Favorite April 2011 songs on 8 Tracks

Check out some of April's best new music streaming online on 8 Tracks:
http://8tracks.com/emergemusicgroup/emerge-music-group-s-april-2011-mix

Great new music from One Hot Minute, Hannah Winkler, Delta Rae, Rachel Platten, Jon McLaughlin and several more!  We'll post a new playlist each month!

Ben Schofield (May 15, 2011)

Ben Schofield (https://noisetrade.com/benschofieldmusic#) has one of the best and most soothing voices I've ever heard. There are lots of people you could compare him to but in reality he is a unique talent who has quickly become a favorite of mine. His solo EP is available for free at the Noisetrade link posted above. These 5 songs will take you through a variety of moods and styles and each on its own would be impressive - together they are truly outstanding - and again, free.

IMPORTANT! PLEASE follow this link and join the new Emerge Music Group.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_218175601526813

Facebook is changing their groups and this group will be archived. I'm still figuring out the new group page and I'm concerned it doesn't have the same features. With that in mind I"m going to post all new entries on the blog as well:
http://emergemusicgroup.blogspot.com/

So please check that out and subscribe. It's going to be a bit of a transition but we're hoping to bring all of you along for the ride.

Have a great week and enjoy the music!
Ira 

Best of the Rest 2010

There is so much good new music released each year and 2010 was a great year for new bands and new music!!  I've already featured 23 artists on my Best of 2010 collection and this is my list of the best of the rest - many of these could have easily ended up on the main list as well. Songs end up on this list because they are really to my liking and hopefully they will be to yours as well - refer back to this list whenever your in the mood for something new - there are 50 bands on this list so lots to listen to and choose from!  Enjoy and Happy 2011 to one and all!!



This list is in alphabetical order by band name or artist first name - not in any type of priority order
1. When I Show Up... ABCDE (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Abcde/85254221002)
2. Waiting... Alexa Wilkinson (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alexa-Wilkinson/21063662344)
3. Heart... Aubrey Wood (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Aubrey-Wood/49674662885)
4. My Goodbye...Automatic Loveletter (http://www.facebook.com/AutomaticLoveletter)
5. Mississippi...Benjy Davis Project (http://www.facebook.com/benjydavisproject)
6. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Fame...Black Cards (http://www.facebook.com/blackcardsmusic)
7. Stereotypical Fountains...Boxer and Clover (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Boxer-Clover/59442027226)
8. Hear Me Now...Boyce Avenue (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Boxer-Clover/59442027226)
9. The Lucky Ones... Brendan James (http://www.facebook.com/brendanjamesmusic)
10. Sugar Rush...Charlee Drew (http://www.facebook.com/charleedrewfans)
11. Promise This...Cheryl Cole (http://www.facebook.com/CherylCole)
12.  Jar Of Hearts...Christina Perri (http://www.facebook.com/ChristinaPerriMusic)
13. What It Takes...Clear for Takeoff (http://www.facebook.com/clearfortakeoff)
14. My Love, My Enemy...Dave Barnes (http://www.facebook.com/davebarnes)
15. Breathe In Breathe Out...Erik Gronwall (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Erik-Gronwall/112490288764261)
16. Pulling Away...Foreverinmotion (http://www.foreverinmotion.net/)
17. Holding A Heart...Girl Named Toby (http://www.facebook.com/girlnamedtoby)
18. Nothing But A Song... Great Big Sea (http://www.facebook.com/greatbigsea)

19. Shake...Hey Champ (http://www.facebook.com/heychamp)
20. This Is The New Year...Ian Axel (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ian-Axel/7505423402)
21. Wait On Love...Jake Ousley (http://www.facebook.com/jakeousleymusic)
22. It's A Good Thing...Jaron and the Long Road to Love (http://www.facebook.com/JaronandTheLongRoadtoLove)
23. Dive In...Jennifer Knapp (http://www.facebook.com/JenniferKnappMusic)

