The Round Table

Benny Marchant is ready for his close-up. The singer-songwriter is embarking on a solo career after building up his writing and performing chops in the Los Angeles music scene as the frontman for alternative rock band, The Kings Royal. Mr. Marchant kicks-off his solo career with the debut music video for “Conversations Missed,” a story of coping with love lost and the memories that remain.

“Conversations Missed” will appear on Mr. Marchant’s debut album, which is expected to be released this Fall. He’s currently working with GRAMMY winning producer Joe Chicarelli (Radiohead, White Stripes, Counting Crows) on his debut album. Stay tuned for more details and be sure to check out “Conversations Missed” below!

Rachel Loy is a walking contradiction – in the best possible way. The bass-wielding Ms. Loy who sports dreads on stage doesn’t necessarily fit the cookie-cutter image of the tortured soul, singer-songwriter we’ve grown accustomed to…and we like that.

She recently released a self-titled EP, Rachel Loy, which is inspired by her fairly recent move to Nashville and all that comes with it including heart-break and the struggles of balancing life with career ambitions. Her voice has a soft-sweet tone to it, reminiscent of Lisa Loeb, Jewel, and indie darling Leona Naess, while her words demand attention thanks to sharp wit and intricate writing style.

The EP kicks off with “Mean to Me,”a heartfelt song about keeping your distance from someone who broke your heart as means to prevent falling back into a hurtful pattern. Yeah, I’m just going to go ahead and declare this as my woe-is-me anthem for this year, cause it’s that good.

There’s also the perfectly penned, introspective “Maybe It’s Me” that hits home proving Ms. Loy is fully capable of playing the role of the aching, vulnerable songstress like her contemporaries. Though have to admit, we were a bit disappointed to discover Ms. Loy’s “Hey Cara,” isn’t included on the EP. She performed this song at her Nashville show a few weeks back at 12th & Porter and we’ve been addicted to it since. It’s inspired by text-messaging blunder – we’ve all been there.

Be sure to head over to iTunes and purchase Rachel Loy’s latest EP – you’ll thank us later. New Yorkers, you can catch Ms. Loy performing at Rockwood Music Hall on July 24th.

Update: NYC date moving (stay tuned). LA readers, check out Ms. Loy perform at Hotel Cafe on July 26th.

Inspiration comes in many forms. Something Jennifer Quiroz knows all too well.  The singer-songwriter used to suffer from debilitating stage fright, which prevented her from singing for years. It was only after her father was diagnosed with a terminal illness and then had a miraculous recovery, that Ms. Quiroz found the strength and courage to conquer her fear and pursue her dream of performing. And we’re glad she did.

Her debut EP, And So I Sing, is solid collection of immensely personal songs ranging from faith (“The Greatest Good) to escapism (“And So I Sing”) to receiving the news of her father’s illness (“Crash”). It’s “Crash” that left us stunned with it’s beauty and sadness. Give it a listen below — but warning you, have a tissue box near by.

The future is bright for Ms. Quiroz thanks to her ability to pen incredibly moving lyrics. If you’re looking for music from a talented singer-songwriter, you should give And So I Sing a listen via iTunes. LA readers, you can check her out in person when she performs at Hotel Cafe, July 2nd at 730p.

Crash by jenniferquiroz

Colin Smith is a singer-songwriter who recently branched out from Irish alt-rock band Mrnorth to release his first solo effort The Wilderness. The nine song album takes the listener on a musical journey through love, heartbreak, and life with lyrically catching songs.

The perfectly timed album opener “Love” shows the fresh wounds of a break up, the numbness that occurs, and the realization that it doesn’t matter where you are or who you are with it, it all feels the same. While “Scratch” takes the listener on an up-tempo quest to find a replacement, to fill the void left, if only for the night.

Front-runner for favorite song off The Wilderness has to be “Drunks Prefer Lies,” complete with stunning string section. The dichotomy of who you are and who you become once under the influence. After all, with some liquid courage, we have the ability to convince ourselves of anything. “I’ll be drunk tonight/It may not be right/Cause when the going gets tough/Drunks prefer lies.” Though a close second would be the country-inspired “Who Told You You Were Right” with pedal steal guitar. Meanwhile album closer “Spread Too Thin” is skillfully subdued with airy vocals and hymn-like tendencies.

Aside from his beautifully crafted songs, Colin Smith is an artist after my own heart. Accompanying his download of The Wilderness, he included a note in which he said it is “more important that as many people as possible are able to have, love and listen to the album than it is for [him] to make $.99 a song.” Although I happen to be in the minority of folks who see value in music and therefore doesn’t mind paying for it, I have to applaud an artist who is willing to rank financial gain below obscurity.

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Singer-songwriter Ernie Halter is thanking his fans by treating them to a free MP3 sampler appropriately titled, 4U. The seven-song sampler is available exclusively through Amazon.com and it’s well-worth adding to your music collection.

And if you’re not an Ernie Halter fan already (why not?!), then consider this a perfect introduction to an incredible artist without even having to open your wallet. Pretty sweet huh?

