Tag: "free download"

It’s no surprise that OurStage artists Orange Avenue have named their new record Small Victories. The band has had a countless number of them in their five years together, including being named Buzzworthy by MTV, opening for The All-American Rejects and Rihanna and song placements on MTV, FOX Sports and Teen Nick. Here on OurStage, they’ve been named one of the top rock bands of 2010, chosen as a Needle In the Haystack artist and won the Video Grand Prize in 2011. With the release of Small Victories just a few weeks away, we caught up with Orange Avenue to learn more about the album and what we can expect from these guys in 2012. PS:There’s a free download waiting for you at the end of the article!

OS: You had a song (“Just Refrain”) featured in the first episode of The OurStage Panel. What was it like to watch the episode and hear the panelists’ commentary?

OA: Very enlightening. It was really cool to see the different outside opinions and critiques, and it was really cool to see the other artists that we were against…it was a nice glimpse of the music industry from the inside. It was a good episode all around. It’s a phenomenal thing, what you guys are doing at OurStage. It’s awesome for independent bands, it’s a phenomenal outlet. Back in the day, we weren’t so fortunate to have this tool. We’re definitely grateful.

OS: You’ve been gearing up to release your new album, Small Victories, later this month. What is the meaning behind the title of the record?

OA: It basically means overcoming obstacles to achieve what you want to achieve. Taking things one day at a time, one battle at a time. One small victory towards winning the ultimate war [laughs].

OS: Small Victories will be your third album. How do you feel that you’ve grown as a band since the first and second albums?

OA: The album itself, if anyone’s heard our Reset EP…it’s along the same lines. We’ve definitely grown as far as writing together and individually musically. This is some of the best stuff we’ve come up with. But there was a serious elimination process that we had to undergo. We came up with around sixty songs, so you can imagine! And every song, somebody had a serious tie to each one… so we went through a process of elimination with our management and our producer. We came up with what we thought was a well-rounded album.

OS: How many songs of those sixty did you end up using for the album?

OA: We actually used nine. We actually took a couple of choice tracks from Reset because we wanted to actually push them and get them a little more exposure, “Just Refrain” being one of them… “No Goodbyes,” and “Nightwalk” actually starts off the record. We just always thought that was a great album starter. This is kind of like our dream album. If we could have had the money to do this when we were doing Reset, this is probably what we would have done [laughs]. It’s twelve tracks total, but we have a bonus track for those who are pre-ordering to offer them a little something extra.

OS: The first single, “Wondergirl,” has a very high-energy, electronic feel to it. Can we expect more of the same on Small Victories? Have you thrown any curveballs in there?

OA: It’s very moody, it’s not really all high-energy. We just like to give people something that just kind of rocks, to begin with, then get down to the deeper part of Orange Avenue, you know? [laughs] Start with a bang, first of all, and hopefully they come back for more and realize there’s more sides to the band than just the fast stuff. There’s definitely some moody stuff there.

OS: Who would you say are your biggest influences on this record?

OA: There’s tons of them, to be honest with you. The Killers, All-American Rejects, The Used, Muse, Chili Peppers, Radiohead. All of us individually have a lot of separate influences and collectively we agree and have the same as well. I can kind of hear all of that being used in all the songs, like a rollercoaster ride. You can hear those different vibes throughout the entire record.

OS: You play hundreds of shows a year. Do you have any big touring plans for 2012?

OA: Big plans! [laughs] We are in the process of trying to do a small little tour around Florida just as a kickstart to get it going and promote the new record. But every day, good things are happening! We’re getting news every day on different things that are popping in and hopefully in another couple weeks, it will be completed where we can go ahead and do everything and really make an impact. Spring break goes off in Florida, so lots of gigs here this time of year!

OS: When are you going to come to Boston? We need to see you up here!

OA: We’d love to do that! The plans are that if this tour that we’re speaking of goes well, the next plan is to do an east coast run. We’d love to be there, it’s definitely on the list.

OS: Anything else you’d like to say to your fans on OurStage?

OA: Small Victories, 2/21! Order the CD now on iTunes! [laughs] We really worked hard on this album and there’s something on the album for everyone. We think people will appreciate the sound that we’ve come to develop on this third album!

