Thursday 14 July 2011

New Artist Alert - Senit


Every once in a while I've delved into sharing some dance music with you all to hopefully widen my outreach and connect with new readers who might otherwise not have been drawn in, but find themselves discovering all sorts of new artists when they get here. Today it's all about Senit and, although this article comes ahead of her fourth studio album, she's still a new artist here!
Senit's latest album isn't available until the end of the year, however her first single ahead of its release is available now on iTunes and from other digital download platforms. Senit is a credited artist in her own right, performing at the Eurovision song contest this year with her previous, and slightly less frantic single, Stand By.
Through The Rain explodes right from the very beginning with its infectious dance hook and Senit's strong, assuring vocals. There's no worry that the chorus won't immediately be stuck in your head, and I love the string part that lifts the verses, adding texture and a lot of colour to the track. There's a danger in dance music (though I'm no expert) of artists layering and layering, thickening the texture of the song so much that it turns out to be a muddy wall of sound but Through The Rain has enough components to sound like a busy dance track and everything cuts through the mix perfectly. It's a relentless dance piece that drops only to allow you to catch your breath but holds no prisoners and steadily kicks back in with its signature hook and drive. It's a real 'floor-filler' as I believe they say in the dance world, and one to keep a listen out for.
As an artist, Senit has a history of musical theatre and performing arts that has seen her career blossom into that of an international pop star. Her first album hit the shelves in May 2006 and and she has since been churning out albums whilst finding time for charity concerts and also working in television. Her latest album has seen a collaboration with some huge American producers who cite Pink, Beyonce and Christina Aguilera as previous clients and promises to be a great spectacle when it's released at the end of the year.
So what are you waiting for?! Go check her out! You can find out more information about Senit here: http://www.believedigital.it/artists/104974,senit.html or by checking out her official website: http://www.senit.it/. For a more personal touch, head over to her Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/senitmusic and engage with her army of loyal supporters. Here's a hint of Through The Rain:
<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/j2GSY6i9mCA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
If you like what you hear or have been swayed by reading my article, be sure to download your own copy of the track from iTunes here: http://itunes.apple.com/it/album/through-the-rain-single/id445599204 and if you do go for it, let me know by leaving a comment below and hopefully you can engage with some other new Senit fans!





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iTunes

Through the rain







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Viral video by ebuzzing

Monday 11 July 2011

Pre-Order 'A Spark To Ignite' - The City Calls


At last the wait is over; you can now pre-order your copy of The City Calls' A Spark To Ignite right here! All pre-ordered copies of the EP come with some free TCC and I Am Mighty Records stickers plus will be signed by all members of the band.

Still undecided? Check out the EP sampler:

The City Calls - A Spark To Ignite Sampler by I Am Mighty Records

Be sure to grab yourselves a copy of the EP, released on August 12th and if you're close to Southampton make sure you're in attendance of the EP release show at The Joiners a few days after on August 19th.

Thursday 7 July 2011

Francophonik!


I think it's safe to say that the French music scene isn't the UK's biggest, but how many of you have dreamt of visiting, or have perhaps even already visited, the beautiful country that is France for a holiday? Francophonik provides you with the opportunity to combine our two favourite past-times; holidaying in France and attending a massive music festival! Francophonik allows you to join its Facebook community and win tickets to French gigs in the UK and music festivals in France, and it's so easy to do! Just LIKE the Francophonik Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/francophonik, and then apply for tickets by simply clicking a box! It's a fantastic opportunity to visit the Country and experience some of the biggest touring artists in the world today.

If you're interested to learn more about the festival itself, be sure to check out the official webpage here: http://www.rockenseine.com/en/. It's a newly expanding festival that has grown from strength-to-strength since 2003 and now boasts a 4th stage in its 9th year whilst still sticking close to its ethical and environmental morals. Ok, you're waiting for the important bit... the artists! Expect to see Foo Fighters, Deftones, Arctic Monkeys, Interpol, Tinie Tempah and many more; what a great line-up!

This is an opportunity I'm not willing to let pass me by; it's so simple and I can't think of anything better than spending my summer holiday in beautiful France whilst listening to some massive bands in a safe and friendly festival environment with thousands of like-minded people. Maybe you're a festival veteran, so why not try the experience in another country?! Perhaps you've yet to book your sumer holiday yet, well this is the perfect opportunity! A huge fan of loads of the artists on the bill?! It couldn't be easier! Head over to the Facebook page and get yourself signed up NOW!


