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Grieves – A-Okay
‘Running Wild’ has a modernized sound that is lush and intoxicating, pairing punchy drums with thick layers of synths and warm bass lines. Whether dark and moody or upbeat and jazzy, Grieves navigates the soundscape, penning verses that range from vulnerable and confessional to carefree.
Recorded in Stockholm alongside Swedish producer Chords (aka rapper Jens Eric Resch Thomason), the fifteen tracks on ‘Running Wild’does exactly what the album title would imply.
Tracks like ‘Gutz’ and ‘No Sleep’ are classic Grieves ruminations on anxiety and romantic bust-ups, then others such as ‘Faded’ and ‘RX’ experiment with fluttering trap beats, whilst ‘What it Dew’ and ‘5,000 Miles’ offer the rich guitar tones and humming organs more commonly found in classic soul.
The record offers a clear openness, both sonically and thematically which presents a new side to Grieves and his creativity as an artist. It showcases his dueling impulses to have a good time while staying true to himself. This artistic progression in Grieves offers a refreshing development in his overall sound, lyricism, and a unique journey for the listener.
When asked if he always knew he would end up being a rapper, Grieves can only laugh. “Oh no, not really, I was in bands and stuff, but grew up listening to Punk. It wasn’t until I got a little older that Hip-Hop really started to happen for me.”
When Grieves first heard artists such as Mobb Deep and Wu-Tang Clan, he remembers being drawn to their sound. “Hearing all the samples from records that I heard my dad play when I was a kid… You start to hear the connections. When I discovered people like Atmosphere, it was like hearing somebody speak their truth in a way that related to me. That’s when I first started to think about Hip-Hop as a way to really talk about what was happening in my life. Hard to believe that now, over a decade later, that’s actually what I’m still doing.”
While his previous efforts such as 2011’s ‘Together/Apart’, and 2014’s ‘Winter & The Wolves’ might have leaned heavily in the direction of darkness- taking on subjects such as addiction, heartbreak, and poverty, the new record introduces some much-needed levity to the proceedings.
At a time when the notion of the “album” is often summarily ditched in favor of records that are little more than a collection of previously released singles, ‘Running Wild’ is very much an album, and intentionally so. “I really wanted this to be a real record,” says Grieves, “I wanted it to work front to back.”
“I’ve been touring for over ten years at this point, people have seen my show. They get who I am as a person and an artist, the serious and the lightheartedness. Until now I haven’t felt comfortable releasing a record that divulges this, to project what you’re experiencing live, and what you have come to expect from the records, all in one!”
Coinciding with the tour, Grieves has also dropped his next video from the album for the track ‘A-Okay.’ The video centers around a character who seems unable to cut loose and enjoy the good times and the company he ‘s surrounded by.
Grieves said, “Life is way too short to be mad at other people’s enjoyment. Go out and live a little, rent a hot tub boat, get your butt touched, whatever… Just smile!”
SOURCE: Official Bio
LINKS:
https://rhymesayers.com/artists/grieves
https://twitter.com/Grievesmusic
https://www.facebook.com/Grievesmusic
https://www.instagram.com/grieves -
Live @ Home for April 25, 2020
Live @ Home is a new chapter in discovering music, with artists performing straight from their homes into fan’s homes around the globe. Going through Jammer Direct’s multiple streaming platforms via PC/Mac, Mobile, Tablet, Radio, and Television in true HD and Dolby Digital surround sound that reaches a worldwide audience.
With concerts, events, festivals, and concerts effectively canceled for the near future, even after things get back to somewhat normality people will be slow to get back out there. Musicians need a way to reach out with their music, Live @ Home is that game-changer that will let recording artists of all genres and levels reach out to fans along with gaining new ones.
If you are watching these performances on Jammer Direct’s official Roku Channel, you can use the QR Code embedded in the video to vote via your phone or tablet device.
These performances are also being simulcast on our flagship online radio station JammerStream One, which began at 12 Noon April 25th HERE.
