Tag: Lauren Balthrop

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Artists Worth Checking Out Ten Amazing Videos Women in Entertainment

Ten amazing videos released in September 2018

We have received so many video submissions this month, and we just couldn’t fit them all into our Monday Mashup column.  Here are the best of them we have selected from more than 100 submissions.

First up is the latest from The Holy Knives, who tell us “I Guess It’s Enough.”

The cinematography in our second video is almost as incredible as the song itself, and we are so pleased to bring you this new video from Masumi for her song, “Run, Baby, Run.”  Let us know what you think.

Next up is the latest from Andrew W.K.  We love the sound of his song, “You’re Not Alone,” which is pure classic rock.  Enjoy this little slice of heaven.

Are you ready for winter?  Then the new video from Lauren Balthrop will truly get you in the mood.  Check out “Come Around.”

Our fifth video is a brilliant remix by SEAWAVES of the LA Music Critic Award-winning song from Jerad Finck.  Check out this timely and relevant video for “New Kids.”

We start our second set of five amazing videos with this stunner from NYC-based band Scarlet Sails.  We wouldn’t mind if our world was turned “Upside Down.”

We think this next video from Anchorsong will get you up and dancing in no top.  Check out “Testimony.”

Our next video is an incredible cover of the David Bowie tune, “Love is Lost” by one of our favorite new artists, Rachel Eckroth.  How do you think she stacks up?

Video number nine is a throwback to the great music of the 70s.  Check out The Bandicoots‘ video for “Shady Lane.”

We close out the month of September with the rocking sounds of Taco Mouth and the video for their latest single, “You Say.”  We think you will find it very relevant in light of the recent happenings in Washington, DC.

We’ll be back soon with our Ten Great Singles released in September.

 

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

Get it or forget it – Johnny and the Headhunters, Andrew Bayer, Michele D’Amour and the Love Dealers, United Ghosts, Lauren Balthrop

Since we couldn’t publish our Get It or Forget It article on Thursday due to working the Luke Bryan concert, we are providing a special Saturday edition to make up for it.  Enjoy these amazing artists.

Artist Name:  Johnny & The Headhunters

Album Name:  That’s All I Need

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Blues/R&B

Track Listing:  1.  That’s All I Need; 2.  Lead me On; 3.  Body and Fender Man; 4.  Chicken House; 5.  Rock ’em Dead; 6.  Shake Your Money Maker; 7.  Ace of Spades; 8.  Watch and Chain (Hey Gyp) (ft Liz Springer); 9.  All my Whole Life; 10.  Collins Mambo

Publicist:  Blind Raccoon

Review:  The blues and R&B are a natural fit, and nobody does it better than Johnny Ticktin and his Headhunters.  Ticktin was the lead guitar player with Louisiana Red, who won multiple BMA awards, and has now released his 8th album with his Headhunters.  None of these tunes are originals, but that doesn’t matter because Ticktin and his band breathe new life into these standards and truly make them their own, starting with their version of the title track, originally recorded by Magic Sam back in 1967.  The band also has some amazing guest musicians on this album, including Tam Sullivan on keys for “Lead Me On” and Liz Springer (Built for Comfort) on vocals for “Watch and Chain (Hey Gyp).”  Ticktin even gets to showcase his amazing guitar riffs on Link Wray‘s instrumental “Ace of Spades,” as well as throughout this amazing collection that truly pays homage to some of the biggest and baddest to ever play the blues, rockabilly or garage rock, including Chet Atkins, Lowell Fulson, Elmore James and Albert Collins.

Recommendation:  If you love guitar, the blues, rockabilly or just love great music, then this one is for you.  Go Get it.

