Robin Packalen, known as Robin, is Finland’s version of Justin Bieber. That’s what they call him at least. I encountered him on my recent visit to Helsinki and even though I can’t understand Finnish his music has a catchy feel to it. He is definitely your typical teen pop singer and he has the fans to prove it. If you’re a fan of Justin Bieber or Austin Mahone, but are looking for an international twist, then check out Robin’s music video above.
Dark indie rockers, Maudlin Strangers have recently signed to Vagrant Records. Formed in 2010, Maudlin Strangers is the project of Agoura Hills, CA native, Jake Hays. They recorded their debut EP, Overdose in Hays’ bedroom and released it just last month. To say that it is uh-mazing is an understatement. Where did these guys come from? Vocals are killer and their overall sound just sets up this chill, but poignant tone.
Definitely have a listen to the EP on Soundcloud. If your ears are dancing, you can catch them live while they are rounding up their tour with Bad Suns. Dates below.
Maudlin Strangers on Tour:
02/23/2015: Dallas, TX – Trees**
02/24/2015: Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s**
02/25/2015: Austin, TX – Stubbs JR ** SOLD OUT
02/27/2015: Phoenix, AZ – The Crescent Ballroom **
03/06/2015: Los Angeles, CA – The Satellite
03/14/2015: Phoenix, AZ – Viva Phoenix
** w/ Bad Suns & Coasts
Singer-songwriter Taylor Berrett is new to the scene, but he’s been keeping busy. Last year, Berrett toured with Alex Care and now he will be releasing his debut album, Great Falls, on March 10, 2015, via Warner Bros. Records. This is a debut album I can’t wait to hear. He may get compared to Jason Mraz, but Berrett has a more nostalgic, feel-good vibe to him that makes him different. Have a listen to his track “Those Days“ above and you will see what I mean.
Brika, is an up and coming talent from Miami and her track, “Expectations” will have you hooked. She has almost 700,000 plays of the track on her SoundCloud page and 1.2 million plays between all four of her singles. Not bad for someone who began their career in 2013 according to her Facebook page.
Her other songs, “Gold”, “Option” and “Mumbai” each have a unique sound and her soothing voice blends well with each style. I definitely can’t wait to hear an album. Check out the music video for “Expectations” above and visit her SoundCloud page for more music.
Last year I got introduced to the music of Jaymes Young and it has become an addiction. I absolutely love his voice and his smooth combo of indie with electronic music is perfect. He has this mysterious persona thing going on for him, so here’s a quick wrap up of what we do know about him.
Who: Jaymes Young
From: Seattle, Washington
The Story: Jaymes is a 23-year old singer-songwriter currently residing in Los Angeles, CA. He self-released his Dark Star EP in May 2013 and has since been featured in Nylon Magazine, Earmilk and Noisey. According to Pigeons and Planes, Jaymes has signed to Atlantic Records.
Claim to fame: Did a North American and UK tour with, London Grammar.
Sound: Indie, Electronic, Rock, R&B.
Stand-out tracks: “Dark Star” and “Moondust”.
Up Next: Dark Star EP is out now. His debut album is set to be released this year. Announced on January 29, 2014 via his Facebook page that a music video for “Dark Star” would be coming soon.
Why you should know him: That voice! Listen to his track, “Dark Star” below and you’ll feel his talent.
For more info on Jaymes Young, visit his official website here.
Who: Cameron The Public aka Cameron Rafati (vocals and mastermind), Douglas Showalter (Guitar), Bana Haffar (Bass), Peter Dyer (Keys) and Emmanuel Cervantez (Drums).
From: Cameron is originally from Denver, CO and raised in Salt Lake City, UT.
The Story: Cameron began playing guitar at 13 years old and sang at local events. He attended USC and started a band named Vertices on campus. He released his self-titled solo album in 2011. It was produced by Scott Wiley (Bonnie Raitt, Elliot Smith, Tracey Chapman, Neon Trees). Later he had a residency at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas. As of June 5th of this year, the band decided to shift from Cameron’s solo effort to being a solid band known as Cameron The Public. Together they have toured with acts like Fitz and the Tantrums, Imagine Dragons, Jason Derulo, Goo Goo Dolls, Sean Kingston, Vintage Trouble and The Parlotones.
Claim to fame: Their newest track, “Unstoppable” is featured on ABC’s Summer Lineup promo. Cameron has also worked with Chad Hugo (The Neptunes) and Randy Jackson (American Idol) to write and perform renowned boxer, Manny Pacquiao’s walkout theme song, “Face Your Destiny”.
Sound: Blues and R&B fused rock.
