With December in full swing, it’s nearly impossible to go anywhere and not hear holiday music being played. While Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole classics never get tiresome, it’s refreshing to hear a band put a new spin on holiday music.
That’s where Sean Smith and the Setting Sons comes in.
With a new release just in time for the holidays, their latest EP includes two songs perfect for the lonesome and those in love. Though the lyrics behind “December 24th” are somewhat somber, the upbeat musical accompaniment grabs the listener. With soaring guitar and polished piano interludes joined by solid percussion and Smith’s relentless vocals, it’s hard to stop from humming along.
December 24th/All I want For Christmas (Is Mine Tonight) was produced by David Immergluck (guitarist, Counting Crows) and features Jim Bogios on drums and Charley Gillingham on keyboards. To purchase the song, visit iTunes and be sure to catch Sean Smith and the Setting Sons tonight at Rockwood Music Hall and December 17 at Banjo Jims. For more, visit their Web site.
Last week, I named NEEDTOBREATHE as You Sing I Write’s band of the week. Quite possibly my favorite concert of 2010 so far, NEEDTOBREATHE’s phenomenal live set impressed at Irving Plaza. It comes as no surprise then, that I’m not their only fan.
Earlier this year, Taylor Swift tweeted: “Trying to find a @needtobreathe concert close to one of our tour dates– dying to see their show!” Turns out, last week she invited the South Carolina natives to join her during her 2011 US and Canadian tour dates and let her fans know via twitter.
“@needtobreathe is my opening act for the Speak Now Tour. It’ll be a nightly challenge to get ready for my show instead of watching theirs”
Winter is definitely here and while some of you may be less than ecstatic about seeing snow, here’s a little photo to remind you of summer and all those fun music festivals. Taken last year at All Points West (nicknamed All Points WET because of the torrential downpours every day), Wendy captivated the fans who demonstrated that a little bit of mud never hurt anyone.
Singer/songwriter Amos Lee has toured with everyone from Merle Haggard and Bob Dylan to Paul Simon and Elvis Costello. So it comes as no surprise that many country artists respect the Americana/folk artist.
Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott is one of Amos’ many country admirers, along with Willie Nelson and Lucinda Williams, who lend their voices on his upcoming album, ‘Mission Bell.’
“Great songwriters don’t come around that often. Amos is an exceptional artist, a true story teller, unique to his generation,” says Willie.
While ‘Mission Bell’ isn’t due for release until January 25 of next year, Amos filled me in on the recording process, his Farm Aid performance and just how he recruited Willie to join him in the studio. For the complete Q&A visit The Boot and be sure to watch his performance tonight on CMT’s “Artists of the Year.”
Tomorrow night, CMT will honor Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Zac Brown Band as the top artists of the year in a 90-minute special. Hosted by Kevin Costner, CMT’s “Artists of the Year,” premiers at 8:00 p.m., ET.
Taped in Nashville, “Artists of the Year” will bring the honorees together with their peers for an evening of performances from the country world and beyond. Tune in for surprise guest appearances by Joe Perry, Maroon 5, Adele, Amos Lee and more!
This year’s acts were chosen by ranking the top five artists based on the following criteria: sales, country radio airplay, concert grosses, and activity on CMT.com. The rankings were then compiled to identify the leading performers across the four categories cumulatively.
Watch a preview of tomorrow night’s special below.
From the moment NEEDTOBREATHE took the stage at Irving Plaza November 5, it was evident that this wasn’t just any concert. The South Carolina natives have been honing their live show for the past 10 years and Friday night was no exception. Fans came out in flocks to see them and they didn’t disappoint.
As smoke engulfed the stage and guitar fuzz and percussion were heard in the background, NEEDTOBREATHE took the stage to screams. The band kicked off their set with the energetic “Prisoner.” With an impeccable electric guitar interlude mid-song and frontman Bear Rinehart teetering close to the edge of the stage, the band kept the audience on it’s feet. Not a complete deviation from their album, NEEDTOBREATHE proved their live show is like none other. While “Prisoner” neared eight minutes with instrumental features and improvisation, the band managed to keep things fresh and continually showcased their musicality.
“Thank you all for being here. It means a lot to us. We appreciate it very, very much,” Bear said before they performed “More Time” off their album Heat to excited fans who sang along word for word. With an instrumental breakdown and foot stomping rhythm mid-song the band impressed.
