Free Friday (“FL&R”) – June 30

     Free and Legal Downloads? Yes, at least temporarily. Bands often temporarily permit free downloads of their releases.  The end of an offer may be based on the expiration of a set period of time or on a limited number of downloads.  But at least for now, here are songs that qualify as Free, Legal and Recommended (FL&R) downloads.

     Finding songs that can be legally downloaded is easy. The difficult task is to find legally downloadable music that we recommend. Our plan is to post at least one FL&R song each Friday.

     According to the duo Swedish duo Wy, “We are filled with doubt but we have no time to be suicidal, so we kiss our wounds and play sad guitars until our fingers chafe.” That is significantly more impactful than simply declaring that your music is emotive. Wy are Michel Gustafsson and Ebba Ågren from Malmö, Sweden.

     Their song “Bathrooms” is about the “self-doubt and confusion of being a 20 year old.”

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

     Colin Bullock a singer/songwriter in North Vancouver. Perhaps the best comparison to James Taylor. In describing the song “Hold Me Up,” Bullock stated:

  "Often new songs visit me while I sleep but it’s not often I manage to catch them when I wake up. This song came to me in a dream. I woke up straight away, grabbed my guitar, turned on voice memos on my phone and recorded what I’d just heard. I played a whole 4 minutes with three verses and a chorus without even knowing where the song was leading to. I just felt it out the way I had heard it in my dream. I see this song as a call for unity and community, 'Let Me Open and Hold Me Up' means, allow me to be free and to be myself...to be open and honest and support me as I do this. I think we all need to accept and embrace each other now more than ever and I wanted this so to send a hopeful and positive message."

     “Hold Me Up” by Colin Bullock 

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

Website: https://www.colinbullock.com/

Visiting Some Old Friends

     The songs in this post are recent releases by artists who were praised by Indie Obsessive in the past.

     “Cover My Own” is a track by Old Sea Brigade, the performance name of Atlanta-based singer/songwriter Ben Cramer.

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

Website: http://www.oldseabrigade.com/

     The members of Phoenix-based El West are Bryant Powell (vocals, guitar), Thomas Brenneman (guitar), Ricky Powell (bass), and Marty Welker (drums).

     “Cuba Gooding Jr.” by El West 

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

Website: https://www.elwestmusic.com/

     Motions are a duo based in Dublin, Ireland. The members are Tom Daly and Dave Nulty.

     “Coincide” by Motions

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

     Knox Hamilton are from Little Rock, Arkansas. They are Boots Copeland (bass, guitar and vocals), Cobo Copeland (percussion) and Drew Buffington (guitar).

     “Pretty Way to Fight” by Knox Hamilton

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

Website: http://www.knoxhamilton.com/

     The members of Junior Empire are Jack Balfour Scott (lead vocals), Joey Arnold Zapata (rhythm guitar, vocals), Diego Porto Belmonte (lead guitar), Hannah van den Brul (violin, vocals), and Jordan Gaetano Grispino (drums).

     “Said and Done” by Junior Empire

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

Website: http://www.juniorempire.co.uk/

“Hidden Hills” by Pavey Ark – A Song Review

     If the goal in listing “influencing” bands is to assist potential fans of an unfamiliar band, It’s a Beautiful Day probably shouldn’t be listed. It’s a Beautiful Day never received the level of acclaim it deserved. Their most significant single, “White Bird,” was appreciated in some areas, but only reached Number 118 on Billboard's “Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart.” That was in 1969.

     It’s a Beautiful Day is the band we would identify when asked for the closest comparison to the UK band Pavey Ark. It was more than halfway through Pavay Ark’s “Hidden Hills” before the violin moved into a short melody that triggered the comparison, but once triggered, the thought was firm in its position. For both bands, the violin and atmospheric vocals play major roles. And for both, the sounds are blends of Folk, Rock and splashes of Classical and Jazz.

     At the start of “Hidden Hills,” you expect George Harrison to chime, “Here comes the sun.” But the song soon heads in a fundamentally different direction. “Hidden Hills” is a highly layered track, with simultaneous melodies given equal emphasis. But each instrument is given its moment in the sun.

