Attest to the Potential of James Blake

At first, he offered beats and tunes to the world that were reminiscent of the biggest EDM artists who conquered early 2010. The genius in him produced melodies and string of sounds that are just irresistible for dancing and after series of exposures, he displayed that there’s more to him than just beats. After quite few appearances on various stages, he then shocked his growing fans that his vocal chords can work wonders too.

The versatility of his mind to create electronic music and impeccably sing at the same time is reason enough for the world to know him more. If you’re on the look-out for an awesome artist to dominate your playlists, then try James Blake and never regret it.

Born James Blake Litherland, the 27-year old musician is slowly taking the world by storm through his sheer talent in crafting and performing songs. James Blake is focused on genres such as electronic, post dubstep, R&B, soul and experimental, which shows everyone how flexible his skills can really be.

Aside from his innate vocal prowess, James Blake is also notoriously known for playing the piano and the EDM instrument called the synthesizer. He has been around since 2009 and if you’re just starting to know him through this article, he’s definitely worth a shot to be heard.

Starting off with extended plays, James Blake is a cut above the rest due to the fact that he trekked the complex post dubstep genre, a concept that gave him the edge and exposure. He first gained popularity from his home country the United Kingdom and through the connection brought about by technology, his name zoomed into stardom as soon as it hit the mainstream.

James Blake’s career has been handled by different music firms such as 1-800 Dinosaur, ATLAS, Polydor, Universal Republic and Hessle Audio. James Blake, despite his short tenure, received a Mercury Prize for his second album and was nominated as the Best New Artist for both the Grammy’s and the Brit Awards.

Throughout the course of his journey, James Blake was able to produce three studio albums and a total of six extended plays which all turned out positively for this multi-talented artist. In 2010 and 2011, he captured the industry’s interest through EPs entitled The Bells Sketch, CMYK, Klavierwerke, Enough Thunder, Love What Happened Here and 200 Press.

His first self-titled studio album earned Silver and Gold status from BPI and IFPI DEN respectively and gave him his first break on charts such as US Dance, Denmark, UK, Australia and Belgium. His sophomore album entitled Overgrown was equally received by certain countries with open arms, which further cemented his career as a full-fledged recording artist.

Just recently, ‘The Colour in Anything’ under Republic Records is making a mark on several charts and is said to make his journey all the more famous in the next few months.

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Be Amazed with the Musical Style Brought About by DNCE

If you were saddened by the disbandment of the Jonas Brothers and you’re missing Joe Jonas quite terribly, then fret no more as a rising group called DNCE will chase your blues away. It’s a normal phenomenon that even the most successful acts would soon get into the separation phase, like the Spice Girls or Destiny’s Child, but the careers of the members thereafter are best to watch out for.

Like what happened to the Jonas Brothers, the disbandment led its members to tread their own paths. If you’re one of the millions who adored Joe better than the rest of the former group’s huge fan base, you need to fasten your seatbelts for the unstoppable rise of DNCE.

Formed and dominating the general music scene since last 2015, the American group DNCE is all about performance and the strong display of individual skills from its members. Many music fans have commented that the mixture of members and their accompanying individuality make DNCE a group to root for in the next few years.

Focusing on pop rock and funk, DNCE screams dance beats and fanciful tunes, giving the whole music community a breath of fresh air in contemporary music. DNCE is currently handled by the eponymous outfit Republic Records, and everyone is excited about the group’s bright future.

DNCE is comprised of Joe Jonas, Jack Lawless, Jin Joo Lee and Cole Whittle, all equipped with awesome passion to please their growing fan base. Most of them have come from bands of their own, and the experiences they have reaped from their former careers gave DNCE a boost to become even more successful.

DNCE tested the waters of fame when they ventured into releasing the track Cake by the Ocean, which generally started out a bit off the radar upon its release. However, when people came to know that the members of the band sounded very familiar, the song proceeded to gain steam and received positive feedback from a plethora of pop lovers.

Cake by the Ocean successfully landed on the US Billboard Hot 100 at the ninth spot and even entered the Canadian Hot 100 at number seven.

Right after their firs track rolled out, DNCE put forth the effort to craft their first official extended play entitled SWAY, comprised of four cuts. The inevitable influence of Jonas’ slick pop orientation has been evident on SWAY, and reviews are generally positive. They then followed it up with a fourteen-date tour, the Greatest Tour Ever, which was a treat to those who witnessed the event.

