Year 5, Day 51

Hi everybody. Today's song is Proof Of Life by Coyote.

I had to make sure we got the right band for this one since apparently Coyote is the name of two bands. This one is the group from PEI who have been making music since 2012. They've got at least four albums and play at both festivals and sold out concerts of their own.Their website link isn't working so I can't find all the details like I've been doing with bands this year, but I think the music speaks for itself. If you watch the video, this is a very Canadian existence. Even though it was shot in the East and I'm from the West I can relate to and say I've hung out in places like these throughout my life.... except Niagara Falls, that can't be replicated anywhere else. Hope you like it.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 50

Hey. So today's song is Hang Me Up To Dry by Cold War Kids.

There guys are from California and have been going strong since 2004. It's made up of Nathan Willett, Matt Maust, David Quon, Matthew Schwartz and Joe Plummer currently. The original lineup formed the band when they all met at university. The name for the group itself comes from Maust, who had been hanging on to it for years since a trip he took to Budapest. It popped into his head when wandering around a park with a playground and missing communist statues, and it resonated. They wrote and released three EP's before 2006 that ended up being combined into an album. After that they signed with a label and released their debut album, which got mostly pretty positive reviews. They spent two full years touring before working on their next album that came out in 2008. They kept touring, making albums, and making EP's for the next several years. 2012 and 2013 was when the big changes in the band came with some people leaving and players from Modest Mouse (who I've shown before) joining up to replace them. In 2014 they did some commercials for beer, and a couple guys had a side project band called French Style Furs. 2015 saw the release of an album with the band changes listed on it, which was deemed irrelevant since another change came in 2016. Most recently they were part of 1,000 Days 1,000 Songs which is a music project launched to advocate against Donald Trump, which I am so here for. Sorry America, but your president is being a dickhead internationally and scaring us up here. They originally weren't going to do it, because making fun of Trump seemed redundant at that point, but after listening to the one Death Cab For Cutie did they decided while redundant it still needed to be said. If you're curious about the project check out the YouTube channel devoted to it. Otherwise enjoy some Cold War Kids.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 49

Hi guys. Today's song is The Fade Out Line by Phoebe Killdeer and The Short Straws.

So I have to focus more on Phoebe than on the band as a whole because there isn't a lot of info on the band and she seemed to be the catalyst of its forming anyway. So she is an Australian musician, but was born in France and got her start playing in a French new wave cover band named Nouvelle Vague. She did that throughout 2006 before breaking off into her own thing forming this band. They released an album in 2008, and a second one in 2011 which is where this song comes from. It's the biggest song she's had and even got redone by a French deep house music producer. That version became huge globally and can be heard here. Lately Phoebe has moved to Berlin and started a different band called Phoebe Killdeer and the Shift. They've released one album last year and will probably release more so keep an eye out.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 48

Hey. So today's song is Suicide Saturday by Hippo Campus.

Since I've already shown a different song by this band, I'm not going to bother with a whole backstory again because the facts don't change. I've listened to this song a lot since I found it. I don't have many songs saved on my computer since I had to get a new one awhile ago, but this is one of the few songs that I've got and I'd play those ones on a loop while I worked on other stuff. So I know it really well, I know I like it, and I'm hoping you guys feel the same.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 47

Hiya. Today I give you Sweet Symphony by Chucky Danger.

If any of you hear this song and think "wow this sounds like Paper Lions" then congratulations, you are a genius. Once upon a time before Paper Lions was a thing, their band was called Chucky Danger. So the band is made up of John MacPhee, David Cyrus MacDonald, Colin Buchanan, and Rob MacPhee. John and Rob are brothers, Colin was their neighbor, and they met David in high school. They existed as Chucky Danger from 2004 to 2008, releasing two albums and an EP in that time. That EP won them Pop Recording of the Year from the East Coast Music Association. If you guys have been around the blog for awhile you know how much I love Paper Lions, so you know this comes with high praise from me. Hope you like their older stuff and if you do check out their current albums.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 46

Hello everyone. Today's song is Over And Over Again by Nathan Sykes.

This guy is an English singer whose been active since 2003. He's been singing all his life, but in 2003 he started entering singing competitions. In 2004 he won the Undiscovered Youth Talent Contest and almost won to be the representative from the UK in Eurovision Juniors. In 2009 he auditioned to be part of the group The Wanted, and got a place in the five person band. They stayed together until 2014 when the group split. He debuted his first solo stuff in 2015. Last year he joined Little Mix on their tour, announced he'd be touring with Alessia Cara, and performed at Capital's Summertime Ball for the seventh consecutive year. He's been pretty silent throughout this year, but I doubt it's going to stay that way, so keep an eye out.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 45

Hey. Today's song is the 12 Days Of Christmas from Bob and Doug McKenzie.

Merry Christmas!! Well, Merry Christmas, or Happy Hanukkah, or Happy Kwanzaa, or whatever holiday you celebrate (I'm sure I'm missing tons so I apologize). Actually leave me a comment and let me know what you celebrate so I can look it up. I like learning new stuff. Anyway these guys are fictional characters originally created for the Great White North sketch, but are kind of staples of Canadian culture now. One thing I can say about my country is we at least own up to our weirdness and can make fun of ourselves well (just look at the Olympics 2010 opening and that's obvious.) Bob and Doug came to be because a difference in US vs Canadian broadcasting standards, where there was an extra two minutes of show time on the Canadian end (because we use less commercials I guess) and the network requested two minutes of specifically Canadian content. Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas thought that was an idiotic request considering it was a Canadian show produced and starring Canadians, so they improvised the characters and spent an hour of studio time just sitting hanging out drinking beer, cooking back bacon and talking about the most cliched things possible. Bob and Doug quickly became the most liked part of the show. With the success they have made comedy albums and have done a movie which I used to watch all the time. They are our affectionately stereotypical Canadian boys, and we love them for it. I hope you will to.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 44

We interrupt your usual programming to bring you some Christmas music since it is that time of year. So today's song is All I Want For Christmas Is You by Chase Holfelder.

Fair warning, this version of the song is in the minor key. I find it cool, but it can seem a bit depressing considering it's supposed to be a happy holiday jam so if that's not your style I'm saying it now.Chase is a singer/songwriter in North Carolina, but he's most notably a YouTuber. He's known for song such as this where he changes major songs into minor keys. If you've never heard one done, you should check out all the stuff he's got on his channel because the difference is crazy. Most music is written with major chords because they sound happy while minor chords sound either sad or haunted. Personally my favorite are diminished chords. They're similar to minor chords, but the fifth adds a level of creep that speaks to my inner weirdo. We used to do tests in choir where the pianist played a chord and we had to guess what it was (major, minor, diminished, or augmented) so that's why I have a favorite type. If you're curious about music theory, here's a video about one part I like which is the circle of fifths so check that out if you feel like it.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 43

Hi, so today's song is Say You Love Me by Jessie Ware.

Jessie is a British singer whose been active since 2009. After she finished school and before she got into music, she had a brief stint of working as a journalist (kind of not really following in her father's footsteps.) Fun Fact: she worked alongside the author if Fifty Shade of Grey. I mean it's not a fun fact for me because I haven't nor do I plan to read those books, but you guys might be into that. Her start in music was as a backup singer for Jack Peñate which she says prepared her for what she's doing now. One of his bandmates introduced her to SBTRKT ( a music project by Aaron Jerome) and she ended up collaborating on two songs. Those led to her being signed and releasing a debut single in 2011. She released an album in 2012 after teasing with some singles from it. One song had a name change, but I wont talk too much about it because I think I actually have it saved for later on in the year... so stay tuned. She toured for all of 2013, released another album in 2014 and has since done some more collaborating. Currently her third album is either just out or set to release so if you want more go for that.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 42

Hey guys. Today I give you Deeper by Ella Eyre.

