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

Monday mashup 2017: Vol. 30

Happy Monday.  We survived the Western Montana Fair, and enjoyed some nice performances from Seattle’s Miller Campbell and other local bands.  This week we’re headed to Livingston to see our friends Redhead Express  at Music Ranch Montana, as well as to Polson for the Women of the Blues salute at the Flathead Lake Blues Festival featuring LA Music Critic Award winner for Best Blues Band, Polly O’Keary and the Rhythm Method.  Should be a great week.

INDIE NEWS

Seems like you can teach an old dog new tricks, at least in the case of veteran performer Frank Shiner.  A recent convert to Spotify, Shiner’s music has been blowing up lately, with nearly 25,000 streams of his latest single “Drink You Away” in just the past two weeks.  Shiner is averaging more than 22,000 streams a month.  Check him out on Spotify.

Nashville’s Risa Binder is another indie artist who is blowing up on the charts.  She recently reached #77 on the Music Row Chart with her current single “You Haul.”  Check out the video for the song.

NEW MUSIC

Check out this new single, “Money on it” by together PANGEA, from their new album Bulls and Roosters which will be released on August 25 on Nettwerk Records.  We think you’ll like it.

Like the haunting sounds of artists like Tori Amos and Enya?  Check out the latest single from Hannah Park, “Not Like You.”  Please let us know what you think.

NEW MUSIC VIDEOS

We mentioned we were going to see Redhead Express this week.  They have recently released a new music video as an entry into Ryan Seacrest’s “Best Cover Ever” contest.  It is a cover of “I Got You” by pop artist Bebe Rexha, and we think you will love it.

Blue Élan artist Chelsea Williams has released a live studio video of her new single, “Anything Worth Saving,” from her recently released album Boomerang.  Please let us know what you think.

Last but not least this week is the first Christian music video from Spokane native Chris Chilton, co-written and produced by another Spokane indie legend, Jerad Finck.  Please check out the lyric video for “Adonai,” an amazing song of worship for today.

 

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Artists Worth Checking Out Reviews

Frank Shiner returns with a new smoothness

Frank Shiner, a performer from New York, is the latest addition to the roster of amazing “blue-eyed soul” singers.  His silky smooth vocals and his ability to uncover the magic in old standards would make even ‘ole blue eyes’ smile.  In his own words:  “I don’t do ‘covers,’ I reinterpret songs.  If I can’t put my own spin on something, I won’t do it.”

Without question, Shiner, already a winner of two LA Music Critic Awards, clearly demonstrates his finely-honed ability to put his own unique stamp on songs previously recorded by others.  On his sophomore album, Lonely Town, Lonely Street, he turns in otherworldly performances on songs previously made famous by such artists as The Young Rascals, Brook Benton, Sam & Dave, Elton John, Bill Withers and Donny Hathaway with an amazing collection of 12 songs written by such legendary songwriters as Randy Newman, Doc Pomus, Isaac Hayes & David Porter and Tony Joe White, among others. 

 “I decided to do ‘blue-eyed soul’ for my second album,” explains the New York resident, using a term that was first coined by renowned black radio personality Georgie Woods in the mid-‘60s when referencing The Righteous Brothers.  “I’ve always been intrigued by and loved the genre which has really morphed into including artists like my heroes Hall & Oates, Amy Winehouse and others.”

Shiner kicks off the record with a truly heartbreaking rendition of “How Can I Be Sure,” the Young Rascals’ smash 1967 hit, which has drawn praise from Gene Cornish, the Rascals’ guitarist. In fact, Cornish was so impressed that he joined Shiner on stage during a sold out show at New York’s Cutting Room.  Shiner follows that tune with an Al Green-worthy interpretation of the R&B classic, “I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know,” written by Al Kooper of Blood, Sweat & Tears and most famously recorded by Donny Hathaway.  Shiner channels his inner-Van Morrison in his version of the songwriter’s “I Will be There,” complete with a jazz score that will knock your socks off, before returning to the classic sounds of Hall & Oates with a haunting performance of “She’s Gone.” 

