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Artist of the Week

Artist of the Week: Matt White

With familiar vocals that recall fellow singer-songwriters Jason Mraz and Matt Nathanson, Matt White impresses. While his music combines light piano and guitar accompaniment, it’s his voice that leaves the greatest impact. Soothing and relaxing, tracks like “Love” embody a certain longing many can relate to with a Caribbean vibe while “Taking On Water” is an emotional track with moving vocals and delicate guitar finger picking, suiting the song well. 

In 2007 White broke into the scene with his debut album, Best Days. The LP peaked at No. 4 on Billboard’s New Artist chart and garnered him much praise. Rolling Stone named him one of “10 Artists to Watch” while Details added Best Days in their “best new music bubbling from the underground,” saying White has “a falsetto smooth enough to melt the icy heart of a Brooklyn hipster.”

While it is debatable if White has in fact melted the hearts of Brooklyn hipsters, it’s safe to say he has impressed many New Yorkers. Born in New Jersey, after college White moved to New York where he could be found singing on street corners and in Washington Square Park. His street performing days soon ended as many recognized his talent and he graduated to gigs at Joe’s Pub and the Living Room, not to mention tours with notable acts including everyone from Sheryl Crow, John Mayer and B.B. King to OneRepublic, Third Eye Blind and Counting Crows.

If his music sounds familiar, it’s because tracks have been featured in numerous films, commercials and TV shows like “Shrek The Third,” McDonald’s, “The Hills,” “Brothers and Sisters,” and “One Tree Hill.”

His second album is due out this Fall, and features production from David Baron (Lenny Kravitz) and Henry Hirsh (Lenny Kravitz), as well as mixing from Jack Joseph Puig (Weezer, Goo Goo Dolls, Sparklehorse, Shelby Lynne) and Joe Blaney (The Clash, The Ramones, Prince). If it’s anything like his well-received debut, White is one artist to keep your eyes on.

For more on Matt White, visit him on MySpace and be sure to catch him performing tonight at Webster Hall as part of the New Music Seminar.

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Features

Artist to Watch: Adam Taylor

Pennsylvanian poet, Adam Taylor recorded his debut EP, Play the Piano Drunk, his senior year of high school. Produced by his older brother, LIVE founding member Chad Taylor, the release is a jaw-dropping and foot-tapping mix of folk, rock & roll, ragtime and jazz. An old soul, Taylor’s songs embody socially conscious lyrics with impressive musical accompaniment. 

“Painting Leprosy” kicks things off with an old ragtime vibe. Fast bass guitar and piano soon enter with aggressive percussion. Throughout the track, vocals alternate well between Taylor and Kate Young. A solid way to begin the EP, with upbeat piano interludes and soulful singing, “Painting Leprosy” transports the listener to another era. In fact, one can vividly picture Taylor and Young singing in a speakeasy in the early 1900s.

Next track, “12:51” is a slower folk song with the main focus on Taylor’s vocals. With striking percussion mid-song, Taylor proves he’s more than your average singer-songwriter. The slow buildup and fadeout of the song impress and the listener never knows exactly what he will hear next.

“I think many of the songs share a bluegrass or folk lineage,” Taylor says. “Where they feel upbeat but tend to have more meaning than a shallow pop song. If you look beyond the catchy melodies there is often a greater depth.”

I couldn’t agree more. While “12:51” has soothing vocals with light electric guitar, “Elvis” is a funky blues track with thought provoking lyrics. “The room is turning round/And the world can be confusing/There’s no icebergs in Iceland/There’s no Thanksgiving in Turkey/Come on, get your reasoning/You know money grows on trees these days/So go on plant a thousand/And be like Johnny Appleseed.”

Every track on Play the Piano Drunk is unique and embodies a new genre of music. Whether you’re into folk, rock & roll, blues or jazz it is easy to appreciate each influence throughout the seven songs. Visit Adam Taylor’s Web site to listen to tracks from his EP and stay tuned for his full-length LP.

