Hey-O! 


New tunes I have playing on repeat right now: 


This cat loves them all, so I have reason to believe you will too.

Colin Leonard - Valleys. Colin was featured last summer on Walk-Up Wednesday when he released his first single on iTunes. Well, this kid is back in action and better than ever! He hit #2 on the Singer/Songwriter charts once his album was released on Tuesday! Please do yourself a favor and download this talented, Christian STUDENT's blissful & uplifting EP.

Ingrid Michaelson - Girls Chase Boys. I have always been a fan of Ingrid's unique ability to top the Pop charts with such an original sound. Her album, Lights Out, will be on iTunes this next Tuesday. I cannot wait to hear what else she has to offer!

Dance away, crazies. \\ E

M.I.A. - Double Bubble Trouble. Yes, it's from a commercial. BUT IT IS AWESOME! I've enjoyed some of M.I.A.'s singles in the past, but honestly, they can be a little repetitive. This specific song has enough rhythm changes throughout to keep me entertained during the entire song.. and want to hear it over again! There are a few others that are enjoyable, however, this is one of the only ones on the album that is NOT explicit. You can barely understand most of the lyrics, though - so rock on. 

This is now a bi-monthly thing. Yup. I decided that last week when I didn't feel like posting because, well, I had better things to do. But, I made a promise to myself to explore new music and share the great with others -- So here we go!


We won't stop the music.


First off, I have been to 5 states + Canada in the past 2 weeks, so instead of listening and researching brand new releases, I've had time to review a few favorites that never quite made it to the top of the charts. 

Passenger - Let Her Go. Passenger began as a British quartet in 2003. But after the 2009 break-up, Mike Rosenberg became the solo member of the band, keeping the name "Passenger." The album's namesake, All the Little Lights is also a pretty one. 

Allman Brothers Band - Soulshine. Now this is an oldie. 1994. During one of our many road trips in the past couple weeks this gem blasted through the speakers. It's more the lyrics that I was loving than anything else. Take it to heart people. Soulshine is the best kind of shine there is.

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals - Stars. Released exactly one year ago today, still a favorite jam. One of those that you turn all the way up so you can attempt to belt it without having to hear your own voice... yeah, that kind of jam. Grace Potter's voice is that of an angel. I'm not really a fan of Kenny Chesney, but his duet with her, You & Tequila, quickly became a favorite of mine and I've followed Grace ever since. 

-E

It's Wednesday! 


And what a fantastic Wednesday it is. 



Happy Birthday 
to my stunningly beautiful SuperMom! 



I was on a plane ALL day for last week's WUW, 
so, to make up for it... 
this first artist is my favorite singer-songwriter
 in the entire world!! 

Phoebe Hunt - Walk Away.  This. This right here is my crazy talented cousin. She's currently traveling the country as a solo artist. It's tough to choose just one song to show-off her lovely, angelic voice and creative, unique music. The video I've attached is a live performance, but you can buy her entire EP on iTunes for just $5. Do it!! In the meantime, be sure to check out Good Blood and a live recording of Sugar too!

Phoebe, along with her sister, dad and boyfriend, were the musicians at our wedding ceremony. Every song they played- Ave Maria, Be Thou My Vision, Canon in D, Bridal March... - was the most beautiful version!

 

Jake Bugg - Two Fingers. I am loving this English singer-songwriter's Beatles vibe. Only 19-years-old but his music sounds very worldly. If I had to guess I'd say his inspiration comes from Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan. Jake's busy traveling across Europe, but comes to the USofA for a short tour in September and is on the list to play at Austin City Limits. 

Laura Marling - Where Can I Go? Another English singer-songwriter with a relentless sound. Interesting fact: Laura and Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons were together for a few years. Some of her lyrics are rumored to be referring to the "freewheeling troubadour." 

-E

It's a rainy day here in Binghamton, but Logan is coming home tonight from a 6-day road trip! We've seen each other a total of about 12 hours in the past 3 weeks. 


He went away on a road trip. 
Once he got back I saw him for 2 hours then I left for Texas. 
When I got back we spent half a day together before his game.
Then the next day he left for another road trip! 
Love spending time with the dog and all, but...



So since it's a little gloomy, this first song is absolutely perfect to kick-off this week's 
Walk-Up Wednesday!

At this point you're probably thinking to yourself, 
"What the heck is Walk-Up Wednesday? 
That's an odd name..." 
This explains it all.
Hear each song by clicking on the picture.

Joshua Radin - Your Rainy Days. This man's lyrics are so sweet and romantic. His sound, even though the lyrics may be heartfelt and sad, is so uplifting and positive. This is his first self-released album and I'd say it's doing pretty well considering most of his shows around the country are sold out! 

Uncle Lucius - Keep the Wolves Away. Uncle Lucius is an Americana band out of Austin, Texas (woo TX!). This is a husband find that I've really grown to love. Their sound is different and soulful. They'll be at Gruene Hall this Friday and then head to North Texas for a couple more shows. Let me know if you make it to a show and tell me how they are live! 

The Great Gatsby - A Little Party Never Killed Nobody. The entire album is... Awesome! Amazing! Spectacular! I love how they've incorporated 20's, flapper vibes with modern-day artists and sounds. I am so excited for the movie (gotta finish the book first...)! This Fergie song and Bang Bang (album only purchase) are my top picks. Which is your favorite? 

Robin Thicke - Blurred Lines. BEWARE: YOU MAY BREAK-OUT INTO RIDICULOUS DANCE MOVES WHILE LISTENING.  So groovy! Thicke actually started out as a songwriter for artists like Christina Aguilera, Usher, and Jennifer Hudson. His dad, Alan, played the father in "Growing Pains," so he's always had a foot in show business. He's had a few other albums that are good, but this song is much more fun and poppy than usual. Love it!

Make it a great day!


-E

Colin Leonard- Lay Me Down Slow. The first song for this week's Walk-Up Wednesday is a kid I heard about through my sister (he's her 'next dorm neighbor' at UT). Colin's first single was just released on iTunes this week. I went to his website and I immediately fell in love with this song. I can't wait to hear more! He's crazy talented and a Meraki Creative - meaning a portion of all he makes goes to HIV positive children to help better their communities by embracing creativity. (click on the picture).

Randy Rogers Band - Goodbye Lonely. We all knew this was coming. One of my very favorite Texas country bands, RRB, came out with their new album, Trouble, yesterday. I've listened to every song and I've gotta say Goodbye Lonely is the best. It's classic RRB. Click on the picture and skip to the next song (because 'Fuzzy' is just silly). 

The NBHD - Float. The California band is most well-known for Sweater Weather (also one of my favorites). But since that song is climbing the Top Songs chart so quickly, I'm introducing you to another one of their summery, indie-rock songs. Thank God for Spotify so I can chill out to their entire album this summer while catching some rays and sippin' a cold one.

Fallout Boy - Light 'Em Up. Speaking of laying out... Swimsuit season is upon us! So I've upped the running and downed the food intake, and this song is is an amazing motivator! I'm on Fiiiiiiiiire!!  Love it. 

Rock out.


-E