Christmas Series #2: Ivan & Alyosha

 Somewhat of a throwback...re-uploading this with fixed links, and of course...it's CHRISTMAS TIME.

 

                                                      They are just smooth!                                        via

I'm sure you've heard of that now-famous group The Avett Brothers? Well, let me introduce you to something that's similar but with a little more of an indie twist! These guys know how to play some serious tunes with their folksy-indie-rocky sounds. Hailing from Seattle, they've released new music and you better get ahold of it!

They are absolute pro's at what they do and I find it unimaginable that they don't have a bigger following. 
They have quite a neat sound as noted already and it includes some amazing harmonies to great folk-rock guitars and drum beats. The vocalist is very prominent and can be heard easily over the instruments, but all in a way that smooths over nicely.

Enough with the chit-chat. It's time for Christmas. Their first Christmas song I found from I&A was this beauty, "Being Home for Christmas" and I had to track it down on Amazon... Now it's released to the masses, so go snag it and enjoy it.  

The lyrics while personal to the band (I imagine), seem to connect with me. Especially this year. There is going to be a stark difference this year, and I intend to be grateful for the memories I've had and the opportunity to make new ones in the future. 

I really hope you can go support this great group of indie goodness. They know what they're trying to play and they play it impeccably.

Merry Christmas!!

i Wouldn't Mind Having These (The) Inlaws!

Lookin' all right!! 

Let me start with a few questions. It's ok, the first one should be easy: Have you heard of Steven Curtis Chapman? How about his son CALEB (no, not all caps, but his sons are in a band called Caleb? NO? Let me try again, how about Colony House (because that's what "Caleb" is called now)?!

If not, there's a young lady named Jillian Edwards. WHo married one of those sons (Will)! And, Caleb and Will and Jillian are in a band!! Yes, indeed. The news is that good.

Well, i thought it was time for a nice chill duo sound again, so there you have it. The Inlaws have quite the chill, folksy, and perfect sound. Please check 'em out and enjoy.

Personally, i like their song "Future" the best, but maybe that's because that's the first one i heard? They're all great though, please the support EP! And let's keep hoping for more tunes from such a great li'l group!

Silver Trees in a Perfect Forest

Acoustic folk pop = straight killing it    via

Thought it was time for some softer tunes. You can stop looking for some with Silver Trees. He's got a new EP out now that's completely worth the purchase, but because you may doubt me....stay on that Noisetrade link and enjoyy!!...then..go buy the new EP Fighting the Rust.

He's definitely got some pop/folk-ish sounds, but they're flawless. It frustrates me that i've taken this long to post him on here, but now that Silver Trees has a place on this here li'l blog, i'm glad.

As you probably can see from the facebook page, he needs some serious 'LIKES!!' Please, please help and support such talent. Here's to hoping for that full-length album sometime "soon!"

My Name is (not) You, but Someday Soon..

So much classiness. via 

While i love linking you to free music, it's always good to remember that: it's crucial to buy this amazing music as well. Artists need to eat....so they can keep making music, of course!! So feed them, the poor incredible people. This is a band that must eat..because. If you don't think so, well...you may just be..wrong.

Check out "Fortunate Ones" which is the first song i heard and immediately thought it was more than enjoyable. Once i decided to buy their full-length record, my heart just..was going to say "melts," but i feel that cliché won't do it justice, so my heart actually falls, cracks and shatters into tiny pieces in a happy and understanding heap when i hear "One Good Reason."

Why is this duo so far up on my list of best duo's ever? Maybe it's the harmonies and honest lyrics. Maybe it's the indie and folksy sounds. Maybe it's the..plain, sweet accented (she's from Scotland!) talentful (yes, here that's a word) little group whoM i got to meet while they were backing up Joshua Radin on his tour. Please, dive into My Name Is You, they need your support and are too incredible for words.

Hm? What Was That? Hem!

                            Some twang, but it fits well!                               via

Well, reader, as you can see from my previous post...i'm coming at this sight from a different angle. i Don't want to bore you, but i've got to tell you!! There are so many artists out there that deserve more attention, and i want to give you the band name, a song to find, and the link to find out more. Exploring music is what i love, so join me!

Some more pretty vocals for ya' in this post! Hem's album Funnel Cloud is a good one with some sort of a country and folk sound. They've got some twang, but with the harmonies and smooth vocals it works nicely! Check out the song "Not California" to find out what i'm talking about.. Great tune, but....makes me sad because CA is my home, and everywhere else i can blare this song...ahem. Enough about that.

