The Violet Mindfield

The Violet Mindfield are an American, garage, surf, psych, rock ‘n roll band from Southern California consisting of John Duran (songwriter, lead vocals, guitar) Clifton Weaver (Organ, percussion, guitar, harmonica), Sean McBreen (bass guitar, vocals) Harry Parr (drums, vocals) and Victor Salazar (guitar, vocals).

Their latest album ‘California Burning’ is available now on 12″ black vinyl from Outro Records, you can also find it on Bandcamp.

With their analogue sound and retro stylings The Violet Mindfield transport you back to the 1960s. With only two tracks surpassing 3mins you will race through this album. One listen is not enough, it leaves you breathless. Standout track ‘Nothing At All’ is a thrilling sonic blast that gets the pulse racing. Fans of The Kinks and The Sonics will find something to love.

The Violet Mindfield have been active since 2015 with their debut The Orange EP a somewhat quieter more psychedelic affair. Take your time to work through their back catalogue there is so much to admire including single Hard Times, Easy Love/Gimme, Gimme which will become an immediate ear-worm.

Discover more from The Violet Mindfield

• Spotify
• Bandcamp
• Instagram

Bellhead

Bellhead are a band of few words. Self-described as a… “male-female duo band. Two basses and a drum machine. No Guitar, No BS. MADE IN CHICAGO.”

Their brilliantly titled debut EP ‘Unicorn Bones’ released in 2020 sets the tone for what comes next. Equally dark, menacing and thrilling, their sound cavorts between post-punk, gothic, industrial, alternative and metal.

Opening track ‘Snuff Film 1974’ roars over a live crowd hiss. It’s unclear whether this is a real live audience, or simply added in production, but either way, it works, making Bellhead feel instantly huge. The title track ‘Unicorn Bones’ simmers against the backdrop of male, and female duelling vocals, dirty bass and crashing drums.

Fast forward to now and Bellhead have just released ‘Nothing As It Seems’ a glorious five-track high energy remix EP that nods in the direction of NIN and Marilyn Manson. Every remix brings a re-invention. Personal favourites include the ‘Loveless Love Remix’ and ‘Stabbing Westwood Remix’, but it’s a bit like choosing between your children.

Discover more from Bellhead

• Spotify
• Instagram
• Twitter

Lonely Ghxst

After the angst of Bellhead, Lonely Ghxst provides a wonderfully chilled contrast. His latest single Fallin is sublime, providing the perfect showcase for his haunting and emotive vocals.

There isn’t too much about him online. We know he’s from London, and he has already started to make a name for himself on the live stage, with performances at Ronnie Scott’s, SOFAR Sound, and Camden Jazz Cafe to date, and the next show is set for the end of May at Pizza Express Live.  Take some time to listen back to previous single releases I Need You and Ocean both released last year. It’s clear he is one to watch.

Discover more from Lonely Ghxst

• Spotify
• Instagram
• Twitter

Lainey Dionne

Rhode Island-bred Lainey Dionne is an indie-pop singer/songwriter who knows how to write a catchy pop song. Her 12 track album ‘Self Titled’ contains not one, but three songs that have either won or been nominated for songwriting awards.

Track one ‘Hey London’ won the International Songwriting Competition and Unsigned Only Competition while also being nominated for NEMA Song of The Year. It’s easy to see why! Infectious is an overused word, but in this case, it’s fully justified. After one listen you’ll do well not to be singing the chorus for the remainder of the day. It makes London almost feel tropical in its exuberance.

While dark pop ballad ‘Skin’ won the New England Songwriting Competition and was a semi-finalist in the Unsigned Only competition.  While final track ‘I Love You To Death’ was a finalist in the Unsigned Only competition. So if you are impatient to hear the hits, you know where to start.

Not content with basking in the glow of her awards Lainey has already released a new single ‘Vampire’ which is a warning to anyone who expects to take, take from a relationship. Much like ‘Hey London’ this new single has an instantly familiar sound.

Judging by her releases to date, Lainey Dionne is firmly on the road from Pop to Popular.

Discover more from Lainey Dionne

• Spotify
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Facebook

ZØYA

ZØYA is an independent recording artist, singer-songwriter, musician and storyteller based in Los Angeles.

ZØYA (also known as Zoya Naumchik) was born in Pinsk, Belarus on September 4, 1993. She grew up in Columbus, Ohio after immigrating to the United States at the age of 11. She was raised in a Christian household. She grew up listening to inspirational, worship, gospel, and jazz music cassettes and CDs. ZØYA began writing songs and poems at the age 6.

Her music is influenced by the struggles she faced in her teenage years. She writes music for those people that need encouragement or a dose of positivity, firmly believing music has healing powers. ZØYA have bravely shaken off her past and now imbues her music with an inner fire a sense of greater power.

ZØYA released her debut the ‘Veracious Heart’ EP back in 2017 since then she has gone on to release 5 further singles. Her music has been streamed on over 300 college radio stations in the UK as well as picking up radio support in the UK.

Her latest single ‘Let Me Know’ has a retro 80s synth-pop vibe. You can almost taste the excitement and euphoria of freedom as she runs and dances her way across a city in the accompanying video (see above). This track builds and swells with her hugely impressive vocals. You just know every word ZØYA sings is straight from the heart.