Can’t wait for February 21st? Click here to download “Wondergirl” now! And be sure to follow Orange Avenue on Facebook and Twitter for more exciting news, tour dates and future victories.

Mainstream metal gets a really bad rap more often than it likely deserves. Perhaps this reputation rests on the fact that mainstream metal boosts catchier songwriting, features hooks and is more visible than their underground counterparts. At any rate, there is plenty of worthwhile mainstream metal amongst the riff raff, and OurStage metal band Wake Of Redemption is doing their best to show everyone just that. Don’t be mistaken, Wake of Redemption aren’t just wishy washy pop music that pretends to be metal; they’re pure metal.

On January 29, Wake of Redemption is unleashing their full-force attack on the world: Earthshaker. Listening to the three tracks the band has posted to their OurStage profile, we’re pretty excited and we think you should be too. Earthshaker promises to be a fresh take on a few different mainstream metal styles, all packaged into one cohesive-sounding album. To get some backstory on the album’s recording process, which the band did with Jamie King (Between the Buried and Me, He Is Legend, etc.) at his studio in North Carolina, we got in touch with guitarist/vocalist Nick who gave us a lot of insight into some of the decision-making and a description of some of the things that you’ll hear on the album:

“At our first couple of meetings with Jamie, we tracked all of the drums and discussed the overall scope of the project. After some editing, Jamie sent the drum tracks to me. To save money, we ended up tracking all of the guitars at my house but made sure to get a clean ‘dry’ signal of all the guitars and bass while tracking. This gave Jamie the ability to ‘re-amp’ our guitar signals later and run them through some top-end gear he has in his studio. What you actually hear on the album is a blend of our guitar amps and the amps that he re-amped our dry signals through. After guitars and bass were finished, we went back into the studio with Jamie to record vocals and mix the album. Due to his unrelenting schedule and our decision to track guitars, the entire process took nearly a year, but we also saved an enormous amount of money and were able to really concentrate on getting as good of performances as possible rather than watching the clock (especially while tracking guitar).”

What label is Earthshaker coming out on, you ask? Well, the simple answer is “none” but it’s not quite that simple. Much like the recording process, the deliberation about how to release the album took quite some time. Once again, we decided to have Nick clarify by explaining how the band came to the conclusion to ultimately self-release the album:

“After a ton of research and thinking, we are self-releasing the album. We’ve actually been on the fence about it for months (I got the masters back for the album in May!) but finally made the decision and feel very good about it…Early on, we were pretty determined to push this album to as many labels as possible to try to get label distribution. But, we all started reading and talking to people in the industry and it became clear how little money bands make when they first sign to labels. Most of us are at a point where we cannot afford to live the typical early-band life with no income because of family and other obligations, so we started researching the alternatives. I believe that the music industry as a whole is in the midst of a dramatic shift, especially where music distribution is concerned. For around $40, we were able to get our music on iTunes, Spotify and Amazon through a music aggregator, bypassing the need to sign our lives away to a major label for access to the most important distribution chain in the industry. For every album we sell digitally, we will see over 60% of the profit (vs. a maximum of 10% we would receive in royalties were we on a major label). There may come a time when we need major label support, specifically for promotion, but, for now, we are excited about the fact that we are totally debt-free and are at the point where we can sit back, melt faces and hopefully make a little money (which we will inevitably re-invest in the band).”

In the player below, you can listen to a few songs from the upcoming album, as well as download “Oh, Yeah!” (but only for a limited time, so don’t wait). Make sure you buy the album when it drops on the 29th, and see these guys live if they’re playing near you. Wake of Redemption do not disappoint.

Sorry, you missed out on the download! Make sure you grab the album when it drops!

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

Stay tuned for new Editor Picks in December!

OurStage has been a fan of Jetty Rae just as long as Jetty Rae has been a fan of OurStage. From countless Magazine features to being chosen as one of MTV’s Needle In The Haystack artists, the girl’s got staying power. And based on the badges stacking up on her profile for wins in the Singer-Songwriter, Acoustic and Folk Channels, as well as sponsored competitions, its safe to say the fans on OurStage are just as enamored.

