Best of 2014! (December 28, 2014)

The "Best of 2014" - my list of some of the best new songs of the past year from the best (mostly) emerging bands. 

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BEST OF 2014!

1. Are You Ready (On Your Own) -  Distant Cousins
2. Back To You - Twin Forks
3. Brothers - Melodime
4. Carolina Save Me -  Nathan Angelo
5. Drive All Night (English Hearts) - Deaf Havana
6. Fight Song - Rachel Platten
7. First Flight Home -  Jake Miller
8. Geronimo - Sheppard
9. Glass Heart - Magic Giant
10. Halo -  Lewis Watson
11. Heartbeat -  Mat Kearney
12. Heaven - Amber Run
13. High Horse - Hailey Steele
14. Hope For the Best -  You Me At Six
15. I Won't Follow - Secret Someones
16. Keep Swinging - Blitz Kids
17. L.A. Kid - Act As If
18. Lessons Learned - Natasha North
19. Losing the Lonely - Elenowen
20. Love My People - Crown and The M.O.B.
21. Time To Fly - I Fight Dragons
22. Never End - Toby Lightman
23. Ooh La La -  Kate Voegele
24. Peace -  O.A.R.
25. Pop 101 (feat. Anami Vice) -  Marianas Trench
26. The Rapture - Fort Hope
27. Shut Up and Dance - Walk The Moon
28. Somebody To You (feat. Demi Lovato) -  The Vamps
29. Take Me With You -  Roses & Revolutions
30. Time - Lower Than Atlantis
31. Unbreakable -  Trinity
32. Vintage - Ruthie Collins
33. When You Were Mine -  Taylor Henderson
34. Why God Made Love Songs - Joel Crouse
35. Why Worry - Set It Off
36. World on Fire (feat. Matisyahu) - Moshav
37. You and Me - You+Me
38. You To Believe In - Paradise Fears
39. 11:11 - Arkells

Lewis Watson (December 21, 2014)

Our last "regular" post of 2014 (next week is the annual "Best of" edition) could easily be one of the biggest breakout starts of 2015. Lewis Watson could/should be the Ed Sheeran of next year.  His album "The Morning" beautifully balances on the line between pop, folk and acoustic rock music. His lyrics are poignant and the music is easy on the ears.  "Into The Wild" and "Outgrow" are favorites and "Halo" is one of the most beautiful and powerful songs of the year (special shout out to 2 special individuals who originally shared this with me - you know who you are!).  Being British seems to be a plus these days for singer-songwriters and he's got that going for him too.  This album has a little bit of everything in it and it's a great gift to yourself during this busy holiday time.

Have a great week and enjoy the music - and don't forget to check back next week for the Best Songs of 2014!!

Ira

Moshav (December 14, 2014)

No other band sounds like Moshav and that has a lot to do with the way they combine their radio ready rock sound with the influence of their home country of Israel.  Those New Sun Rising" which will be out Tuesday (12/16/14 - also the first night of Hanukkah).  The first track on the new record is an epic anthem "World on Fire" that features Matisyahu and has already garnered a lot of attention.  Moshav sings about lots of different things but they definitely try to send a message of hope, peace and good will.  You can hear three of the songs now and check out the whole album on Tuesday.  I know that I can't wait for "New Sun Rising."
Middle Eastern beats and sounds blend perfectly with their modern sound as they  prepare to release their most progressive album to date, "

Have a great week and enjoy the music!
Ira

Lara Johnston (December 7, 2014)

I've been waiting and waiting and just can't wait any longer to share the immense talent that is Lara Johnston.  I came across Lara almost a year and a half ago with her original song K.I.S.S. which I thought would surely get her some much deserved attention and potentially even make her a star. But that song was kept fairly quiet and she's been working diligently on her craft, working with some great artists and putting out some incredible covers.  I'm hoping that sooner rather than later we will get a full album of material but for now there's plenty to see/hear and enjoy. Lara can be a sultry, bluesy singer when she wants to and can also go full diva and fall in line with the best pop artists working today.  In addition to K.I.S.S. and her other originals be sure to check out her covers both as a solo artist and with The New Velvet (previously featured Emerge Music band). She's got all the talent in the world and I can't wait for her to be head by a wider audience.

Have a great week and enjoy the music,

Ira

Taylor Mathews (November 30, 2014)

For those of us looking for a different "Taylor" to enjoy, check out  Taylor Mathews, an outstanding singer-songwriter who released his great album, "Do What You Want To" about a year ago (my apologies for being slow on this one - but better late than never).  This album contains what should be one hit song after another. These songs could easily be in a playlist along with One Republic, The Script and at times Jason Mraz and other similar artists.   It's also an impressive album because there is a lot of diversity of style throughout the 12 songs but all of it is good.  Find out for yourself:

Have a great week and enjoy the music,
Ira

Special note: I wrote this blog post totally independently, and then after finishing it happened to see this note on Taylor's website which I swear I hadn't seen before writing the above.

"I’M MOSTLY INFLUENCED BY JASON MRAZ/ONE REPUBLIC/THE SCRIPT BUT JUST AS ART IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER, MUSIC IS IN THE EAR OF THE LISTENER. IT’S REALLY ALL DEPENDENT UPON WHAT YOU FEEL WHEN YOU LISTEN, NO WORDS WILL HELP THAT.
- TAYLOR"

Luke Reynolds (November 23, 2014)

Luke Reynolds has had quite the journey leading up to the release of his new album "After The Flood."  About 10 years ago he was the lead singer of an incredible group called "Blue Merle" (check out their album "Burning In The Sun") and his distinct vocals were captivating to me.  But a year after this great album was released the band fell apart.  I lost track of Luke and his career until he magically reappeared in 2010 as the newest member of my favorite band of the last 15 years, Guster!  I was thrilled that Luke not only had resurfaced but with this amazing group of musicians.  Luke's addition to Guster has been fantastic but I was also excited to hear his new solo album which just came out this week on his website. The album has a variety of songs and styles but are also distinctly Luke.  The whole album can be streamed on SoundCloud and I highly recommend checking it out.

Have a great week (Happy Thanksgiving!) and enjoy the music,
Ira

Hailey Steele (November 16, 2014)

Hailey Steele is a great representation of the incredible music coming out of modern day Nashville.  She is a country artist (who previously appeared on The Voice) and she owns that label even though her music is easily enjoyed by those who like singer songwriters and people who generally say "oh, I don't like country music."

Her new EP is coming out this Tuesday (Nov 18) and having spent hours and hours listening to it I can verify that it's outstanding!  Hailey has an incredible voice that brings in just enough of that raspy quality to give her sweet sound a little grit.  The songs are instantly singable and catchy and each stands strong on its own. Many new artists fall into a trap where each song starts off the same or sounds almost identical but not here. Each song, from the first note to the last, has something different about it.  The first song that really grabbed my attention was "High Horse" which has a chorus that just makes me melt. Not sure why but I can't get enough of it. "Getaway Car" is a great track and could easily be a hit single. "Diamonds" is a favorite because I love the imagery and using the idea of diamonds in a different way.  There are only 5 tracks on the album but they are 5 outstanding songs.  Not only do I love then, but my 3 year old daughter is obsessed and has quickly learned the words too (see below).  I hope you'll take a listen as well!


Have a great week and enjoy the music!
Ira