Musically, songwriter Jared Deck has always worked to transcend genres, but his current transition comes naturally, as he puts his stamp on the timeless genre Midamericana.
“Midamericana is the sound of our world – outside the big cities, between the coasts, where dreams are born and die. It’s the hopeless optimism in our stories and the bumpy rhythm of Old 66. In our world, there’s more culture being practiced than studied, and we like it that way.”
Derek released the single “17 Miles” on June 2 with his band consisting of Brandon Cink (electric guitar); Fred Hanradt (bass); Travis McKinzie (drums); Jacy Deck (piano); Chris Wiser (organ); and Derek himself on vocals, acoustic guitar, and tambourine. It was produced by Wes Sharon (John Fullbright, Parker Millsap, Turnpike Troubadours, The Grahams). Plus, it was mastered by Eric Conn of Independent Mastering (Garth Brooks, Willie Nelson, John Prine, Nickel Creek, Townes Van Zandt).
Indie-folk musician, 6 and 12 string guitarist, Paul Doffing, is currently touring the United States (and beyond) on a bicycle. His first music/bike tour was the five-month Freedom From Fuel Tour in 2012. In five months he traversed the entire continent by bicycle playing thirty tour dates from Washington, D.C. to San Francisco, California. He released his second, self-titled album in October 2013 and continues his tradition of touring without fossil fuels.
A road-worn depth reverberates throughout Doffing’s work. Songs unfold naturally, and a peaceful reflecting point is provided through his virtuosic guitar work and rich, poetic lyricism. The direct, unbridled nature of this music hints at someone who has spent long, contemplative hours harvesting melodies. Doffing’s voice shines as brightly as his guitar work, at times, evoking an otherworldly Neil Young. His lyrical content is reminiscent of Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy – expansive, symbolic, and surprising. His music is influenced by his compassionate sense of duty more than it is by any particular artist.
His debut album, Blossom is You, combines graceful finger picking and rich lingering chords with deeply introspective lyrics. Like great cinema, the album has moments of bliss, torture, and melancholy. Doffing spent years in a psychedelic rock band before realizing he needed to go in his own direction. After completing Blossom is You, he set out on a 5,000-mile bike trip across the U.S. to bring his music to a broader audience. “I learned to smile at the challenges, to accept and accomplish the tasks I faced, and to feel safe without a plan.”
Songs of a man reveling in a new facet of his artistry were evident in his self-titled follow-up album. It brought out the lyrical side of his work. His vocal style brings in elements of rock and roll, blues, and folk. Lastly, his latest album, Songs from the (quaking) Heart, was released on May 30. The track “The Legend of Mick Dodge” can be viewed on YouTube. And the Austin Town Hall premier of his newest single “Reason” can be heard on Soundcloud. Plus, have a listen below to another gem from the latest album, “Slow I Go.”
Hailing from Truro Nova Scotia, Canada, Sperry Alan, released their third album Before Our Time on April 21. The creative energy behind the band is John Alan Sperry, an artist who writes the lyrics and plays the music Sperry Alan publishes. John Alan Sperry recorded, mixed, mastered, produced and provided all vocals and guitar on the album.
Since landing on the alt-rock scene in 2004, Sperry Alan has had the privilege of sharing the stage with a number of prolific East Coast artists and has enjoyed the support of local radio air play.
Stream and download some of the tracks via Soundcloud. You may also purchase the album via bandcamp.
The Newcastle four piece outfit, Street Party In Soho, released their critically acclaimed debut single Take Your Time in 2012. In the summer of 2013, the band played Brighton’s Great Escape Festival sharing a bill with the likes of The 1975 and Bastille. On June 29, 2015, they will release their newest single “17.”
With three members who are eighteen years old and a drummer who is just seventeen, Street Party In Soho personify teenage energy but possess a talent for songwriting and musicianship that belies their youth, channeling influences like The Maccabees, Glass Animals and Bombay Bicycle Club. The band consists of Ryan Young (lead vocals, guitar), Jackson Vert (backing vocals, guitar), Harry Webb (bass, sample pad) and Nathan Hogg (drums).
Sonic-soul, electro-funk collective, The Winachi Tribe, will release the single “Time For Love” on July 20 via A1M Records. Horns come courtesy of Tim Hutton (Ian Brown). The tracks were mixed by LC Coleman, produced by The Winachi Tribe and mastered at Abbey Road by Geoff Pesche.
The b-side, “Plant The Seed,” to the Time For Love EP has been chosen to feature in an upcoming documentary about legendary night club The Hacienda, titled Do You Own The Dancefloor?
The Winachi Tribe’s influences are as diverse as their own musical output. Sly & The Family Stone sit alongside The Happy Mondays, Primal Scream, The Rolling Stones and The Beatles, creating a melting pot of references.
