Music still astonishes me. After all these years as an honest fan followed by several more years of being a disillusioned blogger, it takes something really remarkable to pull me out of my chair and get me to engage. These three remarkable musicians have the ability to do that. I thought about saving these for a New Music Friday, but I decided to give them their own feature. If you like one of these a ton, give the post a comment on Facebook or Twitter. If we get enough requests, maybe we could whip up a full review. Enjoy!
Katie Buxton – “You Flew”
-Katie Buxton’s vocal doesn’t remind me of anyone, especially, but she sounds like a songbird all her own. Sometimes I hear notes of Emily Hearn (a huge compliment), but mostly I just like the tenderness of this recording. Buxton is absolutely a rising star in the folk music world. I love the simplicity of the song as it feels like a loving poem, a telling of the heart, and a genuine connection between two souls. What a joy.
Linying – “Paris 12”
-Listen to the keys with Linying’s brilliant, crisp vocals laying over them. It’s such a stunning, endearing, beautiful piece of music. It’s the kind of song that catches my breath for a moment; I find myself wondering how this can just be created by an ordinary human. Surely she has a gift. The latter part of the song evolves into a slightly different style of song, but the melodic and symphonic first half of the song is simply stunning.
Van William feat. First Aid Kit – “Revolution”
-Okay so maybe this song doesn’t really fit on an “emerging artist” blog, but goshdarnit I think it’s amazing so I’m putting it here. Of course First Aid Kit bring some stunning vocal harmonies to the track, but Van William is pretty darn awesome all on his own. I love the message of the song, too, for all of us dreamers and revolutionaries out there. It strikes me as something that could have been written by the Spring Standards or a similar poppy folk group. I like that it is artsy, sophisticated, and still fun. This is a quality track.
