Category: Artists Worth Checking Out

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Artists Worth Checking Out

Alice Wallace’s first video release is smoking hot

Back on October 5, we published an article about this dynamic up and coming Americana musician and the release of her first album on California Country Records.  Since that time, Alice Wallace has won an LA Music Critic Award for Best Country/Americana and has released her first video, which debuted on The Boot.

According to Alice, “I Just Don’t Care Anymore” is a rocking, sassy anthem about taking charge of your life in spite of your circumstances.  “This is a song that came after the worst breakup I’ve ever had.  I wrote a lot of songs about that breakup, but I wrote this one knowing it would be the very last song I would write about it – because I just didn’t care anymore.  It’s probably my favorite track on the new record because it has punch, it has energy, and it conveys exactly what I wanted it to.”

This video is just further proof that Wallace has only scratched the surface of the amazing talent she possesses.  Already a die-hard road dog, Wallace played well over 200 live shows last year, travelling from one end of the country to the other.  It appears that she will be doing more of the same in 2016, including a trip to the UK in March, where she will be performing at the Country to Country Festival in London on March 13.  The Festival features such headliners as Dwight Yoakam, Chris Stapleton and Kacey Musgraves.

We have a feeling that Wallace will be a major star.  Check out the video and let us know what you think.

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Artists Worth Checking Out Reviews

shirlette ammons shatters barriers with latest release

shirlette ammons is set to release Language Barrier, her sophomore CD on Friday, February 5 on SugarQube Records, in conjunction with Durham, North Carolina based Churchkey Records.  SugarQube is the brainchild of ammons and her twin sister Shorlette.

“shirlette is such a fantastic artist, and we’ve wanted to work on a record with her for years—we’re thrilled and flattered to be working together with the Ammons twins as they launch SugarQube Records,” explains Kyle Miller and Steve Jones of Churchkey Records.

What barriers does the release shatter?  Well, for starters, the barrier between indie and mainstream artists.  This release features ammons with several top tier mainstream artists, including Grammy winning duo The Indiego Girls, Amelia Meath, German rapper sokkee and Meshell Ndegeocello.

“To have an opportunity to work with Meshell, The Indigo Girls, Amelia, Hiss Golden Messenger—and all on one record—is a dream come true,” ammons says.

The release also shatters the genre barrier, as it seamlessly flows from one style to another, including indie and classic rock, hip hop and ambient.

“As a part of the whole Language Barrier concept, I wanted to write an album that explores the ways we love across imposed and implied barriers.  In this sense, Language Barrier is an album about love as an act of resistance.  I also wanted to approach genre as a ‘barrier’ then break it down.”

All of the music was composed by Daniel Hart, who has worked with such diverse artists as St. Vincent and Broken Social Scene.

Leave your biases about indie music behind and give a listen to this great new release.  Find out more by checking out her website and Facebook pages, following her on Twitter and Soundcloud, and subscribing to her YouTube channel.

 

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Artists Worth Checking Out

My Brothers and I to tour in support of debut album Don’t Dream Alone

photo courtesy of David James Visuals
My Brothers and I, an alt-pop band from Portland, Oregon, are going on tour to support their debut album on Expunged Records, Don’t Dream Alone.  The band recently debuted their new video “Scars” on entertainment website PopWrapped.
“We’re excited to keep sharing our music with new people and reconnect with the fans we already have,” says My Brother And I’s front man, David Wurgler, regarding the band’s upcoming tour.
Amazon’s “The Next Program” recently selected the band as “The Next Big Thing,” and the release of Don’t Dream Alone has helped to establish the band as one of the Northwest’s premiere alt-pop bands.  The band is composed of the three Wurgler brothers, David on lead vocals, Erik on bass and vocals, and Scott on drums, who are joined by childhood friends Jordan Roach on guitar and Johnny Iliyn on keys and vocals.  This diversity brings a wide range of influences to their music and creates a melodic, soulful, and danceable sound throughout the 11-track debut release, including warm vocal harmonies, luscious grooves, and undeniable hooks.

