Tag: Halladay Quist

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Artists Worth Checking Out Best of 2017 Women in Entertainment

Best indie albums of 2017

Here’s our list of the best indie albums of 2017.  Some of them were nominated and/or won LA Music Critic Awards during the first half of 2017, and most of the rest will be included when the nominations for the second half of 2017 are announced on January 17.  Consider this your “sneak peak” of those nominations.  Every album on this list has been reviewed in the “Get it or Forget it” column of our Blog.  How many of them do you have?

Honorable Mention:  Even though we have selected 25 albums for our list, there were a few that didn’t make the list, but deserve mention, including Ride by Marc Berger, Find the Silver Lining by Kelly Fitzgerald, Little Folks Like You and Me by Mike Younger, Small World by Monica Chapman and Honestly by Jay Asher.  Definitely check out these albums.

25.  The East Pointers, What we Leave Behind – This award-winning Canadian band has what they need to break into the American music scene.

24.  Becca Richardson, We are Gathered Here – Check her out at the Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles on January 20.

23.  Harper Grae, Break Your Crowns – Definitely check out this rising star from Nashville.

22.  Rusty Young, Waitin’ for the Sun – Young was the former lead singer for Poco, and the band has reunited to support his solo artist.  This is his first solo effort for Blue Élan Records.

21.  The Show Ponies, How it all Goes Down – The band recently announced they would be disbanding and this album was their final one.  They were an LA Music Critic Award winner during the first half of 2017.

20.  Elizabeth and the Catapult, Keepsake – Check her out when she performs at Sundance this year.

19.  Great Willow, Find Yourself in Los Angeles – This band is becoming a player on the Americana circuit.  Check them out live if you live near there.

18.  Bryan Stephens, Village of Dreams – Another great Blue Élan Records artist.

17.  Jeffrey Halford & the Healers, Lo-Fi Dreams – Another LA Music Critic Award multiple nominee from the first half of 2017.

16.  Ray Goren, Me – This past LA Music Critic Award winner has a great future ahead.

15.  Marina V, Born to the Stars – This Russian-born singer-songwriter is one of a kind.  Welcome back to the charts.  More than 65,000 worldwide fans can’t be wrong.

14.  Chris Daniels and the Kings, Blues with Horns – This indie artist has had a storied career and his latest is one of his best.

13.  Chelsea Williams, Boomerang – Another premier act from Blue Élan Records, she will also be performing at Sundance.

12.  Jangling Sparrows, 140 Nickels – Watch for these guys near the top of the Americana music scene.

11.  Andrea Harsell and Luna Roya, Something for the Pain – This band is a Missoula, Montana staple that is definitely going places.

10.  Halladay Quist, self-titled – Another Montana artist with a family legacy of musical excellence.

9.  Gina Sicilia, Tug of War – Another Blue Élan Records artist who is at the top of her game.  Multiple LA Music Critic Award winner.  Watch for her 8th album coming soon.

8.  Amilia K. Spicer, Wow and Flutter – Another past LA Music Critic winner, this is one of the best Americana albums released in quite a while.

7.  Seasonal Beast – Muscle Memory – One of our best “finds” this year, watch for great things from this New York duo.

6.  Breaking Grass, Warning Signs – Another multiple LA Music Critic Award winner, this band is redefining bluegrass music.

5.  Wendy Sweetlove, Dirty Sunday – She was nominated for several LA Music Critic awards right out of the gate,  She is definitely an artist worth checking out.

4.  Janey Street, In my Own Skin – Reigning LA Music Critic Icon Award winner, she is another of the special breed of artists signed to Blue Élan Records.

3.  Rod Melancon, Southern Gothic – Multiple LA Music Critic Award winner, he is the last of these artists signed to Blue Élan Records.  He is currently touring Sweden.

2.  Katie Costello, Twice the Love – This artist has consistently produced award winning albums.  She also had one of the Best EPs of 2017.

1.  FreeWorld, What it is – The pride of Memphis, this band is redefining American Blues.  Check them out the next time you’re in Memphis.

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

Get it or forget it – Vattnet, Elephant Stone, Halladay Quist, Christian O’Connor

TGIF – welcome to another weekend. The Griz play their first league game when arch-rival Eastern Washington comes to Missoula for a night game, just as the temperature is turning cold.  Should be an interesting match-up.  In the meantime, let’s check out these four new artists, including Montana’s own Halladay Quist (daughter of Rob Quist, who lost to Greg Gianforte in the last election).  Let’s hit it!

