Weekly Three (28 June)

I've missed out the last couple of weeks, but in the time i haven't been posting I've discovered some incredible music that I'll be posting about very soon!


This week I've decided to discuss not three, but four songs (you'll see why later).

Hi Ho Silver Oh

The first song for the week is by a very interesting band, covering a famous song by a very well known artist. Hi Ho Silver Oh covered the song 'Time to Move On' originally by Tom Petty. Hi Ho Silver Oh isn't a very well known band yet, for reasons that I don't understand. They're a perfect example of how less is more, and the simplicity behind their music is so effective and classy, that it really leaves an impact on the listener. They should really be acknowledged more for the genius behind their music. They come from Los Angeles, and that is where they spend most of their time performing.
It is a five member band, with a few albums and EP's behind their name. This song also features a multi-talneted woman named Leslie Stevens, who is an award winning actress, singer, dancer and model who has been involved in many broadway productions, and television and film appearances, including but not limited to True Bloods, The O.C, and Revenge. Her voice really compliments the emotion behind the song. It is a lot less of a rock hit like the version of Tom Petty's was, and more of a slow emotional ballad. It was featured in an episode of the series Californication, which oddly enough is how I discovered it.

Hi Ho Silver Oh - Time To Move On:

(link - Time to move on)

The next song, well two songs, are first by a band named Great Northern, and the other by the very well known female singer/songwriter Sia. The reason I'm combining these two songs is because they have the exact same musical structure and sound, but are both very different in their own right. (Hence why there are 4 songs in this post rather than three). Firstly, 

Great Northern

Yet another band from Los Angeles, Great Northern is comprised of lead singer Rachel Stolte, guitarist/vocalist Solon Bixler, who used to be a member of 30 Seconds to Mars, and drummer Davey Latter. They have released two studio albums since the band started in 2005, and are currently working on their third. The song is titled 'Driveway, off their second studio album, titled 'Remind Me Where the Light Is'.

Great Northern - Driveway:

(link - Driveway)

The next song by Sia is titled 'Breathe Me.

Sia

Known as 'Sia', Sia Furler is a singer/songwriter who needs no introduction to most people. Known for her songs 'Titanium' with David Guetta, and 'Wild Ones' with rapper Flo Rida. Her solo work out shadows both of these songs, even though they were massive international successes. The 37 year old has five studio albums to her name, and was nominated for a Grammy Award with her song 'Wild Ones'. This song comes off her album titled 'Colour the Small One'.

Sia - Breathe Me:

(link - Breathe Me)

I think it's impossible not to acknowledge the similarities in these two songs, and choosing a favourite is difficult, but you decide for yourself.

The final song for the night is by an artist named:

Beth Hart.

With a face almost as beautiful as her music, Beth Hart is yet again another artist from Los Angeles (purely coincidental that three of the four artists tonight are from there). She is incredibly gifted musician, with the ability to play the piano, cello, bass, guitar and the drums. Performing since as early as 1993, she has released 8 studio albums, and one live album. She has also released two albums collaborating with Joe Bonamassa. The song is titled 'My California'. It is the title track of her album 'My California' released in 2010.

Beth Hart - My California

(link -My California)

Post By:

Neil Nelson - (Twitter : @Neilnelson91)

Something a little different

I know I usually only review bands and songs but I discovered what is probably one of the most unique sounding 'instruments' today, and I thought it was something I definitely needed to share with everyone.

(I put instrument in inverted comma's because the makers do not like the term attached to it)

The 'instrument' is called a 'Hang'. It was developed in the year 2000, so it is relatively new when it comes to the wide world of instruments. It's construction is very interesting, and many years of research and tests went into it's development.

The name 'Hang' is comes from the German word for hand, because that is how you play the instrument, by lightly tapping your fingers on the top of it, and all the different areas around it (called tone fields) produce different notes. The sound is caused by resonation within the instrument.

After watching videos on youtube about it, it's clear that the most talented 'Hang musician' out there is a man called Daniel Waples. With a look and style that compliments the coolness of the instrument perfectly, he handles the Hang with a level of skill that must have taken years to master.

As short as this post is, it's definitely worth having a listen to a few of his videos.

There's another group of Hang musicians that are also incredibly talented, called 'Hang Massive'

Hang Massive - Once Again

They have a lot more videos up on YouTube, and they have links to their site where you can download their music for free.  

Unusual, but it's something truly amazing.

Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors

Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors

I discovered this very, very special band on YouTube, with their song 'Live forever' coupled to a video tribute to some of the NBA legends of our time . Drew Holcomb is yet again a very special talent born and bred in Memphis, Tennessee in The United States. He is an alternative rock singer songwriter who is now based in East Nashville, and has been an active performer since 2005. The rest of the group consists of his wife, Ellie Holcomb on vocals and guitar, Nathan Dugger on guitar and keys, and Rich Brinsfield on Bass.

