Much as I have loved my time in Eurovision-land, it is time to dive right back into the gloriously unceasing flow of music cascading past my ears on a daily basis.
Some might all that new music a little overwhelming; I find it ridiculously exciting. a chance to discover new and amazing artists that might otherwise pass me by.
All hail the digital revolution, the music it brings my way, and of course, these five songs in particular.
Enjoy, and groove away on public transport when you think everybody’s looking … go on! I dare you …
Halo Theme by Lindsey Stirling and William Joseph
Lindsey Stirling is a very talented, and one can only conclude from her list of creative pursuits and achievements, a very busy young lady.
A quarter-finalist on America’s Got Talent in 2010, where apparently she was known as the Hip Hop Violinist, she is an “American violinist, dancer, performance artist, and composer” (source: Wikipedia), who also keeps her own uber-successful YouTube channel with legions of fans humming along, and I am sure, as a result she must never have time to sleep!
If she is sleep-deprived she gives no indication of it on her after-clip soundbites where she is as unfailingly bright, upbeat and as great to listen to as her music.
Ah yes … the music.
I was first put onto it by a good friend in my writing group, and frankly she was a revelation.
Melding classical influences, modern pop, and an almost retro throwback to the classical/pop fusion sounds of the 70s and 80s, her instrumental pieces are full of life, grand melody, and soaring emotion.
“Halo Theme” is no different, at times majestic, sometime contemplative but always deliciously, richly melodic and as with all her tunes, accompanied by an imaginatively-themed and shot clip.
If you’re looking for something totally different, you need to check out her music.
“Alone” by Godwolf
With a name that actually has some deep meaning for the band behind it – “We like the idea of blending the ethereal with the vicious: the ambient with the aggressive: the God with the Wolf.” (source: triplejunearthed) – Godwolf were formed to create music that is a mix of the contemplative and calm with the rampantly full and aggressive.
And they have succeeded very nicely thank you.
“Alone”, which is the first single from their EP Throw An Ocean, is a beautiful mix of the serene and the chaotic, best described one of my favourite music blogs Your Music Radar as “honey and silk to the ears”.
They got it absolutely right.
It’s that sublime mix of slowly building guitar and synth that gathers pace note by note, with a beat that sounds not unlike a galloping horse tapping away in the background accompanied by soft, perfectly-harmonised vocals, before exploding into a passionate wall-shaking dancefloor-worthy track.
It shifts back and forth between these two ear-pleasing extremes creating a fabulous middle ground of listening pleasure.
These guys are going to go far.
“Man I Need” by Jagwar Ma
Keeping it local, Jagwar Ma, who describe themselves as “Sydney-born, Pan Pacific-raised”, are an experimental duo with a nice line in haunting, emotion-laden vocals, quirky animated video clips and trippy blissed out groove.
“Man I Need” is a follow up to their previously-released songs “Come Save Me” and “The Throw” and it’s a lush, almost ethereal-sounding track that comes armed with a beat that won’t let go and a delightfully offbeat sensibility.
Their fresh, bright sound promises that their album Howlin’, recorded in Sydney, Berlin and France – it appears they have extended their pan Pacific travels to the entire world – and set to be released on 10 June will be one to check out if you want a sound that is a hypnotic mix of pop and otherworldly bliss.
While they have recently had some setbacks due to the illness of Jono Ma, who is effectively Jagwar Ma, along with the vocals of Gabriel Winterfield from Ghostwood, I can’t see any way that Jagwar Ma won’t be all the man we need for quite some time to come.
“Mirrors” by Emma Louise
Hailing from Cairns in far North Queensland, Emma Louise is crafting the sort of meaningful, beautiful music that is already endearing her to a great many people who know a talented singer/songwriter when they hear one.
Thankfully she has eschewed the temptation to simply keep writing copycat versions of her first big hit, the glorious “Jungle”, her first release and an instant hit on radio garnering her lots of unexpected attention, in favour of writing what she feels and knows, an attitude which indicates she is in it for the long haul and considers her artistry every bit as important as chart success.
It’s a refreshing attitude, especially with the pressure to keep getting yourself noticed in today’s crowded, nosy digital marketplace and comes from a well thought out place as she told Kayla Clobborn at the brag.com:
“I didn’t even expect [‘Jungle’] to get on the radio at all. I was very lucky and I’m very grateful. It was a bit of a – I don’t want to say the word ‘fluke’, but it definitely put the pressure on. A lot of people were asking what the next ‘Jungle’ would be, and there were people talking over my other songs at my shows. It kind of scared me a bit. I had a choice to write more songs like ‘Jungle’ and get on the radio, but then I wouldn’t have been fulfilled. So I chose to stick with what I was feeling.”
I’m glad she did.
“Mirrors” is a sublimely beautiful, rich, almost haunting piece of work giving her gorgeous voice the chance to soar and whisper in equal measure, and a clear sign that even if she keeps turning heads musically and she will, that she will remain an artist first and foremost.
“All the Days” by Haerts
One of those bands that proves the world is a small and ever shrinking place, Haerts (and no I am not misspelling on a grand scale; that is how you spell the band’s name) hail from Germany, the United States and UK – the members are Nini Fabi, Ben Gebert, Garrett Ienner, Derek McWilliams, and Jonathan Schmidt – and now call Brooklyn home.
With the release of their debut album looming ever closer, it’s not hard to see why there is such anticipation for the five piece band’s release.
“All the Days” is one of those utterly distinctive songs that stays with you long after you’ve heard it, thanks largely to Nini Fabi’s haunting vocals and a melody that will not be denied.
Pigeonsandplanes.com described their sound best I think when they said:
“Dreamy vocals flow over triumphant, pulsing drums, and of course a little bit of synth for good measure.”
It’s exactly the sort of one-of-a-kind sound that an artist needs to cut through all the cacophony of a tsunami of new music and I would wager will keep them riding high in the public consciousness for some time to come.
* So what’s your favourite tune?