It’s the eve of Christmas Eve and I just returned from a long day of work at Pizza Hut, with just enough energy left to post this week’s Monday Mashup. We hope these five new singles and five new music videos will give you what you need to make it to Christmas. Enjoy the time with family and friends.
NEW SINGLES
First up is a refreshing cover of the classic Christmas song, “Silent Night,” from the rising superstar vocalist Alexa Villa. We love her pop/rock take on the song, and think this one will bear hearing quite a few times.
Next up is another incredible Christmas cover, this time Bing Crosby‘s “White Christmas,” provided by the ever wonderful sound of Matt LeGrand. May all your dreams come true.
Let’s take an instrumental interlude and share the inspiring piano licks of Sheldon Pickering‘s “Song of Thanks.” Be thankful for family and friends and that you have a job. I know I am.
This next song is from an artist we just recently met last June. The single, “Lonely Time of Year,” is produced by our dear friend Shane Alexander, and we can’t wait to hear the rest of the album. Say hello to Arielle Silver – we think you’ll be hearing a lot from her in the future.
Our final single this week is an upbeat number from Harris Breyfogle. We love the funky sound of “Angela,” and can’t wait to hear more.
NEW MUSIC VIDEOS
Our first video this week features the powerful vocals of Christina LaRocca, that combine the sound of Janis Joplin and Tina Turner. This girl can wail, and we will be right there listening to “Breathe” until her next track drops.
Next up is the truly inspiring sound of boerd featuring Stella Explorer. We think this one will give you plenty to celebrate and is a live session for their song “Before we Drown.” Enjoy!
Video number three features the stellar vocals of singer-songwriter Mattie Leon, who reminds us of life’s “Silver Line.” Let the truth of the words soak in, especially at this time of year.
Next up is the rocking sound of Pointless, who are anything but. Their song is called “Half Empty,” but it definitely does not leave us with that impression. We can’t wait to hear more from them.
We close out this week with the killa sound of Monsta X and their latest song, “Middle of the Night.” Have a wonderful Christmas week and we’ll see you next week for our final Monday Mashup of 2019.
Happy Thanksgiving. As promised, here are four Christmas albums we received this year, and they are all amazing. We hope this gets you in the proper mood for the holiday season.
Track Listing: 1. All I Got for Christmas is the Blues; 2. I Can’t Wait for Christmas; 3. Merry Christmas Baby; 4. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home); 5. The Best Part of Christmas; 6. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree; 7. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire); 8. Run Run Rudolph; 9. Christmas Fool
Publicist: Blind Raccoon
Review: Mindi Abair is a two-time Grammy-nominated saxophonist and vocalist who is a master of jazz, blues and funk. On her first holiday album, she brings four originals and five re-imagined classics to get your holidays off to a bluesy and funky start. She kicks things off with the original title track before reinventing her own 2004 tune, “I Can’t Wait for Christmas.” The band then tackles the Charles Brown R&B standard “Merry Christmas Baby” before tackling and improving on the Phil Spector/Darlene Lee classic “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).” Our favorite song is next with “The Best Part of Christmas,” a song she co-wrote with her old college friend and long-time collaborator, Matthew Hager from Halo Circus. On “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” she gets to be both Brenda Lee and Boots Randolph as she gives the pop classic a modern bluesy sound. You will not believe the amazing new arrangement the band gives to “The Christmas Song,” but we think it will easily become your favorite version. She closes out this special Christmas gift with Chuck Berry‘s “Run Run Rudolph” before ending with a “back porch break down” on “Christmas Fool.” This one is sure to become a holiday favorite.
Recommendation: Don’t think twice. Get this one for your holiday listening enjoyment.
Track Listing: 1, Hard the Herald Angels Sing; 2. In the Bleak Midwinter (ft Audrey Assad); 3. O Come O Come Emmanuel; 4. Jesus Once of Humble Birth; 5. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear; 6. Christmas Past; 7. Joy to the World; 8. O Holy Night (ft CeCe Winans); 9. Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella; 10. Once in Royal David’s City; 11. Son of God (ft Patrice Tipoki); 12. Away in a Manger; 13. Silent Night
Publicist: Morris Public Relations
Review: Composer Paul Cardall brings us a traditional and classical approach to Christmas music, with his majestic and sweeping orchestral sound. He also has three special guest vocalists in Grammy-winner CeCe Winans (“O Holy NIght”), Australian Broadway star Patrice Tipoki (“Son of God”) and award-winning singer-songwriter Audrey Assad (“In the Bleak Midwinter”). With these group of songs, you can’t help getting into the Christmas spirit with a soundtrack that will be perfect for all your holiday parties and get-togethers. Stand-out performances on “In the Bleak Midwinter” and “O Holy Night,” which are sure to become some of your favorite holiday songs.
Recommendation: This is one of the best we’ve ever heard, and belongs in your holiday collection. Get it right away!