This Week’s Episode features performances by:
- The Impersonators DONATE TO ARTIST
- Kepa Lehtinen DONATE TO ARTIST
- US3R DONATE TO ARTIST
- Kim Cameron DONATE TO ARTIST
- Eric Reed DONATE TO ARTIST
- Jeremy Parsons DONATE TO ARTIST
- Caroline Gustavsson DONATE TO ARTIST
- Bill Abernathy DONATE TO ARTIST
The Impersonators
The Impersonators came into being after the demise of Finnish pop/rock band Carmen Gray in 2013 when Tommi Tikka, the other half of Carmen Gray’s songwriting team, joined forces with lyricist Antti Autio to write some new songs.While Carmen Gray had recorded for major labels, such as Sony and Warner, the Impersonators’ story was going to be different from the get-go. With this particular group, Tikka wanted to have complete artistic control over the songs he recorded to avoid generic and sterile production typical for modern pop/rock.
For quite a while, Tikka auditioned musicians for the new group. However, after three failed attempts to put together a lineup that did justice to the new songs, he decided to make The Impersonators a group of two songwriters rather than a group of four or five musicians. Hence began the search for a great producer rather than the right musicians.
Finally, in early 2017, Tikka teamed up with Janne Saksa, a seasoned professional in making records, who became Tikka’s collaborator in the studio and took over the head producer’s reins from him. Together, they’ve arranged and produced the group’s previous singles “You Are The One,” “Burning Blue” and “Broken Snow” and “Effigy” is no exception.
The best way to describe the sound of The Impersonators is to call it Sixties-flavored “alternative pop/rock”. Their goal is to nurture and cultivate the creativity, spirit, and warmth that graced the pop records of yesteryears.
LINKS:
https://impersonatorsmusic.com
https://www.facebook.com/ImpersonatorsBand
https://twitter.com/1mpersonatorsKepa Lehtinen
Kepa Lehtinen was born in Helsinki, Finland in 1971 and began studying music in childhood, eventually learning to play piano, synthesizers, theremin, and drums. He went on to study Sound Design at Finland’s Aalto University and has since written music for many films, commercials, and TV productions. He routinely works as a composer, sound editor, and sound designer. His work has appeared in award-winning Finnish titles such as Kimmo (TV series), Almost 18 (feature film), and A Stone LeftUnturned (short film).He released his first solo album, Playing Theremin, in 2018. In 2019 he released Helsinki in November. Spring 2020 is coming album “It Is OK To Be Sad And Dark”.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/kepalehtinenartist
https://songwhip.com/artist/kepa-lehtinenUS3R
US3R is a solo indie-pop artist living in Seattle, WA. He grew up in Southern California. The music of US3R is grungy electronic pop that is focused around making commentary on society, love, and technology.
LINKS:
https://twitter.com/imtheus3r
https://www.facebook.com/imTheUs3r
https://instagram.com/us3r_official
https://www.imtheus3r.comKim Cameron
Originally from the Los Angeles area, Kim Cameron moved to a number of states in the US with her family before settling in Nebraska where she earned her college degree in broadcast journalism. Growing up, she had played the clarinet in her school orchestra and marching band as a child and eventually landed musical theatre roles and sang in choirs in her young adult years. After college, she worked as a radio personality in Lincoln, NE, and later worked for information technology companies in their media departments. While continuing to work in the corporate world, she moved to Miami Beach where she began her musical path by joining a local cover band in the early 90s.LINKS:
http://sidefxband.net/about.aspx
https://twitter.com/sidefxband
https://www.instagram.com/kimcameron_sidefxEric Reed
Growing up in sleepy Bakersfield, Calif., Eric Reed dreamt of making music in a creative community. He yearned to surround himself with artists to inspire, and who could inspire him, as he pursued a vision that began taking shape when he was a boy playing guitar, learning the cello, singing in the choir and hanging around recording studios in his hometown.Today, Reed is living out that dream in the famously artistic Los Angeles enclave of Venice, where he is one of the most familiar and dynamic presences on the local rock music scene.
As a musician, he has fronted the popular L.A. band Ufonik since 2001 — recording a well-received album, drawing crowds with lengthy residencies at venues like the Viper Room and the Joint, performing on the television show “The Buzz” and playing shows with Sony artist P.J. Olsson.
Now, Reed has put some of his most personal work into his new solo album “A Perfect Life”. With tracks like “Ain’t Enough” and “Crumbling Down” having a raw Nashville country-rock sound the album shows its versatility veering off into the blues as well as some heartfelt ballads ending with “Now I Have The Beat” a moody rock song. “You will hear a blend of all of my influences growing up from Rock, Country to Americana. This album is 100% authentic and a true representation of who I am. All of the music I write comes from the heart and life experience”. – Eric Reed. It’s just a matter of time before his music reaches a larger audience.