Songs featured on the sampler include “Gone,” “My Heart is With You,” “Crazy Love,” “Count the Days,” “Yes I am,” “Lisa,” and “Blue Dress.”

Aside from giving you free tunes, Mr. Halter even recorded a special shout-out to all fans for their support over the years on the album closer “You’re Awesome.” No Ernie, you’re awesome for gifting your fans with music.

For the iTunes stans out there — you can download the sampler free and it’s compatible with iTunes, so you have no excuses on this one. Download 4U now! And while you’re at it, you might as well purchase his 2009 release Live, which is a compilation of some of Ernie’s greatest road performances.

Stay tuned, Mr. Halter will release a new album this summer — we’ll bring you the details once available!

In the last six months, singer-songwriter Ashley Arrison has become one of the most talked about indie artists at The Round Table, culminating in being crowned our first-ever March Music Madness Champion. Based on the sheer number of votes submitted, it’s apparent Ms. Arrison has made a lasting impression on music fans, not to mention she has won the hearts of some of the site’s toughest critics. All impressive accomplishments for an artist who has yet to release her first full-length album, which is slated for July 1st.

Ms. Arrison took time out from her busy recording schedule to chat with TRT. She was kind enough to give us some insight as to her musical influences, what fans can expect from her upcoming album, and her reaction to taking the March Music Madness title. And while Ms. Arrison takes her music very seriously, wasn’t afraid to let her guard down and let her personality shine through. She even indulged our desire to name-drop some of the industry’s greatest whom she calls her friends. Read our interview with Ashley Arrison below.

TRT: As the reigning champion of TRT’s first ever March Music Madness tournament voted on by the fans, can you tell us what it meant to you to have tremendous fan support pushing you through each round? Were you surprised at all?

AA: Are you kidding? So surprised. First, I thought it was cruel to pit me against Rhianna in the first round! After I won that round, I knew this was a battle of indies, so I was sure I didn’t have a chance against Tony Lucca, who I love! And then Matthew Mayfield started talking smack and the heat was turned up! But seriously, every single one of these artists have bigger fan bases than I do at this point, so it is a true testament to my fans that they rallied like they did. The re-tweets and mass emails were in effect!

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Three years ago Chase Coy began writing and recording music in his parent’s basement in Greenwood, Indiana. He was just sixteen years old when he started sharing his music with the world. It was his earnest attempt to make sense of his life through music that resonated with fans thanks to his was relatable song lyrics. In return, his fans went on to make him one of the most popular newly signed artists in the U.S., including being named as one of iTunes’ best new singer/songwriters of the year in 2008.

Now at the age of nineteen, Coy is ready for the next step in his career. He is set to release his major label debut album, Picturesque, on June 1st, which is sure to garner attention of fans and critics alike. Coy is currently giving fans a free mp3 download of “To Make it Alright” simply by signing up for his mailing list. Be sure to check it out and tell us what you think of young Chase Coy.

If Matt Nathanson and Eric Hutchinson had a baby, you just might get Kevin Hammond. Hammond is the latest singer-songwriter whose found a way to blend undeniable folk rock with pop undertones to create catchy tunes. But what sets him apart from his contemporaries is his ability to jump from falsetto to his modal register with ease.

And like his biography hints to, Hammond just might have been a child prodigy who was buying time until he got his chance to shine. It states “most kids grow up amusing themselves with G.I. Joes, Tonka Trucks and Sunday morning Cartoons. Kevin Hammond, however, was raised in a household of musical instruments. He taught himself guitar as a child and began to hone his song-writing abilities as a teenager.”

Safe to say, Hammond is well on his way after signing a deal with A&M/Octone Records and releasing his self-titled EP in 2009, which includes a cover of Gnarls Barkely’s “Crazy.” He’s currently gearing up for his full-length album due out later this year, so keep that on your radar. In the meantime, check out Hammond performing “Maybe” at Pianos in NYC, which showcases his distinctive style.

Keith Monacchio is a modern day poet. And while The Long Evening is the debut solo album from the singer-songwriter, it must be stated that he is music veteran who has over 12 CDs under his belt as part of a member of The Semibeings (’91-’98) and The Commons (’99-’08) respectively.

His album focuses on the struggles of life and lessons learned along the way. Take “The New Normal” for example, a vivid story where Monacchio sings about his wandering ways and being comfortable living outside society’s norm. “All my friends are gettin’ married/buyin’ homes, paintin’ walls and startin’ families/Hey, but not me man/I’m off that track, don’t really know if I’m gonna make it back.”

Then there’s the catchy tongue-in-cheek song, “The Set Up,”  about just that, friends who keep trying to arrange relationships for Monacchio, the consummate wander, in hopes of getting him to settle down. The song itself is refreshing, original and is sure to make you smile.
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Robert Francis, at just 22 years old, displays a songwriting talent and musical breadth that far exceeds his young age. He describes his approach to songwriting by saying, “for me it’s more than an outlet — it’s a way to keep me from completely losing my mind.”

Safe to say his latest song “Junebug” is no exception. Check out the accompanying video for “Junebug” below: