Court Yard Hounds – “Ain’t No Son”
I wasn’t quite sure how I would feel listening to 2/3 of the Dixie Chicks. I mean, I am in love with Natalie Maines’ voice and without it I wasn’t sure how it would go. But then I reminded myself that Martie Maguire and Emily Robison were the ones that created the Chicks and they both are incredibly musically talented. Thankfully the sisters deliver with good old rockin’ country. “Ain’t No Son” is a hard driving track that will get you thumping your foot along to the beat. I am still waiting patiently for the Dixie Chicks to release a new record, but in the meantime the Court Yard Hounds satisfy my need for some good country twang.
Check out the Court Yard Hounds performing on The Late Show with David Letterman
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Josh Ritter – “Change of Time”
I really enjoy Josh Ritter. He has established himself as a singer-songwriter that other singer-songwriters look to for direction. His songwriting skill is advanced and his delivery is crystal clear. With his new album, So Runs the World Away, the 33 year-old Ritter serves up another solid track with “Change of Time”. The instrumentation beautifully sweeps across the track and the lyrics are like leaves caught in that breeze. Yeah, I’m deep.
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Gin Wigmore – “Oh My”
Oh my, I enjoy this song. Here are the reasons: 1) Gin Wigmore is a great name. It sounds like it came together in a game of Madlibs or something along those lines. Great name. 2) She is adding herself to the great list of New Zealand exports along with Flight of the Conchords and the Lord of the Rings. 3) Her bad girl image combined with her raspy tone gives me an Amy Winehouse vibe without all of the rehab and baggage.
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LikeI was first exposed to the music of Matt Hales, Aqualung, with his 2005 release of Strange and Beautiful. That album was such a refreshing breath of fresh air in an industry that had been producing some stale music. Hales’ hinted in 2007 that Aqualung was done and I have been holding my breath ever since waiting for a new release. Thankfully today brings us Magnetic North. This couldn’t come at a better time seeing that all of that breath holding may have started causing me some irreversible damage.
Matt Hales
Magnetic North features all new material that was recorded in his new home of Los Angeles. Hales made the move to L.A. from the U.K. and it is clear that the sunny weather has helped him put together a warm and relaxed record that highlights his signature style. This record will no doubt solidify Matt Hales as a first rate singer-songwriter with a talent for creating music with meaning.
As warmer weather approaches many of us, I feel that Magnetic North will be the album that gets pulled out and put on heavy rotation. Each track is beautifully arranged and Hales’ soft voice is perfectly highlighted. Many tracks from the album are already getting picked up in television placement and I anticipate Aqualung will be back in the spotlight with this effort.
KC’s Personal Picks: “New Friend”, “Remember Us featuring Sara Bareilles”, “Fingertip” and “Reel Me In”
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I have been a fan of Justin Nozuka ever since he broke onto the scene in 2007 with his album Holly. “After Tonight”, the smash hit from the record, is still getting play and placement three years later. Nozuka’s got an incredibly soulful voice that is coated with peace, love and harmony. You can’t just listen to a Justin Nozuka record, you gotta feel it.
Nozuka wrote the tracks on Holly when he was just a teenager. It has always amazed me that a young man was not only able to write such incredibly insightful tracks, but he was able to support the songs with such a soulful voice that often sounded beyond its years. Nozuka has had three years to grow and over the course of that time his global touring has matured his writing and tone even more. April 13, 2010 brings the U.S. release of his sophomore album, You I Wind Land and Sea. This very well could be the album that makes Justin Nozuka a household name.
Tank and I had the pleasure of catching up with Nozuka recently as he was testing out some of his material in preparation for the release of the new album. You I Wind Land and Sea is emotional storytelling at its finest. Each track oozes heart and soul and when Nozuka talks about the project you can truly tell that he has connected with what he has done. Check out our exclusive interview with Justin Nozuka and get a deeper look into the mind of an artist that is on verge of a major breakthrough.
KC’s Personal Picks: “Woman Put Your Weapon Down”, “My Heart Is Yours” & “Heartless”
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We first featured Erik Hassle as part of our Weekly Jukebox a month ago with his break through hit, “Hurtful”. That catchy track got us hooked and we were thrilled to pick up the full album, in early March 2010, when it was released in the U.S. market. Hassle’s got a singer-songwriter swagger with swirls of soul and R&B influencing his tone. There is just something about his music that makes you take notice. It might also be the fact that he is rockin’ a huge tangle of bright red hair on the top of his head.
Hassle's hair is hiding.
Hassle hails from Sweden and has blazing red hair. Prior to Hassle we only associated Sweden with ABBA and blazing red hair with Carrot Top. Thank you to Erik Hassle for being a musical Swedish export and for proving that red heads can be talented. And talented he is. Pieces is a solid collection of poppy songs that have that special something that gets you singing along. The overall sound of the album reminds me of the soulful stylings of Gavin DeGraw. The reoccurring theme of the album rotates lyrically around love and love lost. The up-tempo tracks and the slower jams both view relationships through the lens of young man that is trying to figure love out.
Hassle is now out on the road wearing his emotions on his sleeves and audiences are eating it up. It is just a matter of time before his music is landing smack dab in the middle of mainstream exposure.
KC’s Personal Picks: “Hurtful”, “Don’t Bring Flowers”, and “Standing Where You Left Me”
Erik Hassle’s video for “Hurtful”
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When we interviewed our good friend Andrew Ripp we were interested to know who he was listening to. He shared the music of Stacy Clark with us and we have been hooked ever since. Clark’s 2007 release, Apples & Oranges, is an interesting experiment that combines folk and elements of electronic. There are moments on this record when her tracks sound like a beautiful blending of Imogen Heap’s style with Vanessa Carlton’s vocals. Clark intrigued us so much that we knew we wanted to track her down for an interview.
Stacy Clark live on stage
We recently caught up with Clark with the hopes of carving out a few minutes from her busy tour schedule. We were treated to a stellar live performance followed up with some great conversations over dinner. In addition to being a creative singer-songwriter, we discovered that she is also a savvy entrepreneur and giving philanthropist. Her music is her passion and she has a plan all mapped out for herself. Just recently, Clark and her band walked away with the “Best Pop Artist” award at the 2010 Orange County Music Awards. Stacy Clark certainly has her head on straight and her sights are set on getting her music out there.
Thankfully, we will be able to get our hands on new music from Clark this summer when she releases Connect the Dots. In the meantime, Apples & Oranges is an album that you need to get acquainted with. Don’t be surprised if “Matter of Time” becomes your new favorite song.
KC’s Personal Picks: “Matter of Time”, “Closer” & “Hello Again”
Check out our exclusive interview with Stacy Clark
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