Solo Artist of the Week: Iwan Rheon

http://www.facebook.com/iwanrheon

If you're like me, you know Iwan Rheon as Simon from the hit British show Misfits. (Haven't heard of it? You need to hop on over to Hulu right now and get filled in. Or, if you're opposed to watching shows online, Logo will start airing it July 19 at 10 PM ET. Nice little plug, eh?)

If we're being completely honest, if it hadn't been for the commercial for Misfits I saw on Logo this morning, I'd probably keep this boy all to myself. But that isn't fair to do, so I guess I'll share. (See, I can be nice.) Anyway, I've been turned on to Mr. Rheon's talents for some time now. You see, aside from being a part of such an awesome show, the Welsh actor has also been a part of the cast in the London cast of Spring Awakening (which for anyone wondering is one of my favorites) and-- obviously or I wouldn't be writing about him-- he has a musical career.

His first solo EP was recorded and released in 2010 with help from Kevin Bacon. Okay, not the Kevin Bacon you're thinking of, but it sure did grab your attention, didn't it? It's a four track slice of heaven that features him and an acoustic guitar. His second was recorded and released just last year, so as you can see, though he's been off acting, he's also kept up with this music business.

Now, I know what you're thinking. Vicci, you've told us about him, but what does he sound like?!

Well, my dear, dear readers, he sounds like a man with a wonderfully ear appeasing folk voice accompanied by acoustic guitar. He fits in nicely with the likes of the British Folk Movement that we've seen as of late. You know, that one that includes Mumford & Sons and Bobby Long. This is the type of music that you have playing on a lazy afternoon when you curl up on the couch with a good read and a nice warm cuppa. (cup·pa/ˈkəpə/: Noun: A cup of tea) 


Or on a rainy day.


Or on a nice, sunny Sunday drive.


Or while studying.


Packing for a trip.


Really, you could probably just listen to him whenever the hell you felt like it really. It's so calming and
I really can't imagine anyone being able to listen to his music without just getting lost in it.


Is it completely different from anything we've ever heard? No. It isn't. But there's always room on my 
iPod for a nice and good folk song that wants nothing from me except my undivided attention.


That being said, Iwan is currently working on a full length album to get on out there so we have more to
add to our "Just About Anything" playlist, and we'll be waiting ever so patiently because god dammit,
we love you Barry. Er, I mean Iwan.


(Don't get that reference? Well obviously you need to watch Misfits.)


Go Download: You can pick up both his 'Tongue Tied- EP' and 'Changing Times- EP' on iTunes. 
(Egad! I actually had download links for you guys!)

Solo Artist of the Week: Olly Murs

http://www.facebook.com/ollymurs

Welcome my dearest readers to the first official Solo Artist of the Week! And who better to kick off this new branch of promotions than the one and only Olly Murs.

You see, as many of you may know, I have One Direction Infection bad. Like... real bad. If I had it in me to feel ashamed, I probably would be. Luckily enough, I have no shame. But I digress. This confession is necessary because it's thanks to One Direction that I know Olly Murs. Sure, I'd heard the name before and I knew of him, I just hadn't listened to him. Not because I didn't want to, mind you, but because I just never got around to it. So when I finally got around to really listening to Mr. Murs, it was at 1D's Atlanta concert just a few nights ago.

You see, hearing people live is probably one of my favorite ways to discover artists, because really if they're great live then of course they're going to be good on album. It's like the true test. I can love an artist based on performance alone. So when Olly came out and lit that stage on fire, it was needless to say that I needed him on my iPod, and I needed him there ASAP.

For those of you who don't know, Olly was the runner up in the The X Factor UK in 2009. You know, that same X Factor that gave us our beloved British boy band. (I just love alliteration, don't you?) He was slated as the dark horse of the competition, though if I'm being honest, this Joe McElderry must be pretty damn phenomenal because I can't think of any other reason why Olly would have been beat if it weren't for that.

He's just a really funny guy, freaking adorable, and SUCH an entertainer. You know when you can just tell that someone was born to perform? Yeah. That's how I feel about him. AND on top of that, his music is quite literally the musical personification  of sunshine and happiness. Wikipedia likes to classify it as pop/reggae fusion/ska/dance/soul, which is kind of a lot of different things to roll into one, but honestly, it's probably how I'd classify it as well. I seriously can't NOT be happy when listening to his tunes. Even his slower stuff is amazing. I'm also quite certain that "I Need You Now" was written from my head, okay. If you can't relate to it, you're cold and heartless.

Of course, he also performed "Superstitious" and "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" and you guys should probably know that I freaking love Stevie Wonder too, so I may be just a tad biased.

But that's why I'm here, to tell you to look people up and decide for yourself if you think they're amazing as well! (Which you should, because right now I'm listening to him sing "Isn't She Lovely" and I just can't even handle it.)

