EP.

Rayland Baxter - Newport Folk Fest is less than 2 weeks away. This guy is on my list of must-sees!



Bonnie McKee - I have taken a dive into the pool of pop and I'm not coming up for air any time soon. Sorry I'm not sorry. This song is pure GOLD. I seriously can't get enough. She writes for Katy, Ke$ha & many others and now it's her turn. The video is amazing. Macklemore in a tub??!? HELLO!



Stephen Kellogg released his solo album a few weeks ago and it's great. If you haven't picked up a copy, do it! Check out the video for Crosses, my favorite track. It rips out my heart every time I hear it.




And on the eve of his album release, I'll leave you with my favorite (so far) new Matt Nathanson track.

Now Playing: Imagine Dragons

I have to admit, when I first heard this Imagine Dragons EP back in February, I completely forgot about it afterwards. Not that I didn't enjoy it, it just didn't stick with me. But last week, Ben sent me this video:




....and that all changed. I just couldn't get enough of this stripped down version. I have woken up with "It's Time" in my head every day for a week. The other night, my friend and I were in my car and the song came on the radio (another reason why WBRU is my favorite radio station ever). I kind of lost it and went a little crazy when I realized what it was. In addition to "It's Time", "On Top of the World" gets a lot of playtime in my head too. They are just such FUN songs!

Hear It First: Milo Greene

The interns at NPR Music created something that may be even better than NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts...Interns' Deskless Concerts! They were sick of their bosses not listening to them about good music & took matters into their own hands. I just heard this band today (more like, 10 minutes ago) and I just knew I had to blog about them. This year has been HUGE for me and male/female harmonies so it's no surprise that I fell in love with Milo Greene  before I even heard them (saw the denim, plaid & beards first). Their debut album is due out in 2012 and with a tour opening for The Civil Wars on their heels, I'm sure this won't be the last time you hear them.

The Lumineers

      While the tv shows on the CW may not have quality storylines, they somehow manage to get REALLY great music. In an episode of Hart of Dixie that also featured songs by Needtobreathe and The Head and The Heart, I heard a song that my ears just needed to hear again. After much googling, I finally found it. "Ho Hey" has got everything I love about a song - a simple yet catchy chorus, a foot stomping beat, and an awesome "HEY" shout. The full length album isn't out until March 2012 but there are plenty of youtube videos and an EP to hold me over until then. For fans of the folk rock scene, definitely keep your ears open for The Lumineers in 2012.

Now Playing - Delta Rae

Soulful, foot-stomping, harmonizing, gospel, alt-pop. It's really hard to find the words to describe this band. Delta Rae has not one, not two, not three, but FOUR lead singers (3 of which are siblings) and somehow manage to still form a signature sound. They all equally share the spotlight while getting SO into it that it's impossible for the passion not to translate to the crowd. Check out "Morning Comes" off of their self-titled EP for a taste of the Delta Rae that got me hooked last Saturday at their show. Their new video for "Bottom Of The River" is really great too. It's haunting, yet lovely. WARNING: The masks are creepy.

Now Playing - Chris Velan

I went to see my friends, Eric French & Mr. Hyde, play last week & got there early enough to catch the opener.  So glad I did! Canada's own Chris Velan took the stage and the combo of his voice, the use of a loop pedal, + his beard won me over. I picked up Fables For Fighters on vinyl and couldn't wait to listen. It takes off with ukelele on "Any Number of Ways" and continues on into the dreamy "Oceans Ago". Velan has that 70's singer-songwriter sound to him and the whole album is incredibly tasty.





Hurting You Kind - Chris Velan

You're On Your Own Now - Chris Velan

Now Playing - Quiet Hounds

I have to admit, most times when I'm blogging about a band, I know very little about them. Usually, I haven't yet had a chance to see them live & I'm just anxious to talk about the music. So, I do some googling and can easily find some background info to pull together a post. Well, a background is something that Quiet Hounds don't have. A google search turns up lots of cute puppy images, but that's about it. So how did I hear about them? Well, when JrzyGyrl recommends something, I listen.

Apparently, they wrote & recorded their self-titled EP in a warehouse in just two short weeks. You'd never know it was put together so quickly. These 5 songs are so fantastic they sound like they could've taken months to create. I just can't get enough of the catchy beats, incredible melodies & great lyrics. Their elusive facebook bio describes the EP as "anthemic nostalgia" and I really can't think of a better way to say it.

I can't wait to hear more from these guys (I'm assuming they're guys....). Until then, I'll continue to wear out the EP. "Southern Charm" is my current favorite track due to its sing-a-long-ability. As for you, the EP is up for free download HERE.