The Corduroy Blue – Could it be?

Blog, Industry Spotlight, ME Blog, Music, Promo

Retro-Inspired, The Corduroy Blue, Defines Alt-Rock with “Could It Be?”

ATLANTA – A rising alt-rock band, The Corduroy Blue is taking fans on a nostalgic journey to some of the best sounds from the 90s to 2000s, coupled with today’s cutting lyrics and electric performances with flashes of Elton John and The Beatles.

Taking inspiration from music ranging from the 1960s to the early 2000s, brothers Atticus and Luke Roness have taken the Atlanta music scene by storm and are gearing up for national attention with their band, The Corduroy Blue.

“Our music is a really cool mix between mainstream and the retro sounds. It’s not underground or indie,” explained Atticus. “It’s genuine. We are doing music that we love.”

That “genuine” style is on full display in their latest melodic pop-rock song, “Could It Be?” Written pre-pandemic, the song comments on loneliness during the age of virtual connections coupled with the band’s signature pounding drums, soaring vocals, and catchy hooks. The track takes listeners on a journey climaxing in an explosion of energy and good vibrations representing the best from The Corduroy Blue.

“We all have the capacity to be connected, and still these may be the loneliest times you’ve ever been in especially coming out of the pandemic,” said Atticus. “It’s funny that it foreshadowed the pandemic and the loneliness you get from having contact only by the internet.”

With vibes like 90s pop-rock and Third Eye Blind, Luke agrees and adds that the “Could It Be?” music video gives the song a carefree yet collaborative look at its lyrics.

“We enjoy matching visuals with our song to see exactly where our minds were when we were like writing it and, you know, producing it,” said Luke. “Each song brings a different mood and tone, so every music video feels very different.”

The “Could It Be?” video was shot in Chattanooga by Atlanta’s visual artist and photographer Matthew Fain, who the brothers consider the third member of The Corduroy Blue.

With similar sounding vocals and being just 18 months apart in age, Atticus and Luke say they are more like twins than just brothers. But fans who pack the Atlanta metro venues know the difference. Atticus is the duo’s frontman who explodes with energetic moves and gyrations while belting out The Corduroy Blue lyrics and playing guitar. With his curly hair and ripped physique, Luke kicks it on the drums while singing background vocals and harmonies.

Even though The Corduroy Blue lends its sounds from alt-rock bands of the past, they are not a cover band. The duo utilizes the 90s to 2000s vibes to create The Corduroy Blue genre. “We are doing something different,” acknowledged Atticus. “There isn’t anybody making the kind of music that we’re making. We are aiming to make a song for everybody.”

Summing up their musical goals, Luke said, “If you can take a little break from reality, that’s really why we make music and perform. We aren’t doing it for the clout or whatever. We just want to bring life to our music and enjoyment in the world with our music.”

With a growing discography, The Corduroy Blue is rearing up for another single to drop in January. Still, in the meantime, they are packing in Atlanta-area venues with their eclectic sound and high-energy performances. Future concert information is always posted on their socials.

Make sure to stay connected to The Corduroy Blue on all platforms for new music, videos, and social posts.

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/the-corduroy-blue/1521431809

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-958244528

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3IG1k2ZKhFgXhtm3rGGPAg

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Zkm_kBh3Is

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecorduroyblue/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecorduroyblue/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thecordurboys

Chris Birkett – Precious Love

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Music industry legend Chris Birkett releases timely smooth rock love ballad

TORONTO, CANADA – One of the music industry’s premier artists and entertainers has dropped yet another hit single. Chris Birkett – whose music collaborations with A-list international artists include Sinead O’Connor, Dexys Midnight Runners, Talking Heads, Led Zeppelin, and more – has recently released a smooth rock love ballad called “Precious Love” that is burning like a wildfire around the globe.