PLEASE America, I BEG OF YOU, love Olly Murs so he can headline in the US and we can all fangirl over him and bask in the sunshiney happiness that is his music. And I mean, did I mention he's like, the cutest thing ever?

Go Download: WELL, first off, you can pick up a free remix of his single "Heart Skips A Beat" if you sign up for his newsletter. You can also pick up the original version of the single over on iTunes. And LASTLY, you should definitely pre-order his album which is released in the US on September 25 for jus $7.99, also on iTunes. Take it from me, it is worth SO much more than $7.99. (But you should know my favorite, hands down, is "I Need You Now.")

And if you have 10 minutes to spare for some Stevie Wonder Medley Goodness, check this out. You won't regret it. I promise.

Erik Hassle

http://www.facebook.com/erikhassle

I like Swedish things. Swedish Fish. Alexander Skarsgard. Swedish Meatballs. Now I can add Erik Hassle to the list. You see, my mom loves watching dance, and a choreographer named Kate Jablonski posted a new dance and the song was gorgeous. After much searching (Ok... I scrolled down to the comments section) I found that it was a cover of Robyn's "Be Mine" by Ellie Goulding and Erik Hassle. Now, I already am head over heels in love with Ellie, so it only stands to reason that I'd check out this Erik Hassle, especially given that his voice is so marvelous in the duet. And he DEFINITELY didn't disappoint. (Funnily enough, my good friend Luis wrote about Erik in October on his blog Album Confessions and honestly his post is probably more read worthy than my own lol)

You see, Mr. Hassle here has seen much success in Sweden, his album 'Hassle' making it's debut on Swedish charts and #2 and stayed on the charts for 10 weeks. Pretty damn impressive if I do say so myself. And as I went through all his songs on youtube I couldn't help but wonder, why the hell isn't he bigger here? He has such a powerfully soulful voice and sings about love and loss that everyone can relate to. ("You don't know what you've got until you're missing it a lot" he croons in his song "Hurtful" that was a free song on iTunes awhile back. Sadly enough, I missed that one -.-')

One of the best parts about his music is that even though they may tackle some pretty sad subjects, they have a strong beat to support them, making me want to dance along even though my heart is hit with all the feels. ("Nothing lasts forever, what the hell am I doing here, standing where you left me?" Seriously. If I wasn't too busy dancing, I'd probably be crying into my pillow.)

The 23 year old pop singer-songwriter is magnificent, and if we're being honest, I am completely confused as to why he hasn't been/isn't on the radio right now. I know a lot of people are losing faith in pop music, but if there is ANYONE who is gonna save it, I think it's Erik Hassle. 

Go Download: PLEASE just buy his whole album 'Pieces' because it's marvelous. But I guess if you're looking for a song to look into first, hit up "Hurtful." (You should also note that "The Thanks I Get" has GORGEOUS piano in it.)

(Just listen to his voice. Even the dog is mesmerized.)

Cher Lloyd

http://www.facebook.com/cherlloydmusic

Who do you have to thank for this post? Savan Kotecha. That's right, Savan Kotecha, songwriter and vocal producer behind artists such as Usher, Carrie Underwood and One Direction. WHY do you have him to thank? Well, my dear readers, because he has been tweeting nonstop about Cher Lloyd and curiosity finally got the better of me.

After seeing yet another tweet about her latest single, "Want U Back," I took to Youtube in search of the song and was hit in the face with a catchy summer song. Of course, this led me to start searching her album because I am in need of some serious summer tune-age. What I found, was a great, fun album.

Now, if I were to describe Cher Lloyd's music to you, I'd have to say this: It's like if Nicki Minaj and Lily Allen's music had a baby that was influenced by Godmummy Madonna. That's really weird to read, I'm sure, but I really can't think of how else to describe it. But I promise, it makes sense when you listen to her.

Let's start from the beginning, yeah?

Cher Lloyd is another product of the UK's X Factor, having been a contestant on the seventh series. (Seems to have been QUITE an exciting season, no?) She made it to the final, finishing in fourth place before being signed by Syco Music (Simon Cowell's label, in case you were wondering). And I guess you can say the rest is history.

Her debut album, 'Sticks + Stones,' boasts collaborations with Busta Rhymes, Carolina Liar and Mike Posner as well as beats that get under your skin. The album peaked in the UK at #4 and now she's trying her hand at cracking America. You know, as a part of this major British Invasion we got going on. NOT that I'm complaining. You guys already know how I feel about all things British.

That all being said, I don't think I've ever heard an album that is just so freaking catchy the whole way through. Even the one song that I'm not particularly a fan of has me bobbing my head, even if I don't want to. ("Swagger Jagger" for those of you wondering. Though I do love the chorus.) Overall, 'Sticks + Stones' is a great first album. I'm genuinely excited to see her grow as an artist and let's be real, I'm EXTRA excited to blast her music in my car with the windows down. Get with it America, I wanna hear this girl on the radio.

