Monday, April 30, 2007

Kylie - Are We "Still Friends?"

Are you ready for the next talented female artist? She looks like Carrie Underwood, sounds like Carrie Underwood, and... ooops, except, she's more talented than Carrie Underwood. Meet Kylie, the new sixteen-year-old girl on the block, who seems to have snuck her way to a couple thousand views on YouTube in just a few months. "Still Friends," to which she wrote both the lyrics and the music, has a fantastic tonal quality unlike a lot of other um, shall we say, sub-par YouTubers.



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Saturday, April 28, 2007

Saturday Special

Say hello to the newest guitarist on the block, Peter Patrick Pitter. He made the jump to my Saturday Special today by being "Everything I Don't Want to Be." No, I don't think he'll be playing Coachella this weekend, but hey, if you didn't make it to the concert, I've got stuff here instead. So don't feel bummed.


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Friday, April 27, 2007

Friday Night Feature

Meet this talented artist from Sydney, Australia. Says he's a medical student, but I think he ought to consider a record deal. They rhythm of his song is phenomenal, and the tune reminds me of, well, let's say, Rob Thomas. OK, this guy sounds better yet. By the time you're finished watching the video, it will have taken your breath away. Literally. So sit back on this Friday evening and enjoy "Can't Breathe." BTW, don't be afraid to let me know whatcha think.



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Thursday, April 26, 2007

54 West's Dave Ongena

Looking for one of the best one-man shows around? Meet Dave Ongena, member of 54 West, who's decided to go it alone for this vid... and a few others, too, actually. Creative strumming methods really caught my attention on this one, and who doesn't dig the fisherman's cap? Hold your breath, and get ready for "I Can't Breathe."



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Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Rev It Up!

Ready to Rev It Up? More of The Revs comin' atcha right now! This time, join the band as they make their way through the mall singing and dodging people with bags. Looks like they're up for handouts, too. So enjoy "You Shine!" By the way, I've got another Revs video up my sleeve, but um, I think we'd better let the Virginia Tech thing die down a bit before I bloggit. All of you Revs fans know what I'm talking about.



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Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin

Don't pick on the name... how did they know Yeltsin would die so soon? And don't say for one minute that they were trying to snag publicity; they named themselves MONTHS before, um, yesterday. So enjoy the music. They sort of sound a little like Weezer, and a little like Peter Bjorn. But nevermind what I think they sound like... it's what you think that matters! So feel free to comment.

First up is "I Am Warm and Powerful." With a name like this, the song can't be bad.



One word of advice. If your house is on fire, don't call these guys. The song is called "House Fire" for a reason.



OKAY, so it's filmed in their neighborhood AND their home. But we don't care. This one sounds like George Harrison, more or less, so sit back and the view of "Pangea." And say hello to the dino for me. Please.



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Monday, April 23, 2007

Monday Already?

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty bummed that it's Monday already. But I'm looking at it on the bright side... I get to post another video! You should be rejoicing too. So who gets to start off the week? This guy from California, who also thinks Mondays stink. I'm getting the feeling he doesn't like his boss too well. But everybody can appreciate his hospitality; he gives his guitar to a homeless man to make his day better. What else can you do to feel better on Mondays? (If you respond "Call in sick!", that doesn't count!)



PS. You know how I heard Korben was from Russia? I think my sources were wrong... they're from Montana. Oops. Big difference. Oh well.

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Sunday, April 22, 2007

Are You "Super Selfish?"

Heard this band was from Russia... does anybody really know? Anyway, here's one from Chad and Erin of Korben. Looks like they shot this part live, part at home in their family room. As this title might suggest, the song is "Super Selfish" off of the "Steady Fools" album, recorded in Los Angeles.




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Saturday, April 21, 2007

Saturday Special

Are you ready for this? It's by The Revs, and I want to extend a special thanks to one of my viewers for introducing me to the band... they rock! Ireland should be proud! If you like, say, Oasis, or anything else Beatlesque, for that matter, you'll LOVE these guys. Or if you don't like Oasis or anything Beatlesque, you'll like them anyway! I found another one of their videos, too, but "Broken" is all you get for now; you'll have to come back for the rest!



