Musical Excellence Brought to You by Shinedown

The music industry is always waiting for the freshest tunes, the most unique voices and the unmistakable charisma as it always thrives for something or someone new. This is not to say that all existing artists are underappreciated, but music somewhat conforms to the how its listeners are: always hungry for more.

One of the best ways for fans and haters alike to know who’s who in the current music scene is through closely monitoring what the US Billboard Hot 100 has in its list. When a group or an act penetrates the charts, it is definitive that many people patronize it.

Currently, the Charts have been comprised of the usual names like Drake, The Weeknd, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and Maroon 5, but there’s this band that has caught everyone’s attention: Shinedown. Slowly climbing its way to the top, this American hard rock band is making an observable mark in an industry where modern tunes and cutesy lyrics sell well, and no one’s complaining about the difference in their approach.

Formed in Jacksonville, Florida, Shinedown was formed by musicians Brent Smith, Jasin Todd, Barry Kerch and Brad Stewart in 2001. A decade and a half later, Shinedown became a mish-mash of band members leaving three of its originals intact until today.

Shinedown is reminiscent of the 80’s rock bands with long-hair and tattooed skin, signifying their dire need to stand out and be known for the genre that they play. Currently signed up with Atlantic and Roadrunner, Shinedown’s focal point of musical inclination has been hard rock, alternative metal and post grunge, which we thought has died decades ago.

So far, Shinedown has released five studio albums which received a mix of praise and dislike from the general audience including Leave a Whisper (2003), Us and Them (2005), The Sound of Madness (2008), Amaryllis (2012) and their recent album which put them on the Billboard’s pedestal, Threat to Survival released this year. As of today, Shinedown was able to gain an estimated total of six million in album sales globally.

Threat to Survival’s carrier single Cut the Cord was officially made public in June 29 and is making rounds on radio stations and online streaming sites for fans to devour. Two more singles have been released digitally to support this fifth LP entitled Black Cadillac and State of My Head, both getting favorable responses from the listening public.

Shinedown has been around the music industry for a decade and a half and it has been said that the fame they are getting right now is too much for the talent they possess. Shinedown’s tracks have been used in some famous Hollywood movies such as The Expendables, The Final Destination, Alice in Wonderland and The Avengers.

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Listen to a Diva in the Making: Jazmine Sullivan

There are moments when we veer away from modern music and want to lend our ears to those who really matter in terms of vocal calisthenics and sheer musical talent. While it is a given fact that having a strong, solid vocal prowess is needed for a musician to push his or her career further, we can all nod in agreement that sometimes, all it takes is some blatant tweaking and digital magic.

Music fans from all over the world would certainly have one or two singers or performers who provide them with hair-raising and awesome productions. Some might drop the names of Mariah Carey, the late Whitney Houston, Celine Dion and others, but for the younger generation, Jazmine Sullivan is usually part of our discussions.

What sets Jazmine Sullivan apart from singers of her age is her innate ability to twist her vocal chords to whatever is demanded of her. Throughout the course of her career, Sullivan has been a notorious femme fatale in delivering a plethora of genres such as reggae, dub, R&B, neo soul, jazz, doo-wop and pop.

Touches of soul and ballad are also part her works, making her one of the most versatile performers in the current generation. The 29-year old Jazmine Sullivan has weaved quite a strong impression through her released tracks that granted her outright veneration for what she can do as a solid vocal persona.

Before she made it big as someone behind the mic, Jazmine Sullivan has been a known songwriter, penning songs for a wide array of artists like Christina Millan, Tamia, Monica, Jennifer Hudson and Fantasia Barrino. It is not a shock that this talented musician also co-wrote her first album entitled Fearless in September of 2008.

Sullivan’s first offering has been relentlessly supported by co-producers Missy Elliott, Peter Edge and Salaam Remi, making the debut soar high and capping the top spot in the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and sixth in the illustrious Billboard 200. A year later, Sullivan ventured into enriching her skills as a songwriter slash singer with the sophomore album entitled Love Me Back, distinguishing her as the Rising Star of 2010 in the Billboard Charts.

Focusing on the themes of love, relationships and self-image, Reality Show was Jazmine’s third album, which started out as strong as her past two productions. Easily, 30,000 copies have been bought in the first week of its release, thereby making her a Grammy-nominated artist under three categories which are Best Traditional R&B Performance, Best R&B Song and Best R&B Album.

