Tag: Kelly McGrath

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

Monday mashup 2017: Vol. 43

Day three of hospice care and I’ve discovered that this is definitely not for the faint of heart.  My brother and I are working hard to provide care for our Dad.  I had no idea how much work is involved in that.  Mad props to anyone who does this for a living.  Taking a break from duties while the hospice nurse works on him and thought it was time to work on our Monday Mashup.

WENDY SWEETLOVE SELLS OUT CD RELEASE SHOW

Wendy Sweetlove, who we introduced to you a few months back at our LA Music Critic Award winners showcase, recently performed at Hotel Cafe for a sold-out house, performing all the songs from her recent release Dirty Sunday.   Alana Sweetwater opened the show, and we wish we could have been there.  From what we hear, it was one of the best shows of the year.

KELLY McGRATH SIGNS NEW PUBLISHING DEAL

Kelly McGrath, who just returned from a tour of the UK, signed a new publishing deal with Luna Music Group, and released her holiday single on iTunes.  We expect even greater things from this indie superstar in the new year.

NEW SINGLES

First up is the latest from powerhouse band FlecHaus with “Finding.”  This one is a keeper – let it inspire you this season.

Next check out “Big G,” the latest from Neosho.  This one has enough energy to get you up and dancing with encouragement for the new year.  Let us know what you think.

Our last new single today comes from the band Echo City.  The tune is called “Burn Me,” and it definitely gets our flames arising.  We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

NEW MUSIC VIDEOS

Our first video today is “Shooting Stars” by Mellott.  We love this lyric video with its awesome background of shooting stars – it is perfect.  Enjoy.

Our next video, “Paint the Road,” by Sierra Blanca, has visually stunning cinematography and a beautiful story sung with a incredibly strong voice.  Please share this one with your friends.

Our final video for the week is “Rise” by Sluka, an intense protest song complete with images to drive home his point.  Let us know where you stand.

 

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Artists Worth Checking Out Monday Mashup Women in Entertainment

Monday mashup 2017: Vol. 37

Took a couple of days off from writing to spend some time with my family.  Went with Dad and my brother up to the OKC suburb of Midwest City to visit my sister-in-law, her folks, and my niece and nephew.  Ate way too much food and needed Sunday to recuperate.  Ready for a new week that will be special with the Durango Songwriters Expo in Wellington, Colorado this weekend after my final three days of enjoyment with my family.

KELLY McGRATH CELEBRATES CMT DEBUT

Two weeks ago we debuted the new music video by Kelly McGrath.  This past Thursday, that video debuted on CMT, which McGrath celebrated with a screening and concert at The Family Wash in Nashville, where she was joined by her entire management team.  Congratulations to McGrath on this special occasion.  We hope to see her at #1 in no time on CMT.

NEW SINGLES

Take a listen to “This Could Mean the End,” the latest from Australian Lachlan Vines.  It has a smooth vibe that makes the poignant lyrics a little easier to take.  Please let us know what you think.

Our next single also comes from Australia.  Please welcome Bluebird to North America, with stunning song, “Invincible.”  We are very impressed with these guys, especially the lead vocals.   We think this band will take flight soon, so check them out now and get on board before they become a household name.

Our last single for today is another dynamic female named Priest, who has released her first single, “White Wing Dove” from her forthcoming EP.  Her sound is very reminiscent of Mandi Perkins and of Verona, and we are very excited to share her with you.  Enjoy this morsel.

NEW MUSIC VIDEOS

Because it’s the first Monday in October, we are giving you a double-feature for our first new music video.  Check out the lyric video and official video for “Butterflies” by Beckett.  The song features the vocals of Claire Ridgley.  The song truly makes us feel upbeat and happy for the new week, and definitely puts us in the proper frame of mind.  Let us know what you think.

Moving over to the other side, here’s a new video from Lyod that has a very soothing and smooth male vocal to balance out your day.  Check out “Run Away” and let us know what you think.