Ella is from London England and comes from a very creatively influenced family. Fun Fact: she trained in competitive swimming before breaking out into music. Her start actually came from a lot of collaborations with some pretty big names (how she managed that early I have no idea) including Bastille, Rudimental, Wiz Khalifa, and Tinie Tempah. She released her first EP (where this song is from) in 2013 and found some pretty good feedback from it, coming in just short of making top ten lists. She ended up finding some more success in writing songs, co-writing with Sigma on a track, and then writing the song for the German contestant of Eurovision 2015. She released another album in 2015, as well as went n tour with Ollie Murs and became the spokesperson of a fragrance line. She's currently working on the release of her second studio album for sometime this month. So prepare yourselves.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 41

Hi. So today's song is Carter & Cash by Tor Miller.

Miller lived with his mom in New Jersey, but had to commute to New York for school, and found his love of music in the albums he spent the drive time listening to. His parents decided to get him piano lessons and after that he started to experiment with singing and songwriting. In high school Miller formed a pop punk band which is just great. I always wanted to do that but I never managed to pick up an instrument. At 18 he went to NYU for music and spent his free time playing piano in a bunch of different places including a burlesque bar. A little random there New York, but I like it. He dropped out after getting signed in 2014 because he couldn't keep up with scheduling, and has since released and EP and an album. I hope you like it because he definitely has the talent for the industry. Check him out.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 40

Hi everyone. Today's song is Atlantis by Seafret.

Another British band, and these guys became active in 2015. Seafret is a duo, made up of Jack Sedman and Harry Draper. Their really isn't too much information about them out there yet, as their only album was released just under a year ago. They've got lots of gigs scheduled though so check out their website and if any of you are close and curious, I'd recommend going to one.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 39

Hey. So today's song is Drifting by On And On.

This band originally started out as a different one, a group called Scattered Trees from 2003 to 2012. It had been Nate Eiesland's solo project at first, starting when he moved to Chicago. He was releasing a song each month, titled for the month it was released in which is pretty cool. He ended up expanding it into a band with Ryne Estwing, Alissa Eiesland (his wife), Baron Harper, and Jason Harper. Eventually the Harper brothers quit the band, so the remaing members formed On And On. That was in 2012 and by this time they had moved to Minnesota. They released an album in 2013 and it had songs Nate wrote while on tour as the first band. It was a lot more emotionally raw than their previous stuff and Nate said that "we wanted to capture on tape a moment of finding something new that works and in doing that, you have to give in to the process and be willing to put yourself out there." They released a second album in 2016, and this was the single that was released on it a year earlier as a teaser. They've since gone on hiatus, but made sure to state that it is just a hiatus and they will be back.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 38

Hi guys. So today's song is Peaches by In The Valley Below.

This band is from California and is made up of  Angela Gail Mattson, Jeffrey Jacob Mendel, and Joshua Clair. Jeffrey and Angela were both in a band called Sabrosa Purr (among others) before that formed this one in 2011. They ended up releasing an EP that year. They've appeared on a lot of talk shows playing their material and toured with some other really good bands. Generally it's just the two of them in the band, but Josh plays with them when they tour so they have a drummer. Their album was released throughout 2013 and 2014 depending on where it was. This song is obviously a favorite of mine. They've since moved to Michigan and live in a 93 year old house making their next EP, which is out now. So if you like this, go check out their new stuff.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 37

Hello. Today's song is Shine A Light by BANNERS.

This is clearly a stage name, and it's for Michael Joseph Nelson who is from Liverpool. So also English.... I'm sorry I feature so many Brits, apparently that's my niche this year. He's only been active since 2015, but he's great. He's also a choir kid just like me so I'm a fan just for that, but clearly his music is awesome. It's also possible that you could know him under his first stage name (Raines) which is what his debut single came out under. This song is his second single, but technically the first for Banners. This song got crazy popular and was topping charts and being featured everywhere. Last year he released and EP which had this song and more on it. His songs have been featured in more shows and soundtracks since then, and has spent time this year touring with Milky Chance, who I've shown you earlier. So if you like this song keep an eye out for more stuff because I'm sure it's on its way.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 36

What's up. Today I give you Let It Go by James Bay.

