NEW MUSIC EAR

January (Thompson) is a singer/songwriter who makes a sound involving ambient and electronic sounds creating an atmospheric feel backing her pure harmonious vocals.  Her debut album in 2008 prompted critics to liken her sound to Tori Amos and Kate Bush.


I hear a lot of Sarah McLachlan in her music and her latest album, "Whelmed" is full of emotive, almost haunting music with beautifully sung heartfelt lyrics. "Careful What You Tell The Sky", the debut set included the Oriental sounding title track and the almost Medieval backing of "Beautiful Ache".


This lady obviously likes to experiment and push the boundaries when it comes to making music.  The way she uniquely combines mysterious harmonies, backing of different eras and times and her sweet, pure vocals that can switch to Classical is an intriguing mix!

The "Whelmed" album contains more of the same experimentation with the Evanescence style of "Too Soon" and "Delicat…

Yuna is a Malaysian singer songwriter who can also play guitar and ukulele.  Born Yunalis binti Mat Zara'ai in Kedak to a current legal advisor of Pahang father and a high school teacher mother, this lady is a major global world star.  Through word of mouth and an amazing online fan base, Yuna's self-titled debut Malaysian album and a handful of single releases, she achieved a Grammy equivalent award in her homeland and several high profile awards.

This lady has a lot to offer with her brand of Indie-Pop, Folk, Acoustic, Alternative R n' B style.  The first track I heard from Yuna was actually a cover of Nirvana's "Come As You Are" on Spotify.  It was a very light easy listening track with this stunning voice, similar to Norah Jones singing over a light Acoustic backdrop.  As I wasn't a fan of Nirvana, this was appreciating the song in a completely different more melodic way, a little like Tori Amos' version of "Smells Like Teen Spiri…

Nia is a Welsh singer-songwriter from Llandudno, with a hybrid voice that has the quirkiness and gutsy vocals of Paloma Faith with the pureness and honesty of Eva Cassidy.  Will be looking forward to a debut album from this talented lady.


A new style to old Blues and Soul influenced from records found in junk shops, she moulded her talent of songwriting to incorporate her own stories and experiences.  In "Northern No Soul Town" you can hear a little scratching, so slipping in a little Hip Hop to her guitar based songs with big vocals is quite unique to such a new talent and brave. 

I mentioned Eva Cassidy and Paloma Faith, but you can also add Imelda May and Amy Winehouse as Nia is all of those rolled into one amazing talent. Ironically enough, Nia is supporting Paloma Faith in Summer 2018!


Nia has had airplay of the single "Northern No Soul Town" by Gary Crowley on BBC Introducing in London.  Searching for more info on this young lady I found an inter…

THESE ALBUM REVIEWS ARE FAVOURITES FROM MY OWN VAST AND VARIED ECLECTIC COLLECTION! I AM A FAN OF THESE ARTISTS SO MY OPINIONS MAY NOT BE ON A PAR WITH YOUR OWN BUT PLEASE ENJOY AND MAYBE THERE ARE SOME ALBUMS YOU MAY LIKE TO SAMPLE FOR YOURSELF OUT OF CURIOSITY :)
THE MISSION

"CARVED IN SAND"

The Mission are one of those bands I never thought I would like from perceptions of Gothic music I had witnessed around me.  Until I looked deeper into their catalogue I realised what a fantastic band they were and still are.  The big album was "Children" with the songs "Beyond The Pale" and "Tower Of Strength", after hearing more and more music I sought out every album before and after I could find and now have all the albums.  They developed into a great Arena Rock band full of anthemic tunes and driving guitars and percussion with memorable choruses.  I was lucky enough to witness the band live at a charity concert at The Royal Court, Liverpool for th…

THESE ALBUM REVIEWS ARE FAVOURITES FROM MY OWN VAST AND VARIED ECLECTIC COLLECTION! I AM A FAN OF THESE ARTISTS SO MY OPINIONS MAY NOT BE ON A PAR WITH YOUR OWN BUT PLEASE ENJOY AND MAYBE THERE ARE SOME ALBUMS YOU MAY LIKE TO SAMPLE FOR YOURSELF OUT OF CURIOSITY :)
THE ICICLE WORKS

"THE ICICLE WORKS"

I remember hearing "Love Is A Wonderful Colour" by The Icicle Works in 1983 on the radio.  I had never heard anything like it before.  The lyrics were eloquent, they were sung in an unusual style and the music was big, orchestral like in its composition.  I recorded it off the radio (the in thing at the time!) and the cassette was on rewind and play on this song for weeks until I could sing along perfectly. Always on the lookout for new bands to follow, this band were on my list.  Subsequent albums after this debut were also readily acquired!

