A few months ago, I placed the spotlight on emerging artist Alex Aiono and his infectious splash of bubblegum pop. I was fascinated with the fact that he’s just a baby (at only 16!) and already working with industry giants. His new track for Young & Foolish was co-written by John Legend for crying out loud.

Alex has just released the lyric video for the tune and it’s, well, adorable.

Fun fact: Alex held a contest across his social media platforms and the winner’s name (Elisabeth D.) can be seen written on the dress of Alex’s love interest in the clip.

Having co-written jams with Babyface and recently signing a deal with BMG Publishing, this kid’s resume is already admirable.

Lyric video for Young and Foolish below!

[Related Post: One To Watch: Alex Aiono]

The Maine have released their brand new music video for These Four Words on VEVO. The track, taken from the Arizona pop/rocker’s long-awaited new album Forever Halloween, is nakedly heartfelt.

The bare-bones/black and white clip features Margeaux Brooke from The Face. On her personal blog, Margeaux wrote of the experience: “This beautifully done, single-shot video was directed by my good friend Daniel James Gomes. I just want to thank him for giving me the opportunity to push myself and my acting ability for this very sad, raw and relatable scene.”

Forever Halloween is available on iTunes now.

The Maine is currently headlining the “8123″ Tour along with A Rocket To The Moon, This Century and Brighten.

Watch the emotional These Four Words clip below.

This is the most honest record I’ve heard in years. LeAnn Rimes has taken the pain of tabloid fodder and created an album that solidifies her place as one of the greatest female performers in country music. Her voice is crystal clear and her nails are sharp. Not many women could have handled the sexist double standard in this situation the way that she has. She is no longer a child prodigy but a female pioneer, tearing down the celebrity walls and revealing a vulnerable human being underneath.

Two of my favorite tracks from Spitfire below: Who We Are (tear-felt live performance) + the incredible Where I Stood following.

Painfully gorgeous!

[Related Post: Rimes Releases Stunning Ballad To Ex-Husband]

Johan Rodrigues is a sweet liquid in which to soak your tympanic membranes. Since falling in love with an acoustic guitar at fifteen, he has trekked against this wide open valley we call musical creation. Combing mellow alt rock with radio-friendly pop, his five-track EP Um is a pure, glowing sound-stream.

Johan played in different bands with friends throughout his youth, all the while recording more personal, intimate compositions on a tape recorder. He kept these “secret” songs to himself so that they’d be safe for use in future projects. Um is the first time he has revealed such pieces for public consumption.

He calls this EP the beginning of an adventure, as well as his own individual interpretation of pop music. If this is so, I prefer his interpretation to the more mainstream definitions. This EP is indicative of an evolution within a long-standing genre, and that’s exciting to see!

What do you think?
　

MARIA CIEZAK: You guys are one of my/New Jersey’s best-kept secrets. For future fans, can you provide us with a brief background story? How did you all come together?

TREVOR NEWCOMB of ONLY LIVING BOY: First off, thanks for doing this interview with us. We really don’t want to be a secret, so we appreciate it. The first time we played on stage together was probably in the 6th grade. We kept playing and learning together and we went on to graduate high school together. In 2006, we formed Rabid Roy with the intension of “making it.” Rabid Roy became OLB after a couple of tough years and one bad record contract. Since the formation of OLB, we’ve independently toured most of the country, put out a few full-lengths and several singles and EPs… You know, trucking.

MC: Now I am assuming the band is named after the Paul Simon song? Are you guys mega fans?

OLB: We all love us some Paul Simon but the name is just a coincidence. We needed a name for the band and after several months of tossing around terrible ideas, Paul Simon’s Only Living Boy in New York came on the radio while we were on our way to a jam. The rest is history.

MC: You just released a new EP entitled Cool Collected Headcase, and it’s been getting a ton of buzz. I know you worked with Paul Ritchie from The Parlor Mob in the past. Where was this recording done?

OLB: We plan on working with Paul again; he’s the shit. This time around, we got the opportunity to work with Billy Perez at SST Studio in Weehawken. SST isn’t on a lot of people’s radar, but I suppose that’s purposeful. To put is plainly, SST is the most incredible studio we’ve sat foot in. Throughout the years, as some of the big analog studios in NYC closed, SST acquired their gear. So it’s packed with incredible recording equipment and a ton of history. It’s in an amazing space – huge rooms, huge ceilings etc. They’ve hosted some ultra big acts. Everyone from the Crows to Nirvana to Sabbath has done something there. It’s crazy.

MC: Who does most of the writing? Is it a group effort?

OLB: Joe is the core writer, but once the rest of us get involved with his ideas you never know where the song is going to go.

MC: What comes first? The music or the lyrics?