DNCE gave it their best shot by performing with unreleased tracks and numerous covers of current and old pop songs. The band has also been applauded with their renditions of songs such as Maybe Baby, Rock and Rock is Here to Stay and Born to Hand Jive. While they are becoming increasingly famous, DNCE took the opportunity to dig deeper by joining pop superstar Selena Gomez in her Revival Tour this year by being the concert’s opening act.

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Shedding Some Light into Music via the Lumineers

In a world where mainstream music always puts artists on the pedestal, a thriving band with no connections to anything ‘famous’ will certainly have a difficult time becoming known or patronized. With how things are going nowadays, genres such as pop, rock, R&B and ballad are those raking in support, sales and veneration from crazed music fans.

But as they always say, music is for everyone who has the heart for it, and yes, we can still see a plethora of acts and groups slowly inching their way to fame, one day at a time, despite the fact that it all seems too difficult. Equipped with nothing but unshakeable passion, innate musical talent and resilience, these so-called indie acts are something that we should also look into, starting with The Lumineers.

Hailing from the music-rich corners of Denver, Colorado and Ramsey, New Jersey, the talented members of The Lumineers ensure that their names will be carved deeply onto the canvass of music history. Focusing on music genres which are considered ‘non-mainstream’, the group still plays what it wants including indie folk, folk rock and Americana.

Founded by members Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites, the band is now considered a solid mainstay in several music charts, including the illustrious Billboard which is notorious for sending budding artists into the blinding lights of fame.

During the time when Schultz and Fraites circled New Jersey for a series of acts, another equipped musician joined the group: cellist Neyla Pekarek. In 2012, two additional members joined in as well: bassist Ben Wahamaki and pianist Stelth Ulvang, completing the quintet now called The Lumineers.

Right after they found their ‘tune’, the band immediately worked on their first self-titled album in April 2012, which is bound to leave an impression on millions of listeners worldwide. Carried by Dualtone Records, this album release has soared well in its first week of release, placing at the second spot in the Billboard 200 albums chart.

The Lumineers’ first attempt through their debut album granted them Platinum status in the United States and Ireland, merits of Gold certifications in countries such as Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. Due to this album, an extended play entitled ‘Winter’ was released shortly thereafter, solidifying their presence as a group to watch out for.

The Lumineers then received nominations from the coveted Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Americana Album in 2012. Last April 8, the band set forth once more to make some noise within the halls of mainstream when they released their sophomore album entitled Cleopatra. Quite accordingly, this album is set to remove the lid created by pop illusions and expose what’s happening in real life.

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See Eric Church Dominate Through His Impressive Musical Style

The world of country music can be considered as magnanimous to what we currently regard as mainstream music. Though it is not as popular as pop, rock and R&B, it never cease to flourish in selected parts of the United States, bringing with it an intense love for performing and the rich legacies strewn together by past and present country music artists.

While we don’t know much about who’s who in the current country genre scene, there’s never a smudge of a doubt that all existing musicians who are trekking this field are both talented and passionate in what they do. Aside from huge names such as Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Taylor Swift, one person that floats within this genre is a man named Eric Church, and he’s about to blow everyone away with his mere talent and undying desire for music.

Born as Kenneth Eric Church, the 39-year old country musician has been a resounding persona within his genre due to his seemingly old approach to singing and performing. Eric Church is known to play specific genres like outlaw country, rock heavy metal, Southern rock and bluegrass. Aside from his undeniable vocal ability, Church is also known to be a prolific instrument player, hence his noticeable affinity with the piano, guitar and banjo.

He can also craft the best country music tracks due to his strong inclination to songwriting. During his younger years, Eric Church first tested his ability to play for a crowd when he covered multiple Jimmy Buffett songs in some dive bars and local watering holes. He then found himself playing for the Mountain Boys, a group comprised of his college roommate, himself and his brother, hoping to take North Carolina by storm.

The sought-after Eric Church has been managed by two of country music’s biggest firms, namely Capitol Nashville and EMI Nashville.

In 2005, Church wanted to take songwriting seriously instead of being in the front lines and co-wrote tracks such as The World Needs a Drink and Whiskey Wings for artists Terri Clark and Dean Miller. However, music producers saw something better lying behind the veneer of Church’s pen and signed him up for a recording contract instead.