This debut album only reached number 24 in the UK chart and only spawned two singles.  Sometimes I wonder if the UK just wasn&…

WHOWho are an Indie Rock/Electronic Dance hybrid band who hail from Seoul in South Korea.  Their music is an eclectic mix of Funk, Dance, guitar Pop-Rock and Electronica.  The group formed in 2012 and have been touring extensively spreading their music across Asia and surely the rest of the world will take them to their hearts soon!


Jun Yong (vocals/guitar), Yohan (bass), Jin Chul (drums) and Young Kwang (synths) are a quartet of musical imagination.  I first reviewed the band after only a couple of E.P.'s and hoped they would go on to make an album as the music was so unusual I wanted to hear more.  Their motto at the time was "dance silly, play sexy", I just knew this group were destined for bigger things!

The track "Her" got me researching this band.  The song kicked off with an Electronic beat and synths followed by some Daft Punk-esque vocals.  It then changed into a soft English vocal to kick into an 80s power pop riff which is verging on Punk.  On to…

ARE YOU IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS IN SOME WAY AND WOULD LIKE TO GUEST BLOG AN ARTICLE ON NEW MUSIC EAR LIKE THIS ONE?  OPEN TO RECORD COMPANIES, MUSIC SELLERS, JOURNALISTS OR ANYONE WITHIN MUSIC.  CONTACT ME FOR DETAILS! :)
TOP TIPS FOR ASPIRING COMPOSERS - FROM THE MAKERS OF MUSIC NOTATION SOFTWARE DORICO

BY DANIEL SPREADBURY, DORICO PRODUCT MARKETING MANAGER
For young musicians, finding a way to break into the world of classical music and build a career as a composer can be difficult.

Here, we outline our top tips for aspiring composers – from familiarising yourself with music composition software to learning how to promote your music. 
PERFECT YOUR PORTFOLIO

A solid body of work, presented in a professional portfolio, can work wonders in a field as fiercely competitive as the world of professional music. Assembling your portfolio should be something that you put time and consideration into. This, after all, is the demonstration of your work so far, but also of your potential and talents as…

Hudson Taylor are Irish brothers Harry and Alfie and hail from Dublin.  I first reviewed this band in 2013 after only a couple of E.P.'s.  The article was published on the website of California's Music Insider Magazine.  Their sound of Simon And Garfunkel and Everly Brothers harmonies and melodies captured my ears.


Within a year of moving to London they signed a record deal wth Polydor.  They released a 3 E.P.'s which included songs such as the brilliant "Chasing Rubies", "Care" and "Holly".  The duo released their debut album, "Singing For Strangers" in 2015 which is inspired by their busking days.  The two young lads I reviewed a few years ago have matured both in musical ability and songwriting.  

The album is a mastery of 60s, 70s and Rock Pop with a distinctive Irish Folk vibe.  There are classic tracks such as the positive message of "Weapons" and the almost anthemic "Battles" which reminds me of Wall Of Voo…

MUSIC ARTISTS? WANT YOUR NEW ALBUM OR SINGLE(S) REVIEWED TRACK BY TRACK PLUS FREE PROMOTION ON NEW MUSIC EAR AND SHARED TO TWITTER, LINKEDIN, INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK? IF YOU LIKE THIS REVIEW, PLEASE CONTACT ME :)
ALEXIS

"SWEET ANGEL" & "HOLD ME CLOSE"

By Andrew Goodwin for NEW MUSIC EAR www.newmusicear.com.

SUMMARY - Alexis Gerred has been around the music business for over 10 years and has appeared on stage in various musical theatre.  American Idiot and Dreamboats & Petticoats are two of the notable productions he has appeared in as well as being semi finalist in the Let It Shine TV programme and runner-up in Eurovision-Your Country Needs You.  Now Alexis is going it alone and becoming the star turn as he plans to release his debut album later this year.  Some of his influences include Goo Goo Dolls, Rod Stewart and Queen and you can certainly hear elements of those in the single "Sweet Angel" and the as yet unreleased second single "Hold Me …

Sheppard are an Indie Rock band from Brisbane, Australia which consists of siblings George, Amy and Emma Sheppard.   Added to the sextet are Jason Bovino, Michael Butler and Dean Gordon.  The family were raised in Papua New Guinea but once they relocated to Australia they flourished with incredible musical talenst.