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Artist of the Week

Artist of the Week: Tamar Kaprelian

Tamar Kaprelian has been writing songs for as long as she can remember, drawing inspiration at an early age from Disney films and later, music icons Billy Joel and Paul McCartney. However, it wasn’t until she entered and won OneRepublic’s cover song contest in 2008 that labels started to take notice. With Ryan Tedder’s help, she soon signed to Interscope Records and began working on her debut album, due out later this year.

A coming-of-age record that chronicles her life and relationships, Kaprelian is determined to create an album that is real and true to her, both personally and artistically. By previewing a few tracks on MySpace and witnessing her live last night in New York, she is well on her way.

With emotion-filled lyrics and equally passionate vocals, Kaprelian’s music inspires the listener. First single, “New Day” is a song about “struggling, overcoming and having faith in believing that you can get yourself out of the situation.” A relatable track, Kaprelian takes the listener on a journey with her powerful vocals and the tale’s resolution. “I was lost but I found what I was looking for/Waking up, waking up to a new day,” she sings. (Watch the video for “New Day” below.)

http://www.vevo.com/VideoPlayer/Embedded?videoId=USUV70903968&playlist=false&autoplay=0&playerId=62FF0A5C-0D9E-4AC1-AF04-1D9E97EE3961&playerType=embedded

Kaprelian’s airy vocals on the upbeat “Delicate Soul” brings to mind fellow singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles while tracks like “Purified” and “Three Simple Words” portray a more mature sound. Never one to shy away from how it all began, Kaprelian performed a soulful rendition of  “A Whole New World” from Disney’s film “Aladdin” last night to a packed and sweaty crowd at Mercury Lounge.

With her powerful vocal delivery, piano interludes and string features throughout many of her tracks, Kaprelian’s music strikes a chord. “Three Simple Words” is a moving ballad of love lost with delicate piano accompaniment and angelic vocals while “Transcend” impresses with soaring string interludes and a deeper, more intimate sound.

Look for Tamar Kaprelian’s debut album due out later this year. Until then, learn about her songwriting process and collaborating with OneRepublic in a video interview below.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szR02wPOx4s]

Watch Tamar’s winning cover of OneRepublic’s “Apologize” below. For more on Tamar, be sure to visit her on MySpace.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6FFQ3CJcBU]

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Artist of the Week Features

Artist to Watch: Shwa Losben

Shwa Losben combines impassioned folk and rock & roll for a truly unique sound. Whether he’s writing about a friend who went to Mexico with a guy she met on Craigslist on “Trainwreck,” or critiquing mean hipsters on “Brooklyn Girls,” his tales captivate the listener.

Losben moved to New York in 2007 and has steadily built a name for himself, playing in front of packed venues with his band “The Good Times.” The singer-songwriter released his debut solo album, Chop Chop in 2008. With rave reviews, USA Today wrote, “it deserves to be heard by more people.” Additionally, the title track earned Losben the ASCAP Robert Allen Songwriting Award.

Two years later, Losben is back with his fan-funded release, Good Times Good Times. The 10-track album offers listeners fun, upbeat songs accompanied by intriguing characters and descriptive storylines. Blending folk and rock, Losben’s soulful voice soothes above fitting music. Each song offers something new, whether it be the twangy “Worst Is Over” or the danceable “Penultimate Dance.” A track he has high hopes for, of “Penultimate Dance,” Losben says, “My dream is for it to be the second-to-last song played at weddings and bar mitzvahs.”

Good Times Good Times draws influence from Pulp and Pearl Jam and no doubt has distinct musical components to please every music lover. With resemblance to fellow New York singer-songwriter PT Walkley on “Treat the Disease,” the track impresses with horn features, powerful guitar and percussion and Losben’s wavering vocals.”Total Nightmare” is another danceable gem with energetic keyboard and vocals throughout while “Sandy Don’t Worry” is an impassioned love song reminiscing of the past. 

