So here's a band who totally has me reminiscing on my freshman year of high school, We the Kings. I was a huge fan of these dudes back when I was fifteen and remember seeing them at warped tour. They had hits that you might remember like "Check Yes, Juliet". Now don't get me wrong, I am still a fan of this band. I haven't been following them nearly as much, but I do remember purchasing some of their songs off their last album that came out just last year. Now the guys are already back with their third album that came out this past July. This new video for "Say You Like Me" just came out, but is their second single from the album. The first one was one of my summer jams called, "Friday is Forever". I have a feeling though that "Say You Like Me" is definitely going to be a bigger hit though.
The video is super quirky, with a video game theme. What surprises me most about this song though is its sound. It starts off really soft but then gets this reggae sound to it. It also sounds a little more mainstream pop than We the King's usual alternative pop rock sound. Travis Clark, lead singer, however still sounds like his usual self. Descent and cute, but nothing too special.
From San Diego, this duo, Little Hurricane, calls their music "dirty blues". Well, I couldn't think of a better genre to deem their music, it's just that. Their album Homewrecker, came out earlier this year and it is reminiscent of early blues artists, but with a more passionate rock edge.
Unlike my other current fav duo, the Civil Wars, Little Hurricane is definitely more rock n roll. They sing a little more grunty and a little more angry. They've got a lot of attitude. They also don't have as many pleasant and romantic harmonies. Either way, with their distinct voices, harder guitar riffs, and roughness around the edges, Little Hurricane is a new band that I'm definitely going to follow.
They call themselves Tone and CC. While I don't know why, I think this shows Little Hurricane's coolness. They don't need real names, they let their music speak.
I heard about Little Hurricane through a website I recently found called Indie Vision Music, where they advertised that they had a free cover of "Baby It's Cold Outside" just in time for Christmas. I'm really interested in hearing what it sounds like. Here's the link http://www.littlehurricanemusic.com/
just go to their website and enter your email address.
This video caught my attention awhile back when I randomly saw it on MTVU, but I honestly didn't give it a second thought. Then, however this artist, Oh Land, kept popping up on my YouTube sidebar. I decided to watch the video again and listen to more of her music, and I have to say, I might be newly obsessed. This Danish singer's music is pretty unique in my opinion and also kind of catchy.
This video for "Sun of a Gun" is pretty mesmerizing. I love the fashion and the whimsical scenery. The girly romantic dresses, poofy sleeves, and intense eyeliner she wears and the pink sky behind her are really cool. The dancing Oh Land does in the video shows off her ballet background. She used to be a part of the Royal Danish and Royal Swedish Ballet schools, two of the oldest and most prestigious companies.
Oh Land reached some popularity earlier this year in the U.S. with performances on late night TV shows, but I haven't really seen her take off yet besides that. I think her style and voice are completely original though, and maybe that's why she still isn't very well known. Oh Land's voice is might not be killer, but what I like about it is that it's different. You can hear her thick accent and wide range when she sings. Her voice is soft and peaceful. I really like the beginning of "Sun of a Gun" with her breathy "whoo"s where she sounds almost like a train or something. I also enjoy the chimes and snaps throughout her song.
Since I wasn't too impressed with her voice, I decided to find out if Oh Land had real talent or if she was just another plain auto-tuned electropop artist. I'm happy to say, this girl does have some skill. You can hear her pipes and range in these songs, more than in her more catchy stuff.
War paint, forests, fires, bone drumsticks? So this video isn't exactly realistic, nor does it make much sense. This is the first single from The Voice contestant and half of pop-rock band Meg&Dia, Dia Frampton. She was runner up on the show and praised for her interesting and unique voice, and Dia is on her way to making a name for herself. However, I'm not quite sure this video was a good idea as her introduction as a solo artist.
While the imagery in the video is whimsical and looks cool, especially with the awesome lighting and great fashion, I don't really see it as that good. It's cute, but I find it strange that it's a metaphor of something like a Peter Pan story, where the pretty piano player takes care of her children and friends in an isolated meadow from the bad guys. It's definitely different than anything else out right now, but it's a little corny to me.
