Vanish Valley – “Get Good” [NEW MUSIC] [EVENT]

Vanish Valley is a country-ish rock band from Los Angeles that recently released its’ sophomore album, Get Good.  Filled with heartfelt lyrics, twangy guitar rifts, harmonicas, and rhythmic percussion the album is definitely worth checking out.

After some soul-searching, career changes, and moving to three different states in the matter of a few years, Vanish Valley’s founder, Andrew McAllister, has finally settled down in the warmth of sunny Los Angeles. The singer/songwriter wrote and recorded Vanish Valley, his first album under the moniker, back in 2008, with the help of some fellow L.A.-based musicians. Upon this release, life took McAllister on a rollercoaster ride that eventually returned him to the City of Angels, where he recruited a drummer, bassist and keyboardist, and assembled a proper band for his country-folk outfit.

“A lot of this album was written while surviving the first couple years in Los Angeles.”, says McAllister. “The town can take on so many shapes that it really forces you to carve out your existence.  It was a wake-up to keep solid people close and value the relationships I have – near or far.  I guess the album is about the struggle and celebration in trying to do that.”

Blending elements of folk, country and psychedelic rock, the songs on Vanish Valley ramble their way through hushed landscapes and into roll-your-window-down backcountry cruises.  Listen to Vanish Valley and you’ll feel it too.  If you’re in L.A. they’ll be playing at Pehrspace in Echo Park this Saturday.

<iframe width=”300″ height=”410″ style=”position: relative; display: block; width: 300px; height: 410px;” src=”http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=3887488050/size=grande3/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/&#8221; allowtransparency=”true” frameborder=”0″><a href=”http://vanishvalley.bandcamp.com/album/get-good”>Get Good by Vanish Valley</a></iframe>

By: Elizabeth Stene | Beat-Play Ambassador South Africa | @LizMWL | Music Without Labels & Beat-Play, LLC

Crooks – “Downtown” [FREE DOWNLOAD] & “The Rain Will Come [NEW MUSIC] [ VIDEO]

 

Crooks are like a throwback to traditional country music (Hank Williams Sr.) while also maintaining a modern, rockabilly sound.  The members of Crooks are Josh Mazour, Sam Alberts, Rob Bacak, and Andrew Vanvoorhees.  This four piece Austin based band played at SXSW this past spring and is currently playing in the Austin area – they have a show tomorrow night at the Continental Club.   Downtown’s outlaw country drawl is representative of what good indie country should be.

 

 

The band has been busy this summer working in the studio with Austin Chronicle Music Awards winner of Producer of the Year, Danny Reisch.  However, they recently set time aside to show off some of the new material they’ve been creating.  Filmed at an Austin Music Weekly session here is the video for their newest song The Rain Will Come.

 

 

By: Elizabeth Stene | Beat-Play Ambassador South Africa | @LizMWL | Music Without Labels & Beat-Play, LLC

Musicians Corner at Centennial Park in Nashville, TN [SHOW/NEW MUSIC]

After sweating for a couple hours at The National Folk Festival last Saturday, I decided to head over to Centennial Park where Nashville was kicking off its free fall concert series called Musicians Corner.  Two events in one day?  Well, three actually.  I ended up going to another concert later that night, but I haven’t written about that yet.  Musicians Corner featured seven bands from 3pm to 6pm on a medium-sized stage with a decent turnout of a few hundred people at its height.  The artists that played this week were The CO, Metro Parks Jamband, Andrew Osenga, Foxes Have Foxholes, Damien Horne, Striking Matches, and Attwater.

I arrived a little late and missed The CO open up with their set, so I’ll have to catch them at another event in the future.  I did get there just in time to hear Metro Parks Jamband finish up their set with a funky sax and guitar duet.  Next up was American singer/songwriter Andrew Osenga.  He was formerly the lead singer for The Normals and is a member of the band Caedmon’s Call.  His performance on Saturday took place as part of his solo career, for which he has released four albums.  The bands rhythms and tones were super tight, and the crowd really took to his music.  After Andrew Osenga, Foxes Have Foxholes took the stage and played an acoustic set with just two of their members.  The pop rock duo serenaded listeners with a short set of a few songs that they will hopefully be performing live at their next show as a full band tonight at 12^th & Porter.