Rumor has it that this feisty young star is on her way to produce her fourth studio album, which is self-titled, and is due to be released in the third or last quarter of 2016. Jazmine Sullivan can be heard stretching her vocal chords in tracks like Need U Bad, Bust Your Windows, Lions, Tigers and Bears, Dream Big, Stuttering, Holding You Down and 10 Seconds.

http://laurenceourac.com/listen-to-a-diva-in-the-making-jazmine-sullivan/

Knowing the Science behind the World’s Most Adored Tracks of All Time

Music is an ever-growing business that leans on sales and hordes of patrons all over the planet. We have listed the best-selling albums in an article before and now, we can delve into the singles that have not only topped the charts, but sold millions of copies as well.

Music experts have concluded that not all songs from a successful album will receive the same number of sales as there are lots of tracks that have been purchased individually, making them more valuable than the rest.

May it come from a solo act, a band or a collaboration, tracks can be sold singularly and reap the same amount of sales as an album. The list below are tracks that have been patronized and sold in the early 2000s wherein the advent of downloadable music from the internet boosted music sales, even from albums released three decades before.

All of the singles have been released for the world to purchase, and you’ll be surprised to know that it is not the artists of today who made it to this glorious list.

Legendary singer Bing Crosby topped the list with his seasoned song White Christmas, released in the year 1942 which sold a whopping 50 million copies. Crosby’s success as the artist owning the best-selling single of all time further established his credibility as a singer and all of his albums have seen a development in sales ever since. His single Silent Night placed third with 30 million copies.

Elton John placed second with his tracks Candle in the Wind and Something About the Way You Look Tonight with 33 million copies a piece.

Pop icons and equally legendary singers Whitney Houston, Elvis Presley and Celine Dion also fronted with their tracks I Will Always Love You, It’s Now or Never and My Heart Will Go On, with 15-20 million copies tucked under their belts. The collaboration We Are the World by USA for Africa (with various singers from the 1990s) also reached the 20-million mark, which was released in 1985.

Another Christmas single entitled All I Want For Christmas Is You made it with 14 million copies sold, performed by none other than Mariah Carey.

Some other notable artists who placed their songs in this well-respected list include Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive (14 mil), The Beatles’ I Want to Hold Your Hand (12 mil), the music prodigy Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman’s Time To Say Goodbye (12 mil), Village People’s anthem song YMCA (12 mil), Toni Braxton’s Unbreak My Heart (10 mil), Elvis Presley’s Hound Dog and Britney Spears’ Baby One More Time with 10 million copies apiece.

Contemporary artists and acts include Nelly and Kelly Rowland for Dilemma with 7.6 million copies, Spice Girls with Wannabe with 7 million, Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean at 6.43 million, Janet Jackson with Together Again and Madonna’s Vogue at 6 million copies sold worldwide.

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Keeping the Music Pumping with Bastille

Being in the realm of sounding absurd is not much of a surprise in the general music scene. All genres that are regarded as ‘indie’ or independent have become famous nowadays that they are treated as if they are part of the mainstream. One band that we have come to know, adore and idolize for the past five years is the now famous English rock band Bastille, who has come forward with what indie pop is all about.

Comprised of the talented quintet Dan Smith, Charlie Barnes, William Farwuarson, Chris Wood and Kyle Simmons, Bastille derived their name from the July 14 celebration accurately called Bastille Day, which also happens to be the birthday of the band’s head, Dan Smith.

Now signed under Virgin or Capitol, Bastille independently marked their way to stardom as one of the most anticipated bands of this generation due to their quirky performances and the songs that have cemented their fame as relevant, intellectual artists.

Hailing from the music-loving country of the United Kingdom, Bastille has released two EPs entitled Laura Palmer and Haunt; one full-length studio album Bad Blood released in 2013 and famous sets of mixtapes such as Other People’s Heartaches (2012), Other’s People’s Heartaches Part II (2012) and VS. (2014).

Leading the band in vocals is Dan Smith, who has also created this sensational group out of his dreams of making it big in the music industry. Currently, the band is well on its way to crafting a second studio album and this was noticed when they released new tracks just last year like Blame, Weapon and Campus.

