Arkells (June 15, 2014)

Arkells quickly became one of my favorite bands after I got my hands on their album "Michigan Left."  I love "Book Club," "Coffee" and the title track and the whole album is great.  I was actually surprised I hadn't already featured them when I went to double check the list I keep.  Now they are poised to release their best album to date, "High Noon" in August and it's going to be totally incredible.  The first songs from that album, "Never Thought That This Would Happen" and "Come to Light" are two of my favorite songs of 2014 so far.  And now the album is available for pre-order and includes an immediate download of "11:11" which is another stellar track.

This would have been enough for me to feature them this week.  Then just a few minutes ago they posted an older video for "Coffee" in honor of Father's Day and it is hysterical and a sweet tribute to their dads.  So check out the video (below), check out the band, pre-order the album and tell your friends!

Have a great week and enjoy the music!
Ira

LostAlone (June 8, 2014)

LostAlone hasn't just put out a great album with their latest release, "Shapes of Screams" but perhaps they've laid the foundation for an epic rock opera.  There just seems to be something bigger going on here than simply another album of really good music.  "Crusaders" is an incredible opening song - both for this album and for the show that is being created in my head. "Hostages" and "G.U.I.L.T.Y." also showcase this band's love of harmonies and big anthems.  This British band hasn't released the album in the US officially but you can download it from their website and stream it as well. I highly encourage you to give it a listen.

Have a great week and enjoy the music!
Ira

JOHNNYSWIM (June 1, 2014)

Artists take note - sometimes when you offer one song for free it can lead to so much more! That was definitely the case when Amazon's MP3 store offered JOHNNYSWIM's song "Diamonds" as a free song from their "Artists to Watch."  It immediately caught my attention and before I knew it I had downloaded the entire album (of the same name) and I can't stop listening to it. This male/female duo has found that perfect musical spot where they have a distinct sound and yet don't seem to fall into any particular genre.  They just have beautiful voices and create incredible songs.

Have a great week and enjoy the music!
Ira

Great Divide (May 25, 2014)

Great Divide is the right band for you if you're looking to inject a little good old fashioned soulful rock and roll to your Memorial Day Weekend.  Their latest full length album (self titled) is full of gems that remind me of the "good old" days when bands were made up of great musicians who played actual instruments (and lots of them) and songs were sung from the heart and gut as much as from the mouth.  This band hooked me quickly with the first song on this album "Ain't No Roads" (and literally from the first piano riff) which is available for free on their Facebook page.  The album goes from one great song to another so definitely check all of it out!

Have a great week (and long weekend) and enjoy the music!
Ira

Distant Cousins (May 18, 2014)

The time is right for Distant Cousins to become a household name. This acoustic/folk/rock/pop trio sounds like the perfect opening band for Mumford and Sons, The Lumineers or other similar bands and hopefully won't be opening for others for long.  Their debut EP is near perfect (and could only be better if it was longer) and contains gems like "On My Way" and "On Your Own" (yes, similar titles, different songs) as well as their single "Raise It Up." "On My Way" is now being heard up and down the East Coast in partnership with Shake Shack's "No Kid Hungry" campaign (see below).  Each song is full of incredible harmonies, foot tapping rhythms and thoughtful lyrics. Time to join the family!

Have a great week and enjoy the music,
Ira

Fort Hope (May 11, 2014)

At a time where there seem to be few music labels that you can really count on, UK based LAB Records continues to sign one incredible band after another. They have done it again with Fort Hope who released their new album "Courage" today!  This is great rock music with powerful lyrics, soaring vocals, catchy hooks and much more.  The whole album is fantastic but some of the songs that really stand out include "The Rapture," "Earthquake" and "New Life." But in all honesty I could have listed any of the songs from "Courage" here because they are all standouts.

There is so much to like here - please go check it out!
Have a great week and enjoy the music!
Ira

Breaking Southwest (May 4, 2014)

I spent this weekend in Atlanta so forgive me if I'm in a country music mood!  Go give a listen to Breaking Southwest, a great Dallas band that brings it with a fun country/southern rock mix. Their latest release, "Take A Moment" includes some of my favorite songs, "Breathe," "Party Till Sunday" (which is as much of a fun party song as you might think from the title) as well as "Raise A Glass." Summer is almost here and this band/album is a great accompaniment to your summer fun!

Have a great week and enjoy the music!
Ira