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Artists Worth Checking Out Best of 2020 indie music Monday Mashup Singles and Videos

Best singles of 2020

This past year was a tough one for the majority of us.  Thank goodness there was indie music.  Looking back over the 19 Monday Mashup columns we compiled during the year, we have selected the 20 Best Singles.  Here they are in the order we featured them.

Volume 1 – Matt Hansen, “Find Me”

Find Me · Matt Hansen (spotify.com)

Volume 2 – Emmrose, “Take me With You”

Spotify – Take Me with You

Volume 3 – Jackie Castro, “Gravity”

Spotify – Gravity

Volume 4 – Joel Plaskett, “If There’s Another Road”

Spotify – If There’s Another Road

Volume 5 – Single by Sunday, “Debbie”

Spotify – Debbie

Volume 6 – Nia Ekanem, “Shelter”

Spotify – Shelter

Volume 7 – Kyle LaLone, “Not Gonna Drink Over You”

Spotify – Not Gonna Drink Over You

Volume 8 – BINX, “Blazing”

Spotify – Blazing

Volume 9 – The Trusted, “The Innocent”

Spotify – The Innocent

Volume 10 – Katie Knipp, “Chamomile and Cocaine”

Spotify – Chamomile and Cocaine

Volume 11 – Ted Russell Kamp, “Home Sweet Hollywood”

Spotify – Home Sweet Hollywood

Volume 12 – The Imaginaries, “Revival”

Spotify – Revival

Volume 13 – Soul Asylum, “If I Told You”

Spotify – If I Told You (Acoustic)

Volume 14 – Gina Sicilia, “Married Man”

Spotify – Married Man

Volume 15 – Mustangs of the West, “I am the Highway”

Spotify – I Am the Highway

Volume 16 – Goldflēce, “Tie One On”

Spotify – Tie One On

Volume 17 – Brigitte Purdy, “Memphis Hotline”

Spotify – Memphis Hotline

Volume 18 – Cameron DuBois, “Merry Christmas, Wherever You Are”

Merry Christmas, Wherever You Are · Cameron DuBois, Bama Sound (spotify.com)

Volume 19 – Amy Steele, “Our House”

Our House · Amy Steele (spotify.com)

Best of the Rest – Shannon Hurley, “Am I in This Love Alone”

Am I in This Love Alone · Shannon Hurley (spotify.com)

We’ll be back soon with our 20 Best Music Videos.  See you soon.

 

Categories
Artists Worth Checking Out indie music Monday Mashup Singles and Videos

Monday mashup 2020 (vol 17)

Wow, what a week!  Oklahoma got hit with a huge ice storm last week that knocked out power for a lot of people, and made work almost unbearable.  We worked nearly 60 hours and our sales were up 150%, causing us to run out of just about everything, including our patience.  So glad things are beginning to return to normal, and we have a little time this morning to post our long overdue article.  Check out these great new singles and music videos.

NEW SINGLES

First up this morning is the latest blues masterpiece from LA Music Critic Award winner Brigitte Purdy.  She’s on the “Memphis Hotline” and we’re sure glad we got to participate.  Purdy only gets hotter with each new song.  This one is a true keeper!

From the blues we switch to R&B, and the incredible sound of up and coming artist Christine Nguyen.  She compiles a lot in her song “Finding Happiness,” and we’re ready to join her in her journey.  This one is perfect for today’s election.

Speaking of the election, Wildwood Franklin has a political winner with his latest Americana/blues classic, “American Trump Card.”  It’s a reminder to all of us to get out and vote if we want to change the direction our country is heading.

Who doesn’t like an 80’s throwback?  Katie Wood goes back and resurrects that iconic sound in her latest tune, “Where Have You Been?”  We hope she’s around for a long time.

Our final single this week comes from rocker Jacqueline Tucci, who invites us to come “Home.”  We love the classic sound of this track and think we have not heard the last from this young Toronto artist.

NEW MUSIC VIDEOS

With election day upon us, the amazing LA singer/songwriter queen Kris Angelis reminds us we need to find “My Quiet,” and not let the anxieties and cares of this world overcome us.  We wholeheartedly agree.

Next up is another LA-based group of incredible musicians, Lucy & La Mer.  This time around they bring us the upbeat and positive song, “Better Than I was Before.”  Let’s take their advice and be our best.

Nikki O’Neill is a rising Americana artist who just relocated from LA to Chicago.  In her latest video, she reminds us that the “World is Waiting” for the power of love to rise up.  Let’s lead the charge.