Discover more from ZØYA

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Spotify

Discover more on RCM

• Free Music Marketing Training For Independent Artists
• My Playlist Is Better Than Yours!
• Push Marketing Is Dead. 10 Ways Independent Artists Can Succeed In 2022
• Five reasons why music PR consistently fails unsigned musicians

Words Mark Knight

The post The Best of Reverbnation 2022. Five Artists You Need To Discover appeared first on Right Chord Music Blog.

This is the time of year when blogs put together their favourite artists of the year. While this is a fun exercise (that we might still do), we recognise that what we think ultimately means very little. What really matters is whether other people are starting to care about these artists too. After all, as an unsigned music blog, our role is to introduce artists to listeners, but it’s the listeners that take them on and make them a success.

So, this year we thought it would be interesting to see who is building interest, momentum and desire around their music. We’ve looked at the most searched artists and viewed pages on the RCM Blog.

The data takes into account the most viewed pages and most visited landing pages on the RCM Blog using Google Analytics between January 1st and December 14th, 2021. IE Pages found through Google and pages found through on-site browsing and search.

The majority of these artists have featured on the RCM Blog this year, but this data also takes into account views of historic articles written since we started in 2010. While it’s impressive to feature on the back of one review in 2021, it’s possibly even more impressive to still be searched for after one appearance in 2015.

Alongside the best independent artists, you will also find a couple of our most successful alumni, who have since signed deals with major record labels.

The RCM Blog in numbers in 2021

To provide some context, between January 1st and December 14th this year the RCM Blog has had 80,627 page views in total from 177 different countries. This year, we received most visitors from the 1) UK, 2) US 3) Canada 4) Germany and 5) Australia. The average time spent on our blog per visit was 1min 3seconds, and each visitor read an average of 2.67 pages.

Our 2021 Rising Stars

Here are the 10 most searched artists on the Right Chord Music Blog in 2021.

1. Kepa Lehtinan
2. Iraina Mancini
3. MISSIO
4. MACY
5. The Daydream Club
6. Izzy T and her international supergroup
7. Broken Witt Rebels
8. Georgia & The Vintage Youth / Georgia Crandon
9. BLÁNID
10. Parker Graye

When we started Right Chord Music back in 2010, our aim was to showcase incredible new and undiscovered music from around the world. So we’re delighted that our top ten features artists from six different countries.

1. Kepa Lehtinen

We featured Finnish artist, Kepa Lehtinen just once on RCM in 2021, but that hasn’t stopped you from reading, listening and searching for him on repeat in 2021. Read our review of his beautiful EP ‘Face Plant’ here

“An instrumental piece, the theremin serves as the voice here, direct, piercing, mournful, played with utmost assurance by Lehtinen.”

2. Iraina Mancini

Iraina Mancini is the epitonomy of a rising star. She has appeared on RCM 5 times in total, twice in 2021 most recently for her single ‘Do It’ (You Stole The Rhythm).

“This is a reconnection anthem for music lovers who can relate to that moment when music makes you feel truly alive.”

Discover more about Iraina on RCM

3. MISSIO

Missio (Latin for mission) has appeared on the RCM Blog twice, both times in 2015. What started as the side project for singer-songwriter Matthew Brue has now become the main mission alongside producer and instrumentalist David Butler.

Based in Austin, Texas MISSIO broke out in 2017 with their single Middle Fingers which reached the top 10 in U.S. Alternative Radio. MISSIO now have over 1 billion Spotify streams globally and continue to be discovered on the RCM Blog 6 years on from the original feature. Remember where you discovered them first! 

4. MACY

This Welsh pop starlet has appeared on the RCM Blog 5 times this year, with a flurry of high energy pop singles and most recently her Words4Luv EP

To conclude her 2021 with a bang, MACY will headline a show in London in December and be part of the BBC Radio Xmas special show, alongside Emile Sande and Jack Savoretti. Discover more from MACY on RCM

5. The Daydream Club

The Daydream Club have appeared on RCM Blog 5 times this year. We championed each of their single releases ahead of the release of their seventh and best studio album to date ‘All Our Born Days‘

Since their foundation in 2010, now husband and wife duo The Daydream Club have been slowly plotting their course to the top. While the definition of ‘top’ may have changed in that time, they remain firmly on course.

At the time of writing, their top 5 tracks on Spotify alone have amassed over 100,000,000 Spotify Streams. A staggering achievement for a self-released duo. Huge credit must go to Spotify for choosing to support great music in the absence of a major record label deal. Surely now is the time for radio to wake up and get on board too! Check out The Daydream Club’s latest project The Daydream Club Presents a brilliant music discovery Podcast, which we are happy to support.

6. IZZY T & her international female rock supergroup

Back in February our winter slumber was smashed by this explosive cover of Midnight Sky by Miley Cyrus and interest in this cover version has continued across the year.

Years from now when people ask you… “What did you do in lockdown?” these girls will have a pretty impressive answer. “We formed an international, female rock supergroup!”

Meet the band: Izzy T (vocals and ring-leader) 17 years old Brooke Colucci (Plush) on drums, Alice Lane (Killin Baudelaire) on bass and Claire Genoud (Back n Black) on guitar.

Read more about this release and discover more about the musicians involved.