Not only is the video corny, but so are the lyrics. "I can't help it, I love the broken ones, the ones who need the most patching up, the ones who have never been loved enough". Hmmmm, while I'm sure these words are relatable to some, I think they could have been better executed into a song. Besides the cornyness though, I do like Dia's voice. It is definitely different. It is soft and nasily, but in a good way. I really hope that the rest of her album, which is due to come out next month, isn't as cheesy as this. I really liked her music from Meg&Dia and enjoy her more simple yet jazzy style on The Voice. Hopefully her album has at least one of these factors in it.
Economy, the new album by folk/worship artist John Mark McMillan just came out on November 1st. Don't let the pink album cover fool you, this right here is real music. It's full of powerful lyrics and guitar shreds, not to mention the deep almost country-sounding voice of John Mark McMillan. I got to see this guy at Stubb's earlier this semester and he gave us a sneak peak of this album by playing some of its songs. While I won't say that his live show is the most interesting - he was usually very stiff, also having monotonous facial expressions - he was still extremely good. John Mark's songs on this album are definitely more rhythmic than songs on his previous ones, yet are still filled with the same rawness and artistry.
I love how this album goes seamlessly from uptempo to somber. It is cohesive in every way and the songs flow perfectly into one another. The choruses are triumphant yet simple, making you feel as though hundreds of people could be singing along to them. This is a bit different from his previous stuff, which was a lot more simplistic in sound. Here however, there are tons of face-melting guitar solos and heavy drum beats.
John Mark McMillan at Stubb's in October
While the sounds of the songs are cohesive, there is still a lot of variety in Economy. For instance "Who is This" is very instrumentally driven, with only a few repeated lines. Most of the other tracks however are filled with vivid and complex lyrics throughout. Some are slower and more emotional while other contain lots of "oohs" and easy melodies.
John Mark McMillan's voice alone is a reason to listen to this album. It is deep and gritty, and very enunciated. He sometimes hits some gentle falsetto that show his disposition like in "Sins are Stones". Other times he belts out the lyrics like in "Daylight". "Chemicals" and "Seen in Darkness" also have a soft and simple female backing harmony that I really enjoy.
Check out his YouTube channel to see some awesome videos of him performing tracks from this album in some really cool places, called the "Takeaway show": http://www.youtube.com/user/Johnmarkmcmillan
If you haven't heard of Deas Vail, I recommend you check them out. A good friend of mine told me about them almost a year ago. Then, after Last.fm kept suggesting them to me since they were similar to other artists I like, I finally started paying attention. There an amazing band from Arkansas if you're into soft indie rock sounding like Copeland, Death Cab, or Mae. Wes Blaylock's super high tenor voice is completely whimsical and dreamy. Backed by his wife (Daawww :D), Laura, for some simple harmonies, and their songs are truly beautiful. While Deas Vail's harmonies are usually no more than a third above the melody, the Blaylock's still show promising talent and an original sound. Laura actually opens the album with the intro of the song "Desire", then Wes soon joins her as they sing two pretty lines simultaneously. This self titled album, which is actually their sixth, has a lot of different sounds. It has some that are really soft and peaceful songs to listen to before you go to bed or some more fun and upbeat ones that have choruses for singalongs. Besides Wes's crystal clear and precise voice hitting every note perfectly, the instrumentals of this album are also quite impressive, such as the bass intro in "Desire" and the guitar solo in "Quite Like Sirens".
This video has been out since June, and is one of their more fun songs. It's really nostalgic, reminding you of summers of your youth. Plus it's totes adorbs.
This new album by JJ Heller came out last month and I'm pretty in love with it. Her music is acoustic Ingrid Michaelson-esque. Heller has an awesome voice accompanied many times only by her acoustic guitar. Some of my favorites from the album are "Control" and "No Fight Left" when you need some relatable emotion, and "When I'm With You" and "Boat Song" if you're into romantic cuteness.
JJ Heller's voice is so sweet and clear and in songs like "Red Against Your Black", jazzy with a little more attitude. It is simplistic, yet definitely unique. In fact, this is said to be her best album yet vocally. Also on some of the songs you can hear a soft male harmony in the background.
Overall Deeper by JJ Heller is full of beautiful work that makes you want to go lay on a grassy knoll in the middle of a flowery meadow. It's full of all different emotions from sheer happiness, being in love, anguish, to spiritual optimism. There's something for any mood you might be in.
