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

Get it or forget it – Royal Hunt, Amy Stroup, The Spanish Flies, Dennis Herrera, Locult

Finally got a little sleep after spending nearly 30 hours working the Leon Bridges and Luke Bryan concerts back-to-back.  What a wonderful season at Big Sky Brewing Company Amphitheatre.  Special thanks to all the folks at Knitting Factory Presents for booking the shows.  Reviews will be coming soon.  In the meantime, here are five more artists for you to check out.

Artist Name Royal Hunt

Album NameLand of Broken Hearts:  Special Edition 2018

Label:  Marquee Avalon, Frontiers Records

Genre:  Classic Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Running Wild; 2.  Easy Rider; 3.  Flight; 4.  Age Gone Wild; 5.  Martial Arts (instrumental); 6.  One by One; 7.  Heart of the City; 8.  Land of Broken Hearts; 9.  Freeway Jam (instrumental); 10.  Kingdom Dark; 11.  Stranded; 12.  Day in Day Out; 13.  Land of Broken Hearts (acoustic); 14.  Age Gone Wild (acoustic); 15.  Bad Luck; 16.  What Goes Around Comes Around

Publicist:  Northpoint Productions

Review:  They have been called “Denmark’s greatest secret,” but we just call them amazing Classic Rock.  Royal Hunt has created 14 albums to date, and this release of one of their bests is a special treat.  It brings back memories of those wonderful hair bands of the 80s, while still retaining the freshness of new music, with screaming guitar riffs, perfect rock vocals, and lyrics that actually mean something.  This one hits the ground running with “Running Wild,” and never stops, packing in 16 amazing songs that are sure to be a hit with every rock music lover.  These songs would make a great soundtrack for your next party, and should be a part of every music supervisor’s catalog, as they are perfect for placement in commercials, television and film.

Recommendation:  Don’t let me stop you – Get this one now!

Artist NameAmy Stroup

Album NameHelen of Memphis

Label:  Milkglass

Genre:  Indie Pop/Rock

Track Listing:  1.  Far Side of the Sea; 2.  Magic; 3.  Made; 4.  Stare; 5.  Wild Nights; 6.  Lost Ones; 7.  Hero; 8.  Go That Far; 9.  Thrill of it; 10.  Fearless; 11.  Magic (Verlou remix); 12.  Stare (Verlou remix)

Publicist:  Self-promoted

Review:  We featured her single “Wild Nights” in our Monday Mashup column, and are so happy to be able to review the rest of her album Helen of Memphis.  Amy Stroup has a sweet indie pop/rock sound with elements of folk and a voice that is reminiscent of Kim Carnes.  Her music is definitely radio friendly, and we think she would be an excellent choice for heavy rotation on AAA radio.  Besides her amazing single “Wild Nights,” we also love “Far Side of the Sea,” “Magic” (both versions), “Stare” (both versions), “Lost Ones,” “Go That Far,” and “Fearless.”

Recommendation:  You simply must Get this one – it is amazing!

Artist NameThe Spanish Flies

Album NameGood Things Come to Those Who Wait

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Psychedelic Power Pop

Track Listing:  1.  Get Going; 2.  Psycho Trip; 3.  Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

Publicist:  Self-promoted

Review:  Originally from Peru, The Spanish Flies now call Edmonton, Canada home, and bring this diverse culture to their music.  Their accents almost have a reggae vibe, adding a special feel to the 60s style “Austin Powers” sound.  Our only regret is that there are only three songs to enjoy on this power-packed EP, and they’re all great.

Recommendation:  Definitely give this one a spin.

