It’s getting a little colder, so we drummed up some new tunes for you to warm up to. Feel free to sit down next to the fire, download these songs for free, and enjoy them alongside a nice, warm cup of hot chocolate.

Katey Laurel – “Two Birds”

You’ll love this if you want: an even-lighter Kelly Clarkson

To The Sea – “Conquer The North”

You’ll love this if you want: something to give you a fighting spirit and need a tune to shout along with

Please Do Not Fight – “Silence My Skin”

You’ll love this if you want: a thinking man’s New Found Glory

The NowhereNauts – “Try to Light My Fuse”

You’ll love this if you want: a punchy indie rock group with catchy guitar riffs

The Lost Colors – “Say OK”

You’ll love this if you want: heavy-handed soulful pop punk with a touch of Paramore

The Nearly Deads – “Fact and Friction”

You’ll love this if you want: powerful female vocals coupled with heart-wrenching alt-rock

Gabriel the Marine – “On and On”

You’ll love this if you want: a Ra Ra Riot/pop punk love child

Roses and Pirates – “Finding Fires”

You’ll love this if you want: a charming folk sound that has a bit of a kick to it

Download 8 stellar tracks from these OurStage artists for free on Facebook.

Stay tuned for new Editor Picks in December!

In 1776, the world changed forever when two forces—one, the most powerful army in the world, and the other, a roughshod militia with no formal training—faced each other across a quiet meadow in Lexington, MA.

Now, from that same corner of the world, OurStage is firing a new salvo. Songs of the Revolution is the product of our belief that music, when it finds the right ears, can change everything. So, like Paul Revere, we’re bringing a message to the masses, swiftly and furiously arming our citizen warriors with a galvanizing soundtrack.

Your favorite bands touring in the Boston area will record a live session with OurStage producer and Community Manager Skot. One to three songs, one to three takes, live and unplugged. Watch videos of the sessions on YouTube, check out behind the scenes photos, and download the recordings for free.

Listen to and download sessions from Never Shout Never, Tim Blane, Lady Lamb the Beekeeper, You Am I, and The Hollow Sound now. Become a fan of Songs of the Revolution here on OurStage to get updates whenever a new session is added right on your OurStage newsfeed, or submit your email to receive updates straight to your inbox.

We bet Paul Revere wished he had an iPod for times like these.

There are lots of things we love about indie artists here on OurStage. Their ambition, will-power and outright determination to do whatever it takes to make it are some of the things we admire most. But, personally, I think their sheer creativity takes the cake. Independent artists are constantly one-upping each other and themselves when it comes to the ways they create and promote their music. And, millions of bands later, one of the trickiest yet most defining decisions an artist makes is their name.

While perusing the CMJ Marathon schedule, I was impressed and even more so entertained by the band names making an appearance in New York this week. So, without further adieu, here are ten picks for artists not to be missed at CMJ based on absolutely nothing else other than the fact that their names are fantastic.

Sidebar: There are so many OurStage artists appearing at CMJ this year that we simply couldn’t list them. Listen to them all in one playlist on OurStage’s Facebook page! You can view the complete CMJ 2011 schedule here.

Dad Rocks!

Because I appreciate the enthusiasm of the exclamation point. And also, Dad does rock.

Continue reading ‘Ten Artists to Watch at CMJ 2011… Based Solely on Their Names’

October is always a month for changes. The leaves start changing color, the weather starts getting colder and the feeling that winter is right around the corner starts to creep in. But October isn’t all bad! The brisk weather can be really refreshing, and Halloween— the one day of the year where adults get to play dress up and not look insane—is always sure to be a blast. So with that in mind, we’ve hand-picked a brand new playlist of OurStage songs to soundtrack your weekend of leaf raking or your awesome Halloween party. Head over to the OurStage Facebook page to download the mix for free, or check out 8tracks to listen to it along with our past Editor Picks playlists. So put on your headphones, kick back, and enjoy some great tunes.

Those Mockingbirds “Coast To Coast” – If you’re looking for some ’90s nostalgia you’ve come to the right place. This song has the influence of grunge written all over it.

Kim Wempe “Out Of My Closet” – The perfect mix of folk and blues for a lazy autumn afternoon.

Dirty Fuzz “The True History Of Rock And Roll” – The title pretty much speaks for itself. Loud guitar riffs and soulful singing evoke the memories of past rockstars.

The Trews “The World, I Know” – You can hear influences from the Rolling Stones to R.E.M. in this hard rocking tune.

Windoview “Uke Song” – Ukuleles seem to be all the rage these days, and this song doesn’t fail to disappoint. A soft and heartfelt indie pop song.

The All-Girl Boys Choir “Red” – Even though they’re only a duo, The All-Girl Boys Choir rocks out harder than most bands double their size. Don’t ever say that girls can’t rock too!

Andrew Belle “Static Waves” – Andrew Belle’s acoustic ballad gets a boost from a backup female singer and an accompanying string section for an epic sounding song.

Tess Dunn “Marionette Of Me” – An irresistible piano line and Tess Dunn’s catchy vocal melodies ensure that this track will remain stuck in your head for awhile.

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We know the feeling. You start seeing all those ads for “Back to School” supplies. The first few leaves start turning yellow. You’re not drenched with sweat all the time. Yes, it’s official. The summer will soon start winding down, but don’t let that stop you from getting in one last awesome summer playlist! We’ve made it easy for you. Check out the OurStage Facebook page to download our hand-picked mix for free, or listen to it on 8tracks along with the past Editor Picks playlists. The best of OurStage is right at your fingertips, so what are you waiting for? Put on these tunes and keep the fall at bay for just a little bit longer.