So, when she offered up the chance to stream her new album La La Lu and the Lazy Moon on OurStage before its official release, we obviously said “hell yeah”! We have a long history of supporting Jetty Rae’s releases, and she even shouted out OurStage in the “Thank Yous” of her Nobody EP. That’s what’s up.

We chatted with Jetty Rae about what it was like co-producing and recording an album for the first time, the inspiration behind it and why she loves OurStage as much as she does. Stream La La Lu and the Lazy Moon before its iTunes release tomorrow and grab the exclusive download of “1,000 Buttons”.

OS: This is the first album that you co-produced and recorded mostly by yourself in a home studio.  What was it like taking on those new roles?

JR: It was exciting and nerve-wracking. I had all these expectations and ideas and I was still learning the best way to implement them. I had to figure out a schedule and groove that worked for me—I did most of the recording from 10pm-2am. I live by some train tracks, so I had to record around the trains, and other  loud neighborhood activities. I would say that this is the most creative I’ve gotten in the studio; because all these songs were written, then recorded I never had a chance to perform them and to kind of figure out what I wanted to do in the studio. I did all the vocal production on the fly. I got to try some cool mic techniques and discover that I LOVE the Shure Sm7 for my voice, and Shure ksm 141′s in stereo for my guitar! There was a lot of self-doubt and insecurity to overcome. It was such a learning process. After all is said and done though— I’m really proud of what I made.

OS: Imagery relating to the sky appears in a lot of your new lyrics, as well as in the title of the album itself.  What’s the story behind this?

JR: For me the sky (space) is still so undiscovered, and magical—you can look up there and imagine that heaven is in the clouds, or other worlds are up. I was inspired by flying in an airplane—and looking down at the clouds—they can be anything to you. Almost like another world. I also was inspired by the stars in Fiji, they are so bright and numerous…that picture is unforgettable.  I guess the sky is a good canvas for your imagination to fill.
OS: There’s a beautiful cover of “Puff the Magic Dragon” on the album.  What about the song led you to cover it? What can you tell us about the cover art?

JR: My Grandpa used to sing “Puff” and I still have old recordings of it—it’s just one of those special songs that gets passed down. I thought of the songs that influenced me as a child, and that one stood out to me. It’s actually kind of a sad song about growing up, and moving on. The cover art was done by the fabulous Kevin White of Umami Design. He works with my husband, and he became a fan at the beginning of this project and he really helped my songs come to life. I love Asian culture, and he kind suggested this manga-esque “chibi” art. The head is as big as the body, and the limbs are kind of like “nubs” I fell in love with the chibi version of me—and how kid friendly it was—and we ran with that idea.

OS: We hear there’s a cool story behind the inspiration for the album. Can you fill us in?

JR: Well, after years of playing “Gualamina” from my first album—I began to notice a trend in my really young fans. They would all sing it, they knew the words—and their parents would tell me that they loved my albums. I thought—hey here is a cool way for me to practice my own recording, and make something that parents will love to play in their mini-vans for their kids. The rhetoric was that it would be easier for me to record these songs that were specifically written to be recorded, then to home-record songs that I was really attached to. It worked out because of the expectations I didn’t have on these songs. They could become whatever I wanted or needed them to be. The “La La Lu” part of my title was inspired by the songs my mom would sing to me as a child to soothe me.

OS: OurStage is mentioned in the “Thank Yous” section of your previous release, the Nobody EP. Thanks, Jetty! Why did you give us a special shout out?

JR: Well if it wasn’t for OurStage I never would have made my Nobody EP with Andy Walker (who found me on OurStage)! I also wouldn’t have networked with Joseph Barker from Bella Ruse who is also on OurStage—and he is the co-producer of this project! He came up with the arrangements for everything but the acoustic guitar and vocals. He is really talented, and was fun to work with. We both got selected as local talent for the Lilith Fair competition and we have started a really cool relationship since then.