I stumbled upon this song today while on iTunes. It's their free single of the week so I though, what the heck might as well download it. I've never been a huge fan of Angels and Airwaves, but I do like their music. Except for one little thing - their songs all sound the same. While the lyrics are all pretty good, they seem to be about the same topics. The instrumentals are also always similar. Very epic.
It's no surprise that this song doesn't disappoint in that aspect. The chorus sounds just like one from another one of their songs...though I can't think of which one. Frontman, Tom DeLonge also still sounds the same. His Angels and Airwaves voice, contrary to his Blink 182 voice, is displayed here as usual. Not that his voice is bad, I do actually like it. However, his overexcentuation of the words does sometimes get annoying. Regardless, I'm pretty sure he purposely makes it sound that way in order to give them this distinct sound. I mean, there's no way they just sound like this by accident.
Angels and Airwaves definitely have the consistency factor down. Maybe Tom Delonge was just too tired to come up with anything else, since he also just released a new Blink album a couple of months ago. One thing that this band does have going for them is that, at least when you hear one of their songs for the first time, there's no doubting who they are. Hmmm well, maybe that might be a good thing, but maybe not. I guess it just depends on what you prefer.
Florence and the Machine just came out with a new album yesterday, called Ceremonials, but I've been addicted to this song "Shake it Out" for sometime now since they first started playing it on SiriusXM's AltNation. This video came out almost a month ago, and it really depicts the Florence Welch's sort of cool, bizarre elegance. I love the shiny clothes and fancy rooms where it takes place. Not to mention the awkward spinning and dancing, masks, and kooky cinematography of this video.
At the moment, this is one of my favorite driving jams. It's constantly on in my car. I think the reason why I like it is because of it's unique sound from other stuff out right now. I love Florence's sweet yet powerful voice, her many trills, and her wide range. What's also cool about this song is how it reminds me of 80's pop music, which I'm also a big fan of, especially the backing vocals on the chorus. The sound of the line "Shake it out, shake it out, oh woah" is definitely something reminiscent of an old Cyndi Lauper, Stevie Nicks, or the Eurythmics tune. Even with this, Florence still seems very original.
Retro is a big trend right now, but most artists are turning to the 70s or 90s. Also, I don't think that very many artists have voices that match their retro persona. Florence on the other hand, has a voice that is classic. It appeals to both the older crowd and the young and hip as well.
I got a chance to see and actually meet this artist, Chris August, at a concert at Stubb's about a month ago. I had never heard of him before and immediately fell in love. His voice was one of the best I've ever heard live and his lyrics were so relatable. Though I didn't understand why, nor was I disappointed, he had two sets and came up on stage twice, just him and his guitar. I was more than impressed by his wide range and soulful vocals. A big and raw R&B voice came out of this little, white, hipster looking guy. Literally every single one of his songs gave me goosebumps and his randomly inspiring add-libs were even more attractive. I was just completely captivated by his voice, so much so that I started downloading his songs off iTunes onto my phone while he was still performing.
My friend that I was at the show with bought August's album from the merch table, and on the way home we immediately played it in his car. Such a fricken disappointment! We of course expected the amazing live Chris August voice to come through the speakers, but what we heard instead was an overly-contrived generic pop artist. Everything was so polished and computer generated. You could even hear the auto-tune. There was nothing special about Chris August that you could hear in the album. All I can say is that I wish I could have just taken his live performance home with me instead of this silly CD that made him sound like anyone else I could hear on the radio.
This was honestly so upsetting to me. I really wanted to love Chris August. On top of his amazing talent, he also seemed completely down to earth. He walked around the venue after the show meeting and talking with fans, cracking jokes with everyone as though he had always been your best friend. I don't want to dislike him, but I can't help but wish I never would have listened to his album. It made him lose so much appeal. All I can do is hope that his next album is more raw and less produced. Or maybe he can release a live album. I will however recommend that you don't listen to his album, but do watch some of his live performances on YouTube if you can't see one of his shows. Also, check this out:
So, I absolutely love The Black Keys. Their last album, Brothers, was a hit and definitely one of my favorite albums. This is why I'm completely pumped to hear what their new one is going to sound like. The Black Keys new album, El Camino, is set to come out December 6th, but you can already pre-order it on iTunes. Then, earlier this week, the band released this first listen video of the first single from the album, called "Lonely Boy". While the video seems ridiculous as it depicts an old African-American man doing the same three 50s/60s dance moves for the camera while lip syncing, I can't help but think that this is somehow an oddly perfect analogy of this song's sound as well as The Black Keys' sound on general. Their music is always feel-good soulful retro with awesome beats. Their albums always sound as though you are listening to them in a live venue such as your local bar or best friend's parent's garage. Singer Dan Auerbach's voice is reminiscent of early blues singers and while it doesn't ever range from more than a few notes, it is still enjoyable to listen to.
