Saturday, June 9, 2012

Listen to Calliope by Caroline Smith and the Good Night Sleeps

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Caroline Smith’s career began as a solo artist with a residency at Minneapolis’ 400 Bar, a once reputable venue pivotal in shaping the careers of Elliott Smith, Conor Oberst, and local hero, Mason Jennings. Here she developed an independent sound which continues to be characterized by simple chord structures supporting sweet pop vocal melodies. Most recognizable in her music and the defining quality to her success is her alto singing voice quivering through vibrato, classic and controlled with the presence of Billie Holiday, Leslie Feist, and Joanna Newsom.

The prominent sound is of gentle folk instrumentation- acoustic guitar, banjo, piano, glockenspiel while Caroline’s singing floats above in innocent and playful imagery and catchy pop hooks. Her band’s independently released LP has made major waves online, on air, and on tour. 7 national tours and constant circuit through the Midwest has garnered a committed following of audiences around the US.

Listen to Suburban Life by Elizabeth Arynn

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Elizabeth Arynn is a singer/songwriter, born in South Carolina and raised in Des Moines, Iowa, for a majority of her life. Arynn has spent time traveling around the states building a solid fan base to put out her freshmen album.

Her debut album, “Drifter,” features contributions by The River Monks, Brandon Carnes, Our Lady, Kirk Donley, Dustin Sendejas, Mallory Heggen, & Illinois. She titled it the “Drifter” after her debut song, and is inspired by taking chances, traveling across the country, and standing strong even when you find yourself alone.

Listen to Moon Beggar by The Sudden Lovelys

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Hailing from Nordeast Minneapolis, this duo began in the summer of 2010. Daniel writes poetry, plays guitar and sings. He sits on a bicycle seat atop an old steamer trunk and stomps his foot. Paige has a voice like the angels and also adds a unique brand of hand percussion. Together they are wonderfully unpredictable. Quiet pretty songs, coupled with those that will bite your head off is a common theme.

The Sudden Lovelys released their six song EP “Songs From A Hallway” in the summer of 2010, shortly after the group formed. Early in 2011, the duo took off on their first national tour, making their way to Austin, TX to play at the SXSW music festival. Returning home with a surplus of original music, The Sudden Lovelys recorded three full length albums and released them all simultaneously. The duo has gone on multiple cross country tours since.

Listen to Tightrope Walker by The Host Country

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The Host Country was born while Ty Wistrand and Diana Garles were attending the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. They found they shared a passion for similar artists and styles of writing that led them to begin collaborating together to see what kind of music they could create together. The result is a sound that is emotional and honest. Sparse, yet powerful.

They officially began playing under the name ‘The Host Country’ shortly after Ty moved to Des Moines in early 2011 and started playing venues both there and in Cedar Falls. In May 2011 they recorded an EP at the Sonic Factory Studios in Des Moines which displays the folk and rock roots on which they built their sound.

This week sponsored by: