Browsing Tag

ed sheeran

Paul Vinson – Last Summer: Unflinchingly Enigmatic Soul Pop

Posted on 1 October 2018

Now that we’re safely in the bitter grips of Autumn its time to reminisce about the summers gone by. Luckily Singer Songwriter Paul Vinson has recently released his latest single “Last Summer” to get us through the equinox blues.

At the age of 19 years old the vocalist and guitarist has already got a staggering amount of soul and maturity in his vocals and lyrics thanks to his childhood spent as a gospel singer which helped him develop his unflinchingly enigmatic vocal talent. Yet, Paul saw the light and put his faith into his music career, with his accessibly warm and expressive style it’s safe to say he made the right choice in opening his sound up to a non-pious audience.

Fans of John Mayer, 21 Pilots, James Bay and Allen Stone will definitely appreciate the viscerally alive soundscape he’s cooked up with fellow bandmates. With the jazz style piano’s stabbing notes and bluesy guitar and bass rhythm guiding you through the track, it’s hard not to get caught up within the momentum of the sentimentally sweet single.

You can check out Paul Vinson’s latest single Last Summer for yourself by heading over to Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Purple Rose – Photograph: Organically Composed, Melancholically Keyed Piano

Posted on 23 May 2018

Whilst I can’t say I’ve ever held Ed Sheeran’s music in any form of high regard, there is something about Purple Rose’s piano cover of his infamous track Photograph. The compellingly orchestrated cover exuded the passion and connection the singer and pianist had with Sheeran’s track. In fact, if the track caught you in a delicate enough mood, I’m sure it wouldn’t take too long before a tear is drawn to your eye. Purple Rose’s ethereal piano style took a minimalist approach, yet the space around the notes held as much depth as the melancholic keying. Purple Rose’s hushed vocals over the piano are captivatingly quintessential, although at some points where the high notes were being hit, it felt as though the levels of the track were a little skewed, the piano faded away a little too easily rather than carrying the resonance and depth that it could have. That being said, you’d have a hard time finding another artist with Purple Rose’s organically composed style.

You can check out Purple Rose’s piano cover of Photograph on SoundCloud now along with her other new releases.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Hip-Hop Duo Raph x TT Release Newest Single ‘Roll With’

Posted on 10 January 2018

When you’re in an audacious state of mind, you could barely miss the feeling this nice song dole out on a regular each second; it’s ever-stunning as the crescent moon.

This is a smash hip-hop rap song whose delivery is very smooth; just like when the “silk” kisses the “satin” in the pristine air, you’ll surely be dazzled by this feature alone when you listen to this song.

Comprising of two creative individuals hailing from Birmingham, UK, Raphael and Timon, Raph x TT write, produce and master their music themselves, allowing them full creative autonomy and ensuring that the end product is exactly what they set it out to be. Raph and TT can typically rap about the simplest version of any given idea and they actually look beyond themselves. TT arrives for his turn on the carousel, and he skillfully painted us a beautiful dreamscape with his style of flow and deep sexy voice, this was the defining moment for me in this song.

Their newest single exemplifies the versatility of the duo, with a catchy R&B piano hook overlayed with British hip-hop lyrics. Taking inspiration from the likes of Stormzy, Not3s and Lotto Boys and even from main stream artist Ed Sheeran, Roll With is British urban hip-hop with a twist.

Raph and TT are more likely gonna be categorized to be in the league of Wiley, JME and Skepta because they somewhat have same musical sound and style with them.

The laydown of an enjoyable piano sound that doubles as a chill track and a groovy record makes the song even more memorable. The production is also a note-worthy to be mentioned as one of the nice features of this track. Raph and TT meshed so well to exude same flash velocity of technical brilliance in this song.

This is a great song and y’all should go check it out.

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Music Reviewed By;

Lilian-Debrah.

Kurtis Simmons – Safe Place: Unadulterated Pop Rock

Posted on 29 November 2017

First impressions? This track wouldn’t be out of place on a Disney soundtrack. But beyond that, even as one with more raucous tastes, I became enthralled under the charm that US based Pop Rock artist Kurtis Simmons created with his debut angelic hit ‘Safe Place’.