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Friday, April 20, 2007

Friday Night Feature

Welcome to the first installment of Friday Night Feature, and I might as well finish off the week on another Swedish note. So I'm gonna give you one of the coolest Christian Swedish bands existing: Remission. Sunny sound and unashamed lyrics with a message helped put this band on my list of favorites... I can't wait to see more from these guys. Check out their video "Here to Stay" below.



Next up... "I'm OK." Is anyone else getting the idea that Swedish bands like to turn cartoons into music videos?


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Thursday, April 19, 2007

More from Sweden - Sabrosa

Wow... two Swedish bands in one day; how in the world did I manage that? Check out this hit from Sabrosa, who some have compared to U2. I think they sound 10 times better than U2, with more feeling.

"Sympathetic Symphony," the first vid comin' atcha, is sure to catch your attention, if not for the mere, shall we say, unique visual quality. The concept is supposed to look like a comic strip coming to life. Pretty neat, if I do say so myself.




Next up is a hit called "Let it Free." I gotta hand it to these guys; I'm thankful all of their lyrics are in English; though even if they were in Swedish they would sound just as good.

Check it out - The Confusions

Check it out... direct from Sweden comes an awesome band called The Confusions. Have you heard of them? They've been around a while,from the sound of it, so why haven't I heard of them until now? Must be because US stations refuse to play the good stuff... so if you've got the radio station blues, watch these awesome vids from The Confusions and forget about your commercial-inundated stations. The first video's called The Pilot - I couldn't resist watching this one.

Next up is one of the most awesome, I think. It's called "Don't Let the World Catch You Crying". The film shoot took place at an old mental institution - which The Confusions apparently thought was pretty spooky, but their vid turned out great.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Virginia Tech Tribute

Fresh off the bandwidth; this song was written as a comfort piece for the families of the Virginia Tech victims. So while the press is pointing fingers and screaming for gun control, one guy is actually doing the right thing: uniting everyone with his music. That's what makes a difference in this world. Getting mad won't fix the problem, but when someone tries to give others comfort, there somehow shines a hope of a bright future. So sit back and enjoy.

Alex Lloyd's "Illusion"

Here comes the second hit from Alex Lloyd, a.k.a. "HERO." Why can't YouTube feature this one? This is one of the best homemade indie songs I've seen. I wish he'd post more videos; so far it looks like he's only got two of his own on YouTube right now.

This particular song is truly incredible. Alex has a style all his own, and he should be proud of it. I hope he writes more, 'cause I'm beginning to really dig his stuff.

Viewer Caution: Might be addicting; I've already watched it four times.

Monday, April 16, 2007

Searching for an Angel

Here comes another hit from Ana Free! Direct from YouTube, Ana's made yet another hit with "Searching for an Angel"! I won't bother to compare this song to anybody else's; she's got a style all her own. She can write inventive lyrics as well as music. Hey, you know she's good when everybody's trying to do covers of her stuff on YouTube.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Dear Nobody

This is most likely the youngest artist posted yet. Sounds as though this vocalist is still trying to find her voice, but it's definitely in there somewhere. The dear child just seems a bit young to be feeling as though she must sing to "Nobody," although it does make for a genuinely heart-felt piece.

I do wish someone would teach these kids different strum methods, though. The "one, and-a two, and" progression is getting a little irritating. Perhaps they need different musical influences. Perhaps Nickelback and Everclear instead of James Blunt. And is the electric guitar unheard of now?

I must admit, I still enjoy the song. It's easy on the ears, and the sound of birds chirping in the background provide some sort of accompaniment to the songbird voice.

AnaFree

Meet AnaFree, who got her start on YouTube singing a cover of Bic Runga's "Sway." Minus the tongue piercing, which, you know, I really don't care for, this girl's got great potential. Sweet, mature vocals with fantastic range coupled with soft acoustical chords sound out a homemade music video drenched in perfection.

