I think it’s amazing to see the progression of music throughout time, especially when songs and ideas from decades ago are revisited by contemporary artists. We all know that there’s nothing quite as good as the original, unless it’s completely taken apart and put back together again. I’ve found a perfect example. The history of the song is even enough to get you moving, but the groove won’t disappoint. It was co-written by Robert Cray and Dennis Walker in the early 1990′s, and was featured and performed by BB King (Blues Summit) and Tony Bennett (Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues), among others. Both albums won Grammy awards. The song has now been resurrected in 2012 by Masters In France as their latest single.
The song officially released on October 22, 2012 and recently exploded with over 1.3 million views on YouTube due to it’s placement in an Ikea advert, but we won’t hold that against it. After all, it’s all about “bringing people together this holiday season.” Check it out.
Masters In France is an alternative band from the UK that released their debut EP, Inhale, in September 2011. Though an ironically misleading name suggests otherwise, Masters In France actually originate from Bangor in Whales. The band has been together since 2009, but began officially releasing singles two years later. They write and perform in both English and Welch, while their music is driven by bass lines, heavy grooves, heavy riffs, and crisp blending vocals. Like their cover of “Playin’ With My Friends,” the rest of their music is energetic, musically complex, and well produced. Their current single, “Mad Hatter,” has been rolling for over a year with heavy support from BBC’s Radio 1. The rest of the EP is full of great songs with influences from a variety of genres ranging from dark heavy rock to pop and dance. Here’s the official music video for their latest single, “Mad Hatter.”
You might try listening to the music without watching the video the first time. Despite the odd story line, which makes some sense considering the title, I really like how this video was shot. You can count on Masters In France to keep the quality coming, and let’s hope for a debut album in 2013. Until then, visit their Facebook page for the latest updates on music and touring. Pass it on!
By Steve Harpine | Nashville Ambassador | @Steve_MWL | Beat-Play & Music Without Labels, LLC
Do you like when people play guitar? Do you like it when people who play guitar have awesome voices that compliment their really cool guitar playing? Do you like good music? Do you like the blues/ RnB? Survey over. If you answered ‘yes’ to all of those questions (which you should have) you can continue reading as we take a look at Gary Clark Jr’s new album and first full legnth release called “Blak and Blu.”
Aint Messin’ Round – Gary Clark Jr.
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Yea I know right? This is the first track off the record and he starts big. I saw Gary and band play this song live last weekend at Austin CIty Limits and they destroyed it in the best way possible. After listening to this first track needless to say this is exciting. Gary Clark Jr. has been touring and playing shows fro quite some time and has made stops at just about every major US festival the energy he brings to his live shows comes through on this record. As I move through my favorite tracks you’ll quickly realize this is not a one trick guitar fuzz laden album. The mix of blues to RnB to country to rock and roll back to the blues might make you think that Gary Clark is struggling to find his musical identity, but as you’ll see that’s just not the case. I can only imagine he is a music lover with respect to all genres and with talents like his writing genre specific music doesn’t seem to be an issue.
Blak and Blu – Gary Clark Jr.
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In a complete 180 from ‘Ain’t Messin’ Round’ the title track “Blak and Blu” shows a completely different side. RnB meets a little bit of soul. His voice compliments this direction and even though its a departure from the massive rock sound it still works. I don’t know if I’m 100% on board with the lack of transitions or fluctuations between genres given the next tune sends us right back into the wailing guitar world.
Bright Lights – Gary Clark Jr.
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This song picks up right where ‘Ain’t Messin Round’ and the second track “When My Train Pulls In” left off. It’s hard to avoid the obvious Jimi Hendrix comparison especially since he covers ‘Third Stone from the Sun’ later in the record. His look an demeanor and guitar playing are definitely reminiscent of the legend. I think thats it though. The songs as a collection really don’t have anything to do with Hendrix at all so I’ll leave it at that.