Before we review our final two albums, we wanted to share a couple of Christmas songs that we received this year. First up is Cherrill Rae, who updates the classic pop song “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” into a modern-day sweeping standard.
Our second single is from Charlie Milliken, who takes it from soulful to country with his beautifully written and performed “Season.”
Track Listing: 1. Away in a Manger; 2. Carol Medley; 3. God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen; 4. Holidaze; 5. Love is Christmas; 6. Mary did you Know; 7. O Holy Night
Publicist: Self-promoted
Review: The four sisters that encompass Redhead Express have made a name for themselves with their spectacular harmonies and brilliant musicianship, including guitar, violin, banjo and stand up bass. On their first holiday album, they turn these well-known and loved Christmas songs into bluegrass/country classics. They also bring a couple of new songs to the table to give us an even better holiday treat. On “Carol Medley,” they add in the equally wonderful voices of their family to round out the sound before introducing the more pop/rock sound of their new project, the PaperDolls Band, on “God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen.” They follow this up with the amazing original “Holidaze” and an uplifting bluegrass cover of Sara Bareilles‘ “Love is Christmas.” They close out this brilliant collection with their holiday gift from last year, “Mary Did You Know,” and the classic “O Holy Night.”
Recommendation: If you love harmonies and great music, then this is the holiday album for you. Drop what you’re doing and Get it now!
Track Listing: 1. Christmas in the Ordinary; 2. December Song; 3. Prayer for Everyone; 4. Christmas Is; 5. For Auld Lang Syne
Publicist: Self-promoted
Review: Multiple LA Music Critic Award winning and Blue Élan Records artist Cindy Alexander joins with country superstar songwriter Kevin Fisher to form this amazing new group. What started out as a friendship and writing collaboration has blossomed into a special holiday EP featuring three new songs by the duo, as well as one by Fisher (“Christmas Is”) and the other by Alexander and her long time musical partner Dave Darling (“For Auld Lang Syne”). The combination of their voices is nothing short of spectacular, and the chemistry is palpable. This one will quickly become a treasured favorite, and deserves to be put on repeat.
Recommendation: This one is a no-brainer – you simply must Get it and play it again and again.
Our next show was one of our most anticipated shows. As extreme Die Hard fans who live in Montana, we have never had the chance to catch Theatre Unleashed’s annual Christmas present, and were overjoyed by the prospect of getting to see it at this year’s Fringe.
REVIEW: We came to this show with high hopes and standards, and were relieved that once again, Theatre Unleashed did not disappoint. Parody shows will either uplift or alienate fans of the original, and we are proud to say that this show is a definite hit. From the amazing rewrites of holiday songs to the long list of puns included in the show, the action kept us mesmerized for the entire 90 minutes, which flew by like Christmas morning. We especially liked the use of the Snowman for Patrolman Powell, and the creative casting methods used by this company that defy logic but which always work. The only person who seemed typecast was Jim Martyka as Hans Gruber, and anyone who has dealt with him knows I mean this in the best possible way. We just couldn’t think of anyone else in the Company (except maybe Greg Crafts) that could get away with being such a horrible villain. Kudos to the amazing ensemble cast for always rising to the top of the fringe.
RECOMMENDATION: Definitely get off your keister and catch one of the two remaining performances on June 21 at 7:30 p.m. or June 23 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are running out, so grab them here.
REVIEW: We come to our last show of the weekend, another of our most anticipated shows, and Laura Wiley once again delivers a hit. We are almost as big a fan of Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha as we are of McClane, and to see this amazing prequel was like a drink of water in a vast desert. Her cast of Sherry Berg (last year’s Buffy) as Carrie Bradshaw, Emily Craig as Miranda Hobbes, Amanda Hootman as Charlotte York and Alli Miller as Samantha Jones was truly inspired. I mean, in all of Fringe, who is better equipped to play Samantha than Miller? The original songs were well written and ably performed by this talented cast, who were supported in their roles by Aaron Matijasic as Stanford Blatch, Reagan Osborne as Allen Prince, Cory Robinson as Mr. Big and Nicholas Rubando as the waiter and Carrie’s editor. This is definitely a contender for Best Musical of HFF18.
RECOMMENDATION: Don’t miss your chance to see one of the best shows at Fringe. Catch them on either June 19 or 21 at 11:30 p.m., but be advised, they will sell out. Grab your tickets today by clicking here.
We’ll be seeing three shows tonight and then taking tomorrow off for the LA Music Critic Awards Winners Showcase. Details in tomorrow’s reviews.
It’s our final Monday Mashup of 2017, since next Monday is Christmas day. We wanted to thank you for checking us out this year, and are looking forward to sharing much more indie music news in 2018. Make sure you drop us a line and let us know when you win an award, have a CD release show or other important event, so that we can share it with the world.