The follow-up album was recorded last 2014, but the members of the band felt it necessary to at least come up with 20 singles to choose from as this is one of their awesome ways of pleasing their slowly-growing fan base with beauty and liberty of selection.

During the course of their career, Bastille has been given enough opportunities to shine in numerous instances and music festivals as grand as Coachella. They have also placed well on the Billboard Hot 100 with their first album and received fair reception with the songs included in Bad Blood. Some of the other fests graced by the talents of Bastille include the Leeds and Reading Festival, KROQ Weenie Roast and T in the Park.

Bastille made it big in 2014 and this year has been fruitful for their careers to be recognized in a global scale.

Some of the awards that the band tucked under their belts include the UK’s Brit Awards as the British Breakthrough Act, several nominations from the coveted Grammy’s for Best New Artist and Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical for their hit song Pompeii both earned in 2015, JIMTv Jimmie Awards as the winner for International Breakthrough, Teen Choice Awards for Choice Rock Song given to Pompeii, and a handful of nominations for World Music Awards for Best Group, Best Act, Best Album (Bad Blood), Best Song (Pompeii) and Best Video (Of The Night) all gained in 2014.

During their short stay in the music scene, Bastille left their own significant mark as musicians by successfully hitting the 5-million sales record just with one album and as many music experts have said, this is due to their gargantuan following in live music streaming sites such as Spotify and Apple Music.

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Juggling Music, Ambitions and Hosting Ala K. Michelle

One’s love for music will remain no matter how many blockers, missed opportunities and unrequited efforts have been encountered along the way. It is an evident characteristic of singers or musicians to have this innate sense of resilience, always looking for ways in order to attain what they really want. We have seen many artists who have been dragged down and yet mightily stood up again, continued their journey and even ended up better that everyone expected.

This strong mindset and the solid desire to entertain help these seemingly fallen stars to rise again and wow the crowd with nothing but their skills. Listen to the vocal prowess of K. Michelle and love her ambitions, aspirations and confidence as she battled out the hurdles before she reached the pinnacle of her success.

Born Kimberly Michelle Pate, this R&B slash soul diva has been active in the industry since she started out in 2009. Working her way up to the spotlight, K. Michelle had nothing but a fierce desire and impressive vocal calisthenics to prove that she is someone everyone should listen to. Jive Records initially handled K. Michelle’s blossoming career in the past, giving her the opportunity to release her first major track entitled Fakin’ It.

What made that single boom was the fact that famous musician Missy Elliott joined in, making it soar to the US R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. After the reverberation meted by Fakin’ It, K. Michelle ventured into releasing three more tracks entitled Fallin’, I Just Can’t Do This and How Many Times, all of which received favorable reviews and placed respectfully in US hit charts.

It was in 2012 when K. Michelle temporarily ceased her singing career as her supposed first studio album was flushed down the drain upon leaving Jive Records. The multi-talented artist then focused on hosting and has been part of VH1’s reality shows Love and Hip-Hop: Atlanta and Love and hip-Hop: New York. After a series of exposures as a host, K. Michelle deemed it perfect to return to her singing career and signed with the illustrious Atlantic Records in 2013.

As expected, her first major studio album, Rebellious Soul was released successfully in August 2013 and managed to accommodate a whopping total of 72,000 in sold copies just on its first week or release. This venture also placed well in the US Billboard 200 debuting in the second spot and topped the list of the US R&B/Hip-Hop Album Charts.

K. Michelle’s singing career has definitely taken flight as she prolifically performed in different music occasions and later crafted two masterpiece albums. In 2014, this diva in the making put her sophomore album on the stands entitled ‘Anybody Wanna Buy A Heart?’ which established her more as a relevant artist of her chosen genre.

Two years later, in 2016, More Issues than Vogue was released, garnering her even more attention than the days when she hosted a reality TV show. She also headlined two tours in 2013 and 2015 and just recently campaigned for her latest album. K. Michelle also had some stints in R. Kelly’s Ladies Make Some Noise Tour and Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines Tour in 2014.

http://laurenceourac.com/juggling-music-ambitions-and-hosting-ala-k-michelle/

Hear them again: The Best Movie Soundtracks of All Time

Almost everyone in the world has a strong affinity to watching movies. We have all been consumed inside the seats of a cinema, reveling in the greatness of the actors we see on the silver screen, savoring the well-written story and relating to whichever movie character we can. Aside from absorbing all of the cheesy lines, the impressive technology used and the different perspectives thrown in between the scenes, we are also suckers for a movie’s official theme song.