Capitol took the time in honing Church to be an impressive singer and they realized that he was ready when he played the song ‘Lightning’ to Arthur Buenahora, the same producer who sent Taylor Swift and Miranda Lambert’s careers soaring with Sony Music.

Eric Church marvelously performed at the Grand Ole Opry for the first time in April 2006, just in time as he released his first major album entitled Sinners Like Me. Five more albums were produced after, making Eric Church’s career blossom more than it was expected to.

Church also played his cards well and continuously made his star shine by joining hordes of tours from the time that his career started until 2014-2015 when he joined The Outsider World Tour together with Dwight Yoakam, Halestorm, Drive by Truckers, Brothers Osborne and Chris Stapleton. As for his music style, Church cited the names of Merle Haggard, The Band, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Pantera and Metallica as his biggest influences.

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Satisfy Your British Craving with the Multi-talented Tom Odell

There’s something about British singers that is irresistible, impressive and admirable to music fans all over the globe, putting them on a pedestal that’s difficult to match in hindsight. After the successes of performers like the Spice Girls, One Direction and Adele, everyone has been waiting for another supernova to come from the music-rich country of the United Kingdom over the last couple of years.

Maybe it’s the refreshing English accent or the blatant charm, but singers hailing from the UK are deemed superior in terms of performing and vocal prowess. We can all nod in agreement that there’s something addictive whenever an English performer is on stage, and much as we try to avoid listening, we still do. If the anticipation is just too much to handle, then look for Tom Odell and vanquish your longing for another Brit singer to serenade you.

Born Thomas Peter Odell, this 25-year old musician is fresh from the presses of his hometown in Chichester, West Sussex in England. Known as a multi-talented artist, we can all drool as Odell pinches us with his soothing voice and skills in playing the piano, keyboard or organ.

Like any other kid entering adolescence, Tom Odell found love in writing a multitude of songs but laid-off the dream of entering the music industry because he thought it was ‘uncool’. However, habits turned into passion and he pursued a music degree in Liverpool with high hopes that one day, he’d be able to share his talents in singing and composing with the rest of the world.

Originally, Tom Odell was a part of Tom and the Tides while he further expanded his desire to learn music at the Brighton Institute of Music. With the band, Odell structured his plans and created songs for school requirements until he decided to go solo in 2010 and moved straight to London. Luckily for Tom Odell, manager Lily Allen of the musical firm In The Name Of took notice of his David Bowie-like stage presence and signed him up as a recording artist in 2012.

The horizon became even broader for Tom Odell as he released his first extended play entitled Songs From Another Love. This undertaking led to opportunities for his music to be used in various commercial ventures such as BBC’s scheduled advertisements and a handful of Burberry fashion shows.

In February 2013, Tom Odell was awarded as the BRIT’s Critics’ Choice Award winner, which was also won by Adele and Florence and the Machine, thereby solidifying his career even more.

In June of 2013, Tom Odell released his first studio album entitled Long Way Down now under Columbia Records, which hit the top spot in the UK Charts among others. Quite expectedly, Long Way Down was widely heard in different countries such as Switzerland, New Zealand, Germany, Denmark and Belgium, granting it Platinum recognition by the British Phonographic Industry.

Set to be released in June 2016, Odell is working on his sophomore album entitled Wrong Crowd, which will now be handled by RCA.

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Releasing the Gift of Entertainment through Otep

Of all the music genres available, metal is definitely one of the most popular. While the mainstream industry is more of light rock, R&B and pop, there exists a genre that embodies noise, purposive use of loud instruments and percussions, and metaphors thrown in between lyrics. Metal is the kind of music you play when you’ve had a very bad day at the office or when you want to release any bottled-up anger.

Luckily, metal has branched out into different styles, making it more personal and identifiable instead of just one huge field. The variations make it easier for listeners to personalize the genre. With different shades, people can adore this genre even more, and one band that comes to mind if you want that ‘metal’ flexibility is known as Otep.

Showing diversity in skills and orientation, Otep can simultaneously play different types of metal such as NU metal, alternative metal, gothic metal, rap metal and extreme metal. They flourished by playing one metal music style to the next and easily attracted audiences throughout the course of their career.

