Discover Foy Vance: It Pays To Be Last

I have this thing I always do when I get a new album.  It does not matter if it is an artist I love, or a new discovery.  A could be a compilation, soundtrack, EP, live album, whatever and I always start at the end and work my way forward for the first listen.  This is how I discovered Foy Vance.  Earlier this week, Noisetrade offered up an awesome 25 track compilation for FREE (You can still get it here) and there were a ton of artists I was familiar with on it.  The very last song on the compilation is the song Indiscriminate Act of Kindness by Mr. Vance and I was truly blown away when I heard it.  I replayed the song 3 more times and then went online to find out about this amazing artist.  His voice is so pure, so strong and amazing.  His lyrics are honest, heartfelt and meaningful.  I am hooked on Foy Vance.  After some searching, I found a fantastic sampler you can get for FREE from Noisetrade.  The sampler has 8 songs, including an awesome cover of Billie Jean. I also found a couple songs on his website you can download for FREE as well (including a cover of Crosstown Traffic by Jimi Hendrix).  It was great to get some tunes to learn more about Vance and I am totally a fan.  Foy is from Ireland, so the chances of me seeing him live anything soon may be space, but I am crossing my fingers.  If you dig the free downloads and are hungry for more like me, Amazon has some music in their MP3 store and iTunes has a ton more.  I hope you enjoy Vance's music and spread the word if you do.  Enjoy~

Scars On 45 Having Success In The US With First Headline Tour: Debut Album To Be Released This Spring

Scars On 45 are currently on their first headline tour in the US and have two hit singles.  They have manged this without and album, which is amazing!  The have released two EPs: Heart On Fire and Give Me Something. Both contain hit songs of the same name and are being heard on radio stations across the US as well as rising in the charts. Their music has also been featured on the hit TV shows Grey's Anatomy and CSI: New York. It is rare for a band to be so successful without a full album under their belts, but once you hear their music, you will understand why...they are incredible! I recently sat down with co-lead singers Danny Bemrose and Aimee Driver to talk about the debut album, touring in the US and artists and music that inspire them.

A Breath of Fresh Music: The first thing I want to know about is the album?

Danny: The album is finished, it is recorded...well we’ve got one song to re-record. We have two EPs out and it is just kind of...things have gone great for us so far! We never thought that we would be able to have our own tour. We have had 5 gigs so far and most have sold out or nearly sold out. We can’t quite believe we have been able to do this with just two EPs...you know? We are desperate for the album to come out. The label (Atlantic/Chop Shop) is in charge of when it comes out and so far it has been fantastic for us, so we just have to trust their judgment. As long as we can continue to work and continue doing gigs, we’re fine.

A Breath of Fresh Music: Is there a target date for when the album will be released?

Danny: We’re told...well, it was supposed to be out in this year February, but as more things come along for us, it just keeps getting put back a little bit further, but it will definitely be out in April or May of this year.

A Breath of Fresh Music: Are we going to see a lot of new songs, or will there be songs from the EPs as well?

Danny: Apart from the two singles, there are going to be all new songs.

Aimee: You got your two singles and then one more song called The Way That We Are, which the label actually chose. They wanted that song to be on the album after it was on the EP, because they liked it that much.

Danny: The thing for us is, there could have other songs from those EPs that were included on the album, but we just want as many songs out there for people to hear.  We want people to buy the album and know they they like that song, but also have a lot of new material.

A Breath of Fresh Music: One thing I really like about the band is that both of you take the role as “lead singer” on songs and on others, you share the role.  Will there be a lot of diversity like this on the album as well?

Aimee: There is another song that I sing (alone) on the album, which I am gonna do tonight actually!

Danny: The good thing is it means we can change it up a little bit, you know.

Aimee: There are only certain words in a song for both of us to sing separate parts. Mainly, I sing my own verse and he sings his own verse and then we sing the chorus together.