While many regard theme songs as nothing but avenues to earn more money (from the end standpoints of movie and song producers that is), we must not discount the fact that it would not have an official award given at the Oscar’s or the Grammy’s for nothing. Despite the fact that you might have forgotten all the meaty dialogues thrown in, the song is still unforgettable, waiting for you to sing it when triggered.

Below are some of the most successful and most memorable movie soundtracks that have been part of almost everyone’s memory. They have gained a wide audience through album sales, track streams and number of minutes played on-air, making them the cream of the crop out of the extensive cistern of theme songs ever known to humanity.

It might come-off as a surprise but the best movie theme song to have stayed the longest in the illustrious Billboard Hot 100 Charts would be Debby Boone’s ‘You Light Up My Life’. Used in the movie with the same title, it was originally sang by Kasey Cisyk and remade by Pat Boone’s daughter.

The soulful and heartfelt way of singing this ballad made it stay as the number 1 track for 10 consecutive weeks, grabbed an Oscar statuette and tied with Barbra Straisand’s Evergreen for the Grammy’s Best Original Soundtrack.

Quite expectedly, also grabbing the top spot is the timeless duet of Diana Ross and Lionel Richie for the song Endless Love. Brooke Shields starred in the movie of the same title as the official theme song, and this duet stayed for a long 27 weeks on the charts, tagging it as the best duet hit of all time.

If you think that Bryan Adam’s monstrous song (Everything I Do) I Do It for You is nothing but a love song, think twice as it’s been used as the soundtrack of the movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. While it can be said that Adam’s career in that era was quite established already, the use of this track in the movie gave it a huge boost in sales and patronization.

Straying away from the funky disco tune that they are known for, the Bee Gees shushed the whole music community when they released the ballad How Deep Is Your Love for the film Saturday Night Fever in 1977. Also for the same movie, the Bee Gees produced Night Fever to remind their growing fan base in that moment of how flexible they can be as performers.

Dubbed as one of Whitney Houston’s biggest tracks of all time, I Will Always Love You has been iconic and reminiscent of how great Houston’s career was.

Used in the movie The Bodyguard, one trivia that surrounds this song is that it was written by another respected artist Dolly Parton in 1973, but only ballooned when Houston sang it in 1992.

Before the success of The Bodyguard’s official soundtrack, Boyz II Men led the charts for thirteen weeks with the song End of The Road, co-written by Babyface and used for the Eddie Murphy movie, The Boomerang.

http://laurenceourac.com/hear-them-again-the-best-movie-soundtracks-of-all-time/

Grip Your Headsets for Walk the Moon’s Crooning

The power of all-male bands nowadays is recognized no matter what the genre the group might delve into. We have all been blessed to have seen One Direction and 5SOS treat us with their pop-saturated tracks and albums and we must admit that their influence on our taste in music has played an integral part in our lives.

But behind all of these, the intelligent music populace has come to attest that it is not only charisma that makes a boy band work, it is through their sheer capacity to skillfully channel their artistry without being regarded as ‘too bland’. One of the most powerful boy groups just biding their time is the band Walk the Moon, and with how they are faring in their venture, success is within their grasp sooner than they thought.

The quartet comprised of Nicholas Petricca, Sean Waugaman, Eli Maiman and Kevin Ray has been dominating some well-known music charts focusing on genres such as indie pop, power pop, dance rock, synthpop and even the seemingly-defunct new wave.

The group started out with lead vocalist Petricca in 2007 and after a few alterations to their line-up, the group was finalized with the aforementioned members. The band’s name came from the famous new era group The Police and their song ‘Walking on the Moon,’ although no strong influential ties have been established to this particular track.

Until they signed a contract with musical conglomerate RCA Records in 2012, the group found solace in doing front acts and music stints via collaborations. In June of 2012, Walk the Moon ventured out into making it big by releasing their first self-titled studio album.

While the first album received a lukewarm welcome from the music industry, the group never felt down and ensured that their follow-up LP will be explosive. A year later, the album Talking Is Hard was made public and it can be remembered that Walk the Moon became famous via the track Shut Up and Dance, which placed well on numerous music charts.