Here’s where I got a little bit confused. The pseudo alt country tune (sorry if anyone takes offense to that) ‘Travis County’ and the tune ‘The Life’ back to back baffled me. ’Travis County’ as you’ll hear below is an upbeat guitar rocker while ‘The Life’ is a RnB borderline Hip Hop Tune ready for top 40 radio play. After hearing some of the other music on this record it honestly doesn’t even sound like Gary Clark Jr. I’m more of a rock guy so my tendencies lie there when it comes to what music I like better and RnB has its place but the two songs back to back just threw me for a loop. I’d say it’s a ballsy move that I’m not sure paid off in my book, but whatever. I guess it depends on what you prefer but as I referred to before, there is most definitely something for all music fans on this record.
Travis County – Gary Clark Jr.
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The Life – Gary Clark Jr.
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Segueing out of ‘The Life’ we come across a track called ‘Glitter Ain’t Gold (Jumpin’ For Nothing)’ where once again I have to apologize for making obvious comparisons to Lenny Kravitz. It sounds like him. Whatever. It’s important to note that even though these comparisons exists and as I wrap up this review as a body of work these tunes are awesome and I’m a new fan. After witnessing his live show at ACL this year and after webcasting him over the course of this past summer I really wish I had a ticket to his three upcoming shows at the Troubadour.
I’m exited to hear more from someone who can take all genre’s of music and make them his own. Later on in the record he has a pair of tunes called ‘Please Come Home’ and “Things are Changin’ which are slow burners but really tie into each other nicely. As the record draws to a close we venture back into the guitar laden fuzz Gary Clark Jr. has become known for. With ‘Third Stone from the Sun / If You Love Me Like You Say’ and ‘Next Door Neighbor Blues’ which are an excellent end to a whirlwind of music. As a collection of music this album delivers on many levels. Those who enjoy pop and RnB there is a taste in here for you and for those who like their guitars nice and loud, there is plenty in here for you. All in all I think music lovers are the real winners when it comes to what this record can provide. Seriously does anyone have an extra ticket to the troubadour shows?
Third Stone From The Sun/ If You Love Me Like You Say – Gary Clark Jr.
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Next Door Neighbor Blues – Gary Clark Jr.
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The Temper Trap put on an amazing show Thursday night at Marathon Music Works during their first time ever in Music City. The Australian rock band features Dougy Mandagi on lead vocals, Jonathon Aherne on bass guitar, Toby Dundas on drums, Lorenzo Sillitto on lead guitar and Joseph Greer on keyboards and guitar. With a long list of film and TV placement, the band has become quite well known for their distinct sound and songwriting ability. Over the past few years, “Sweet Disposition,” off their first album, Conditions, has been their strongest song to date, setting the pace for a highly anticipated sophomore release. Their self-titled second album, The Temper Trap, dropped in June 2012 and is an awesome follow-up to their their debut. There were more than a few songs that I couldn’t wait to hear live when they played in Nashville the other night and one of them was their first single from The Temper Trap, “Need Your Love.”
The video was directed by Dugan O’Neal and resembles a short story similar to that of the Karate Kid. Having fresh media is essential if you’re a band or artist in today’s music industry. People are constantly being bombarded with videos and information, and it’s easy to be left in the dust if you’re not keeping fans and listeners engaged with your music. This is especially true if the music isn’t on the radio or getting publishing (film and TV) opportunities. Videos allow listeners to experience songs in a few ways; by showing the band’s live energy and emotion when performing, telling a story, and/or a creative combination of both. The Temper Trap does an incredible job of staying relevant with videos that engage their listeners in all of these ways. In the case of “Trembling Hands,” my personal favorite, they incorporate a story that shows the struggles of a trapeze artist while training her performance. Directed by Tom Haines, the video was shot in Cuba and features Dougy Madangi. ”Trembling Hands” is my favorite song on the new album and it was astonishing to hear them play it live in concert!