The next act was Damien Horne, a pop-rock soul artist from Nashville.  Also known as Mista D, Damien has collaborated and performed with Bon Jovi, Kid Rock, John Legend, 3 Doors Down, Hank Williams Jr., Faith Hill, Robert Randolf, Jewel, Velvet Revolver, and more.  Damien is working with John Legend who when asked about Damien said, “I’ve been working with this guy who is based in Nashville, his name is Damien Horne, he’s good.  Look out for him, he’s a good song-writer and performer.  He plays the guitar too.”  You can get some free downloads of his music on his website.  Check out this video of Damien Horne performing “Sacrifice” live at The Rutledge.

I posted an article two months ago about a blues duo called Striking Matches.  They were the next band to play at Musicians Corner and they were a huge hit.  Performing as a duo with their acoustic guitars, Justin and Sarah had a great set showcasing their clever songwriting, tight harmonies, and ripping solos.  Like I said before, this is a Nashville band that you want to keep close tabs on because of their huge potential.  The last band to perform was Attwatter.

Attwater is a country band from Sacramento, CA that signed with the independent production company and label, Twenty Ten Music in December of 2010.  They were discovered through Twitter by Grammy Award-winning producer Charlie Peacock (The Civil Wars, Switchfoot), the Sr. VP of A&R for Twenty Ten Music.  Check out this official music video of Attwater’s first single called “Never Gonna Happen.”

You can download the song for free at http://www.attwatermusic.com/.  Attwater’s foundations lie with Erika Attwater and Jonathan Richards, the duo songwriting team that first started the band.  Their discovery occurred after they played their first set of tunes in the Northern California Area.  With a good product and intentional use of social networks, Attwater was picked up by Charlie Peacock and the band was on its way to having a beast of a debut project.  The recordings include co-writes and musicians from some really great teams that have produced music for Carrie Underwood, Sixpence None The Richer, Faith Hill, Taylor Swift, The Civil Wars, Lady Antebellum, and more.  Attwater’s music combines modern country with bluegrass flavors and classic rock roots.  Keep an eye on the country charts for this band and stay tuned for an article on next week’s Musician’s Corner!

By Steve Harpine | Nashville Ambassador | @Steve_MWL | Beat-Play & Music Without Labels, LLC

Ryan Adams – Lucky Now [NEW MUSIC]

Ryan Adams officially shared the first single off his upcoming Glyn Johns produced LP, Ashes & Fire, in the form of “Lucky Now” a beautiful, sparse acoustic tune washed in light drums, a melodic electric guitar solo, and some piano from Benmont Tench (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ ).

Stream the (all-analog) recording below

The full album now with official cover art is available to pre-order on vinyl, CD, or with “Ryan Adams 3D glasses” here.

By: Shayne Byrne | Beat-Play Ambassador Ireland | @shaynewithMWL | Music Without Labels & Beat-Play, LLC

 

Jeremy Parsons – “Doggondest Feelin'” [NEW MUSIC]

Time to hear some country music!  I’m not talking about pop country contemporaries like Taylor Swift or Lady Antebellum…  I’m talkin’ ’bout some good old traditional country like Hank Williams and George Straight.  I’m talking about Jeremy Parsons, a significant up-and-coming singer-songwriter in the Nashville country music scene.   It’s not often that you meet younger guys interested in traditional country music, but this 22 year-old has taken it to another level.  He grew up in San Antonio Texas surrounded by country music since he was young.  His father worked at a country radio station, so Parsons became accustomed to the vibe from a very young age.  While most high schoolers played the top 40, Jeremy stuck to what had been running through his veins.  Check out this video of the title track from his debut album “Doggondest Feelin.’”