James is an English singer who has been playing guitar since he was a kid. Once he hit 18 he started doing open mic nights and learned about performing that way. After some of his stuffed popped up on YouTube (shocker) he caught the interest of a label and released an EP. He pretty much blew up right away and you can hear why in his music. He's just so brilliant. This song is from his second EP which came out in 2014. He dipped his toe in a lot of different spots so far. He tours, he's released an album, won awards, endorses products, has a clothing line, had a featured song in a movie, and is an advocate for the charity WaterAid. Quite the collection of stuff. Regardless though the reason I'm featuring this guy is because I'm absolutely in love with the song, and if my voice wasn't dead right now from the flu I'd be singing along. As it stands right now I sound like a wounded animal so I'll spare everyone in the building from hearing that. You guys will have to sing along for me.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 35

Hi. So today I give you Slacks by St. South.

St. South is the pseudonym for Olivia Gavranich, a singer from Australia. She's been making music since 2012, and well not exactly mainstream she has had a lot of exposure on spotify. I think she's on her way to mainstream though with one of her songs already featured on a TV show. She deserves to make it big because she's super talented. And with an album coming out there is a lot for you to listen to.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 34

Hello guys. Today's song is Too Much by Pale.

The Pale is an Irish band and there has been about twenty different people who've been part of it at one point or another so I'm just going to list the current members and be done with it. Those would be Matthew Devereux, Shane Wearen, Gavin O'Brien, David O'Shea, and Aidan O'Grady. The original group started out with playing in a bar and was unique because they didn't have s drum, just a drum beat machine. Paul McGuinness (manager of U2) helped them to make some mini-albums, and then they got enough attention that they were signed in 1992. They left the label a year later and started their own called Gudenfast Records. They released more albums, added members to the group, and did a shit ton of tours because they've always been known for their live performances. Honestly there is so much more to their story, a whole decade in fact, but it gets a little specific on the people so let's just say they are still kicking ass and taking names so check out their stuff.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 33

Hey. So today's song is Waste Of Time by MØ.

She is a Danish singer named Karen Marie Aagaard Ørsted Andersen. Most of the stuff she's done hasn't been under this stage name. She has had a lot of side projects, released music on YouTube that got flagged and taken down (which makes me more curious honestly), but she's most known here by her team up with Major Lazer. At least it was with the song Lean On that she showed up on the music scene in North America. In 2014 she released an album under this Moniker and released a second album a year later. She's continued to collaborate with people and had songs topping the charts so if you like this song check out her other stuff. It's pretty great.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 32

What's Up. So today's song is Open by Rhye.

Rhye is another duo formed by Michael Milosh (who was born in Canada, but then moved to Berlin to make music) and Robin Hannibal who is a Dutch singer and one half of Quadron. They're both based in LA now. They met in 2010 when Robin found out about Michael's work through a record company and contacted him. He ended up going to Berlin to collaborate and made three tracks. Individually they both ended up moving stateside and that's when the duo was born.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 31

Hi. Today's song is Runaway by AURORA.

Aurora is Aurora Aksnes and is I think the first Norwegian singer I've feature so give it up for Norway!! She's been making music since she was six and writing lyrics since she was nine. I'll actually be featuring another one of her sings that she wrote when she was a kid at a later date. For now though, you guys get this one. This song was not her first single, but it was the one that got her a lot of attention when it came to streaming services and music blogs like me. So if you like it keep a watch out for her other song as we keep going.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 30

Hey everyone. So today's song is Let It All Go by Birdy and Rhodes.

This is another collaboration song. Birdy is a stage name that was a nickname from her parents when she was a kid. Her real name is Jasmine Lucilla Elizabeth Jennifer van den Bogaerde... which is a mouthful. She got mega famous after at 14 she released a cover of Skinny Love. Since then she's moved on and up through music making quite the name for herself. Rhodes is David Rhodes who is also a British singer. His music career started when his demo started getting radio plays. Since then he's gone on tours, played at festival and released some more music. This song with Birdy is arguably his most popular. If you like this song you should check out their other stuff.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 29

Hiya. Today I give you Bridges by Broods.

This is another musical duo, but this time they are from New Zealand. It consists of siblings Georgia Josiena Nott and Caleb Allan Joseph Nott, and they've been at this since 2013. They've been performing together since they were kids and hung around while their parents played in an ABBA cover band. While in university they were in a band called The Peasants, but it broke up in 2012. Eventually the two both dropped out of university to devote their time to Broods. This song was their first single and garnered a lot of attention which junp started the rest of their career. It seemed like a good one to show you so now you can follow their career on and up. Enjoy!