Sleeperstar “We Go Tonight” – Just listen to that intro and try not to feel awesome. When the tension builds up through an insistent lead vocal line and ringing snare explodes into epic guitar riff, you’ll know what we mean.

Sarah Cripps “Getaway Car” – This tune’s bluesy guitar riffs and swaggering drum beat will make you want to take another swig of whiskey before your second round on that mechanical bull.

David Berkeley “Parachute” – Berkeley builds his clever wordplay around the perfect metaphor for a damaged relationship. Also, just try to resist the “ba ba bas.” Yep, you can’t.

Talain Rayne “Dear Sister, Your Brother” – Recipe for a sweet ode to childhood friends: two parts male-female harmonies, 1 part ukelele, and a pinch of shakers.

Adriana Sky “I’ll Find You” – Adriana Sky’s muscular guitar riffs and impassioned vocals will make you want to puff out your chest and pretend to belt into your hairbrush. Go ahead, we’re not watching.

Lost In Society “Not Afraid” – Punk’s not dead! Lost In Society are keeping it alive with their gravelly vocals and crunching power chords. All you need now is a mosh pit.

Old Wives’ Tale “Bliss” – The warbly synth and jangly guitar hook create an alternate reality where disco is somehow way cooler than it actually was.

The Niceguys “Things Ain’t The Same” – Over a slinky guitar line and a smooth bass groove, The Niceguys drop tight nostalgic rhymes about a past fling that now just isn’t the same.

Despite what Florence and The Machine may say, the dog days aren’t over just yet.  In fact, they’re just beginning.  With the summer heat coming on in full force, it’s the perfect time for a new selection of July Editor Picks.  Roll down the windows and turn up this summery mix of indie pop, hard rock, hip hop and country.  Or, if you’re hiding inside and blasting the AC, put on some of the more chill, contemplative tracks.  Get over to the OurStage Facebook page to snag the mix for free download, or listen to it on 8tracks along with the past Editor Picks playlists.

Weapons of Audio “If You Want Me” – Big crunchy guitars and high falsetto vocals.  Imagine Bon Iver fronting Motley Crüe with a hell of a lot more sex appeal.

Sidney York “Dick & Jane” – Is it possible to create a perfect indie pop song without whistling, ukelele and lyrics about bicycling around town?  Not likely.

Chuck Elmore “Saying I Love You” – Elmore’s smooth vocals and slide guitar mix together the best parts of country, folk and pop.

David Costa “To Die For” – Building to a killer hook in the chorus (pun intended), this hip hop cut balances melody with angry, lovesick rhymes.

Jesse Thomas “You I Want” – Clear some nice, comfortable space in your head, because the chorus of “You I Want” is going to spend a lot of time in there.

Clarensau “I Would Trade (Grandpa’s Song)” – Tight male-female harmonies and a haunting cello line combine on this solemnly beautiful track.

Boys “Gossip” – A rollicking sonic romp complete with crunching guitars, vocal acrobatics and a spot-on use of snapping percussion.

Joanna Erdos & The Midnight Show “Sexy Secrets” – If Regina Spektor and Amanda Palmer had a kid (I’ll leave the “how” out of this) it would undoubtedly be Joanna Erdos.

OurStage has been rocking hard lately, and last month was no exception. In honor National Guitar Month and in celebration of the excellent selection of riffs on OurStage, artists competed in the “Shred Or Alive” Song Competition. The dust settled, and we chose nine rock songs that make us want to grow our hair out. So go stream, share or download the Shred Or Alive Playlist for free. Warning: serious guitar solos ahead.

I’m particularly excited about this month’s selection of Editor Picks, for the completely unrelated reason that April is this editor’s birthday month. But you don’t have to be celebrating a birthday to capitalize on the awesomeness that is this month’s Best Of playlist. Packed to the gills grizzly rock anthems, sick hip hop beats and even a Fleetwood Mac cover and American Idol contestant, run, don’t walk to OurStage’s Facebook page to download the eight songs for free. Don’t forget to check out 8tracks.com to listen to past months’ playlists.

Eclectic Approach “Cool” – Rock meets pop meets hip hop, you don’t need to be a cool kid to enjoy this track.

Tim Halperin “She Runs” – You may recognize Tim from Jennifer Lopez flirting shamelessly with him on this season of American Idol, but we’ll continue the love affair right here on OurStage.

Jerzy Jung “Black Dress, White Dress” – We’re jealous of her (god-given) name and Annie Lennox-sounding vocals.

Those Mockingbirds “The Chain” – Almost forty years later this Fleetwood Mac classic still holds up, given a new life with sandy female harmonies and crunching guitars.

Black Thai “The Ladder” – If you weren’t buying into the metal resurgence as of late, let Black Thai change your mind.

PunchFunkLove “James Brown” – Rage Against the Machine meets The Roots with mind blowing energy.

Yung O “Eddie Kane Jr” – Who knew Oklahoma City had such a raging underground hip hop scene?

Chasing Blue “Whiskey and Wine” – Because we just can’t shake our Mumford & Sons obsession, and Chasing Blue does bluegrass right.

With almost 2,000 entries in this month’s “Show Us Your Hits” Mardi Gras Competition, it’s clear that the artists (and fans) on OurStage like to party. Nothing makes a party like the music, so go stream, share or download the Show Us Your Hits playlist for free—and be sure to save us a spot on the dance floor. Mardi Gras beads not included. And don’t forget to keep judging in the channel for your favorite partiers!