- Ingrid Michaelson's "Afterlife" video perfectly captures lines "living like you're dying isn't living at all, give me your cold hands, put them on my heart, raise a glass to everyone who thinks they'll never make it through this life, to live a brand new start" with a sweetly honest video made to make you smile. Check it out and know that everyone fucks up, everyone's fucked up, and everything is going to be just fine.
- Taylor Swift's 1989 came out and people lost their shit over "Blank Space". Get past the fact that the entire album is straight-up pop and you'll hear lyrics more mature than anything Swift's written before; it's refreshing, sweet, and all so self-aware that it's impossible to not fall for. Turn it up and dance around your place, because that's really what "Style" and "Shake It Off" are best for.
- After the weekend's cringe-worthy performance on SNL, Mø released the whole cliched "no one is perfect; I don't want to be perfect anyways - lol ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ " mini speech because, y'know, nobody's perfect, you live and you learn it.. That being mocked, she's got enough catchy tracks to blur out that performance so it's all cool.
- Fairchild's "Arcadia" takes a cooler approach than its predecessors in a refreshing change of pace. The whole beach pop scene was fun, but "Arcadia" is a breath of fresh air with an irrepressible melody.
- Dorothy gives us the first "fuck yes" response to good rock in too long with wonderfully hardened vocals, rich soul, heavy beats, and distorted riffs that beg you to turn down the lights and dance with your crush. Wait till the chorus of "Wicked Ones" kicks in and you'll be hooked.
- Paul McDonald's "Bright Lights" offers up an impossibly addictive melody with sweet lyrics and a stripped to its core feel that gives it a stark purity and honest feel, so sweet to hear in a track's instrumentation. Look for an interview plus a guest post from Paul coming in November.
- "Howlin' Marilyn" deserves a spot on your Halloween playlist. My Old Dutch created a perfectly gritty song that'll sound perfect turned way up on Friday night.
- The Rebel Light's "Strangers" stands in stark contrast to the upcoming, cool Winter months with a sweet West coast sound that reeks of hot sand and open shirts. Check it out for a melt in your mouth melody and smooth vocals that'll have you hooked in seconds.
- Smashing Satellites' greatly addictive "Hounds" should be all over your radio; check out the new EP, SonicAluzion (A-Side), to hear tracks "Waterfall" and "Calm Me Down" then look for an interview with the band coming in November.
- Nolan Kennedy's The Honesty Theory offers up crisp tracks wrapped in articulate lyrics and sweet guitar hooks sure to drag you in. With a familiar quality to the sound which feels like all the good '90's alt-rock that first made you beg for your own instrument, it's so easy to sink into tracks like "Cover You" and "Apologize".
- Tin Sparrow's mellow chords and full vocals fill up each track with an undeniable soul and a pleasant air of stripped down approachability with tracks "Echoes In The Dark" and "Grass Stained Volleys" from Shoelace Ring EP being so easy to play again and again.
- Marshall Stone gives this indie fueled list a sweet country feel with the summer chords and fun-loving lyrics of single "How You See It All" from album Good Times Never Fade.
- Mat Kearney will be releasing his next single, "Heartbeat", November 4th.
- East of Ely's self-titled EP is impossible to ignore with great riffs and striking chords that'll have you asking how many replays are too many. Listen to "Waterfalls", "Easy Friend", and "Came Without".
- Sam Burchfield released the music video for single "Here Tonight" with a feel as laid-back and relaxed as the track and artist himself; check out an interview and get his debut EP, Where To Run, on iTunes now.
- Smile Swamp Princess will be releasing the music video for single "XXXO" on November 4th, but you can listen to the single on SoundCloud now.
- Kid Radio's "Young Heart" is impossible to sit still to and gives you something you're sure to fall for, as the driven beats of this band's production style are going to wrap around and drag you in within seconds; it just gets better with each listen.
Arcadia /
Fairchild's latest single, "Arcadia", offers up a cool response to the bands normally winding tracks.
The change in sound from the last EP to this single is subtle but great, with a fully constructed sound letting loose a running rhythm and irrepressible melody while the always 'pretty' vocals from Adam Lyons feel markedly strong and steady, keeping up with that heavy rhythm and giving the track a refreshingly balanced feel that plays out with ease along the driven production. It only gets better with each listen and that cool and controlled beat will have you tapping your feet and playing this on repeat.
Check out the remarkably addictive "Arcadia" below and head to the sites to hear more from Fairchild.
"Arcadia" Fairchild
Strangers /
The Rebel Light's "Strangers" drips with a sweet West coast sound that makes it enticingly warm.
The beach-y feel offers up a stark contrast to other cool Autumn releases with a playful melody and solid rhythm, feeling light and lofty and coming out as an absolute refusal of the Winter months. Soft vocals are balanced by a fun beat, mellow bass, and lulling chords that come together to wrap the song up in a softly driven production that feels just like an afternoon on the sand.
Check out "Strangers" and head to the sites below for more from The Rebel Light.
"Strangers" The Rebel Light
Music Related News - 10/24 /
- Milky Chance's Sadnecessary came out and the guys performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Check out singles "Flashed Junk Mind" and "Stolen Dance" to hear how these guys effortlessly turn what's lost in translation into something gorgeous and alluringly unpretentious.
- Sir Sly's obnoxiously good You Haunt Me was released and every track is worth the listen. Check out every track for music and lyrics so heartfelt you'll be sucked in within seconds. Hit up tracks "Leave You", "Where I'm Going", and "Helpless / Bloodlines, Pt. II".. there is no 'bad choice'.