Track 5 is a soulful and passionate take on Randy Newman’s “Guilty,” (previously recorded by Bonnie Raitt), which Shiner knocks out of the park, before Track 6 gives us the instant classic “Rainy Night in Georgia.”  The title track follows, a Bill Withers’ written, lesser known tune that was included on the same album that gave us “Ain’t No Sunshine.” 

Rounding out the second set of four aka track 8 is “When Something is Wrong With My Baby,” originally recorded back in 1967 by Sam and Dave, and written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter.  “I did it as a duet with (award-winning vocalist) Leslie Mendelson – which has been done before by Aaron Neville and Linda Ronstadt.  Like everything else on the album, it was done live in the studio – and literally, Leslie and I sang looking at each other, picking up on each other’s tones, mirroring each other’s riffs. It was wonderful.”  Shiner’s version is one of our favorite moments on the album, and we think should be released as the next single. 

Shiner brings it all home with his final four songs, an electic lot including  Amy Winehouse’s “Love is a Losing Game,” Justin Timberlake’s “Drink You Away,” Elton John’s “Shine on Through,” and Harry Connick, Jr.’s “There is Always One More Time,” written by Ken Hirsch and Doc Promus.

The album is produced by 12-time Grammy winning producer Jay Newland, who also handpicked some of the best musicians possible for the album.  Those musicians include keyboardist and arranger Glenn Patscha (Roger Waters, Marc Cohn, Bettye Lavette, Sheryl Crow & Willie Nelson), guitarist Sherrod Barnes (Roberta Flack & Whitney Houston), drummer Dan Rieser (Marcy Playground, Rosanne Cash, Norah Jones), saxophonist Andy Snitzer (Paul Simon, Aretha Franklin, The Rolling Stones) and bassist Zev Katz (Jeff Beck, Carole King, Lady Gaga & James Taylor).   

Shiner sums up the album with these words:  “I’m loving every second of what I’m doing now.  I just want to do more of this . . . performing and recording, and if this album goes somewhere, well, that’s the cherry on top of the sundae . . . but I’ve already got the sundae!  The greatest compliment I get when I perform is when audience members tell me they can see the total bliss and total joy I have onstage and how I made it fun for them too.  The minute I lose that, it’s time to stop.”  

We don’t see that happening anytime soon.  This album is a definite “Get It” and we strongly recommend you grab it by any means necessary.  In addition, we strongly encourage you to experience Shiner live, if he plays anywhere within driving distance of you.

Special thanks to Jen Lyneis and David Nathan for the incredible press release and background information.

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Artists Worth Checking Out Monday Mashup Women in Entertainment

Monday Mashup 2017: Vol. 20

As we head into the third week of May, so much is happening in our indie music world.  Here are some of the biggest stories.

MILCK SIGNS WITH MAJOR LABEL

Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Connie Lim aka MILCK, who came to the world’s attention when her song “Quiet” was performed during the Women’s March back in January, has signed with Atlantic Records.  They are planning to record her anthemic ballad, as well as new music on her first album for them.  Congratulations for keeping the indie spirit alive in the majors.  We wish you well MILCK.

STOP MOTION POETRY LAUNCHES KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN

Stop Motion Poetry, a Modesto, California based band of brothers, has launched their Kickstarter campaign to help with the expenses of recording their next album, an EP named Dead Rose.  Click on the Kickstarter link to find out more.

NEW MUSIC

Check out this amazing tune, “The Smoke and the Stars,” from new artist Jason Hawk Harris.  We think he’s definitely got the talent to take it to the limit, and we look forward to whatever he sends to us next.

MUSIC VIDEOS

We are proud to share some of the latest music videos with your from these amazing artists:

“Fill me Up” is one of our favorite cuts from Amilia K Spicer’s new album Wow and Flutter.  We hope you like it as much as we do.

Here’s the latest single from Frank Shiner’s new album, Lonely Town Lonely Street, which we will review tomorrow.  Is this not the perfect chill song for after work relaxation?  This song has been covered by some of the legends in music, and we would be remiss not to include Shiner’s cover in that mix.

If the previous song provided chill relief, then the latest video from LA Music Critic Award winner Rod Melancon will provoke you in a visceral way.  From his forthcoming Southern Gothic album soon to be released by Blue Élan Records, “Different Man” is a powerful visual aid to the story of the man who came home from the war a different man.