Sheet Music Plus Rock

Girls can play guitar too~Betty Navas

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So maybe this isn’t the most mind-blowing thing I’ve ever heard, but I’m sharing it because the world needs to pay more attention to women guitarists. Why? Because I’m sure there is a girl out there thinking about picking up a guitar but she might never go through with it because she’s thinking that girls don’t play guitar—wrong!

Allow me to introduce Betty Navas, whose debut Superqueen, is proof that women shouldn’t be afraid to try their hand at guitar, because they can be successful at it. In the past, Betty was a part of hardcore Warner Brothers outfit Heidi, and from what I hear, she is a full-time touring musician nowadays.  She makes her rounds (and a good living) playing at different casinos throughout the country.  A charmed life indeed.

Get her album now on iTunes.

Someone sign this guy please-Levi Kreis

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Levi Kreis is amazing. What kind of unsigned independent artist debuts #42 on the iTunes Top Pop Album Charts alongside Pink & Kelly Clarkson, has a #1 video on MTVMusic.com, and has the spare time to win a Tony!? Levi Kreis does.

His latest album Where I Belong takes his down home southern soul to new heights by giving it pop wings. “Gonna Be Alright” is a standout on the album and a well-chosen first single. Throughout the album, Levi’s voice is brimming with intensity, filling each melodic line with a genuineness that is heart-warming. There is a definitive Gospel influence that makes its way onto the album as well, but it doesn’t feel out of place or forced. It is a gentle accompaniment to an album that shows the expanses of Levi’s talent.

Definitely check this one out. You might even find that you’re already familiar with some of the songs due to the placements that they have already received. Find him here or on Facebook.

Fall in love with John Nagle

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I really wish my boyfriend could sing like John Nagle. His voice is the essential crooner’s voice and his music? Well, I’d say it is a bit of acoustic guitar-driven jazz with some Jason Mraz thrown in. When I say jazz, I do mean modern jazz with a suave restrained cool and no scatting, so that it retains a slick pop edge.

Now let’s get back to that enticing voice.  Unlike Michael Buble, John Nagle is not trying to be a Sinatra wannabe. His vocals are more hushed with a slight airy whisper and he handles melodies delicately, with a less is more approach. The end result is just sexy. I suggest taking a listen for yourself and checking out his self-titled debut EP.

Go fall in love with John Nagle at www.welovejohnnagle.com or on Facebook

Show Review: True Margrit at the Echoplex

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True Margrit is a San Francisco based trio who recently released The Juggler’s Progress, a cerebral foray into rhythmic piano pop.

The group is instantly set apart from other piano singer songwriters because of Margrit Eichler’s one-of-a-kind voice. Let me put it you this way, if her voice were a road, it would be rocky and very texturally interesting, maybe a bit unpleasant at times (not due to any fault in technique, mind you), but it would guide you through the most beautiful overlooked landscape you had ever seen, so that when looking back at the experience, you would remember the lovely ride and not the individual bumps.

I got to experience her most memorable idiosyncrasy at their recent tour stop at the Echoplex in Echo Park, CA last week. When Margrit plays the piano she doesn’t just play the piano, she, um “plays” with the piano. As in, she unabashedly mounts it to play a few chords for their song “500 Years.” Needless to say, the crowd loved it.

Now, the piano-humping was not the best part of the performance, but it really established that True Margrit is the kind of band that is not only smart and insightful, but doesn’t take itself too seriously, an awesome quality. Actually, to tell you the truth, between the band’s chemistry, the quirky lyrics, Margrit’s voice, the stage antics, and the bouncy music, I really couldn’t tell you what part of the show was the best—I loved it all.

Find them here or on Facebook

Youths Sounds keeps the music alive in the oily gulf

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Youth Sounds is a family affair from New Orleans and their effortless chemistry is responsible for their polished indie sound. The songwriting is elegant and done right without a pretentious displays of talent. I suppose that is what is so charming about the band, really. Something about the band’s aura is tastefully restrained, with every note beautifully executed, in the right place at the right time, and nothing else.

Even their debut EP, The Bit Parts, displays just three essential songs, each one being just as strong as the other. No filler, no excess. It’s refreshing and underwhelming, quite the opposite of what many of us are used to, no doubt. Rather than attacking listeners with an in-your-face gimmicky display, the band opts for a gentle whisper, and rather than being easy to ignore, the songs are patiently seductive. I swear their spell is working because I’m sure I’m not the only waiting on the edge of my seat ready to take in whatever little ditty they cook up next.

Listen to their stuff here and visit them on Facebook

Disalto=”by leaps” in Italian/cool band

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The first time I heard Disalto, I seriously thought I was listening to Rise Against. A friend introduced me to them quite by mistake and I’ve played their newest album One Beacon in the Strand numerous times since then.

Disalto is the beacon in the Los Angeles strand and was a part of last year’s Warped Tour lineup with Bad Religion. After listening to their debut several more times, I was relieved to hear that they are not trying to copy Rise Against in the least. For one, they’re also influenced by A Perfect Circle, At the Drive-In, and Radiohead. Also, Dana Cordero voice has traces of Sparta’s Jim Ward incorporated into his style as well.

