Tag: Enough

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Artists Worth Checking Out LA Music Critic Awards Monday Mashup Women in Entertainment

Monday mashup 2018: vol. 40

Happy Monday – tomorrow is Election Day, so please VOTE!  It was a busy weekend, and this month will be even more so as we conclude the reviews for consideration in the Second Half of 2018 LA Music Critic Awards.  The nominations will be announced on December 7, so get ready to vote for your favorite indie performer.  In the meantime, here are this week’s picks for new singles and music videos.

NEW SINGLES

We kick things off this week with a remake of The Guess Who‘s song, “These Eyes.”  Lisa Lambe has recently signed with Blue Élan Records and her first album with them will be released in Spring 2019.  Lambe should be no stranger to you as she was a member of the amazing group Celtic Woman, so sit back and enjoy her interpretation of this classic song.

Our second single is from Sarra, who we introduced to you back in August.  We have huge expectations for this artist, and truly expect her to be on the top of the charts in no time at all.  Here’s her latest single, “Your Name.”

Next up is an LA artist who is also an amazing skater and KJ.  Check out “Crying Wolf” from CH3LS.  We think she’ll make a believer out of you.

Our fourth single is from very successful indie artist Joshua Radin.  Check out his new tune, “Three Little Birds,” his cover of the Bob Marley classic.   This one should get you chill for the new week.

Our final single for this week is another cover, this time “Creep” by the Stone Temple Pilots, as interpreted by LA artist James Bowers.

NEW MUSIC VIDEOS

Our first video this week is from Airpark and is the first single from their forthcoming album.  Check out “Devotion.”

Our next video is about a hot topic that is truly relevant as we head into Election Day – school shootings.  Check out “Let’s Rise,” a song co-written by Glenn Dinofer, Josh Bonilla, Jasmina Daniello, Ben Joseph Vernon and Roman Britton, and beautifully directed by Michelle Esrick.  This one should move you to action. #Enough

Next up is Pleasure Craft, whose “Back in the Game” addresses our overwhelming need to be identified by our clothes.  Let the words of this song sink in.

Our fourth video is from The Holy Knives, who we reviewed last week.  Check out the first video from their new album, “Memory Book.”

Our final video for the week is about another social issue – judging others.  Check out this powerful video from Hugh James, “My Brother’s Shoes.” featuring 3G.  Alan Marino does a stellar job on the video.  Let’s all make a difference.

 

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Artists Worth Checking Out Durango Songwriters Expo Reviews Women in Entertainment

Get it or forget it – Canyon City, Monica Chapman, Marc Berger, Alex Mabey

We were so amazed at the level of talent at this year’s Durango Songwriters Expo.  It was our first trip since we moved to Montana, and the talent pool, which has already spawned such acts as Meghan Trainor, Alissa Moreno, Tim Fagan and others just keeps getting better.  Two of our reviews today are artists we saw perform at DSE.  We think all of these reviews will encourage and entice you to continue supporting indie music.

Artist Name:  Canyon City

Album Name:  Constellation

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Indie Folk

Track Listing:  1.  Our Way; 2.  Find You; 3.  Midnight Flight; 4.  Like I Did; 5.  Train; 6.  For the Day; 7.  Oh my God; 8.  Satellite; 9.  Run; 10.  Be Scared With Me

Publicist:  Red Boot PR

Review:  Canyon City aka Paul Johnson has a sound smooth as silk, with a dreamy voice that will soothe the listener’s soul and provide the perfect background for a major chill session.  His music goes down like a fine glass of wine, warming your body as his vibe eases your tensions and stresses, creating a truly relaxing feel.  This is music that would be at home on Hot AC and AAA stations, as this music demands radio airplay.  From the first track onwards, Canyon City gives you song after song that will change your mind about indie music.  There are no weak tracks on the album, but we really love “Our Way,” the title track (which is also the first single), “Train,” “For the Day,” and “Satellite.”

Recommendation:  This is a must have for your musical collection.  It will soon become one of your favorites, so Get it now and play it often.

