Rising Artist

“7 YEARS” by Lukas Graham

December 14, 2015

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This has been such a crazy year and this little project of mine definitely went on the back burner. I have missed sharing music and spending the time to explore new music and artists. It has certainly been a missing piece of my life for the better part of the this past year.

This song that I am sharing today is one that really moves me. I can sit and listen to it for hours and seem to cry every time. Don’t exactly know why, but maybe you will understand the emotionality of it when you take a listen. I absolutely love the lyrics and the story that they tell, and his voice is just breathtaking. I am posting the live version of the song below so that you can get the full impact of his amazing, honest sound (he is a “classically educated soprano soloist from [the celebrated] Copenhagen’s Boys Choir”). Just incredible!

Lukas Graham is a young, 23-year old singer-songwriter from Copenhagen, Denmark who has had an amazing rise. He is a true songwriter and you can learn much about his life listening to his music. He is probably one of the most genuine and authentic artists I have seen in a long time. I am certain his rise to success here in the US will be just as rapid as it has been in Europe.

The band released their self-titled debut album in 2012 which went quadruple platinum, and they quickly became the most popular live act in Denmark. I hear they put on an amazing live show … just missed one last week in NYC (Darn!). Enjoy … it sure feels good to be back. 🙂

“WORLD WITHOUT YOU” by Hudson Taylor

March 10, 2015

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Today’s song is one you will have to listen to on YouTube below as it is not yet available here in the US. I love Hudson Taylor, an Irish folk pop duo with brothers Alfie and Harry Hudson-Taylor.

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I have posted a song from Hudson Taylor in the past, but wanted to share this new song (and brand new video!) by them today. They will be releasing their debut album, Singing For Strangers, across the world (except the US and Canada) on March 30. I will be keeping my eye out for the US release date and will let you know as soon as I know. In the meantime, this is a great music video and I think you will love the song.

I have linked to their LP, Chasing Rubies, above. The LP was released in late 2013 and if you have not yet listened to their music, please check them out … they truly are awesome! You can also preview their new album by clicking HERE.

SONG OF THE DAY – “SOMEWHERE ALL THE TIME” by Samantha Crain

November 2, 2014

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I have not been very good at keeping up with my blog over the last few weeks. Funny how life gets in the way of things.

Amazingly, I have been at this blog now for an entire year! It has been such an interesting adventure. What I thought would be an easy undertaking was not always quite as easy as I thought it would be. Sometimes it became overwhelming and I have to admit I avoided it, but mostly it has been a fun experiment, a great way to share and explore my passion, and an incredible learning experience. As I evaluate the blogging experience of the last year, I can now begin to set new goals and work on improving.

Thank you for sharing this adventure with me. I hope that you have enjoyed the ride as much as I have, and I appreciate you hanging in there with me. New things are on the horizon. I can’t promise how quickly they will come, but they are coming … just as soon as I get this thing called life under control. 🙂 Speaking of which … so much to share with you in my next blog posts.

I am sharing a fabulous song with you today. It is one that I have liked for a long time from Oklahoma native Samantha Crain‘s 2013 album, Kid Face. I love her voice and her natural sound with that guitar. The words to this song are perfect!

Last weekend I made a very spontaneous decision after learning that my husband’s flight would be coming in late. I grabbed my purse and walked down the street to see a concert at the Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC. It is a renowned venue in the city and one that I had not been to yet. A show was playing there that night that I had wanted to see and so I was glad that I got the opportunity. Samantha Crain was the opening act and she was delightful. She is a small person and it was just her and her guitar on that huge stage; however, she was able to warm up that audience with her humorous stories, great songs, and fabulous music. Her music was captivating and enjoyable. I loved hearing the songs that I already knew and I heard many new ones that I can’t wait to have released. Enjoy.

SONG OF THE DAY – “IN YOUR ARMS” by Nico & Vinz

October 19, 2014

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On Thursday night I attended a great concert at Beacon Theatre in NYC – Fresh 102.7 Fall Fest. This was the second Fresh Fall Fest and, after attending last year, I was not going to miss it. Last year they had an incredible lineup with Kodaline, American Authors, Daughtry (playing an acoustic set), and The Fray. It was a fabulous show!

This year when I heard the lineup announced, I knew that I was going to make it an annual event. First, let me say that Beacon Theatre is such an incredible venue – just a beautiful, iconic theatre. Second, who gets all those incredible acts together for one night? Fresh 102.7 did a great job of lining up some amazing performers who provided concert goers with a fabulous 3 hour show! We were entertained by Nico & Vinz, Bleachers, Matt Nathanson, Ingrid Michaelson, and Neon Trees.