7. Broken Witt Rebels

We last featured Birmingham’s Broken Witt Rebels on RCM in 2017, then an unsigned band, now signed to Universal Music off-shoot Snake Farm Records. As one of the UK best and also most active live bands, the last two years would have been hard on BWR, but while the live shows were put on ice, interest in their music and their second full album OK Hotel released in 2020 continues unabated, and it’s easy to see why.

Discover more about Broken Witt Rebels on RCM here. Our journey with them started way back in 2016.

8. Georgia & The Vintage Youth / Georgia Crandon

With two appearances on the RCM Blog in 2021 under two guises ‘Georgia Crandon’ and her band ‘Georgia & The Vintage Youth’ her music always leaves a lasting impression, and it’s easy to see why people continue to seek her out.

In August, her bittersweet ‘Until We Meet Again’ felt like the lock-down equivalent of the Verra Lynn war-time anthem.

Although written in 2019 Until We Meet Again is a song that has only become more relevant for artist Georgia Crandon, particularly when she performed it for a friend and NHS worker who would then pass away in late 2020. Discover more from this huge talent.

9. BLÁNID

A new artist for 2021, we championed BLÁNID debut single ‘Fools Gold’ back in March before following up with a second feature for her follow up single ‘Dead Men Dancing‘ in November. Her outrageously good voice has a cut-through quality that is hard to deny.

An eternal tale of hopeless love, whispering through the ages

Northern Ireland’s best new export BLÁNID has already garnered attention from BBC radio stations, and based on the level of interest she has garnered on RCM in 2021 we expect her star to continue to rise.

10 Parker Graye

Canadian alt-country artist, Parker Graye has made two appearances on RCM in 2021. The first, within our First Signs of Love Feature for her anthemic, sing-a-long single ‘Do Over’ which felt like the ultimate January soundtrack to usher in the change. In June she repeated the trick with follow up single Last Time.

While her place in our top ten is based on searches and views for Parker Graye, it’s worth noting she first appeared on RCM as St Graye back in 2015.

Words Mark Knight

The post Rising Stars. The 10 Most Searched Artists on RCM In 2021 Revealed appeared first on Right Chord Music Blog.

2020 will go down as a year that most of us will want to quickly forget. Thankfully creativity often follows adversity and while we’ve been locked away in our homes these incredible musicians have helped us pass the time with their art.

1. Porcelain

Porcelain burst into our consciousness back in the summer and have never left. From the opening bars of debut single ‘Last Word’ we were smitten. The debut EP ‘Part One’ strengthened the bond and latest single ‘Hollow’ makes the hairs rise on our neck. This is music which is made with love and evokes the deepest passion. If you haven’t heard them yet, where have you been?

Listen on Spotify 

2. Dust In The Sunlight

A name can be hugely evocative and Dust In The Sunlight is one of those names that perfectly encapsulates the sound. It’s a warm, hazy soundtrack that envelops you like a cosy duvet and kisses your ears. Just too gorgeous.

Listen on Spotify

3. Officer

Choosing our favourite Officer track is like choosing between Mum or Dad. But maybe, just maybe it’s ‘Willow & Anchor’. This is track two from our undoubted album of the year ‘Night Tennis’ The lyrical symbolism is stunning imaginative and quite unique. This is more than a love song, it’s a tribute a totem and a shrine and it’s hard not to fall at its feet.

4. MALKA – Moving Together

Moving Together is delightfully joyous. We used this track to soundtrack our summer online music festival called The Takeover and it still evokes wonderful memories. We challenge you to listen to this song and not smile. In the toughest of years, this track is like a beacon of optimism. Moving Together is taken from MALKA’s wonderful album ‘I’m Not Your Soldier’.

Listen on Spotify

5. Hugo Samba

Wah is the debut album by french musician Hugo Samba and it’s funky, chilled sounds were never far from our ears in 2020. Like a futuristic porn soundtrack it’s playful, sleazy and cool in equal measure.

6. National Service

Caving is just one of those songs that speaks to us. It’s a song about being self critical and struggling to just live in the moment. Caving bubbles and roars with a direct intensity that is beyond infectious. When live music returns, National Service will be at the top of our list of bands we absolutely need to see.

Listen on Spotify

7. Iraina Mancini

Shotgun by Iraina Mancini and her collaborator Jazg Kooner (Primal Scream / Oasis) is brilliantly playful, naughty and simultaneously romantic. Inspired by the album Histoire de Melody Nelson by Serge Gainsbourg, Shotgun will have you dreaming about Soho in the 60s or wild nights out in a neon lit Parisian bar. The single has rightly found it’s way on to the BBC 6 Music playlist and is proof that great music will always find an audience. We look forward to hearing more from Iraina in 2021.

8. Mic Assassin

RCM have been aware of Mic Assassin for a few years but his performance at the RCM Takeover festival was significant because it provided a preview of his most significant release to date. Not since Mike Skinner and The Streets has an artist so powerfully captured the the daily grind. 5 Wings is the musical equivalent of CCTV it’s powerful, frank and hard to switch off.

Listen on Spotify

9. Jon Rooks

Jon Rooks has one song in the world and that song is Can’t Stop. From it’s piano bar style intro, the song unfolds to reveal a breezy, soulful funk that would have Prince and Justin Timberlake up dancing. Can’t Stop is so good you can’t believe you haven’t heard it before. We keep expecting to find that it’s actually been a global hit. But in fact Jon Rooks currently has less than 50 monthly listeners. This needs to change! We can’t wait to hear the follow up.