Artist Name:  Andrew Bayer

Album Name:  In my Last Life

Label:  AnjunaBeats

Genre:  Electronic

Track Listing:  1.  Tidal Wave (ft Alison May); 2.  Love you More (ft Ane Brun); 3.  Open End Resource (ft Alison May); 4.  Hold Onto You (ft Ane Brun); 5.  In my Last Life (ft Alison May); 6.  Immortal Lover (ft Alison May); 7.  Your Eyes (ft Ane Brun); 8.  End of all Things (ft Alison May)

Publicist:  Mystic Sons

Review:  Grammy-nominated producer Andrew Bayer proves that he is a true artist on his third solo effort, In my Last Life.  We introduced his video for “Immortal Lover” to you in our Monday Mashup in July.  He has crafted the electronic beat in such a way that the listener is immediately caught up in the sheer beauty of the music, helped along by the dynamic vocals of both Alison May and Ane Brun, which take the songs to even greater heights.  Their voices are reminiscent of such artists as Enya and Sarah MacLachlan with their abilities to soar on the notes with wispy, ethereal voices that are powerful and strong.  Every song is worthy of your attention, and we recommend you listen to them over and over again.

Recommendation:  Don’t think twice – run out and Get this one!

Artist Name:  Michele D’Amour and the Love Dealers

Album Name:  Wiggle Room

Label:  Blueskitty Records

Genre:  Blues

Track Listing:  1.  Falling Down; 2.  Sweet Lovin Man; 3.  Wiggle Room; 4.  Honey on the Side; 5. Nothing to No One; 6.  Let it Slide; 7.  Been so Long; 8.  Worthy; 9.  He Can’t be Wrong; 10.  Hard Times

Publicist:  Blind Raccoon

Review:  Michele D’Amour and the Love Dealers are another in a string of award winning blues bands based in Seattle.  Their three previous albums have all received international radio airplay, and this one will be no exception.  It is already #1 on the RMR charts (four weeks and counting), and all 10 songs have charted.  D’Amour also won the Grand Prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition for her song “Trouble,” as well as a nomination from the Washington Blues Society for Best Songwriter.  The music is funky and smooth, with those amazing vocals of D’Amour leading the way.  On the musician side, she gets some amazing help from Noel Barnes on sax, Patrick McDaniel on bass and trombone, Jeff Cornell on electric and resonator guitar, Dave Delzotto on drums and Brian Olendorf on keys, as well as special appearances by Angelo Ortiz on congas and Greg Lyons on trumpet.  Vocally she gets some great backing vocals from special guests Nora Michaels and John Oliver III.  This album should be the crown jewel of your blues collection.

Recommendation:  Don’t even think about it – you simply MUST add this one to your collection.  Get it now!

Artist Name:  United Ghosts

Album Name:  Saturn Days

Label:  Cleopatra Records

Genre:  Electronic

Track Listing:  1.  Waves; 2.  All you sad Boys; 3.  Melodista; 4.  Ever Closer; 5.  Crash; 6.  Ride Baby Ride; 7.  Can’t Feel the Rain; 8.  Too Clean Too Slow; 9.  Maybe you Feel; 10.  Star Song

Publicist:  Noisy Ghost PR

Review:  Sha Sabi and Axel Ray aka United Ghosts may currently be based in LA, but they got there from New York/San Francisco and London.  Their brand of electronic features their awesome vocals on top of killer drums, guitars and synths, creating a mesmerizing brand of music that will definitely keep the kids on the dance floor at the local night club.  It is no wonder that this band is killing it in Europe or that they have recently been signed to Cleopatra Records.  Although it’s been four years since their last release, their brilliant new album was certainly worth the wait.

Recommendation:  Run, don’t walk, and Get this one.

Artist Name:  Lauren Balthrop

Album Name:  This Time Around

Label:  Tone Tree Music

Genre:  Folk/Pop

Track Listing:  1.  Down; 2.  Don’t Ever Forget; 3.  Tumbleweed; 4.  Accident; 5.  Come Around; 6.  Maple Tree; 7.  Long Day; 8.  Waiting Game; 9.  We Fell; 10.  I’m Ready

Publicist:  The Syndicate

Review:  Lauren Balthrop possesses one of those voices that are rare, the kind that can transform even the darkest lyrics and made them seem bright and happy.  We featured her video for “Don’t Ever Forget” in our Monday Mashup column in July, as well as her lyric video for “Down” in June.  She has set a high bar for herself on this debut album, which is definitely one of the best we’ve experienced this year and features Peter Lalish on guitar, Jason Lawrence on drums, Josh Kaufman on bass, and Karen Waltuch on strings, as well as Elizabeth Ziman, Annie Nero, Lucas Madrazo, Maia Friedman and Tom Krueger on backing vocals.  To paraphrase  the words of that great pop song from the 90’s, “Her future’s so bright, she’s gonna need shades.”