Go Download: "Want U Back" just dropped in America TODAY! So go pick it up HERE!!! And make sure to keep your eyes open for when her album happens :D

Bastille

http://www.facebook.com/bastilleuk

Oh I know what you're thinking, what Vicci?! You're posting more than once a week again! I know, it's crazy. But I told you I'd make up for my absence. It also helps that I just happen to have stumbled across Bastille and could not contain my joy over this discovery and just HAD to write about them.

You see, my dear friend Brenna turned me to this website called 8tracks (like I needed another music website) and I'm slightly addicted. Basically, it's a site where people can make and share playlists. So it's just a bunch of random playlists and all you really know about them is the title and the description if the creator feels so inclined to give you one. You don't know WHO is on the playlist until their song has played, which I find rather intriguing myself. And as soon as the playlist is done, it moves on to another random mix. So I'm sitting here, listening to this playlist, which is really just background sound as I already know a good majority of the music on it, when all of a sudden I am ripped from my reverie (ok, a little less dramatic, I was only blogging on tumblr afterall) by these wonderful beats and most notably, the lyrics. Quickly switching to the other tab that I had open, I saw the title of the song and the name of the band. "Flaws" by Bastille. And that, my dears, is what I like to refer to as Love at First Listen. I promptly turned to Spotify, in hopes that their music would be there, and as luck may have it, their EP, 'Laura Palmer,' and their single 'Flaws' were up, and they have been on repeat since. (In case you were wondering, this all happened this morning around 1 AM.)

That all being said, Bastille started out as just Dan Smith making music in his bedroom. Upon deciding he didn't want to be a singer-songwriter anymore, he decided to expand and become a band instead. And now I'm pretty convinced that they might be flawless. I'm looking for the catch here, I really am, but so far, nothing. Everything I've listened to has been wonderful. Live stuff, acoustic stuff, covers, all amazing. The harmonies are great and the musicality is spot on. I love the melodies they play, their music is just so catchy. I mean, really, if you couldn't tell, I'm completely in love with them, and it's only been a little over 12 hours since I discovered them. I also think this might be a good time to say that on top of loving the music, I absolutely adore Dan's hair.

So to sum everything up, I think it's only a matter of time before these guys hop the pond and come over to America. At least, that's what I'm hoping, because I can guarantee that I will be at their show so quick. (Though, I guess I have no issue with going to the UK to catch em c:)

Go Download: Everything ever. Aha, all joking aside, their EP, 'Overjoyed,' is up for preorder on iTunes, but you can listen to them on Spotify and you can also pick up their mixtape 'Other People's Heartache' FOR FREE here!!!

(The song that sparked my love.)

The Victory

http://www.facebook.com/thevictoryofficial

It has been a very busy week. Very busy indeed. I've had assignments due for school, I had interviews for Rock Edition (shameless plug. My interviews aren't up yet, but you can still check the site!)and a concert to shoot. AND, on top of all that, I have accrued a countless number of awesome bands to post about via Twitter and I just could not decide who to write about in the limited free time that I had. That was until I went to finally make a decision and saw I had acquired a new street team follower. Curiosity got the better of me and holy cow am I glad it.

The Victory hails from Bergen County, NJ. Now, while many people may think of Jersey Shore first and foremost when thinking about New Jersey, my mind definitely jumps to the great musical talent that they have produced. Frank Sinatra, Frankie Valli, Bruce Springsteen, My Chemical Romance, Jon Bon Jovi, Queen Latifah, Skid Row, Thursday, Senses Fail, The Early November. Seriously, the list goes on and on. Not to say that The Victory is comparable to acts like Frank Sinatra and whatnot, but it really doesn't come as a shock to me that these boys have talent. They seem to breed it in New Jersey.

The band themselves claim to "bring the edge of the Foo Fighters" with the "pop sensibility of Relient K" and had I not heard it for myself, I probably wouldn't believe that, only because what an odd combination! But they hit it right on the head with that one. If you just listen to the music Steve Conley, Mike Palatella, Jeff Lamber and Ryan Bertone lay down, you could imagine a harder voice laying over it. But personally, I enjoy these boys just as they are; with the roaring guitars and crashing drums supporting the sugar sweet vocals of Conley. (In fact, I enjoy it so much that I listened to their songs on repeat for like three goes before actually typing anything because I enjoyed it that much.)

And, on top of that, I can highly support a band who holds a strong stance on suicide prevention and awareness. They seem to have clear heads on their shoulders and are definitely making music that will get them somewhere.

I tip my hat to these boys and look forward to hearing much more from them.

Go Download: You can pick up their EP "Together" for free from their Bandcamp! It is so very worth it if I do say so myself. But my favorite song from them is "Lexi" which you can hear on their Facebook.