With an album this diverse, one can only wonder what the future will bring for Losben. Having opened for Ben Folds, he is well on his way. To stream Good Times Good Times click here. For more on Shwa, be sure to visit him on MySpace.

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Band of the Week

Band of the Week: Hypernova

Iranian rock band Hypernova have risked their lives to play music. In Iran, simply holding a rock show could mean arrest, large fines or even a public flogging. Hard to believe? The fact that Hypernova have put their lives in danger by playing secret gigs in Iran gives you an adequate indication of their passion for music. It also makes me wonder just how many American bands would do the same.

“The underground scene in Iran is pretty intense,” explains frontman Raam. “There are many amazing musicians driven by a burning passion who are literally putting their lives on the line for their music, just like we did. There’s nothing more beautiful than raw and sincere music.”

The band made their way to the U.S. in 2007 and released their debut album, Through the Chaos this past April. Rock & roll at their core, Hypernova blends gritty guitar and percussion, Raam’s deep vocals and moving lyrics for a truly unique experience. While they have been compared to New Order, Interpol and Franz Ferdinand, the quartet is well on their way to making a name for themselves in the West.

Many tracks off their album sound autobiographical. On “American Dream,” Raam sings, “I know that I’ll never go back home/To the life I had, the life that I had known … All I wanted was the rock & roll/All I wanted was to see the world.” While rock is at their core, tracks like “Universal” and “Viva La Resistance” have an underlying catchy dance vibe. 

A song about living in the moment and not knowing which day could be your last, Hypernova prove their point on “Viva La Resistance.” “The boys, they are shouting and the girls, they are dancing/’Cause it ain’t no fucking crime … So dance like you’ve never danced/Scream like you’ve never screamed/’Cause this one might be your last,” Raam sings with powerful guitar and drums behind him.

First single “Fairy Tales” has garnered much buzz and was recently nominated for mtv U’s “The Freshmen.” With Raam’s baritone vocals and the band’s equally gritty beats, the raw emotion is evident. Hypernova kick off their summer tour tomorrow at Bowery Ballroom in NYC with Kashmir. Be sure to visit  MySpace to hear their music and watch their video for “Fairy Tales” below. You can read more about the band from a recent interview with NPR here.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_sxsKBVJDE]

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Artist of the Week

Artist of the Week: Sahara Smith

Texas-based singer-songwriter Sahara Smith‘s vocals are a unique blend of rustic and angelic. An old soul, the 21-year-old’s lyrics are descriptive and well beyond her age.

While tracks like the twangy “All I Need” relax, others, like seductive “The Real Thing” intrigue the listener.

“I used to think that happiness was hiding in the dark/I believed in everything but love,” she sings emotionally on “All I Need” with light guitar and percussion accompaniment.

Born in Austin, Smith started performing locally at 14. She garnered national attention at 15 after she was selected to compete in A Prairie Home Companion’s ‘Talent from 12-20’ contest and took home second place. Since then, she has been pursuing a career as a singer-songwriter and hasn’t turned back.

Smith will be making her New York debut June 14-16th supporting her upcoming August release, Myth of the Heart. Overseen by the legendary T Bone Burnett and producer Emile Kelman, the album will feature many of Burnett’s first-call session players including drummer Jay Bellerose, guitarist Marc Ribot and bassist Dennis Crouch.

To hear more from Sahara Smith, visit her on MySpace

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Band of the Week

Band of the Week: The Spring Standards

New York trio The Spring Standards offer listeners a diverse experience on their debut full length, Would Things Be Different. Produced by Bryce Goggin (Pavement, Phish, The Apples in Stereo), the release mixes jazz, country and a throwback to 1950s rock & roll. Alternating between James Cleare, James Smith and Heather Robb on lead vocals, each track brings something new and refreshing to the listener.

First track on MySpace, “Halcyon Days” starts things off with light whistling before Smith enters. With soft banjo, string and bell accompaniment, the trio relax the listener. Not for too long, though as “Queen of the Lot” quickly switches gears. With fitting piano introduction, Robb’s airy vocals captivate before horn and percussion pick up the pace. The music suddenly segues into a jazzier sound as Robb belts, “Why not have it all/You’ve every right to take what’s not tied down.”