Artist NameDennis Herrera

Album NameYou Stole my Heart

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Blues

Track Listing:  1.  You Stole my Heart; 2.  Takes Money; 3.  Fore; 4.  With no Refrain; 5.  Lock Out; 6.  Recovery; 7.  You can Name It; 8.  Backed Up; 9.  My Past Time; 10.  Run with the Losers; 11.  Bittersweet

Publicist:  Frank Roszak Promotions

Review:  With a delicious mix of Chicago and Texas blues, Dennis Herrera brings us one of the best blues albums since The Blues Brothers first hit the scene.  You can feel the Texas swing in the guitar and the Chicago horns made these cuts so tasty, especially on the title track.  This one will take you on a wonderful blues journey that will leave you wanting more.  There is not a weak track on the album, so enjoy it on repeat.

Recommendation:  If you love the blues, then you simply must add this one to your collection.  Get it today!

Artist NameLocult

Album Name Late Night Pharmacies

Label:  Pretty Young Thing/Pocket Records

Genre:  Alt Rock Instrumental

Track Listing:  1.  Reisefeber; 2.  Medicine; 3.  Warszawa; 4.  Reykjavik (ft Karoline Sleide Petersen); 5.  Sky Diver; 6.  Kablys Nights; 7.  Night Time; 8.  I Have Tried; 9.  The Cold Water

Publicist:  PrettyYoungThing

Review:  Locult comes to us from Norway, delivering amazingly mellow instrumental music with a distinctly Nordic sound.  There is a stand-out vocal on the track “Reykjavik” that features the stunning voice of Karoline Sleide Petersen.  Other than that, this dynamic duo has created the music supervisor’s dream soundtrack – tunes that can be used for so many placement opportunities for commercials, television and film.  In addition, some tracks would work great for relaxation and chill times, while others will get you  pumped up.  This one is a great soundtrack for daily living.

Recommendation:  This is a no-brainer.  Get this one for your collection and chill.

 

 

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Artists Worth Checking Out Monday Mashup Women in Entertainment

Monday mashup 2018: vol. 31

It’s our final Monday Mashup for the month of August, and we’ve got plenty of news and great new singles and music videos.  Last night we worked the Shakey Graves concert at Big Sky Brewing Company, and it was an amazingly chill evening.  The music was incredible, and the performers were very good and fun to hang with.  Thanks so much to Rayland Baxter and Shakey Graves for being incredible and easy to talk to.  Watch for our review shortly.

SONIA RAO GIVES INSPIRING TEDx TALK

One of our favorite indie artists, Sonia Rao, shares from her heart on “The Shame and Power of Being a Woman.”  This one deserves a mass audience.

WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR 2018 UNSIGNED ONLY MUSIC COMPETITION

Congratulations to the following winners of this year’s Unsigned Only Music Competition.  We look forward to hearing more from them and to reviewing their projects.

Grand Prize – Eric Ethridge (Sarnia, ON, Canada) “Girl On Fire”

AAA (Adult Album Alternative)

First Place – DENNY (Minneapolis, MN, USA) “Girls Like You”
Second Place – O-SHiN (Berlin, Germany) “Aimless”

Adult Contemporary (AC)

First Place – Sahara Beck (Fortitude Valley, QLD, Australia) “Here We Go Again”
Second Place – Da Candy (Kiev, Ukraine) “Runaway (ft Nathaniel)”

Americana

First Place – Todd Tyler (Aiken, SC, USA) “Run”
Second Place – Brad Anderson (Manchester, England) “Death Do Us Part”

Christian

First Place – Drew Greenway (Henderson, TN, USA) “Walk In The Light”
Second Place – Dave Pettigrew (Ridgewood, NJ, USA) “Undertow”

Country

First Place – Kaylee Bell (Waimate, New Zealand) “Getting Closer”
Second Place – Virginia Creek (Chincoteague, VA, USA) “Kiss Me Sober”

EDM

First Place – Reign (Oshawa, ON, Canada) “Make Me”
Second Place – Pokki DJ (Imperia, Italy) “Remember This Night”

Folk/Singer-Songwriter

First Place – Leon Of Athens (Athens, Greece) “Aeroplane”
Second Place – Ezra Vancil (Dallas, TX, USA) “Complicated Man”