Stand-out tracks: “Apple Pie” (listen below) and “Broken Door”.
Up Next: New EP, Title Needed Here, coming September 2013.
Why you should know them: After listening to “Apple Pie” and “Broken Door” you’ll understand why.
For more info on Cameron The Public, visit their official website here.
LE PAIGE
Band Members: Beau Garner, Adrian Padua, Nick Banaszak, and Luke Denney.
Le Paige, consisting of Beau Garner (Vocals), Adrian Padua (Guitar), Nick Banaszak (Bass), and Luke Denney (Drums), are a pop-rock band based in Hollywood, CA. The band name is taken from their lead singer’s middle name with an additional “i” thrown in. This is supposedly because it makes it look more “classy”. Don’t question it.
Hailing from Alaska, California and Georgia, the band met at their Los Angeles school, The Musicians Institute. Since forming in 2011 they have played legendary SoCal venues including: The Whisky A Go-Go, The Roxy, House of Blues, The Key Club and Chain Reaction. They released their debut CD, Hit The Lights in January 2012. Five months later, one of their dreams came true when they played the Ernie Ball Stage at the Vans Warped Tour date in Anaheim. They are influenced by modern rockers like The Killers, Fall Out Boy and All American Rejects.
Even though their music is pop-rock ala Blink 182 with a younger and fresher twist, they hope to show a more serious side with their next release, Goodnight to Midnight. Their past success with Kickstarter.com encouraged them to use it again to fund this release. Gaining support from all of their fans and friends they were able to raise over $9,000 in funds. Goodnight to Midnight was recorded with veteran producer, Lee Dyess, who has worked with Mayday Parade and Go Radio. They chose to collaborate with Lee because he instantly connected with them and because of his past work with some of their favorite bands. He’s currently putting the finishing touches on the sophomore EP.
Next up, Le Paige is planning on playing more local shows and to continue growing their fan base. Their goal is to reach new fans, or rather friends as they like to say, with their second EP. Slowly, but surely these guys will do just that.
Take a listen to their first EP, Hit The Lights below, featuring the tracks: “Another Chance to Lose”, “Iceberg Ahead”, “Truly Divine” and “Modern Day Aphrodite”. Their music can also be found on Spotify and iTunes.
For more information on Le Paige visit their official site at: www.lepaigeband.com or their Facebook page.
THE WANTED
Band Members: Max George, Tom Parker, Nathan Sykes, Jay McGuiness, Siva Kaneswaran
By: Nevra Azerkan
If you haven’t heard of The Wanted in the past month then you have probably been living under a rock. The British and Irish boy band just finished their ten-city tour of the U.S. The London based band is a hit overseas and have proved the same here in the states.
The Wanted formed in 2009 when Jayne Collins (mastermind behind The Saturdays and Parade) held an audition. They were signed with Geffen Records, whose President, Colin Barlow, was looking for five young talented male singers to form a group. He found what he was looking for in Max George, Tom Parker, Nathan Sykes, Jay McGuiness and Siva Kaneswaran.
They quickly got to work and collaborated with producers Guy Chambers, Taio Cruz and Steve Mac on their self-titled debut album. It was released in 2010 and produced three singles: “All Time Low”, “Heart Vacancy” and “Lose My Mind”. Their second album, Battleground was released in 2011 producing four singles including: “Gold Forever” (released in aid of Comic Relief), “Glad You Came”, “Lightning” and their current single, “Warzone”.
In 2011, they began their first theatre tour called The Behind Bars Tour, followed by their U.S. Tour in January and February of 2012 and then they jumped into #TheCode Tour which was their first arena tour visiting the UK and Ireland in February and March of 2012. The Wanted have also been the supporting act for select dates with Justin Bieber and Britney Spears in the past. Currently, they are going back and forth between the UK and US, promoting their EP release in the states. They are now working on their second US album (third for the UK) which they hope to release by the end of 2012. These guys are staking their ground in the music industry and we will probably see them do plenty more tours all over the world. Our review of their Los Angeles performance can be found here.
The Wanted are in a whirlwind of performances, press and award show events. They made their American TV debut on The Ellen DeGeneres show, performing their single, “Glad You Came.” Watch it here. Since then they have performed twice on Jay Leno, once on The Voice US and at the 2012 Billboard Awards. Their latest single, “Chasing The Sun” will be featured in Ice Age 4.
While they have the essence of a boy band, the music they are producing is not cheesy like boy bands of the 90s. The Wanted is edgier, catchier and real. They keep their music fresh by mixing up their sound in each track. It’s unpredictable and fun. But on top of that, what makes these guys so likeable is how genuine they are. Watching them on stage you can see their commodore and how much their fans mean to them. With The Wanted, what you see is what you get.