Time for a little fun.  Here is a cool punk rock video from New Jersey band Boy Blue which features the vocals of Jaret Reddick of Bowling for Soup.   They are looking for fun with the “Ghost of Saturday Night,” and we bet they will find what they’re looking for.

Our final video this week comes from LA female-fronted band Kitten, who remind us of the days when “Angelina” was breaking into the movie business.  This one is sure to get your toes tapping and your feet on the dance floor.  Have a great week.

 

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Artists Worth Checking Out indie music Monday Mashup Women in Entertainment

Monday mashup 2019: vol. 10

Hope you all survived the start of Daylight Savings Time yesterday.  Hopefully today’s great music will give you the jump start you need (that and several cups of coffee).  We’re getting really excited about our return to LA next month, and looking forward to the Hollywood Fringe Festival, our debut solo show, Livin’ the Dream (a journalistic journey), and celebrating women at the third annual LA Music Critic Award Winners Showcase.  We hope to connect with all of our LA peeps at at least one of these events.

NEW SINGLES

Our first single this week comes from one of the scheduled performers at this year’s Showcase, Brigitte Purdy, who took home wins for Best Blues Artist and Best CD (Female).

Our second single comes from the cold vastness of Denmark.  The Straw Family Band have been thrilling us since we introduced them to you back in July 2017.  Their latest, “Perfectly Fine,” is another prime example of why we love them so much.  The tune is melancholy while still upbeat and features stirring vocals that uplift and give the song its intended positive vibe.

Next up is the first single from Americana/Indie Rock duo Anana Kaye.  We love the harmonies and the intriguing vocals, and think this song should do well in both Americana and Indie Rock/College radio circuits.  Check out “Blueberry Fireworks.”

We had intended to feature our next single a few weeks ago, but it got lost in our email.  We are very pleased to present it now, as it is pure classic country that we can’t get enough of.  Check out Marty Brown‘s “Umbrella Lovers” and we think you’ll love it too.

Our final single this week is an amazing work of R&B smoothness, featuring the amazing vocals of Dominique Tey.  Her EP will drop next month, and this tasty appetizer should get you ready for it.  Here’s “Every Part.”

NEW MUSIC VIDEOS

We kick off this week’s music videos with this torch song from the amazing Fiona Grey.  We definitely agree with her assessment that we need more “Girls Like Me.”

Our next video comes from Kakkmaddafakka, which we introduced to you in our Ten Great Singles of February.  Here is the video of that same song, and we love it.  Get up and dance your cares away.

Likewise, our third video is the latest from Blue Élan Records artists Red Wanting Blue, featuring the stunning vocals of Liz Brasher.  We introduced this song to you a couple of weeks ago, and we can’t get enough of it.  Check out “I Got a Feeling it Hurts.”

We featured Kat Holland‘s song “The One” in our post-Grammy Monday Mashup, and she has now released a music video for it.  We love the sound of her voice, which is elegant, airy and full of life.  See what we mean.

We close out this week with the heartfelt sound of Cameron Hawthorn, who likes to be “Dancing in the Living Room.”  Sounds like a great idea, don’t you think?

 

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

Get it or forget it – Brigitte Purdy, Joakim, Shelby Texas, Sonia Leigh, Dinamarca

Ready to check out new indie music?  You came to the right place then.  Here are five new releases for your consideration.

Artist NameBrigitte Purdy

Album NameStill I Rise

Label:  Dirtshack Records

Genre:  Blues

Track Listing:  1.  Hoodoo; 2.  Be the Light; 3.  Home is in my Heart; 4.  My Kinda Blues; 5.  Last Time; 6.  Get it Understood; 7.  If I Could; 8.  Lucille Don’t you Weep; 9.  Blues Angel; 10.  Still I Rise

Publicist:  Blind Raccoon

Review:  We met Brigitte Purdy at the LA Music Critic Award Winners Showcase when she came to support Pam Taylor.  We had no idea at the time how amazing she was, but after reviewing her latest CD, we are believers!  This petite young lady can wail, and is eerily as powerful a vocalist as Janis Joplin, Etta James and Aretha Franklin.  She also has a plethora of amazing guest musicians on her CD, including Blues Music Award winner Kenny Neal on Harmonica, So Cal guitarist Dave Osti (who also produced the CD) and the Blues Angel rhythm section and Donnell Spencer Jr.  Purdy uses elements of blues, gospel, R&B, funk, soul and rock in creating this very unique mixture that showcases her multiple talents.  We fully expect this young lady to take on the rest of the blues world and quickly rise to the top.  Every song is a winner, and you can’t go wrong with any of these tracks.

