Tag: "ellie goulding"

2012 has been a fantastic year for movies, but it may have been an even better year for movie soundtracks. From action and horror, to comedies and dramadies, the world of film was made more enthralling in 2012 than any year in recent memory thanks to music, and today we’re highlighting our five favorite releases. I would suggest you see every film mentioned on this list in order to fully appreciate the accompanying music, but perhaps one of the greatest features of each of these releases is how well they play outside the context of cinema. So whether you’re a cinephile or you refuse to pay ridiculous cinema prices, there is something here for everyone. Click through the “Read more” link and enjoy. Continue reading ’5 Best Movie Soundtracks of 2012′

A recipe for Departures: take equal parts ’90s emo and melodic hardcore, swirl, and let age for several years. Then sip lightly; you might burn your tongue. Brooding guitars, ragged vocals, and pounding drums jostle for space within the UK band’s darkly emotive songs of loss, aging, and mistakes. Last month, the band signed with the fast-growing No Sleep Records and their debut full-length Teenage Haze is out today. We caught up with guitarist Daniel Nash to chat about growing up in a band, touring in continental Europe, and their eclectic listening tastes.

OS: What’s the meaning behind the title Teenage Haze?  Does the album art have anything to do with the title as well?

Teenage Haze is a phrase taken from the song “The Home Stretch.” The song is about going back to your home town and experiencing that weird nostalgia, rose-tinted (or not) memories of growing up. There’s a lot of it in the album so we thought it fit pretty well. Continue reading ‘Exclusive Q and A: Departures Talk Time, Age, and T-Swift’

• Bieber’s owl of wisdom.
• Well, it was fun while it lasted, guys.
• Gaga, and all that jazz.
• We still might get to hear some Skrellie tracks, though.
• Gary Glitter gets implicated in an increasingly weird case.
• The RZA’s upcoming movies sound awesome.

• Just another reason to watch the Super Bowl.
• Bon Iver’s new video plays out like an interstellar Easter egg hunt.
• Prince and Gatsby? Sign us up.
• Thankfully, Goulding won’t be making an album with From First To Last.
• Nobody can accuse Tom Morello of being partisan.
• Passion Pit hit the (real) big time.

After breaking into the US with “Lights,” Ellie Goulding has been keeping the US in constant anticipation of her next hit. With the Oct. 9 release of Halcyon, and her recent performance of “Anything Could Happen” on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, I think we may just have it.

Looking remarkably comfortable as she dances around the stage, exchanging smiles with band mates in between husky notes, we’d say Goulding is most certainly within reach of another US hit.

You can watch Goulding performing the track right here.

If you like Ellie Goulding check out OurStage artist Jillian Grutta.

More like this:

• Live Wired [Review]: Ellie Goulding
• “Watch This!” Wednesday: Jitta On The Track, P!nk, And Matt & Kim

Carly Rae Jepsen is in luck. It looks like she won’t have to ensure the continuation of her celebrity run after “Call Me Maybe” falls from its current summit by relying on the hoopla generated by her own Nipplegate—nude photos that ended up being someone else’s.

Thanks to a call from Adam Young, the one-man band behind Owl City, Jepsen is about to relight the fire under her rising star the old-fashioned way: with a new hit. “Good Time,” her duet with Owl City, just debuted at No. 18 on Billboard’s Hot 100, which means that her breakout No. 1 single won’t forever be alone on her hit list.

It’s pop symbiosis at its most effective: He saves her from that pop purgatory known as one-hit wonderdom, where he had been languishing since 2009, when the Owl City single “Fireflies” hit No. 1 on the Hot 100, and she helps get him out of it. Sure Katy Perry could have accomplished the same thing in the middle of a dead sleep, but that hardly would have been a meeting of near-equals.

Continue reading ‘Chart Catfight!: Look Who’s Hot on Carly Rae Jepsen’s Tail in the Battle of the Pop Divas!’

Imagine waking up to the warm smell of pancakes accompanied by the crackle of bacon frying in a pan, as you roll over to shield your eyes from the rays of sunlight that illuminate paths of dust from your window to the floor. Sunday mornings have a special aura about them, and in this edition of SoundTrax, I will highlight that feeling with a handful of tunes sure to put you in that Sunday mood, any time of the week.

SoundTrax: Sunny Sundays from OurStage on 8tracks.

“A Sunday Kind of Love” by Etta James
In honor of her recent passing, it would be a shame not to start off this soundtrack with the wonderful voice of the late, great, Etta James. Enjoy!

“Somebody That I Used to Know” (feat. Kimbra) by Gotye
If you thought you were listening to an unreleased Synchronicity b-side at first, you’re not alone. There’s no denying that Gotye has striking vocal similarity to Sting, but the similarities end there. Featuring understated, but carefully planned production, this will be one of the standout songs of 2012.