Hero

So, this "hero" can't fly? At least that's what this guy says. Isn't that a requisite trait for heroes? Anyway, I hope his girlfriend comes back soon so this guy can quit straining his vocals. I think he would have done well to write his song in a lower key.

I will hand it to him, though. He at least made an attempt at good lighting. His bedroom has a cinematic feel to it, so if you must watch the video, at least it's easier on the eyes than grainy gray.

This isn't to say I dis his song. It boasts a slightly catchy melody while at the same time making you feel as though you've just lost your own best friend. And good chord progression doesn't hurt.

Kitchen Diaries - aka Too Much Time on His Hands

Aside from just plain having too much time on his hands, this kitchen dude with the blonde wig can really chunk out some beat box rhythm. With his mouth. No, the bowls aren't making the "boom-chic-ah" that only a human can spit out. I wonder how tired his mouth must have been after shooting the footage. I dare you to watch it until the end... I want you to tell me how exactly that pan grew.

Monday, April 9, 2007

Terra's New Song

Fresh off the bandwidth - TerraNaomi's new song just got posted on YouTube yesterday, and it's no disappointment. Filming from a London hotel room, Terra's new hit "In the Summertime" takes her ear for music one step farther with a fruity piano routine behind soft vocals perhaps reminiscent of Carly Simon and Carole King.

Friday, April 6, 2007

Smile by TerraNaomi

I'm tempted to make a whole section for TerraNaomi; here's yet another of her songs, ingeniously crafted, lyrically thought-provoking, and, of course, audibly enjoyable. I wonder if she's self-taught on the piano or the guitar; her music doesn't seem to reflect the normal teaching methods... thankfully.

Close to Your Head

Say hello to TerraNaomi, the girl with the guitar featured on YouTube singing her own song after her cover was such a hit. Not surprisingly, everybody likes her song better, and it's not hard to see why. With over half a million views, this one's a hot topic.

TerraNaomi's unique vocals and expansive voice range make "Close to Your Head" one of the best homemade guitar solos on video. Tenderly sweet lyrics with a melody yet hinting toward angst, you can't help but feel as though today will be a "very special day..."

Thursday, April 5, 2007

Song with Lyrics - So Original!

Is there any correlation to be made? This girl posts on YouTube with the name Mia -- golly, she looks just like Mia Thermopolis from "Princess Diaries!" But that's neither here nor there. Not only is she pretty good at the guitar, she's got a stellar voice to accompany with it! And yes, the music and lyrics are her own. Finally, someone who's not trying to sound like Britney Spears. However, she's somehow linked to the infamous LonelyGirl of YouTube.... hmmm. But hey, it's here. Might as well enjoy it.

Piano Songwriter

This is what I'm talking about! A guy by the name of Kevin P. Harloff was smart enough to post the video of a song he wrote on YouTube entitled "When Dreams Run Dry" so that I could pick it up and repost his video for him. It's part Coldplay, part Jim Brickman, with a hint of Savage Garden. He uses keyboard effects to help out with that "spacey" sound in the background, making you feel as though you've just drifted out of the marine wildlife section of the zoo and into the NASA space mission feature.

I checked out his website, too. Apparently he's a self-taught musician, and from what I've heard, self-taught musicians are extremely good at writing their own songs without the influences of teachers, academia books, etc. (Can anybody say Yanni?) Anyway, enjoy.

Wednesday, April 4, 2007

Blues guitar

Stuff like this is great - definitely homemade, with cool sound. And the kid's got a good ear, too. I'm not much of a rhythm and blues person myself, but anybody can have an appreciation for a guitar solo like this one.

Flautist Fantasy

This flautist really knows how to blow! Once he finally finishes adjusting himself, that is. I almost lost interest after the first five seconds of him-hawing around waiting for this guy to start playing. But it was worth the ride, though. He injects the Jethro Tull sound of Ian Anderson into this Inspector Gadget remix for one sweet piece. The percussion in the background adds a nice touch, too.