Adora

I'm way overdue in saying something about Adora. This Chicago-based band has an amazing sound and I think they are destined for great things. So while I try to come up with the right words, here are the facts.

Adora is: 
Stormie Rae - Lead Vocals, Guitar
Keith Pink - Piano, Percussion, Vocals
Chris Eckstrum- Drumset, Programming
Michael Drew - Guitar, Vocals

Their EP "Save Yourself" was released late last year and it's been on my playlist ever since I bought it. They're all amazing musicians, and Stormie's vocals are a perfect mesh. Sweet without being sugary, powerful without screaming. She commands attention, and she and the band deliver.

If you're in Chicago, or one of the other cities in the area where they perform, check them out. Unfortunately being on the west coast, I've had to settle for watching their live videos on YouTube.

They've recently managed to raise enough funds through fan donations to start working on more new music, and this brings up something I'm going to address in a later post. I think the trend of fan-sponsored albums/tours is the way of the future in indie music.
By the way, if anyone reading this feels inclined to dismiss Stormie because she's female, I'd suggest you don't. She's a force to be reckoned with.

I've probably rambled enough about them, I think I should just shut up and let their music do the talking.

Check them out on Facebook Tumblr YouTube Twitter and iTunes

Alexz Johnson - Reloaded!

I first discovered Alexz when her show "Instant Star" was on the air, and I fell in love with her voice. The "Instant Star" soundtracks are still some of my all-time favorite albums, and when I heard that she was signed to Epic Records and was going to release an album of her own work I was so excited, of course, if you've been following her career, her album was shelved because of a shake-up at Epic. (As a side note, Alexz has stated that she has almost gotten all the rights back to the songs that would have been on her Epic album, so hopefully she'll release those soon)

This would probably have stopped some people, but not Alexz, she went the indie route and recorded "Voodoo" which was/is a brilliant album but arguably not commercial enough (I disagree with this) so Alexz, with the production help of The Demolition Crew, re-mixed all the songs from "Voodoo" and in my opinion, they did an amazing job, and as of today, "Reloaded" has been unleashed on the world!

I admire Alexz so much, she didn't let any setbacks stop her. She's determined to get her music out there, and didn't need a stinking label to do it.

So go listen! if you like what you hear please support her by buying one of her packages, or at least buy "Reloaded" on iTunes
Alexz's Official Site Facebook Twitter

Julie Corrigan

 

This post is a little more difficult to write than I thought. I've been following Julie's career for quite sometime and I'd like to think I've gotten to know her at least to some degree, and it's tough trying to describe all that she has to offer in a simple blog post. 

Let's get the details out of the way, she's Ottawa, Ontario based, beautiful, talented and extremely sweet.

I guess the first thing I should mention is that voice. Julie has one of the purest voices I've ever heard. I'm honestly not always a  fan of people covering other people's music but when Julie does it she really puts her own stamp on the song and it's always a pleasure to listen to. Check out the YouTube links at the bottom of this post to see what I'm talking about. I bet you'll wind up smiling when you're finished.

Now, she's not all cover songs. She's released a few original songs, including her debut EP "Been Through the Fall" (available on iTunes) and they're extremely good, so good, in fact that they really make me wish that she'd release a full album of original material someday. 

 Besides her voice, Julie plays a mean guitar, is a great songwriter, and is utterly charming. She deserves to hit it big someday, and I've got a selfish reason for hoping it happens, I want to see her live! :)

So let me finish this up with a few links of interest and then please take the time to watch some of her YouTube videos, I think they'll convince you of her talent more than my words will.

Facebook YouTube Twitter

A little note

For those of you who followed my old Tumblr, yes I know I've already covered both Samantha Darnell and Ally Burnett along with a few others, but since this blog is (hopefully) going to be more widely seen, I thought it only appropriate to cover them again and try to say something new.

