With the resurgence of country’s popularity with acts like Taylor Swift and Lady Antebellum, the world of traditional music is in the spotlight more than ever. Much like folk music, country is all about capturing a snapshot of life and immortalizing it in a song. The genre often takes a moment of extreme happiness or great hardship and depicts the scene through the writer’s eyes. In this week’s playlist, we’ll explore a few varieties of country music and showcase the talented OurStage artists behind the songs.
“I Fell For Memphis” – Adam Craig Band: Groovy little tune about a reckless, careless first love.
“I’m Here” – The Matt Ryan Band: Everyone has a past. It’s how you open yourself up to the present that defines how you’ll be living in the future.
“The Days You Live For” – Matt Gary: When your hard work pays off, you appreciate the little things in life that much more.
“While We Get There” – Billy Dawson: The feelings of strength and possibility that come with young love are immense.
“The Girl With The Fishin Rod” – EllieMay Kay: Being the prettiest won’t do you much. You just need to be yourself.
“Playing With Memories” – Don Worden: Humorous and unapologetic, Don Worden talks about his love life before his current partner.
“Guilty Cowboy” – Lindsey Gail: A bluesy, sassy tune of her flirtin’ cowboy ways. Fess up!
Have any tunes in particular that you care to share? Disagree with any of the picks? Want a theme in particular to be Shuffled? Let us know by dropping a comment!
Listen to previous Press Shuffle playlists over at 8tracks.com.
You may know the veterans in the Best Of The Best: the old fan favorites, those who have topped the charts for weeks on end. But there’s always new faces looking to challenge them for the spotlight on the OurStage charts. And with 2011 coming to a close, we thought we’d give you a taste of what’s gaining momentum and coming up for the next year. We’ve gathered here a playlist of these hot new acts rising up the charts that are worth your attention. If you don’t know who they are, then we recommend you get acquainted with them quick”you’ll be hearing much more from them in the days to come. Ge ready to see the new faces of the Best Of The Best.
Pop:
“Save Me” – Underground All Stars (Current position: 17): A collection of accomplished musicians, the Underground All Stars craft catchy melodies that will linger in your mind for hours.
“My Name” – Brett Steinberg (Current position: 26): Brett Steinberg is a songwriter that strikes true with his lyrics and backs them up with an expertly arranged musical background.
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Halloween has its fair share of spooky tracks and ghastly anthems. Christmas not only has carols, but also offers dozens of best-selling albums from the likes of Mariah Carey and Louis Armstrong. As the holiday sandwiched between the Halloween and Christmas celebrations, Thanksgiving can be easily overlooked when it comes to music. Thankfully, we’re here to give it the proper recognition it deserves. With a little of everything, this playlist is sure to get you in the Thanksgiving spirit.
“Hap-Happy Thanksgiving” – Sara Lindsay and Greg Dolmage: A song about the magic of Thanksgiving. Just hearing that list of food should be enough to make you hungry!
“Food Is Fun” – Dave Taylor: Simply put: “A warning of the things you shouldn’t do with food.” Or should you?
“Chocolate” – Amy Kuney: Oh, the power of chocolate.
“November” – Jesse Lafaser: The crisp wind is blowing, the leaves are turning, the merry holiday spirit in the air… what’s there not to like about November?
“Dear Sister, Your Brother” – Talain Rayne: Thanksgiving is the time to see your family again: why not make a point of reconnecting with a sibling or cousin which you haven’t talked to in a while?
“Thankyou Haters” – Khalil Ismail: Now that you’re giving thanks, make sure you don’t leave anyone out. Haters make you famous.
“Way Too Expensive” – Murali Coryell: Which is why you need to start getting ready for Black Friday shopping, right?
Have any tunes in particular that you care to share? Disagree with any of the picks? Want a theme in particular to be Shuffled? Let us know by dropping a comment!
Listen to previous Press Shuffle playlists over at 8tracks.com.
Party with Throwback Suburbia, get a Shot Glass Souvenir
It’s been almost a year and a half since Vancouver’s retro-modern pop rock quintet released their self-titled album, and we’ve been craving to hear more ever since. Well, they kept us waiting long enough. Throwback Suburbia announced the completion of their latest effort, Shot Glass Souvenir, which is set to be released January 14th. You can pre-order Shot Glass Souvenir at the Throwback Suburbia webstore.
Dave Moisan will lift you up with Ungravity
If Dave Moisan‘s music can be described in one word, it would be friendly. Instantly toe tapping and finger snapping, his feelgood pop will get you in a good mood, no matter what. And we have very high expectations for his upcoming EP, Ungravity. This extremely talented artist has been blazing through our pop charts as of late, so you owe it to yourself to check out his music. You can pre-order his EP at the iTunes store.
Death Audio to record their audio on video
Australian metalcore up-and-comers Death Audio are currently in the studio cutting out their latest headbangtastic album, and they’ve brought a camera with them to record a series of webisodes of the process. There’s four tracks from previous efforts and events available for download at their Web site at the low, low price of $0 (and signing up to their mailing list). Hit them up on Facebook to follow their progress as they record their new album!
Frank Palangi is Frank Palangi
Frank Palangi, the Upstate NY rocker, is set to take on the music world with his brand of modern rock. After working on a variety of projects that led to many events, motion picture placements and big career opportunitties, he went down to Nashville to record his self-titled EP. His new video has been featured on Albany’s Q103, and his debut EP is available now in the iTunes store. Check it out!
Substance abuse has been a consistent theme within the world of music, and the media hype that surrounds the artists who get involved with drugs is constant. Bashed hotel rooms, cancelled tours, multiple arrests… the list of tabloid headlines stemming from the topic is limitless. Now, there are very unique relationships between drugs and media in different genres, in the way that artists approach illegal substances and in the coverage that major newspapers and blogs choose to give these incidents. Some try to stay away from the public eye as much as possible, others can’t help but stumble into the limelight. But how does this relationship actually work?
Sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll
Not only does the media constantly cover the antics of rock stars, but the musicians themselves seem to go out of their way to remind us of their ridiculous lifestyles. From Iggy Pop‘s bloody paintings to Michael Todd’s arrest after holding up a pharmacy, the self-destructive lifestyle has been well-documented throughout the history of rock music. Many have even written anthems about their preferred method of addiction. Unfortunately, this widespread abuse has led to the untimely passing of many artists who still had many years of creative output ahead of them (see the 27 Club). It comes to no surprise to us that rock music and drugs go hand-in-hand in the press: it’s almost a required vice to be considered a true rock star.
Gather ’round, kids”it’s story time!
Culture and history have been kept alive throughout the centuries by oral tradition. A large part of this tradition has been storytelling through music, and this concept still lives to this day. We use dialogue to tell a story, and we use music to tell emotions. Music is about making the listeners feel a story. It’s about achieving an emotional response: if the emotion of the music and the emotion of the lyrics are congruent, the song becomes an immensely powerful, evocative force. Folk musicians excel at this type of songwriting, and strive to convey their unique view of common, quotidian lifestyles and situations in a compelling manner. The examples we’ve collected for you today focus on lyrical storytelling, with music that never detracts from the song.
Chasing Blue
“It’s All Water” – Chasing Blue: Love and a broken heart has fueled more songwriting sessions than anything. This track gives listeners a snapshot of a frayed relationship close to the end.
“The Collector” – Bobby Caputo: A wonderfully worded story of self-reflection, appreciating what you have, and”of course”love.
“Colorado Rain” – Fiske and Herrera: Life is about living. As simple as it sounds, many forget this simple tenet. To know where you’re going, you need to be aware of where you’ve been.
“Hey John” – Cici Porter: “It’s never too late to have a happy childhood.” The unusual shuffled feel of the song makes this a unique tune within this list.
“Scenic Route” – Jesse Terry: The hard times in life are only temporary, and we’ll work ourselves out of them soon enough. We’ll remember them with a smile.
“California” – John McKenna: Sometimes we want to hang on to a cherished moment for as long as we can. The world keeps going, and we have to go with it.
“Oh Heart” – Kim Wempe: Introspective songs are the meat and potatoes of folk songs. Take a life experience, see what you’ve learned, and tell others through song. This track is a perfect example of how it’s done.
Have any tunes in particular that you care to share? Disagree with any of the picks? Want a theme in particular to be Shuffled? Let us know by dropping a comment!
Listen to previous Press Shuffle playlists over at 8tracks.com.