Colton Venner – “The Cold Side”
There is no mystery in our feelings for songwriters like David Ramirez. We love grizzled melancholy artists with old time country folk leanings. Singer Colton Venner refreshingly plays in this territory without inauthenticity or cliche. He is vulnerable and incredibly gifted on “The Cold Side”. Perfecting just the right amount of pedal steel and harmonies, the artist has a mature sense to his songwriting that is rarely learned. It is otherworldly in it’s sound and we think if you dig the rugged sound that popular country is currently rebelling against, then look no further than Colton Venner.
Old Faith – “Reunion”
We are closet fans of the Post Rock genre. When done well, it is imaginative, inventive, and incredibly combustible. Unfortunately, the perfect blend of these elements often escape many acts. Yet we were almost immediately on board with this band’s style. Demonstrating the perfect amount of restraint, the band builds and blends wonderfully before fully letting loose to climax. Instrumentals can be difficult for some listeners to get into, but we think if you truly love music, then acts like these will engage all your senses in a refreshing way. Their self-titled debut is set for release in September, and we expect more slow burning tracks like this one to soundtrack our fall.
Hot Collars – “Waitin”
We imagine the style of UK indie pop rockers to fit right into the Oceans 11 trilogy. Lights, trendy suits, and a little mix of humor all seem to come along with their fun songwriting. Bouncing between soulful and rocking, the band has a catchy as hell sound here that we cannot get enough of. If the tune never escaped the initial few guitar drenched moments, we would still love it. Their sound seems easy, but with every listen, we gained even more respect and love for them. If you love the style of Beck and The Cars, then you should definitely check out “Waitin”.
Jordie Lane – “America, Won’t You Make My Dreams Come True” (featuring LOLLIES)
This one just simply hit us. The Aussie songwriter has an impressive and extensive resume that includes 8 releases and tons of touring with the likes of Cat Power, Billy Bragg, and The Moody Blues. For his latest single, he plays sort of the psych prophet in the way of a Father John Misty, yet with a more diverse sound. The shared vocals are especially beautiful and engaging as it builds and climaxes incredibly. This track gives us a particular glimpse into his talent and almost a false sense of his style. Scanning his Soundcloud is the best way to get a sense of his craft that pulls from every genre possible. The end result is one of our favorite discoveries of recent memory.
Grace Gillespie – “Lady Make Believe (Acoustic Version)
If you have yet to experience the songwriting power of Grace Gillespie, you are missing out. Her voice thrives and dips in ways that is rare in the folk (or any) genre. We appreciate this track because it is simply an acoustic guitar and her, with no opportunity to hide. Her art has a certain lullaby quality to it that will lull over more than a few fans to her style. As a writer, she is difficult to write on because I find myself simply wanting to state how incredible she is. You can imagine that this doesn’t make for a great read, but just give her a listen, okay? We think you’ll love her as much as we do.