Kids These Days
Band Members: Macie Stewart (Vocals), Liam Cunningham (Guitar/Vocals), Vic Mensa (Rapper), J.P. Floyd (Trombone), Rajiv Orozco (Saxophone), Nico Segal (Trumpet), Lane Beckstrom (Bass), and Greg Landfair Jr. (Drums).
By: Nevra Azerkan
Kids These Days is a Chicago based, eight piece band comprised of 17-21 year olds. That’s right an eight piece band made up of young adults who have not only organized their sound into something coherent, but they are doing it surprisingly quite professionally. The band includes members: Macie Stewart (Vocals), Liam Cunningham (Guitar/Vocals), Vic Mensa (Rapper), J.P. Floyd (Trombone), Rajiv Orozco (Saxophone), Nico Segal (Trumpet), Lane Beckstrom (Bass), and Greg Landfair Jr. (Drums). Together they form a mixture of hip-hop, jazz and funk with a kick of ska. They have been compared to some of their own influences like Ozomatli and The Roots.
The band met through school and started out as cover band. Their versions were remixes of Common’s “Be” mixed with Dizzy Gillespie’s “A Night in Tunisia,” and James Brown’s “Man’s World” mixed with the Billie Holiday classic “Summertime.” Now playing their own material they have gone on to play sold out shows in Chicago as well as critically acclaimed performances at SXSW Music Festival and Lollapalooza. While many are impressed with their recordings, their live shows garner them new fans in the masses. There are not many mainstream bands that use horns in their music mostly because they can’t pull it off, but Kids These Days have the potential to bring that sound onto the airwaves.
The band released a five-song EP, entitled ‘Hard Times’ online in June of 2011. The EP includes the original songs: “Hard Times”, “My Days”, “Darling”, “Summerscent” and “Walking Down The Line”. Their sound is effortlessly smooth accompanied by refreshingly fun lyrics. It’s hard to believe they remain unsigned.
Be sure to watch their videos for “Darling” and “Summerscent” and you will be hitting repeat in no time. Their combination of styles is unconventional yet they blend perfectly without needing to fit into any one specific genre. Kids These Days are going to continue to attract attention, so be one of the first to discover them and buy their EP on iTunes and if you’re lucky enough don’t miss the opportunity to catch one of their live shows.
For more information on Kids These These Days visit their pages on Facebook, Sonic Bids and their official website.
Wicker
Band Members: Max Nash, Troy Spino, Tyler Stone and Step Alvarez.
By: Nevra Azerkan
Wicker is making their mark in the L.A. music scene with their new brand of music that they have dubbed electro-indie-hop. The Hollywood, CA based band is comprised of Max Nash (lead vocals), Troy Spino (Guitar/backup vocals), Tyler Stone (Drums/backup vocals) and Step Alvarez (The DJ).
The band initially formed with just Max and Troy, the latter of whom originally played bass. They all met while they attended the Musician’s Institute in Hollywood, CA. During a last minute show at the Key Club they were in need of a drummer and Troy referred Tyler and that was that. The inspiration of their moniker however is a little more detailed. “Where we started the band it was on my mom’s porch—out on the back sun porch, the coolest area in the house to hang out and we’d always be playing music out there and the furniture was wicker. We were just thinking all the genres intertwined,” says Nash.
Wicker recently released their “Meanest Kids in Town” EP, which features new catchy hits like “Hooligan” and “No Explanations”. You can view the trailer for it here as well as stream and/or purchase MKIT in its entirety on their official website. This is their 3rd EP release following Dungeon Days (2008) and The Leak (2009) which produced hot tracks, “People Going Crazy” and “Diggin 4 Gold”. “Electro-indie-hop” (2009) and “Fight Back” (2010) were released as singles.
Wicker has been a staple at The Roxy Theatre, having played there for years as well as having played the 2010 Sunset Strip Music Festival. The band has had the opportunity to share the stage with Shiny Toy Guns, LMFAO, Mickey Avalon, Hypercrush and After Midnight Project.
With the fan base they have you would think these guys are signed, but you would be wrong. Wicker joins the new era of amazing bands that choose to remain unsigned until they really need to be.
According to the band, their music ranges from Jack Johnson to Pharcyde. Currently, they are working on their next EP, League of Lonely Hearts. For Valentine’s Day 2011 they released “Love Head First” as a free download to their fans for one day only.
Keep an eye out for their “Little Miss Sunshine” music video and you can also find their music now on iTunes. For more information on Wicker visit their official website, Facebook and Twitter.
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