The tour kicked off on January 27 with a performance at Menlo College in San Francisco, California, followed by a performance the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California the next night.  The tour continues through the month of March with the following  schedule:
2/5/16 – Sunset Tavern (w/Kris Orlowski), Ballard, WA
2/12/16 – KLCC Microbrew Fest – Eugene, OR
3/3/16 – Mississippi Studios – Portland, OR
3/4/16 – Hotel Utah – San Francisco, CA
3/5/16 – Hotel Cafe – Los Angeles, CA
3/6/16 – Cal State Fullerton – Fullerton, CA
3/8/16 – Lion’s Lair – Denver, CO
3/9/16 – The Demo – St. Louis, MO
3/12/16 – Val’s List (Private show) – Chicago, IL
3/24/16 – Sam Bond’s Garage – Eugene, OR
3/25/16 – Hard Rock Cafe – Seattle, WA
3/26/16 – The Big Dipper – Spokane, WA
“You can always expect our songs to sound like they do on the album,” adds Erik when describing the band’s live show.  “We take pride in our live performance.  If you’ve fallen in love with our album, you won’t be disappointed when you hear the songs live.  You’ll just get to experience them in a new way.  We’ll spice something up here or there but David’s voice really is that good, no studio tricks made that voice!”
Included in the tour set list will be cuts from Don’t Dream Alone, a few choice covers, as well as a new song entitled “Tell Me.” “It’s got an interesting story behind it,” comments Erik.  “It’s one of the first songs we ever wrote, but it’s gone through three total face lifts with the style in which we play it.  So, even if you think you’ve heard it before, you haven’t heard it like this.”
For more info on this funky new band, check out their website and Facebook pages and follow them on Twitter and Instagram.
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Artists Worth Checking Out

Chris Lind’s “Drive” is the perfect travel companion

Every once in a while, a new artist emerges that has the potential and drive to reach the masses.  Thanks to the power of the internet, such an artist can achieve a level of familiarity and build a die-hard fan base long before they become a household name.  Chris Lind is more than capable of joining that elite group.

Lind is a native of South Jersey (near Philly) who became a driving force on the NYC music scene before recently relocating to his dad’s native Hawaii.  He attended Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, splitting time living, working and gigging in Honolulu, as well as studying Slack Key guitar with renowned artist Ozzie Kotani.  After graduating with a degree in Music, he moved to New York City.  Within a year he began gigging at hot spots like Rockwood Music Hall (ultimately performing on all three stages), The Living Room and Pete’s Candy Store (where he secured various residencies).

Growing a loyal fan base via his headline performances, Lind also opened for John Cruz at Le Poisson Rouge and the legendary Michael McDonald at The Ridgefield Playhouse in Connecticut.  Expanding his sphere of influence, he later performed at The Tin Angel in Philadelphia, The Rite Spot in San Francisco, the Hotel Café in Los Angeles, The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ and Downbeat Lounge and Anna O’Brien’s in Honolulu.  Towards the end of his time living in New York, he recorded and performed at CMJ 2014 with a newly reformed version of Americana power-pop band End of Love, whose members included Wilco’s Nels Cline and Big Star’s Jody Stephens.  Lind’s “day jobs” during this time included teaching guitar at St. Francis College in Brooklyn and managing a prominent rehearsal studio in Greenwich Village.

“Living, working and playing in NYC/Brooklyn these past ten years, I’ve been able to see so many amazing artists who have inspired the development of my own style, vibe and point of view as a songwriter and performer,” says Lind.  “I’ve been exposed to many amazing places and venues, all rich with unique vibes. The guys in my band are honestly some of my greatest influences.”

A few years after catching fire with his singles “What Is Not Yours” and “A Story of Us” – which were featured in two episodes of the CW’s Smallville – and his debut EP Home, the soulful-voiced Lind takes a long look at the colorful history of where he’s been.

He and his band, featuring Aaron Nevezie on guitar, Dave Burnett on drums and Jeff Hill on bass, have completed work on their forthcoming sophomore EP, which will be released in February.  Nevezie and Burnett also had co-producing credits on the project.  In the meantime, the band has just released the first single, “Drive,” which reminds this writer of a hybrid between Tom Petty and John Mellencamp.

The song starts out mellow, with an amazing acoustic guitar rift that announces to the world that the song to come will blow your mind.  Then, as the chorus kicks in, the tempo shifts into high percussive gear and the multi-talented singer/songwriter shares powerful lyrics that perfectly reflect the forward momentum of his emergence as a force in indie pop/rock.  “Drive” is about the desire to move West with someone he loves.  The chorus reaches its climax with these reflective words:  “The only way we’ll ever get there is the shaking of our hearts.  The only way we’ll ever know is if we drive.”   With these hauntingly beautiful lyrics and the remainder of the songs on the EP, Lind declares emphatically now is the time to move on to bigger and bolder opportunities.