OurStage has been a fan of Jetty Rae just as long as Jetty Rae has been a fan of OurStage. From countless Magazine features to being chosen as one of MTV’s Needle In The Haystack artists, the girl’s got staying power. And based on the badges stacking up on her profile for wins in the Singer-Songwriter, Acoustic and Folk Channels, as well as sponsored competitions, its safe to say the fans on OurStage are just as enamored.

So, when she offered up the chance to stream her new album La La Lu and the Lazy Moon on OurStage before its official release, we obviously said “hell yeah”! We have a long history of supporting Jetty Rae’s releases, and she even shouted out OurStage in the “Thank Yous” of her Nobody EP. That’s what’s up.

We chatted with Jetty Rae about what it was like co-producing and recording an album for the first time, the inspiration behind it and why she loves OurStage as much as she does. Stream La La Lu and the Lazy Moon before its iTunes release tomorrow and grab the exclusive download of “1,000 Buttons”.

OS: This is the first album that you co-produced and recorded mostly by yourself in a home studio.  What was it like taking on those new roles?

JR: It was exciting and nerve-wracking. I had all these expectations and ideas and I was still learning the best way to implement them. I had to figure out a schedule and groove that worked for me—I did most of the recording from 10pm-2am. I live by some train tracks, so I had to record around the trains, and other  loud neighborhood activities. I would say that this is the most creative I’ve gotten in the studio; because all these songs were written, then recorded I never had a chance to perform them and to kind of figure out what I wanted to do in the studio. I did all the vocal production on the fly. I got to try some cool mic techniques and discover that I LOVE the Shure Sm7 for my voice, and Shure ksm 141′s in stereo for my guitar! There was a lot of self-doubt and insecurity to overcome. It was such a learning process. After all is said and done though— I’m really proud of what I made.

OS: Imagery relating to the sky appears in a lot of your new lyrics, as well as in the title of the album itself.  What’s the story behind this?

JR: For me the sky (space) is still so undiscovered, and magical—you can look up there and imagine that heaven is in the clouds, or other worlds are up. I was inspired by flying in an airplane—and looking down at the clouds—they can be anything to you. Almost like another world. I also was inspired by the stars in Fiji, they are so bright and numerous…that picture is unforgettable.  I guess the sky is a good canvas for your imagination to fill.
OS: There’s a beautiful cover of “Puff the Magic Dragon” on the album.  What about the song led you to cover it? What can you tell us about the cover art?

JR: My Grandpa used to sing “Puff” and I still have old recordings of it—it’s just one of those special songs that gets passed down. I thought of the songs that influenced me as a child, and that one stood out to me. It’s actually kind of a sad song about growing up, and moving on. The cover art was done by the fabulous Kevin White of Umami Design. He works with my husband, and he became a fan at the beginning of this project and he really helped my songs come to life. I love Asian culture, and he kind suggested this manga-esque “chibi” art. The head is as big as the body, and the limbs are kind of like “nubs” I fell in love with the chibi version of me—and how kid friendly it was—and we ran with that idea.

OS: We hear there’s a cool story behind the inspiration for the album. Can you fill us in?

JR: Well, after years of playing “Gualamina” from my first album—I began to notice a trend in my really young fans. They would all sing it, they knew the words—and their parents would tell me that they loved my albums. I thought—hey here is a cool way for me to practice my own recording, and make something that parents will love to play in their mini-vans for their kids. The rhetoric was that it would be easier for me to record these songs that were specifically written to be recorded, then to home-record songs that I was really attached to. It worked out because of the expectations I didn’t have on these songs. They could become whatever I wanted or needed them to be. The “La La Lu” part of my title was inspired by the songs my mom would sing to me as a child to soothe me.

OS: OurStage is mentioned in the “Thank Yous” section of your previous release, the Nobody EP. Thanks, Jetty! Why did you give us a special shout out?

JR: Well if it wasn’t for OurStage I never would have made my Nobody EP with Andy Walker (who found me on OurStage)! I also wouldn’t have networked with Joseph Barker from Bella Ruse who is also on OurStage—and he is the co-producer of this project! He came up with the arrangements for everything but the acoustic guitar and vocals. He is really talented, and was fun to work with. We both got selected as local talent for the Lilith Fair competition and we have started a really cool relationship since then.