Recommendation:  Drop what you’re doing and Get this one NOW!

Artist NameJoakim

Album NameThe Studio Venezia Sessions

Label:  The Vinyl Factory

Genre:  Instrumental

Track Listing:  1.  Orange; 2.  Trust; 3.  Dead; 4.  Arms; 5.  Innuendo; 6.  Air; 7.  Comes; 8.  Absence; 9.  Dream

Publicist:  Worldwide Friendly Society Communications

Review:  Studio Venezia is a musician’s playground, with a myriad of instruments from medieval times to the present.  Joakim uses many of these instruments on this very intriguing instrumental album that is unlike anything we have heard before.  The result is an album of diverse sounds that somehow mesh well, creating a dreamy landscape of sound pictures that could form the perfect soundscape for a myriad of placement opportunities in commercials, film or television.  These are not the type of songs you would hear on the radio, except maybe NPR.  Nevertheless, they are interesting enough that you should definitely check them out.

Recommendation:  Give it a spin.

Artist NameShelby, Texas

Album NameWe are Shelby, Texas

Label:  Self-Released

Genre:  Country

Track Listing:  1.  No Regrets, 2.  Right Side; 3.  Unrequited; 4.  Home; 5.  Tennessee; 6.  Gasoline; 7.  Glory (acoustic)

Publicist:  Self-promoted

Review:  Shelby, Texas is a country duo from San Francisco, California led by vocalist Shelby Lanterman.  Their sound is fresh and pure, bringing back the traditional country sound but with a modern twist.  The guitar work of her partner, Texas McCauley, is a thing of beauty  He takes lead vocals on “Right Side,” “Home,” and “Gasoline.”  We especially love the harmonies on “Home” and “Glory,”  as the combination of their voices is downright heavenly.  This duo has a bright future in the industry, and we highly recommend radio station managers, tour mangers and music supervisors take notice of this amazing duo.

Recommendation:  As the name of the first track suggests, if you Get this CD, you will have “No Regrets.”

Artist NameSonia Leigh and Friends

Album Name Live in London:  Studio 3 Sessions

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Country

Track Listing:  1.  Clair de Lune, pt. 1; 2.  Alabama Bound; 3.  My Name is Money; 4.  Bar; 5.  Jack is Back; 6.  Sweet Annie; 7.  Dead Mans Sunrise; 8.  Walking in the Moonlight; 9.  Ladder to the Moon; 10.  Rob the Man; 11.  Sky Submarine; 12.  Ol’ 55; 13.  Clair de Lune, pt. 2

Publicist:  Alliance Media Relations

Review:  Sonia Leigh is one of those artists who you have probably heard and loved but didn’t know who she was.  She wrote “Sweet Annie” and “Goodbye in her Eyes” and both became huge #1 hits for the Zac Brown Band.  She is one of the most sought after songwriters in Nashville, and a killer guitar player.  She spent most of the past year in the UK, where she and her friends recorded this album in the famed Abbey Road Studios.  She has an amazing voice that is part Janis Joplin and the rest Bonnie Raitt, and to quote one of her songs, “My Name is Money.”  Truer words have never been spoken, as we believe this young lady can challenge anyone in the congested country music market.  She has the grit and humor of Gretchen Wilson, and we hereby dub her the new “Redneck Woman.”  We love her version of “Sweet Annie,” which shows the passion in her songwriting, and clearly demonstrates why Zac Brown wanted to record it.

Recommendation:  If  you love country, you must have this one in your collection.  Get it!

Artist NameDinamarca

Album NameSol De Mi Vida

Label:  Rinse

Genre:  Trance/EDM

Track Listing:  1.  Sol; 2.  Dino; 3.  Jevi; 4.  Campana; 5.  Mi Todo; 5.  Tú y Yo; 7.  Luna

Publicist:  Worldwide Friendly Society Communications

Review:  The founder of indie record label Staycore, Dinamarca reimagines the music of Latin America with an electronic sound that is perfectly suited for use by house DJs and should be heard in every dance club in the world.  A mixture of trance and reggaeton, it is completly original and sublime.  Hailing from Chile, Dinamarca is now part of the buzzing Swedish music scene, and they should be very lucky to have him.  This one is a keeper.

Recommendation:  If you love to dance or move your body, you can’t find a better soundtrack.  Get it and see for yourself.