“Miserable” by Roman&Alaina
Pairing depressing lyrics with upbeat music is always hit-or-miss, and takes some serious songwriting chops. Roman&Alaina rise up to the challenge wonderfully with this jangly tune. Now stop dragging the covers back up to your chin, and let the pace of this track pull you out of bed.

Continue reading ‘SoundTrax: Sunny Sundays’

• Here’s to hoping that Hanson’s new beer won’t Mmmflop.
• Elvis putting the sheer craziness of Justin Bieber’s paternity suit to shame.
• Guess we’re going to have to wait until the DVD to see the Lady Gaga/Miss Piggy showdown.
• X-Factor automatically dominating the charts does not make this the most wonderful time of the year.
• Not to be a Scrooge, but same goes for Christmas songs.
• Probably the greatest unintentional play off your last album name.
• Hey Katy Perry, where can we get our cute and more folky version of ourselves?
• Maybe 16 and Pregnant should throw some vampires into the mix.

As we eagerly await the last batch of big albums to drop before year’s end, a steady stream of singles have been coming out of the woodwork.  With some unexpected mash-ups, album teasers and repeat offenders like Rick Ross, Drake, Wale and Mary J. Blige, the fall music season is heating up as temperatures cool down.  Here, a few tracks worth paying attention to.  

Common, “Sweet”: Fresh off his upcoming album, The Dreamer, The Believer, Common is back with a vengeance on the No. I.D. produced track. Remniscent of his early days on the mic, Common reminds fans that despite the glitz and glamor, he’s still the Chicago-bred beast who is not to be messed with. The G.O.O.D. music alum says he plans to make an appearance on the recently announced compilation album, even though the label isn’t backing his release. “We had talked

Rick Ross/ Wale

about it before, but it was actually some new news to me that it was going forward. But I’m definitely looking forward to it and I obviously want to be a part of it. I’m G.O.O.D. Music family forever. Even though my album is not coming out on G.O.O.D. Music, I’m still a G.O.O.D. Music affiliate and artist. That’s my family forever.”

Trey Songz ft. Fabolous, “What I Be On”: Trey is at it again with last week’s release of his double mixtape.  He dropped the Fab-featured single complete with a play on Drake’s “Marvin’s Room” in his verse.  Was that a diss?

Continue reading ‘Soundcheck: Hot New Hip-Hop’

Ellie Goulding has had a huge year, and it’s only August. A 24-year-old pop singer from England, she has been getting more attention in the US recently. She was selected by Prince William and Kate Middleton as the only live musician at possibly the biggest event of the year: the royal wedding reception in April. A week later, Goulding was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live. She toured the US for the first time earlier this year, playing smaller venues. She’s back on tour, and on July 27th in Boston played an even bigger venue during her second time in the states. The sold out crowd was loud and ready for a great night of live music.

Bag Raiders, a house duo from Australia made up of Chris Stracey and Jack Glass, started the show off as the tour’s only opener. They pumped up the already-packed house and got everyone dancing. They closed with one of their bigger songs, “Shooting Star,” leaving fans in excited anticipation for Ellie to begin.

When you listen to Ellie Goulding’s music, it’s easy to get hooked right away. Yes, she has a pretty voice. But most of her songs also feature catchy beats. Her live show really illustrated what a talented artist she is. Throughout the entire show, Goulding was dancing around the stage, showing off her incredible vocals and playing a couple of different instruments. She had the crowd interacting the whole time and was having as much fun as the audience.

The setlist illustrated Goulding’s versatility and did a great job of throwing together sing-along and dance songs. There were definitely a few numbers that stood out. Any song that featured Goulding playing the drums was a blast to watch. She had a trap kit at the front of the stage next to her microphone, as well as an acoustic guitar. The guitar served as the main component of her beautiful acoustic rendition of “Wish I Stayed.” It was sad and stripped-down, as she explained the song was written about a time when she really missed her home. Later, to a large round of applause and cheers, she introduced one of her cover songs: A quiet piano version of Elton John’s “Your Song.” The crowd sang every word at the top of their lungs.

www.thechuckness.com

After the set, Goudling and her band came back for a two song, high-energy encore. They first played “Your Biggest Mistake,” a piano-filled pop song that leads up to a great chorus everyone can sing. They ended with their often-remixed, biggest hit “Starry Eyed.” The crowd was at their liveliest and so was Goulding, finishing the night with everyone dancing as she belted out the last note of the song.

Check out the dates for the rest of Ellie Goulding’s tour with Bag Raiders!