New Music Friday – Ep.6 – Vote in the poll to decide who wins a full album review
Each of these artists has an incredible amount of talent, so let’s give them all a fair listen. After clicking on each one, please vote in the poll posted below. The winner (after one week), will receive a full album review here on EarToTheGround Music. Please share these outstanding artists with your friends, too. Everyone wins!
Alex Haff – “Chamonix”
-Alex Haff has one of those voices that just makes you feel more comfortable right away. The song itself is thought provoking like a downtempo, chill rock sound. The overall feeling nice, like a summer day. I really enjoy the way it makes me feel, even if the lyrics do not cross over to all listeners.
Thom Kunz & Whitney Pearsall – “Cold Moon”
-This song “Cold Moon” is the reason I became an Americana blogger. Okay, so not this song specifically… but this sound. I mean it’s got this feeling of home and comfort and pride. It makes me feel like country music meshed with a nationalistic sort of exuberance. The layers of both strings and vocals come together for something that transcends ordinary jangly folk music and moves into something powerful and inspiring.
Mackin Carroll – “Cigarettes and Fatherhood”
-This is an absolutely adorable song. As a father who also does not smoke, I can relate to this song on so many levels. But beyond the track’s great lyrics, I really have to say the guitar and the recording are phenomenal. Carroll has that “it” factor that we look for in singer songwriters. I can assure you this is just the beginning of our coverage of his career.
Bird Concerns – “My Favorite Tree”
-Bird Concerns are an indie rock outfit that can give you chills seemingly at will. The songwriting is intriguing, but the real hook for me is the lead singer’s vocal quality. The horns, then, of course send me over the edge. When the vocal blending enters the track I just shake my head with joy and think… seriously? How are you this good?
Chris and Daya – “Envy of Stars”
-Something about Chris and Daya reminds me of Eagles, one of my favorite bands. There’s a quality in the recording that is rich and deeply satisfying. But beyond those transcendent elements that make me connect with the song, there’s also just a “peaceful easy feeling” to it. The harmonies feel like they’re taken right out of the late 70s. The overall sound is classic and something about Daya’s vocal sounds a tad like Karen Carpenter, which is pretty much gold.
David Jacobsen – “A Song for Kelly Biro (Goodbye)”
-Every once in a while you find a band that sounds like it’s from another era actually in the right way. David Jacobsen can sing with a style that sounds like it’s 30 years old, but also brand new. The style is a bit early 80s, but he pulls it off nicely. The way the guitars soar on this track and the vocal harmonies feel other worldly… it’s just delicious.
Becca Roth – “No One Has to Know”
-Okay I’m not going to mince words on this one; I love Becca Roth’s voice. I mean, she’s so wonderfully endearing. She could probably sing the phonebook and keep me interested. And this song is so much more than that. It’s a romantic, heart-moving song. For anyone in a serious relationship, this song is absolutely stunning. Seriously if you’re getting married soon, dance to this at your wedding.
Danae – “Gold in the Dirt”
-Danae’s style is a bit more high powered than most of what we cover, but her vocals are just too good to pass up. If the strong vocal diva style is for you, this song will really speak to you. I’m not sure how much of this song is electro magic or just pure vocal quality. And I don’t want to speak out of turn, but something about her dynamism reminds me of Claire Underwood. Boom.
Miss Max – “You, Me and the Sea”
-The description of the song says it’s about a mermaid and a man who plays harmonica. That’s it; end of story. Now you know why I chose this track. I mean, it’s perfect just with that being the description. But seriously then she can actually sing, he can actually play harmonica, and the story is just delightful. I imagine a few bohemians sitting, performing this track whether anyone listens or not. Well goshdarnit we’re listening and we like it. Can we get coffee?
Nate Donnis – “Bird”
-Whoa. Seriously whoa. It’s like someone took Jeffrey Martin and David Ramirez and put them into the cruelest, most beautiful musical blender in the world. And now they’re crushing my soul with an uber force of songwriting magic and deep baritone rascality. Okay I don’t think rascality is a word, but you get the point this song is really moving – to the point that I have to make jokes because of how uncomfortably engaging it really is. It’s existential and hard to ignore.
Boy with an Atlas – “Only Heaven Knows”
-This indie rock jam packs just the right kind of punch. If I were a DJ at a college rock station (job offers to the blog email, please), I would put this track in the rotation. It has texture; that’s something bloggers are supposed to say, but maybe don’t know what it means. But it just has it – there are layers of glowing guitars, splashing cymbals, and of course a perfectly rising tenor lead. The whole thing is spine-tingling in its balance. If I had an indie rock band, I’d listen to this song for a model of “how it’s done.”
[yop_poll id=”7″]