Drew Holcomb draws a lot of the inspiration for his music from personal experiences, such as the unfortunate loss of his younger brother when he was only 17 years old, and the magical connection and love that he and his wife, Ellie, share. When talking about his new album he had this to say about his inspirations;

-  "Everyone has all these different ingredients; our geography, our family, our interests, the places we have been and the places we long to see. The loves we have found and the loves we have lost. Each of us has a story, and it's the only one we can tell."

The band has just released it's sixth studio album titled 'Good Light', and it was released in February of 2013, shortly after the birth of his first daughter. He had more than 40 songs to work with when writing the album, and play with before deciding on the final 12 that are on the album, just another example of how talented he is as a songwriter and musician.

One of my favourite songs by the band is off a previous album, titled 'Chasing Someday'. The song is called 'Weight of the World.

(may not play on mobile devices)

The song I referred to at the beginning of this post, 'Live Forever' is just as emotional, and powerful.

With vocals that can best be described as a combination of Justin Furstenfeld from Blue October, and Mumford and sons singer Marcus Mumford, Drew Holcomb is definitely one of my favourite discoveries to date. The fact that he has such an accomplished band behind him just accentuates his enormous amount of talent. They have such a range of styles, from slow acoustic ballads, to uptempo alternative rock, and even a couple of songs with a heavy country influence.

I just can't believe it's taken this long for their music to become a part of my life, and I hope after reading this post, and watching the videos, they make as much of an impact on you as they did on me.

I'll leave you with these, first their title track from their latest album, 'Good Light', and my personal favourite off the album, titled 'Tennessee'

Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors - Good Light

(may not play on mobile devices)

Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors - Tennessee

By:

Neil Nelson

(Twitter - @Neilnelson91)

Weekly 3 (07 June 2013)

This week I've decided to do something slightly different than I usually do, but with the same result. I'm going to be reviewing three songs I've discovered in series that I've watched, and a song from Baz Luhrmann's Great Gatsby.



Song One - From: Boston Legal

Eric Lindell - Give it Time

Anyone who has watched Boston Legal will know what I mean when I say it is possibly the greatest, and funniest series there is about the in's and out's of a professional law firm. The only series I've seen that could possibly be considered a rival to it is 'Suits', but nothing will ever beat the clever and witty humour of Denny Crane and Alan Shore. This song stuck out for me because of it's combination of relaxed vocals, on top of a talented ensemble of blues instrumental work, and the song also features the best harmonica solo I've heard to date. Eric Lindell, a 44 year old singer from San Mateo, California, whose career began when he was 15 years old has had many of his songs featured on a variety of Television series, but 'Give it Time' is most certainly the best of the songs he has to offer. Featuring some clever encouraging lyrics, it's easy to see why this is one of my favourites.

'Give it time

Time that we're livin'

It's easy to give in

But it won't do no good

Give it time

And things will get better

A change in the weather

It just might do you good'

(Youtube Link - Eric Lindell - Give it time)

Song 2 - From:  Friday Night Lights

J.J Cale - Crazy Mama

Friday Night Lights is most certainly one of the best series there is when it comes to sports drama, and the portrayal of the personal lives of people involved in professional sports, on and off the field. Alongside the powerful storyline, there is an equally strong collection of music, and the episodes have constantly introduced viewers to new and exciting artists, and songs. Country/Blues is the main genre of music in the series, as the series is based in a town in Texas, and this song fits right into that category. It may not be the usual style of music that most of you listen to, but don't knock it before you try it. The song features great guitar work, featuring the signature blues 'Wah-Wah' sound that J.J Cale is famous for, and his laid-back vocals draw the listener right into the song. J.J Cale is a 74 year old, Grammy Award winning artist from Oklahoma City with an amazing amount of successful studio albums to his name. He is still writing and performing songs today, even in his later years, with his latest studio album being released in 2009. Crazy Mama is his most successful song, and it reached number 22 on the US Billboard top 100 list in 1972.

(Link - J.J Cale - Crazy Mama)

Song 3 - From: The Great Gatsby

The xx - Together

Baz Luhrmann's incredible movie depiction of the book 'The Great Gatsby' has been enjoyed by millions worldwide, whether they had seen the original movie with Robert Redford, or read the book that the movies are based on by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Aside from the incredible cinematography and film design in the movie, the soundtrack is what made the film truly great. Featuring a multitude of well known artists, with the likes as JAY Z, Florence and the Machine, Will,I,Am and Emeli Sandé performing on the official soundtrack album from the movie. The song that stuck out the most in the film though was 'Together' by The xx, as it was used at the end of the film, and it's dark lyrics were the perfect compliment to the way the film ends. To not spoil the movie for anyone who hasn't seen it, take my word for it, when you do watch the film you will see exactly what I mean. The xx are an indie band from England that formed in 2005. They have recorded two studio albums, but 'Together' is the first single they released in 2013. It was written especially for the film.