Danny: The main thing for us is in every song that we do, it is important for us to two different melodies on a chorus which could be the lead vocal because we both sing it together. A lot of the songs, what I sing is what you assume to be the main melody, but it is really important for us to try and not just settle for any melody.  We always try to find a melody that if Aimee were to sing it on her own, it would sound like the main vocal line.

We don’t try and intentionally write a song for me or for Aimee. What ever sounds best and fits each others voice best is what we like.  Vocals are obviously really important to us and melody and harmony, so we probably spend more time on that than anything really.

A Breath of Fresh Music: What are some bands that you are into right now?

Aimee: I like Mumford & Sons, but I like Foster The People as well. That single they have...Pumped Up Kicks is genius!  We don’t have much time right now, so we really only know the bands we tour with. We toured with Matt Nathanson, we fell in love with him.  We toured with Marc Broussard, The Fray..who we have known for a long time.  You don’t really get much time to listen.

Danny: We have all have favorite artists, but we don't really have much time to get into new artists. Our favorites tend to be artists that have been around for quite a while. We’re more of a song band really. It doesn't really matter what kind of genre.

Aimee: Like, Pumped Up Kicks for me, could have been any band, but with that melody and the way the songs starts with the bass. Not a lot of artists can start a song with a great catchy bass.

Danny: When we are on tour, we never really listen to albums or specific artists.  Every track is by a different artist, it doesn’t really matter. It could be Matt Nathanson or Jessie J...Adele..she is obviously flying the flag big time. If it’s got a good melody and it is a catchy song and the lyrics are not too cheesy, then it is fine by us.

A Breath of Fresh Music: What has it been like touring over here in the states? Has the reception been good?

Aimee: This is our first headline tour and it has been amazing so far.  We are blown away! As soon as we come of stage we are all like jumping about because we cannot believe the reception that we are getting so far.

Danny: When we were told at the end of last year that we were going to go out on tour this year (headline) we wondered if anyone was going to come.

Aimee: We were really scared, I am not gonna swear, but we nearly (shit) ourselves.

Danny: The first gig was in San Francisco and the place was packed out. Last year we manly did support tours with Matt Nathanson, Jacks Mannequin and Christina Perri. It is really weird because you are playing to their crowd. So we never really experienced our own show.  We went home for Christmas and played a gig in our hometown and everyone was singing every word. We hoped that someday it would be like that when we played gigs in America and it has been like that here every night so far, it’s just been incredible!

Aimee: Overwhelming.

Danny:  Yeah, it has been over whelming.  It is fun when you can come to a place like Minneapolis....  

Aimee: And Nova, our keyboard player is actually speechless...and he is NEVER speechless.  

Danny: ...the fact that we can sell 300-400 tickets in each city and we are like a really new band, it is just...

Aimee: Without an album out as well, we are really proud of ourselves.  We have worked hard for like two years now and we are proud.

A Breath of Fresh Music: One of the local stations, Cities 97, plays your music quite a lot.  

Danny: It is a great station...

Aimee: Even if they play one song a week...

A Breath of Fresh Music: Actually, on the way here they were talking you up!

Aimee: We like Minneapolis...in the Summer it is even better.

Danny: One of our favorite times last year was in Minnesota.  

Aimee: We went out on a boat and went swimming as the sun was setting..with our clothes on! We should not have done that with our clothes on because they were absolutely wrecked, but it was good. It is a beautiful place.