Shut Up and Dance is the band’s biggest song to date as it easily careened through the Billboard Hot 100 as the 4th placer on the list a few days after its release. The track has also received light and positive reviews as it safely positioned itself in Billboard’s Rock Songs Chart and Billboard’s Alternative List.

While Walk the Moon can be tagged as a budding male group, they have been slowly getting all the attention they need to arrive at a more successful finish. With three studio albums under their belts, the band has also been noticed by the Teen Choice Awards (Choice Music: Party Song) and the MTV Music Awards (Best Rock Video), both for the song Shut Up and Dance.

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The Future is Shining Bright for the Wondrous Kelsea Ballerini

We can all agree out of all country artists who have shaken our wits with their sheer talent and blatant passion to perform, Taylor Swift have is the successor of this genre in the current epoch. While many will have their eyebrows raised and contend that Swift is part of mainstream pop, she can be remembered as that girl holding a guitar, singing her heart out during the beginning of her career.

Many would agree that Swift might be the last big star to be spawned by the simple, relatable genre of country. Or is she? Recently, there’s been talk regarding a budding supernova just waiting to be known and if you’ve never heard of Kelsea Ballerini before, then it’s about time to know her through this article.

Fusing the huge fields of country music and pop, Kelsea Ballerini is well on her way to piercing through mainstream with her frequent exposures and impressive musical capabilities. Raised and inspired creatively in Mascot and Knoxville in Tennessee, the 22-year-old Ballerini possesses all the right makings of a singer bound to be adored by a wide plethora of fans, if given the right timing and handling.

Aside from her unmistakable vocal prowess, Kelsea Ballerini is also adept in playing the guitar and has also been seen with a potential for composing, much like the famous and Grammy-winning Taylor Swift.

As early as twelve years of age, Kelsea Ballerini has been active in singing through community get-togethers and participates actively as a choir member. She then continued to flourish as a songwriter during her adolescent years and later on pursued a shot in being a well-known singer after two years of staying at the illustrious Lipscomb University.

Nineteen years old and full of vigor, she signed with Black River Entertainment, a respected firm which handles budding country singers who would soon enter the larger scale of things. It was in late 2014 when Ballerini tested the waters and released her debut track entitled ‘Love Me Like You Mean It’, which was favorably welcomed by Country Airplay. This specific single also paved the way for her to perform it at the coveted Grand Ole Opry in February the following year.

In May 2015, Kelsea Ballerini took her ambition to greater heights by releasing her first major album, The First Time, under the same management. Easily, it has been patronized by hordes of avid country music lovers, making it soar in different charts such as US Country placed at the 4th spot, US Albums at 31st, US Indie Charts at 4th place and even Australian Album Charts at 33rd. Currently, The First Time gained a whopping total of 121,800 in gross album sales.

Her self-titled extended play, which was released in November 2014, also sparked the interest of many to her talent as it hoarded a total of 7,400 in purchases and streaming.

Despite the fact that she’s just at the starting point of her career, Ballerini has been cited by different award-giving firms like the CMT Music Awards, the Country Music Association Awards and the American Music Awards. Kelsea Ballerini has also been hailed as Billboard’s Women in Music’s Rising Star in 2015 and won the ACM Award for New Female Vocalist of the Year in 2016.

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Flourishing in the Field of Country with Easton Corbin

If they are destined to be famous, some artist will be, no matter how meager they thought of their lives and themselves. Like a swan story, now famous country icon Easton Corbin is a living testament that if one is truly equipped with vocal talent, he will soon find a way to the enter the complex field of mainstream music.

Living the conventional country life, Corbin married his wife Briann and was a former hardware store employee, until a person who saw his unmistakable potential contacted Mercury Records in Nashville to boast how huge Easton Corbin could be if given the chance.

Content with playing as an opening act in miniscule writer’s nights, Easton never pondered on making it big until that fateful incident, and the rest is history leading to what he’s been getting now as an iconic country singer.

Despite the late start, Easton Corbin really does have talent as he stormed through a lot of competitions since his musical career started in 2009. Country music is a very volatile genre, and he knew that if more and more people put their foot forward into strengthening it, this league would definitely play a more relevant part in the history of mainstream music.