La La Lu and the Lazy Moon track listing:

1. Lazy Moon
2. Airplane
3. Rainy Day
4. 1,000 Buttons
5. Puff The Magic Dragon
6. Imagine
7. Michigan
8. By & By

Download "1,000 Buttons" for free below

La La Lu and the Lazy Moon track listing:

1. Lazy Moon
2. Airplane
3. Rainy Day
4. 1,000 Buttons
5. Puff The Magic Dragon
6. Imagine
7. Michigan
8. By & By

Download "1,000 Buttons" for free below

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!

Sometimes when a band has a million members its easy to recognize. Arcade Fire, for instance, with its huge roster (we’re still not exactly sure whether its nine or ten) throws in sounds, instruments, vocals, hoots and hollers with such veracity into both songs and live performance that its virtually impossible not to recognize this is not your average sized group. While this week’s Needle In The Haystack artist, French Cassettes‘ musician count isn’t in double digits, six is still a lot of people to cram into a practice space— let alone a song-writing session. But the French-pop group makes it work, and somehow seamlessly conceptualizes songs like “Seahorse” with simple execution and clean transitions of what appears to be a lot of different views, like rolling vocals spliced with electrified guitars.

Check out the chaos that goes into a recording session with the French Cassettes below, and download the magic that comes out of it with “Seahorse”.

Upon first listen, its easy to think that this week’s Needle In The Haystack artist Bella Ruse got confused when naming “Complicated Rhythm”, the song up for free download. With simple and to-the-point melodies matched with lots of open air and light breezy guitar strumming, the rhythms on the track seem anything but complicated. Upon further inspection however, the song opens up with sounds not often found in a traditional pop folk song. Trumpets, bells and even a typewriter could easily confuse a song, but Bella Ruse presents these quirky sounds with effortless ease that fold into a wonderful melody. The duo even manages to simplify a sticky romantic situation with the lyric “I’m your lover/you’re my friend/and we’re both wrapped up in a complicated rhythm“. Nothing complicated about it.

Check out Bella Ruse’s explanation of how this (and other songs) came to be, and download “Complicated Rhythm” for free below.

In our introduction to this week’s Needle In The Haystack we talked about how Sylvana Joyce and The Moment cite “various gypsy music” as influences. When listening to the free download “Me For You” from the act, we picture bare feet dancing on assorted rugs, so much so that we can’t tell if the subtle chimes in the background are actually part of the song or if we’re just imagining them in our music-induced drug stupor. With lyrics like “So here you are you’re waiting for some action I’d hit you up but I’ve got a bad reaction to small doses/ they always leave me hanging,” sounds like a bad trip that we don’t want to stop.

Watch Sylvana Joyce and The Moment cast their spell in the video below, and download “Me For You” for free.

Winter is a good time for recording. Tours slow down, the weather is a drag and despite the dreary landscapes,  it seems the creative juices flow so come spring we’re presented with more new releases than our iPods can stand—just in time for summer touring season. Okay so maybe there is a method to the cycle, but come February we get a renewed sense of excitement all the same. Recently we’ve been putting out a call on Twitter and Facebook asking which OurStage artists have new material in the works or recently hitting the shelves. In addition to some great responses, we’ve also been doing a little digging ourselves, and have come up with a great list of EPs, LPs and singles that are either available now or will be in the near future.

So read on to check out the latest from your OurStage favs. Did we miss you? First of all shame on you for not @replying us on Twitter. We forgive you, though, and you can always email us at pr@ourstage.com with your news. Add us to your mailing lists, we’d love to hear from you!

Daphne Willis – This songstress is no stranger to the OurStage charts, and has the achievements to prove it, including a 6 week stint at Number 1 on the Best of Pop chart. We’re sure her new LP Because I Can—an album swirling with inventive melodies carrying straight-to-the-heart lyrics—will provide even more badges. Leading up to Because I Can‘s release, 3 Digital 45s will be released in advance of the full-length record. The second of the 3 “Do What You Want” dropped this past Tuesday and can be found on Daphne’s Web site as well as the option to pre-order the album.