     The hometown of Pavay Ark is Hull, UK. And its members are Neil Thomas (vocals, guitar), John Hamilton (bass), Sam Handley (drums), and Chris Heron (violin).

     “Hidden Hills” by Pavey Ark 

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

“No Halo” by Sorority Noise – A Song Review

     It is difficult for a band to merge different styles into one song without the track sounding as if it’s merely an unwillingness to commit. Sorority Noise accomplished the difficult, and in a song that is less than three minutes long. The vocals of “No Halo” take a storytelling approach until the chorus, when the anger rises to the top. The guitars don’t shy away from combining Shoegaze and Post Rock, until they turn Punk. The percussion is mostly rhythmic, unless it’s indignantly aggressive.   

     Sorority Noise is from Hartford, Connecticut. The four members are Cameron Boucher (guitar, vocals), Ryan McKenna (bass, vocals), Adam Ackerman (guitar, vocals), and Charlie Singer (drums).

     “No Halo” by Sorority Noise 

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

Website: http://www.sororitynoise.com/

Lyrics of “No Halo” by Sorority Noise

This last week

I slept eight hours total

I barely sleep

Maybe that's why I've been weak

The same things that plague you, still plaguing me

God called you to fulfill a vacancy

I tried to see why it wasn't me

So I didn't show up to your funeral

But I showed up to your house

And I didn't move a muscle

I was quiet as a mouse

And I swore I saw you in there

But I was looking at myself

I'm placing bets

Against myself

And honestly I'm a mess

With the car engulfed in flames

I am a wreck

Things I should have said through call and text

Just really been so busy and I regret

‘Cause if there's no rest for the wicked

I'm as evil as it gets

So I didn't show up to your funeral

But I showed up to your house

And I didn't move a muscle

I was quiet as a mouse

And I swore I saw you in there

But I was looking at myself

So when you show up to my funeral

Will you be wearing white or black?

And I know the voice is in you

It's the energy I lack

So if there's a race to heaven

I will surely come in last

And if there's a race to heaven

I will always come in last

"Brother" by Kodaline – A Video and Song Review

     The lyrics and the video tell different stories, but both are compelling. The video is particularly emotion. A death separates the surviving brother from his big brother. They are rejoined during the night of the burial. The returning brother has powers that mortals don’t possess, but the focus is upon typical sibling activities, including sword fighting and pitching a tent from blankets and living room furniture.

     In the morning, the little brother wakes up alone. While being consoled by his parents, he sees the reflection of his brother within a picture of the two boys. As the reflection moves out of the picture, the song finishing “I've got you brother.” The effect is emotional and reassuring.

     The moving story shown by the video involves young brothers from a single family. In comparison, the lyrics are built around adults who are not blood “brothers,” but who have a brother-like relationship. In fact, they may have matching tattoos:

Oh brother, we go deeper than the ink

beneath the skin of our tattoos

Though we don't share the same blood

You're my brother and I love you, that's the truth

     Kodaline are singer Steve Garrigan, guitarist Mark Prendergast, bassist Jason Boland and drummer Vinny May. The SubmitHub description for “Brother” states:

  "For the video, Kodaline have teamed up their long-time collaborator, director Stevie Russell (All I Want, High Hopes, Honest), who has created an incredibly moving and soon to be, classic Kodaline video. Be warned, you might need some tissues at the ready after you watch it.

  Speaking about the video the band say, 'It was such a pleasure to work with Stevie again, every time we read one of his scripts they jump right off the page. We can't wait for everyone to see what he's done for Brother, he really captured the perfect vibe again.'

  Singer Steve Garrigan’s vocals have never sounded so passionate. Nor has the band ever sounded so fresh. Produced by Steve Harris and Two Inch Punch, with long-time collaborator Johnny McDaid (Snow Patrol) executive producer, ‘Brother’ is mixed by Spike Stent. It’s the first addictive taste from their forthcoming new album and has anthem written all over it."

