Guest Post: Adam Sharp’s Top 5 Artists of 2013
I’m a big fan of Adam Sharp‘s Songs for the Day, a blog that surfaces amazing talent literally every. single. day. (Needless to say, he’s a more diligent blogger than I am.) I asked him to compile some of the artists he bets will break this year—or, at the very least, will make 2013 sound pretty darn pleasant. Read on to hear more…
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Below are 5 artists you may or may not know already, but who will all be, by my estimation, heavily involved in the soundtrack to your life in the coming year. Let’s see what your year is going to sound like, shall we?
Alejandro Rose-Garcia doesn’t make music that sounds like the stuff other folks are making. Not many people are rolling around the back roads playing their guitar and briefcase drum set while singing about things like gunslingers, women, convicts, booze and wary roaming (sometimes all in one tune). The music of Shakey Graves is at once fresh, familiar, unique and memorable, full of deep truths and wisdom under its cowboy exterior.
There aren’t a lot of artists that would dare start their debut full-length album with an a capella tune, but then again Winston Yellen isn’t most artists. In Country Sleep, the debut album from Night Beds, Yellen has created a stunningly personal, vulnerable and brave piece of work from beginning to end. It’s an album that packs quite the painful punch under the surface of its uniquely gorgeous arrangements, Yellen’s tales of lost love, loneliness, pain and depression always lurking below the strums and strings, armed and ready to reach up and shake you.
Led by the powerhouse vocals of Galen Disston, Pickwick makes the kind of music that will simultaneously stop you dead in your tracks and force you to dance when it starts coming through your speakers. Combining equal parts soul, indie rock and psychedelic rock, this Seattle sextet is producing some of my favorite music being made today. Get your weird dancing shoes ready, kids- when Pickwick blows through town you’re gonna want to be there, and you’re surely going need said shoes.
You could use a lot of words to describe the music that Daughter makes (I know, I’ve used most of them), but the only one you truly need is ‘haunting’. The dark stories of love, loss and alienation being woven in Elena Torna’s songs are haunting. The arrangements that build and burst throughout are haunting. And Torna’s voice, sometimes confident and strong, other times frail and apprehensive, is haunting. Daughter makes music that sticks with you long after the notes fade away.
There are two versions of Noah Gundersen: the one on tape and the one who plays live. There’s the songwriter just realizing his potential, penning stunning songs full of words that cut deep and raising questions that need answers. Then there’s the performer, the one who, with his sister Abby at his side, possesses a power that hushes a crowd from first note to last. You need both of versions of Noah Gundersen in your life in 2013.
Communion launches new show on Xfm
Communion further expands its reach with a new weekly show on Xfm, Communion Presents. Hosted by all-around rad dude Maz Tappuni, the show launches today and takes place Sundays at 10pm. The inaugural episode (which you can hear here) features music by Deap Vally, Frightened Rabbit, The Staves, Public Enemy (obviously), and more. And, as all good radio shows do these days, Communion Presents has its own psychic: Mr. Kev Jones.
In other news, Communion band To Kill a King have released a new video for ‘Cold Skin’, the single from upcoming debut LP Cannibals With Cutlery. I’m not sure I totally ‘get’ the film, but watch it for yourself and analyze away. There’s a bit of a Waiting for Godot-meets-Lord of the Flies vibe, if you ask me.
Updates
I said I’d blog more about my life, so here goes:
I’m getting more in the groove of things at Pulse, and even though I’m still working like a fiend, it’s nice to be making some headway. I’m fleshing out our blog, and in the past two weeks have interviewed The 405, Saveur, and VICE. Getting the ball rolling!
I made these Nutella buns from the Saveur post. Mmmmm.
I saw Alt-J at Bottom of the Hill a couple weeks ago, and realized it was the first gig I’d gone to in almost two months. TWO MONTHS. Crazytown, right?! The show was great, and not just because the Mercury Prize winners are absolute geniuses: it turns out I’d really missed the live music fire-in-your-belly, and because I saw the early set, I was in bed by 10:30. I call that an old lady win-win.
After the show, my friend and I discussed a) how on earth you can accurately classify Alt-J (does ‘art rock’ really cut it?), and b) how soon their triangle hand gesture will become a meme/Instagram competition. Feel free to share your opinions on these urgent topics in the comments or on Twitter, as all I’m talking about currently is sleeping, the apocalypse, and baked goods. Save me from myself.
I realize I forgot to share a true highlight of the year with you all: I interviewed Laura Marling. I owe the delightful folks at Mxdwn my hearty thanks, as they allowed me to geek out with one of my musical idols. See the full interview here. She has a new album coming up, about which she says: “I’m really happy with it, I’m proud of it, but I think I can say that it will be a challenge to listen to.” Challenge: accepted.
A few of the things I’ve been listening to this week:
Capital Cities – Caught these guys at Mezzanine a few months ago, haven’t looked back. Their disco-pop is addicting.
To Kill a King – Loved this London band for a while, and their LP will be out in February. Check out recent EP Word of Mouth.
Dry the River – Just released an acoustic version of LP Shallow Bed! Intense hits like ‘New Ceremony’ have a totally different feel.
Papa – still loving their recent new single, ‘Put Me To Work’, which is a bit more amped up than their A Good Woman Is Hard To Find EP. Listen here.
The aforementioned Alt-J. Bonus: ‘Matilda’ quotes Johnny Flynn.
Patch and the Giant – A Folkroom find. If you want to be transported to a 16th century English pub, check out this band’s drinking-song vibes.