Artist Name:  Monica Chapman

Album Name:  Small World

Label:  Live Records

Genre:  Jazz

Track Listing:  1.  A Shine on Your Shoes; 2.  Goldfinger; 3.  Piel Canela; 4.  Small World; 5.  Caravan; 6.  Baby It’s Cold Outside; 7.  Big Spender; 8.  What Kind of Fool am I; 9.  So in Love; 10.  Orange Colored Sky; 11.  Don’t Explain; 12.  A Foggy Day

Publicist:  None

Review:  Monica Chapman is a Canadian artist who was born in Romania, and teaches jazz in her spare time.  She has gathered a stellar collection of jazz standards and incorporated the incomparable voices of Mike Murley, Reg Schwager and Kevin Turcotte into her sound.  Jazz standards never go out of style, and Chapman has the perfect voice for these songs.   We love great horns, and she uses them to perfection, especially on “A Shine on Your Shoes.”  This is a great soundtrack for your daily or weekly happy hour, and the tunes will surely put a smile on your face.  We love her take on the James Bond classic “Goldfinger,” as well as the Duke Ellington classic “Caravan.”  Other impressive gems are “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” “Big Spender,” and “Orange Colored Sky.”

Recommendation:  If you love jazz, then this is a great album for your collection.

Artist Name:  Marc Berger

Album Name:  Ride

Label:  Real Records

Genre:   Americana/Roots

Track Listing:  1.  Nobody Gonna Ride on the Railroad; 2.  Take it on the Chin; 3.  Ride; 4.  Time Waits for no Man; 5.  Montana; 6.  Twister; 7.  Heavenly Ancients; 8.  Object of my Affection; 9.  Long way from Vixenburg; 10.  A Bottle of Wine, a Suitcase, an Umbrella; 11.  Object of my Affection (instrumental)

Publicist:  None

Review:  Marc Berger has the perfect voice for roots/Americana – full of gravel, spit and determination.  He underscores his gritty sound with a musical background that is soothing, smooth and pure.  The underlying mandolin, accordion, slide guitar and harmonica flow seamlessly with the percussion and acoustic guitar.  This album takes off from the first note and never disappoints.   While every track is wonderful, we particularly love the title track, “Time Waits for no Man,” “Montana,” “Twister,” and “Long Way from Vixenburg.”

Recommendation:  This one is a worthy addition to your Americana collection – Get it.

Artist Name:  Alex Mabey

Album Name:  Enough

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Indie Folk/Americana

Track Listing:  1.  Bravest Daughter; 2.  Enough; 3.  Wild and Free; 4.  Soldier’s Wife; 5.  Run to the Edge; 6.  Jesus Was

Publicist:  None

Review:  We met this artist at DSE, and were immediately overcome with the beauty of her voice and the power of her words.  That amazement continues from the opening notes of “Bravest Daughter,” the first track of her EP Enough, as it becomes quickly clear that Alex Mabey has arrived as the new voice in folk/Americana music.  Her songs are well crafted, her voice soars like a bird, and the musical accompaniment is first rate, especially the cello on the first track and on “Soldier’s Wife.”   Our only complaint is that this six-song EP is simply too short – merely teasing us with her greatness.   The title track has such potential for placement in television and film, and creates a yearning for Mabey’s music that can never be fully quenched, but will keep bringing the listener back for more.  “Wild and Free” and “Run to the Edge” likewise grabbed our attention, and deserve serious radio airplay.

Recommendation:  Run, don’t walk, and Get this one now.  It is an absolute must have for your musical library.

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Reviews

UK’s Fraser Jane releases music video for ‘Enough’

Fraser Jane is an Irish production based songstress who has spent the past three years learning the art of self production while living in London.   Her vivid imagination and style remind this reviewer of a cross between Bjork and Enya, although others have also compared her to Imogene Heap and Kate Bush.  Despite these comparisons, this songwriter is blazing her own unique trail with a sound and style all her own.

Fraser grew up in a musical household.  Although her first foray into the artistic community was as a dancer, her love and desire for music caused her to abandon that career path and focus instead on singing, writing and creating her own music.

She embarked on her first solo tour in the summer of 2014, playing dates throughout her native Ireland, including Whelans in Dublin and the Cork Jazz Festival.

Her first album Enough was released earlier this year.  She has now released a video highlighting the title track, an alt-pop song that runs the gamut from tribal drums to uplifting string arrangements, climaxing in a stirring vocal finale.  The video itself also brings back memories of another breakthrough video, Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer,” with its quirky graphics and theme, which serve to underscore the lyrical content.

Legendary producer Gary Katz, famous for his work with Steely Dan and for discovering such notable acts as Chaka Khan, Rufus, Jimmy Buffett and Jim Croce, recently had this to say about Fraser Jane:  “Every once in a while, not very often, I hear an artist that is creating distinctive original music that makes my ears perk up and my foot tap.  Fraser Jane is one of those artists.”

If you like original music which stands on its own in a cookie-cutter world, then Fraser Jane may be just the artist for you.  Learn more about her by checking out her website and Facebook pages, follow her on Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to her YouTube and SoundCloud channels.