So please, these guys need some help over at the Hem page! And, enjoy a li'l bit of countray!

Meager Fare is Far from a Meager Sound!

                                  Pleasant folk, who are more than pleasant!                   via

Please excuse the Serious Lag in my postage... However, while i've been away...holy shmokes,
have i got some tUnes to share! Coming from near where i'm finishing my undergrad life, is yet another good ol' find on NoiseTrade!

Welcome in some pleasant acoustic and folk sounds with Meager Fare's EP. Pretty sure that banjo is scattered in these guys' music, and it's just fine. Great harmonies too, that might make me want to sway and sing along with a smile.

When i was finishing up Summer '13, i couldn't stop giving "Alibi" a listen.. And, i participated in a give-away and won!! They were so nice and went out of their way to make sure i got my free TEE! Anyway, these guys deserve some more attention like crazy. Please go give them a 'LIKE' on that facebook page, and listen (and maybe sway?) away!

Not just a Phoenix, but a Nonaphoenix!

                  It's a distinct and rare blend!                    via

Does this guy look familiar? Well, shoot i can't help it. i Like following a few artists and this guy fronted the late (*sniff*) Heyhihello. Certainly a pretty poppy sound, but this Nonaphoenix is..a Different story!

Still the same vocals that you loved (if you've heard of his other project which broke up last year), but this a lot more of a folk/indie sound!

Of course with nice folk, there's gotta' be a banjo and yes, there is. It's quite good, to be Sure. In fact, if you want to dive right into the banjo sound, check out "Ghosts." If you're looking for that happy sound, look no further. Jakub uses Nonaphoenix as a perfect outlet for just that.

What's the neatest about this project is that, if you liked his other project, it's not a complete change. He's calling it "pop and folk" which is quite a distinct and rare blend.

Please go 'like' his facebook page. i'm positive of two pieces of information: he only has less than a thousand 'likes' and he would greatly appreciate the support. So, delight yourself in some mo' folk-indieness!

Say Hi to The Oh Hello's!

        They know the direction they're headed in!            via

Hey! Er..hello! Hope you can check these two out real soon, like..today..now.. Over at Bandcamp.com, hit up their free album and EP!! Sound good? Their first full-length is called Through the Deep, Dark Valley and if you don't want to download, just stream away as you read!

These two are brother and sister, come from Texas, and it's easy to tell they find great glee in making music together. In looking for a bio about them, that's about all i could find, but the music is what's important! Right? So on to it!

It's straightforward that these two are quite certain of the direction their headed in with their sound.  They've got the "indie" part down to a science and definitely have some folk-rock in there as well.

Instruments can include the guitar, naturally, but the banjo, accordion, and even viola can be found throughout their music. What's neat is, they claim that Irish music has played a role in their influences and that can really be seen! How many bands do you know that use That in their style?!

All this to stay.. The Oh Hello's are diverse with their slow-lullaby-fast-rock-folk-indie-ness and you should take a listen! The vocals can get one jazzed up or calm one down so well it's..beautiful. Please go say hello to these talented kids, they've earned a whole lot more publicity (even if they have surpassed 10K 'likes' in a few months)!

A Sister Review with [a] Lowland Hum

This is going to be a little different from my other posts...here's why: i Have no idea who these two are and my sister is the one that found them! Lots of props to her. Please enjoy my sister's post about Lowland Hum! Meanwhile, i'm off to go download some serious..Hum's!!

"When Theo invited me to write a post for his blog, I couldn't decide where to start. Who are the 'undiscovered's' that I listen to? Who would I want to do a review of?

I get most of my music recommendations now from my little brother. It's pretty awesome because I can just sit back and listen to whatever he recommends! I think it used to be the other way around where I was the one finding the good music out there..... ;) [<--She nailed it here. Exactly what happened back in the day. Thanks sis, for starting me off right!]

Lowland Hum is just mind-blowing!    via

I went to a house show recently where a guy named Daniel Levi Goans played -- I had never heard of him before but he was showing up at my friend's house so of course I went to check him out! He played with his wife and the two of them together was an unbelievable combination. Their harmonies and melodies are mind-blowing. It's no wonder they decided this January to form a band together and now are known as Lowland Hum. These two (DLG and Lauren) are from North Carolina and got married in Feb. 2012. They are a "folk" duo with super great lyrics and mellow tunes. The way they get around the US is from house show to house show. You should sign up to host them!! They are so great live. Grab a free download and learn more about them at their Bandcamp page or main site here!