Pop/Top 40

First Place – Adrielle Bow Belle (New York, NY, USA) “Runaway”
Second Place – Carrie Lane (Montclair, NJ, USA) “Drowning”

R&B/Hip-Hop

First Place – Denzil Porter (Bronx, NY, USA) “Time Soon Come”
Second Place – Mayah (Cairns, QLD, Australia) “XO Girl”

Rock

First Place – The Royal Foundry (Sherwood Park, AB, Canada) “Lost In Your Head”
Second Place – Glass Mansions (Columbia, SC, USA) “Just Friends”

Screen Shot

First Place – Big Little Lions (Royston, BC, Canada) “Find Your Tribe”
Second Place – Jayde (Port Hope, ON, Canada) “Perfect Strangers”

Teen

First Place – Hailey Belle (Santa Clarita, CA, USA) “Fall So Easily”
Second Place – Under The Radar (Memphis, TN, USA) “Boom”

Vocal Performance

First Place – Paul Loren (New York, NY, USA) “I Know A Place”
Second Place – Elinor Sitrish (Dimona, Israel) “One Reason”

Fandemonium Winner (winner selected by online public vote) – Haddon Cord (Boise, ID, USA) “A Million Songs”

Unsigned Only is now accepting entries for the 2019 competition. This year, Unsigned Only has added five new categories for artists to enter. The complete list of categories includes: AAA (Adult Album Alternative); AC (Adult Contemporary); Americana; Blues; Christian; Country; EDM; Folk/Singer-Songwriter; Instrumental; Jazz; Latin; Pop/Top 40; R&B/Hip-Hop; Rock; Screen Shot (songs suitable for placment in film, tv, etc.); Teen (for artists 18 years old and younger); Vocal Performance; and World Music.  More information can be found at: https://www.unsignedonly.com.  To hear the winning songs, download low-res photos, and view the complete list of winners, go to: https://www.unsignedonly.com/winners

NEW SINGLES

Our first single this week is from one of our favorite Santa Monica bands, Only Bricks.  Their latest is called “Ordinary,” and we believe the band is anything but.  Check them out and let us know what you think.

Next is the latest from Blue Élan Records artist Amy Wilcox.  Her single is called “Somebody,” and is the second single from her forthcoming EP West.  We can’t wait to hear the rest.

Our third single this week is “Dancing” from Basement Revolver, Ontario, Canada, and we really like this gritty indie rock track.

Our fourth single this week is from Amy Stroup, who was born in Boston and raised in Abilene, Texas.  It’s called “Wild Nights,” and we love it.  What do you think?

Our final single this week is from the amazing R&B/alt pop voice of Thomas Graff.  It’s called “Make it Easy,” and we think that it accurately describes this artist’s future in the business.  Enjoy the groove.

NEW MUSIC VIDEOS

Long time indie giant Greg Laswell is finally releasing a new album on September 21.  The first single from it is called “Royal Empress,” and it was debuted by Los Angeles tastemaker Nic Harcourt  (KCRW) on August 14.  Here’s the lyric video for the song, which we simply love since it reminds us of vintage Springsteen.

Next up is the latest from Satellite Citi, which we introduced to you last year.  The song is entitled “Collide” and that’s what is going to happen soon when the world finds out about this amazing rock band with a lead singer that not only plays drums, but can also compete with Amy Lee.  Enjoy this one!

Our third video this week is from Tim Burlingame and Kathrin Shorr, also known as Sweet Talk Radio.  We really love this beautiful video for “Blue,” and think you will too.

Our next video is “Running” from Daniel Ellsworth and The Great Lakes.  This one has such a chill vibe that we think it is perfect for your Monday.

Time for our final video this week.  We’re closing out without another chill tune from Falcon Jane.  Here’s “Ginger Ale.”  Are you thirsty yet?