Category Archives: Music

New music by emerging artists.

“DayDreaming” by Abi Ann
20
Apr

Los Angeles, CA Singer-songwriter, Abi Ann, recently released her single “DayDreaming” on iTunes.

Hailing from Midland, TX, Ann’s musical journey started 15 years ago in a family connected by the common love for music. When Ann was just a toddler her mother would often play The Beatles instrumentals for her until she fell asleep. Ann aspires to follow suit of her musical influences and recently started honing her guitar talent.

“DayDreaming” by Abi Ann

[audio:DayDreaming.mp3|titles=DayDreaming|artists=Abi Ann]

Press release courtesy of Nicole Acosta of LaFamos PR & Branding; mp3 found on iTunes.

Abi Ann Hoffman

Image courtesy of Abi Ann’s official site

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“King of Nothing” by Bob Pressner
20
Apr

Hailing from White Plains, NY, musician-at-heart, Bob Pressner, breathes raw emotion and honesty into his new album King of Nothing. Bob touches on subjects like love, spirituality and retrospection with relatable lyrics and a velvety tone.

Refining his skills since the age of 15, even studying with the famed 1950’s beat poet Allen Ginsberg, Pressner took a leap of faith to pursue a music career and soon had his first album Hard Driving Rain, followed by Riding the Wave, Summer in Illusion Land, Me and the Kid from Santa Cruz, and Honor Among Thieves. In addition, Pressner was a featured artist on the album A Musical Tribute to the Olympics, which was a commemorative compilation featured at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Delivering an exciting mix of head-bopping songs and tear-jerking ballads, Pressner displays charm and grace on his latest effort, King of Nothing.

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“King of Nothing” by Bob Pressner

mp3 courtesy of Amanda Blide of LaFamos PR & Branding

Bob Pressner

Image courtesy of MUSIC.HASH

“Waking Hours” by Goodman
20
Apr

Michael Goodman is a musician/multi-instrumentalist based in NYC-via-Providence-via-NYC again. His music recalls the chord progressions of the radio hits of the ’50s and ’60s and long-forgotten power-pop bands of the late ’70s.

“Night Person” kicks us off in a fitful burst of hooks, but hints at the meditative melancholy that permeates the new record, What We Want. As much as this album positively overflows with soaring melodies and hooks that permanently settle between your heartstrings, it is also soundtrack for those long, deeply restless nights. “Waking Hours” is some of Goodman’s finest songwriting to date, a strikingly subtle ballad; the instrumentation is perfectly understated, and the harmonies, doused in reverb, are almost painfully lovely.

Like those of some of the best young songwriters, Goodman’s lyrics are peppered with recurring imagery: flowers and fever, sleeping (but mainly lack thereof) and waking, early mornings and late nights plagued by uncertainty. He captures the ends of relationships and the beginnings of others through the eyes of the sleepless nights that bookend them.

This is pop music for nervous young people, tossing and turning because we don’t know just what we want.

[audio:Waking Hours.mp3|titles=Waking Hours|artists=Goodman]
“Waking Hours” by Goodman

Goodman

Image courtesy of Goodman’s SoundCloud

“The Beat” by Grown Up Avenger Stuff
1
Apr

The indie/rock group, Grown Up Avenger Stuff, has been compared to Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Grace Potter. Quirky with a keen pop sensibility and at the same time noisy, hard hitting and convincing. Their ace in the hole is their dynamic vocalist, Deirdre Kroener. The band’s recordings are focused nuggets of musicality and story. The live shows are pure high energy rock and roll generally ending with the crowd jumping, dancing, sweating, screaming, and shouting.

From the album Sparkleton, released on March 11, 2013, have a listen to “The Beat.”

[audio:The Beat.mp3|titles=The Beat|artists=Grown Up Avenger Stuff]
“The Beat” by Grown Up Avenger Stuff

Grown Up Avenger Stuff

Image and mp3 courtesy of Liz at Independent Music Promotions

“Don’t Mind Me” and “One Moment More (LIVE)” by Mindy Smith
31
Mar

Singer/Songwriter, Mindy Smith, performed recently in-store at Atlanta’s Anthropology. The performance supported her 2012 self-titled album and her current “Closer” tour. The album is bathed in the textures and flavors of country music. As a storyteller, however, Smith can harness a non-country audience. Pedal steel instrumentation and acoustic layers allow her to transcend her rootsy country foundation.

Have a listen to two tracks below — one from the new self-titled album and a live version of the title track to an old release, One Moment More, circa 2004.

