FEATURED SONG: The All Ways – “Where I Belong”
The All Ways prove their originals pop as much as their covers
A little more than four months ago I featured the All Ways as an “Under Cover” featured artist with their insane cover of “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele. I wrote at the time:
The jury’s still out on whether they’ve got enough material of their own to be more than just a solid cover band. With a voice like that, Massirman and company need to find material worthy of the voice, and they could go places.
The time has come for that new material, and I’ve got to say I like the video for “Where I Belong,” which, while it’s a by the numbers pop-punk affair for the most part, does provide Austin Massirman with the platform to use his big voice to win over one viewer at a time, hopefully creating dedicated long-term fans in the process. The video, which you can watch below, has earned more than 1,000 views since they launched it yesterday. Lyrically cheesy, it’s the perfect pop song for those dreary days of winter when you just need something upbeat and snappy to keep you in the right frame of mind. For a full album they’ll want to try out a few more styles to see what sticks, but for an initial single this definitely has potential. Consider this critic won over.
ARTIST TO WATCH: Jason Rubero
Jason Rubero, singer-songwriter.
I’ve been following Jason Rubero’s musical exploits since 2003 when I reviewed several of his songs for the now-defunct site Gods of Music. Most of the artists I covered back then have slipped through the cracks, but with music so filled with pop smarts as Rubero’s, it was impossible not to continue to follow everything he did, even as his music remained masked in obscurity. Frequently dubbed “Beatlesque,” Rubero has built his sonic palate upon the classics, reworking and modernizing this pure pop music into a style uniquely his. From the experimental album Mercywheel in 1999 to 2010′s exquisite The Furious Bliss, he’s proven time and time again that he’s not afraid to push the envelope of what listeners expect from pop music in his search for sonic perfection.
It, therefore, remains a surprise to me that Jason Rubero’s music has not found broader appeal. His latest track, “Song For The Seance Girl,” may appear on a later album, but he’s chosen to release it by email to his fans directly. The song, as he describes it, is “loaded with a double-helping of atmosphere, layered ambiance, creepy lyrics, and strange sounds.” But the song’s “melancholy laced with laughter” will definitely lure you into its depths, and this is a song unlikely to let you go once it gets the hooks in. The arrangement is epic, with ethereal piano and chimes coupled with haunting vocals and ambient sounds, creating a soundscape which throws you out of your comfort zone.
This is the kind of music which draws in fans, new and old alike, reaffirming what a talent Jason Rubero is. Trust me, you won’t want to miss it. Then, once you’ve officially had your mind blown, visit his website’s “Music” page to dig your way into his back catalog. I can guarantee it’ll be the musical highlight of your day!
FEATURED SONG: Florence + The Machine – “What The Water Gave Me”
Florence + The Machine harnessing pure music energy
We’ve all been waiting for news of a new Florence + The Machine project for quite some time, and the date is ready for calendars around the world: November 7, 2011. But you don’t have to wait that long to hear the first taste of what’s to come. “What The Water Gave Me” may be her finest song yet, as Florence takes her music back to the purely elemental.
“It’s a song for the water,” says Florence. ““Because in music and art what I’m really interested in are the things that are overwhelming. The ocean seems to me to be nature’s great overwhelmer. When I was writing this song I was thinking a lot about all those people who’ve lost their lives in vain attempts to save their loved ones from drowning. It’s about water in all forms and all bodies. It’s about a lot of things; Virginia Woolf creeps into it, and of course Frieda Kahlo, whose painfully beautiful painting gave me the title.”
The yet untitled album was produced by Paul Epworth in its entirety, to help develop a singular sound for the new songs. It was recorded during a “magical” five week session at Abbey Road’s Studio 3, where Abbey Road by the Beatles and Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd were recorded. This may be my most anticipated new release of the year, and if “What The Water Gave Me” is any indication, it’s going to be quality enough to give Adele a run for her money.