Haim – Just one word for new single/B-side ‘Don’t Save Me’/'Send Me Down’: obsessed.
Folkdates
By ‘Folkdates’ I wish I meant ‘dates in which folk music was discussed and/or heard’ (I’m looking at you, Charlie Fink doppelgänger in the corner), but in this context I mean updates. Folk updates. Get it? Thankfully, the winter season seems to bring out the best in acoustic music; I guess it’s natural for folkies to get in the Christmas spirit, but there’s plenty of non-seasonal folk popping up as well, like Three Blind Wolves‘ new single ‘Parade’ on Spinner. Anyway, onto the updates:
Anyone who’s ever met me has probably heard about Folkroom, the label/folk night that showcases an increasingly wide variety of artists from ye olde Londontown. I visited one of their nights at The Queen’s Head when I visited London last year, and co-founder Stephen Thomas even wrote me a guest post a while back. I’m a fan.
For the holiday season, Folkroom artist Lucy Cait has been running an advent calendar on her new website, lucycait.com. From giveaways to gingerbread recipes to new songs, these treats are way better than the usual advent offering of stale chocolates. Lucy’s music is the gift that keeps on giving, and she seems to have quite a bit up her sleeves for 2013.
My past few Christmases have been accompanied by the excellent For Folk’s Sake It’s Christmas albums, and this year is no exception. The latest version features some of my favorite up-and-coming UK folksters: Ellen and the Escapades, Tom Williams, Gerard & the Watchmen, Feldspar, Admiral Fallow, Gibson Bull, Stylusboy, and more.
Feldspar doesn’t just cover one of my favorite Christmas songs on the FFS album (‘In the Bleak Midwinter’), they’ve also released a video for awesome original track ‘The Flat and Paper Sky’. Watch the video below, and catch them at my all-time favorite London pub, The Old Queen’s Head, on January 16th.
Props to the old lady getting inked in the church.
To start, an update.
As I mentioned in my last post, I recently started working for Pulse, a beautiful news reader app for iPhone, iPad, Android, and web. As soon as I heard about the job I started thinking about the myriad of possibilities for social content, and that was Sign #1 that it was the right step for me. I’ve been brainstorming and honing strategy ever since, and even though I’ve been working really flipping hard to learn the ropes, I’m enjoying it immensely. I’m inspired by my smart, dedicated coworkers, and there’s no doubt that this job has already contributed to the lengthy process of getting my groove back.
I’m at that place now where I want to fast-forward past the awkward stage. Since time immemorial (or rather, since my first barista job in high school), I’ve taken time to roll into things; I get trapped in my own insecurities until about three months in. I’m sure this is normal to some extent, but I’m especially frustrated by it this time around. I know myself well enough to realize that the non-stuttering, non-insane me would probably be friends with my coworkers, and that’s something I’ve found to be extremely important. Everyone says they want a president they could ‘grab a beer with’, and that’s how I feel about the people I see at the office day in and day out.
I know I’ll get there. I had a mini-epiphany the other day: it hit me that I don’t have to be shy, even though I’ve labeled myself as such since forever ago. I’m not exactly a quiet person, so why do I get so stuck when I’m getting to know people? Anyway, the courage from said epiphany lasted about ten minutes, but the thought’s lingered. Progress, amirite?
Ebbs and Flows
Time to get personal, y’all.
This blog has been left to its own devices for far too long. Sure, that’ll happen when you enter that blessed-yet-stressful thing called Full-Time Employment; this time last year, I was focusing all my energy on writing and exploring the music landscape. Now I’ve dialed back my blogging (both here and elsewhere) in favor of some truly enriching day jobs, and since starting at Pulse a few weeks ago, I’ve been happily exploring new social media terrain. But here’s the thing: I miss it. I miss writing for me, I miss stumbling upon a new artist and thinking they’re the Second Coming (don’t pretend you don’t do that, music bloggers). I miss being part of the discussion. I haven’t had the emotional oomph to write for fun in a long time, but I think it’s starting to come back. I can’t tell you how great it felt to get that itch again.
I try not to use this as a personal, ‘let’s talk about feelings’ sort of blog, but I think I will for a while. I’ve been in a bit of a rut, and I want my mojo back, thankyouverymuch. I want desperately to be sparked by music again (and I know I’ll get there), but in the meantime, bear with me as I cast the topical net wider. I called this post ‘Ebbs and Flows’ because that’s what life feels like right now: I may be past the dry spell, but things aren’t steady yet.
Belated: SF MusicTech Summit On GigaOm
Just to keep things nice and neat in one place, here’s the post I wrote for GigaOm about the SF MusicTech Summit. Have I mentioned how much I adore this conference? Yes? Okay. See the excerpt below and read the full piece here.
There’s something special about innovation in San Francisco. For one, the city is a startup mecca: It’s bursting at the seams with forward-thinking companies, from established giants like Twitter and Pinterest to the next big things of the digital world. For another, its rich culture didn’t fade after the Summer of Love; creatives continue to flock to the city, which boasts festivals like Hardly Strictly Bluegrass and renowned museums like the DeYoung.
It’s no surprise, then, that the music-tech community found a home in the City by the Bay. Like San Francisco itself, the SF MusicTech Summit celebrates the intersection between art and technology. The conference draws influencers, musicians and more to Japantown’s Hotel Kabuki and provides a unique outlet for discussions and deal making. It has become a premiere gathering place for music-tech pioneers of all stripes, and game-changing businesses have formed on the summit floor. (Read more.)