Peace.

Year 5, Day 28

Hello. So today's song is Written In The Stars by The Girl and the Dreamcatcher.

This is a pop duo from LA made up of Disney Stars. I know Dove because I watched her in the Descendants movie. I like the concept of writing above the kids of Disney villains and it probably would have been awesome if it was made by a more mature group than the Disney Corporation. I know Ryan because of Heathers: The Musical which I am obsessed with. So the two started out posting covers of songs on YouTube and then they decided to team up on original stuff, thus the duo was formed. They parted ways in 2016 and from the sounds of it don't get along anymore so this is all we'll get from them. It is a good song though so at least we had them for awhile.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 27

Hey. Today's song is Safe and Sound by Capital Cities.

These guys are an American indie band, and are made up of (at the time I'm writing) Ryan Merchant, Sebu Simonian, Manny Quintero, Spencer Ludwig, Nick Merwin, and Channing Holmes. The band in any form has been around since 2010. The band was started by Merchant and Simonian after a successful career making jingles together. It may have nothing to do with the band, but I've always low-key loved jingles. It's such a great way to advertise because you never forget them. Anyway, they were signed in 2012, and this song was their first single. I know it from a movie, but most people recognize it from its commercial use. We haven't heard too much from the band since except for one other really well done music video, but last year they hinted that new music was on the way so I guess we'll wait and see.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 26

Hi guys. So today's song is Waves by Mr. Probz and remixed by Robin Schulz.

This is a pretty special one because I think it's the first Dutch musician I've featured so give it up for the Netherlands!! Mr. Probz is a stage name for Dennis Princewell Stehr who has been active since 2005 and has had great success closer to home before blowing up in the North American charts. This remix is a big part of why he made the jump to an area where I found him. We don't get a lot of music from other countries where I am. I mean anything big in the States and then the artists born and bred here, but from other continents not so much so I never would have known about this guy without Robin Schulz, and for that I am thankful. Robin is a German musician and DJ. While being active since 2007, the release of this remix in 2014 was actually the first single he's done that's been on a record. So the release of this song marked big things for both guys. I hope you listen and if you like it, check out some more stuff by both of them.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 25

Hey. Today I give you The Less I Know The Better by Tame Impala.

Before you even open the video please know that I really didn't want to show you guys the beginning of that, but the song itself is too good to pass up. Also is I can get through watching this music video with my sister then I can definitely show you guys without much more trauma. These guys are from Australia, formed in 2007, and are classified as "psychedelic rock." Tame Impala started as the pet project of Kevin Parker who posted some stuff on Myspace garnering attention from record labels. He got signed and then added Dominic Simper and Jay Watson to play them live. They released an EP in 2008 and then ended up touring with a bunch of bands (like The Black Keys *cough ANNA *cough). Since then they've been consistently releasing music so there is a lot for you to check out if you like it.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 24

Hello. So today's song is The Trouble With Us by Chet Faker and Marcus Marr.

Marcus Marr is an English DJ, and he collaborated with Chet Faker (an Australian singer) on this track. I guess they met because Faker posted one of Marr's songs on social media, and so that opened up a line of communication between them. I'm glad it did because I love this song. Now let me do a mini breakdown on both of them for you. Marcus Marr have been active since 2010 and was inspired to become a DJ after witnessing a set by DJ Harvey. After he was signed to a label is when he teamed up with Chet Faker and they released a four song EP of collab work. So yes this is not the only song featuring their joint prowess. Go find the rest. Also make sure to check out his new stuff too because he's still going strong on his own. Now for the other one... So Chet Faker is a stage name. He's actually called Nick Murphy (which is what he's going by now musically) and has been active since 2011. You normally don't get to know why people use stage names, but in this case his own name is pretty generic, and when he was first starting out people kept confusing him with another musician by the same name. So he chose Chet Faker to pay homage to one of his musical inspirations Chet Baker. I'm still waiting to see what he's going to do now that he's dropped that pseudonym, but I'm excited.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 23

Hi. Today's song is Could Have Been Me by The Struts.