Artist Name:  Vattnet

Album Name:  Vattnet

Label:  New Damage Records

Genre:  Hard Rock/Metal

Track Listing:  1.  Spun; 2.  Dark Black; 3.  Sugar; 4.  Better Ghost; 5.  Sister; 6.  Chains; 7.  Time Will Prove Everything; 8.  Funeral

Publicist:  Earshot Media

Review:  What sets this album apart from its peers is the fact that this band is good, really really good, and is not ashamed of that.  They sing, not scream, while amazing music lays the foundation for those songs, much like STRYPER in their heyday.  The songs are well written and easy to understand, while the guitar is hot and tireless, and the drum beat is wicked.  This is a band that, like Metallica, could cross over to other rock fans and actually become popular, not stuck in a heavy metal niche where others are afraid to go.  We are truly impressed with this band and would love to see them perform live, as we are sure that they would bring it home.  Best tracks include “Dark Black,” “Better Ghost,” “Sister,” and “Funeral.”

Recommendation:  You don’t have to be a fan of metal to like this band, but it helps.  We definitely think you should Get this one.

Artist Name:  Elephant Stone

Album Name:  Remix of Fools

Label:  Elephants on Parade/Burger Records

Genre:  Psych Rock Dance remix

Track Listing:  1.  The Devil’s Shelter (Young Galaxy remix); 2.  Silence can say so Much (Dominic TOY remix); 3.  Where I’m Going (Pick a Piper remix); 4.  Cast the First Stone (Al Lover remix); 5.  Love is Like a Spinning Wheel (Xavier Boyer remix)

Publicist:  Auteur Research

Review:  This EP features dance remixes of five songs from the band’s previous release Ship of Fools.  Most of the tracks are upwards of nine minutes in length, so get your dancing shoes on before listening.  On the first track, the sound is decidedly house and has garnered a lot of interst, while the second track features a more Bollywood, rave kind of vibe.  Track three returns to the more house dance groove, while the fourth track combines the two styles with a steady beat.  The final track is our favorite, and could actually find a radio home outside of the club with its consistent beat, great vocals and good grove.

Recommendation:  This is our first review of a remix album, and it is decidedly different.  If you are into remixes, and like a psych rock undertone, then definitely Get this album.

Artist Name:  Halladay Quist

Album Name:  Halladay Quist

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Blues/Americana/Roots Rock

Track Listing:  1.  The Ballad of Pretty Mae; 2.  What’s Coming Down; 3.  Fly Away; 4.  Let it Burn; 5.  Whirlwind; 6.  Go With You; 7.  Harvest Moon; 8.  Meteors; 9.  Love Come In; 10.  Just a Little Love; 11.  Mermaid Song

Publicist:  None

Review:  We first met this intriguing artist at the Flathead Lake Blues and Music Festival last month.  She is a multi-instrumentalist with a truly unique style that mixes portions of country, bluegrass, folk, Americana and good ole rock-n-roll to form her music.  Her voice is pure and smooth, like fine wine, and her songs are well-crafted with intelligent lyrics and just the right instrumentation to fit the song’s mood.  This is definitely one of those albums you put on and just sit back and listen, as every track is worthy of attention.  Nevertheless, we truly dig “The Ballad of Pretty Mae,” “Fly Away,” “”Let it Burn,” “Go With You,” “Meteors,” and “Love Come In.”

Recommendation:  Don’t even think about it – just Get it!

Artist Name:  Christian O’Connor

Album Name:  Wine Over Water – Blood Over Wine

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Pop/Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Something to Believe In; 2.  Down; 3.  Who I Want to Be;  4.  Yearn to Fly; 5.  Love Steps; 6.  Never Going Back; 7.  All That’s Dead and Gone; 8.  Believe; 9.  Friday Night Rocks

Publicist:  Inferential Management & Direction

Review:  This young man is getting a plethora of industry interest in his music, which has been used by such diverse entities as the NFL, NASCAR, NCAA Final Four Basketball, MLB and the Boys and Girls Club.  Just a casual listen to his new album and it becomes quickly apparent why.  From the hard-hitting “Something to Believe in” to the latest single, “Who I Want to Be,” O’Connor delivers music that has mass appeal.  He is chock full of talent, and knows how to share that talent through his intelligent lyrics, great vocals, and just the right amount of instrumentation to complement his song.  His groove is similar to that of John Mellencamp and Ryan Adams, and should serve him well in the long run.  We fully expect O’Connor’s music to last for many years to come.

Recommendation:  Don’t miss your chance to get onboard this fast-moving train.  Get his album, which is being released today, and be the envy of all your friends.

 

Categories
Artists Worth Checking Out LA Music Critic Awards Reviews Women in Entertainment

2017 Flathead Lake Blues Festival (day 1 – part 1) – live performance review

We love discovering new bands, and this year’s Flathead Lake Blues Festival proved the perfect location for doing just that.  We were unaware of this amazing festival, and discovered it by accident.  One of the bands slated to play on day 2 of the Festival was the winner of the Best Blues Band category in the LA Music Critic Awards for the first half of 2017.  We had earlier decided to present certificates to all the award winners, and we thought it would be a great idea to present it to the band in front of a crowd.  We contacted Steve Pickel of Anderson Broadcasting, the organizer of the Festival, and he was ecstatic about it.  He invited us to come up and be VIPs for the entire weekend.  Thank you Steve!!!

The first day of the Festival was subtitled “Montana Musicians Review,” and featured 10 Montana bands over a six hour period – very ambitious, but somehow it all came together and only ran about an hour and a half over the schedule.  This review will cover the first five bands to perform, while part 2 will cover the remaining five bands and the special events.

The first artist to take the stage was Missoula’s Andre Floyd and Mood Iguana.  Floyd is an amazing original blues artist who shares his craft throughout Western Montana.  His band included the prolific Dave Griffith on guitar, organ and keys, Ron Reeves on bass and Don Caverly on drums.  Griffith also lent his talents to several other bands throughout the day.  Floyd’s sound is progressive roots-based blues and he brought his best to this performance.  We especially loved his jazzy rendition of the classic song “Our Day Will Come.”  You can catch him playing the Draught Works Brewery stage later this month.

Next up was the Mike Murray Band, who took the music up a notch with their seriously funky style.  Composed of Murray on lead guitar and vocals, Christopher Krager on bass and backing vocals, Marco Forcone on drums and Ryan Wickland on keys, pedal steel and guitar, they joined awesome vocals with some amazing guitar riffs to bring the funk to the Festival.  This is a band that we could see everyday, and never get enough.  They closed their set with a blues number that showed off the funky keys and guitar, and firmly established themselves as a force of music.

The first female-fronted band was next in the person of Halladay Quist, a multi-instrumentalist who completely  wowed the crowd with her stage antics and her incredible mastery of guitar, banjo and electric stand-up bass.  The daughter of musician and would-be politician Rob Quist, Halladay is a ball of energy that never stopped her entire set.  She was joined on stage by her father on acoustic guitar, as well as Dave Griffin on keys and sax, Leif Christian on electric guitar and Bally Lopez on drums  Halladay’s vocals are truly beautiful, and she shares them on music that ranged from country blues to bluegrass to classic rock, including a stunning cover of Jefferson Airplane’s mega-hit “Don’t You Want Somebody to Love.”  One of the highlights of the set was watching her father grin from ear to ear at the talents of his daughter.  Halladay has just released an album that will be reviewed shortly on this blog.  Prepare to be blown away.  She performed several of the new songs during her set, of which we really loved “Let it Burn,” especially in light of our Montana fire season this year.

Leif Christian didn’t have far to go when he finished playing with Halladay, as his band, Ticket Sauce, was the next on the stage.   Joining with his long-time bassist Nathan Talley and substitute drummer, Collin Scott, the Sauce brought it all together with their healthy blend of rock, funk, blues and soul, with a special topping of cool.  They are a party band, and are guaranteed to get any gathering off to a jamming start.  They were especially incredible on their covers of Jimi Hendrix’s “Isabella” and Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog.”  They also write some great jams, including “Alone.”  They closed their set out the way they began, funky to the end.

The fifth band to take the stage, and the last one we will cover in part 1 of this review, was Off in the Woods, a dynamic six piece band composed of Jon Schumaker on guitar, Layne McKay on saxophone and guitar, Kyle Daugherty on trombone, Kia Abibzadeh on keys, Kai Salmonson on bass and Nathan Noble on drums.   This band is a true local icon, as their members come from Polson, home of the Festival.  They have a very funky jam band sound, with a touch of reggae.  Some of their best songs included “Blue,” “Early Summer Rain,” and “The River.  The band will have a new album out in the near future.

We’ll be back soon with part 2 of this review, followed by our review of day 2.