The show that night in Minneapolis was amazing.  Both Danny & Aimee have incredible voices and when they perform live, you can feel the energy, passion and emotion in every song.  If you get a chance to catch them on this tour, I highly recommend it! It so amazing hearing both of their voices live on these songs...some from the EPs as well as many new songs they are playing, which will be on the new album.  I cannot wait for the album and will definitely be posting a review once it is out. You can get the digital version of the EPs on iTunes or Amazon.  You can also buy CD versions from their website.  Also, if you sign up for their web community, you can get a FREE download of their hit song Heart On Fire (Acoustic), which is not available on either EP.  Enjoy~

 

Anya Marina To Release Self-Produced Album Felony Flats

I recently sat down with the lovely and talented Anya Marina to talk about her new album Felony Flats, which will be released on March 13th (Chop Shop/Atlantic).  This is her third full-length album since she began her musical career about 8 years ago.  The album is named after an area of Portland, OR, where she now calls home (though she does not live in Felony Flats).  Anya is currently on tour with Scars On 45 (new blog and interview to come soon with them) supporting her new album.  If you catch her on the road, you can get an advanced copy of the new album with a limited "hand-pressed" cover.  Only 600 of these were produced and 10 of them include a golden ticket which will get you some cool swag!  Check her out on the road and grab yourself a copy.  Before her February 2nd show at the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis, I sat down with Anya and talked about the new album, current music she is listening to, Lana Del Rey and musical influences.

A Breath of Fresh Music: You have a new album coming out soon?
 

Anya Marina: Yes and we have advanced copies tonight, it is coming out March 13th. I am very excited. I finished it about a year ago, it is called Felony Flats.  I produced it myself with my friend Gregg Williams as engineer. Probably my most...sonically, to me anyways, interesting record. Keeping my interest more than any of the others, but maybe that is because it is so new. I really, really love it.

A Breath of Fresh Music: Are those some of the songs you were playing during sound-check?  It is pretty rocking!

Anya Marina: Yes! That is what my friend said the other day, he said it’s so heavy. I haven’t heard a lot of feedback yet, because I am just starting the interview process. The press, you know, leg of the career cycle of a record.  I am just now entering the press part, so it is interesting to hear for the first time, others people’s feedback.  Yeah, he said it was heavy, which I took as a compliment, so I guess it is heavy.

A Breath of Fresh Music: Yeah, it is definitely rocking.  I have heard all your other stuff you have and I have kind of noticed that you have progressively...I don’t know If I should use the word “experimented” with different things and everything is changing every time and I really like that. When an artists puts out the same time and time again, it starts to get a little stale, so it is nice to change things up.
 

Anya Marina: I don’t know if it is because I am a later bloomer or what it is, but I have always felt sort of like, if there were such a thing as an old soul, I am not that.  Which is not to say I am not, you know, self-reflective and I have my wise moments, but I definitely have felt like a baby at the party you know and that includes the music party. I learned about popular music really late. I am still learning about it, so I feel like I came into my own really later on as well. I can’t even really listen to my first record that much.  It is sweet, but it doesn’t seem like me.  It is like reading an old journal. So I really respect people and am in awe of people who nail it on there first try. Like they already know there sound and who they are right away.

A Breath of Fresh Music: Another thing I would like to find out what my favorite artists are listening too as it is a great recommendation and chance to seek out some new and fresh music.
 

Anya Marina: I haven’t been listening to a whole bunch of new music, although I like the tUnE-yArDs. I love the new Stephen Malkmus album. I like that Lana Del Rey song. I think she was undeservedly bashed.

A Breath of Fresh Music: I actually picked up her album this week and I like it. I saw the SNL performance and, it was bad.  I don’t know if she was really nervous or had to many drinks before the performance, or what, but it was...

Anya Marina: Here is what is is...I mean I wold guess this is what it is. It is just a case of somebody....(I don’t know anything about it, so that is is my disclaimer)...my two-cents on this, I look at it like she made a record “in the box,” which is to say it was really produced in the studio and she probably hasn’t had, I am just guessing, I don’t know anything about her, but probably hasn’t been on the road for 10 years, you know.  Plugging it out in clubs in front of audiences and getting comfortable performing.  That is what that performance looked like to me. It looked like someone who was very fresh, in terms of performing in front of a live crowd and very green. She made a great record (I have only heard that one song) but that doesn’t mean you can pull it off live. I don’t think you have to be drunk, or stoned or anything to do that. That is how everybody looks their first time. Everybody gets nervous and shaky. Plus, whoever it was that decided to stick her out there without a band, that was a bad idea.  Yes, it was cool and “old Hollywood” and she has the look for sure...she is mesmerizing.  It would have been cool with some strings behind her, like some kind of band.  Otherwise it was like just thrusting her out there alone without it.  If she hasn’t had a lot of touring experience, why not say to SNL, give us 3 months and put her on the road and make her feel a little more at ease and she would have nailed it.  But that performance wasn’t so bad. I mean, let’s all remember Ashlee Simpson.