Featuring Birkett’s signature raspy voice set against a saxophone melody and smooth guitar riffs, the song feels like Bruce Springsteen and Bryan Adams with a little bit of Tom Petty. It’s a sound that fans of Birkett have been familiar with for years, and one that he’s perfected while working in the inner circles of the industry for the last 40-plus years. His work – both original and through collaborations with other big-name artists – have sold more than 100 million records and helped earn four Canadian Junos, a Grammy, a Polaris Music Prize, and three international AMPEX Golden Reel Awards for excellence in the music business. And with “Precious Love” he puts that pedigree and excellence on full display.

“This is a song about how positive feelings can grow and how love can transform people,” Birkett said. “People are precious, and relationships are the foundation of humanity. Pure and simple, this is a love song. It’s a song that can give people hope. I’m usually writing songs about social issues or spiritual things, but this is a love song that was inspired by my wife and I think it’s an important song for right now. What most people think of love is passion and attraction, but that only lights the way to a relationship. Precious love is true love. It’s unconditional regard and concern for the welfare of another person. That’s how I define love, and that’s what I’m trying to say in this song.”

Written and performed by Birkett, the song features some of Toronto’s finest musicians, including Bill King on keyboards, Gene Hardy on sax, Paul DeLong on drums, and background vocals from Taylor Abrahamse. The video was created by renowned director Joan Prowse.

“Precious Love” is merely the latest of a string of hits for Birkett, who said he has even more music planned for release later this year and going into 2022. On November 11, 2019 he released his fourth album aptly titled “11:11.” But shortly after that COVID hit and the pandemic and social distancing curtailed his touring plans. He took advantage of the time available to him in the studio and put together a string of singles that he’s now ready to release. Following “Precious Love” Birkett said he’s going to drop “Wake Up,” which is more of a political song based on the ever-increasing climate crisis that will serve as a call to action for anyone who hears it.

“My mission in life – my soul contract – is to use my skills of music composition and performing to make people feel better about themselves,” he said. “There’s so much negativity out there today – so much heartbreak and fear. I want to get people to come back to themselves with these songs and feel how wonderful they are. We’re all divine, but we don’t feel it because we’re covered by doubt and fear. I’m using the universal language of music to convey truth, and by crafting great records I’m helping people understand that truth.”

To listen to Chris Birkett’s music, or to follow him on social media, please visit the following links:

Video on YouTube

Precious Love by Chris Birkett

Latest Single – Precious Love buy link:

https://chrisbirkett.hearnow.com/

Website:

http://www.chrisbirkettmusic.ca

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ChrisBirkettBand Twitter https://twitter.com/chrisbirkett12 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/chrisbirkettmusic

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/13EQJBvl1NJaMrpjrQ9tHL

Other Releases:

Wake Up Video:

https://youtu.be/frgXz8Pqtcg

Everyday People Video:

https://youtu.be/vm5HjZZZXUg

Be Creative Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC4Rux4b75k

Save our Beautiful World Video:

https://youtu.be/8-dR-dgCaIQ 

Facebook Live concert ‘A Story in Every Song’ June 10th 2021: https://www.facebook.com/ChrisBirkettBand/videos/10158594027344069 Link to Photo: http://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10158029499359069&set=a.425087939068

Palomas – Brown

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Arizona Band Palomas bring Desert Rock to the forefront with new single ‘Brown’

PHOENIX, AZ – A new Rock Band from the Arizona desert is bringing a new vibe to the genre with their blend of Classic Rock, Blues, Alternative Rock and Latin influences. Palomas is an American Alt-Rock Band made up of five friends who have been creating music together for years. Their music is known for its high-energy, catchy, genre-mashing grooves – a sound that is put on full display with their latest single “Brown.”

Written by lead vocalist Joe Gonzalez, the song has a deep Blues root to it with a vibe that makes you want to nod your head and have a good time. Gonzalez’s vocals are reminiscent of Kevin Griffin’s of Better Than Ezra fame, and the band’s groove is immediately evocative of some of the best bands of the 90s and early 2000s, albeit with a modern-day twist.

