Tag: Katie Costello

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Artists Worth Checking Out Hollywood Fringe Festival LA Music Critic Awards Monday Mashup Women in Entertainment

Monday mashup 2017: Vol 21

Back home in Montana after a wonderful week spending time with my dad and sister-in-law in Oklahoma.  I drove 3100 miles through Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Texas and Oklahoma, and enjoyed the trip.  Also got to stop in Denver and catch a performance of one of my best friends, Nina Storey, at The Soiled Dove Underground.

Speaking of the show, her opening act, Ian Mahan, was amazing.  The night was sheer perfection.  Loved the entire vibe of new songs, old songs, Beatles songs and the wit and wisdom of her brilliant on stage banter.  We have been friends for many years (won’t tell you how many but it’s more than 10), and this was the best show I have ever witnessed.  Be on the lookout for new material, as well as a new project that she shared with us.  If you loved her before, you will love her even more now.  If you haven’t discovered the magic that is Nina Storey, then now is the perfect time to come onboard.

HOLLYWOOD FRINGE FESTIVAL OPENS FOR PREVIEWS ON JUNE 1

The Eighth annual Hollywood Fringe Festival opens for previews on Thursday, followed by the Opening Party on June 7.  We will be arriving on June 15, and will provide daily coverage through the awards show on June 25.  We are so excited to present our first award this year, the Larry Cornwall Award for Musical Excellence, in honor of our fallen friend, Larry Cornwall aka Alice in Cooperland.  Stay tuned for our list of the 10 most anticipated shows, which will be published later this week.

LA MUSIC CRITIC AWARD WINNERS SHOWCASE

The LA Music Critic Awards are celebrating five years of recognizing the indie music community with a showcase at the famed Hotel Café on June 20.  We will be honoring a special songwriter with the 2017 Icon Award, and will have performances by Wendy Sweetlove, Elyse Haren, Jon Mullane, Janey Street, Jerad Finck, Katie Costello, Lovers & Poets, The Spider Accomplice and Papermoon Gypsys.  Advance tickets are available on the Hotel Café website and are only $10 in advance and $12 at the door.  Come help us celebrate and support live indie music.

EMILY CLIBOURN DEBUTS ROCK-UMENTARY

Emily Clibourn has been a force in indie music for several years.  We are proud to announce the screening of her new rock-umentary, As the Wind Blows, the story of her recent cross-country tour.  The screening of the five part documentary will be on Saturday, June 3 from 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at 1340 E 6th Street, Suite 402, Los Angeles.  Doors open at 7:30 p.m., with live music playing from 8:30 until 10 p.m.  The screening will follow.  Afterwards, attendees are invited to the Villains Tavern for the after party.  The event is BYOB, and it is recommended that you also bring a pillow for your own seating.

Please click here to RSVP and here for more details.

NEW MUSIC

Speaking of Jerad Finck, he has recently released his new single, on the heels of the success of “Criminal.”  His tune is called “New Kids,” and we think you’ll love it.  Check it out.

https://soundcloud.com/jeradfinck/new-kids-master

NEW MUSIC VIDEOS

Check out this interesting video from Brooklyn based Onesie of their tune, “This Minstrel.”  Please let us know your thoughts.

We haven’t forgotten about you hip-hop fans.  Check out the recent music video from Australian band 27 seconds of their song, “Forever Learning.”

Last  but not least this week is the debut video of an amazing new band fronted by our friend, Justin Foutz.  Check out “American Sweetheart” by the Rye Brothers.

 

 

 

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Artists Worth Checking Out Reviews Women in Entertainment

Indie-pop princess Katie Costello reveals her mystery

If you’ve followed this writer’s past articles, then you know that one of his favorite indie artists is Katie Costello, a young lady who calls New York her home, and who is truly the Princess of indie pop and artistic activism.

REBEL POP Records and Indie Voice Blog are pleased to announce that Ms. Costello has revealed another of her masterpieces with the release of her latest EP From the Vault and the accompanying music video for her single, “A Beautiful Mystery.”

This five-song EP is a teaser for Costello’s upcoming full-length album, which is scheduled for release in early 2017.  The new album will be her first full length project since Lamplight was released in 2011.

“Silver and Gold” kicks off From the Vault with the kinetic energy fans have come to expect from Costello.  It is fast and upbeat, and is the perfect opening salvo for this musical treat.  Costello’s pure sweet voice rises above the musical accompaniment to lift the spirits of the listener.

The second track, “I’ll be Here,” is a softer ballad, but it still evokes hope as Costello promises that she will always be there.   It is a fitting description for Costello, whose activism and  social work continue to bring hope in a time when many things are going wrong.

“A Beautiful Mystery,” the third track, has already received placements in the Claire Danes’ film As Cool as I Am, as well as on MTV’s hit show Teen Wolf.  As you can see and hear from the music video above, this song is amazing and fun.

Maia Sharp, a gifted songwriter who has penned hit songs for such artists as Bonnie Raitt, joins with Costello to write the fourth track, “Lights,” which has a distinctly jazzy sound.  Costello’s airy voice and lyrics fit the mood perfectly.

