Once there, it was all of Goldheart Assembly that won me over with strong melodies, tight harmonies, and well-crafted pop songs. Their performance earned them the MMT Sammy Award for Best Debut (Foreign) at SXSW 2011.
Goldheart Assembly released their debut album Wolves and Thievesin 2010, and are working on a followup for release in Spring 2012. You can sample some performances and get more information from their featured artist profile, available from the dropdown list at the top of each page and previewed below.
Cover My World #7: History of Lyrics That Aren’t Lyrics
We introduced Jane Lui last week with her mashup of Moves Like Jagger and Rainbow Connection. Now she returns for an unprecedented second consecutive appearance in the Cover My World series. Yes, she’s THAT good.
This edition finds her outside of LuieLand taking a chronological stroll down memory lane, from doo-wahs to da-da-da-da-da-da-das. Check below for the remaining dates on her European tour. In addition to the Belgium meet-up, you can catch her in Switzerland, France, and Amsterdam.
Cover My World #6: Maroon 5 Meet the Muppets with Moves Like Jagger
It’s refreshing to have your expectations not just exceeded but upended and turned inside-out. After spending a little time in LuieLand watching clever mash-ups of cover songs, I thought I had this Jane Lui thing figured out.
Then I went over to MOG and listened to her latest album Goodnight Company. The song styles are constantly shifting, while managing the neat trick of sounding both meticulously crafted and effortlessly performed. Classically trained in voice and piano, her compositions mix those influences with soul, pop, and r&b, then throw in bits of Broadway and Dixieland to keep you guessing.
At times her voice is layered (“Edelweiss“) and accompanied by an eclectic chamber ensemble that includes an accordian, strings, piano, celeste, percussion, and synths. (Check out the Casio SK-1 in the clip below!) On other songs, her voice is laid bare against a single acoustic piano or guitar (“Yellow Light“, “Illusionist Boy“). No matter the context, the vocals sound pure, natural, and unforced.
Jane just started a tour that includes stops and meetups in NY, DC, and Europe. If you can’t make one of the shows below, check out her music on CD Baby, or spend a little time in LuieLand.
Sign up at IndieGoGo to support Margot MacDonald’s next release
Margot MacDonald has been performing for over 10 years and released three CDs, but none of her recordings to date truly reflect the breadth and depth of her talents. She aims to fix that with her next release, and wants your help to make it happen through fan funding at the IndieGoGo site.
Margot’s liveshows incorporate looped vocals, teacups, bottles, and other percussion and guitars to create hypnotic soundscapes for her vocal explorations. Her voice and songwriting have matured considerably over the past two years, and the time is right for a proper debut.
In return for your largess, Margot is offering various perks starting with a pre-release download of the new album for $10 (Busking). Those who can afford more serious patronage can sign up as a Song Sponsor or Executive Producer. YouTube performances of the album material are available for preview at IndieGoGo, along with complete descriptions of the available packages.
Rock & Roll Hotel Modern Times Christmas Show – Thu 12/23 7PM
Among the many acts at the Rock & Roll Hotel on Thursday will be Margot MacDonald: DC native, product of Duke Ellington High School, and recent Artist-in-Residence at the Music Center at Strathmore. Some singers use vocoders, auto-tune, compression, and other effects to mask and distort their vocals. Margot uses a loop pedal to extend and layer her powerful voice — producing percussive backing tracks and shimmering four-part harmonies in real time.
Margot began her career with the Washington National Opera at age 10, picked up a Strat at 15, and never looked back. Now 19, Margot is a five-time Washington Area Music Award winner and is currently working on her fifth album. We could go on, and we will in a future profile. For now, check out her cover of the Imogen Heap alt-Holiday hit “Just for Now,” and get some tickets to the Modern Times Christmas show. In addition to Margot, the show will feature:
When: Thursday, December 23, 2010 Starts: 7:00 PM Where:Rock & Roll Hotel – 1353 H Street NE, between 13th and 14th streets NORTHEAST
Tickets: $10 – available here
What makes music “beautiful”? While we wrestle with the metaphysical aspects of this question, in practical terms, one answer is “Esperanza Spalding”. The bassist, vocalist, and composer recently released her second album: Chamber Music Society, a follow up to her well-received 2008 debut, Esperanza. Where Esperanza melded jazz, funk, and latin rhythms with vocals in [...]
Ok, so it’s more like trade your email address for a free MP3 download Friday. But you’re probably already on Guitar Center’s mailing list, and you should be on Peter’s. (You can unsubscribe at any time.) Peter’s performance from the unlisted (i.e., don’t try to search for it) YouTube video below is available as an [...]
This should also work for screaming at concerts; either from the crowd or on the stage. Hey, it worked for the Saints! New Orleans Saints Superdome screaming lessons from an opera singer
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