“It’s a fun song,” Gonzalez said of the new single. “Think of a song you’d hear outdoors at a pool party. That’s the kind of vibe you get with ‘Brown.’ It’s about a girl who’s not worth her money and she’s realizing that her man is coming to see through her and she knows she won’t be there much longer. The main line of the chorus is ‘Is he going to be there when the gold turns brown?’ In other words, when the shit comes out will he still be willing to put up with it?”
Joining Gonzalez in the band are co-lead vocalist and guitarist Sam Otterson, drummer Victor Sese, bass guitar and background vocalist Dane Hess, and lead guitarist Joshua Browning. Though the five of them have known each other since elementary school and have played with each other off-and-on over the years, they’ve only been together as Palomas for the past year-and-a-half. It started when Otterson ran into Gonzalez and Sese who had been playing together in a separate band. Otterson brought in Hess and Sese invited Browning to the game, and all of them agree that almost immediately the stars aligned and things just clicked.

Pretty soon they were making waves in the South with their new brand of Rock & Roll. They won recording time as a finalist prize in the 2019 Alice Cooper’s Proof is in the Pudding Competition, and went on to records “Cards” which has been getting rave reviews. They’ve performed at prominent venues such as Last Exit Live, Rebel Lounge, and CB Live. And because of all that success they’ve had the opportunity to work with professional producer Mikal Blue of One Republic and Porno for Pyros fame. They’ve also worked closely with producer Michael Beck who helped craft the sound for “Cards” and “Brown.”

“A big mission for us is that we want to have an influence over the popular genre of the day,” Gonzalez said. “Our message is that of fun and love and just doing what you need to do to be yourself and not letting other people prevent you from doing that. If our music helps people become their fullest self, we’ll be happy. And ultimately, we want to make Desert Rock a thing.”

To listen to Palomas’ music or to follow them on social media, please visit:

https://www.palomas.info/
https://www.instagram.com/palomaslive/
https://www.facebook.com/Palomas.Live
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4nGfxrvf77BUyJzdRlcFkD
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/palomas/1549334789

Daniel Millers Coffee Shop – Cincinnati

Industry Spotlight, ME Blog, Music, Promo, Videos

West Coast Folk Rock band Daniel Millers Coffee Shop drops nostalgic new single ‘Cincinnati’

FRIDAY HARBOR, WA – A mixture of sounds within the Folk Rock and Americana realm take center stage on a new single from West Coast artist Daniel Miller who hails from Friday Harbor which is the most northwestern county in the continental USA. “Cincinnati” is a fusion of Rock, Pop, Folk and Indie genres in one perfect nostalgic track. Currently available across all streaming platforms, “Cincinnati” is about a person who moved from the Midwest to the Golden Coast of California to build a new life but finds himself remembering his old life and the things that helped him become who he is today.

“It has a nice story to it that fits right in the Folk/Pop range,” Miller said. “It’s about a guy who loves it in California but knows that he might move back to Cincinnati someday. My style is Folk, Pop and Rock, but more than anything else, I want my music to be known for being good story songs – like Neil Young or Lady Gaga. I make music that has a good message, but sometimes also just make music for fun.”

Miller is a singer and songwriter who is from the Pacific Northwest. “Cincinnati” is just one of some songs he has ready to release this year under the umbrella of “Daniel Miller’s Coffee Shop” – a collective that he said evokes a certain kind of feel when you hear it.

“I think it’s a cool name for a band,” he said. “I’ve owned an antique store, but I’ve never owned a coffee shop. But I love coffee shops, I visit one every morning. And I believe my music gives off a vibe that fits perfectly in that coffee shop environment.”

Miller said he loves performing live even more than recording, and his latest single will be perfect for playing in front of audiences as soon as the quarantine is lifted and live events are open again. Other songs like “Vintage Summer” and “She Wants to be a Rockstar” are also perfect for live audiences, he said, and both will have a music video in coming months. He also worked with DeDe Troit from the Punk Rock band UXA to do a remix of “She Wants to be a Rockstar.”

