2014 gave us a lot of great music and it looks like that trend will continue throughout this year. Several beloved groups are releasing new albums and their fans couldn’t be happier. Artists from Sleater-Kinney and Modest Mouse to Marilyn Manson and D’Angelo (although his came out at the very end of 2014) are giving their fans new music and hopefully gaining new listeners along the way. Two of my personal favorites: The Decemberists and Death Cab for Cutie (coming out in March) are releasing new albums and I can’t wait to listen to them on repeat.
But let’s not forget about all of the new artists trying to make a name for themselves in the ever changing music scene. English songwriter Geogre Ezra is everywhere right now thanks to his hit song Budapest. Two of Ezra’s biggest influences are Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie and that comes through in many of his songs. Meghan Trainor is riding the wave from “All About That Bass” as she releases her debut album Title. I’ve listened to it and I have to say I enjoy the albums mix of doo-wop, pure pop, and ballads. Her duet with the great John Legend is a real highlight. Another artist to keep an eye on is Mikky Ekko who just released Time. His duet with Rihanna for “Stay” has been viewed over 350 million times on youtube. He adds a great bluesy quality to his music which helps to make it more memorable than a lot of pop music, just check out “Smile“.
A few more suggestions if I may:
Belle & Sebastian – Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance
Ella Henderson – Chapter One will be in our catalog soon, until then here’s her single “Ghost”
Jose Gonzalez – Vestiges & Claws
Joshua Radin – Onward & Sideways (Shaker Heights native)
Imagine Dragons – Smoke + Mirrors
Lone Bellow – Then Came the Morning
Michelle Chamuel – Face the Fire
Milky Chance – Sadnecessary
Milo Greene – Control
Ne-Yo – Non-Fiction
Paolo Nutini – Caustic Love
Seth Avett & Jessica Lea Mayfield – album of Elliott Smith covers
Twin Shadow – Eclipse
The snow may be piled high and the bitter cold may seem like too much to bare, but the future looks bright for music lovers everywhere. So get yourselves on the waiting lists for these new albums and enjoy listening to some music as we wait for Spring!