Warning: Lots of mixed feelings and ranting in this post.
So after all of the hype over their first album in three years, Family Force 5 left me thinking, "Wow, seriously, what have they been doing this whole time?" The album, III, is only ten tracks and less than thirty minutes long. Also, the lyrics are completely shallow and pretty unoriginal. Even the title of the album is lame; it's their third album, coming out three years after their last one, hence III.
As much as I love this band, it just seems to me as though their albums get progressively worse. I don't understand how their music started off so creative, but now is so common and just full of words about partying and looking at hot girls. However, I'm not going to be all judgmental and lame though like all the Christian blogs are reviewing this album, saying it's sad that these guys call themselves Christians. No, that's just ridiculous. Just because Family Force 5 makes fun music and doesn't explicitly mention Jesus, doesn't mean that they are liars and doesn't change their beliefs. That's just silly.
My problem with this album though is that it could have been at least a little bit longer and a little more unique. It could have had more of the Family Force 5 sound that I fell in love with years ago. It could have varied in what the songs were about a little more. Sadly, most of the songs are about the same things -- Seeing hot chicks and dancing. And come on, only ten songs?! I think FF5 owes it to their die-hard fans to have at least given them a little more, especially after such a long wait.
But then there's the other side of me...
Besides all the things that I just said, I do actually like this album. Yeah, I know that makes no sense. While most of the songs are about the same unoriginal things, III does actually have some good lyrics on about two of their songs. "Paycheck" is a pretty funny and ironic commentary about our nation and its economic state: "I spent my life lookin' for a discount
Now I thank God for the handout". Or maybe it's just talking about being poor? Either way, it differs from the other songs on III. Then there's "Not Alone", the only song on the album to keep the conservative Christian critics from shunning this group and voting them off the island once and for all. It actually doesn't mention girls or partying at all...yay.
Family Force 5 is known for being different. They have a super unique sound, deemed Crunk-rock -- lots of screaming, heavy beats, semi-rapping, synths, with a country twang. In III however, the band experiments a lot with a new sort of reggae and samba sound in songs like "Mammacita" and "You Got It". Then, the funnest song of all, complete with its own dance (yes I know it) is "Wobble".
Vocally, it's hard to give Family Force 5 a rating. Solomon Olds (aka Soul Glow Activatur) the lead singer has a pretty distinct voice to me. It's usually raspy with a hint of southern accent. His occasional screaming is a part of what makes the band who they are. Besides that though, I mean its not like this dude was classically trained. You can though sometimes hear a bit of a soft harmony under all the synth and beat.
Overall, III by Family Force 5 is one of the couple of albums lately that brings me to an internal battle. Do I like it or not?! Do I just think I like it because I feel as though I have some sort of fan loyalty (Eh em like with Switchfoot)? Do I really think its trite and lame? Does it just make me really mad that I actually like it??? Regardless, Family Force 5 is always going to be one of those you either love it or hate it kinds of bands. This is definitely a good album though to have if you want to throw a dance party or drive around with your friends, yelling the stupid lyrics at the top of your lungs.
First video for the album:
If you haven't heard of Family Force 5 before, their an awesome band from Atlanta with a unique sound. It's five guys, three of them are brothers, which is where their name came from. They all have wonderfully ridiculous stage names: Soul Glow Activatur, Crouton, Fatty, Nadaddy, and Chap Stique. They also have genuinely hilarious personalities. Search "Family Force 5 Really Real Show" on YouTube to see what I mean. Oh, and they're extremely fun to see live; I've seen them like four times.