Stockholm-based indie rock quartet Slim Loris was formed by singer and bass-player Mattias Cederstam and guitarist Robert Barrefelt in 2009. The duo was soon accompanied by drummer Jonas Ellenberg and singer and guitarist Leon Lindström.
The band released their third album Love and Fear on May 19. Production was done by Pecka Hammarstedt (who also mixed the album) at Olga Studio and Mattias Cederstam at Slim Loris Studio. It was mastered by Jonas Ekström at Mastertone. Characterized by a fusion of modern pop sensibility, somber moods and 60’s British invasion influence, the band has been steadily gaining popularity. Stream the lead single “Down” via Soundcloud or the player below.
After a collection of demos in 2010 entitled Amateur Night at the Asylum, Slim Loris’ debut album Down To Earth was released in June 2011, led by the first single “Low” that showed the band’s fine-tuned song-writing skills and classic rock sense of melody.
Oregon-based songbird, Shannen Nicole, has the innate ability to pen and deliver authentic, emotionally raw songs, maturely delivered and unmistakably soaked in the Beatles-esque vibes from her parents’ record collection.
Nicole’s debut album, Captive, shows her writing about things she or her friends experienced in high school, always captivated by those around her. The album was tracked at Flora Recording in Portland Oregon, a studio that has recently held the likes of The Decemberists, My Morning Jacket and Beth Orton.
“Captive” by Shannen Nicole
Image and mp3 courtesy of Jennifer Thorington & Samuel Markus of Working Brilliantly
Singer, guitarist and songwriter, Ben Mauro, just finished a major European tour with pop-funk icon Lionel Richie. It was a two month tour of sold out arenas across Europe. Mauro’s extraordinary musical skills and dynamic stage presence has been the reason that he has remained a core member of Lionel Richie’s band for over fifteen years.
On December 6, 2014 Mauro released his debut, self-titled solo album. The album was recorded with an all-star cast of musicians including Oscar Seaton (from Lionel Richie) and George Benson on drums, Monet Owens (from Boz Scaggs) and Lenny Kravitz on background vocals, Ramon Yslas (from Stevie Nicks) and Carlos Santana on percussion, and Grammy award-winner producer/mixer Ted Greenberg. Mauro is already getting a reputation as an exciting solo performer. His album has an upbeat California vibe with influences from Jack Johnson, Van Morrison and Bruce Springsteen.
On every trip to Syracuse, Mauro visits students at his old high school (West Genesee High School) and college (Onondaga Community College) where he studied classical guitar. He gives them advice on how to have longevity in the music business and teaches them the basics of music theory, while also learning about playing music instruments like drums, you can click here for more info about this. In 2014 he started the Ben Mauro Endowment for Music Education at West Genesee. He wants every kid to have every advantage to be able to play if that is his or her passion. Mauro grew up playing the clubs of Syracuse then eventually moved to NYC where he landed the gig with Lionel Richie. He now lives in Los Angeles, California.
Los Angeles, California, eclectic-pop artist Jef Joslin just released his catchy single, “Do What You Wanna Do.” The melodious and inspirational track is a toe-tapping call for listeners to follow their dreams and be the best possible version of themselves.
With a deep love for helping others, Joslin has always aimed his artistic career with a humanitarian angle. Co-founding the charity organization, LoveTrade, formed to aid the less fortunate, Joslin is a sincerely altruistic artist. Born to a family of entertainers and performers, Joslin has been singing his entire life. He started playing piano at age four and added guitar at age ten. In addition, the multi-instrumentalist also plays bass and drums. Since studying audio engineering and music production at Middle Tennessee State University, Joslin has been pursuing his musical endeavors, including running his own independent label IAMWe Records.
Folk troubadour, Matthew Morgan, pulls from Nick Drake as much as Neil Young. His tenor voice floats above delicate arrangements, but its warm, soulful character gives the feeling of great depth. He is a storyteller and a multi-instrumentalist. He crafts his songs playing the guitar, piano, organ, harmonica, and a variety of other stringed instruments.
A lifelong Midwesterner, Morgan grew up in Ohio in a musical family — his mother is an award-winning vocal and piano coach, his grandfather a professional saxophone player from the big band era. At the age of seven, he began singing solos in church and he has been pursuing the stage ever since. Morgan studied opera and classical voice at Capital University Conservatory of Music, followed by a stint studying musical theater at Kent State University, since musical concerts are popular these days and many people assist to these events and even get tickets as the hadestown tickets online, to enjoy one of these concerts.
Solo success led to the formation of a proper band, Matthew Morgan and the Lost Brigade. The group’s 2012 effort, Found, was nominated for three Indie Music Channel awards. Two years ago, Morgan parted ways with The Lost Brigade and recorded a new solo EP with producer Nate Lockwood. While The Lost Brigade’s sound was indebted to contemporary indie rockers like Wilco and the Decemberists, the upcoming Empathy for Inanimate Objects EP calls to mind the happier moments of Elliott Smith or the open-ended ponderings of Tom Brosseau.
