Category Archives: Check ’em Out!
Video: The M Machine – “Glow”
Check out the video for the debut track from The M Machine. I LOVE it.
Filed under Check 'em Out!, listen, video, Whoa!
New Music: Liz Green – “Hey Joe”
Liz is a 28-year-old songwriter from the UK. She first came to prominence in 2007 after winning the Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition. She followed up winning that prize with the release of her first single “Bad Medicine” in 2008. O. Devotion! is Liz’s first full-length since then, which she recorded with Liam Watson. She also enlisted a New Orleans brass band to create the woozy, brassy arrangements that appear on the album.
Listen/download: Liz Green – “Hey Joe”
Related articles
- NPR Premieres Liz Green’s “Hey Joe,” New Album Out 2/7 (hangout.altsounds.com)
Filed under Check 'em Out!, downloads, listen
Check ‘Em Out: Ane Brun – “Do You Remember”
Much like her music, the path that led Ane Brun to It All Starts With One was peaceful, unhurried and full of unexpected, subtle surprises. It’s taken her from her small Norwegian hometown of Molde, to Barcelona where she was a street performer, and across the US last year supporting Peter Gabriel and singing on his New Blood album. The adventures culminated with the making of her new album It All Starts with One, a platinum hit in Norway for which she just won their Grammy equivalent, the Spellemann award, for best female artist.
Lead single “Do You Remember” is a euphoric, almost tribal track characterized by three drummers and backing vocals from fellow Scandinavians First Aid Kit. Album closer “Undertow” is a widescreen epic that brings the album to a heart-wrenching climax. Ane Brun has created an album full of struggles and the strength it takes to move forward. It All Starts with One is a revelatory work by an uncompromising artist at the height of her powers.
Listen/download: Ane Brune – “Do You Remember”
Filed under Check 'em Out!, downloads, listen
Whoa!: Walk Off the Earth – “Somebody I Used to Know” (Gotye Cover)
The unconventional, multi-talented five-piece musical phenomena, Walk Off The Earth, performed their hit cover of “Somebody That I Used To Know” on The Ellen DeGeneres Show yesterday.
Based in Burlington, Ontario, Walk Off The Earth’s brilliant 5-people-playing-one-guitar interpretation of Gotye‘s “Somebody That I Used To Know” recently exploded on Youtube garnering well over 35 million views in under 2 weeks and is currently heating up the charts on iTunes. The massive fan response has drawn attention to their collection of innovative songs and videos spanning their last 5 years and generated an unprecedented flood of media interest.
For the past 5 years, Walk Off The Earth has built a massive following of dedicated fans from around the world through their unique and heartwarming approach to songwriting, filming and constant, open interaction with everyone their music touches. With the massive popularity of “Somebody That I Used To Know,” new fans from around the world have fallen in love with the band’s organic, independent, sincere and honest original songwriting, cover interpretations and beautifully filmed videos.
The chemistry between the members of Walk Off The Earth is undeniable. Marshall, Sarah Blackwood and Gianni Luminati’s individual vocal stylings mesh seamlessly with Taylor’s haunting harmonies and keys all the while soaring over epic melodic arrangements held together by Joel Cassady’s driving and prolific percussion work. Their independent spirit, unstoppable work ethic and awe-inspiring creativity has catapulted Walk Off The Earth into new and uncharted waters with only bigger and better things on the horizon.
Controversy, questions and speculation about the authenticity of the video performance have been swirling from the moment the cover went online. At the same time, Ellen Degeneres invited Walk Of The Earth to perform live on her syndicated daytime talk show in L.A.
Facts, Stats and Accolades:
- Walk Off The Earth’s Youtube channel has over 60 million total upload views and counting
- Walk Off The Earth’s “Somebody That I Used To Know” is the most watched video globally on YouTube for the month of January.
- Their cover saw the highest Billboard debut since April 2011 blasting into the charts at #14.
- Hitting the iTunes charts internationally with singles and past albums, including #1 Canada/Sweden/Germany. Top ten in most major markets.
- Walk Off The Earth has gained social media support from Adele, Gotye, Russell Crowe, Coldplay, Mumford and Sons, Whiz Khalifa, Justin Timberlake and Ryan Seacrest just to name a few.
Filed under Check 'em Out!, Holy Freaking Crap!, listen, video, Whoa!
Check ‘Em Out: Lux
“…filled with synthy goodness, fuzzy guitars, and purty purty duets, making them a band worthy of your attention” – Three Imaginary Girls
“It’s My Bloody Valentine assaulting The Raveonettes with an antique synthesizer.” – The Devil Has The Best Tuna
The Seattle-based duo Lux has sewn a unique sleeve to wear its influences on. Inspired by some of the most essential artists of the era of indie and underground music (Pavement, The Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth, The Magnetic Fields, The Jesus & Mary Chain, New Order, Blondie), this boy-girl duo offers its own take on these sounds with the debut album We Are Not The Same, set for release on April 3rd, 2012.
Lux was formed in early 2010 when David Chandler, a Seattle transplant from Los Angeles began looking for a girl to form a band with. At the same time, Leah Rosen, a Seattle native with a decade of songwriting experience was looking to team up with a male musician. With some luck (and Craigslist), the pair found each other.
The duo set up shop in Rosen’s basement and set about writing, playing and recording the first Lux songs with Rosen and Chandler trading off on vocals, guitars, synths and drum programming. The tunes immediately found their way onto the internet in the form of the digital EP, Disorders, released just a scant five months later in July of 2010.
