We’re now in the second half of November and headed towards Thanksgiving. We’ve got some great new singles and videos for you today, and hope that they make you thankful for indie music. Enjoy these treats.
NEW SINGLES
We kick things off this week with the latest from another of our favorite LA indie artists, Kris Angelis, a multiple winner of the LA Music Critic Award. This time around she confesses “I Hope I Never Fall in Love Again,” although her fans have truly fallen for her. Listen to the words of this song, and let her know how much you care for her craft.
Next up is Brooklyn pop star Laney Lynx, who confronts her friend’s “Bad Attitude.” Although the sound is upbeat, make sure you pay attention to the lyrics. This one is powerful.
Our next single comes from indie alternative pop duo Kar. They share the frustrations of being “On Our Own.” We’re sure everybody can relate.
Single number four is a beautiful song from UK pop songstress Tropico Don, who describes the process of seeking help from your friends as being her “Orion’s Belt.” We love it and can’t wait to hear more.
Our final single this week is from another fabulous Blue Élan Records artist, Amy Wilcox. Hear her country spin on the seminal Christmas carol, “Silent Night.”
NEW MUSIC VIDEOS
The boy band vibe is strong in the latest video from Little Hurt. They remind us that “It’s OK not to be OK.” We strongly recommend this video for the shear fun of it, but also encourage you to listen to the lyrics, and take them to heart. They have dedicated this video to support the work of Hope for the Day, a group that is helping to prevent suicides.
Next is the incredibly creative video from The Envips about the power of pop culture to change our image of success. Check out “Last Star,” and relive the life and struggles of Marilyn Monroe.
Our third video is pure dance pop joy from the creative mind of LX. She talks about people who keep putting the “Blame on Me.” We guarantee this one will get you pumped up.
Next up is the soulful R&B goodness of Jacob Seeger, who wants to know if you’re “Down.” This song is a cinematic masterpiece, and we love the sweet sentiments reflected in his lyrics.
We close out this edition of Monday Mashup with the latest lyric video from LA Music Critic Award-winning country trio, Southern Halo. This one is called “Missing Mississippi,” and it is wonderfully done as a series of Polaroids. Never give up following your dreams.
Welcome to our first Monday Mashup of March. We’re counting down our final two months in Montana, as we will be in Los Angeles for the entire months of May and June before packing up and heading for the east coast in July. Until then, we will continue to bring you amazing new music, including these five singles and music videos which were recently released.
NEW SINGLES
Our first single this week comes from our old friend Tony Lucca, a former cast member of The New Mickey Mouse Club, as well as a member of Team Adam on Season 2 of NBC’s The Voice (the most watched season to date). The single is called “Restless Heart,” and it’s already exploding up the charts. One listen and we think you’ll understand why.
Next up is a clever pop/rock tune from The Slow Drag. Check out this tongue-in-cheek song called “God Roots for my Team.”
Our third single comes from West Australian folk singer-songwriter Scott Riley. We really love the carefree sound of “Hard Luck,” as well as the message of the song. Let us know what you think.
Single number four is “Warriors” by Danish band Rainbrother. This one has the goods to make it on American radio, with its retro sound and driving beat.
Our final single this week is from the powerful and haunting vocalist Luvia. Her single “Hunted” will send chills down your spine. Enjoy this gift.
NEW MUSIC VIDEOS
Our first video this week features the PaperDolls Band in their dressing room warming up with an amazing a capella cover of “Billy” by The Bearfoot Band. Enjoy this insightful look into what makes this band so amazing.
Next up is the latest video from Blue Élan Records future superstar, Amy Wilcox. We simply love this visualization of her song, “Fortune Teller,” and think you will fall under her spell as well.
Video number three comes from Shiragirl, who were a featured act at last year’s LA Music Critic Award Winners Showcase. Check out “I Must be Dreaming” and get your rock on.
Our fourth video comes from the pop-noir mind of Shayfer James, who we reviewed earlier last month. If you’re in New York, his EP release show will be this Friday at Rockwood Music Hall at 8:30 p.m. This beautifully shot cinematic masterpiece perfectly captures the tone of his song “Ophelia.”
We close out this week’s Monday Mashup with the latest hip-hop video from 18 year old Londoner AMA. Check out “Slip.”
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?
After a month of reviewing the Hollywood Fringe Festival, preparing the nominations and winners listings for the LA Music Critic Awards and coordinating the LA Music Critic Award Winners Showcase, we are ready to get back to our normal schedule. We received 86 review requests for the month of June, so we will be focusing on those for our Get it or Forget it articles on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. For the Friday edition, we will focus on July releases. We should be caught up with everything by the end of the first week in August. We will continue to publish our Monday Mashup article each Monday, starting with today. We apologize for the delay in reviews, but this will be an annual occurrence as the month of June is dedicated to coverage of the Fringe. Thank you for your patience.
REDHEAD EXPRESS ANNOUNCE NEW NAME
The Redhead Express are a group of four sisters from Spring Hill, Tennessee who have become synonymous with turning great pop songs into amazing country covers. However, the group has written some amazing original tunes as well. As a result, they have decided to release those originals under a different moniker so as not to confuse their fans. We are happy to announce that those songs will be released under the band name PaperDolls. We look forward to reviewing their original content, and wish them well in all their efforts.
DIY QUEEN CREATES NEW BAND
Shannon Hurley has been the reigning queen of DIY for several years. Besides the amazing and award-winning music she has released solo, she and her husband, bassist Ben Eisen, have also released award-winning music under the moniker Lovers & Poets. Hurley has announced that they have created new music that doesn’t really fit the brand of either of these two formats, so they have created a new platform called Ghost Ability. Their first EP is now available on BandCamp.
NEW SINGLES
First up this week is Sketti Tangles, another amazing act courtesy of A&R Records. Their first single, “The Long Way Down,” is a good tune to kick off this week. Please let us know what you think about it.
Our next single is from 14 year old Evann McIntosh, whose voice will thrill you with its intensity and sweetness. The song is courtesy of Holy Mattress Money. Here is her debut single, “Better Now.” We are sure we will be hearing a lot more from this very promising young artist.
Our third single comes to us courtesy of Blue Élan Records’ rising country music star Amy Wilcox. We think you will really enjoy the sound of “Bandwagon.”
Do you like to get into “Trouble.” If so, we can’t think of a better person to do it with than Megan Wilde, whose powerful vocals will blow you away.
Our final single today is “Instagram” from Catey Shaw, a song about relationships and social media. This one should get your new week off to a great start.
Our first video this week is from the rocking indie sound of Alana Sweetwater, who has been a friend of this reviewer for many years. We are sure you will love the retro sound of “Gotta Get Up.” We are so blessed to have this young lady back in the spotlight.
Our next video has been out for a couple of months, but if we ever needed its message, the time is now. Please give it up for Fanny Walked the Earth and their feminist power anthem “When We Need Her.”
Our third video this week is the latest from Rvzoo and the Sugar Spun Elephant Band. Check out the amazingly sweet and retro sounds of “If I Was a Bird.”
Our next video marks the return of veteran electronic artist Andrew Bayer with his latest “Immortal Lover,” featuring Alison May. Check it out.
Last but not least this week is our final video from Lauren Balthrop and features clips of some of Hollywood’s classic films. Check out “Don’t Ever Forget” and leave us a comment below with your thoughts.