Usually I write about new stuff that has just come out, but this week I've decided to change things up a bit. I've been pretty obsessed with this duo, the Civil Wars for sometime now and thought I'd finally show them some love. Comprised of John Paul White and Joy Williams (I used to listen to her stuff on Christian radio back when I was a kid), these two singer-songwriters met in Nashville and later formed this genuinely beautiful folk alt-country band. Their music is so serene and just plain lovely.
What I enjoy most is how nicely their voices compliment each other. John's voice is deep and raw while Joy's is soft and clear. Together they form some pretty sick and haunting harmonies that give goose bumps. Whether they are simultaneously singing in harmony, unison, doing rounds, or belting out their own solos, both of their talents are constantly being showed off. Their album, Barton Hallow, that came out in February is one that I am always listening to on repeat. It never gets old. And I'm pretty sure it would be appealing to any sort of listener. I promise you this band is worth your time.
They've done it again! I absolutely love the band MuteMath,, and their new album that came out this week is simply fun! As seen in this new video for their song "Blood Pressure" and their 2007 video that first put them on the scene, "Typical", these guys from New Orleans are not only talented, but creative as well.
Mutemath is extremely interesting as a band. They have a unique sound that defines them. I think what is so cool is that they often show off their talents by including songs on their albums that are solely instrumental. It gives them cred as classical and artistic. Their sound is a great mix of soulful,electronic, surf-rockish, industrial, with the distinct voice of Paul Meany and a few keytars.
This new album is a wonderful mix of their past two, but in my opinion is a good improvement from their last, Armistice. Some of the songs on the album are even a little bit progressive sounding, and it's cool how there will be one that has a super slow chill tempo then the next will be an upbeat ska-ish sounding song that you can dance to.
While there's not much I can say about the vocals in this album, the music is still wonderful. I am however a huge fan of Meany's voice, and if you listen closely, a few of the songs do have nice understated harmonies, including this song "Blood Pressure". Also this video, which already the second from this album, is a total win. So much stop motion, so much strobe, so much jumping, so much confetti, so much fun.
Well, my excitement was crushed. I hate to hate on this album and it pains me to talk badly about Switchfoot, but I have been waiting for this for the entire year. I've been a big fan and follower of this band for years and own all of their albums, even their early stuff from the 90s. Ironically I just stated a couple of weeks ago that no matter what, this would be the one band that I would always love and spend money on. Boy, did I jinx myself.
Vice Versas came out last Tuesday and as soon as it did, I tried to purchase it on iTunes. Thank God, I realized soon enough that I was out of iTunes credit and decided just to listen to it on Spotify instead. WTH?! was all I could say. What happened to Switchfoot?!
This album is full of cliches. From the lyrics, to the arrangements of the songs, everything was so contrived and pathetic. I was shocked at how the lyrics, what I usually respect the most about Switchfoot, sounded as though they could have been written by amateurs. Like seriously, did a couple of twelve year olds write this stuff? You'll find that when you look at the title of the songs, you can already predict what it will sound like. Literally almost every chorus just repeats the title. Ugh! Not what I would expect from front-man, and my personal hero, Jon Foreman. Switchfoot, Foreman's other band Fiction Family, and his solo project are usually filled with artistic and authentic lyrics about life and spirituality. But none of that is heard on Vice Versas.
So what happened this time? Well I blame Atlantic Records and their producers, that Switchfoot is new to working with. Everything sounds like its trying to be catchy, instead of original. Another problem is that a lot of this sounds like some of Switchfoot's past work, as though they just ran out of ideas and decided to compile similar sounding stuff as before, but not in a good way.
I will admit that the album isn't completely terrible; it does strike some good notes, and it could have had potential, but then never got to actual good. What I don't understand is all the buzz about this album. It has received so much more promotion than previous Switchfoot music, more than other albums which I thought deserved to be talked about more. Fans as well as the band themselves have said that this is their best work yet, and I completely disagree. This is by far the most disappointed I've been all year. Hopefully, maybe if I listen to this album again, it will grow on me, but I doubt it. And I would advise fans of this album, or people who don't know much about Switchfoot to check out their older stuff and then decide if this is really good work.
Simply beautiful. That's pretty much all I can say about this new album, Little Hell, from City and Colour, a.k.a. Dallas Green. It actually isn't that new, but hey, I just found out about it. I've heard that this artist is far more popular in Australia and his native Canada, which might be why I've never heard of him. Or maybe I'm just not hip enough? Either way, Green is truly talented. I love the romantic sound of "We Found Each Other In the Dark", the lovely harmony of "O' Sister", the guitar riffs of "Weightless", and the uptempo beat of "Natural Disaster".