Lux is still contemplating how it will play live (they never have!) as both Rosen and Chandler are self-confessed control freaks susceptible to the unpredictable nature of the stage. “Really, we just haven’t got around to it yet,” says Chandler. “We were actually offered a tour of Europe, but decided to focus on recording the album instead.”
It’s a good thing that they did as our ears are better for it. Check out the single, “The Window” from their debut album, We Are Not The Same, due for release on April 3rd.
Listen/download: Lux – “The Window”
Filed under Check 'em Out!, downloads, listen
Free Download: Ducky – “Like Rain”
The other day I posted a brand new song and free download from new artist Ducky. Now here’s the video for you to check out, directed by Waverly Mandel.
AND here’s another song for ya, too!
Listen/download: Ducky – “Like Rain”
Related articles
- Happy 2012 + free downloads! (musicallyamusing.com)
Filed under Check 'em Out!, downloads, listen, Newest Love, video
New Music: AVAN LAVA
The new AVAN LAVA EP Flex Fantasy shows the band in a more high-energy and dance light in contrast to the shoe-gaze chillwave style of their 2010 debut EP Vapors. The self-released six-song EP, mastered by Tom Coyne at Sterling, with the first single “It’s Never Over” and highlights “Slow Motion”and “Feels Good” will be available on February 21st. After a sold out Mercury Lounge show, AVAN LAVA added more shows quickly, with 2/11 at Glasslands Gallery in Brooklyn and 2/25 at Mercury Lounge to preview their EP and before traveling down to Austin for their first ever SXSW Festival in March. Their show has been described as “a trippy MTV Europe Music Awards performance” with energetic sing-along pop tracks and slow R&B-Prince swooners, all while the band’s moves are choreographed by TC and Vanessa Walters (Fischerspooner).
AVAN LAVA have worked as producers, composers and mixers for recorded works and live performances with bands such as Cold Cave, Fischerspooner, CSS, Frankie Rose, SSION, Lemonade, Lia Ices and the prestigious The New York Philharmonic, and have created remixes for R.E.M., Passion Pit and New Villager among others. The band began as a conversation between producers/musicians Le Chev and Ian Pai during an overnight bus ride after performing at the Sao Paulo Bienal with Fischerspooner, a band with which both still work and perform. That night in the fall of 2008, en route to Rio de Janeiro, Le Chev and Ian shared their love of Prince, Daft Punk, electronic beats, R & B, and indie music and contemplated how those things could all be melded into one sound, one band. A few months later, back in New York, while at a reading of “The Last Goodbye”, a musical adaptation of Romeo & Juliet set to the music of Jeff Buckley, they discovered vocalist TC. They knew that they had found the perfect vocalist for their new band the moment he sung the first words of “Corpus Christi Carol.”
AVAN LAVA is singer TC and producers/musicians Le Chev and Ian Pai. Their live performances are with the help of musicians, vocalists and technicians Andrew Schneider (The Wooster Group), Drew Citron and Jo Lampert.
It was like if Michael Jackson, Paula Abdul, and the Spice Girls all came together and decided to have a sing/dance off.”– Charged.fm
Listen/Download: AVAN LAVA – “It’s Never Over”
AVAN LAVA – Flex Fantasy EP track listing
01. Tear it Down
02. It’s Never Over
03. Pure As Love
04. Slow Motion
05. Sisters
06. Feels Good
Click here to listen to the Flex Fantasy EP Minimix
Filed under Check 'em Out!, downloads, listen
Check ’em Out + Free Download: CREEP
Brooklyn producer duo CREEP will release their newest single “Animals” featuring guest vocals from Holly Miranda tomorrow, Tuesday, January 17th. “Animals” is a ghostly blend of Holly Miranda’s ethereal vocals and CREEP’s sinister beats & string arrangements.
Download: CREEP ft. Holly Miranda – “Animals” (Modern Machines Remix)
CREEP are producers/ DJs Lauren Flax and Lauren Dillard. Lauren Flax is an internationally renowned house DJ and producer. Their ghostly debut singles “Days” ft The xx’s Romy Madley-Croft and “You” ft Nina Sky came out earlier this year. Stay tuned for upcoming new releases from CREEP including their debut full length, which will feature collaborations with Planningtorock, Andrew Wyatt & more.
“We’ll be moping to it all night.” – FADER
“putting this one on repeat and indulging in the gothy splendor” – XLR8R
“ …their cadaverous beats at the helm, inspirie us mortals to dance to our deaths.” – RCRD LBL
Related articles
- CREEP – “Animals” (Feat. Holly Miranda) (Stereogum Premiere) (stereogum.com)
Filed under Check 'em Out!, downloads, listen
Preview: Ian Carey & Rosette ft. Timbaland & Brasco – “Amnesia”
Having teamed up with hip-hop superstar Snoop Dogg at the back end of 2011 for his latest hit single “Last Night”, multi-platinum selling artist and iconic house sensation Ian Carey is steamrollering into the New Year with yet another almighty collaboration!
Joining forces this time round with international hit maker and music legend Timbaland, Mr. Carey now prepares for the imminent release of his stunning new single “Amnesia”. When a union of this magnitude presents itself, you know there’ll be something special in store – but add to the mix a mammoth top line from sensational female vocalist Rosette, and you’ve got yourself a sure-fire crossover winner. Check out the sneak preview of the official video and stay tuned for the full version!
And if that wasn’t enough to wet your appetite here’s an exclusive Ian Carey bootleg of Alesso, Ingrosso and Rowetta’s “Be Calling” from the vaults –
for a free download! Enjoy!
Filed under Check 'em Out!, downloads, Highly Anticipated, listen, Whoa!
Musically Amusing 