Daphne Willis – Because I Can, April 19, www.daphnewillis.com

Bronze Radio Return - You may remember this fok-rock group’s unique moniker from the John Mayer Side Stage Warfare Competition when they won the coveted side stage performance in Massachusetts (which you can watch a video of here). When an advance copy of their new album SHAKE! SHAKE! SHAKE! showed up in our inbox one morning we spent the rest of the day dance dance dancing in our chairs. Don’t believe us? Grab an EXCLUSIVE free download of the release’s title track “Shake Shake Shake” on the OurStage Facebook tab for Editor Picks. Don’t want to wait until March? Head over to BRR’s Web site, where pre-order for the album began Feb. 1.

Bronze Radio Return – SHAKE! SHAKE! SHAKE!, March 29, www.bronzeradioreturn.com [BTdub, you can download the title track exclusively on the OurStage Facebook page FOR FREE!]

Tamppa – There’s no doubt about it, Brooklyn-based rapper Tamppa has skills. He also hustles, and has won a mentoring session with Columbia Records, editorial feature on Vibe.com as well as other various hip hop accolades here on OurStage, and has even shouted us out in his submission to be included in an upcoming T Pain mixtape. So we weren’t surprised when he dropped us a line to tell us about his HUNGERPAIN vol. 1 mixtape coming up, which is hosted by Sha Stimuli & Dj Young Cee of shady/Gunit. He’s got more friends on there than we can name, but you can pick it up for free when its released mid February on a variety of sites.

Tamppa – HUNGERPAIN vol. 1, mid February, www.datpiff.com, Tamppa Facebook page

A’tris – OurStage resident rockers A’tris have been a constant fixture on the OS charts since debuting in the Music Video Channel in 2008. Since then they’ve gained recognition in genres across the board, including alternative, electronic, electro-pop and rock, in addition to going strong with videos. Suffice it to say they’ve got a ton of material, so their plan for putting out a new demo every week in 2011 seems totally appropriate. The band is asking for fans feedback on each track and will eventually use all that input to put together their new album. You can read blog posts and descriptions of the demos when they’re released each week right on A’tris’ Web site.

A’tris – One Demo Released Every Week of 2011 – www.atrishq.com

Wes Kirkpatrick – Another OurStage favorite, Wes has dazzled fans with his songwriting abilities for years, graced the OurStage magazine more than once, opened for HANSON after winning the Shout It Out With HANSON Competition and supported acts like Blues Traveler, State Radio and Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers. Get a sneak peak of Wes’ upcoming release Naps & Nightmares by listening to a new track of the album “Where You Are” on his Web site.

Wes Kirkpatrick – Naps & Nightmares – March 1 – www.weskirkpatrick.com

Stacy Clark – OurStage has been a long time supporter of this Southern California singer, and is even quoted in her release promoing her upcoming album Connect The Dots. While the album is available for download on iTunes now, Connect The Dots official worldwide release is scheduled for Feb 15. The do-gooder has also made one of the tracks, “Not Enough” available for free download in conjunction with To Write Love On Her Arms, to which a donation will be made for every download.

Stacy Clark – Connect The Dots – available now – iTunes and Amazon

Check out these other releases from OurStage artists

Mike Del Rio – The New World EP on iTunes

Martha’s Trouble – Anchor Tattoo on www.marthastrouble.com

Michael Sonders – Your Pretty Face EP on iTunes

This week’s Needle In The Haystack free download from Rie Sinclair is the stuff soundtracks are made of. After all, Rie is no stranger to making on-screen magic, writing songs for shows like Vampire Diaries and Californication and even scoring an Emmy nom. “The Way It Ends” is the exact song you’d picture at the pivotal turning point, you can easily imagine a zoomed-in shot of the hero making the decision to do something daring. Somehow Rie’s delicate, coquettish vocals match perfectly with powerful crunchy guitars and defining drums, elating the listener, leaving them reminiscing about the last scene, all while indeed wondering how it ends.

Check out Rie’s song “(Lover) What’s Going On” used in the CW’s Vampire Diaries promo, and download “The Way It Ends” below.