Known for their impeccable harmonizing, it is not their individual solos that impress, but when the band sings together. Tracks like the energetic “Goodbye Midnight” and “Little Bug” on EP No One Will Know showcase The Spring Standards’ vocal ability best and continues to intrigue the listener.

Standout MySpace track, “Little Bug” takes the listener back to doo-wop days of the 1950s and 60s combined with their seductive electric guitar accompaniment. Bearing resemblance to The Doors and Elvis Presley with their musical build up, it is hard to place The Spring Standards into one genre. This is not a detriment, however. Music fans of every genre can find something to like within The Spring Standards release. After all, isn’t that the dream of every musician?

Watch The Spring Standards perform “Halcyon Days” below. For more, be sure to visit them on MySpace.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ag6D_S3meE0]

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Band of the Week

Band of the Week: 6th Street

With catchy melodies and moving ballads, electro pop duo 6th Street offer listeners much diversity throughout their danceable tracks. Whether it’s the beautiful piano based “Angels Falling” or the fast paced “Try and Stop Love,” Mike Miller and Grant Cook capture the listener’s attention.

While their upbeat tracks are club friendly, it is their ballads that leave the biggest impact. “Angels Falling” begins with a delicate piano intro before Miller’s soft vocals enter. A heartbreaking tale of questioning life, love and death, the song strikes a chord.

“Never Gone” follows suit with piano and amps up the energy with additional musical accompaniment providing a strong soundscape to the track. With what sounds like soaring string features and electronic beats in the background, the band bears striking resemblance to Owl City. Miller’s vocals sound vaguely familiar and at times echo that of singer-songwriters Mat Kearney and Matt Nathanson.

Continuing to showcase their talent and ability as musicians by combining energetic beats with emotional vocals, 6th street give a new definition to the ballad. Hard to place into one genre, the duo provide a unique music experience.

Back from a recent stint of showcases at SXSW, the LA-based band will perform two New York shows this week. Tomorrow night, at Kenny’s Castaways and Saturday at Arlene’s Grocery. I have two tickets to giveaway for Saturday’s show thanks to AMP3 PR. You can be in the running by adding the band on Facebook and Twitter and RT this blog post.

Just tweet, “@yousingiwrite I want to attend @6thstreetmusic’s concert Saturday. http://bit.ly/d2eIuc.”

I’ll pick a winner Thursday. Good luck!

Recommended: For fans of Owl City, The Postal Service, Mat Kearney, Matt Nathanson.

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Band of the Week

Band of the Week: Hot Chelle Rae

With energetic, danceable tracks Nashville-based Hot Chelle Rae are bound to convince even the most shy wallflower to make their way to the dance floor. Combining pop rock and radio friendly choruses, their debut release Lovesick Electric grabs the listener’s attention on the first track.

Forming in 2005, Hot Chelle Rae’s name was inspired by one of the group’s most devoted female fans. Having toured with Third Eye Blind, The Rocket Summer, Sherwood, Black Gold and Reece, the band has been perfecting their stage show. With a catchy sound that is reminiscent to fellow pop rockers Boys Like Girls and killer guitar riffs it is hard to believe this is their debut release.

Tracks like “I Like to Dance” (listen here) and “Never Have I Ever” have an unfaltering energy while beautiful ballad “Bleed” show the band can switch things up and be more serious. A love song that holds striking resemblance to Boys Like Girls’ “Two Is Better Than One,” all Hot Chelle Rae need is their Taylor Swift duet. “I bleed my heart out on this paper for you/So you can see what I can’t say/I’m dying here/’Cause I can’t say what I want to/I bleed my heart out just for you,” frontman Ryan Keith Follese sings with soaring musical accompaniment.

Watch Hot Chelle Rae’s latest music video for “Bleed” below.