LINKS:
https://ericreedmusic.com
https://www.facebook.com/EricReedMusic
https://instagram.com/ericreed_music
https://twitter.com/EricReedMusicJeremy Parsons
Born in San Antonio, Texas, Jeremy Parsons grew up soaking in the sounds of Country Music. Driven by his passion, he taught himself to play the guitar and began to write and perform regularly by high school. In 2011 he was awarded a Texas Music Award and over the last decade has played all over the U.S and Europe, including numerous venues in Texas.Jeremy loves to interact with his audience. He captivates the crowd with his genuine personality, unique humor, and heart-felt love of his occupation. Jeremy draws from his personal experiences to create songs that are keenly perceptive and meaningful.
Both the first (“Burn This House Down”) and second (“Why Is The Bluebird Blue”) singles from his latest album (“Things I Need To Say”) charted on the Top 40 Roots Music Report. “Bluebird” also reached #2 on the Hits You Love pop charts. The videos for both songs were nominated and selected for numerous Film Festivals, including the Jersey Shore Film Festival, Indie’s Best Films Festival, and the Monkey Bread Tree Film Festival, an IMDB-sanctioned film festival.
LINKS:
https://www.jeremyparsonsmusic.com
https://instagram.com/jmpickinfool
https://www.facebook.com/jeremyparsonsmusic
https://twitter.com/JMParsonsMusicCaroline Gustavsson
Caroline is a gold and multi-platinum awarded songwriter/singer/vocal producer from Stockholm, Sweden. She’s been writing songs professionally since 2011 for various artists and projects.Since then she’s been working successfully with songwriters and producers from all around the world and in 2016 she started her own publishing company, Minda Songs.
LINKS:
https://carolinegustavsson.com
https://www.facebook.com/carolinegustavssons
https://www.instagram.com/mindasongs
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaf8LrV7lSzsuqKPqMYUWLg?sub_confirmation=1Bill Abernathy
In 2017, Bill Abernathy’s album “Find A Way” reached #5 on the Roots Music Report Traditional Folk Albums chart, spending more than a year on the chart. His single, “Goodbye Will Never Come Again” reached #1 on the Traditional Folk Songs chart. Now, the rootsy folk/Americana artist is riding high on his recent success. With his latest album, “Crossing Willow Creek” receiving critical praise and first single, “Cry Wolf” climbing several radio airplay charts, Abernathy is just hitting his stride as one of today’s most important voices in his genre.
— Indie Pulse MusicLINKS:
https://www.billabernathy.com
https://www.facebook.com/billabernathysingersongwriter -
Twilight Fields – When I Saw You
“Our Time Is Now” is the third album of original music by Twilight Fields of North Bay, Ontario, Canada. This is the song-based project of Allister Thompson (known in ambient music circles as The Gateless Gate).
Twilight Fields’ music is very much a throwback to the spiritually intense days of “big music” when bands like The Waterboys, The Church, and Big Country weren’t ashamed to try to make philosophical statements with their music.
This particular album mainly deals lyrically with the importance of and our need for unconditional love to navigate sorrow and loss in an increasingly confused world, whether it’s love between partners, siblings, parent and child, or human and other beings and the natural world.
It combines elements of the gentle psychedelia of late sixties/early seventies Beach Boys with influences from Kiwi and Aussie pop (The Go-Betweens, Crowded House), the smarter end of Brit-pop (James, Doves), and classic seventies singer-songwriters, along with sonic touches from post-punk, psych, post-rock, shoegaze, dream pop and progressive rock.
The album contains a cover of The Moody Blues’ 1986 classic “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere” that mixes the mellotronic style of early Moodies with a hint of shoegaze.
About Twilight Fields
Twilight Fields is from Northern Canada and makes “ambient rock” with influences from progressive rock, ambient, dream-pop, psych-folk, and shoegaze. This music asks big questions about life and loss. Look for party-rock elsewhere.LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/twilightfields
http://twilightfields.bandcamp.com
https://twitter.com/tfieldsband
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