From being widely recognized at songwriter rounds to being a frequent backstage guest at the Grand Ole Opry, you can’t miss the stage presence and personality of Jeremy Parsons.  With over 750 songs in his personal catalogue (ASCAP), it’s no wonder why his songs have hit the country radio stations so soon.  Shortly after moving to Nashville two years ago, local bluegrass legends The Grascals cut a Parsons song called “Out Comes the Sun.”  In recent news, Jeremy was the 2011 winner of the Artistic Excellence Award for the 9^th Annual Texas Music Awards.

It was a pleasure to meet Jeremy at The Commodore on July 15.  We talked about everything from current music industry business and pop culture to the struggles of local musicians and the logic in how to grow one’s career.  It’s not surprising that he quickly signed with local PCG Nashville Records in 2009.  If there is anyone to boost life back into traditional country, it’s Jeremy Parsons.  “I am a ‘blast from the past’ or ‘blast of the past,’ reviving a sound that I feel is missing these days. I have taken it upon myself to take the torch from the hands of Hank Williams, Porter Wagoner and Little Jimmy Dickens and carry it front and center to the Grand Ole Opry stage.”  Parsons has a long list of influences with the likes of Hank Williams, Ernest Tubb, Faron Young, Bob Wills, Jim Reeves, Elvis, Johnny Horton, and Johnny Cash to name a few.   If you’re a country music fan of any kind, or even just a regular music fan, check out Jeremy Parsons today!

By: Steve Harpine | Nashville Ambassador | @Steve_MWL | Beat-Play & Music Without Labels, LLC

Striking Matches (Common Thread) at CMA Fest 2011 in Nashville, TN [MUSIC]

I’ve never really been too interested in popular country music, so I was very hesitant about exploring CMA Fest on Broadway in Nashville last month.  However, the Best Buy stage outside the Hard Rock Café was the start to a good time in the country music realm.  This is because I got to hear Striking Matches (pka Common Thread) take the stage with for an acoustic set in the heat of a summer afternoon, and was thoroughly entertained.  Striking Matches is a country duo from Nashville, TN that combines their talent on guitar with outstanding harmonies and great songs that everyone can enjoy.  Their sound  and performance at CMA Fest 2011 was awesome!  The acoustic guitars sounded so fresh, the punch of the Cajon sounded like a studio kick, and the harmonies were nothing but dialed in.  It was somewhere around 95 degrees and the music coming from the stage took my mind off the heat.  The group on stage consisted of duet vocals with acoustic guitars, a bass player, and a cajon player.  They were tight, and they could play.  Check out this song by Striking Matches called “Not the One.”

Striking Matches is made up singers/songwriters/guitarists Sarah Zimmerman and Justin Davis.  From Philadelphia, PA, Sarah has played guitar since she was ten and found herself playing alongside legends such as John Wetton, Mike Keneally, Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, The Players, and Jon Anderson by the time she finished high school.  From N. Georgia, Justin Davis has had a guitar in his hands for as long as he can remember.  These two talented musicians met years ago when they were both students at Belmont University.  While taking a guitar class together, they found out that their styles blended especially well.  Not only that, but when they each pulled out their electric guitars, the duo discovered that they had the same exact Telecaster guitars with matching colors and all!  It’s no doubt that Striking Matches was an exciting match from the start.  Both of them had been playing guitar for most of their lives, and they each thrived on blues music. Check out this song called “Take Me For A Fool:”

They decided to join forces, collaborate, and begin creating music together as a duo in Nashville.  They soon received management from music executive John Grady at Crush Management’s Nashville office, publishing deals with Universal Music, and a growing fan base.  With combined skills in guitar, vocals, and songwriting, the two create a vibe that is unmatched in country music.  With “lyrics that speak to all,” Common Thread is definitely a band that plenty can relate to.  Their show at CMA Fest 2011 was excellent and I can’t wait to see this duo again, especially since they plan to incorporate their Fender Telies into the act.  Striking Matches has great potential in music and has already started off with some great shows, co-writes, and new album plans in 2011.  Don’t miss their next show August 10 at the Listening Room in Nashville, TN!

