Tag: iTunes

Acoustic Songs, Alternative, Female Artists, Mellow Songs, Rising Artist, Singer/Songwriter, UK Artists

SONG OF THE DAY – “ALL ABOUT YOU” by Birdy

June 17, 2014

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I love the young English singer-songwriter, Birdy. I have been following her for several years now and just find her to be an incredible, young (only 18 years old!), unique talent.

Birdy’s real name is Jasmine van den Bogaerde, but she uses the nickname Birdy that was given to her by her parents when she was just a baby. They began calling her Birdy because she used to open her mouth like a baby bird when she was being fed, and the nickname just stuck. Birdy began playing the piano at age 5 and writing her own music at age 7. Her mother is a concert pianist and music just seemed to come naturally.

Birdy was only 15 years old when she released her self-titled, debut album, Birdy, in 2011. The album was mostly covers, but it did include one original song. The album received rave reviews and went to the top of the charts in many countries. Her first single was a cover of Bon Iver‘s “Skinny Love” which was a remarkable interpretation of the song and became an instant hit. I actually find Birdy’s version much more captivating than the original.

Eighteen months later, at the age of 17, Birdy released a new album, Fire Within, with some amazing original songs. The album was just released in North America a few weeks ago on June 3, but was released in the UK in September of 2013. I bought the song on my UK iTunes account back in September and shared this song as my daughter’s Song of the Day back on September 30, 2013. Because the album is brand new, I wanted to share the song with you on this page today because I think it is an incredible song. I absolutely LOVE the lyrics to this song, and the music is mesmerizing. I also have to say that the live rendition on the YouTube video below is fabulous and you shouldn’t miss it!

Birdy has had a pretty amazing year. She received a nomination for British Female Solo Artist at the 2014 Brit Awards, and she just finished touring in the US as the opener for Christina Perri. I was not able to get to one of the shows this time around, but I am hoping to catch her when she returns … and I am certain that she will return! I think there is much more to come from the talented young artist and I look forward to hearing more new music from her. Speaking of new music … she is featured in three songs on the new The Fault in Our Stars soundtrack. And speaking of music … that is one amazing soundtrack!

Folk Pop, Happy Songs, Indie Pop, Rising Artist, Singer/Songwriter

SONG OF THE DAY – “I’M ON YOUR SIDE” by Matt Hires

April 9, 2014

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I am posting a song today by an artist that I am very fond of. Matt Hires is a singer-songwriter from Florida who began writing music in his late teens and released his first album at age 22. Now, at the ripe old age of 28, he is still creating great music with a sound all his own, and he released a new independent album just yesterday.

I find his music enjoyable to listen to and very soothing. He has such an authentic voice and the lyrics to his songs are incredibly sincere and honest, something that I just find refreshing.

I am a big fan of his first two full length albums (Take Us to the Start 2008 and This World Won’t Last Forever, But Tonight We Can Pretend 2013), so I was very excited when he announced that he was working on new songs and a new album. His new four-track album, Heartache Machine, was just released yesterday and earlier today it had already reached #16 on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter chart. He is currently on tour and will be here in NYC later this month. Hooray! He is also joining another favorite of mine – Parachute – on tour this summer. I will definitely be watching for those dates!

I love the new album and hope that you will enjoy it too. If you find that you like it, please share it with someone else. I get a kick out of introducing great music to those who might not have otherwise heard it, and I love spreading the news about awesome music and talented artists. Matt Hires, and this new album, is definitely one that should be shared.

Check out my absolute favorite song by Matt Hires – “Honey, Let Me Sing You A Song.” In fact, maybe it should be the Throw Back Thursday song tomorrow. 😉

 

Singer/Songwriter, UK Artists, Upbeat Songs

SONG OF THE DAY – “SING” by Ed Sheeran

April 7, 2014

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As you all know by now, I am a huge Ed Sheeran fan! I have been waiting for this single to be released so that I could post it here for you. The single was released earlier today and it is even available on iTunes already … so, you can get the song NOW. I wanted to let you know about it right away so that you could be as excited as I am. 😉

I can hardly wait for his new album. I love that he is constantly experiencing with new sounds and new music styles. He is just an incredible artist and probably my favorite performer to see live in concert.

If you follow my blog, you know that we lived in London when Ed Sheeran was just getting his start. He actually came to my daughter’s high school and performed back in 2010. We have been fans ever since and have loved watching him become a huge success. It is incredibly fun to watch someone rise all the way from a young guy just getting started to a mega star. Click here to see all the other posts about Ed Sheeran on this blog.

Enjoy this new song and keep your ears open as it starts hitting the radio waves this week.

Folk Pop, Rock Music, Singer/Songwriter, Upbeat Songs

SONG OF THE DAY – “WATCHING YOU WATCH HIM” by Eric Hutchinson

March 8, 2014

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Posting a fun and catchy song today. Eric Hutchinson is another of the many talented artists who have come out of a Boston college. I have been amazed at the number of young artists who attended university and got their start in Boston. In Eric Hutchinson’s case, he attended Emerson College. I am probably more aware of this interesting fact since my daughter also attends college in the Boston area and so it always catches my eye.

Today’s song is from Eric Hutchinson’s 2012 album, Moving Up Living Down. Hutchinson owes much of his initial success to a mention by Perez Hilton, one of the most famous and followed bloggers in the world, on his blog in the summer of 2007 when he raved about his album. After that mention, his current album at that time (Sounds Like This) shot up to the Top Ten most downloaded albums on iTunes. I find it very cool that musicians can be discovered and promoted by those of us who love the artist and their music. I hope that if you are not familiar with Eric Hutchinson, this little shout out about this song will help you discover him. I love the lyrics of his songs – such a creative songwriter!