I have their BrotherStranger album which is fabulous and I highly recommend giving "How Long" a shot too.

So give them some love! Like them on Facebook please and track their travels down here. Did I mention Daniel's got the sweetest mustache?"

Some Sharp Twin Forks

                         Think: emotional-power-indie                          via

First off, does that guy with the acoustic and the hair and the tatts look a tad familiar? If not, do the lyrics, "Vindicated, i am selfish i am wrong, I am right I swear I'm right...!" ring any bells? If not, does the band Dashboard Confessional sound familiar?! If not...you can stop reading. If you want..

i Guess we can kinda' sorta' maybe pretend you haven't heard of DC, but i'm feeling immensely sorry for you right now if you haven't heard of them. Anyway, that cool dude with the acoustic is named Chris Carrabba and he's fronted several projects including Further Seems Forever, DC, and now this Twin Forks and all of its amazingness.

If you know a bit about Carrabba, you'd know why this is such a brilliant li'l gig. He's moved from harder rock, to emo/acoustic tunes and now to folk!

Basically, to sum up this group, think emotional-power-indie! They've got the mandolin, guitar, harmonies and drums bangin' around! Why I say "emotional" is an excellent question and it can be answered by explaining how these guys are set apart from the others out there. When Carrabba sings, you can hear (and feel!) his passion. It's what i love about his singing capabilities.

If you like some folk with emotion, you've found the stinkin' band! Here's the bad news, there's only two songs out right now! Good news: One of them is free and called "Scraping Up the Pieces." Plus, new music is coming out "soon" so all we've gotta' do is...wait and,..cry. But, pleease go enjoy and 'like' them, because they need the support and deserve worlds more of attention.

Good Times With Ivan & Alyosha (Xmas edit-2020)

Somewhat of a throwback...re-uploading this with fixed links, and of course...it's CHRISTMAS TIME.

 

                                                      They are just smooth!                                        via

I'm sure you've heard of that now-famous group The Avett Brothers? Well, let me introduce you to something that's similar but with a little more of an indie twist! These guys know how to play some serious tunes with their folksy-indie-rocky sounds. Hailing from Seattle, they've released new music and you better get ahold of it!

They are absolute pro's at what they do and I find it unimaginable that they don't have a bigger following. 
They have quite a neat sound as noted already and it includes some amazing harmonies to great folk-rock guitars and drum beats. The vocalist is very prominent and can be heard easily over the instruments, but all in a way that smooths over nicely.

Enough with the chit-chat. It's time for Christmas. Their first Christmas song I found from I&A was this beauty, "Being Home for Christmas" and I had to track it down on Amazon... Now it's released to the masses, so go snag it and enjoy it.  

The lyrics while personal to the band (I imagine), seem to connect with me. Especially this year. There is going to be a stark difference this year, and I intend to be grateful for the memories I've had and the opportunity to make new ones in the future. 

I really hope you can go support this great group of indie goodness. They know what they're trying to play and they play it impeccably.

Merry Christmas!!

Looking for a Great Idea? How 'Bout The Novel Ideas!

                         This a flawless idea                    via

Wait, what kind of idea is this? My fault, i meant, what kind of music is this? i'd love to tell you about The Novel Ideas. But, before we just dive right in, you know, head first and start swimming around with this idea, what if i propose an even better idea. Go download (for FREE, naturally) or stream their entire album Home right now. Good plan? i Thought so.

All right, enough of the silly, lame jokes about their obviously brilliant name.. This band does not have many fans at all according to the numbers on that unknown social media site called "facebook," only over a thousand likes. Bands like this blow my mind because they're extremely talented, yet not many people know about them! In terms of their sound, they have changed a good bit including their lineup, but like Hey Ocean!, this sound is better than ever. 

There is a bit of country twang on some songs, casually thrown in here and there, but please. Please do not get terrified when i say "country," i'm not huge on that genre either but what this band is, is really "folk!" Definitely a great sound with superb lyrics. 

What is also neat, is that the main members of the band all sing! If you're looking for an energized track check out "Promise" (the lyrics hit oddly&sadly quite close to home personally) and if you want a quieter one, have a listen to "Back and Forth." All in all, i hope you can help me, help them, tell the world about these talented souls. They know how to do "the musics!"