City in Colour's sound is the farthest from Green's former band, Alexisonfire. The Punk/hardcore/screamo band just announced last month that they are officially breaking up. His voice is so clear and profound. It's soothing to listen to, full of depth and raw emotion. He definitely provides wonderful background homework music.
NEEDTOBREATHE is back with their new album The Reckoning. Originally having music only on Christian radio, this band has gotten a lot of mainstream attention since their recent tour with Taylor Swift. Their music is more alt-country lately with lots of soul. The Reckoning takes NEEDTOBREATHE back to their folk-ish sound, but this time they seem a little bit darker.
Bear Rinehart, lead singer, has seriously one my favorite voices. He sounds like a wonderful mix of John Meyer meets Jack Johnson, but with a gospel twist. Rinehart could easily be a voice on the stage at your local bar or the leader of a large Black Baptists choir.
This album is great to wake up to, study to, or go on a nice long drive with friends to. It's perfect for so many different occasions. NEEDTOBREATHE has had a pattern for making chill yet inspirational music. Their music is good and just plain fun.
They're back???
So it looks like it's true, ladies and gents. That band, the one you cried and head-banged to in junior high, the one that caused your ears to bleed in high school, is indeed back with a new single. After five years since their last release, Evanescence is finally coming out with a new album at the beginning of next month.
I stumbled across this single and music video while randomly browsing iTunes, and I was pretty shocked that these rockers were even still together. Yeah, I've heard they've gone through a couple of changes in the lineup, but seriously where is this coming from? I will admit that I was a huge fan of Evanescence back when I was about twelve or thirteen. However, they lost me with their somehow Grammy winning album, The Open Door. There was just too much contrived pain and agony in those songs. It was the kind of music you listened to when you wanted to feel depressed or give yourself some kind of street cred as a really dark souled metal kid. When last hearing from them though, didn't it seem as though liking Evanescence had kind of become a joke?
This is why I was mildly surprised when hearing this song. It somehow, in a weird way, is surprisingly upbeat, not that that's a good thing. The whole persona of Amy Lee and the rest of the clan is that they're supposed to be sad and dark. Yet, this song is oddly bright and catchy. The opening percussion rhythm is reminiscent of early 2000s pop punk bands and the chorus is melodically fun. Then the hook "Do what you want, you want", is just one of those things you know that, after five seconds of listening to the song, will be stuck in your head for the rest of the day. What I find so funny though is that, according to an MTV.com interview, the band claims that this album is heavier than others. They definitely weren't convincing of that with this first single though.
I'm utterly confused. To me this sounds like a song that kids will be dancing and jumping around to while singing the lyrics into a hairbrush, but in the music video, Amy Lee still scares the heck out of me. Even after being on the scene for about eight years, she still hasn't retired her dark eye makeup, flowy long skirts, or snarling at the camera. It seems completely inconsistent with the sound of the song.
Though I will say, Lee's voice is still monumental. The melody is rather unique, and this classically trained artist could still rival many opera singers. I also enjoy the lower harmony backing vocal on the chorus. I mean, this girl can belt and there's no denying it. I'm pretty sure it's the only thing that really gives Evanescence an even remotely individual sound.
Overall, this band needs some more consistency. I really still don't understand what they're purpose is for coming back and releasing this album. Hopefully there are still some diehard fans of Amy Lee's voice out there that actually care about them returning.
There's been quite some buzz about this new video from Emery. There was an article about it on Alternative Press's website, and it even premiered on MTV2's Head Bangers Ball. All I have to say is, it's about time Emery receives some attention.
I've personally been a fan of this band for years, but they definitely are usually a little more under the radar. They're one of the most understated hardcore screamo bands out there, with amazing vocal and lyrical talents throughout the band. Still, this song is a bit different than their usual stuff. At first no one would even notice, but those who loyally follow Emery would have to agree that their music has gotten heavier on this new album We Do What We Want. There's more screaming, more low-register bass rifts, just more metal in general. It's also one of their most spiritual albums with songs like "Fix Me" (one of few that aren't so hardcore). "Scissors" shows this as well, with lines like, "Hope, but there is doubt that bleeds through" and "So God I'm asking you do you even care".