24. Maybe...Josiah Leming (http://www.facebook.com/JosiahLeming)
25. Love Shocked...Joy Island (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Joy-Island/106452079410732)
26. Weak...Kate & Kacey (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kate-and-Kacey/47070303252)
27. Desperate Girls & Stupid Boys...Kimberly Caldwell (http://www.facebook.com/KimberlyCaldwellOfficial)
28. I Just Realized...Matt Wertz (http://www.facebook.com/mattwertz)
29. Come Out Of The Woods...Matthew and the Atlas (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Matthew-And-The-Atlas/75319148294)
30. Winter Winds...Mumford and Sons (http://www.facebook.com/mumfordandsons)
31. Early Spring Till...Nathaniel Rateliff (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nathaniel-Rateliff/106500672716748)
32. Miss Nothing...The Pretty Reckless (http://www.facebook.com/theprettyreckless)
33. Nothing Ever Happens...Rachel Platten (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-Platten/6346584785)
34. Stay Over... The Rescues (http://www.facebook.com/therescues)
35. You Gotta Believe...The Rocket Summer (http://www.facebook.com/TheRocketSummer)
36. Breathe...Ryan Star (http://www.facebook.com/ryanstar)
37. Taking Memories...Sam & Ruby (http://www.facebook.com/samandruby)
38. Fallin'...Sam Little (http://www.purevolume.com/SamLittle/)
39. Hard Working Man...Seth Lakeman (http://www.sethlakeman.co.uk/)
40. Fireworks...Stacy Clark (http://www.facebook.com/StacyClarkMusic)
41. Leave Her Alone...Steven Page (http://www.facebook.com/stevenpage)
42.This Is Our Moment...Storyline (http://www.facebook.com/storylineband)
43. Like A Million Lights...This Love (http://www.facebook.com/thisloveband)
44. Wasting Away...Tonight Alive (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tonight-Alive/155381905811)
45. Into U...Tori Blake (http://www.facebook.com/toriblakemusic)
46. Keep On...Tyler Hilton (http://www.facebook.com/TylerHilton)
47. All I Want...Tyrone & Elina (http://www.facebook.com/tyroneandelina)
48. Almost Everything...Wakey! Wakey! (http://www.facebook.com/pages/WakeyWakey/20283793584)
49. Wish You Would Stay...Weatherstar (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Weatherstar/131969762786)
50. Bootstraps... You, Me, and Everyone We Know (http://www.facebook.com/youmeandeveryoneweknow)

Best Albums of 2010

As the year comes to a close it's that interesting time with all of the "best of" lists that are out there. In my opinion this was a very good year for music (except the whole Justin Bieber thing - sorry kids, that kid may be cute but if you actually listen to him sing for real he is NOT GOOD!) and was especially good for those of us who try to help emerging bands - there were a lot of good ones!  So with no further ado this is my first Best of 2010 list - the best ALBUMS of 2010. For the most part I only focus on lesser known artists - this list mostly stays true to that with one exception - Mumford and Sons, who were just nominated for 2 Grammys, but a lot of people still don't know them and their album is SO good that it deserves to be on any and every list.

The list is in alphabetical order (by first name/band name) only - picking between the top albums and songs is like picking favorite children.

1.       Amely – Hello World (http://www.purevolume.com/new/amely)

2.       Ben Rector – Into the Morning (http://www.facebook.com/benrector)

3.       He Is We – My Forever (http://www.purevolume.com/new/HEISWE)

4.       Ian Axel – This is the New Year (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ian-Axel/7505423402)

5.       Jaron and the Long Road to Love – Getting Dressed in the Dark (http://www.facebook.com/JaronandTheLongRoadtoLove)

6.       Jennifer Knapp – Letting Go (http://www.facebook.com/JenniferKnappMusic)

7.       Lelia Broussard – Masquerade (http://leliabroussard.com/)

8.       Marc Collis – Louder on the Inside (http://www.facebook.com/MarcCollisMusic)

9.       Marianas Trench – Masterpiece Theatre (http://www.facebook.com/MarianasTrench)

10.   Mumford and Sons – Sigh No More (http://www.mumfordandsons.com/)

11.   Not Advised – After the Fight (http://www.facebook.com/notadvised)

12.   Pegasus Bridge - While We’re Young (http://www.facebook.com/pegasusbridge)

13.   Ryan Star – 11:59 (http://www.facebook.com/ryanstar)

14        Shayna Goldstein – Painted Blue (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shayna-Goldstein/148035282317)

