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:
Joe Firstman will perform at The Living Room in New York City this Saturday, February 13th, in support of his recently released full-length album El Porto. If you’re a fan of good old americana rock, this album should be part of your music collection. El Porto is heartfelt with immensely personal lyrics penned by Firstman, who has the innate ability to transport you to another time with his intricate delivery.
For those familiar with Firstman’s debut album The War of the Women, which I happen to LOVE, El Porto is a natural evolution. The songs that comprise the new album are simple, yet demonstrate a certain confidence of a singer-songwriter coming into his own. And, I’m not certain, but believe that “Today,” which is featured on El Porto could easily be a continuation of “Can’t Stop Loving You” from The War of Women. (Joe, if you’re reading this — give me a shout, dying to know).
You’ve heard me wax-poetic on how completely amazing Tony Lucca is in the past so I’ll keep this post short. Just two days ago, Mr. Lucca premiered his newest song “Anchored” during an appearance on Peter Himmelman’s “Furious World.” Check out the performance below. Oh, and you’re welcome.
Past Tony Lucca Coverage:
Review: Tony Lucca at Sullivan Hall, 12-11-09
Review: Tony Lucca at the Canal Room, 9-15-09
Butch Walker & The Black Widows new album I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart officially hits stores on February 23rd, but you can listen to it now thanks to the fine folks at Think Indie. Now, I can’t even front to be as big of a Butch Walker fan as fellow TRTer, Forest, but let’s just say, Mr. Walker had me at the title. Front runners for favorite songs right now “Pretty Melody” and “Canadian Ten.”
The stream is only live for a few weeks, so you’re definitely going to want to pre-order I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart!
Listen after the jump
I first heard Matthew Mayfield on the Maybe Next Christmas EP (which you can still get for free) and my first impression was that he sounded like the best parts of Josh Ritter, mixed with the rockest parts of Ryan Adams and the rasp of Matthew Ryan.
If O-town had written “Liquid Dreams” about their ideal alt/country/rockstar, it probably would have been about Matthew Mayfield.
That’s not to say Matthew Mayfield is derivative, only that he can more than hold his own in your collection next to the three aforementioned singer/songwriters, as well as any others. Have a listen yourself, below, and download a free version of Mayfield’s standout track, “Better,” recently featured on Grey’s Anatomy. If this guy isn’t selling out shows in the near future, I’ll be amazed.
My favorite Louisiana natives, Benjy Davis Project, are getting set to release a new album, Lost Souls Like Us and we’ve got the official tracklist and cover art. BDP has gone through a bit of a line-up shuffle as of late, but the group is still comprised of original members Benjy Davis (shocker) and drummer Mic Capdeivelle.
The band recently dropped their new single “Stay With Me,” a mandolin-driven song about love with room for interpretation, whether in the moment or looking back on it. It’s quintessential BDP with a focus on intensely personal lyrics written by Benjy Davis as a result of life experiences.
Check out some footage of Benjy Davis Project in action that was captured at Sullivan Hall back in December. Official track-list for Lost Souls Like Us is after the jump, the album hits March 2nd.
Matt Morris is the latest Mickey Mouse Club alum to hit the mainstream circuit, thanks in part to his childhood friend and MMC co-star, Justin Timberlake, who signed Morris to his label Tennman Records. Recently, Morris released his debut album When Everything Breaks Open and is quickly gaining attention as he performed on The Ellen Degeneres Show and during last night’s Hope for Haiti Now telethon.
While it clearly helps to have Justin Timberlake in your corner, singer-songwriter Matt Morris’ talent is not to be taken lightly. Although you may not have realized it, you’re (probably) pretty familiar with the singer’s work already as he’s penned songs for Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, country legend Reba McEntire, and of course, Timberlake.
I haven’t finished giving When Everything Breaks Open a proper listen to post thoughts (yet), so in the meantime, enjoy him performing “Bloodline” live with Timberlake after the cut.
Corinne Bailey Rae had it all. A hit debut single in “Put Your Records On,” that allowed her to enter the U.S. music charts and gain notoriety on a larger scale. Before she knew it, she was touring with chart-topper John Legend and performing at the Grammys. Until, one cruel day, her personal life was shattered by the accidental death of her musician husband, Jason Rae.
Two years after mourning her husband’s death, Corinne Bailey Rae is back with her follow-up album, The Sea. While The Sea does pay tribute to her late husband, it’s not a complete downer as one might assume. It’s a solid follow-up to the soulful singer-songwriter’s debut album, which showcases Corinne’s writing skills. Standouts include “Closer,” “Paris Night, New York Mornings,” and “Are You Here.”
Thanks to the kind folks at NPR, you can stream The Sea in its entirety from now until it’s release on January 26th. Album opener, “Are You Here,” is embedded after the jump.
Full disclosure. I LOVE Sara Bareilles. Why? Well, she’s a smart, singer-songwriter who writes incredibly witty/catch songs and manages to entertain without fire, blood, ridiculous outfits or stage antics. (What’s up now, Gaga?)
Yeah, you know Sara Bareilles for her massive hit “Love Song,” but what you don’t know is this girl could moonlight as a stand-up comedian. Trust me, her stage banter is so good that she’s guaranteed to have you in stitches.
Want proof? Just check out this video of Ms. Bareilles taking on everyone’s favorite guilty pleasure of the moment, MTV’s Jersey Shore, a reality show based on Italian 20-somethings who self-identify as “guidos.”
Set to the tune of Rihanna’s “Umbrella,” she delivers punchlines like “I have perfect abs/ They’re right above my crabs” among loads of F-bombs in a pretty awful, but accurate Jersey accent. Still have doubts? Watch her flow into The Eagles “Hotel California.” Amaze.
Watch the full performance after the jump
Fans of bands such as Carbon Leaf, Indigo Girls and the Watson Twins – and singers like Shawn Mullins (yeah!) and Matt Nathanson – might already be familiar with Vanguard Records. It’s an independent label based in New York, with about 50 years of music history stacked in its vaults. In that time, they’ve covered released music ranging from Blues Traveler to Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.
This year, in honor of the season, Vanguard has released a 16-track holiday sampler – featuring a range of Vanguard artists, as well as some friends of the family. Of special interest to this music fan is the live version of “Wildfires” by Josh “The Man” Ritter. You also get some Meiko, Joshua Radin, Joe Purdy, Dar Williams and a slew of other artists.
The best part of this holiday sampler, as far is I’m concerned, is the fact that there are precious few holiday songs. Actually, there’s just one and that’s not even a real holiday song, per se. Not that I have anything against the season, but I can only hear “Winter Wonderland” about five more times before I flip out and put a sword through my radio.
