Tag: Amber Run

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Artists Worth Checking Out Awards Best of 2017 Get it or Forget it Women in Entertainment

Best international EPs of 2017

We have reviewed a total of 338 albums and EPs this year.  As you can imagine, there have been quite a lot of great ones along the way, and we plan to share some of them with you over the next four days.  We are breaking our “Best of 2017” lists down into four categories – Best American EPs, Best International EPs, Best American Albums and Best International albums.  Today we will share our Top 10 Best International EPs.  Individual reviews are available as part of our blog’s “Get it or Forget it” series.

10.  Elephant Stone, Remix of Fools.  This five-song EP contains remixes from the band’s Ship of Fools album,  The best of those songs is the Young Galaxy remix of “The Devil’s Shelter.”  Check out these lads from Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

9.  Amber Run, Alaska.  This four-song EP contains two songs from the band’s sophomore album For a Moment, I was Lost, as well as two cover songs, including Maggie Rodgers’ “Alaska.”  This band hails from the UK.

8.  Strange Boy, Annunciation.  The band released their debut EP with four songs.  They are also from the UK.

7.  TYA, No Money, More Love.   Queensland, Australia is responsible for this amazing band, who has brought us five new songs.

6.  The Raft, Coming up for Air.  Phil Wilson aka The Raft is responsible for two of the best EPs of 2017.  This one was released back in August.  Wilson hails from the UK.

5.  The Fisherman & the Sea, The Beggar Princess.  This EP is part of a group of four scheduled to be released before their debut full-length album later this year.  We can hardly wait.  Our first band from Finland.

4.    The Raft, Orion.  Gift number two from Phil Wilson.  This one is the best of the three EPs he released in 2017.

3.  Hundreds, Wilderness (Akustik Edition).  German siblings Eva and Philipp Milner have brought us a true treasure with an acoustic version of some of their hits, along with an acoustic cover of Bon Iver’s “Plume.”

2.  Wolf & Moon, Frames.  Stefanie and Dennis met at a party in the Netherlands, and now travel the world sharing their dreampop material.

1.  Cara Frew, Dance.  Cara splits her time between her native South Africa and the US, bringing great electro pop dance music wherever she travels.

We’ll be back tomorrow with the Top 15 American EPs.  See ya then.

 

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Artists Worth Checking Out Get it or Forget it Reviews Women in Entertainment

Get it or forget it – Stacy Jones, Space4Lease, Amber Run, Pam Taylor

After nearly 23 hours of driving, I have arrived in Oklahoma where I will be visiting with my Dad and younger brother for the next week before heading to the Denver area for the Durango Songwriters Expo next weekend.  My brother just returned from his third tour of Iraq, and it has been nice catching up with him.  Family aside, we still have a few more CDs being released this month, so here are four more reviews for your consideration.

Artist Name:   Stacy Jones

Album Name:   Love is Everywhere

Label:   Self-released

Genre:   Blues/Americana

Track Listing:   1.  Mojo Potion 61 49; 2.  Wait for Heaven; 3.  Can’t Find Love; 4.  Stomp Jump Boogie; 5.  Can’t you be Mine; 6.  I Fell in Love; 7.  Love is Everywhere; 8.  One Stoplight; 9.  Gotta get Over You; 10.  Tough Girls Never Cry; 11.  I’ll be on my Way

Publicist:   None

Review:  Stacy Jones is another Seattle-based blues artist with a killer band.  Her music has drawn critical acclaim, including awards from the International Music and Entertainment Association and the Washington Blues Society.  Her latest offering not only features her award winning songs and band, but also a guest appearance from the one and only Lee Oskar on harmonica.   Jones incorporates roots, country and Americana into her blues regimen, and the result is a sure-fire sound that is sure to please all types of music lovers.  On this album she takes her listeners on a musical journey through the ups and downs of love, and what a journey it is.  Our favorite tracks included “Can’t Find Love,” “Stomp Jump Boogie” (which features those prolific harmonica licks), “Can’t You be Mine,” “One Stoplight” (with its upbeat rhythm, legendary harmonica and sax, and enough sass for an entire album), and “Gotta Get Over You.”

Recommendation:  If you love the blues, roots or Americana music, then you simply must Get this album.  If you love music, then you must Get this album.  In other words, Get it.

Artist Name:  Space4Lease

Album Name:  Drifting

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Indie Pop/Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Must be Something; 2.  Drifting; 3. Lately; 4.  If it’s True; 5.  I Tried Calling

Publicist:  Behind the Curtains Media

Review:  Oklahoma based quartet Space4Lease has an airy sound that entice their listeners to give them full attention.  Their indie pop/rock sound with hints of psychedelica is a soothing respite from your crazy day, making their music a necessary part of your daily chill down.   We only wish there were more than five songs on the release.  We think you will enjoy it as much as we do.  We especially like the title song and “If it’s True.”  They are heading out on tour next month.  It would be worth your time to get out and see them if you live near where they’re playing.

Recommendation:  Give this one a try – we think you’ll enjoy it.

Artist Name:  Amber Run

Album Name:  Alaska

Label:  Dine Alone Records

Genre:  Acoustic

Track Listing:  1.  No Answers; 2.  Higher & Higher, 3.  Fickle Game; 4.  Alaska

Publicist:   Auteur Research

Review:   Amber Run has released an acoustic EP featuring two songs from their album “For a Moment, I was Lost, which was released in March, plus two cover songs – the classic Jackie Wilson song “Higher & Higher” (heard in the original Ghostbusters movie) and Maggie Rogers “Alaska.”  The band known for their tight harmonies and thoughtful arrangements, truly leave their mark on these two covers, especially “Higher & Higher,” which has a sound like Snow Patrol meets Chris Isaak meets OneRepublic.  The only drawback is that their covers kinda suck all the energy from the original versions, as their focus more on the songwriting than the vibe of the original songs.  On the other hand, their acoustic versions of their own “No Answers” and “Fickle Game” have their own unique sound and make Amber Run a band to definitely add to your collective musical universe.

Recommendation:  Although not our favorite acoustic EP, it is a worthy effort and worth the risk.

Artist Name:  Pam Taylor

Album Name:  Steal Your Heart

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Blues

Track Listing:  1.  House of Cards; 2.  Squeeze Me; 3.  It Ain’t Right; 4.  Already Alright; 5.  Mountain; 6.  Ordinary; 7.  The Rain Song; 8.  Make you Mine; 9.  Tangled Up; 10.  Witches Ball; 11.  Nirvana; 12.  SnakeButt

Publicist:  ABIK Promotions

Review:  There is nothing like the sound of a female-fronted blues band, especially when she knows how to wail and has a rocking rhythm section to back her up.  Pam Taylor is such an artist and her third release, Steal Your Heart, is one of the best blues records this year.  From the roots rocking “House of Cards” to the dirty blues of “It Ain’t Right” and “Already Alright,” Taylor brings us amazing songs that belong in the musical library of all true music lovers.   Other songs we love include “Squeeze Me,” “Ordinary,” “The Rain Song,” “Make you Mine,” and “Tangled Up.”

Recommendation:  Add this one to get your music library to the “gifted” stage.