Last year, both Kodaline and American Authors were the rising artists who got a huge introduction at the show, Daughtry was a big name who played an acoustic set which made it a unique experience, and then we had the big finale by The Fray. This year, it was hard to determine who was the main act. Obviously, Nico & Vinz are rising artists and fit that bill, as does Bleachers (even though Jack Antonoff is a member of the popular band, Fun.). Matt Nathanson played an incredible acoustic set, but there were still two acts left to follow – Ingrid Michaelson and Neon Trees. Really, both of them could have been considered the closing act and they both performed like they were. The performances were amazing and incredibly entertaining.

Today, I just wanted to quickly post a song by Nico & Vinz, one of the rising artists from the night. Nico & Vinz, (Nicolas “Nico” Sereba and Vincent Dery) from Oslo, Norway, have a great stage presence and a really fun sound. I found them thoroughly entertaining and adorable – I especially loved watching Vincent Dery dance. 🙂 I am certain that you are already familiar with their Song of the Summer, “Am I Wrong.” If not, click on the song to have a listen. The second single from their debut album, Black Star Elephant, which was just released this month, is today’s song of the day. It is a song that I just really love and the video is actually very powerful. Nico & Vinz have a sound that is very unexpected. The music combines pop, Afro beat, hip hop, R&B, and reggae; and their lyrics are very powerful with a message to share. They sound fantastic together! I hope that you like this song as much as I do … I just can’t seem to get it out of my head.

SONG OF THE DAY – “WORRY” by Jack Garratt

October 7, 2014

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I just got home from visiting my son in South Carolina for a few days for his 16th birthday. It was awesome to get to spend time with him! I have been trying to decide if I came home less worried or more worried about him. Haha!

It is such a strange feeling to go visit your teenage boy in his “apartment” and say “yep, that is how I would keep my space.” Yikes! Teenage boys are messy. He keeps reminding me that his apartment was one of only two that passed house inspections … so I should be pleased. Hmm …

Anyway, he is doing incredibly well at his new school and loves it. He is happy, settled, social, and motivated! As much as I miss him, this makes me very happy. I am very proud of him, even if I do worry about him and miss him every day.

The alligators down there also worry me! 🙂

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I have been wanting to post this cool new song and I thought the title was just perfect today. Jack Garratt is a young artist from London, England who just released his first EP, Remnants, a few months ago. His music is very unique and is difficult to box into a genre. He has an incredible amount of soul and emotion in his music. It is an interesting song to add to my playlist, but I think Jack Garratt is extremely talented and creates incredibly interesting music. Listen to the unique beat, rhythm, and lyrics that he uses in his music. I hope that you enjoy this new song by a young, rising artist. I am sure we will hear much more from him in the future.

SONG OF THE DAY – “SHOW ME EMOTION” by The Dunwells

October 1, 2014

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I am posting a song today by a band that I have posted from before – the English, folk-rock band, The Dunwells. I saw The Dunwells perform live back in 2012 while living in Dallas, and I immediately liked them. They have a great sound, wonderful song-writing, fantastic harmonies, and just a cool vibe.

The band is made up of brothers David and Joseph Dunwell, and cousins Robert Clayton and Johnny Lamb. (The band used to be five members, but guitarist, David Hanson, left the band to start his own band.) They just released their second studio album on September 8, 2014. The new EP is entitled, Show Me Emotion and it does just that. It is a different sound than their first album and I loved their old sound … but, I also really like this new sound too.

The Dunwells just finished touring in the UK in September and are headed to California this month. They are great live performers, particularly in an intimate setting where you can really hear those incredible harmonies. If you get a chance to see them, take it! I am hoping they make it to the east coast and will be keeping my eye out for them.

Sometimes at the end of a long day with a lot of moving pieces I do feel overcome with emotion for some reason. Sometimes I feel incredibly happy and other times I feel on the verge of tears. Today has been one of those days. This song just seemed like a perfect fit, just enough emotion to let me settle into my end of day. I really hope you enjoy this new song.

SONG OF THE DAY – “LET IT GO” by James Bay

September 25, 2014

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Just a quick note tonight with a song by one of my favorite new artists – James Bay. I have posted a song by him before (“Need The Sun to Break” back on February 3, 2014 where I give more background on the artist) and love his music. This is an incredible song and James Bay makes amazing music. I love a guy with nothing but his guitar and a voice that expresses vulnerability, depth, and passion. I could listen to this song over and over again … which, to be truthful, I often do. It has become one of my favorite songs.

The song is from his new EP, Let It Go, which was released this summer. This is his third EP and I can only imagine the hype when he releases his first full length album.

James Bay is a young British singer-songwriter from Hitchin, UK who is one of the most awesome acoustic performers I have heard. The lyrics to his songs are honest, emotional, and introspective and the music is incredibly smooth. His performances are raw and unforgettable. He is currently on tour and if you are lucky enough to score a ticket (he is touring with Hozier and the tickets are selling fast!), it would be quite a performance. Just watch this incredible performance below and see if he does not become one of your favorite new artists, too!

Can I also just say, I LOVE his hats – he wears them even better than Pharrell.