Viral video by ebuzzing

Monday 4 July 2011

New Artist Alert: Xander & The Peace Pirates


I've been looking forward to sharing with you all the breath of fresh air that is Xander & The Peace Pirates after they opened for Bon Jovi in Manchester a couple of weeks ago. As I said at the time, it doesn't really matter who's supporting when you go and see your favourite band, at the end of the day they're the only thing standing between you and Bon Jovi. It's even harder for the first act, because they're normally a lucky College band who won a radio contest and no one is really that interested. However, when Xander & The Peace Pirates strolled confidently onto Bon Jovi's daunting stage and fired up their set, it was instantly apparent that these guys definitely had something. Whether the experience opened doors for the band or was simply an incredible once-in-a-lifetime experience I don't know, but I am sure that these guys are definitely worth checking out and were certainly worthy winners of the opening act competition. Their passion for their music matched with their stage presence and song-writing abilities certainly won over a very large and impatient Manchester crowd on a rather wet Friday 24th June, and I'm delighted to be able to share the guys with you now.

Xander & The Peace Pirates are definitely pioneering the campaign to bring rock music back to the masses and are very ready and willing to derail any R&B or dance acts that get in their way. Their music bio isn't full of pretentious self-evaluative comments or 'John met Gary in 2006 and they looked for a drummer' but instead rhetorically yearns with the reader to ask where the great and real energetic rock bands of the past few decades have gone. Who stole all the good music, the real music?! This Liverpudlian quintet have certainly got what it takes to lead good rock music back into the charts but they certainly can't do it alone. So have a listen for yourself, and help to support what is real and sorely missed in music today.

I had a listen to a couple of the band's tracks, the first being 'Fire' with throwbacks to classic Hendrix-esque style vocals and guitar lines sharing the lead melody and the driving rhythms of Cream brought up to date with funky drums. The lead vocals really carry the track with a wonderful whirring keyboard backdrop and if the solo sections don't have you tapping your feet then maybe music just isn't for you.

'This Life' showcases a slightly different side to the band; we know they can rock but can they pull of a ballad? When the vocals come in, I find myself questioning the originality of the song; I've only heard it once yet it is instantly recognisable. As the song develops and the soaring vocal harmonies carry us through I'm reminded of how perfect the band pulled these off live in a huge stadium setting. The low-key nature of the track allows much-needed space for the vocals to lead, allowing us to really listen to the lyrics and the extended solo-section sounds fantastic as it dribbles out into cascading piano runs and almost-tribal drums before the track builds for its final curtain call. All in all, a great sounding song.

Debut album '11' is available on iTunes, Amazon and Spotify now; be sure to check them out and keep up to date on their Facebook page.

Sunday 3 July 2011

New Artist Alert: Fools For Rowan


Fools For Rowan are the latest artist to rise from the Nashville flames, a female-fronted rock quintet who have been around for just over a year now. Debut single 'Burnt Around The Edges' drives with down-n-dirty guitars and soaring vocals. I was a little unmoved with the lo-fi sounding drums in the first verse but the impact of the first chorus when they dive crystal clear smack bang in the middle of the mix certainly told me; it turned out to be a great production technique and a great way to help develop a simple-sounding rock song. The backing vocals in the latter parts of the verses really add depth and the lead guitar work showcases some interesting ideas throughout. The solo section is a little flat, especially at the beginning but lifts towards the end;, I think overall the track has potential as a good rock song but lacks that real and raw impact to help it stand out although this could be down to post-production work rather than the band's song-writing abilities. Hearing it live would definitely cast the deciding vote.

The band's latest single, Dead, is a slighty more sinister and calmer affair, showcasing the band's rock-ballad side and highlighting a more-matured writing style. Soaring strings really lift the choruses and the solo section is a lot stronger in this song. It drops and builds in all the right places and really holds its own as a great-sounding rock ballad, with the passion and feeling I felt was lacking in Burnt Around The Edges a lot more evident here. Check out the video for Dead, where the visuals help to aid the lyrical meaning; amateur videos can be really difficult to get looking professional but Fools For Rowan have definitely pulled it off here:



The band continue to tour across the US, so if you live across the pond be sure to try and catch them soon. For everyone else, head over to the band's Facebook page to keep up to date with everything that's new with Fools For Rowan.