Ally Burnett - If We're Being Honest

I have enormous respect for Ally Burnett. She's working so hard to make it in the music business, and she deserves recognition for that as well as her amazing talents as a singer and songwriter. She's brutally honest in her music and in her opinions, she's no pop-star puppet.
I've got to confess, she's got a special place in my heart just because of her sheer grit and determination, I've seen so many flash-in-the pan popstars who got lucky and caught the eye of some producer, agent or record label while true talents like Ally go largely unnoticed.

She's released two EPs "Talk Of The Town" (as Ally Cupcake) and "The Takeover" she's also released the singles "The Seven" (which is the theme song to the MTV show of the same name) "It's Not Me (It's You)", "Heartbreaker" and "If We're Being Honest"

She's a songwriter of the highest caliber and you'll find yourself with one of her songs stuck in your head for days, and she's got an extremely strong pop voice. It's got character but it's also very listenable.

Her music is available on iTunes and if you want a preview, a lot of her songs are available for streaming on Purevolume to round out the important links here are her Facebook and Twitter :)
Go listen, and if (like I'm sure you will) you love her music, please buy it! Indie artists like Ally aren't living off of record label advances. Album sales (and merchandise) are their bread and butter.

Samantha Darnell - The Art Of Breaking Hearts

Maryland based Samantha Darnell is someone who exemplifies what I was talking about in my last post. She has worked hard for everything she's accomplished so far, and I've got nothing but respect for her. In a world of prefab pop stars, Sam is a character, in the best possible sense. You get the feeling that even if she was pressured to be someone she isn't, it just wouldn't happen.
She has said that she doesn't have "fans" she has "frans" and she doesn't lie. She is very open and friendly with her "frans" and I've been delighted to have been able to communicate with her on something more than a "celebrity tweet" level. 

On the surface, you might be tempted to take her music lightly but listen closely, behind the sweet voice lies serious songwriting and real emotion. She's someone that shows up rarely in music, she's honest, and it comes though in her lyrics and vocals. If you listen, you'll be convinced that she's got a huge future ahead. Her debut EP "The Art Of Breaking Hearts" was recently released, and it's well worth the purchase. From the ode to summertime break-ups "Summer Boys" to the electrifying "I Didn't Steal Your Girlfriend" - where Sam out-Katy's Ms. Perry :) It's an amazing bunch of songs, but don't take my word for it, go check out her Facebook page and listen for yourself. If you like it, please buy it at iTunes and while you're at it, go ahead and check out her MySpace and Twitter as well :)

Recently I was privileged to become her street team leader for Oregon, so you definitely haven't seen the last mention of Sam on my blog, I'm hoping to promote her here, and am trying to brainstorm some kind of contest in the near future. Also, who knows, if she's willing, I might even try to get an interview at some point ;) (no pressure, Sam)

And so it begins

Well, here we go. I guess the first thing to do is make a statement about what I'm trying to do with this blog, and what to expect in the future.

I'm not sure if people really realize what an amazing time it is to be a music fan. I've discovered so many amazing independent artists just in the last couple of years, and have had the privilege of being able to talk to many of them through Twitter and Facebook. Go back twenty years and this would have been unheard of. Local artists were just that, tied to a certain geographical area, unless they got very lucky or very popular and caught the eye of a major label.

Nowadays  I've discovered bands and singers from all over the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, etc. and we're talking amazingly talented people, and they're not waiting for a label to discover them, they're doing everything from recording, to merchandising, to promotion all on their own, and this is the main reason I've started this blog, to be able to say more about them than what I could squeeze in to a Tweet or a Facebook post.

Now a couple of disclaimers, I'm going to be a bit biased on here, so don't expect hard-hitting reviews. I'll be talking about bands that have caught my eye and ears and I already appreciate. Also, I have a certain preference for female singers, so my main focus will be on either solo female performers, or female-fronted bands. Also, on occasion, I might drift over to artists that have been signed but still have that indie spirit, and hopefully you'll agree with me.

I know this place is a little bare-bones right now, as I learn more about Blogger, hopefully I'll be able to make things a little prettier, but as always, my focus is going to be on the music.

I'll try to have my first couple of band profiles up later this weekend. So stick around, it's going to be fun!