Listen on Spotify

10. King Hannah

Last year King Hannah flawed us with their single Crème Brûlée and this year they returned with a debut EP and raised the bar to the ceiling. Their languid style borders on apathy, but this is beautiful, beautiful apathy. Smokey vocals, dense, swirling textures and a twang of americana make this soar. Meal Deal is something of true wonder.

Listen on Spotify

The 10 Best Unsigned Artists 2020 As Chosen By The RCM Blog. Listen to all these artists and discover a ton more via our Lost On Radio Playlist.

About RCM

The Right Chord Music (RCM) Blog champions incredible unsigned and independent music. We were founded in 2010, so if you are new to our blog, you have lots to discover. Alongside the Blog we curate three Spotify playlists, used to run a Podcast (all called Lost On Radio) Submit your music for free here 

The post The 10 Best Unsigned Artists 2020 As Chosen By The RCM Blog appeared first on Right Chord Music Blog.

Doctors Of Madness

Before Punk, there was a band called the Doctors Of Madness. They exploded onto the British music scene in 1975 and departed just three years later. But even in this short space of time, they left a legacy. The Guardian proclaimed DoM as the “the missing link between David Bowie and The Sex Pistols.” In a year of political and social uncertainty it seems fitting that 2019 was the year they made their return. New album ‘Dark Times’ seethes with passion and is quite possibly the most potent and incisive musical dissection of modern life and contemporary politics released in a post Brexit world.

Fontaines DC

Back in April we proclaimed FONTAINES D.C. as the best new band you’ll hear this year, and we stand by it. Not since The Streets, have a band so effortlessly captured the zeitgeist of their environment is such a relentlessly authentic way. FONTAINES D.C.  made music exciting in 2019.

Dogrel by FONTAINES D.C. is a record rooted in Dublin, Grian Chatten’s lyrics are like notebook sketches; you can almost hear the clatter of horses hooves on cobbles, beer barrels being rolled and high-spirited revelers falling in and out of bars.

Vocal delivery is deliberate and unashamedly Irish, it’s a joy to hear a record where accents haven’t been dulled to appease a US driven music industry. The heavy Irish drawl seems to give FONTAINES D.C a natural Punk edge, and it’s easy to imagine a youth spent listening to The Fall, The Clash and The Walkman, washed down with a little Fugazi.

Slyrydes

Continuing with the Irish Punk theme, in August we bought you the exclusive first play of ‘Out Patience’ the third single from Gallway’s Slyrydes. Out Patience by Slyrydes is an urgent, passionate and blistering call to arms. This band demands your attention. Punk is back and it’s never sounded so exciting.

Slyrydes formed in Galway in 2013 in response to the bland music they heard filling the radio airwaves. Inspired by their love of punk and new wave, they quickly won hearts and some high-profile support slots with bands including Fight Like Apes, Palma Violets and PEACE.

In November of 2018 Slyrydes recorded their first single ‘Mental Health’ with Daniel Doherty (Fontaines DC,Vulpynes, Galants) at Darkland studios in Dublin. The single found its way to Nialler9 who installed the band as one of their top 8 emerging Irish bands, and deserved radio support followed from Today FM, 2FM, RTE Radio One and notably Radio X.

Keep an eye and your best ears out for them in 2020.

Lost In Caravaggio

Lost In Caravaggio are a 5 piece band folk rock band consisting of members from the United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark and Italy. After meeting in London, they embarked on a road trip to a farm in Italy, where they planned to record original music together. During this time in Italy, the band got the inspiration for their name – after literally getting lost in the town of Caravaggio after a gig.

In March 2019, Lost In Caravaggio released their first full length album ‘Valleys Between’ which followed their debut release Songs In Polaroid. Valley’s Between quickly became a RCM favourite with tracks Grain Of Sand and Hello Stranger featuring on Episodes 258 and 264 of our Lost On Radio Podcast.

Combining elements of alt-folk and country ‘Valley’s Between’ feels warm, intimate and rootsy, reflecting the songwriting process, which saw the band decamp to Sweden to spend 3 weeks in pure isolation.

Katey Brooks

Katey Brooks ‘In Your Arms’ featured our best tracks of 2018 list, and with the release of her second album ‘Revolute’ it was almost impossible to ignore her in 2019. Revolute is a self-produced master-piece, a breathtaking collection of songs inspired by love, loss, learning and rebirth that effortlessly straddle gospel, soul, blues and country. Key tracks: Never Gonna Let Her Go, All of Me, Jeremiah and In Your Arms.

Growing up inside a cult, as a child Brooks found refuge in song. “It was a very chaotic upbringing, full of some pretty colourful and sometimes unsavoury, characters. But when I sang, I felt free and connected. For as long as I can remember, it’s been my way of getting what I need to say out”, she reveals.

“When I was 22 my mum got ill and she died. And then not long after that, my lifelong best friend went missing and she also died. That’s definitely had an effect on the course of my life and my writing. I guess I’m lucky that I have songs that I can write, as a means to deal with things”.

