Electric Valentine - Free music!

Electric Valentine is an amazing LA-based electropop band, and they've generously decided to give away their album "The Fuse" (which is damn good!). They're not asking for anything, not even your email, but if you like what you hear please follow them on their Facebook and Twitter to keep up with their latest projects, and spread the word - and the download link, which is right.....here!

New Ally Burnett single "Wherever You Are" + EP release date/samples

"Wherever You Are" (listen on Purevolume) is the sparkling first single from Ally Burnett's upcoming EP "So Close So Far" - It's a refreshing, unashamed, upbeat love song, and it's a *perfect* song for spring/summer. Go listen for yourself, and also check out Ally's teaser video for "So Close So Far" not only do we get to hear the release date for the EP (May 1st...YAY!!) but snippets from all the tracks.

From what I can hear, this is shaping up to be the best EP Ally has ever made. If you like what you hear, please spread the word. Without a big promotional budget, word of mouth is essential for indie artists like Ally, so listen, enjoy, tell your friends, and be sure to buy the EP!

Debra Arlyn - Heartbeat

I've been following Portland, Oregon based artist, Debra Arlyn's music career ever since her 2005 release "Thinking Out Loud" and, to be honest, her music always has a place on my iPod. Debra has such an amazing, moving, emotional voice, and her new release 'Heartbeat" carries on the tradition.

"Heartbeat" is another Kickstarter success story, which just makes this album all the more special, it exists because the fans wanted it to (disclaimer: I'm a proud donator).

I'm not good on track-by-track reviews, but more about the general "feel" of an album, and "Heartbeat" is such a sweet (without being cloying) uplifting album, that I defy you to maintain a bad mood after listening to it. You know, just from listening, that Debra poured her heart and soul in to it.
I will say, for me, the stand out tracks are the adorable first single "La La La" and....ok, I'm wrong, I can't single out any tracks, they're *all* that good! Debra's voice soars and just takes you along for the ride.

The official release date of "Heartbeat" is April 21st, so be sure to check it out, and if you're a Portland local be sure to go see her album release show at Jimmy Mak's (which reminds me, I need to make a reservation!)

If you love beautiful vocals, and heartfelt lyrics, I encourage you to buy "Heartbeat" and if you feel like picking up any of Debra's older releases, I'm sure you won't be disappointed!

Follow Debra Arlyn at DebraArlyn.com Facebook Twitter and buy her albums on iTunes and CDBaby

June Divided

Ok, let's cut to the chase. Philadelphia-based June Divided kicks some serious musical butt. With Keith Gill on drums, Chris Kissel on guitar/keys and Melissa Menago on guitar and laying out a serious vocal punch, they're a band to be reckoned with.

I know just about every band with a female singer will get compared to Paramore at some point, and I can see some valid points of comparison but I'd have to say Menago's vocals are well, not "better" than Hayley's but they've got a rockier edge to them, and she's forceful without yelling.

Their debut EP "The Other Side Of You" insists on being played at maximum volume. Powerful vocals, great guitar and drums.  They don't neglect the lyrics either. In my opinion, the standout tracks are the single "Bullet" and "The Shadows" but the entire EP is worth the price of admission.

Currently the band is trying to raise money to fund a full-length album, they're about half-way to their goal of $3500 but with only 47 days left, I'm sure they could use all the help they can. If I can editorialize a little, it makes me so happy that there are fund-raising tools like this available for bands, it helps them make a better album, and gives fans a real sense of investment in the band.

So, check them out on iTunes, and if you like them, be sure to "like" them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter - and if you've got some cash to spare their Indiegogo link is here!

Kelly Packer - Breathe/Easy

 

I've been trying to come up with what to say about Kelly Packer for over a day now, and I'm still having trouble coming up with something. Her music is mostly pop, but like pop music itself, it covers a lot of ground. Breathe/Easy, her debut album, has influences from electropop ("Seventeen, Hitchcock") to R&B ("Your Queen"), to the country-tinged "Honestly Honesty" and pure pop ("Tragedy")

I know saying an album has something for everyone is a bit of a cliche, but "Breathe/Easy" is one of those albums, and Kelly's voice is captivating. She wrings every ounce of emotion out of her songs. I can't recommend this album enough. Please check it out and give it a careful listen. There are little nuances and details I'm still discovering.

