Kasper From the K, born Timothy Lee Hoggard, is an up and coming rap/hip-hop artist from Henderson, KY.  So, somewhere in a cornfield in Kentucky, little Timothy found this genie who granted him his wish to join the ranks in hip-hop stardom.  Of course his genie’s name was Joel Hopper, a producer who has previously worked with Nappy Roots, Static Major and The Villiebillies; and this genie helped to bring a new level of musical wizardry to the hip-hop world by presenting to us Kasper from the K.

Kasper has developed a fanatical following throughout the Midwest, which naturally includes this Chicago native and FreshScouts writer.  His songs have “peek-a-boo’d” on the airwaves and his list of singles include “Whatchagonnado” and “Kwad Up.”  If my words aren’t luring enough to create a demand for Kasper, then just take a listen to the single “Shake It Down.”  Aw yeah.

Check out Kasper from the K on:

Their latest (and first official) release, Barton Hollow, exemplifies their “musical synergy”, a term first coined earlier in the first paragraph of this post by me. The album is a tribute to folk music with each track generating the kind of traditional, simple acoustic sound you’d expect from artists like Ray LaMontagne or Amos Lee.  Singers John Paul White and Joy Williams first met at a camp for aspiring songwriters and immediately recognized their potential as a duet. Lucky for us, that partnership led to the creation of an EP and, now, their first full-length album.

Barton Hallow includes a recording of “Poison & Wine” along with other powerful tracks including “C’est la Mort” and the title track “Barton Hallow”.  You’ll find a great mix of blue-sy, soulful folk songs that exhibit both singers vocal talent and smooth harmonies.  Oddly enough, co-lead singer John Paul White also has an odd resemblance to Johnny Depp. Maybe it’s the goatee.

Check out Barton Hallow on:

Amazon Music

She has a certain stage presence that makes you immediate think of some of the great performers of the 20′s and 30′s, and you realize very quickly that this little package packs a very large punch. She had my attention the entire show and left me wanting more. I guarantee we’ll be at the next show in Chicago and you would be cheating yourself if you weren’t there too.

Luckily, we were able to catch up with her after the show to talk about her upcoming plans for 2011 and find out just exactly how she got started in the music industry. Check out our exclusive interview with April Smith:

Check out April Smith on:

Amazon Music

Atmosphere is sort of a mixture between The Flobots and The Gorillaz in the sense that their beats are highly developed and unique, and their lyrical flow is incredibly robust.  You’ll get lost in their tracks with a veritable  mixture of grungy electric guitars, simple piano riffs and reverbed chordal progressions.  Of course, you’ll get a heavy mix of hot drum beats that will encourage you to make attempts at rapping (realizing very quickly that this is not something you are good at.)

Who would have thought that such a successful hip-hop group would come from Minneapolis, MN?  I mean, don’t get me wrong I’ve got nothing against Minneapolis. It is a fine city full of culture and malls that are entirely too big.  But you don’t exactly think of Minneapolis when you think of “the next best thing in hip-hop music.” Just goes to show that you can never judge a book by its cover. Unless that book is “Justin Bieber: The Unauthorized Biography”, then yeah I think you can pretty much judge it by its cover.

If you want some super solid hip-hop that’s new and different and refreshing and not touched at all by Kanye West, then check out Atmosphere.  They’re the bomb (as referenced by the 90′s.)

Check out To All My Friends, Blood Makes The Blade Holy on:

Amazon Music

His latest release, Mission Bell, is no exception. It pulls in inspiration from all of these different styles and is absolutely Amos Lee. Admittedly I’ve always been a fan of the Philadelphian singer-songwriter, but something about the consistency in which he creates memorable albums is an accomplishment most artists can only aspire to. Many times when trying to explain his music to someone that has never heard it, I call him the male Norah Jones. He has a perfectly tuned voice that exemplifies the melody without overpowering the simple background accompaniment (which is most often just an acoustic guitar.)

If you haven’t heard of Amos Lee or simply haven’t gotten around to checking out his music, make this your New Year’s resolution.  His self-titled album as well as his sophomore release Supply and Demand got me hooked and are guaranteed to get you hooked too.