A Breath of Fresh Music: She still sold a ton of records this week.
 

Anya Marina: If your selling records, kudos to you!

A Breath of Fresh Music: Do you have some major influences that got you going in the business?
 

Anya Marina: Certainly...like The Beatles...and Liz Phair...people who sort of paved the way for any woman with a guitar...Blondie, The Breeders...

A Breath of Fresh Music:  Tonight and on this tour, are we going to hear a lot of new music?

Anya Marina: Definitely. I'd like to try out the news songs in a live setting. Like I said, I finished the record about a year ago and I have just been getting a band together...a slightly different incarnation than I had last time.  We've all been playing together and feeling really good.  It's such a different animal to do the songs that your recorded, live...for me anyways because I don't tend to record everything at the same time. This whole tour is just a chance to try as many new songs out as possible. It has been about a year and a half since I was even on the road and that was only the West coast. It has been over 2 years since I have been in some of these markets, so I figure, no one's heard them. They've heard the old stuff, so why don't we just inundate them with the new and fresh music.

Anya did play a lot of new songs that night, as well as some old favorites of mine. Including one of my personal favorites All The Same To Me, which she dedicated to me.  That is the first time that has happened and I was quite honored.  


I have spent the last couple of days listening to the 10 new tracks on Felony Flats and I really like it.  There is definitely a "heavier" feel on many of the songs and I like that a lot.  As expected, there are some great catchy and fun lyrics on these songs.  Add that to the sweet voice and fun attitude and you have yourself a really great release. My favorite songs so far are Notice Me, Felony Flats and Flinty (sign-up for the mailing list here and get a free download of this track). I think this is Anya's best work to date and I really look forward to following her career in the years to come.  

Watch Out: Here Comes Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Rey most likely is a name in music that you do not know, however you will.  I heard her for the first time about 3 months ago and have been falling in love with her music ever since!  Her self-titled independent release came out at the beginning of 2010, however it disappeared into obscurity once she signed with Interscope, who is set to release her major-label debut on January 31, 2012 titled Born To Die.  If you want to check her out now, you can download her current self-titled EP on iTunes and they are also offering her single Born To Die as a FREE single this week.  I am really looking forward to her album and already know this will be in my top ten for 2012.  Lana's smoky and soulful voice is pure talent and this girl will be moving up the charts very fast this year!  I think her album is going to perform very well on the charts and many will know of her by the year end...this is the year of Lana Del Rey.  I have heard that while performing live in concert she has been noticeably nervous and you can tell she is a very inexperienced performer.  That will pass as she grow more confident as an artists and If I get the chance to see her live, I will be all over it.  Grab the free single from iTunes and see what you think.  Lana Del Rey IS "A Breath of Fresh Music" at its finest!

Graham Colton Offers Free EP: Pacific Coast Eyes Vol. 2

Just a quick post today to spread the word about the amazing artist Graham Colton whom I have blogged about in the past.  He is offering up a FREE EP on Noisetrade titled Pacific Coast Eyes Vol. 2. This EP is is a collection of new songs & alternate versions of songs from the album, Pacific Coast Eyes. These 6 songs were recorded over 2 days at Blackwatch Studios in Norman, OK.  You can't beat free, especially when you have great vocals, lyrics and great catchy tunes.  Leave a tip if you can...every $1 helps as this guy works his tail off.  Enjoy :)

