Archives For mary margaret boswell

Daily Discovery: James Bay

Cause A Scene —  May 13, 2014 — Leave a comment

JB

Similar Artists: Tyrone Wells, Hozier, The Lone Bellow, Ben Howard, Bear’s Den

Since the release of his debut EP nearly a year ago, 23 year old British singer-songwriter, James Bay, has been causing a scene among indie folk lovers across the globe. Bay began writing songs at a young age, exposing the awkward and embarrassing hopes and fears of being a teenager in his lyrics. The same confidence and carefree spirit he had as a teenager still shines through his music today.

Although Bay claims his style was influenced by his favorite rock bands growing up, such as The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, and the Black Crowes, he decided to go with a simple, stripped down style for his first album release last summer, which mainly consists of his powerful, smooth voice and his acoustic guitar. His debut EP titled The Dark of the Morning conveys a common theme of a couple making the most of their last night together before calling it quits on their dying relationship in the morning.

Fans of Bay no longer have to wait with bated breath for a sophomore EP. He has released a copy of his new EP titled Demos on his website and SoundCloud page. No official release date for the U.S. has been set at this time.

– Mary Margaret Boswell

James Bay- ‘Let It Go’

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Daily Discovery: Spanish Gold

Cause A Scene —  March 26, 2014 — Leave a comment

Spanish Gold Promo

Those who attended their show at SXSW describe new band, Spanish Gold, as the next big thing. This supergroup consists of My Morning Jacket drummer Patrick Hallahan, Grupo Fantasma former guitarist Adrian Quesada, and guitarist/vocalist Dante Schwebel of Hacienda. The group started when Schwebel and Quesada, longtime friends, began playing around with demos in Quesada’s studio in their hometown of Laredo, Texas in early 2012. That fall, the two added Hallahan to their group, finalizing the creation of the trio. The three began recording songs at Dan Auerbach’s (vocalist of the Black Keys) Easy Eye Studios in Nashville. They continued recording in Austin with the help of Jim Eno of Spoon, then finished their full-length album in Louisville.

Rolling Stone debuted the trio’s first single “Out on the Street” six months ago. The single breaks music genre barriers by blending together grunge, psychedelic rock with mid-tempo, 60s disco soul. When listening to the song, one might compare the rhythm to Arcade Fire’s “Reflektor” and the vocals to Foals’ “My Number.” The group managed to achieve a perfect balance of synth pop and rock ‘n roll in “Out on the Street.”

Members of the band describe their full-length album, which will be released May 27, 2014, as crossing all styles of music – from R&B and soul, to hip-hop, rock, and synth pop. We’re looking forward to the release of this album and seeing what’s in store for the future of Spanish Gold.

– Mary Margaret Boswell

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Daily Discovery: Bleachers

Cause A Scene —  March 14, 2014 — 1 Comment

bleachers2

Bleachers is an American indie pop-rock band based in New York City that was formed by Jack Antonoff, lead guitarist of Fun. Antonoff kept the existence of his side project a secret for a year, during which he recorded his first album, due in the spring. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Antonoff explains that his vision for Bleachers is to “bridge the gap between Disclosure and Arcade Fire – something both streamlined and organic. The production and songwriting is extremely over-the-top, extremely epic and unapologetic. The record is all about finding a world where you can be kind to yourself in.” 

Bleachers released their first single, “I Wanna Get Better”, on February 18, 2014, and it has already taken the music world by storm. Antonoff’s orotund vocals, combined with heavy percussion, give way to an edgier, coarser sound than what has been seen in Fun. Antonoff sees “I Wanna Get Better” as the story of his existence thus far. Although the song is a personal expression of struggle and desperation, there is a sense of joyous hope in the sound. With an upbeat, optimistic chorus, this song is the perfect anthem for 2014.

 

Bleachers has announced a few tour dates across the U.S. and Europe beginning in mid-April. You can catch a live performance on Late Night with Seth Meyers on March 26th.

– Mary Margaret Boswell

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