Last but not least this week, here’s the latest from The Voice alum Jacquie Lee.  Her soaring vocals and stunning visuals should get your week off to a fine start.  We’ll be back soon with more Get it or Forget it and a stunning interview with the one and only Robert Earl Keen.

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Artists Worth Checking Out Monday Mashup Women in Entertainment

Monday mashup 2017: Vol. 35

Well, we survived a fire in the apartment two doors down yesterday that totally destroyed it and caused damage to two other apartments.  Mucho thanks to the Fire Department for getting it out and limiting the damage.

Planning on heading down to Oklahoma next week to see my brother who just returned from a year in Iraq.  Looking forward to the beautiful trip through Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and Texas on my way to Lawton, Oklahoma.  When I get back I’ll be heading out on tour with Jerad Finck for three weeks.  Our first show is October 16 in Shoreline, Washington, where we will share the stage with Polly O’Keary & the Rhythm Method, winners of the Best Blues Band from the LA Music Critic Awards for the first half of 2017.  We currently have shows scheduled in Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Murrieta, San Diego and Missoula, and hope to add a few more along the way.

KELLY McGRATH TO TOUR UK AND EUROPE

Fresh off the release of her new video for “All That I Want,” Nashville’s own Kelly McGrath has signed with U Management and will be embarking on a tour of UK and Europe during October and November.  For more details, subscribe to her email list by visiting her Facebook page to sign up.  She’s doing a music video release/farewell show in Nashville on September 28 at The Family Wash.  Don’t miss your chance to see her before she leaves on tour.

NEW SINGLES

Here’s the latest single, “Secret Crush,” from Bay Area electropop band PARENTZ.  It has a great vibe that’s perfect for your Monday morning.  Please let us know what you think.

https://soundcloud.com/parentz/secret-crush

Speaking of great vibes, check out “Right Now,” the stunning new single from Becca Richardson.  We simply love her voice and this single, and can’t wait until she releases her album.  We’ll be reviewing it for sure.

For something totally different, check out “Final Step” from Jason Crosby.  It has a very strong Grateful Dead vibe that should strike a chord with those who love classic rock ballads.

NEW MUSIC VIDEOS

Our first new video this week continues in the mellow vein of the preceding artist.  Brandon  Bonine brings us a simple request:  “Remember my Name.”  We love the guitar and the sentiment.  This is his debut single – please let us know what you think.

Mellow seems to be the mood of the day.  Please check out the deep bass vocals of The New Faith in their video for “Fritter Away.”  The musical accompaniment is amazing and the videography is superb.  What do you think?

We close out this week with the first official video from Boomerang, the new album from Blue Élan artist Chelsea Williams.  This one is guaranteed to get your Monday off to a great start.  Please enjoy “Lonely Girl,” an Americana instant classic!

 

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Artists Worth Checking Out Monday Mashup Women in Entertainment

Monday mashup 2017: Vol. 34

Good morning, world.  As we reach the 16th anniversary of 9/11, may we all stop to reflect on how our world has changed since that fateful day.  I was preparing to spend the day with my friends from SHeDAISY at a concert they were having in California when I was told by my ex-wife to turn on the TV.  Just as the picture came into focus, I watched in horror as the second plane hit the towers, and then was glued to my set like most of us the remainder of the day.  Alan Jackson summed it up best when he sang, “Where were you when the world stopped turning?”

It was music that helped us recover, and it is music that keeps us going forward.  That is why this blog exists, and why we scour the world to find music that speaks to us.  Make sure you thank those that bring us hope and peace through their music.

GAYLE DAVIDSON ANNOUNCES ZOO MUSIC SERVICES

Australian American Gayle “Giraffe” Davidson has announced the formation of a new service for indie musicians.  Zoo Music Services provides “the basics of a manager, a booking agent, a publicist, and an assistant.  In a music world that no longer requires a label, artist services are more important than ever.   From the simple to the heavy lifting, Zoo Music is your most efficient and cost effective solution,” explains Davidson.  She has offices in Nashville, London and Los Angeles.  Check out her new service here.