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“Don’t Mind Me” and “One Moment More (LIVE)” by Mindy Smith

mp3 courtesy of Anthropologies’ FB page

Mindy Smith

Image courtesy of Anthropologies’ “Push Play Project: Mindy Smith”
Facebook photo album

“Running” by Delta Spirit
28
Mar

Contributing to the horror drama television series, The Walking Dead, Delta Spirit wrote a brand new original song titled “Running.”

[audio:Running.mp3|titles=Running|artists=Delta Spirit]
“Running” by Delta Spirit

The Walking Dead

Image courtesy of mashable.com

In addition, the official tour video for “Yamaha” from their 2012 self-titled album was released yesterday! Find tour dates on the band’s official website.

“Two Times” by AM & Shawn Lee
11
Mar

The latest band to join the Park The Van (PTV) roster is electro-soul duo AM & Shawn Lee. PTV is a boutique label known for a catalog of great records from Dr. Dog, Generationals, and The Spinto Band to Floating Action and He’s My Brother She’s My Sister.

Rolling Stone has just debuted the first single “Two Times” from AM & Shawn Lee’s new album La Musique Numerique due out on May 7. AM says, “The album is both fun and quirky and just happened to be where we both were at the time. There was no discussion of direction. We seemed to be symmetrical in what we were both responding to musically.”

[audio:Two Times.mp3|titles=Two Times|artists=AM & Shawn Lee]
“Two Times” by AM & Shawn Lee

AM & Shawn Lee

Image and mp3 courtesy of Rolling Stone’s Daily Download

“Summer Dream” by Darla Beaux
4
Mar

Born to stand center stage, Darla Beaux has a unique and emotional voice that is far beyond her 14 years of age. With influences that range from Amy Winehouse and Adele to classic soul artists like Etta James, she’s able to fit herself into the modern world of pop music without sacrificing the strength of her voice.

Her debut EP Rebel Soul is due out this month. Beaux collaborated with KC Price to find an inspiring sound that was uniquely crafted for her voice, bringing to life an effortlessly soulful pop record that does justice to the authentic, deeply mature vocal styling. The single “Summer Dream” was hand-picked to be exclusively premiered on Ryanseacrest.com.

[audio:Summer Dream.mp3|titles=Summer Dream|artists=Darla Beaux]
“Summer Dream” by Darla Beaux

mp3 courtesy of Sera Roadnight of M T Press

Darla Beaux

Image courtesy of Ryanseacrest.com

“Forming Circles” by New Vega
3
Mar

The Dayton Ohio four piece, New Vega, brings the golden age of melodic rock full circle with each member adorning the driving sound with their uniquely delicate musicality. Their first release on the WHOA Label, Exit Ocean, is brimming with vibrant hooks and aching melodies.

Alex Rundle, Chance Campbell, Adam Sabin, and Zach Sabin all come from a diverse musical background encompassing jazz, rock, folk, pop and classical music. Each played in numerous bands, ensembles, and academic endeavors before finally starting a project in which they could explore and express everything learned thus far.

[audio:Forming Circles.mp3|titles=Forming Circles|artists=New Vega]
“Forming Circles” by New Vega

New Vega

Image and mp3 courtesy of Jennifer & Samuel of Working Brilliantly

“Rain” and “Bones” by Ugly Kids Club
3
Mar

Based in Nashville TN, Ugly Kids Club is the music collaboration of Steve Wilson (producer, songwriter, guitarist) and Aliegh Shields (vocalist, lyricist, guitarist). The pair formed in early 2011 when they discovered their shared love for minimalistic rock duos such as Sleigh Bells, Crystal Castles, and The Kills.

Steve is a Grammy Nominated rock producer and songwriter by day working with bands such as The Juliana Theory and Jonezetta. Aliegh is a bartender who grew up on stage and in her bedroom teaching herself guitar. Their contrasting musical backgrounds helped form their unique sound of crunchy beats, fuzzy guitars, and undertones of synth-pop.

In 2011, UKC released their self-titled debut EP. The duo is back at it again releasing a six-part series with a single and video every month. Each single will be available for download on iTunes. The first in the series is a two-track EP, Rain & Bones.

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“Rain” and “Bones” by Ugly Kids Club

mp3 courtesy of Kaylee Metzger, LaFamos, Marketing and Publicity Department

Ugly Kids Club Rain & Bones

Image courtesy of Ugly Kids Club’s flickr photostream