Recommended: For fans of Boys Like Girls, Metro Station, Fall Out Boy, The Killers.

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Band of the Week

Band of the Week: Athlete

UK-based band Athlete‘s latest release, Black Swan is a beautiful, emotion-filled album with soaring melodies and musical accompaniment. With songs that detail the highs and lows of life — everything from embracing youth to failed marriage and death, Athlete impress and leave a lasting impact on the listener.

Released earlier this month, the band took a different approach to recording. After their split with EMI, Athlete recorded and financed the album with money they raised on their own. Due to lack of funds, they were forced to travel to America without drummer Stephen Roberts and played acoustically while on tour with Switchfoot.

“We were playing to 5,000 people a night, without a drummer,” frontman Joel Pott said. “It wasn’t an easy experience, but it was a real positive to see what captivates people when you’re playing to them totally stripped down. You really get a feel for which are the strongest songs.”

Night after night, the crowd’s loudest cheers were reserved for first single, “The Getaway”, a stirring tale of infidelity and communication breakdown, their press release states.

“That reaction was a real boost,” keyboardist Tim Wanstall said. “And it totally focused the idea that the whole record needed to be packed with the kind of songs you can sing along to at the top of your voice.”

When Athlete returned to England, they decided they wouldn’t record the new songs until they’d been properly road-tested.

“A lot of people talk about us being a great live band, but we didn’t think we’d ever quite captured that on record. We wanted it to sound like it was just us, playing together in a room. So before we recorded the songs, we did a tour of really small venues in the UK, to get us to the point where we were playing them well. And it really worked. By the time we got back to the studio, we knew the songs inside out,” Pott said. 

Blending electro indie-pop, their fourth LP, Black Swan, offers listeners much diversity. The upbeat “Superhuman Touch” kicks off the album with airy vocals from Pott and electric musical accompaniment. With heavy bass and percussion beats, Pott’s singing style produces a striking blend. “Sparks flying out in every direction/There’s more of this to come/I think it must be heaven/Burnin the sun with just a wave of your hand,” he sings.

Next track and first single, “The Getaway” has a softer and intriguing innocence despite the song’s tale of infidelity. With Pott’s emotional vocals and light percussion and guitar accompaniment, the band switches gears from the fast-paced and energetic “Superhuman Touch” to a beautiful ballad, showcasing their versatility. With the soaring singing style of Coldplay’s Chris Martin combined with their musical prowess, “The Getaway” is one of the record’s stand-out tracks.

“Light the Way” begins with nearly two minutes of instrumental before Pott comes in. Where on previous tracks his voice and sing-along choruses evoked the most attention, it is Athlete’s rich musicality that resonates with the listener.

Title track, “Black Swan Song” is a powerful and moving number about the death of Pott’s grandfather. With a somber and laid-back almost Caribbean feel at the start, Athlete’s heartfelt lyrics transcend in the stripped down track. “I’ve been racing the clock and I’ve run out of steam/I am ready for my final symphony/Oh, my body is weak but my soul is still strong/I am ready to rest in your arms/Though many battles I have won/I lost too many friends I could count on/And I know they’ll be the first to welcome me/When I parachute into eternity,” Pott sings.

The delicate “Rubik’s Cube” fittingly closes the album. It is a song Pott has said sums up everything. “It’s about puzzling through life, working it out as you go along and having to deal with its uncertainties. That’s the magic of life, really.”

It is no question Athlete have had years struggling to survive and find their rightful place within the music industry. As with anything, these hurdles provided material that only strengthened their impeccable  release, Black Swan.

“After everything we’ve been through in the last couple of years, it feels like we’re starting again with this record,” Pott said. “We made it without a label, without any pressure and without really having anything to lose. That’s exactly how it felt when we first got together. In a lot of ways, Black Swan, is like our second debut album. That’s a pretty exciting feeling.”

Watch Athlete perform “The Getaway” live at the VEVO Playlist Party at SXSW 2010 below. For more on the band, be sure to visit them on MySpace.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYRhc_JeLNs]

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