With a backing track that kind of reminded me of the Lion King, it took a lot for his vocals to win me over, yet ultimately, they did. He leaves the window wide open to his soul, inviting you to come inside with his poetically lyrical fixings which are a constant feature throughout his work. With better direction, as a vocalist Kurtis could be unstoppable. Yet with such sickly melodies the sound hinders his true musical talent, I was waiting for the passion, the anger, the real feeling. But sadly, the cacophony never came. His influences include Steve Perry, Paul McCartney and David Bowie, if only their attitude was more evident throughout his back catalogue.

Safe Place is available to listen to now! Check it out using Soundcloud via the link below:

https://soundcloud.com/kurtissimmons/safe-place

Check out Kurtis’ website for more information on how to download his music & keep up to date with his tours.

https://www.kurtissimmons.com/

Nikhil Swaroop – The Light: The Acoustic Zeitgeist

Posted on 15 November 2017

I’ve only just had the pleasure of being acquainted with Nikhil Swaroop. It took me approximately 10 seconds to fall completely in love with him from when I hit play on his new track The Light (The Original). The video of the light takes place within Nikhil’s inner sanctum, allowing you a personal view into his life, past and pain, with no holds barred.

He’s a stunning singer song writer currently living in India, I have to say it was my first experience listening to Indian acoustic, but one things for sure, it won’t be the last. He has the same pensive delectableness of the quaint sonorous likes of Ray LaMontagne, Keith Urban and Glen Hansard. The light is charged with upliftingly harrow emotion that flows with inexplicable ease.

Aside from his original work, Nikhil has become the master at breathing a little soul into British and American songs, from Lady Gaga to Ed Sheeran, each sound is as staggering as the last. The whole production for the video to The Light only took 50 minutes. He’s kindly left the track as raw as it gets for his fans. If only more artists were that honest with their work.

Anyone Can Relate To Bethany Janette’s “I Miss You”

Posted on 14 October 2017

Bethany Janette is a singer and songwriter with a unique approach to her sound. Her recent single, “I Miss You” is a great example of her intimate lyrics and mellow sound. The song has a beautiful arrangement, where string sections create some amazing atmospheres, and the piano chords really drive the song’s structure.

On top of it all, the song strikes for Bethany’s remarkable ability to really stand out. Her phenomenal approach to songwriting truly strikes a chord with lyrics that are deep and very personal, yet very easy to relate to.

“I Miss You” is a beautiful song of longing where emotion flows like a river.

 

Adam Wendler releases pop-folk track ‘Deep Water’

Posted on 23 July 2017

If the idea of folk and pop meeting together in an upbeat and commercial package has you shuddering at the memory of the likes of Mumford and The Whale’s brand of generic gene splicing, then thank the stars for Adam Wendler. His music is all the things I have just described but he seems more expertly guided in his choices. The melody is infectious, the beat groovesome and the lyrics relatable, the folk integrity and the pop catch blend seamlessly and his understanding of dynamic is masterful.

It’s a song which shows how neatly genres can dovetail into each other when a bit of thought is put into the artisanship and Adam can sleep safe in the knowledge that if ever he decides to take a break from the live circuit his songs would be snapped up by any artist with an ounce of common sense, right up to the likes of Ed Sheeran. I wonder what ever happened to him?

A&R Factory Present: Heffron Drive

Posted on 12 February 2017

Based out of Los Angeles, CA, Heffron Drive is an Alt Pop band started in 2008 by lead singer Kendall Schmidt and Guitarist Dustin Belt. The duo began making music together when they were teenagers. Both Kansas natives met while living on the same street in Burbank, CA called Heffron Drive, which ultimately inspired the name of their band.

Before Heffron Drive had a chance to take off, Kendall booked the lead of a television show/music group and gained worldwide popularity as the lead Singer of the Nickelodeon/Columbia Records project Big Time Rush. After 5 years of success, Kendall, alongside guitarist, Dustin Belt, got back in the studio together as Heffron Drive.