Hailing from the flamboyant city of Los Angeles, California, Otep is considered as one of the most revered metal groups in all of history through their prolific exposures as entertainers. Starting their seemingly distant ambition to be superstars in their chosen genre, Otep first have played on stage by participating in an invite sent to them by Ozzfest. Since then, the band has graced the stage of this event, earning more and more minions along the way.

Otep is actually an anagram for the word ‘poet’ and was inspired by the name of lead vocalist, Otep Shamaya. Currently, the other band members include Ari Mihalopoulos in guitars, Justin Kier handling drums and Andrew Barnes for the touring bass. The quartet launched their official career by releasing their first studio album in June 2002 entitled Sevas Tra, which can also be considered an anagram for “Art Saves.”

After a few weeks, the album’s strength increased, making this Capitol-produced venture soar to the US Billboard charts at 145th place and 86th in the United Kingdom. They immediately followed with a stronger comeback for their sophomore album, House of Secrets, establishing the band as a relevant part of the metal genre, with bold approaches in instruments and impressive color channeled through the band’s vocals.

Four more albums have been released by Otep which are The Ascension (2007), Smash the Control Machine (2009), Atavist (2011) and Hydra (2013). Just last April, Otep managed to craft their seventh studio album entitled Generation Doom, which was favorably received by their large fan base, topping the charts in US Indie (10th place) and US Rock charts (7th spot).

The band also successfully created a live album in 2012, which was sponsored by Victory Records and widely known by the title ‘Sounds like Armageddon’. Some of the most popular tracks from all of Otep’s studio albums include Rise, Rebel, Resist, Fists Fall, Not to Touch the Earth, Warhead, Ghost Flowers, Breed and Perfectly Flawed.

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Never Say Die Attitude Made Wolfgang Gartner’s Dream A Reality

When one enters the music industry, it is never a guarantee that his or her fame would be absolute. The world has been exposed to millions of artists packed with various types of sounds that would either spark interest or bore someone to no end. For an artist to stay longer and gain fame faster, it is imperative that he should be dynamic, fresh and volatile, which is not the case at all times.

Music fans have seen stars dim, casted out of the scene, torched aflame above the others, and some sparks resiliently came back because they were never fit to just die out. Fame has never been too kind with Wolfgang Gartner as how other house music artists have experienced, but this never stopped him from reaching and showcasing his full potential to the world.

Initially presenting his deep house DJ skills, Wolfgang Gartner never found a solid voice as an artist when he first entered the industry in 1999. Born James Thomas Youngman, the now-33 year old musician has experienced failure and used this as an inspiration to get back in the game with a new name in July 2008.

Now equipped with vast experience, Wolfgang Gartner has re-surfaced in mainstream music when he finally connected to a bigger fan base after focusing on other variants of house music, such as electro house, progressive house and the dizzying complextro.

For his comeback, Wolfgang Gartner managed to put eight of his genius tracks as top-notchers in the illustrious Beatport Top 10. Many EDM concert goers would definitely have a copy of his worldwide known single, Wolfgang’s 5th Symphony which suitably became Beatport.com’s highest selling and grossing song of 2009.

Further in his career, Gartner received a coveted nomination at the 2010 Grammy Awards for his remix of Andy Caldwell’s Funk Nasty. From here, his career caught the fame that it’s worth and he became a household name in house events and music festivals.

Some other works of art that were stamped by Wolfgang Gartner’s undying passion for music include his full-length album ‘Weekend in America’, which featured the era’s most famous musicians such as Omarion, will.i.am, Eve and Jim Jones.

This album was generally received well as it placed second on iTunes’ dance charts during the time of its release. Several collaborations were also tagged with Wolfgang Gartner’s ingenuity and music style, such as his tracks with Deadmau5 on Channel 42 and Tiesto’s We Own The Night.

Gartner’s created tracks have also established a good footing, as it is used on video games, thereby reaching a wider and more dynamic audience. Some of the franchises which adapted Wolfgang Gartner’s tracks are Stoked, Midnight Club: Los Angeles, DJ Hero and Forza Horizon.

Some music aficionados would also associate some of Wolfgang Gartner’s tracks to teenage TV series in the United States like Grey’s Anatomy, Teen Wolf, The Secret Circle and How I Met Your Mother.

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