This is definitely a good song to mosh to and blast when you want to viciously punch someone in the face. Maybe it's a good choice if you're going through some intense internal conflict. What is a bit disappointing about this album though is that, while there's still very solid vocals coming from the band--the factor I most appreciate from them--the screaming does overshadow their usual incredible harmonies. In the past, Emery has had some chilling, goose-bump leaving harmonies that would put choral singers to shame. And while there are still hints of that here with their haunting voices, it just isn't the same with all the extra hardness.
Regardless of their vocal style or what the cause is for this new sound, Emery will most likely be attracting a new audience this year. Don't be surprised if the long-haired, all black wearing, angsty fourteen-year-olds are soon head banging to them at the skate park.
This is a perfect example of the whole theory that video kills music. I was a big fan of this song until this video came out. What can I say, I'm a sucker for guy/girl duets, and this one does give Swimming with Dolphins a more unique sound than just your average synthpop band. However the video kind of ruined it for me. I mean, come on. Lyrically this is a pretty emotional break up song. And while I understand that the beat makes it sort of feel-good, could it get any cheesier? The whole running around a carnival, chasing the girl, riding a roller-coaster, jumping into the ocean, is just...well...lame. It seems like a severely forced analogy, and a bit familiar looking.
This is Swimming with Dolphins' first video and it was released earlier this month. Their first album wasn't very successful, and they're still relatively unknown. I think that they'll be on people's radar though real soon, despite their irrelevant music video, thanks to their recent signing with Tooth & Nail Records. The talent of Austin Tofte is promising, and the band constantly performs with other different members. When seeing them perform last spring here in Austin, Tofte was joined by two female backup vocalists and keyboard players. One of them I'm sure is the backing voice of this song, "Sleep to Dream".
Swimming with Dolphins was formed three years ago by Tofte and Adam Young of Owl City. However, after Owl City fell into the mainstream realm, Young left the group. So what will that mean for the future of Swimming with Dolphins? Well, I can't tell you. Personally, I like this band, and hopefully their music videos will improve. The one thing I can predict though is that Swimming with Dolphins probably won't ever hit it as big as Owl City, but won't people appreciate that anyway?
If you haven't heard of Deas Vail, I recommend you check them out. A good friend of mine told me about them almost a year ago. Then, after Last.fm kept suggesting them to me since they were similar to other artists I like, I finally started paying attention. There an amazing band from Arkansas if you're into soft indie rock sounding like Copeland, Death Cab, or Mae. Wes Blaylock's super high tenor voice is completely whimsical and dreamy. Backed by his wife (Daawww :D), Laura, for some simple harmonies, and their songs are truly beautiful. While Deas Vail's harmonies are usually no more than a third above the melody, the Blaylock's still show promising talent and an original sound. Laura actually opens the album with the intro of the song "Desire", then Wes soon joins her as they sing two pretty lines simultaneously. This self titled album, which is actually their sixth, has a lot of different sounds. It has some that are really soft and peaceful songs to listen to before you go to bed or some more fun and upbeat ones that have choruses for singalongs. Besides Wes's crystal clear and precise voice hitting every note perfectly, the instrumentals of this album are also quite impressive, such as the bass intro in "Desire" and the guitar solo in "Quite Like Sirens".
Warning: Lots of mixed feelings and ranting in this post.
What I enjoy most is how nicely their voices compliment each other. John's voice is deep and raw while Joy's is soft and clear. Together they form some pretty sick and haunting harmonies that give goose bumps. Whether they are simultaneously singing in harmony, unison, doing rounds, or belting out their own solos, both of their talents are constantly being showed off. Their album, Barton Hallow, that came out in February is one that I am always listening to on repeat. It never gets old. And I'm pretty sure it would be appealing to any sort of listener. I promise you this band is worth your time. 
NEEDTOBREATHE is back with their new album The Reckoning. Originally having music only on Christian radio, this band has gotten a lot of mainstream attention since their recent tour with Taylor Swift. Their music is more alt-country lately with lots of soul. The Reckoning takes NEEDTOBREATHE back to their folk-ish sound, but this time they seem a little bit darker.