Hailing from the humble town of Trenton, Florida, Easton Corbin is now signed under the respected label which is Mercury Nashville, which is somewhat a stepping stone for country singers to achieve stardom.

Armed with his alluring looks, hair-raising vocal capabilities and unmistakable skill with the guitar, Corbin is the singer that the country genre has been waiting for. With three studio albums now tacked under his career belt, Easton Corbin is taking the whole world by storm through his ceaseless and tasteful approach in keeping country music fresher than ever before.

Currently, Corbin managed to establish his success via the LPs entitled Easton Corbin (over 380,000 copies sold), All Over the Road (over 180,000 copies sold) and About to Get Real (around 41,000 copies sold).

For each of the albums made available in music stands, two singles are always afloat, paving the way for more sales and a larger following. His self-titled debut album throttled through the first two tracks entitled A Little More Country Than That and Roll With It, both of which careened straight to the number 1 spot after their release via the Billboard US Country charts. Both also earned Gold status, making this first album a great way to kick off Corbin’s career.

All Over The Road can be remembered via the 2012 track Lovin’ You is Fun and 2013’s track of the same name as the album which also gained Gold status and ranked 7th and 9th respectively in the same listing body.

Released in June of 2015, About to Get Real is slowly finding its voice through the songs Clockwork and Baby Be My Love Song, both expected to heat up the charts and is expected to gain thousands of sales and streaming.

The American Country Awards never failed to give Corbin the recognition he deserves as he was awarded Breakthrough Artist of the Year in 2010, Single by Breakthrough Artist for A Little More Country Than That and even Music Video by Breakthrough Artist for the same song.

http://laurenceourac.com/flourishing-in-the-field-of-country-with-easton-corbin/

Toast a party affair with Swedish House Mafia

There is no doubt that their music is stimulating; not only because electronic is their chosen genre, but also because the trio super group has a distinct style that hypnotizes their listeners to get on their feet due to their upbeat music that makes it feel like Coachella can happen every single day.

Swedish House Mafia is a trio that already has substantial exposure in the music industry individually. Comprised by Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso, the three-man team that was formed in 2008 gained popularity from their very first single entitled ‘One.’

The popularity increased further when Pharrell Williams himself collaborated with the band in making a vocal version of the said song. The group has conquered the interest of the public and was even dubbed as ‘the faces of mainstream progressive house music.’

Already established in their own careers before forming a band, the members are not limited to projects within the group as they also venture on several productions individually every once in a while.

The most successful song that Swedish House Mafia has released would be the single Don’t You Worry Child. The track made them even more famous not only within Europe, but also in other countries. For a while, all clubs and hang out bars had this song playing on repeat that earned the band more exposure.

What’s ironic was the fact that the band announced going separate ways during that same September when the song was released. This may have been the last for the trio, but they did it quite well. Those who have known them because of their very last track as a band may not have gotten enough. Their appearance in the Ultra Music Festival in March of 2013 was the last time that the crowd saw them perform together.

http://laurenceourac.com/toast-a-party-affair-with-swedish-house-mafia/

This year’s important reggae events listed

Reggaeton is a chill genre that grants a sensible amount of fun. With respect to other sounds out there, reggae is a standalone genre that was able to gain its followers due to its own flavor. This type of music that flourished in Jamaica has become a widespread episode in the world of sound that was able to transcend even after new genres have arrived.

Reggae is a strict class of music that is characterized by distinct flavor and social relevance that captivates listeners not only through rhythm but most importantly through the lyrics that comprise each song.

Reggae will not be complete without mentioning the name of Bob Marley. The great singer may have passed on, but his craft has made such a big impact that his songs are considered classic along with other icons like Frank Sinatra, Elton John, Nirvana and the King of Pop Michael Jackson.

Reggae may not be as famous in mainstream media, but hardcore fans understand that every year, important festivals are held to celebrate the greatness of reggae. Those who are love-stricken by reggae would understand that it is more than just music played on gadgets. It’s more of a way of life and food for the soul.

If you are an avid fan, then missing out big reggae events would mean a huge fumble. Read on below and be informed:

Reggae Sumfest

Set to be held in July 17 – 23 at Montego Bay, this might be reggae’s biggest event. Tickets are now on sale.