    We were fortunate in our ability to see Kodaline when they performed in San Francisco (with LP). It easily ranked in the top five live performances of the year. If you have an opportunity to see Kodaline, take advantage!

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

Website: http://www.kodaline.com/home/

Lyrics of "Brother" by Kodaline

When we were young

We were the ones

The kings and queens

Oh yeah, we ruled the world

We smoked cigarettes

Man, no regrets

Wish I could relive

Every single word

We've taken different paths and traveled different roads

I know we'll always end up on the same one when we're old

And when you're in the trenches and you're under fire I will cover you

If I was dying on my knees

You would be the one to rescue me

And if you were drowned at sea

I'd give you my lungs, so you could breathe

I've got you brother

[Repeat 3x]

Oh brother, we go deeper than the ink

Beneath the skin of our tattoos

Though we don't share the same blood

You're my brother and I love you, that's the truth

We're living different lives, heaven only knows

If we'll make it back with all our fingers and our toes

Five years, twenty years, come back, we'll always be the same

If I was dying on my knees

You would be the one to rescue me

And if you were drowned at sea

I'd give you my lungs so you could breathe

I've got you brother

I've got you brother

And if we hit on troubled water

I'll be the one to keep you warm and safe

And we'll be carrying each other

Until we say goodbye on our dying day

Because I've got you brother

I've got you brother

I've got you brother

I've got you brother

If I was dying on my knees

You would be the one to rescue me

And if you were drowned at sea

I'd give you my lungs so you could breathe

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh,

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh

I've got you brother

I've got you brother

“Giving It All” by We Were Strangers – A Song Review

     As a quick comparison, “Giving It All” is similar to a river that floods on an annual basis, leaving another layer on the adjacent land after each flood. Strings step in quietly, and then move forwardly within the mix as the song progresses. The backing vocals that are so striking in the final minutes do not even surface in the first half of the track.

     The end of “Giving It All” is a contrast with the start. The song begins with a burst and is carried by a rhythm having an Arcade Fire feel (“Keep the Car Running”). At its end, the song backs out politely, with a vocal fade and a few calm notes from the guitar.

     We Were Strangers is the project of Stefan Melbourne in Manchester, UK.

“Giving It All” by We Were Strangers 

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

Website: http://www.wewerestrangers.co.uk/

Free Friday (“FL&R”) – June 23

     Free and Legal Downloads? Yes, at least temporarily. Bands often temporarily permit free downloads of their releases.  The end of an offer may be based on the expiration of a set period of time or on a limited number of downloads.  But at least for now, here are songs that qualify as Free, Legal and Recommended (FL&R) downloads.

     Finding songs that can be legally downloaded is easy. The difficult task is to find legally downloadable music that we recommend. Our plan is to post at least one FL&R song each Friday.

     An April post featured “Running” by The Nickajack Men (CLICK HERE, if interested). Now, the band is offering the song as a free download. The Nickajack Men are based in Falkirk, Scotland. The members are Lewis White (vocals, guitar), Michael Garner (guitar, vocals), Jamie Burns (bass), Matthew McAlister (drums), and Sean McNally (keyboard).

     “Running” by The Nickajack Men 

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

Website: http://www.nickajackmen.bigcartel.com/

         Stonefox is the Melbourne trio of Jenna Russo, Monica Spasaro and Tim Carroll.

     “Talk Me Home” by Stonefox -To access the free download, go to https://www.triplejunearthed.com/jukebox/play/track/6096666 and click the arrow.

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

Website: http://www.stonefoxmusic.com/

“Missing the Mark” by Paris Youth Foundation – A Song Review

     Interestingly, elements of “Missing the Mark” show an increasing sophistication as the song progresses. Instrumentally, the song from Paris Youth Club begins unassumingly with percussion and guitar strums. That changes at 0:42, when the guitar temporarily goes “quick-pick,” similar to “Chocolate” by The 1975. A second transition occurs at 2:06, when the song fully embraces a Rock riff shortly after a percussion-driven surge. It was the impact from this Rock explosion that created the full appreciation for the song composition.