It takes awhile for the song to start in this video, but it'll be worth it once you hear the music. This is another English rock band, hailing from Derby this time. Members include Luke Spiller, Adam Slack, Jed Elliott, Gethin Davies. That's the current lineup at least. Back when they formed in 2009 the last two guys weren't there and we had Jamie Binns and drummer Rafe Thomas instead. When Spiller and Slack met in 2009 they were both in bands that were tearing at the seams, so when they clicked it was perfect for both of them. They made music like that for three years and recruited their friends to play with them until they found the other two later on. The band name was from a slip of the tongue at a rehearsal which is awesome. "I was just moving around and somebody was like, 'you strut around a lot.' From then on, we knew we had a great name. We couldn't believe it hadn't been taken." They have great music, and are kind of on the way (if not there already) to being rock gods, having shared the stage with The Rolling Stone, The Who, and Guns N' Roses. So check out their other stuff if you like it.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 22

Hey. So today's song is It Gets Cold by Eliza and the Bear.

These guys are a lesser known group so finding information on them is hard, but here's what I've got: The band consists of James Kellegher, Callie Noakes, Martin Dukelow, Chris Brand, and Paul Jackson. They hail from London, England. They've been a band since 2011 and are still active, having released a new song the week before I'm writing this. (I'm writing posts in advance so I'm not adding a date because I have no idea when this will actually get posted but new music so yay!) If you like what you hear support the band and share it with others because I want them to get huge. Here is their website, Facebook, and Twitter to get you started.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 21

Hi. Today's song is Zavelow House by Owsley.

This is another super weird song that I've absolutely fallen in love with. I honestly can't listen to it enough. I will never be tired of it. So Owsley is a last name. His full name is William Reese Owsley the third, and if ever there was a person that I wont question having numbers follow their name it would be him. This family seems to be a crazy talented one when it comes to the arts. His father was in a marching ban, his mom was a singer, sister was a pianist, and his brother a rock guitarist. I don't know what you would classify Will as so we'll just call him awesome. He started off as a part of an MTV band, and that got him huge notice by record labels, so much so that he formed his own band and started making an album. The Semantics didn't work out though because apparently their stuff was "too pop for alternative and too alternative for pop." Yeah....I'd love to shove that comment in the face of whoever said it now because music genres cross and mix constantly. The ended up dropped and devastated. After that he became a tour guitarist and did his stuff kind of on the side until he died in 2010. It's awful that he killed himself, that there was something going on that deep in his soul that he went there, but I'm going to choose to appreciate what he gave us while he was still around. I hope you do too.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 20

Hey. So today's song is Can't Sleep by K.Flay.

Her full name is Kristine Flaherty, but is known by the shortened version in the industry. She started her career in 2003 while she was going to school for psychology and sociology. She believed that hip hop hits were "simplistic, misogynistic and formulaic" and said she could write similar stuff, so she did. After her parody song of the industry was done, she realized she liked what she was doing and expanded her musical repertoire by experimenting with genres. She made her own mixtape in 2005 which she performed locally. She released a self titled EP in 2010, followed quickly by another self released mixtape the year after. In 2012 she got her break and was signed to RCA Records, and promptly released two more EP's. There was bad blood between her and the record company, and she ended up leaving them and without the rights to 60 songs she had written while on contract. Since then she's released a lot more music, and has made a pretty good following for herself through exposure touring and collaborating with other artists so make sure you check out more of her stuff.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 19

Hello. Today I give you Distant Past by Eveything Everything.

I love this song. It's so weird and every time I hear it's opening I get a dorky smile on my face and mentally prepare to sing along because I can't not. So they formed in 2007 and are made up of Jonathan Higgs, Jeremy Pritchard, Michael Spearman, and Alex Robertshaw. They chose their band name as a "détournement of sorts of an over-saturated media culture into something idealistic and expansive." They have four albums out and this song comes from the third one. I honestly don't know what else to tell you about the band, you just need to hear it. It's....everything. Everything.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 18

Hey guys. Today's song is Can't Keep Checking My Phone by Unknown Mortal Orchestra.

Remember how yesterday I said I hadn't featured a New Zealand artist? Surprise here's another one... or at least half... they are classified as an American New Zealand rock band so there you go. It's comprised of Ruban Nielson, Jake Portrait, Quincy McCrary, and Amber Baker. They actually got big after Nielson posted a song anonymously on Bandcamp with no information about who or what it was. It went kind of viral with everyone trying to hunt down who the track was from. Eventually he opened up and said it was from UMO. The next year they released their debut album and it gained traction fast (courtesy of the same people who put on the search for the anonymous track's author.) Pitchfork had led the charge and with the new album they dubbed it "a unique immersive and psychedelic quality without relying on the usual array of bong-ripping effects." Accurate statement as far as I'm concerned. Their second album came out in 2013 and with that one came a lot of mainstream exposure. This song comes from their third album released in 2015 and is also featured in FIFA 16 like yesterday's song. And I swear to you I do not play FIFA so I have no idea how all my music is from the game. Coincidences exist everyone.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 17

Hey. So today's song is Let Me Know by No Wyld.

These guys I think are the first group I've ever featured from New Zealand so give it up for the Kiwis!! The group started in 2010 with Mo Kheir, Brandon Black and Joe Pascoe. Mo and Joe met when they were going to school together and then found Brandon through a family member. They started jamming together and playing covers. Their career is kind of funny in that it's attracted more companies for advertising purposes than being featured in other pop culture staples. Not to say they haven't been featured, they definitely have (hello 90210 and WWE.) This song in particular made an appearance in FIFA 16, and another song of theirs was in NHL 15, NFL 16, and Need For Speed. So even if you think you don't know this band, it's very likely you do through random subliminal plays. Now is the time to take it from passive listening to active listening. Let me know what you think.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 16

Hi everyone. Today's song is Tiring Game by John Newman featuring Charlie Wilson.

The story of how Newman got started song music is a really sad one and not what I expected. He had been using music as a way of processing his grief after his two friends died in a car crash. He was still a teenager at the time, but the obsession with music really started there. By twenty he was signed to a label, and met one of the members of Rudimental which is how he got his big break. He ended up being featured on one of their songs. That one became a massive hit so the group featured him on a second track too. He officially debuted in 2013 with his first album and is on his way to a second one right now so check him out. Now I have to talk a bit about Charlie Wilson because his voice blew me out of the water the first time I heard this song. I don't know what about him did it, but I was feeling a preacher vibe from him so I wanted to check his history to see is I was right. Well, not him technically, but his father was a Reverend which was close enough to satisfy my curiosity. Charlie and his brothers, after singing in the church for so long, formed a group called the Gap Band who went strong for 15 albums. They retired in 2010 and then Charlie went solo. If you want to get technical Charlie stated working on the solo stuff in 2005 with his first album, with the second coming out after the retirement. His jacket reads like the seasoned performer he is so if you are ever in the mood, go follow his career through the tunes. It looks like quite the journey.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 15

Hey. Today's song is Cigarette Daydreams by Cage The Elephant.

These guys are from Kentucky and have actually been around since 2006 which is a pretty long time. They did move to London, England in 2008 so they could go into a group with the Brits too I guess. Fair warning the song doesn't start until a minute and a half in to the video so you can skip ahead if you want. Apparently the band name came from a mentally disturbed patron to one of their shows. He just kept repeating the phrase to them so they decided to make it their name. I guess it was as good a place to gain inspiration as any so good for them. There's been a little bit of turnover for members so I'm not going to put up all their names, but there's a lot of years worth of material by them if you find that the sound is your style.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 14

Hello everyone. Today I give you Violet by Hippo Campus.

These guys are from Minnesota and are clearly very talented. The members all met in high school at a performing arts conservatory and have been in other bands before this one. Those bands include Blatant Youth/Whistle Kid; Danger, and Will Robinson/Northern. Eventually they came together and became Hippo Campus (and I would really like to know why they're named that, but I can't find that info.) They often use stage names, but I'm going to stick with their real names for now so may I introduce you to Jake Luppen, Nathan Stocker, Zach Sutton, and Whistler Allen. I do have to admit that every time I hear this song play without checking the artist my first thought is that it's Paper Lions. That's a compliment though because those guys are great. Anyway tell me what you think.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 13

Hiya. So today's song is Take Me Home by Jess Glynne.

