Tag: "karmin"

We here at OurStage are all about emerging artists and new music. As such, we are constantly out and about checking out the music around us, which often means seeing the best of what the Boston area has to offer. Turns out, that’s quite a bit.

So naturally we were excited to head over to the Liberty Hotel last night, where the people of the Boston Music Awards were good enough to gather some of Boston’s great artists, past and present, to perform and mingle, celebrating a community built entirely around a shared passion for music. Oh, also, awards. The awards themselves, while secondary to the buzz of the performances, served to highlight some of the artists who are really doing something special. We saw well-deserved awards going to breakout national stars like The Voice’s Nicole Nelson and Karmin (a duo that has been on OurStage since 2010), scene stalwarts like Tim Gearan, and fast-breaking acts like Mean Creek (who just wrapped months of touring with Counting Crows) and Will Dailey (who stopped by our studio for an exclusive session earlier this year).

We’ll have some video soon to give you an idea of the scene last night, but in the meantime, check out some pics and a full list of winners below.

Continue reading ‘OurStage Hits The 2012 Boston Music Awards’

We hear cover songs all the time. Entire bands exist for the sole purpose of covering the work of another artist or group. Big name musicians perform the music of their fellow artists all the time to pay tribute to the ones who inspired them. And more recently, we’ve seen up-and-coming singers become famous from posting their cover songs on YouTube. Fourteen-year-old Greyson Chance, who has already released his debut album, got his big break from covering Lady Gaga‘s “Paparazzi” at a school event. OurStage’s duo Karmin has received over 40 million views on one of their captivating and unique hip hop covers. Just a couple of weeks ago, they performed at the iHeartRadio festival among artists such as Lady Gaga and Jay-Z. But with so many people recording and performing cover songs, we have to wonder “what makes the good ones stand out?” We’ve found some of our favorite from the Cover Bands Channel to show you!

Karmin

Take, for example, the talented a cappella group called Rockapella, who covered Vampire Weekend‘s hit “A Punk”. The group took a song that is upbeat, fast-paced and performed by a full band, and recreated it with just their voices. Their version is slowed down and focuses on the harmonies created by the members of the group. It sounds more soulful and catches your attention right from the start.

Karmin

Maybe the best way to first experience Karmin is to start with their cover of Demi Lovato’s “Skyscraper.” Under the direction of Amy Heidemann and Nick Noonan, Lovato’s pop song becomes a sophisticated, swooning piano ballad. Heidemann replaces Lovato’s rocker rasp with her pristine, bell-like vocals, smoothing out all the rough edges. If anything, Karmin’s “Skyscraper” illustrates their ability to blend instantly accessible pop with elements of jazz and R&B. You’ll see the interplay of all three styles throughout Karmin’s songbook, from the bright acoustic amble of “Let’s Get Lost” to the languorous, layered “Inside Out.” Probably the most impressive thing about Karmin is that they can create full, percussive pop melodies with only a handful of instruments—acoustic guitar, cajon, two voices and the occasional piano and trombone. Like musical MacGyvers, this Boston-based duo emerges triumphant again and again using only the sparest of parts.

“Let It Go” – Karmin