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2 weeks ago | 
beatsperminute.com | Larry McClain
No, it’s not the Northern Lights. That glow in the night sky is the arrival of a new star from Iceland. Glóey (who wisely shortened her name from Glóey Eyjólfsdóttir) just released her debut single “Away” that’s quickly rising up several Fresh Finds playlists. It’s an LGBTQ+ love ballad that’s intimate and beautifully sung. Gloey’s voice has a confidence and command that you seldom hear in a new artist. Listeners may hear parallels to other great singers like American treasure Sophia James.
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2 weeks ago | 
beatsperminute.com | Larry McClain
It’s a little early to cast votes for Song of the Year and Vocal Performance of the Year, but my early ballot goes to LA artist Caroline Kingsbury for her new single “Shock Treatment”. This song is early 80s ecstasy – like an unreleased Cyndi Lauper track or perhaps an Annie Lennox/Michael Jackson song that should have been on Thriller. For those who are clamoring to know who’s the next Chappell Roan poised for a breakout year, look no further than Kingsbury.
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3 weeks ago | 
theindiescene.co.uk | Larry McClain
The erstwhile singer-songwriter makes the leap to gritty power pop. Even though she won top honours at the 2023 International Singer-Songwriter Association (ISSA) awards, Laura Musgrave is a rocker at heart. The East Midlands-based artist has a new single called Habit Of A Lifetime that will transport you instantly to the heyday of Paramore, with just a hint of contemporary greats like Pale Waves. Produced by Becky Willard, the new single has been featured on BBC Music Introducing.
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3 weeks ago | 
beatsperminute.com | Larry McClain
The folk supergroup I’m With Her consists of three multi-Grammy winners with deep roots in the folk scene: Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan and Sara Watkins. One of the highlights of their new album Wild And Clear And Blue is “Find My Way To You”, where the group’s acoustic virtuosity is a refreshing vacation from the glitchy Charli XCX-type songs that dominate today’s charts.
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3 weeks ago | 
beatsperminute.com | Larry McClain
It’s been a long, strange trip for singer-songwriter Merrick Winter, who was raised by Anglo-American parents in Fairfield, Iowa, home to the Maharishi University. In addition to learning meditation, he soaked up plenty of Jackson Browne/Randy Newman influences before moving to the UK at age 12.
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4 weeks ago | 
beatsperminute.com | Larry McClain
Most pop songs don’t employ sumptuous strings, but there are two this month that are superb: the Barbra Streisand/Hozier duet of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and the new single from LA artist Fiona Grey entitled “Another Casualty”. In addition to being one of today’s most accomplished singers, Grey’s songwriting is likewise stellar. This song features one of the best lines of the year: “I’m codependent if I stay, a co-defendant if I go.” Yet it’s not a conventional love song.
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4 weeks ago | 
beatsperminute.com | Larry McClain
Georgie & Joe are an East London duo that’s been hailed in the UK press as “deliciously fun” and “unpredictable” – and their new single “Pacemaker” is all that and more. I predict that they’ll soon be a post-modern power couple dominating the charts worldwide. Georgie Hoare and Joe Bedell-Brill are both fabulous vocalists and producers with a knack for turning the Yamaha DX7 into an engine of whimsy and pop enchantment.
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4 weeks ago | 
beatsperminute.com | Larry McClain
Even though she won top honors at the 2023 International Singer-Songwriter Association (ISSA) awards, Laura Musgrave is a rocker at heart. The East Midlands-based artist has a new single called “Habit Of A Lifetime” that will transport you instantly to the heyday of Paramore, with just a hint of contemporary greats like Pale Waves. Produced by Becky Willard, the new single has been featured on BBC Music Introducing.
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1 month ago | 
beatsperminute.com | Larry McClain
There are many types of concept albums these days, but Grammy-nominated artist Leslie Jordan has given us deeply personal one with The Agonist. It’s the saga of Robert Gott, the grandfather she never knew – a man who left his family and roamed Jack Kerouac-style for much of his life. Shortly after his death, Jordan’s mother received a box of poems and stories penned by the enigmatic wanderer, which became the inspiration for The Agonist.
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1 month ago | 
beatsperminute.com | Larry McClain
Yev Rosso, aka YEV, is a Ukrainian-American artist who now lives in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. His debut album pays homage to the resilience of Ukrainian refugees and war veterans. YEV’s voice (reminiscent of Roy Orbison and Jeff Buckley) is the focal point of the powerful song “Witness”. YEV’s latest work draws heavily from his own immigrant story and the challenges of uprooting a life to start anew. “‘Witness’ is a cathartic call for unity and strength,” says YEV.