15.   The Heyday – Till We See The Sun (http://www.facebook.com/theheyday)

16.   The Rescues – Let Loose The Horses (http://www.facebook.com/therescues)

17.   The Rocket Summer – Of Men and Angels (http://www.facebook.com/TheRocketSummer)

18.   The Scene Aesthetic – Brother (http://www.facebook.com/thesceneaesthetic)

19.   Tyrone & Eliana – Different As Can Be (http://www.facebook.com/tyroneandelina)

20.   We Are The In Crowd – Guaranteed To Disagree (http://www.facebook.com/wearetheincrowd)

 A few things to note about this list....

Ian Axel's album "This is the New Year" was released way back in January but is currently not available. He will be re-releasing it sometime in early 2011 (hopefully) and right now there is a 3 song sampler you can buy on the various download sites. This is the way of the music business as independent artists sign deals, etc. but go ahead and check out what's available now and get ready for more good stuff soon!

Marianas Trench - for those of you who have followed me for over a year you may remember that they appeared on last year's list. But their album wasn't released in the US until 2010 (it was out in Canada in 2009) and it's still SO amazing that I took that opportunity to mention it again on this year's list. There is an extended "director's cut" that includes a few bonus songs and also an AMAZING acoustic/a capella version of Billy Joel's "And So It Goes."


Marc Collis is a quickly rising Australian artist who I hope makes a splash here in the next year. His voice and album are fantastic and I think his songs would take off on US radio, etc. This album has so many good songs that I could have picked almost any of them for my end of the year Best of 2010 Song list.

Ben Rector is my favorite singer-songwriter of the year - his voice is captivating!

Tyrone & Eliana's album is the perfect relationship album. Not a good album if you're in the midst of a break up but a great gift for someone to show them that you care.

The Rescues not only put out one of the best albums of the year but also put on the best live show I've seen!  4 incredibly talented musicians and singers all doing everything throughout the show. They trade lead and backing vocals, they trade instruments, etc. etc. Simply amazing!

Every album on this list has something special about it - so refer back to it and over time please check some of these out and let me know what you think!

I'd love to hear about your favorite albums from this year so please comment on this post and tell me what album and/or artists you couldn't get enough of in 2010!  Happy New Year everyone and as always, enjoy the music!

Ira

Give yourself the gift of StageIt!

I am SO excited to share this information with everyone and hope you will go check out this incredible new opportunity to see live music and connect with the artists who make it.

StageIt (http://www.stageit.com/) is a relatively new website that was started by Evan Lowenstein (best known for his time in the pop group "Evan and Jaron" ("Crazy for this Girl", etc.).  Evan's goal is to "reignite the romance between artists and fans." He's doing this by creating online opportunities for you to see incredible musicians share their music in real time, intimate settings. The best way I can describe it is "a house concert on your computer."

I've experienced two concerts this past week and enjoyed both very much! The first was with a very talented singer songwriter, Matt Ryzcek (http://www.mattryczek.com/). This online show (which cost $2) included about 20 people and Matt who was performing live from his apartment (or wherever he was). He sang, he shared storied about the songs, and one of the best parts is that he was able to see and respond to the ongoing chat that was happening on the screen just below his performance. Have a request - make it, want to ask a question about a song or an upcoming tour - ask it, want to show your appreciation - tip your performer (yes, you can send a virtual tip which allows an artist to earn a little extra money from the show), etc. etc.  Or just sit back and enjoy the music.

I have to be honest that I wasn't so sure about "going" to an online concert until I tried it out - and now I'm pretty hooked.  This is a great and very inexpensive way to hear live music. For artists, this is an incredible tool to reach your fans without the expense of touring. And for everyone, it is a fantastic opportunity to feel connected. Artists can get instant feedback from the audience - what a great opportunity to try out a new song and have people comment. For fans, this is a chance to be connected to an artist you enjoy. There is nothing quite like having an artist respond to your question or comment that you've posted.

Is there money involved - yes. After you sign up you buy "notes" which can be used to get tickets to shows and to tip performers. But it is very reasonably priced (I saw Jaron and the Long Road to Love (his song "Pray for You" is one of the biggest country hits of the year) for $5) and the shows are not recorded or archived so it truly is a unique experience.  It's worth every penny and then some.