Aside from the sheer power of these songs, the success of the marketing and distribution side of things can be linked to their deal with Glassnote Records, one of the world’s best independent labels. While Glassnote uses Sony’s RED Distribution, the label still remains independent from the majors. They’ve even beat out majors by helping Mumford & Sons sell the most copies during first week album sales this year. The Temper Trap is linked with excellent management as well, being signed with Lunatic Entertainment who also manage Gotye. It all proves how essential it really is to have a solid team linked with an artist or band. The Temper Trap is now on tour in the US through the end of October, and believe me, you don’t want to miss your chance to see them here! They’ll be heading over to New Zealand and Australia to play shows in November (some of which will be with Coldplay). If you like what you heard in the videos above, get your copy of The Temper Trap and check out upcoming tour dates by clicking on the album art below.
By Steve Harpine | Nashville Ambassador | @Steve_MWL | Beat-Play & Music Without Labels, LLC
The XX is a band that appeared out of nowhere in 2009 with a huge self-titled debut album. Originating in London, England, the band has just released their sophomore album, Coexist, in proper “X” style.Their new album is an embellishment of the vibe created on their debut album, and it stems from club music. Jamie Smith revealed, ”We’ve all come back off tour and been partying a bit more. We left when we were 17 and we missed out on that chunk of our lives when everyone else was partying. Club music has definitely had an influence on the next record.” After listening to Coexist, I think that maybe that statement is more of a generality as the album retains a soft vibe throughout. The production is in regular “XX” fashion, but you can hear subtle tone qualities and mixing techniques that have been pulled from the club scene. Take a listen to the leading single, “Angels.”
Many fans have considered the album to be a retract from the work that The XX did on their debut, but others feel differently, relating with the late-night vibe of the album. ”Angels” definitely shows off that somber feel that many of their fans are hearing, but the passion in that song is strong for sure. Also, the repeating lyric “being as in love with you as I am” is something you’ll probably hear in a new upcoming club remix. Other songs allow listeners to hear various club themes more in the music. ”Chained” contains rhythms and production work that generates more of an upbeat vibe for those car rides home after a night out. Listen to it here:
Coexist is a great second album for The XX. During the week prior to it’s release, in a collaboration with Internet Explorer, the xx released the entire Coexist album to stream on the website, http://coexist.thexx.info/, until it dropped on Sept. 11, 2012. The location of the website, which contained a free preview stream of the album, was given to one single fan on Sept. 3. Millions of people viewed the site between the start of the experiment and the release date of the album, which concluded the experiment. The website now shows an amazing map of how the album was shared that week. As you can see from their videos and the way they promoted the album, the band is fairly imaginative and creative. The XX consists of Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim, and Jamie Smith who all met at Elliott School in London. It’s only been a few years since they formed, and now have received global attention for their unique music. If you liked what you heard in these couple songs, be sure to check out the rest by clicking on the album art below!
By Steve Harpine | Nashville Ambassador | @Steve_MWL | Beat-Play & Music Without Labels, LLC
I’m late posting this, but I saw that the new Mumford track hasn’t made it into our MWL world yet. The song is called “I Will Wait” and it is the first release from the upcoming and highly anticipated new album from Mumford and Son’s called “Babel”. Mumford and Sons could have easily been an “it” band for a moment and faded away into oblivion, but instead they are taking full advantage of their popularity doing things their own way and playing the shows/ music they want. I have seen Mumford and Sons three times now.
The first was at Lollapalooza which was a waste of time because I didn’t get to the stage 4 hours early. It was packed for a mid day afternoon set and I wasn’t as familiar as I am now with the music so I continued to drink bottles of wine and tall boys ’till I dropped.
The second time I saw them was part of a radio station show here in LA. Not a full set by any means, but actually being able to see the band and hear the hits was an absolute treat.