Recommendation:  GET IT NOW!

 

 

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Artists Worth Checking Out Monday Mashup Women in Entertainment

Monday mashup 2018: vol. 23

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.

https://soundcloud.com/antifragile_music/instagram-catey-shaw/

NEW MUSIC VIDEOS

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.

 

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

Monday Mashup 2018: vol. 22

It’s another week, and it will be a busy one.  We will be leaving on Sunday to head down to Los Angeles for the Hollywood Fringe Festival.  We have 51 shows on our schedule to review, including about 15 that have submitted for consideration of our Larry Cornwall Award for Musical Excellence.  We will also be  having our second annual LA Music Critic Award Winners Showcase on June 19 at The Mint, where we will have some amazing winners perform in support of the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund.  Tickets are available online for $10, and will be available at the door for $13.  We hope to see you there.

UNSIGNED ONLY COMPETITION ENDS JUNE 6

The final week of the Unsigned Only “Grand Slam” special promotion has kicked off, running until midnight on June 6 (CST).  All entries will also be included into the 2018 Unsigned Only Music Competition.  This is your very last time to enter, so if you want to enter more songs (or enter for the first time this year), you still have a chance to participate in this year’s competition, but you need to hurry.

Winners for the previous three weeks of the promotion, as well as the current week, will be announced along with all of the other category winners in September 2018.   Just for entering, all entrants will receive 100 free spins to Radio Airplay (regardless of whether you are an existing Radio Airplay member or a new member).  Additionally, every entrant will also be entered into the overall 2018 Unsigned Only competition and have the chance for their music to be heard by a high-profile panel of judges, as well as be eligible to share in over $150,000 in cash and prizes.

HOME RUN | May 30 – June 6 | GET PAID FOR THE WIN – Click Here For Info
Click Here To Enter Your Songs
NEW SINGLES
First up today is a long-time favorite of this blog, and one of the amazing artists signed to Blue Élan Records.  Recent winner of the LA Music Critic Award for Rising Star, here is “Honey, Honey” from the unforgettable Chelsea Williams.

Next up is “Sort Myself Out” from Becoming Bristol, fka The Exchange.  We like the sound of this band and look forward to hearing much more from them.

Single number three today is from a voice familiar to lovers of the TV shows Suits, Lucifer, Bones, Nashville and One Tree Hill.  Gareth Dunlop has a new single that we think you’ll love.  Here is “Blind to the Pain” from his forthcoming EP Many Moons Ago.

https://soundcloud.com/gareth-dunlop-official/blind-to-the-pain

Our fourth single today is from The Cravens, who we have previously reviewed and featured on this blog.  They have a “Message” for you, and we think you’ll be glad to get it.

Our final single today is “Don’t Blink” from John Santiago, frontman for Johnny & the Bootlegs, which we recently reviewed in Get it or Forget it.  Let us know what you think.

NEW MUSIC VIDEOS

Our first video this week is from Lauren Balthrop‘s upcoming September album, This Time Around.  Here is the lyric video for “Down.”

Next is the very retro feel of Peter Cat with his new single “Hand Through Hair.”  Groovy, Baby.

Our third video this week is from one of the newest artists on Blue Élan Records, Red Wanting Blue.  Here is the video for their new single, “High and Dry.”

And now, for something completely different, here is a sneak preview of the new video from Runaway Symphony which will be released on June 12.  Check out this live performance of “The Fall of Man.”

Our final video this week is “All the Way” from Cherry Pools.  We think it’s the perfect segue to summer and a wonderful week.  See you soon.