Ella Eyre

Ela Eyre, or if you go by her real name, Ella McMahon, has been a strong presence in the neo-soul genre since she was nineteen years old. She is best known for her contributions to Rudimental's number one hit Waiting All Night and DJ Fresh's single Gravity. Raised in West London, McHanon juggled school and songwriting from a very early age. She found her first vocal coach at the age eleven and continued to write her own music from then on. She debuted her voice when she appeared on Bastille's version of TLC's No Scrubs, and later released her first album, Deeper.

I love her smooth, silky voice. It is powerful yet still soft at the same time. Everyone check her out!

MISTERWIVES - OUR OWN HOUSE

For those of you who don't know, Misterwives' New Album "Our Own House" has been released! If you don't already listen to them, trust me, this is very good news. So, I'm doing a special review of their latest record. 

First thing's first, I am wholeheartedly obsessed with their album art. I love it so much. It's very creative, and for some reason, slightly feminine for a group where 4/5 of the members are men. But, that aside, it's perfect. 

Ok next, the songs. I'm talking mostly about the songs that weren't on their EP. It's hard to know which ones those are if you haven't listened to the original EP, because they're just that cohesive. Very impressive. OK, so. My favourite song off the album is definitely "Box Around The Sun". "Hurricane" will be infinitely more popular, but I love the guitar hooks in the into to this. Also, I like "Not Your Way" a lot simply because it's so fun. Very easy to get down to. 

I would recommend this album to anyone, absolutely anyone. Mandy's voice is absolute perfection. Not a single bad thing to say. 

Phoenix

Phoenix is an alternative indie band originating from Versailles, France. It consists of Thomas Mars, Deck D'Arcy, Christian Mazzalai and Laurent Brancowitz. The group started out as a garage-band based group until two years after formation when they pressed their single "Ghettoblaster" and were almost immediately signed to a record label. Their fame grew when they were asked to curate a compilation album for Kitsuné. It released in 2009 slightly before their third record, "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix" was dropped.  

I love the retro-ness of their music. It's very original, and I've never quite found anything like it. I could draw comparisons of some of their albums to Alt-J, the now popular indie label, but really, Phoenix is all their own. My favourite album of theirs is "Bankrupt!" because it portrays their unique sound and blends their earlier album, "Wolfgang". In reality, their sound does vary a lot. Their first albums, such as "Alphabetical", are much more acoustic, and hardly apply synth at all. But, it's a win-win, because I love their early stuff, and their current stuff! I highly recommend. 

Check out their website: http://www.wearephoenix.com

Autoheart

Autoheart is a London based indie pop group formed in 2011, featuring Jody Gadsden on lead vocals, Simon Neilson on keys, and David Roman on drums. Gadsden and Neilson met in 2007 after collaborating on a short piece of work, and the two immediately hit it off. Their debut song, The Sailor Song, dropped in 2009, and was crowned "Single of The Week" by Shaun Keaveny's BBC 6 Music Radio show. The single was originally paired with a animated music video. The group released their debut album "Punch" in July 2013. Later they released a single featuring two hits, Moscow and Agoraphobia.

When listening to this band, you really have to take a second and get used to them. Gadsden's voice is very wavery, one second it can sound high-pitched, and the next second low. But I really like the sound of their music. I especially love the single, Moscow. IT's the most pop-influenced, which translates better for mass audience. It's more people-friendly. They use a lot of poppy piano chords and bass to recreate that feel of indie pop but they definitely lead towards more alternative. The rest of their music can get a little dark, which is to be expected with Gadsden's low voice, but hey, it's all pretty much personal preference.

Check out their official website: http://www.autoheartmusic.com/

Sylvan Esso

Sylvan Esso is an American electropop duo based in Durham, North Carolina. Formed in 2013, the band consists of singer Amelia Meath (of Mountain Man) and producer Nick Sanborn (of Megafaun). The duo released their eponymous debut album on Partisan Records on May 12, 2014. They made their network television debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on July 9, performing the single Coffee. The two met while working on their separate projects and instantly bonded. Soon after their debut, their single Coffee brought them to the top indie charts. Later they released a debut EP, under their own name.

Sylvan Esso is such a class act. They do have electronic hooks that are placed strategically in their music, but they also do rely heavily on vocal melody to carry their songs, and that's something that's always been important to me. If the band has super cool tunes, but the lead singer can't carry a note, I don't see the point. Meath has a beautiful floaty voice that they use to their advantage. It definitely brings more interest to the already fascinating melodies of this group.

Check out their website: http://www.sylvanesso.com

{for week of Jan. 12th}

White Sea

White Sea is a solo project born in L.A., consisting of singer and songwriter Morgan Kibby, who is more commonly known for her vocals and piano of French electronic group, M83. She first appeared as a solo artist in 2003, her initial EP was expanded and readapted several times over until she ended up in the hands of M83 in 2009. After touring for several months, she returned home and started working on her own music. Her new sound adapted heavily after working with M83, sliding towards a more dance-oriented sound. After spending the majority of her time at home remixing under the title White Sea, she refocused herself and began a debut EP under the same moniker. She released it, titled Cold Blood, in May 2014.

I love this lady so much because she has such a different sound that I've never heard twice. The very specific thing that sets her apart from the rest is her piercing, astoundingly high notes she hits. In almost every song, there is one moment where the synth slowly dwindles to the background and she hits this extravagant, five-octave note. And it's not some imitation whistle-tone crap like Ariana Grande. This is the real deal. AND her songs are catchy and creative and not compiled for mass audience. This is basically why I love her.  I seriously recommend listening to some of her songs.

Read more about her: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_Kibby

{for first week of January}

Eliza Doolittle

Eliza Doolittle, real name Eliza Sophie Caird (born April 15, 1988), is a singer-songwriter from Westminster, England. She grew up with her father, John Caird, a famous playwright and stage director. Her mother is musical theatre actress Frances Ruffelle, who won a Tony Award for her role of Éponine in the English-language version of Les Misérables. She is also the granddaughter of Sylvia Young, the founder of the eponymous theatre school. Doolittle's debut single, "Piano Song," was released in 2008 and attracted attention from several major labels, which eventually resulted in a deal with Parlophone Records. After releasing her debut EP, her single, "Skinny Genes", became a major hit in Great Britain. The single reached number 22 in 2010 thanks to support from Radio 2 and its use in a commercial for the fashion website Very. The follow-up single, "Pack Up," reached number five, while her self-titled debut album, which she co-wrote with the likes of Craigie Dodds from Sugababes and the late Jonny Dollar from Massive Attack, entered the charts at number three. In 2013, Doolittle returned with her sophomore album, In Your Hands, featuring the single "Big When I Was Little."

I love Eliza, and although many compare her to the likes of Lily Allen and Kate Nash, I think she has an extra special unique quality that sets her apart from the other two. She has very unique skill sets, specialising in quality lyrics (and as much as love Lily, believe me, it's a lot), that I think that Kate Nash and Lily sometimes focus less on. Doolittle always a touch of Jazz or R&B that gives her that extra something. 

I recommend Eliza Doolittle highly. 

Check out her website: http://www.elizadoolittle.com