- Belarbi released a remix of Stal's "Gone" and there's nothing else you need on your Friday than to play this at full volume while getting ready. Downbeats weave their way through a secondary line of enticing upbeats and turn it into something truly hypnotic as Belarbi strips the original track of its too heavy bass and restrained rhythm to stuff it full of a dub inspired sound you'll never stop dancing to.
- Nolan Kennedy released debut album The Honesty Theory and it's got an impressive purity to it that feels so bold in contrast to lyrics that ring out with a solid, wouldn't you know, honesty. Check out lyric videos for "Apologize", "Cover You", and "Devil Creep" so you can sing along when the tracks inevitably get stuck in your head.
- Taylor Swift's "Out of the Woods" was catchy but the heavy presence of Jack Antonoff's irrepressibly driven production style made the track. Ten seconds of static shot to the number one slot in Canadian iTunes charts when 'Track 3' from her album was mistakenly 'released'; in the future, we should all learn from Canada's mistake and preview the tracks before buying them, lest we end up with something as uninspired as "Welcome to New York" sitting in our library. Look for new lyrics from each of her album's tracks to be released on her Tumblr page every day leading up to the release of 1989 (10/27) and check out leaked track "Blank Space" now.
- Dotan released the 'official' music video for single "Home" now that he's signed to Republic.
- Hook N Sling are offering a free download of their latest track "Tokyo By Night".
- The Lone Bellow released their music video for "Then Came The Morning" in anticipation of their sophomore album, Then Came The Morning, due out January 27th, 2015. See them live; they're on tour this fall (check dates here) and they're one you don't want to miss.
- The video for James Bay's "Hold Back the River" is as subdued as the song itself.. James Bay's vocals are gold, his guitar work is enviable, but his productions are lackluster and always manage to make the wrong choice, taking an indie/folk song you should be able to listen to on repeat and pumping it out in a narrow pop format that you'll grow tired of after a few listens. His Hold Back The River EP will be released November 24th.
- The music video for Jack Carty's "What Am I Gonna Do With All Of My Love Now" from his debut album Esk, out now, is as laid-back as the track. The album's stellar, but it's got to be listened to in segments or the sweetness and the touch too smooth production will make you hate it. One or two songs at a time and it'll be the perfectly sweet lift to your crisp Fall playlist.
- Saving Abel is streaming portions of new tracks off their next album, Blood Stained Revolution, on their PledgeMusic page. Head here to support the new album, set to be released this Veteran's Day.
- "Fruition" is so great it's annoying. Thom Lion and the Tamers present something that can be played on repeat, earnestly, with a refreshing mix of alt folk and beach vibes which should not work, but come together so smoothly it's hypnotic.
- The Rooks released new single "Secrets" and its subdued jazz/alt sound is all you need to listen to on a lazy afternoon.
- The Never Ever's video for single "Nightlife" is thoroughly unobtrusive in light of how catchy the track is; check out their YouTube channel now to hear so many addictive tracks in one place it's nearly obscene.
- Go Fiasco released their single "Heaven" and it is one of few tracks that live up to the praise appointed to it in their email. It's offhandedly pointed with a mellow bass and leading drums that pull it all in while the guitar pushes out; an alluringly different sound that all feels so solid.
- The Well Reds will be releasing new album, Volume, November 10th and, with it, have proven that it is possible to make a great album with eighty percent of the tracks being hittingly energetic. Check out singles "Carousels" and "Do You Still Love Me" for a taste of the sound that will make your November nights warmer once it's released.
- Lucian remixed Alanis Morisette's "Forgive Me Love", stripping it of its too slow rhythm and the melancholia that rang through each bar of the original and infusing it with a Miami club feel featuring warm beats and an easy to catch refrain.
- Zella Day's latest single, "Hypnotic", is iTunes single of the week; check it out and get the self-titled EP now.
- Stargroves received the Young Turks Award for their outstanding website; head there now to hear hypnotic tracks like "Hats In The Air" and "Within Me A Lunatic Sings" featuring vocals from Abigail Breslin.
- The DC world gets a facelift on the 31st with the release of LiVKi's "Dark Blonde Rises". It's perfectly dark and hardened with just a shot of chaos in the gritty production and a chorus that will have you hooked in one listen.
- Paul McDonald's debut album is on its way and you can hear new single "Bright Lights" now. The piano's gorgeously understated, production's light enough to keep the focus on McDonald's soft vocals, and the track's 'idea of love' makes it sweeter than a straight up love song. Look for an interview and guest post to come soon.
- Fairchild's "Arcadia" offers up a refreshing take on Australian music; for so long Australia's releases have been associated with beach pop that it was getting hard to stomach, but Fairchild took their track and gave it a cool feel with a sped up rhythm and lilting melody that hits just right.
- October is National anything you want it to be Month: Breast Cancer Awareness, Adopt A Shelter Dog, Depression Education and Awareness, Bullying Prevention Month, National Pizza Month.. Artists Lizzie Sider and Us the Duo focus on Bully Prevention with their school tours and "Shake It Off" covers, respectively. Others focus on depression awareness with Fierce Bad Rabbit's superb "Let Me Go", QVALIA's running anthem of "I Won't Let Go", We Are Station's sweet "Keep Your Head Up", and Sir Sly's all too amazing "Too Far Gone". Some alternate songs for you: put in your headphones and listen to "I Don't Care" at full volume while walking down those halls, "Calm My Soul" and "Tears To Diamonds" will get you, go ahead and blare "Timeless" and, if all else fails, check out anything Watsky or The Wombats. I promise you, one day you are going to wake up and it won't all feel so gray. Give it time.