Should you be a hardcore fan, this celebration of reggae is something that you do not want to miss as many great artists from all over the world will take time to get together and pay tribute to the genre that became a hit not only in the country where it started, but around the world as well.

No line up has been released yet, but with its track record of having popular artists like Jennifer Hudson and Alicia Keys, expect another good set of artist to come play this 2016.

One Love One Heart Reggae Festival

To be held in Sacramento, this is Jamaica’s extension in California when it comes to praising reggae. Dance and have all-out fun together with other music lovers as you mingle with some of the world’s greatest and promising singers. Set to occur in September this year, the line-up is still in the works.

Miami Reggae Festival
Scheduled for November 2016 in Doral, Florida, enjoy daylong nonstop music from your favorite artists. Find leisure while helping others as this festival has philanthropic purpose of raising funds for those in need.

http://laurenceourac.com/this-years-important-reggae-events-listed/

The Two-Faced Cole Swindell and His Impact in Country Music

If someone is very good at singing, it is rare for him or her to excel in songwriting as well. The industry has come to see ambivalent singers slash songwriters make it huge with respect to their staying power and career highlights. Usually dubbed as one-hit wonders, these musicians will float after a smash hit and slowly be flushed into oblivion, forcing them to go back into writing, which makes them even more successful.

But after a lot of drama, pushes and pulls, one country singer has debunked this wrong notion and is reverberating through the halls of mainstream. Though he focused on a lesser patronized genre which is country, many music analysts have come to adore the skills of Cole Swindell to entertain, and with how things are rolling for him, he’s quite fit to be a mainstream superstar one day.

Originally, Cole Swindell focused his talents in music by prolifically writing songs for famous artists such as Thomas Rhett, Luke Bryan, Scotty McCreery and Craig Campbell. The now 32-year old singer and songwriter proved to the world that his talent in crafting lyrics is indispensable to country music.

Born Colden Rainey Swindell, this Glennvile, Georgia progeny revealed all of his aces when he also ventured into singing, which was something so risky and bold from his original work of songwriting. Some of the huge hits that Swindell have written or co-written include Just a Sip, Outta My Head, I’m Hungover, Roller Coaster, Love in College Town, Nothin’ but the Cooler Left and Water Town Water.

It was in the year 2013 that Cole Swindell took the leap and released his first track entitled Chillin’ It. Luckily for this previous neophyte, a radio channel in Sirium XM paid attention and aired it on the radio waves, making it reach a wider audience. This specific song is Swindell’s offering to showcase his unmistakable talent in singing and his flexibility in playing different instruments; something that Warner Music Nashville adored.

This eponymous music firm signed Cole Swindell as a full-pledged talent, introducing him to even more exposures and bigger platforms to entertain. Easily, Chillin’ It climbed the charts and ended up as the number 1 song to beat in the Hot Country Songs list and finished at the 5th spot on the Country Airplay charts.

A year later, Cole Swindell ventured a notch higher and was able to release his self-titled debut album in February. As usual, this very talented budding country supernova has written some of the tracks included in this album such as the second single to be released entitled Hope You Get Lonely Tonight.

Some of the other songs that are recommended if you’re quite addicted to country music include Ain’t Worth the Whiskey and Let Me See Ya Girl, both of which received tons of positive reviews and applauded feedback. Following the release of the album, Cole Swindell put forth his five-track extended play entitled The Down Home Sessions.

In May 2016, Cole Swindell will further cement his name to be recognized as a relevant country singer with the album You Should Be Here, which is initiated by a track of the same title, making rounds on country radio stations.

http://laurenceourac.com/the-two-faced-cole-swindell-and-his-impact-in-country-music/

The Triumvirate that Will Make You Love Indie Pop More – Miike Snow

Collaboration in music has always been regarded as a successful venture. We have all seen a couple of artists fusing their unmistakable talents through crafting songs and forming bands. It is with their geniuses that they come-up with something twisted and exciting, offering avid fans of mainstream music something refreshing and unconventional.

Staying true to the ‘two heads are better than one’ philosophy, the bands of today have proven that while they value individuality, they find it more appealing to perform when they are with their team. If we are to read the signs, the idea of people merging to create a supernova group is quite common, especially now that groups equate to ensured success. With this in mind, the band called Miike Snow is continuously proving that they work better when they’re together.