Anna Nalick: Broken Dolls & Odds & Ends

Six years between albums is not a scenario that a new, young and thriving musician envisions. However, for Anna Nalick, that is how her career started out.  This was not totally her choice as she has issues with her record label and as time went on more issue arose.  She did manage to release an EP (Shine) in 2008, three years after the release of her debut album Wreck of the Day, which went Gold and her name and voice were being heard all over the world.  I was one of those who fell in love with her amazing voice and craved more new music.  The EP was just not enough and eventually, she fell off of the radar for me.  Recently, I discover that Anna released a new album on an indie label title Broken Dolls & Odds & Ends.  The album contained songs for what was to be her second album Broken Doll, as well as covers and reworked songs from her first album,.  It was more or less for her hardcore fans and not meant to grow her audience.  Overall, the album received solid reviews and it sound like Anna will release a new album in early 2012.  She will fully produce the album and it will be all new material, so hopefully I'll here her beautiful voice on the radio waves once again.  Even though the new album is kind of a mishmash of miscellaneous songs, individually, these songs are very good, but would have never fit as an "album," thus why she release it more as a compilation.  The songs have great melody, hooks and lyrics.  My favorites on this album are: Broken Doll, Walk Away and Scars.  You can get the new release right now only Amazon for only $4.99, which is quite a bargain.  If you are looking for a physical copy, it may be tough to locate at a record store, but you can order from her site for only $10. I cannot wait for her new album of all new material in the coming year and will definitely bee blogging about it :)  cheers!

Daytrotter Will No Longer Be Free: This Website Must Not Disappear!

I have been religiously following Daytrotter for years now and yesterday, they made a huge announcement, they are no longer going to be free.  Here is exactly what they sent out:

"Many of you have been with us for the bulk of our nearly six years of working our butts off to shed some light on all of the great music being made out in the world, through our words, markered illustrations and our one-of-a-kind analog recordings. You've helped us make the transition from a scrappy start-up to a site that amazingly enough is now seen as something of a household name, in the right households. We have never had more people visiting Daytrotter and we have you to thank for that.

Keeping the lights on and paying the bills through advertising revenue - and thereby passing along these unique recordings to you freely - is not working. We want to keep Daytrotter in everyone's lives and so we're looking for a little help. 

We need you to sign up as a Daytrotter member for the modest fee of $2 a month.

We wouldn't ask you for this if we didn't need it. We believe we're doing something special and important, but we can't afford to do it for free any longer. We're hoping Daytrotter means enough to you that you will stay with us by paying the cost of a coffee a month to keep it going. 

• Membership isn't the only change here - there is a bunch of dope new stuff: 
• We're now posting three new sessions of great new music every weekday. 
• No more ads - they are gone from Daytrotter. 
• Live Sessions streaming while they're being recorded at the HorseShack! We're really excited about this one. We've been testing this for the last two months and the quality is amazing. It's a bit extra, but the great thing about it is that we're allowing each band to come up with the admission price to hear their session live. All of the money from these live streams will be split evenly between the band and Daytrotter. You'll be directly helping Daytrotter and your favorite band if you eavesdrop! 
• HD video and lossless audio from our legendary live Barnstormer concerts.
• We've doubled the quality of our streams and free downloads, and we've added a fantastic new queue player. 

Your next visit to Daytrotter will kick off a 7 Day Free Trial - so please get familiar with our new look, listen to some live streams, and, if you love us, do us a tremendous solid and sign up for a membership.

Thank you so much for five and a half amazing years! Here's to many more! -- Mr. Daytrotter

I wanted to post this on my blog because I love this website and I plan on paying the fee to be a member.  I mean, seriously....$2 a month!  that is so cheap for what you get! That only gets you 2 songs on most digital download sites and barely a cup of coffee in the morning.  If you are a fan and follower of this amazing site, you most likely know how easy of a desicion this is.  If you are not a fan, spend some time with the free 7 day trial and hopefully you will decide after that it is well worth paying the small membership fee.