All of these hardships seem to have driven, rather than dragged Brooks under. “Pain just reminds me why I sing,” she says. “And not just for me; for everybody. They say in a funny sort of way musicians are like therapists,” she muses. “Because music is a universal language. Everybody has experienced some kind of heartache, especially in relationships, and music allows us to purge these feelings.” Brooks has certainly had her share of romantic turbulence, not to mention the struggle to come to terms with her sexuality. “In my most recent work I’ve finally been able to sing directly about women instead of using the mysterious ‘you’. I’m a private person in a lot of ways and I never wanted to be a poster girl for anything. But a few years ago I just thought screw it; I want to sing completely honestly. It felt like a weight lifted.”

Honourable Mentions & The Best of 2019 Playlist

Other artists and tracks we loved in 2019: Officer (Heavening – Watch Our Bottles), Anna Wolf, (Silence) Joe Dolman (Drag You Down), Ducks Unlimited (Get Bleak EP) Tiz McNamara (Days Like These), The Daydream Club (Wolf Winter), Santyna (Venin), SEIL Lien, (Kiss Me Like I’m Somebody Else)

The post The Best New Music of 2019 appeared first on Right Chord Music Blog.

The Sea Atlas – Blue Jeans

Residing in his ancestral home in the North Atlantic, The Sea Atlas skippers boats up and down the West coast of Scotland, working the land on his croft, all the while writing and recording his own brand of hauntingly beautiful tracks, locked away in a cabin on the shores of a sealoch. We said: Wind swept grunge with bags of heart and honesty. Discover more

The Nectars – Heaven

They have the look, the sound, and the live show. Without doubt the most success ready band to emerge in 2018.  We said: This New Jersey four-piece ooze energy and excitement, while sassy front woman Jessica Kenny evokes the spirit of ‘Don’t Speak’ era Gwen Stefani on hiatus with The Strokes
Read and discover more.

Kitty Finer – NYC

Singing and dancing visual artist Kitty Finer released an EP A Side’ containing the first four tracks from her album ‘A Side/B Side’ which will be released on vinyl in early 2019. NYC is track three. We said: NYC is your invitation to stay in and have the ultimate fuck you, living room dance party. Read and discover more.

SEIL LIEN – I Am Fire

SEIL LIEN (pronounced Seal lee in) is the Chinese name of Scottish songwriter Marie Claire Lee. I Am Fire is explosive from the beginning, brimming with the influence of late 90s guitar bands, it is part grunge, part indie, and all-powerful. We said: ‘I Am Fire’ sounds like a lost Butch Vig song. Read and discover more.

Cocoa Futures – Recovery

“Recovery is a song about alcohol, and all the wonderful and terrible things it can do. It’s quite a fun drink but also a dark mess. Cheeky pints can’t be cheeky forever. How many of our relationships would exist without it?” Greg Sanderson, Cocoa Futures. We said: Recovery is a glorious EP that gets under you skin and invades your ears in the most pleasantly imaginable way. Discover more

Broken Witt Rebels – Wait For You

‘Wait For You’ appears on the band’s 2018 Snake Eyes EP. BWR are rightly becoming known as one of the best new live bands in Britain. We said: Gloriously anthemic, it’s only a matter of time before this track is being played in arenas and stadiums. When Danny Core sings “If I change, would you really want to know?” Wait For You – soars! Read and discover more.

Officer – Pylon Moon

Pylon Moon is the first sighting of new music from the former RCM artist of the year Officer. After a recent sell-out show at The Camden Assembly excitement levels are building nicely. We said: We keep finding ourselves singing along and have no idea what we’re singing, but who cares it’s glorious. Read and discover more.

Anna Wolf – Believer

After 2 minutes 45 seconds Wolf delivers the lyric “Now I leave my past behind” and it’s hard not to feel a collective sense of cathartic release. With this track Anna Wolf has done what she set out to achieve. We said: Debut releases, rarely sound this exciting. Read and discover more. 

Lewisburg – Slow Morning

This London four-piece describe their sound as ‘dark country’ and cite Nick Cave as an influence. This track sounds like it should have been lifted directly from a Neil Young album. We said: This smooth groove, will get you shuffling towards your special whiskey cupboard. Read and discover more

Georgia Meek – Bare

We doubt there has been a more powerful song produced this year. Bare does what it says on the tin. An honest and frank, personal account of domestic violence and the defiant spirit it evoked. We said: Bare is both heartbreaking and comforting in equal measure.  Read and discover more

The Teskey Brothers – Crying Shame

When we first heard The Teskey Brothers we thought we had stumbled across a 70s soul classic. Then we realised the album ‘Half Mile Harvest’ was released in 2018 by a white Australian four-piece. We spent the next week listening on repeat and wishing we could be this cool. We said: Quick, go buy your tickets for their London show at Union Chapel! Discover more

Natalie Shay – Perfume

Her appearance on the RCM Takeover Sessions broke all previous records with more views, shares and comments than ever before. With her first headline full band show planned for February, 2019 promises to be a big year. We said: Natalie Shay writes perfect pop songs and Perfume is the sweetest of them all. Discover more.

Bridesmen – Someone That Loves Me

‘Someone Who Loves Me’ highlights Chen’s warm silky vocals, enchanting modern R&B melodies and hypnotic instrumentation. Thematically the single addresses the loneliness we all feel throughout our lives and assures others that we are not alone. We said: An astonishingly good track, one of our favourite discoveries of 2018. Discover more.