Check out Mission Bell on:

Amazon Music

A cousin’s neighbor’s uncle’s half brother’s best friend’s study buddy of mine actually knows Kid Sister.  True story.   Knowing that I could potentially be best friends with a musical genius, I decided to explore Kid Sister’s melodious workings.  I decided she’s pretty good.  So now you can say a cousin’s neighbor’s blah blah blah knows Kid Sister and you guys are pretty much best friends.

Eliza Doolittle – “Rollerblades”

Do you hear that? It sounds a bit like lemonade stands, swimming pools, and freeze pops. Eliza Doolittle has a few intriguing and enjoyable hits which include this little delight with “Rollerblades.” I’ll support anyone who tries to creatively bring back a token of my childhood. This song even inspires me to lace up the ‘ol inline skates and practice by backwards couple skate maneuvers. Memories.

Iron and Wine – “Boy With a Coin”

Iron and Wine… like liver and Cabernet or shrimp and Merlot OR this singer-songwriter from South Carolina. The clapping paralleling with the guitar strumming in this song inspires for me an immediate reaction of toe tapping and enjoyment. Plus, he plays a banjo. Banjos have and will always be fun. If you dare to argue I’ll thumb wrestle you…to death.

Their latest release The King Is Dead is a soulful delivery of impeccable harmonies and relaxing instrumentation.  Like Enya except not.  Or possibly like Kenny G, except also not.  I’ve always appreciated their incredible combination of traditional folk instruments and styling to create a completely unique sound that’s instantly recognizable as The Decemberists.  And with six albums currently out, they are obviously doing something right.  If you stood their fan base shoulder to shoulder, the line would wrap around the world six times.  That is a completely amazing fact I may or may not have just made up, but I’m sure it’s pretty close.  I mean, they have a lot of fans.

Honestly, if you like The Decemberists or even just great relaxing music, you should definitely check out their latest release The King Is Dead.  We promise you’ll be satisfied.  And it has nothing to do with Enya.  We also promise that.

Check out the King Is Dead on:

Amazon Music

“Flags” is her most recent project, released worldwide in October of last year, and it’s been a project of love and growth for Fraser, who says the album is a huge step forward for her and her career.

“I was very sober about releasing this album. I really didn’t know if I was about to have a massive gong show and ruin my career by putting this out, but I knew that I didn’t care,” Fraser said. “I believed in the songs and in the honest way we’d treated them, and I just crossed my fingers and hoped that people would get it.”

Turns out, people do get it. Not only that, but they love it, too.

“I’m very grateful for that,” Fraser added. “’Flags’ feels like a definite step forward for me as an artist, and not a tentative one, but a shoulders-back, chin-forward step. I know what the album is and what it isn’t. What is isn’t is perfect or completely cohesive. What it is, is a story.”

And that story is universal enough to be enjoyed by music fans from every walk of life. The beauty of Fraser’s music is that any lover of any genre of music can pop into onto an iPod and appreciate what she’s doing. Everybody relates to beautiful music, and thankfully, that’s exactly who Fraser has been able to reach.

“People everywhere are the same kaleidoscope of different tastes and wants and needs,” Fraser explained. “At my shows, we seem to have the same very vast cross section of people—everyone from 9 year old girls to senior citizens and everyone in between—college students, soccer moms, working professionals. It’s a great thrill to see so many different types of people connecting with the songs I’m writing.”

Fraser hopes those connections last for the rest of her life, as she feels her music career is only just now getting off the ground.

“I hope that I will have the opportunity to do this for a long time to come, but you never know what life could throw at you,” she said, adding, “Consequently, I try to retain a sense of wonder about this job and be grateful for every opportunity. There will definitely be more solo albums, but I also look forward to turning my attention to side projects and other collaborative fun stuff in the years to come. I do know, though, that I will always write songs, whether they are heard or not.”

We’re hoping that all of them get heard. So does everybody in New Zealand. And so should every other music-lover in the world.