BLUE ÉLAN RECORDS MAKES CHRISTMAS MUSIC VIDEO
As we posted on December 5, Blue Élan Records released an album of Christmas songs by its artists, and donated the proceeds to the Alliance for Children’s Rights. On December 11, those artists gathered in the studio to make a music video of a song written by Gina Sicilia. We hope you have a wonderful Christmas season and applaud Blue Élan Records and its artists for giving us this special treat.
FIRST CALIFORNIA COUNTRY AWARDS A SUCCESS
The first annual California Country Awards were handed out on December 16, and many of this blog’s favorites took home trophies. LA Music Critic Award winner Alice Wallace took the award for Female Vocalist of the Year, and LA Music Critic Award winner Honey County took home awards for Band of the Year, Song of the Year for “Love Someone” and Video of the Year for “Love Someone,” while their producer John Spiker also took home Producer of the Year. Other winners included Gethen Jenkins for Male Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year for Where the Honkytonk Belongs, Joe Devenney for Musician of the Year, Scotty Mac for Entertainer of the Year, Cowboy Country for Venue of the Year, and Brad Johnson for CCM Excellence. Shawn Parr, former KZLA and Go Country 105 DJ and creator of “Nash Nights Live” was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
NEW SINGLES
Mikey Wax has been a huge supporter of indie music in Los Angeles. He is also quite the creative powerhouse. Check out his latest single, “Spaceman” with Stash Konig. We think you’ll love it as much as we do.
Here’s “Your Love,” the latest from Hannah Lucia. Loving the groove of the tune and her vocals. This one is a keeper.
Our final single this week is from Featurette, and it lives up to its name. “Upside Down” will turn your musical tastes around as this electronica duo show us how it’s done. Let us know what you think.
NEW MUSIC VIDEOS
First up today is the annual Christmas video from Redhead Express. It is a cover of the Sara Bareilles song, “Love is Christmas.” Enjoy our little gift to you.
Next is the music video for a song we introduced you to back on November 13, co-written by David Garfield and Smokey Robinson and featuring J. Paris. We love this beautiful interpretation of the song, and are thrilled to feature “I Lied.”
LA Music Awards Icon winner Janey Street has created an amazing DIY music video for her song “Undone,” from her latest album “In my own Skin.” Check out this amazing song.
Last but not least, here’s the latest from Dree Mon, with a truly stimulating video for her hit song, “Rebel Soul.” If this one doesn’t get you pumped up, nothing will. Thanks Dree!
Welcome to our third installment of Monday Mashup. The year is drawing to a close and indie musicians are as busy as ever. The LA Music Critic Awards are on the horizon and this one appears to be one of the strongest ones we’ve seen in recent memory. If you have released an album, EP, single or video since July 1, or plan to release one before December 31, please contact us so we can consider it for one of the awards. In addition, we will have some great news to share in January regarding the Awards. You don’t want to miss that announcement, so make sure you’re subscribed to our blog.
Jerad Finck wins grand prize in US Songwriting Competition
We reported last Monday that Jerad Finck had won the Best Pop Song in the annual US Songwriting Competition for his title track to his latest album, Criminal. We have since learned that he also won the overall Grand Prize for the best song of 2016. We are so proud to have introduced you to this amazing artist, and look forward to seeing what comes next. Finck is a client of Ue3 Promotions. Congratulations to you both.
Teen sensation Meresha releases new single “Together”
Meresha has released a new single. According to Meresha, “In today’s world, we can’t let ourselves be divided because of our skin color, national background, religious practice, sexual preference or other beliefs.” We wholeheartedly agree. We think this song is great in many ways, and should be a part of your daily dose of healthy music. Meresha is another client of Ue3 Promotions. Download her song on iTunes or Google Play.
LA Music Critic Award winner Rod Melancon scheduled to play Hotel Café
Americana artist Rod Melancon, a two-time LA Music Critic Award winner will be playing a special show at the world famous Hotel Café in Los Angeles on Saturday, December 10. He will be performing at 11 p.m. after the set by The Vegabonds. Melancon is signed to Blue Élan Records and is a proud client of MAD Ink PR. We only wish we could be in LA next weekend for this show.
Blue Élan Records releases A Blue Élan Christmas
LA Music Critic Award winner Cindy Alexander is among the artists with singles on the new Christmas release from her label, Blue Élan Records. Check out her cover of the Dave Matthews Band’s “Christmas Song” below:
Red Boot PR client Lucy Woodward has released a video for her hit single “Live Live Live.” We think you’ll agree this is an amazing song and an even more amazing video. Check her out.
Multi LA Music Critic Awards winning trio The Spider Accomplice has released the latest in their video series supporting their album Los Angeles: The Abduction. Check out their video for “You Still Lie.” We think you will see why this blog and LA Music Critic are so in love with these indie rockers.
That’s it for this week. Please let us know if you have any news you want us to share. Until next Monday . . .