Last but certainly not least, the final track, “Here & Now,” has also gotten some advance publicity with its use in a Kellogg’s commercial.  It’s impossible not to smile as you listen to this positive message and memorable beat.

Costello has once again given us music with substance in a world of plastic candy-coated crap that passes for popular music.   Indie Voice Blog is proud to highly recommend From the Vault, as well as anything else Costello has ever written, for anyone looking for real music with a message.  We can hardly wait for the release of her full length album, and will bring you all the details as soon as we can.

If you want to learn more about the princess of indie pop, check out her website and Facebook pages, follow her on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram and be sure to subscribe to her YouTube channel, her blog on Tumblr, and her email list.  Join the revolution.

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Women in Entertainment

Future women in entertainment: Katie Costello, new world advocate

Happy new year!  We wanted to start off 2016 with a future Women in Entertainment feature on a young artist who has already achieved much in her career, Katie Costello, singer, songwriter, label maker and new world advocate.

Costello began writing songs in her bedroom on a digital piano at age 13, and soon thereafter began performing them at various clubs in Los Angeles, where this writer first heard her.  Although not yet out of high school, she was becoming disillusioned by the homogeneity and insulated nature of Southern California’s suburban world.   Consequently, when she turned 18, Costello moved to New York City’s Lower East Side to seek diversity, inspiration, and fulfillment of her dream of making art and music in the creative heart of the Big Apple.

Costello dropped her first full length album, Kaleidoscope Machine, at the age of 17, leading to her “discovery” by legendary DJ Nic Harcourt of the trendsetting public radio station KCRW.  Harcourt had featured her on his show “Today’s Top Tune,” and had this to say about our future superstar:  “It’s good to know what one wants to be when one grows up.  At 17, Hermosa Beach resident Katie Costello is making her path clear.”

Upon moving to New York, Costello decided against going to college so that she could  pursue her art and music full-time.   She has performed, composed, produced, and collaborated on many records, including her own discography, comprised of two full-length albums (Kaleidoscope Machine, Lamplight) and five EPs (The City In Me, Follow Your Every Beat, Impossible Things, Universal Spread of Compassionate Wisdom, Rebel Pop Singer Songwriter); as well as numerous singles, including her latest, “New World.”  Her artistry has continued to evolve with every new release, while always staying true to her mantra:  classic songwriting, authentic musicality featuring piano and guitar, raw emotion, and honest lyrics.

When she’s not songwriting, recording, and performing, she’s practicing yoga and meditation at Bodhisattva Yoga in Park Slope, Brooklyn, which keeps her looking, feeling, and creating at her best.  She credits the studio’s founder, Vivekan, as a constant source of inspiration and motivation behind her music.  In fact, she and Vivekan founded REBEL POP Records, which now serves as the home for Costello’s musical catalog.

Her music has been featured in various television shows, including Private Practice, Pretty Little Liars, Switched at Birth, Vampire Diaries, One Tree Hill, 90210, Home and Away, and Rookie Blue, as well as on such films as Bgrooklyn Brothers Beat the Best, Craigslist Joe, Never and others.  In addition, Costello is a
contributing songwriter on many other artists’ projects.  Her music has also been featured in such prominent publications as Vogue, Teen Vogue, Marie Claire, BlackBook, Paste and Billboard, to name a few.

You can find a review of her current release, Rebel Pop Songwriter, by clicking here.  For more information about this future superstar, check out her website and her Facebook page, follow her on Twitter and Instagram, and definitely subscribe to her YouTube channel.

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Reviews

Katie Costello is a true rebel singer-songwriter

A few years back, Katie Costello became somewhat of a legend among independent artists when she created an entire music video from her iPhone 4.

After what seems like an eternity, Costello has returned with a new EP that is easily one of the best of 2015.  Her new five-track EP, Rebel Pop Singer Songwriter, has been released on a limited basis, but belongs in the hands of every serious music lover.

According to Costello,”This EP is about following your dreams, fighting for what’s right, listening to your heart, and connecting to a bigger picture . . . This EP is dedicated towards the mission of  building a “New World” filled with love, one step at a time.”

With tracks produced by Robbie G (New York Graffiti, New World and Roses) and Seth Jones (Up in the Air and Why Does my Heart Break?) and written by Costello with help from Robert Guariglia (New York Graffiti, New World and Roses), Seth Jones and Michelle Lewis (Up in the Air) and Seth Jones (Why Does my Heart Break?), every song delivers its message in a way that few other artists have mastered – from the heart of the writer directly to the heart of the listener.

She has also released a video for the first track, “New York Graffiti,” which captures some of the magic of an indie artist who isn’t afraid to busk in New York’s Washington Square Park.  Check it out below:

Throughout her career, Costello has consistently delivered some of the best content of any musical artist, signed or not.  Her latest EP is just further proof that her music belongs to the masses.  Thank you Ms. Costello for restoring our faith in the power of music to change our lives and make this a better world.