This is another British singer who rose to fame after being the voice in the song Rather Be which I think I've already featured in an earlier year. Either that or it's going to come up eventually. Rather Be wasn't the first song she was featured on, having previously been on a track for DJ Annie Mac. That's where Clean Bandit herd he voice and wanted to collab. She's been around the music industry since she was a kid thanks to her mom being an A&R rep. She herself has worked behind the scenes before her breakout in 2013. She's done work as a judge before on X-Factor (hilarious since she at one time was auditioning to be a contestant) and turned down another offer from The Voice UK. This song particularly was used in 2015 as the official Children In Need charity single which I think is super cool. It's nice to see big names team up with charities. Everyone needs a cause they can get behind.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 12

Hey guys. Today's song is Afterglow by Wilkinson.

This guys name is Mark Wilkinson and is a DJ from London, England. Yes I will clarify it's England every time because there is also London, Ontario that might not be as prominent around the world, but it's necessary where I am. This guy's birthday is the same as my sisters. He's older, but twinsies haha. Obviously it's not him singing on this track because he is a male and that voice has an obvious feminine lilt. So the singer if you're curious is Becky Hill. Wilkinson has been active since 2010, and this song was taken from the middle of his career, so you can check out lots of other stuff by him. Becky has been active since 2012 after getting exposure from The Voice UK. Her birthday is only one day off from mine otherwise these two would have been a hilarious and random connect to my sister and I. I'm a little sad it wasn't perfect, but it's close enough that I find it funny. Anyway hope you like it.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 11

Hi. Today's song is Stolen Dance by Milky Chance.

Can we take a second to recognize how nicely that title and band name roll off the tongue together? So good. This is a folk group from Germany made up of Clemens Rehbein, Philipp Dausch, and Antonio Greger. So give it up for Germany! From the sounds of it they were together writing their music for awhile before actually actively playing for audiences. They only played two shows before recording the debut album and released some of their stuff on YouTube. Including this song. Apparently they didn't expect it to get big but of course it did, becoming a viral sensation. In an interview with an Edmonton radio station (because why wouldn't a German band be interviewed by a city in my province in Canada, why not) they said that it took three years to write the song. I chose this song because I know it, I've heard it before, but if you like the vibe you should check out the newer stuff. They did just release an album this year so lots to listen to.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 10

Hello. So today's song is Strangers by The Rebel Light.

These guys are from LA are according to their website "draw heavily on their influence of the sun drenched sound of 60’s California pop." I am in no way an expert of 60's California pop because I didn't even know that was a specific sound but I will admit that listening to the track does give me that fun sun feel that I would associate with LA. These guys are relatively unknown in the grand scheme of things so if you like their stuff spread the love around. For now check out their website for more.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 9

Hello. So today's song is Yeah Yeah Yeah by Jax Jones.

His real name is Timucin Fabian Kwong Wah Aluo and he's from London, England. He can technically be classified many ways (DJ, record producer, singer, songwriter and remixer) but I think DJ is probably the most prominent considering his love of making beats. Sometime while he was in college he had a thing with his family which caused him to strike out on his own while working to his career. All I can say is that I'm so glad it worked out for him because he's seriously talented. He definitely has more popular singles than this one, but this is my favorite so it wins the spot on my blog. But seriously do go check out more of his stuff if this is your style of music.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 8

Hi. Today's song is Cake By The Ocean by DNCE.

I know it was a really popular song so many of you will already know it, but I purposefully keep them saved for a while before busting them out in hopes that it's been long enough now to double back around from annoyingly overplayed to a good jam again. Also I saved the version of this from Grease Live. I didn't watch it, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I mean I know all the main actors from other stuff and they have been good but the actual Grease is too dear to my heart to watch that remake and have them ruin it like they did with Footloose. This is the only song I've heard from it, and it's good. Different than the original which is to be expected, but a fun take on it. So you compare and maybe if the original is still overdone in your head the alternate version will be up your alley right now.

Peace.