Trying their luck in fame last 2007, Miike Snow has been quite unstoppable in etching their name in the halls of mainstream music. Focusing on a wide array of genres such as indie pop, psychedelic pop, alternative dance, noise pop, indie rock, house, indietronica and synthpop, this group is certainly a must-watch when they play. The group hails from Stockholm, Sweden and has reached a wide audience worldwide.

The band was created when childhood friends Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg decided to give their talents a try. Aside from the hopes of being discovered as talents themselves, Karlsson and Winnberg also helped out budding artists as producers. After quite some time, both of them got tired of being passed around as two separate artists and decided to go with the screen name Bloodshy & Avant and tagged themselves as a duo.

With putting forth their musical skills, their songwriting prowess has also been exposed when many firms approached them to co-write a song for an already famous mainstream artist. Bloodshy & Avant worked with famous names such as Sky Ferreira, Kylie Minogue and even the Queen of Pop herself Madonna, paving the way to build more connections and becoming well known as respected songwriters.

Luckily for the duo, they even capped a Grammy for Best Dance Recording, which was a venture with Britney Spears’ Toxic. The birth of the band Miike Snow took place when Andrew Wyatt joined the club, an American songwriter also on his way to establish a strong foothold in the mainstream music industry.

One of the most notable skills of Miike Snow is the way that they produce music: unconventional and impressively futuristic. The Blob, an instrument that they frequently use, is a tool that’s associated with how they make their music, and even if they need to travel in long tours for gigs, they just can’t use any other instrument aside from it.

Throughout their seemingly short career, Miike Snow was able to finish three major studio albums entitled Miike Snow (released in 2009), Happy To You (released in 2012) and iii (released in 2016). Miike Snow took leaps of faith with the trail of musical firms they signed up with such as DownTown, MapleMusic, Columbia and RCRD LBL.

http://laurenceourac.com/the-triumvirate-that-will-make-you-love-indie-pop-more-miike-snow/

Continuing the EDM Legacy with Budding and Creative Flume

The world of electronic dance music has left its mark in the music industry since 2005 onwards. If you’re one of the people who have enjoyed it to its full extent and raved to its hypnotic sound, then you must be wondering if EDM is still something to patronize despite being less resounding than it was during its starting years.

Questioning the existence of EDM in current music should be abolished as there are still a lot of artists swimming in the fame that this genre has established. If you want to rekindle your love for EDM and wish to redeem your faith in it, then its best for you to stream a budding artist named Flume.

Harley Edward Streten is quite a long name to put on autographs and album covers, so he started using the moniker ‘Flume’ once he entered the business. Born in November 1991, this young yet very capable artist is now spearheading the EDM genre with refreshing takes on remixes and craftsmanship in relaying exciting tunes.

Establishing solid influence in Sydney, Australia, Flume’s focus has been directed into enriching EDM through striking variations such as electronica, downtempo, experimental and trip hop. So far, many music experts have commented that Flume’s bold choice to play within a genre that has been dominated by many makes him one of a kind.

Flume’s ambition into seeking stardom started at an early of 13, when he crafted several remixes recorded in a basic production disc. He used another stage name which is HEDS and his impressive passion to recreate existing tracks enabled him to release two tracks entitled Flow and Fizz.

In 2011, an Australian musical firm was amazed by Flume’s gall in creativity and signed him up as an official artist. Future Classic has never made it easy for Flume to cut his way in as he needed to win a competition first, enabling him to craft songs such as Sleepless, Paper Thin and Over You as contest entries.

The rest is history as they say, and Future Classic aided Flume to release his self-titled debut album in November 2012. Like a flower blossoming, Flume was given huge opportunities to work with some of the industry’s biggest names such as Chet Faker, Moon Holiday, Jezzabell Doran, rapper T-Shirt and George Maple.

The reviews for Flume’s initial release have been mostly favorable, throwing in citations from ARIA and positive notes from Metacritic. In the next couple of months, Flume announced that a sophomore album is well on its way, entitled Skin, and is expected to be released in May or June this year under the same management.

For starters, you can listen to Flume’s tracks such as Drop the Game, Some Minds, Never Be Like You, Smoke and Retribution and Be Like You to be amazed by his creativity.

http://laurenceourac.com/continuing-the-edm-legacy-with-budding-and-creative-flume/