If you're interested in finding out more, and listening to more of her tunes, check out her Facebook page, and iTunes, she's also on Twitter, so follow her!

A few questions with Karmina!

The lovely ladies of Karmina (AKA Kelly and Kamille) were kind enough to answer a few questions I sent them and I thought their answers were fun and gave a lot of insight into their lives as indie musicians. Enjoy!


Assume the people reading this article have no idea about you or your music, what would you tell them about yourselves?

We are sisters who write indie pop/sparkle rock music (sparkle rock is our self-proclaimed genre). We write about truth and  harmonize as much as possible.

 You've just come off an amazing west coast tour, are you planning another tour anytime soon?

 Yes! Our next tour will probably be on the East Coast. We're in the process of planning that right now.. After that.....we'll probably tour Europe again!

I'm a big supporter of tools like Kickstarter for helping artists finance albums/tours, and I know you've used it to finance your most recent EP "Car Train Ship Plane". Do you see yourselves doing another fundraiser in the future?

 Kickstarter was an amazing experience for us. It once again challenged us to think creatively, and work to give back what we were getting. We'd definitely do another campaign like Kickstarter, but we try to be very picky about when we do things of this nature.

As a follow-up to the last question, even though your last EP is only a few months old, I know you guys write a lot, is there new music on the horizon?

 So much! That's a very interesting question for us because we constantly want to add new music to our set lists when we're on the road, but we have to exercise a little will power and play the music that we're promoting, even though we've heard it maybe a trillion times. We love our new album, but the newest stuff is always the most fun to play live!

 As independent artists, what is the most gratifying part of not being a signed artist? Conversely, what is the most difficult part?

Best part: you get to do everything yourself.  Hardest part: you get to do everything yourself!  But really, being independent gives us complete creative freedom. we don't have anyone questioning our inspiration. If we think of something creative that we feel strongly about, we get our hands dirty and do it! The most difficult part is probably the financials of it all, and juggling the many roles of an artist team between two people. 

However, we see this as a worthy challenge of our art. you have to figure out how you're going to supplement the money you're about to spend making a new merch item, or the money you're about to spend getting up and down the west coast on a tour. Sometimes you barely break even, sometimes you go home a little bit richer. It's just part of the struggles and triumphs of an indie artist. and the triumphs feel that much greater when you've gone through so much to achieve them.  

You've done some live shows on StageIt.com and I've loved them, is that something you plan on continuing to do?

We *love* StageIt! It's the coolest thing ever for artists to be able to perform from their living room or bathroom or bedroom for fans around the world!  It's an experience for both parties (artist and fan) - It's also very interactive, and you can communicate with your fans in real time! 

Who are your biggest musical inspirations?

We are inspired by so many people and things. To name a few: Bjork, Imogen Heap, Michael Jackson, The Beatles, Coldplay, Elliot Smith, Third Eye Blind. We're also very much inspired by indie artists, as much if not more than mainstream artists. 
  
Finally, what advice would you give other independent artists based on your own experiences?
 
If you love what you do, never give up.  Be humble, never take yourself too seriously, and always strive to be better. 

Thanks once again for taking the time for this interview, I loved it!

Please check out Karmina's music on their website and follow them on Facebook and Twitter!

Alicia Witt

When actors release music, it's usually a mixed bag, for every one that has real artistic merit, there are a dozen who seem to be doing it for the novelty of it.

Alicia Witt isn't one of them. You may know the beautiful redhead from her role as Zoey on the sitcom "Cybill" or other shows such as "The Sopranos" and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" but I'm not here to talk about her excellent acting ability, this is all about the music.

Witt released her self-titled 4 song EP in 2009 and I was extremely impressed by her voice, from the powerful "Anyway" which should be required listening for anyone going through a rough breakup, to a surprisingly dark cover of Paul Simon's "You Can Call Me Al". 

She's got the voice, the charm, passion and the songwriting chops and it finally looks like people might be noticing. "Anyway" was recently featured on the All Access hot AC homepage for radio. So hopefully it won't be long before she's playing everywhere.

Take a listen, if you like what you hear, say something to someone else. Alicia may be a celebrity but she's a true indie artist and relies of word of mouth more than anything else for support.

Check out her official website and buy her music on iTunes and be sure to follow her on Twitter