By: Steve Harpine | Nashville Ambassador | @Steve_MWL | Beat-Play & Music Without Labels, LLC

Wilco – The Whole Love [NEW MUSIC]

 

Following the debut of new material live and on vinyl over the weekend at the band’s Solid Sound Festival (Video’s no longer on YouTube)

I MIGHT (The 1st single)

I LOVE MY LABEL  the B-side (A Nick Lowe Cover)

“OPEN MIND”

“The night’s so young, but I still say we’re too old for clichés,” he sings in the tune above.

Wilco announced details for their eighth studio album today. The Whole Love, a 12-track “veritable sonic stew” produced by Jeff Tweedy, Patrick Sansone, and Tom Schick, will arrive on September 27 via their new label, dBpm Records. Check out the cover art above and tracklist below.

The Whole Love

01. “Art of Almost”
02. “I Might
03. “Sunloathe”
04. “Dawned On Me”
05. “Black Moon”
06. “Born Alone”
07. “Open Mind”
08. “Capitol City
09. “Standing O”
10. “Rising Red Lung “
11. “Whole Love”
12. “One Sunday Morning (Song For Jane Smiley’s Boyfriend)”

 

check out more info @ http://wilcoworld.net/

By: Shayne Byrne | Beat-Play Ambassador Ireland | @shaynewithMWL | Music Without Labels & Beat-Play, LLC

 

 

 

Cornmeal Live at Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom, Denver, CO [Photos]

Cornmeal Live at Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom, Denver, CO

Cornmeal – “Stofer’s Ramble”

Click The Pic For More Concert Shots!!!!

Check Them Out!!!!

Photography By: Jimmy Iles | Director of Operations | @JimmyMWL | Beat-Play & Music Without Labels, LLC

The Belle Brigade [NEW MUSIC]

Ethan and Barbara Gruska are brother and sister and they are also indie folk rock duo The Belle Brigade.

Barbara and Ethan met when Ethan was born. They knew they were brother and sister but they did not know that 19 years in the future they would form a band. — The Belle Brigade 

I received this CD from a friend a few days ago after reading a couple articles about The Belle Brigade.  I wanted to give it a listen because they have opened for some great bands such as Fitz and The Tantrums and Awolnation in LA… at the El Rey Theater.  Hold up.  I was there?  That sounds way to familiar.  Needless to say I was confused.  I looked up a couple pictures of the band to try and jog my foggy memory and of course I recognized them right away!  How could I forget about them?!  Turns out I’ve been trying to remember this bands name/ where I had seen them since last november!  Well I’m glad my dumb luck worked out this time and I stumbled back onto this band.

Where Not to Look For Freedom – The Belle Brigade

The one thing I love about so called “family” bands are the harmonies.  There’s no question siblings seem to have a connection on another level.  It’s basically a male and female version of the same voice and they achieve better cleaner harmonies because of it.   With a signature of quick brush snare hits with sacred steel and fast acoustic strumming the appeal of The Belle Brigade is undeniable.  And with a great backing band morphing the sounds of two people into five it just gets better.

Lucky Guy – The Belle Brigade

This record is a little all over the place.  Not a bad thing, trust me.  They have pure country, a little rock-a-billy and some slow quiet folk tracks.

“We didn’t want to make something small and precious,” Barbara says. “We wanted to make something big and exhilarating. Recording this album was an incredible lesson at walking the line between holding on and letting go. Every note is intentional, but we gave up the reins to let the music go freely where it wanted to go. We wanted to make a record that was personal and aching, but still uplifting, relatable, and fun to listen to.” — Paradigm Artist Bio

Growing up in a musical household Barbara and Ethan were exposed to the likes of Michael Jackson to Dusty Springfield through their father who was a known songwriter in his own right.  With a studio in their LA area home’s back yard artists would come and go allowing the siblings to get inside and first hand experience listening to new music and hearing the process.  On top of that they also site the famed film and TV composer John Williams as a major influence.  To me this sounds about as musically well rounded as it gets.

The southern rock inspiration and country like harmonies are the driving force in this initial release, but I was very impressed with The Belle Brigade’s ability to turn the corner toward straight up rock and roll with a hint of that “indie” sound we all know and love.