One Beacon in the Strand was produced by David Baker (Diffuser) and mixed by Mike Major (At the Drive-In, Coheed & Cambria, Sparta) who both did an excellent job of polishing an intricate sound, making it clear and giving each song its own identity. The album captures Disalto’s ultimate strength, their ability to move from aggression and fury to the more restrained part of the musical spectrum, navigating between them smoothly and accommodating both equally well.

Check them out on their website or on Facebook

Provacateur Julian Shah-Tayler pens sexy hit

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Hitmaker Julian Shah-Tayler, who co-wrote Whitey’s smash hit “Wrap It Up” (featured in Whip It, GTA 4, Sopranos, Kyle XY and CSI Miami) during his stint as the band’s guitarist, and has written/produced songs for Joaquin Phoenix, Bethia Beadman (Courtney Love), JC Chasez, and Violet Flames to name a few, is writing hits for his own project now.

His most recent EP, Un Ange Passe, is to prep fans and would-be fans for his full length debut in the fall. Un Ange Passe introduces listeners to the first single off the album “Wetter,” an electro-influenced avant-pop track with some provocative lyrics. Ahem…

“If you’re getting bored with the conversation
Let’s get down to the penetration
You’re the object of my fascination,
I wanna make you wet with my perspiration
Now…

Your body is the reason that I came
The wetter the better
I want you
I want you”

Are you flushed and blushing yet? If the lyrics didn’t do it, then surely once you start dancing to the infectious beat, that will. Check him out here or on Facebook.

Good Morning Milo-Rocking Pop/Rock in San Diego

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Good Morning Milo from San Diego writes forlorn and angsty pop/rock songs with spurts of bitterness and soaring falsettos. Their latest release is entitled Through the Chaos and the Clatter and at 14 songs, it is a true  album experience complete with an intro instrumental track “Pickup Lines” and an intermission instrumental track “The Proposal” to open up for “Engaged.”

For the most part, Good Morning Milo serves up radio-ready songs except that their melodies are slightly off from what I usually hear on the radio, in a good way. The singer has a way of stretching out melodies, especially in the choruses, so that a phrase is extended allowing the melody will ring out. It gives the songs a different feel and since it comes unexpectedly, it keeps you listening for the next one.

One more thing I really appreciate about Good Morning Milo is there is a chick in the band who isn’t the singer. I think bands that do so show maturity and open-mindedness and I find that it almost always extends into the music. In Good Morning Milo’s case, it definitely makes a difference and allows them to stand out not only for their line-up but their willingness to take their music to new places.

Check them out on Facebook or MySpace.

Unsigned psych alternative artist Derek Jordan unleashes his EP ‘Humanist’

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According to Derek Jordan his music is “Psych Alternative Rock.” “I write about human behavior, the way we think, why we think, what we crave, why we crave, what life means to us, what we do with our lives, the power of fearless desire and passion, and I use alternative rock as the vehicle to express this. My music promotes individuality, identity, and resists conformity. My music reaches your heart and mind and how you really feel about your life.”

Kudos for knowing exactly what you’re going for Derek, even if you do fall just short of expressing it. Derek Jordan is an artist in development who, I’m sure has come so far already, but still has a way to go. On his side, he does possess a genuine belief in his message, but he still lacks the lyrical finesse necessary to rouse souls to action.

No matter, his music is an accurate reflection of a frustrated state that many individuals must experience when they’re dissatisfied with life, or so I’m told.  He’s aiming to reveal to us that we all are secretly miserable and severely unaware of what is going on around us. Part of me wants to buy into it, but the other part is holding on to “conformity.”

So here are some words for Derek, if you’re going to deliver such a strong message (that we all want you to—in theory) go for it, but make sure that you really deliver. I’d really like to see that, and you could totally pull it off.

Find him here or on Facebook

Singer/Actress Neshia performs first show at the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip

I enjoy seeing an artist’s first show. I love the lack of polish, the nervousness painted on the artist’s face, or I love to be enchanted by the lack thereof. Seeing an artist who puts on a show like they’ve been doing it for years and learning that it’s their first is pure magic.

That’s why I went to the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip to see Neshia play her first show. After the first song, it was evident that she had the confidence, but lacked the experience. She was talented, but lacked the dedication to her craft to log in hours of practice necessary to put on a stellar show. It showed when she started to sing the song in the wrong key, much to the dismay of her accompanying guitarist. He quickly corrected her before too much damage was done.

Although the songwriting was lackadaisical there was a moment in one song that subtly glistened. When Neshia was singing a song about her mother, there was an honesty that the lyrics were unable to convey, where Neshia was nearly brought to tears. I would have liked to see more moments like that.

All in all, the show was alright but forgettable. If Neshia is able to develop her artistry and fashion her poignant moments into songs, while keeping the integrity of the words intact during her performances, she may just stand a chance.

Check out her progress on her website