If you like live music I would urge you to check it out. If you are an artist please also check it out and sign up (first sign up as a member and then you have the option to become a performer).  There is a lot to like about this platform and I am eager to see what happens in the months to come. 

If you have any questions about StageIt please post them in the comments for all to see and we'll get answers to you.  Meanwhile go check out http://www.stageit.com/ and check it out for yourself!

Have a great week and enjoy the music!
Ira

Bands be good to your Fans!

So this blog entry isn't about any particular new music but rather about the way many bands, perhaps unknowingly, treat their fans. The specific issue I'm concerned about has to do with what happens in preparation for a new album release.

An open letter to bands/musicians,

As a fan of a particular band, I am much more likely to "pre-order" an album than the average listener. I am on the band's email list and get reminder after reminder to "go pre-order the new cd!"  So here are a few scenarios which are just frustrating!

1. I pre-order the CD which is priced comparable to the digital price (approx. $10) and then, because I am such a dedicated fan and want a physical copy of the CD, I pay another few dollars ($2-4) for shipping. But this doesn't get my "express" shipping - just regular. And I don't see the point in spending $7-9 for express shipping. But I feel good because I'm directly supporting the band by ordering from their website!

So what happens, the album is released, it's all over every digital store (iTunes, Amazon, etc.) and I eagerly arrive home to check the mail for my copy. But it doesn't arrive that day, or the next or the next - and finally on Saturday - 5 days later - after I've spent days with friends posting on facebook about how amazing the album is - does it arrive in my mail. 

2. I go to pre-order the CD which is priced at the same $10 - but then when I get to checkout and enter my address it adds in the shipping which is nearly $6!  I've mailed a lot of CDs to people and there is no way it should cost this much to mail a CD. And again, why should I pay almost as much for mailing of a CD as I am for the music itself, and again it will arrive days after it has been released.

3. Finally, I go to the trouble of pre-ordering, etc. etc. and then, on the day of the album release, not only is it cheaper on iTunes, or Amazon but they have included special "iTunes only" exclusive tracks!  Some of these I may be able to download individually and pay the extra .99 but sometimes they are listed as "album only" which means to get 1 song I don't already have I have to buy the entire album.

So bands - please think about this stuff when you are sending your emails out to your best customers, your fans, about your new album. Let us know ahead of time what our options are. Don't save exclusive tracks for digital sites if you want us to buy the album from you! Include those as digital downloads for us too!  And don't ask us to pay $10 for a CD AND another $5 for shipping when the CD will be $8.99 on Amazon on Tuesday - and even more so if you can't get it to us on the release date. 

We are your fans and we want to buy your music and support you as much and as directly as we can.  Please help us do that in a way that doesn't make us feel like we're the idiot for throwing away money simply because we love your music.

Thanks!Sincerely yours,
Ira

New month...new music!

The beginning of October doesn't disappoint with some great new music to enjoy. Check out some of these!


GUSTER - Easy Wonderful
Full disclosure that when asked my top bands of all time Guster is always #1 on that list so I'm simply thrilled to have new music from my favorite band. But this album doesn't disappoint - find out for yourself by going to their facebook page (www.facebook.com/gustermusic) where the entire album is streaming for free!

Tyrone & Elina (http://www.facebook.com/tyroneandelina) are a husband and wife duo who have created an awesome relationship album. Their songs are so true (and often so funny or sweet) and really hit all of those various random and funny things that happen in a relationship.  I didn't expect to like this album nearly as much as I did - it's good!

Gavin Mikhail (http://www.facebook.com/gavinmikhail) has just released a new acoustic album consisting of some great covers (ranging from Linkin Park to Death Cab for Cutie, to Bruno Mars to Miley Cyrus - woah!) and a few of his own new songs. It's available in a few different formats but the cheapest is Amazon's MP3 site ($8.99).

So start with those and there will be more coming. Fall is always a great time for new music so get ready!

Have a great week and enjoy the music!
Ira
Make sure you're part of the Emerge Music Group on facebook to get weekly updates (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2411689880)