(Link - The xx - Together)

By: Neil Nelson 

Twitter - @neilnelson91

Jesse Ruben

Sometimes you stumble onto something brilliant when you least expect to. This happened to me while just having browse through Soundcloud this evening. I discovered a man with an amount of talent that is very uncommon. With a playing style that I'd call a combination of John Mayer and Passenger, and with a voice that is both emotional and moving, Jesse Ruben is one of the most talented singer/songwriter's I've heard this year, and deserves an enormous amount of recognition and respect.

Jesse is a 25 year old, Philadelphia born soulful pop-rock singer/songwriter who is now located in Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from the Berklee College of music in Boston, and immediately after his graduation began gigging and working on the process of recording an album. He funded the recording for his debut album himself, which in its own right is a major accomplishment. Not only did he fund the album himself, he also sold more than 5000 copies of the album 'Aiming for Honesty' by himself too. He has just finished working on another album, that he has titled 'The ones that Matter', and has released a few Ep's, including the one in the Soundcloud link I've posted at the bottom of this post.

He constantly receives messages from fans thanking him for the messages in his songs, giving solace to many people, repaired broken bonds, and created connections. Having listened to his songs I can see exactly why they would be doing so. It will be impossible for someone to listen to his songs, and not relate them to some or other event in their lifetime, or draw similarities to the messages from their own lives.

Do yourself a favour, and have a look at this fantastic artist. I feel he is going to be a very, very successful artist in the near future, and i truly hope you enjoy his music as much as i do.

Jesse Ruben - Unbreakable:

(If the video doesn't load click the link - Jesse Ruben - Unbreakable )


Jesse Ruben - We Can

(Link - Jesse Ruben - We can )

The link to his EP 'Thoughts I've never had before part 2' on Soundcloud - 'Thought's I've never had before'
And my favourite song by him - Jesse Ruben - The lives of others


Find him on Facebook - JesseRubenmusic
On twitter - @jesseruben



Post by Neil Nelson
(Twitter : @neilnelson91 )

Thirty Seconds to Mars - Love Lust Faith + Dreams

'Love Lust Faith + Dreams' is the latest offering from the alternative rock band 30 Seconds to Mars. It is their fourth studio album since their formation in 1998, and was released in May of 2013. After the release of the album, the band crossed over the 10 million albums sales worldwide mark.

Since their formation in 1998, the band has seen a few members come and go but its founding members, brothers Jared and Shannon Leto, have remained constant in the writing, recording and production of the songs. Matt Wachter (now of Angels and Airwaves) was a member up until 2007, until he was replaced by Tomo Milličević, who is currently the bands bassist. The band has often been joined on tours by a variety of other artists, adding an extra guitarist or keyboard player here and there, but the three main members are the ones who were the driving force behind the recording of the bands two most recent albums, 'This is War' in 2009, and the newest 'Love Lust Faith + Dreams'.

The similarities between the two albums are evident, but are both are very separate albums in their own right. The songwriting process for the new album began late in 2011, and by the time the band went into studio early in 2012, they had more than 50 songs to work with before deciding on the final 12 they have placed on the album. Since the release of their highly successful album in 2005 titled 'A Beautiful Lie' they have made a drastic change with regards to the approach they have to their music, and focus less on the alternative rock influence, and more on the experimental and progressive styles of rock that influenced the bands formation.

'Love Lust Faith + Dreams' focuses heavily on the themes mentioned in the title of the album, and the lyrics are a lot darker and meaningful than the have been on any of the bands previous albums. The album is split into four parts, symbolising the split between 'Love' 'Lust' 'Faith' and 'Dreams'. There is also a much heavier orchestral and electronic influence to the album than the previous ones, with most of the themes being introduced by a light electronic orchestral intro. I personally preferred the alternative side of the band when it comes to comparing the albums 'A Beautiful Lie' and the progressive 'This Means War', but with this new album they have done an incredible job transitioning the two genres. Jared Leto's voice is more powerful and emphatic on the album than he ever has been before, and with the bands overall creative and talented musical input, they have released something truly fantastic.

The first single released off the album titled 'Up in the Air' has been very well received, getting massive amounts amounts of airplay on radio stations world-wide. Interestingly enough it was the first commercial copy of music sent to space. Up In the Air is just a taste of how brilliant the album is, and is definitely a good reason to purchase and have a listen to the rest of the album.

Personally I think this album is the best offering by the band up till now, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of 30 Seconds to Mars, and even to those who haven't really decided yet.

My personal favourite song off the album is titled City of Angels, and it is probably my favourite song the band has ever recorded.

30 Seconds to Mars- City of Angels

(If YouTube video doesn't load, click link in the title)