     Vocally, choppy articulations of syllables mark the beginning of “Missing the Mark.” In the first verse, each of the first three lines ends in a syllable (“…side,” “mind” and “bring”) that is carried by multiple distinct notes. By the end of the track, the greater emphasis on the backing voices smooths the vocals.

     The members of Paris Youth Foundation are Kevin Potter (vocals), Tom Morris Jones (guitar), Jamie Hive (guitar), Paul Bates (bass), and Jonny Alderton (drums). They are based in Liverpool (not Paris, so add this to the list of band names that are geographically misdescriptive).  

     “Missing the Mark” by Paris Youth Foundation

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

Website: http://www.parisyouthfoundation.com/

Lyrics of “Missing the Mark” by Paris Youth Foundation 

I don’t care that it’s dark outside

I only came here to change your mind

I couldn’t find any words to bring

Now, it’s the end of everything

Walk through the dark with your hand in mine

Let’s lose ourselves for one last time

I couldn’t find any word to bring

Now, it’s the end of everything

You’re breaking my heart

As you dance in the dark

I can save us somehow

Don’t give up on me now

[Repeat after instrumental bridge]

Quoting the SubmitHub content:

  "Fast rising Liverpudlian five-piece Paris Youth Foundation are set to win over hearts around the nation with their latest indie pop track 'Missing The Mark,' which is out now.

  Relaying back to their last track 'Lost Cause,' ‘Missing the Mark’ further explores the agonies of romantic relationships. The track is the latest release as part of the band’s love letters compilation, inspired by frontman Kevin Potter’s personal anecdotes. Potter’s melodic voice haunts the listener to fall into his charm, while rhythmic guitar and upbeat drums tower up to create an anthemic hook of a dreamy summer hit.

  Following their debut show at last year’s Reading Festival, which had gained them the respects of Huw Stephens, the band has gone on to play all the major new music festivals including Hit The North, Live At Leeds, The Great Escape and Liverpool Sound City. They have toured alongside Transgressive trio Blaenavon and Brighton’s indie rockers The Magic Gang, and will be joining hotly tipped grunge rockers INHEAVEN on their biggest UK tour to date.

  ‘Missing The Mark’ was produced by long-time collaborator, Al Groves, at Liverpool’s renowned Motor Museum studio - the same location which the Arctic Monkeys used during sessions their debut album, and where Oasis recorded their iconic breakthrough single ‘Supersonic.'"

“Evermore” by Mike Stocksdale – A Song Review

     “Evermore” is a testimony of devotion set to a steady-pace acoustic guitar and an occasional harmonica. So, why it so effective? For us, it’s the poetic portrait of the decades of knowing that he is with the right person.

     Mike Stocksdale is a multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter based in Los Angeles. 

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

Website: https://www.mikestocksdale.com/

Lyrics of “Evermore” by Mike Stocksdale

You and I have been together

Ever since I can remember

In 7th grade I swear I knew

That you’d be mine without a doubt

Long before we’d ever made out

I must admit I always wanted to

Twenty years went by, and I turned a little grey

Somehow you, you just got better every day

Hey, I can’t shake this feeling

Woah, you have got me reeling

Hey, I said it all before

I will love you evermore

Up the coast and back again

San Francisco, and Ashland, Bend

We only need each other and a tent

Massachusetts, Colorado

Indiana, or El Dorado

It never really mattered where we went  

We been all over, we got hearts that like to roam

I’d want you just the same, if we stayed at home

Hey, I can’t shake this feeling

Woah, you have got me reeling

Hey, I said it all before

I will love you evermore

Now the day is starting new

Our little boy he looks like you

And I never been so happy or so scared

We’re flyin’ blind and pullin’ strings

Turns out love is many things

How did we get here from way back there?

I guess sometimes life it starts to come before you call

When I’m with you I feel like we can face it all

Hey, I can’t shake this feeling

Woah, you have got me reeling

Hey, I said it all before

I will love you evermore, evermore