Ellie Goulding Review

Ellie Goulding is an electroacoustic/ pop singer whose distinct, wispy and pretty unusual voice helps differentiate her from other aspiring singers of today. In 2010 Ellie Goulding won the Critics Choice at the Brit Awards which gained her a lot of positive attention, causing her already large fan base to grow. 

In March 2010 Ellie Goulding released "Lights" which went straight to number one in the UK album charts. The album includes many great songs such as Starry Eye, Guns and Horses, and The Writer.

With the success of "Lights"  Ellie Goulding re-released the album in November and renamed it "Bright Lights." The new re-released album includes six new songs and proves to be just as popular as Lights. Ellie Goulding recently revealed she would be releasing a second "more emotional" album sometime in 2013.

I was lucky enough to catch the end of Ellie Goulding's set at Glastonbury Music Festival and was pleasantly surprised how good she was live. Although she seemed pretty overwhelmed by the large crowd and said very little between songs, she still managed to give a great performance.

Since seeing Ellie Goulding live, she has gone on to headline at a number of big venues/festivals and even been chosen to sing for the White House and at Prince William's and Kate Middleton's Wedding.

Tour dates:
2nd March. Odyssey Arena Belfast - Belfast.
5th March. Nottingham Capital FM Arena - Nottingham
8th March. Liverpool Echo 2 - Liverpool
9th March. London the O2 - London
12th March. Theatre at Madison Square Garden - NYC
13th March. Theatre at Madison Square Garden - NYC

For more information about tickets and tour dates (European, Australia, New Zealand and N.American) check out: http://elliegoulding.com/live-dates/

Augustines

Augustines, made up of Billy McCarthy, Eric Sanderson and Rob Allen, are an American indie rock band from Brooklyn.

With an upcoming tour due to start in the next couple of weeks - it kicks off in Phoenix - and the recent release of their second album "Augustines" this band are certainly making an impression on the current music scene.

Their debut album "Rise Ye Sunken Ships" was a great album, featuring an array of good songs including "Chapel Song," "Strange Days" and "New Drink for the Old Drunk." The first single released from the album was "Book of James." When listening to this album it becomes evident that the boys have been through some pretty dark times, however what is good is their ability to use these painful experiences and convert them into great songs.

Their second album "Augustines" was released on February 3rd and although it is not quite on the same level as their debut it is still very good. Songs from this album worth checking out are "The Avenue," "Weary Eyes" and "Nothing To Lose But Your Head." Despite their great songs I have to admit the main driving force to liking this band is because of lead singer Billy McCarthy. His voice is something else - raspy and raw, he sings in a way that leaves you utterly convinced he means every word. If I was to compare him, in terms of performance style and voice I would straight away say Brian Fallon from The Gaslight Anthem.

This band have received a string of great reviews from their previous tour dates and I would seriously urge you to check them out. If you are keen to see them I would advise buying tickets sooner rather than later as their shows often sell out.

Check out their website for further information on tickets and tour dates (incl. European) http://www.weareaugustines.com/tour/

Twitter: @WeAreAugustines

Miner

After listening to this band on repeat for the last week I have decided it is time to spread the word.

Although I would love to say I found this band purely on my own, alas this wasn't the case. No, I sadly have to give all the credit to the american TV show 'Hart of Dixie' which featured this band in last weeks episode.

So who are they? Well, Miner are a six piece folk band from Los Angeles who formed together last year (2013). Made up of mostly family members, the line up consists of Justin & Kate Miner (husband & wife), Jeremy Miner (brother), Amanda Koosed (cousin), Justin Krook and Dave Schechtman.

When it comes to their sound, Miner reminds me a great deal of The Lumineers and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetics. Their upbeat, stomp-and-clap, catchy music is the perfect answer to providing that all important feel good factor. With a highly anticipated  debut album 'Into The Mountain' set to release on February 25th, I urge you all to check them out.

Here is the official video for their single 'Hey Love.'

Although they are only currently touring around the West Coast of America, I will be keeping a close eye on further tour dates and locations.

For more information check out their
           Web page: http://www.thisisminer.com/

           Twitter: @thisisminer