Katey Brooks – In Your Arms

‘In Your Arms’ is a stunningly raw love song narrating the emotions of expressing your love for someone. Brooks confides, “Heart on sleeve, I wanted to tell the woman I love just how much I love her. This song is an expression of what she means to me and how much has transformed for me since I met her. We said: This will melt your heart, it reaches near-spiritual levels of beauty. Discover more.

Andrews’ – Lost In The Fire

Singer-songwriter Michael Cronin performs under his moniker andrews’. We discovered this track on Squall (our new influencer marketing platform) and immediately knew we had found something special. We said: Bon Iver comparisons are all too frequently bandied about, but on this occasion they might just be justified. Discover more.

Chelsea Blues – Emotional Availability

Jazz/Soul Artist, Poet and Entertainer Chelsea Blues, hails from The Bahamas and now lives in London, UK. Her neo-soul vibes, jazzy voice and dynamic stage presence are winning her admirers wherever she goes. Chelsea Blues was a standout highlight at our Blogtober showcase and recently released her debut EP Textures. We said: The first time we heard her freestyle it left us speechless. Chelsea Blues is a star. Read and discover more

Speak Brother – Meet Me In The Chaos

The band wanted to bring the spirit of working with others into their songwriting. Starting with only the title of the song, fans were asked to share stories, art, poetry or anything that resonated with them with the phrase ‘Meet Me In The Chaos’. The band had a 3 day writing retreat booked the following week with the challenge to both write and record a demo of the song with pages of raw stories of suffering, struggle and hope. We said:
When Speak, Brother invite you to meet them in the chaos, you just know everything is going to be ok. Read and discover more

The Daydream Club – For The Lost Ones

Music is at its most powerful when it’s personal. Let’s face it, we all have songs that immediately connect us to memories, both good and bad. With that thought ringing in their ears The Daydream Club invited their fans into the creative process asking them to submit memories at special Facebook Live shows which were turned into spontaneous live improvisations. The gigs took place shortly after the terror attacks in London, which personally were a little too close for comfort! With this in mind we asked the band to create something for anyone affected by terrorism, anywhere in the world, and this was the result. We said: It’s a stunningly beautiful piece of work, that elegantly conveys sorrow and defiance in equal measure. It’s an incredibly emotive tribute. Read and discover more

The post The Best of 2018 As Chosen By Right Chord Music appeared first on Right Chord Music Blog.

Congratulations to Officer our 2015 Artist of The Year.

Right Chord Music was set up to promote incredible artists that don’t have the luxury of major record label backing or the vast budgets required to get on radio station playlists.  We do this via the RCM blog, our weekly Lost On Radio Podcast and our new sister site LiveMusicSession.TV

This year we’ve decided to go one step further and put our money where our mouth is. In 2015 we added advertising to Right Chord Music, and we’ve decided to reinvest the income from the advertising to promote Officer to the widest possible audience. To achieve this we’ve created a Thunderclap Campaign.

[youtube width=”640″ height=”360″]https://youtu.be/wvPfuV00-1k[/youtube]

Show your support by clicking on the widget below. It takes seconds, there is no signing up or registering and it’s absolutely free. Thunderclap will ask you to sign into your existing Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr accounts and agree to post a message to support Officer.

On New Years Day every supporter of this campaign will simultaneously post promoting Officer to the widest possible social network. Together we really are stronger!

The journey to become our Artist of The Year.

At the end of 2014 we included Officer as one of our 2015 Ones to Watch, and during the course of this year that early promise has been fulfilled with the release of his stunning debut album Myriads and a string of single releases.

In January he become our 135th First Signs of Love featured artist with his track ‘The Waters.’

The Waters is a quick, driving track, relentlessly propelled forward by the slightly distorted drums and TV On The Radio-esque guitar throughout. The intricacies and dynamic shifts of the song are subtle, and only become fully evident after a few listens. The song is melodically centred around the vocals, and a consistent piano/harpsichord line. Sitting at around 180bpm, the track is super quick, yet doesn’t seem it, and has almost a lush soundscape in amongst the driving groove.

In April he returned with his second single ‘Glass Ceiling’ and his amazing story emerged.

A year ago he got a call from some friends to meet at the pub on the way home from work – pretty standard right? However, when he got there they revealed they had been working behind his back to crowd source enough cash from his fan base for him to record an album of the songs they had all fallen in love with live. The fruit of this is MYRIADS produced by close friend, Daniel Peterson and co-produced by OFFICER himself.

[youtube width=”640″ height=”360″]http://youtu.be/kfOvSqPczOA[/youtube]

In June with help from the guys at The Red Red we went behind the scenes of the video for his third single ‘My Darling Defibrillator’

[youtube width=”640″ height=”360″]http://youtu.be/qnDV1K_-Bdk[/youtube]

‘Intense, intelligent and imaginative. My Darling Defibrillator by Officer, like the rest of the tracks on his début album, Myriads , is more than a song; it’s a romantic adventure novel that you can’t put down.’

In July we celebrated the launch of his much-anticipated debut album Myriads and Laughing Rafters, the single we had been most excited about upon hearing his music for the first time.

Shot high above London there is a balmy calm about the video for this track. The lyrics provide a soundtrack for quiet contemplation and self-reflection. It’s deliciously introspective to the point of euphoria, leaving a warm glow in the coldest of hearts. It’s glorious and unequivocally our favourite track of 2015 so far.

[youtube width=”640″ height=”360″]http://youtu.be/A-G3el-alNI[/youtube]

By August he was our Artist of The Week, will a full album review courtesy of staff writer Nicholas Cheek, who had this to say.

With support from BBC Radio 6, Amazing Radio, regional radio, as well as an increasing number of music blogs, it seems inevitable that this album will be in everyone’s ears soon.  It cannot be overstated how good this album is, and how much each listen reveals more layers.  Do yourself a favour and go buy this album, off iTunes, or perhaps a physical copy if you are lucky enough to see him live.  It will easily be one of RCM’s top albums of 2015.

In October he bought us DATV and we said…

With each subsequent release OFFICER further raises the bar on songwriting and song-craft. From his debut album Myriads (the best album of the year bar none) comes the third single and a picturesque new video for DATV.

This is not a song about fluffy kittens, ice cream and sunny days. DATV is an intense, unflinching exploration of being lost, struggling with the darkness but somehow finding the perseverance to get through: “The darkest of valleys will always get us there”. It’s a personal yet cryptic journey through the artist’s struggle to accept his limitations, his lack of control and inability to deal with the corrosive things life can throw up.

[youtube width=”640″ height=”360″]http://youtu.be/ZpHCTeYc93M[/youtube]

After a year of incredible music it was a very simple decision to make Officer the Right Chord Music Artist of The Year for 2015.

The post Join Our Campaign To Support 2015 Artist of The Year. Officer appeared first on Right Chord Music Blog.

Stillwave made three appearances on the RCM blog this year, progressing from our First Signs of Love feature in January to become a Band of The Week in June, combined with four appearances on Lost On Radio, Stillwave are our Band of The Year for 2014. We said… There is attitude bubbling behind each riff; seedy grit between its teeth and a dark yet playful undercurrent tying everything together. This is alt-rock at its most interesting. Read more

[youtube width=”640″ height=”360″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNkv7VvOrZM[/youtube]

Chic Gamine were our first Band of The Week of 2014 and are still the most viewed and shared as we approach the end of the year.  What we said…. Chic Gamine are a Canadian five piece, whose soulful tones and melodic harmonies make them one of the most exciting musical prospects of 2014. The band formed in 2007 and within two years their debut record won ‘Album of the Year’ at the Canadian Juno Awards. The following year the band performed at the Vancouver Winter Olympics. Is it any wonder Chic Gamine are one of Canada’s best musical assets? Read more

[youtube width=”640″ height=”360″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmDAGqvEl5k#t=23[/youtube]

The M’goo Project made two appearances on our blog in 2014, the first in February caused quite a stir. What we said… The M’goo Project create music from true-life stories by fusing music, short film and contemporary dance. U.S.A hip-hop star Frank Ocean’s brave “Coming Out” letter is the theme for their newest music story “Lets Fly To The Moon”. This reaches out to anybody who is in the process of finding strength for the person they want to be and with the gay rights issues in Russia today, it has never been more pertinent.

A stunning video with real meaning. Take a moment to watch and share. Read more  Listen to more: The M’goo Project – Square One

[youtube width=”640″ height=”360″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYsNFenCZiY[/youtube]

Mullally. He left it late, we only featured him last week! But the début single from the self-proclaimed “18-year-old singer with a big voice and silly hair” has been racking up the views and shares. We can’t wait to hear more in 2015. This is what we said… His début, original release is the mighty ‘Regret It Straight Away’  it’s a belter that delivers epic soaring, layered vocals and ambitious soul-pop scale with consummate ease. Are you listening John Newman? Mullally is coming for you. Read more

Laura & Greg appeared on RCM as a First Signs of Love featured artist in April. This is what we said… Their voices blend harmoniously over a repetitive, yet intricate picked guitar loop, it’s simple and effective, at times reminiscent of The Magic Numbers, with a hint of Mamas & Papas. This is sunshine music, bringing a warm glow to the heart and the soul. More ‘songs’ please Laura & Greg. Read more

Jack Wallen a featured Artist of The Week in April. This is what we said… Hailing from Cornwall, singer-songwriter Jack Wallen produces music that is just that little bit special. His acoustic folk songs bring to life experiences and emotions we all share, no matter what our age, gender or background. Love and developing adolescence are recurrent themes in his mature and personal music. With support from BBC Introducing and airplay on Tom Robinson’s BBC 6 Music show, Jack Wallen is on his way to cracking the industry. Read more Jack Wallen was also featured on Episode 100 of Lost On Radio

White Fever a First Signs of Love featured artist in May.We said… The London-based four piece are female fronted, which adds a softness to their sophisticated and impenetrable demeanour. Their music blends dark guitar melodies with light euphoric synthpop, to create a dream-like atmosphere, both audibly and visually. Read more

[youtube width=”640″ height=”360″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK-bdrctsbM[/youtube]

Field Trip To The Moon a First Signs of Love featured artist in February. We said… There are a ton of bands who describe their music as alternative, but in the case of Field Trip To The Moon and their debut single ‘Black Room’ it feels a justified and accurate tag. With low-fi production, hand claps, near whispered vocal delivery and plucked instrumentation the band create a blend of noir-drama that could have been written to sound-track an Edgar Allan Poe short-story. It intrigues from first to last, and leaves you wanting more. Read more