“I have always loved songwriting and singing, and this is the time to get my songs out there more than I ever have before,” he said. “I’ve also done some acting. I had a small scene with Andy Griffith many years ago and a small part in a Jim Carey movie. But my main passion is recording and doing live performances. I think my music will really resonate with people and I’m excited to get it out there.”

To listen to Daniel Miller’s Coffee Shop or to follow them on social media, please visit:

https://m.facebook.com/profile.php
https://twitter.com/DRay80665551

Versatile Rock – Vulnerable State

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Canadian Rock band makes international splash with new single ‘Vulnerable State’

ONTARIO, CANADA – Versatile Rock is a band on a mission to bring more great music to the world. With their release of a new EP in the summer of 2020, the band set the table for a bevy of new singles and sounds that are sure to make the music world sit up and pay attention. They prove that with their latest release, “Vulnerable State,” which was dropped wide across all streaming platforms in January.

Self-dubbed as a message song that doubles as a Rock Ballad, “Vulnerable State” addresses some of the woes of the world and offers a different perspective on life in these trying times. It’s a song that features the group’s signature style – a bit of Rock, Country, Jazz, Blues and Punk all brought together through the mutual talent of the band’s four members: Joe Deshane on lead vocals, Chris Turner on rhythm and lead guitar, Jason Post on drums, and Terry Ritchie on bass guitar and keyboards.

“It’s not pandemic related, but it does talk about the way the world is now,” Deshane said. “We’re in a vulnerable state right now, no doubt about it. There’s crazy stuff going on – people are getting killed and just a lot of troublesome things in the world. This song explores everything in general with the world and it shows off our own very unique sound.”

Deshane said one of the things that make the band’s sound stand out is the way each member brings a different take on traditional techniques. Lead guitarist Chris Turner often “breaks the rules,” Deshane said, to come up with truly original sounds, sometimes creating chords that have seemingly never existed before. All of the instrumentalists in the band do that to some degree or another, and when it all comes together, it makes “one cool sound,” Deshane said.

“It just makes sense,” he said. “We make good music and give you a good time, and we do it with a unique sound. We’re writing radio-ready songs and music that can get played anywhere. In fact, everyone always tells us we’re better live than on our albums because we put on such good concerts. Plus, we can adapt to anything – we could even team up with rappers or combine with any sound or style.”

With the EP “Versatile Rock Live at Studio 29” already pushing 100,000 streams, and the new single gaining some major traction internationally, this Canadian band is excited for the future. They have two more singles ready to drop late spring or early summer – “VR World” and “Control”, as well as music videos for “Deceitful. The “Top of the Morning” video, however, is already available across all streaming platforms.

To listen to Versatile Rock or to follow them on social media, please visit:

 https://linktr.ee/Versatile_rock 

Chilla – Watchlist

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Chilla Tokage kicks off 2021 with chill vibes on new single ‘Watchlist’

LOUIS, MO – With the New Year comes a hot new track from Midwest artistChillaTokage. Released on Jan. 1, “Watchlist” is a wavy flow of chill vibes that is the perfect slow jam to enter the world into the new year. With steady 808s and a laid-back vibe, “Watchlist” features Chilla’s one-of-a-kind sound and style with a song that offers a timely message to the world.

“Last year was a crazy year and in the middle of that I had a brief encounter with some federal agents that made people think I was on a watch list,” Chilla said. “This song is about that experience. I’m not a bad person and I wasn’t doing anything wrong, the whole situation was just circumstantial. But it was a situation that ended up with me being weirded out and the best way I could deal with it was through music.”

Chilla’s journey in music started when he was very young. His oma was a concert pianist who started teaching how to play when he was only 3 years old. As he grew older, he played in recitals and soon mastered the piano so well that he became bored of playing other people’s music – so he started writing his own. When he was 7, he wrote his first composition, and ever since then he’s been fooling around with different sounds and styles.

“I lately have moved more toward professional recordings and I want to make music that can be enjoyed by many people,” he said. “I like getting audio quality that sounds great and makes people feel a certain way. It’s like therapy for me making it, and for them hearing it.”

Chilla said 2020 brought an opportunity to really explore a variety of sounds and styles. He especially played with different vocal styles and has found a unique groove with a higher-pitched vocal that he said is reminiscent of The Weeknd. Other inspirations include Juicy J, Three-Six Mafia, Wiz Khalifa, Alexi Laiho, Post Malone, and the late XXXTentacion.

“Like them, I want to be known as hella good,” he said. “I have different songs for different vibes. If you’re feeling hype and want to listen to something to pump you up, my music will stand out. If you’re sad and you want to mellow out, then you can listen to my melodic songs and just vibe to it. If you’re chilling and want to sit back and smoke and feel good, I’ve got music for that. But I’ve also got music that can make you pissed off. I just have different vibes for everybody.”

In addition to “Watchlist,” Chilla also has the singles “Spaceship” and “Loud Pack” that are making waves among fans, and he has another single called “Legend” that will come out later this year.

To listen to his music or to follow him on social media, please visit:

twitter.com/chillatokage
instagram.com/chillatokage
twitch.tv/chillathekage 
https://soundcloud.com/chillatokage/watchlist/s-fe0eKWvwMhN 

snapchat @pistachiobutter 

Paint By Numbers – Control

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Acclaimed artist and producer Rob Romano brings futuristic flavor with new project ‘Paint By Numbers’

LOS ANGELES, CA – A unique cross-pollinated blend of cinematic, emotional and energetic sounds with a futuristic flavor takes center stage on a new project from LA producer Rob Romano. “Paint By Numbers” is an American music project created by Romano, who has been a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer for many years, working with some of the industry’s big names. His new project is a multi-layered exploration of many genres, from Indie Electronic to Modern Rock to Pop and all of the sub-genres that flow between those worlds. Sometimes Synth Pop, sometimes EDM, and sometimes Indie with hints of Modern Rock, the singles within the project explore sounds that are equal parts familiar and progressive.

The first single from the project, “Control,” is a perfect example of the new sound Romano is trying to capture. Set for global distribution across all streaming platforms on Jan. 8, the single showcases Romano’s adept ability to blend sounds into something that’s truly original. The song kicks off with mellow electric guitars, almost like the opening theme music to a hit show or movie. A cool EDM beat comes in for a mellow groove that has listeners swaying before they know it, laying the perfect foundation for the ethereal Pop vocals that Romano brings to the table. The chill vibe makes way for Synth Pop melodies that intermix with Indie guitar riffs that make it impossible for listeners not to move to the groove. It’s the perfect mid-tempo Dancehall jam that makes you want to press up close to that special someone, move and sway to the music.

“It has a chill futuristic flavor,” Romano said. “It should capture a feeling of something in the not-so-distant future. The lyrics use a lot of metaphors but in the end, it’s about rechanneling any bad feelings that happen and turning that dark energy into something positive and using it to your advantage. It has a very positive message that resonates perfectly with the current situation everybody is enduring. No matter how much life punches you in the face, control it in your mind and have a positive outlook.”

Though Romano has worked with many other artists in the past, this project is 100 percent him – from instrumentation to singing to production and everything in between. Born and raised in Italy, this veteran of the music industry moved to the U.S. about nine years ago to take his career to the next level, and he’s been developing his sound ever since. For many years now, he’s been trying to fuse different elements of different genres, some are not necessarily mainstream, in an effort to develop a new language of sound and make them more accessible to a larger audience.