I actually wrote a mini review on the band in 2015 just after the release of their debut album, "Bombs Away" featuring the blistering single "Geronimo".  They were the first overseas band to actually take the time to thank me on Twitter for a great review.  I absolutely love this band, hearing the preview singles from the forthcoming second album, "Watching The Sky" they have blown me away.  This band are one of the reasons I do this blog, finding outstanding new talent but also finding new favourite artists that I actually play often.


Sheppard can move you to tears with their ballads and make you sing and shout and look at life in a positi…

MUSIC ARTISTS? WANT YOUR NEW ALBUM OR SINGLE(S) REVIEWED TRACK BY TRACK PLUS FREE PROMOTION ON NEW MUSIC EAR AND SHARED TO TWITTER, LINKEDIN, INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK? IF YOU LIKE THIS REVIEW, PLEASE CONTACT ME :)
JEFF McCALL

 "NIGHT LIFE"

By Andrew Goodwin for NEW MUSIC EAR www.newmusicear.com.
ALBUM SUMMARY - "Night Life" is a great album for those who love the 80s Electronica and Synth Pop bands.  Jeff has made an album that takes you back to those great musical times.  With every song, every listener will find something new that reminds them of a certain artist of that era.  There are elements of Erasure, Human League, Heaven 17, Thompson Twins, Kraftwerk, New Order and many more.  Jeff has used his vast knowledge of the genres to create something very special.  It is like an 80s time capsule in musical form.  Jeff is a great singer as well as a songwriter and this perfect retro album will have you reliving those nostalgic memories of the best music decade. &quo…

THESE ALBUM REVIEWS ARE FAVOURITES FROM MY OWN VAST AND VARIED ECLECTIC COLLECTION! I AM A FAN OF THESE ARTISTS SO MY OPINIONS MAY NOT BE ON A PAR WITH YOUR OWN BUT PLEASE ENJOY AND MAYBE THERE ARE SOME ALBUMS YOU MAY LIKE TO SAMPLE FOR YOURSELF OUT OF CURIOSITY :)
BILLY JOEL

"AN INNOCENT MAN"

I had heard a lot of Billy Joel songs, "Piano Man", "It's Still Rock And Roll To Me", "Just The Way You Are" and a few more so I knew about him.  Upon research I gained more respect for the man, from humble beginnings and a few upheavals he remains one of the best singer songwriters of all time.  In 1983 I heard "Tell Her About It" and the mega hit "Uptown Girl" and for the first time I bought a Billy Joel album.  In 1983 I was open to all genres of music so when I had "An Innocent Man" I pretty much played it to death and bought his Greatest Hits Vol 1 and 2 set soon after to hear more of the man.  The album had Soul, M…

The Spase hail from Widnes in Cheshire in the North West of England.  The duo of Andy Forrest (vocals/guitar) and Peter Walker (bass) were actually featured in one of my articles "Cheshire Rocks" a few years ago which was published by INCheshire and Prestbury Living magazines.


After appearing in several bands together they created The Spase in 2012.  They steadily built a loyal fanbase around the Cheshire area and released their debut album entitled "On A Cloud" featuring gems like "The Shooting Star" and "A Roaming Son".


The Spase bring a great Acoustic style Indie Rock with harmonious melodies and vocals.  The pure "live" sound they give on their songs is something I really like.  It is always better when, in headphones you feel like you're really at a gig.  They cite U2. The Beatles and REM as their influences but there are also elements of the Madchester era of the 90s sound like The Stone Roses and Inspiral Carpets.


The band h…

The Fireflys are a band from my hometown of Runcorn, in the North West of England.  Playing a brand of Indie/Americana Rock with guitar driven songs and harmonious melodies.  Since finding this band I have also reviewed a live concert and their previous album on New Music Ear as well as having an article published in California's Music Insider magazine so they are always on my radar.


Since forming in 2007 and a few band lineup changes they have released four albums all to critical acclaim.  The last album "The Illumination Of Everything" brought the band to new heights and their single, the brilliant "Branches" was played on a myriad of radio stations and Internet playlists.  I described the song as "a lilting mixed masterpiece of sadness and hope" and this is what the songs give, plenty of emotion.

I had the pleasure of meeting the two mainstays of the band a few years ago, songwriter and frontman Lee Wylding and drummer Andie Packer who were very hu…