WIXEN MUSIC AUTHENTIC VOICES FESTIVAL SET

The Festival, which highlights the artists currently working with Wixen Music Publishing, will be held on Saturday and Sunday, September 23-24 from 4 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. each day in the Smothers Theatre on the campus of Pepperdine University in Malibu.  Tickets are $50 each day and can be obtained by calling (310) 506-4522 or visiting arts.pepperdine.edu.

Saturday features an Alternative Voices-focused line-up of alternative rock band Wildling, International Folk Music Awards Artist of the Year Parker Millsap, influential acoustic guitarist Jonathan Richman, and multi-instrumentalist and whistler Andrew Bird.
Sunday features an Americana Voices-focused line-up of wicked country lyricist Mike Stinson, the genre-bending dark folk storyteller The White Buffalo, Nashville country music outlaw Elizabeth Cook, and singular Grammy-winning songwriter Lucinda Williams.
NEW MUSIC
First up today is a new duo called Freedom Baby, which combine elements of orchestral music with electronica and the sweet voice of Brianna to bring us “melancholy tunes to soothe your souls.”  Let us know what you think.

https://soundcloud.com/freedombaby/video-daydream

 

NONA brings us “Father’s Day,” and we like it.  It has a great beat and heartfelt lyrics.  Let us know what you think.

 

Our final single today comes to us from one of our favorite bands of this year, FlecHaus.  Check out their fourth single, “Lie to Me,” from their upcoming album.  This should definitely put a skip in your step today.

NEW MUSIC VIDEOS

We think you will simply love this innovative video from The Flatliners for their single “Indoors.”  And the song’s not bad either 🙂

For those of you who love the more soulful sounds, check out Matt Allen‘s “Last Time.”  It has a great groove that is much better than the video.

Last but not least today is the latest video from our friend and one of country music’s rising stars, Kelly McGrath.  Her last video met with much success, grabbing the #1 slot on CMT, and we have no reason to doubt that this new video will do just as well.  Here’s Kelly with “All That I Want,” courtesy of Vevo.

 

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Artists Worth Checking Out LA Music Critic Awards Monday Mashup

Monday mashup 2017: Vol 27

Happy Monday as we enter the final full week of July 2017.  It’s been extremely busy in the indie world, so we’ve got a few things to share with you this week.  Please keep supporting indie music.

LA MUSIC CRITIC AWARDS

Speaking of which, tomorrow is your last chance to vote for the Fan Favorite for the first half of 2017.  Among the current leaders are FlecHaus, Polly O’Keary, Janey Street, Wendy Sweetlove and Dario.  To vote just click on this link, scroll to the bottom and add your comment.  The winners will be announced on Thursday, July 27.

LIVE PERFORMANCES

Last week was filled with great indie performances, as we travelled to Stevensville to see The American West and Maita, to Darby for Melissa Forrette and Mabel’s Rage, and to Spokane for Chris Chilton and Jerad Finck.  The American West review is up, and the rest will be published shortly.

This week Melissa is performing twice (The Ranch Club on Wednesday and at Highlander Brewery on Saturday, both in Missoula), while Shakewell will be performing at Missoula’s Downtown Tonight on Thursday.  The biggest event, though, will be Missoula’s annual Celtic Festival on Saturday in Caras Park, which will feature several indie acts including Spokane’s Broken Whistle, The Gothard Sisters, RUNA and headliner, Young Dubliners.

KELLY McGRATH

Kelly McGrath moved to Nashville about two years ago, and her music has taken off since.  Her last single, “You and Me Today,” debuted at #1 on CMT, and her next single,  “All That I Want,” looks to be even better.  Here’s a sneak peak of the new music video, debuting soon.

MUSIC VIDEOS

We’ve got a few great videos for you this week, and leading the pack is a past LA Music Critic Award winner, The Daybreaks.  It’s a highlight video from their recent CD Release Party in Nashville.  Check out our review of the album 🙂

Next up is one of our favorite artists on Blue Élan Records, and one of the hardest working Americana artists working today, Rod Melancon.  His past videos have been impressive, and his new one for “Dwayne and Me” will not disappoint.  Let us know what you think.