NEEDTOBREATHE has been working on a new record much to their fans delight and they debuted a track off their upcoming release called “Devil’s Been Talking.” With a memorable banjo intro, soaring guitars and powerful percussion, the song is only an introduction of what’s to come. While concertgoers no doubt enjoyed hearing new tracks, it was songs from their most recent album, The Outsiders, that received the loudest screams.
“Girl Named Tennessee” livened up the venue with funky guitar accompaniment and hand clapped rhythms. The floor shook as fans stomped along during the song’s entirety. Showcasing their ability to switch gears, moving ballad “Stones Under Rushing Water” slowed things down with light guitar and percussion combined with Bear’s relentless vocals. As the music lessened to the fadeout of the track, Bear sounded like a gospel singer as his voice reverberated throughout the venue.
The piano infused “Washed By the Water” followed suit before Bear once again thanked the audience for attending the show. “We’ve been together for 10 years and it means everything to us that you show up.”
After NEEDTOBREATHE performed for just over an hour they left the stage. But, not for long. As fans chanted “NEEDTOBREATHE,” the quintet came back out for a two-song encore, which included a jaw-dropping acapella version of “Valley of Tomorrow” to the hushed crowd. (Watch below!) NEEDTOBREATHE closed their impressive set with “The Outsiders,” to a sing-along. A testament to how far they’ve come, after 10 years NEEDTOBREATHE show no signs of slowing down.
Watch NEEDTOBREATHE perform “Valley of Tomorrow” acoustic below and for my interview with them, click here.
Brad Paisley performed an hour-long set for lucky New Yorkers earlier this month at the Ed Sullivan Theater. For those not in the Big Apple, the concert was streamed live for CBS Interactive Music Group’s ‘Live on Letterman’ webcast, allowing fans to watch the set in its entirety on CBS.com.
Moments before he took the stage, Brad tweeted, “About to go on here at the Ed Sullivan theater. Like the Beatles. Sorta.”
Though he’s in Manhattan for the next few days promoting his new greatest hits compilation, ‘Hits Alive,’ Brad never feels too far from home. “On the way in here, when we were coming in from the airport, we were in an SUV. Low and behold, somewhere right after we got out of the tunnel, we hit this little patch of mud. I don’t know where in the hell that came from. It wasn’t quite big enough to have much fun with with your truck, but it made me miss home,” Brad said before singing his huge hit, ‘Mud On the Tires.’
For my complete review visit The Boot. Watch Brad perform “Then” below.
By far one of the best concerts I’ve been to all year, NEEDTOBREATHE wowed a packed crowd November 5th at Irving Plaza in New York. In addition to performing a full band set of many of the hits off their most recent release, The Outsiders, the band neared the edge of the stage unplugged during fan favorite, “Valley of Tomorrow.” Stay tuned for a complete recap of the show soon!
It’s that time of year again! Thanksgiving is officially over and with any luck all the leftovers have been eaten and your holiday shopping is finished. (Wishful thinking, I know!)
As December approaches, I’ll be posting a new holiday song each week. So, be sure to leave your favorite holiday tunes in the comments and let me know if there are any unique covers you’ve been diggin’.
Earlier this year, I featured Adam Taylor as an artist to watch. The Pennsylvania native wrote a Christmas song for WXPN in Philadelphia and is offering his track, “Mrs. Mistletoe” for a free download. Instead of paying for the song, Taylor is encouraging everyone to donate to Music for Everyone, a non-profit dedicated to raising awareness and resources to strengthen the role that music plays in our schools and communities.
“This is my gift to you, a little song we wrote and recorded for you called “Mrs. Mistletoe” — Now let me tell you about “gifts.” I believe that giving a gift just because it’s an arbitrary date is silly. If a gift lacks personal sacrifice, it’s an empty gesture. This is why sometimes that macaroni necklace is so much more beautiful than a 20 dollar gift card to Target. Ask yourself this question — Do you need any more THINGS? Do you even WANT to make a difference?
I’m the musician that I am today because of the wonderful music programs that were offered to me as a child. If you enjoy “Mrs. Mistletoe” then PLEASE, as a gift to me, yourself, and especially the children, make a small, modest contribution to MUSIC FOR EVERYONE.”
Watch the video for “Mrs. Mistletoe” below and to download the track click here. For more information on Music for Everyone and to donate click here.