The two best friends and band mates have been busy touring all parts of the world since the revival of Heffron Drive. From Europe to South America, the Philippines and all over the US. Their first album Happy Mistakes was released in 2015, shortly followed up by Happy Mistakes: Unplugged; per the fans request for an acoustic album. Happy Mistakes is a soaring example of how pure songwriting can be. The music is thoughtful and meticulously crafted to go along with lyric and melody that pull on every individual heart string.

 

So far the band has only impressed and they aren’t slowing down anytime soon. With the release of their two new singles “Rain Don’t Come” and “Don’t Let Me Go” in 2016 they have brought a new sound to their music that has pleasantly surprised the fans and attracted new listeners. These two new singles push the limits of what HD is all about; unforgettable music. “Rain Don’t Come” is a heart racing track full of desert vibes and incredibly thoughtful production. “Don’t Let Me Go” is the new sound for the project, showing the love that Heffron Drive has for electronic music while keeping their unique sound alive.

The band has been hard at work in the studio writing and producing new music. Their first new song of 2017, “Living Room”, was released January 13th, followed by an EP entitled “The Slow Motion EP” released February 10th. They will be playing a few shows in Mexico in January, and then of to Europe for a full European tour in February.

A&R Factory Present: Sam Woolf

Posted on 25 January 2017

SAM WOOLF is a 20 year-old folk/pop singer songwriter known for his original arrangements, beautiful pitch perfect tone and emotional original songs. His performances and recordings have obtained millions of views on YouTube and Sam receives tremendous support from his fan club, the “WOOLFPACK” on social media. Sam Woolf has gained national recognition as a finalist on American Idol’s 2014 Season where he placed in the Top 5. Independent Grammy-winning producer Danny Blume produced and recorded an EP “Pretend” containing Sam’s originals for release. It debuted at #9 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart.

Sam was born in Detroit and lived in West Bloomfield, Michigan until he was 10. Sam has since lived in Florida and he graduated from Braden River High School in June of 2014. Sam’s father, Scott Woolf, introduced him to acoustic folk-rock music when he was a young child. Sam’s grandfather (“Papa Roy”) sent him to singing lessons with opera singer Bob Lischetti for several years, and Sam taught himself guitar. During high school, Sam began performing locally in Bradenton at restaurants and cafés and was a mentee of the Del Couch Music Education Foundation, which booked him for performances at local events.

In the summer of 2013, Sam attended a five week program for high school students at Berklee College of Music (the world’s premier contemporary music school) in Boston. He was one of four students chosen to perform live in the “winners” showcase as well as one of four students selected to perform in the theater-in-the-round singer/songwriters performance. He was also one of the Berklee students referred to American Idol for auditions.

Sam was a featured performer at an Alex Preston concert in New Hampshire, co-headlined with the Doobie Brothers, War, and Jefferson Starship, opened for We The Kings and has performed extensively at other public and private venues in Florida. He has toured throughout the Northeast with the Como Brother’s Band, and was featured on a track of the Como Brother’s EP, Live at 89 North. Sam is currently writing a set of pop originals with Israeli musical prodigy/guitarist Orion Meshorer.

A&R Factory Present: J Lind

Posted on 5 January 2017

J Lind is an American singer-songwriter from Arizona. Following high school, J attended Princeton University on scholarship, where he formed an alternative rock band, Valley Academy. The group quickly became Princeton’s premier indie act, opening for artists ranging from Alus and Luke Christopher to the Grammy-nominated artist, Big Sean, before parting ways in the spring of 2016.

In August, J recorded his debut solo EP at The Chapel in Nashville, TN. Engineered by Joshua D. Niles (COIN, Taylor Phelan, Jason Gray), the record blends warm instrumentation’s with timeless folk signatures to touch on socially relevant themes. J’s debut EP is scheduled for release in January 2017, prior to a string of shows in Europe in the spring.