Lonely Lonely – The Belle Brigade

And then they follow that tune up with a slow sad tune called “Punch Line,” a song featuring a gentle string arrangement strings and soaring harmonies.  On most records I don’t like it when bands decided to jump in and out of genre’s and have major shifts in volume on their records without easing my ears into it.  The juxtaposition between heavy and light, loud and quiet works very well here.  These two songs are part of a three song set that are my favorite part of the record.  The third song is called “Rusted Wheel” which is a song that starts off where “Punch Line” left off, slow.  Then it builds into a big harmony laden country song with elements from the two previous songs. These three tunes highlight the dynamic range of The Belle Brigade while showing their ability to rock out and have fun and then immediately settle down and bring out a sad song and then ease us right back into the “big and exhilarating” sounds that drive this record.

Punch Line – The Belle Brigade

Rusted Wheel – The Belle Brigade

I’m a big fan of The Belle Brigade and I’m glad I was able to stumble back into their music after a few months of searching.  This new full length release is a testament to good song writing and a partnership of great singing and musicianship.  There are a bunch more tunes on this record that I didn’t post in hopes that you will go out and buy this record.  It’s available on CD/ Vinyl or iTunes HERE.  The Belle Brigade’s tour page is HERE as well.  They are opening some dates for KD Lang all across the US and Canada.

Here’s the last tune from The Belle Brigades most recent self titled release.  It’s yet another example of the dynamic range this band has.

Fasten You To Me – The Belle Brigade

By: Steve Rippin | Beat-Play Ambassador Los Angeles | @stevewithMWL|Music Without Labels & Beat-Play, LLC

Young The Giant [NEW MUSIC]

 

Young the Giant is an American alternative rock band that formed in Irvine, California, in 2004. The band’s line-up is Sameer Gadhia (lead vocals, auxiliary percussion), Jacob Tilley (guitars), Eric Cannata (guitars), Payam Doostzadeh (bass guitar), and François Comtois (drums). Formerly known as The Jakes, Young the Giant was signed by Roadrunner Records in 2009 and released its eponymous debut album in 2010.

The Jakes were formed in 2004 in Irvine, California. After several personnel changes, the group’s lineup by 2008 consisted of Sameer Gadhia, Jacob Tilley, Ehson Hashemian, Eric Cannata, and François Comtois. With one member still in high school and others attending different colleges, the band decided to put their schooling on hold to focus on music. That winter, the band won an online contest on Sonicbids to open for Kings of Leon during a January 2009 show at the House of Blues in Chicago. Two months later, the band played four shows at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas. The band’s song “Texas Tea” was played during an episode of MTV’s The Real World: Brooklyn, and “Paid the Piper” was featured on A&E’s The Beast. Another song, “Cough Syrup”, received airplay on the Los Angeles radio station KROQ. After signing to Roadrunner Records in August, keyboardist Ehson Hashemian departed the band. In December, the band announced it had changed its name to Young the Giant.

Young the Giant spent 2010 touring with Minus the Bear and Steel Train while working on its debut album with producer Joe Chicarelli. After the band finished recording in early June, they played additional shows with Marina and the Diamonds, The Futureheads, Neon Trees and New Politics. Several songs—including “My Body”, “I Got”, and “Strings”—were leaked online in advance of the album’s release.On October 26, Roadrunner Records digitally released the eponymous Young the Giant album, which received a physical U.S. release on January 25, 2011. The album is scheduled to be released May 2 in the UK. Young the Giant performed on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Fuel TV’s The Daily Habit in January. First single “My Body” was released to U.S. radio that month, and went on to peak at number five on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. The song was on iTunes as free single of the week beginning January 9, 2011, and was featured on an episode of American Idol. The band is scheduled to perform at South by Southwest in March and the Sasquatch! Music Festival in May.

Debut album Young The Giant produced by Joe Chicarelli released October 2010 on Roadrunner

keep track of these guys at their BLOG , Facebook, or Twitter

By: Shayne Byrne | Beat-Play Ambassador Ireland |@shaynewithMWL| Music Without Labels & Beat-Play, LLC