[youtube width=”640″ height=”360″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q09Y2V0i7xc[/youtube]

Deer Tick made an appearance on the blog in September. We said… The sparkling Baroque pop of ‘The Dream’s In The Ditch’ sees Deer Tick frontman John McCauley exchange vocal duties with the band’s guitarist Ian O’Neill.  Speaking about the new track, O’Neil says “we toured exhaustively leading up to 2013 and it kind of left me and our band feeling hopeless and disheartened. After the song was written, I started to realize that’s what I was writing about: both the despair and [the] resilience you develop as a touring musician”. Read more

[youtube width=”640″ height=”360″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNnxdLY4Dss[/youtube]

Fur Cough a First Signs of Love featured artist from March. We said… Carefully crafted lyrics compliment and equally contrast with wonderfully powerful rock & roll. Read more Listen to Peril Soaked Penny

The post 2014. Most Viewed & Shared On RCM appeared first on Right Chord Music Blog.

Welcome to this special edition of the Right Chord Music, Lost On Radio Podcast. This week presented and curated by Mark Knight. In this episode we’re counting down to the RCM Artist Of Year as voted by the visitors to the Right Chord Music. Lost On Radio is a weekly showcase of incredible undiscovered music overlooked by radio, or pushed to the late night fringes. Check out previous episodes here.

The RCM Best Of 2013 Countdown

6. The Daydream Club – Little Face (Little Face live video session for The Boatshed Sessions)

5. Sam Williams & The Flock Of Bats – Submarine

4. AHI – Change Is Gonna Come (Sam Cooke cover version. Watch his full set live from the RCMHangout Festival 2013)

3. Raised By Wolves – Warriors

2. Shy Nature – Deadly Sin

1. The Right Chord Music Artist Of The Year. The Hics – Tangle

Congratulations to The Hics for receiving the most votes, and becoming the RCM Artist Of The Year for 2013. We look forward to hearing more from them in the year ahead. Please take time to check out their music, and if you have any Christmas money left over why not download some of the incredible new music we’ve featured on this podcast. You can also check out the full RCM Best of 2013 Spotify playlist here.

The podcast will be available to download each week from this website. Alternatively you can subscribe for free and automatically receive new episodes via iTunes

We set up this podcast to bring these wonderful artists to a wider audience. So we’d love you to share this podcast by clicking on the share button at the bottom of this article. Let’s give these artists the audience their music deserves!

The post RCM Artist Of The Year 2013 ‘Lost On Radio’ Podcast appeared first on Right Chord Music Blog.

The vote is now closed, thank you to everyone that voted. Please take some time to check out the music below.

It’s been another incredible year for new music on RCM. Thank you to all of our contributors and for everyone that has listened, read or shared any of the music we’ve featured. This year the RCM blog has attracted music fans from 138 different countries, while our Lost On Radio podcast has found listeners in over 50 different countries. This year, we launched the RCMHangout Sessions and RCMHangout Festival, allowing artists to perform live online sessions from their homes to the world. For the inaugural festival we had 27 performers, from 4 countries and almost 3,000 people tuned in to watch from over 20 countries around the world. Expect 2014 to be even bigger and better on Right Chord Music.

Before we look forward, we wanted to take a moment to look back and highlight the very best music we’ve featured this year. This list below features some of the most viewed artists on RCM this year. Have a listen  to the sample track and click the artist name to read our review. Then scroll to the bottom of the article to vote for your favourite to be crowned the Right Chord Music ‘Artist Of The Year.’ The favourites as voted by you will feature on special edition of The Lost On Radio podcast.

AHI – One Stop

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Asgeir – Torrents

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Allman Brown Sons & Daughter (Feat Liz Lawrence)

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Blackchords – Sleepwalker

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Daughters Of Davis – Promise Me

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Geometrist – Modest Mouse

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Half Moon Run – Unofferable

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Houses – Beginnings

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Raised By Wolves – Warriors

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Sam Pinkerton – Falling For You

[youtube width=”640″ height=”360″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93xEM_oZttk[/youtube]

Shy Nature – Deadly Sin

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The Daydream Club – Found

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The Electric Hearts – Tired

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The Great American Canyon Band – Lost At Sea

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The Hics – Tangle

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/97849449″ params=”color=150a03&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

The Preatures – Is This How You Feel

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Sam Williams & The Flock Of Bats – Submarine

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/78800361″ params=”color=000000&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Sara Jackson Holman – Freight Train

[youtube width=”640″ height=”360″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anzKRbQYZ6I[/youtube]

SPC ECO – Delusional Waste

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/99362968″ params=”color=030000&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Truly Ford – Live It Up

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Twigs – Weak Spot

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Winterhours – Heart Of Gold

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The post RCM Best Music Of 2013 The Vote appeared first on Right Chord Music Blog.

A comprehensive playlist of our favourite new music released in 2012 as featured on Right Chord Music. We look forward to 2013 and more incredible new music. If you want your music featured on the blog or podcast. Get in touch here.

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The post The Best Music Of 2012. Pt. 12 The RCM 2012 Playlist appeared first on Right Chord Music Blog.