Last but not least this week is the latest from Amie Mirello, who has also found success after moving from Los Angeles to Nashville.  We are excited about this new direction for Mirello, and think you will be impressed as well.  Here’s her latest video for “Move Me.”

 

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Artists Worth Checking Out Monday Mashup Theatre Women in Entertainment

Monday Mashup 2017: Vol 3

Happy Monday.  So good of you to join us again, just a few hours before the winners of the LA Music Critic Awards are announced.

There’s been a lot happening to indie artists lately.  Among the latest is Jerad Finck continuing to move up on the Billboard Top 40 charts with the stripped down acoustic version of his mega-hit “Criminal.”  Congrats to Finck and to his promotional team at Ue3 Promotions.  Keep up the great work.

KELLY McGRATH DEBUTS NEW VIDEO ON CMT

Back in October we told you about the new video by indie country star Kelly McGrath of her song “You and Me Today.”  Well, it finally premiered on CMT on January 10, and the fan response was intense.  In fact, it became the #1 video on their 12-pack Countdown of the week’s hottest videos.  The video airs every day at 10:38 am, 5:37 pm and 10:37 pm (all times ET).  If you like it, you can vote for it multiple times by clicking on this link.   Simply put a mark in the box by Kelly’s name, click on vote, refresh your page and do it again to your heart’s content.  Congrats Kelly!

NEW VIDEO RELEASES

Speaking of video releases, check out these new ones by indie artists:


We love this new video, especially the incredible violin work by Annette Homann.  Thanks to Rachel Sage for this great way to kick off 2017.

Although this was technically uploaded in December, we just discovered it and think you will be amazed at the amazing lyrics and the simple arrangement of this beautiful tribute to a fallen friend.  Thanks Elyse Haren for sharing from your heart and for the work you do with the West Coast Songwriters showcase in LA.

THEATRE IN MISSOULA

It’s a great week for theatre in Missoula, MT, with the opening of two new shows this week.  MCT will open their production of Urinetown:  The Musical on Thursday, January 19 (which we will review on January 20), while the Montana Rep will debut their 2017 touring show of the classic Neil Simon comedy Barefoot in the Park on January 20 (and we’ll review it on January 21).  Watch for these reviews next week on Indie Voice Blog.

LA MUSIC CRITIC AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT

The list of winners will be published at 6 a.m. MST TOMORROW.  Don’t miss it!

See you all next week.

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Artists Worth Checking Out Women in Entertainment

Grief brings out the best in Kelly McGrath

Everyone deals with grief in their own way.  Kelly McGrath has found a way to bottle that emotion in a powerful song that just about everyone can relate to.

We have been a fan of McGrath for many years and it has been an incredible gift to see her growth, both as a person and as a musician.

Great things have been happening to her since she moved back to Nashville from Los Angeles.  She recently signed a publishing deal with Ole’ Music Publishing, is releasing her new single “You and Me Today” tomorrow, October 14, with the accompanying music video to premiere on CMT later this fall.  Pretty amazing considering the fact that McGrath is an indie musician with no label backing.

Although McGrath has written many songs with others, this one was conceived and created entirely on her own.  “I wrote it about my daddy, and the experience of living with the loss of someone you love,” explained McGrath.

Musically, the song is a mid-tempo country song, similar to many of the songs currently on the radio.  The strength of the song is in the message.  McGrath has found a way to make her grief universally felt by anyone else who has suffered loss in their life.   She likens it to an old coat that her father gave her when she was young.  Her chorus is especially gut wrenching, with these words closing it out:  “It don’t fit anymore, but I can’t seem to throw it away.  Cause it’s all I’ve got left of you and me today.”

Trust us when we tell you that the music video is even more powerful.  Don’t miss its premiere on CMT on October 25.

For more info on McGrath, check out her website and Facebook pages, follow her on Twitter, and subscribe to her YouTube channel.