“I’m trying to make something that’s not mainstream into something that is mainstream,” he said. “I started with Post Rock, which is still underground, and I tried fusing that into new electronic elements – the Deep House kind of movements which I’m currently very fond of, So I’m taking something that’s electronic and making it into something that’s not, and I’m doing that with zero auto-tune so that it feels really organic. I love the idea of taking something that’s not typically organic and turning it into something that is. My goal is to create something as fresh as possible, using the elements that are already available.”

The next single from his project should release by March or April, Romano said.

Paint By Numbers · Control

To listen to his music or to follow him on social media, please visit:

www.wepaintbynumbers.net

https://twitter.com/p_by_n

instagram.com/paint_by_numb3rs

Facebook.com/paintbynumberspage

soundcloud.com/wepaintbynumbers

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB8TSZX2j4plqprRGz7QonQ

Photo by Anna Azarov

Jason Kraack – Turn Around

Blog, Industry Spotlight, ME Blog, Music, Promo

Veteran performer Jason Kraack set to drop timely album ‘Turn Around’ in December

GREENSBORO, NC – Sometimes the greatest art comes from times of great adversity. For Jason Kraack, 2020 has been one of the most adverse times of his life. Like many others who faced a job loss, Kraack wasn’t sure what to do with the uncertainty he was facing earlier in the year. Having taught music to college students for many years and performed in professional theater for more than 15 years, one of the things he’d always wanted to do was create an album of his own. So while 2020 was filled with anxiety, it also presented him with an opportunity to chase his dream. The end result is the 10-song album “Turn Around.”

With a sound that could be described as experimental in some ways, “Turn Around” features a unique blend of progressive sounds and classic styles that also take a cue from some of Kraack’s biggest influences from Billy Joel to Thom Yorke from Radiohead. All of the songs on the album were written, performed, recorded, mixed, mastered and produced by him, and feature a bevy of instruments all played by him – including piano, guitar, bass, drums, sequencing and more.

“It’s kind of like a journey through the last year that we all shared,” Kraack said of the album. “It starts out with a little bit of self-reflection and then goes down a rabbit hole of sadness and longing born from the fear of losing people you love and this kind of new reality in which we live. It can be pretty terrifying, scary and unsettling, and this album explores what we’re all dealing with and the fact that it’s necessary. We have to analyze ourselves during this time and get better in the process. The last track on the album is also called ‘Turn Around,’ and it’s a story about a time that all the sadness and frustration we’re feeling can just disappear if we change our point of view. It is meant to help people realize this.”

Kraack said the idea for the album is something that’s been rattling around in his brain for many years, but the true inspiration came organically while spending a month-and-a-half in Florida writing and recording.

“I had this mojo going before I left for Florida, but when I got there, it just fell flat,” he said. “I couldn’t get anything going and it was gray and shitty down there that day. I decided to go for a drive and eventually when I stopped and got out of my car, I turned around and saw something totally different. The sky was beautiful and I heard the song in my head in a flash. I hurried back to the studio and laid it down in an instant. It was like no other experience I’ve ever had, and the rest of the album flowed from that session.”

The debut single from the project is a song called “Turn/Burn It Down” which is currently available across all streaming platforms. It’s the third track on the album and features a funky groove with a catchy hook. Kraack said the lyrics are topical to what’s going on today and encourages people to take a step back from all the animosity.

“If we don’t turn down the heat that’s happening, we’re going to burn down this really fantastic, beautiful thing that we have,” he said. “We can’t continue to talk at each other. We have to talk to each other. I want to be able to make music that’s accessible to people in their individual lives, and at the end of the day, I hope I can be considered as an honest songwriter. I want people to listen to this album and hear stories that they can latch on and relate to.”

The second release, the second track from the album, is titled I’ll Pay and is about the frustration that can be felt before admitting fault. “No one wants it to be their own fault when things aren’t working out,” said Kraack, “but sometimes it is.” The song is currently available across all streaming platforms.

The third single release from the album and the title track, “Turn Around” is now available on streaming platforms.