Now for the third time the band has been booking US dates in between their Gentlemen Of The Road Stopover festivals in select states. I got to see them at a beautiful golden theater in Providence, Rhode Island. Over the course of two hours with lights strung out all over the venue the band played pretty much every song I knew and then some. The “and then some” was the best part. It was a deep look into the new record and the standout song which was shortly released after is called “I Will Wait”. Played with the same vigor and vitality as “The Cave” and “Little Lion Man” The Mumfords exuded confidence in their new music and in my opinion solidified their place as a must see live band for years to come. Do yourself a favor and go see them and literally pay whatever they ask. Closing the show with a awesome cover of Paul Simon’s “The Boxer” and completely destroying the place with a pitch perfect version of my favorite song “The Cave”, I think we are about to enter the year of Mumford and Sons. Here is the promo video for “I Will Wait”. The new record comes out in September and for lack of a better ending to this blog, I will wait.
Brands, endorsements, entertainment, commercials, performances, hype, and music are only a few tags that can be found within the broad scope of this years London 2012 Olympic Games. It’s become much more than a game in the last century, and you’d have to be blind not to notice it. Major brands like AT&T, Coca Cola, Samsung, Adidas, Duracell, and even McDonalds become a part of the world’s most prestigious athletic event to prove that they are somehow the reason for an athlete’s success, or the biggest supporter of a sport. However, it seems that commercials are the only times we see these superstars downing a Coke after a race or snagging a large fry before training. It doesn’t take much to understand what these companies are doing and how they’re doing it ($cha-ching$). I’ve often observed that when it comes down to it, the real attention-grabbing power is in the music. People are so overstimulated with the aural, that the slightest connection to a song allows us to remember and relate with entire moments. That is why Shazam netted over one million interactions during the Olympics’ closing ceremony alone, and that is why Coca-Cola used Mark Ronson’s “Anywhere In The World” at its Olympic anthem.
The top news after the closing ceremonies was not, “that was one of the most incredible pieces of production ever witnessed,” but rather “why did NBC cut The Who, Ray Davies, and Muse from the Olympics’ closing ceremony broadcast.” (NME) Music connects people with moments, and in this ever-changing era of the industry, we are finding that people have a desire to be included. The catch these days is that there is so much music, that it’s so difficult to keep track of. Some have even dubbed this year’s games as “the most music-oriented Olympic Games ever. Popular and not-so-popular music played a big role from the broadcasts and ceremonies to the individual events. However, how is it all decided and who’s job is it to pick music for the Olympics? Well, the majority of the decisions fell in the hands of Marc Robinson, Director of Film, TV and Licensing for Universal Music, and Jonny Bramely, Executive Producer for the BBC during the Olympics. The world (or London at least) put their trust in executives to pick the music that would remind us of some of the biggest moments in 2012 sports. I, for one, think they handled the responsibility with ease. While it’s expected to feature popular music for big broadcast moments, it’s new and indie rock music that a lot of people are waiting for. It came in responsible fashion as Jonny Bramely explains, “When we showed our sequence of Bradley Wiggins winning the cycling, we decided Paul Weller should play in the background, because Bradley loves his music and is a fan of the mod culture.” ”Our music was carefully selected to make sure that we include music that appeals to the masses, as well as showcasing acts that were new and established within the British setting.” I, for one, think it would be awesome to see more independent music make it’s way into public settings. Maybe London was a step in that direction, or maybe listeners [we] can make it happen just like fans did for Dispatch in the early 2000s. What do you think?
By Steve Harpine | Nashville Ambassador | @Steve_MWL | Beat-Play & Music Without Labels, LLC
What’s up music fans. I just got an e-mail from none other than Vacationer themselves with a new video for their tune called ‘Trip’. It’s by far my favorite song on the “Gone” EP they recently released. They recently played a private show at the Roxy in LA and it was sponsored by Belvedere Vodka so I don’t really have an accurate, well spoken, thoughtout review, but I can say that the music and the party was awesome and I had an absolute blast (that was an unintentional vodka pun… I’m a drunk). I haven’t seen a band win over a mixed crowd like that in a while. Looks like Vacationer will be back in LA in the fall supporting Bombay Bicycle Club so we should probably go see them together, yea? Check out my recent article about the “Gone” EP HERE and check out their cross country tour dates HERE.