This is definitely an artist to check out and to add to your radar.  For more information about him, check out his website and Facebook pages, follow him on Twitter and subscribe to his Soundcloud channel.

Thanks to Jen Lyneis of Ue3 Promotions and Steve Belkin of Open All Nite Entertainment for bringing this amazing artist to our attention.

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Artists Worth Checking Out

Kanisha K’s got the Christmas spirit

We introduced you to this amazing artist in August 2014 through an article on Examiner.com.   Kanisha K has now released a music video for her cover of “I’ll be Home for Christmas,” and we couldn’t be happier.

The video is directed by Barry and  Derek Elz and is done in the style of a 1940’s era big band tune.

This is the second year in a row that Kanisha has released a Christmas video.  Last year’s offering was “I Found Love.”

The video is gaining popularity and adds on multiple platforms and was recently the #1 most added song on the FMQB chart.  Among those adds are Video Jam, Video Diversity and Cutting Edge, as well as Pulse TV.

Enjoy Kanisha’s new video – consider it our Christmas gift to  you.

For for information on this amazing artist, check out her website and Facebook pages, follow her on Twitter and Instagram and subscribe to her YouTube channel.

Thanks to Jennifer Lyneis of Ue3 Promotions for turning us on to this voice of the future.

 

 

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Artists Worth Checking Out

Shane Piasecki to debut new video

Back when I was writing for Examiner.com and AXS.com, I had the privilege of reviewing and helping to introduce Shane Piasecki, a brilliant new artist based in Nashville, Tennesee.

Piasecki will be releasing a music video for his soon-to-be hit song, “Jackie O” in the near future.  Here’s a sneak preview of that video:

Check out my review and stay tuned for the debut of this incredible music video.  In the meantime, check out his Facebook page.

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Artists Worth Checking Out

Artists worth checking out: Brooke Moriber

One of the best things about writing a blog focusing on indie artists is the opportunity to check out amazing new artists and share them with readers.  Thanks to Jen Lyneis of Ue3 Promotions and Rick Eberle, Indie Voice is proud to share and recommend Brooke Moriber as this month’s “Artist Worth Checking Out.”

Born and raised in New York City (Manhattan’s Greenwich Village to be precise), Brooke Moriber is a singer/ songwriter known for her edgy pop tunes.  She got her start on Broadway at the tender age of eight when she was cast as young Cosette in Les Miserables.  Since then, she has performed in six other Broadway shows, including roles as Nadine in The Wild Party, Iola Stover in Parade and Lily in James Joyce’s The Dead, as well as guest starring roles on television and in the movies, including Law and Order: CI, Swift Justice, A Town’s Revenge, Off-Track Betty, Descent, and As The World Turns.  She also appeared on stage in Follies on Broadway and The Threepenny Opera, the latter with Cyndi Lauper and Alan Cumming.

In addition, she also premiered Randy Newman’s “Stupid Little Songs” in Seattle, portraying Randy’s first wife in The Education Of Randy Newman.  Moriber has been a featured performer on the Tony awards three times and recently performed in a tribute to Marvin Hamlisch at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park .

Not only can she act and sing show tunes, but she has her own style of pop music that is a cross between Amy Lee of Evanescence and Katy Perry.   The Associated Press credited her with having a “clarion voice” with an “immense vocal range.”

Moriber had her first material licensed to Nickelodeon when she was only 15.  Since then her songs have been featured on soundtracks for film and theater.  With her band, she has performed at such New York City venues as Pianos, The Cutting Room, The Knitting Factory and the Red Lion.  More recently, her performance at Revolution Music Hall was filmed for Verizon Fios’ Channel 1 where she was chosen as one of the artists to be featured on Rick’s Rising Stars.

Moriber released her debut EP Fire in August 2015, and has begun performing outside of New York City to support the release.  Last week she visited the Golden State to perform at Los Angeles venues Genghis Cohen and Room 5, where her shows were met with resounding success.

For more information about this artist, check out her website and Facebook page, follow her on Twitter and Instagram and subscribe to her YouTube channel.