OLB: One thing’s for sure, Joe writes 99% of the lyrics. He has books/journals of lyrics and ideas. I think some of his lyrics are done first and then it hangs around until the right song comes together, but most of the time it’s music, then lyrics.

MC: How do you keep yourselves so original in such a mainstream day and age? Do you even think about it?

OLB: Oh, certainly it’s best not to think of it. We just do us. We just try to maintain some sort of edginess and rawness. And of course, we try to record and perform with energy and power. And I suppose if there’s one benefit of being a trio, it’s the fact that there isn’t a lot of them out there and there’s way fewer that sound anything like us. I know lately we’ve been getting a lot of QOTSA comparisons and that’s cool, but I can tell you, with all honesty, we got that 5-6 years ago before we ever even knew of them. We are sponges. We absorb influences all the time. Everything we hear. It’s true.

MC: Your live set is something that everyone must experience. How do you determine a set list for each show? Does it require much catering to certain venues?

OLB: Thanks. We usually write out a set and then do some improving once we get going. And we don’t mind taking risks. We’ll play new songs or old songs that may or may not be ready for the stage. I think risk-taking is something that is important with rock. We aren’t afraid to push the envelope. We aren’t afraid to fuck up. When I see other bands perform with that attitude, and they pull it off, I think it’s exciting. Like watching a stuntman almost wreck.

We really try not to cater sets for anything, but inevitably we tend to play louder and harder at bigger places. Also, sometimes we play acoustic; we can do more than rock at 115db.

MC: Any tours coming up in the near future?

OLB: Hell yeah. As Lemmy from Motörhead says: “You’re not a real band if you don’t tour.” We’re heading out in July for a couple weeks, working our way out to the Roots Rock & Deep Blues Festival in Minneapolis, where we will join our good buds in Poverty Hash (their lead man, Joe Roberto plays harmonica on our track Spread Your Butter). Also, we’ll have to hit some college circuits in the fall. Lately, we’re looking for some good bands to hit the road with. It’s always more productive and fun that way.

MC: If you could place yourself on tour with any artist, who would it be and why?

OLB: We’d love to go out on the road with any band that rocks and can help us get in front of more people. Top pick: Queens of the Stone Age. Or any Dave Grohl or Josh Homme project. Those guys are the top dogs in rock, as far as I’m concerned.

MC: How much material is there in the Only Living Boy vault? Are there a lot that don’t make the record?

OLB: So much material. Between his solo stuff and the OLB stuff, that Joe Cirotti is a writing machine. Currently, we’re working on songs for the record that’s coming out after our next record. So we’re like three albums ahead already. We constantly write and record demos. Many of them don’t make it to the albums or haven’t yet. Many of them we still play live.

MC: What is the ultimate goal for Only Living Boy? The music business is so different these days. Is getting a record deal somewhat of a priority?

OLB: Good question…

Now, a record deal? That means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. And it doesn’t always involve the combination of exposure AND career that we are looking for. That being said, we will be looking for some sort of “deal” over the next few months, however, in the mean time, we won’t stop outing our music by ourselves.

MC: Now that you guys have made quite the name for yourselves in the Tri-state area, if you could have done anything differently, would you?

OLB: I spent most of my twenties traveling the country playing honest music with my two best friends – I’m pretty lucky. So I don’t have too many regrets.

One thing though, if you’re in a band and you’re thinking about signing to a label or some other business arrangement, consider who it is that represents you and what they have to gain/loose from the process. Sometimes it seems like someone is fighting for you when, really, they’re only worried about themselves or they may be too short-sighted to give two shits about how your career goes in the long term.

MC: What advice do you have for bands just starting out?

OLB: When pursuing your art, patience is the key and so is being yourself. That is, unless you’re ok with being a tool.

MC: Five words why people should listen to Only Living Boy.

OLB: Real rock and roll lives on…

Swedish singer/songwriter and Eurovision 2012 winner, Loreen, has really caught my attention with the new video for We Got The Power. Written by Ester Dean and produced by Patrik Berger and Easter Berger (Icona Pop/Rihanna/Robyn), the video (directed by Loreen herself) is captivating and striking.

Says Loreen, when speaking on her direction: “I always have a clear picture of what I want to convey in my artistry and feel a great responsibility for the things I release. Moving images, for me, creates an extra dimension to the music. In addition, we need more female directors in the industry. More women who dare to take place, just like the video for ‘We Got The Power’ is doing.”

Girl power!

Watch the visual feast unfold below.

Check out Berlin-based Abby, a 4-piece indie rock band that’s creating some serious chill vibes with their new song Evelyn. There’s something familiar + nostalgic about this track that I’m totally into. It also helps that it comes backed with a video treatment that presents the group as cool/fun-loving dudes.

It’s mellow music that’s perfect for a convertible drop top or headphones on the train/plane… The kind of jam that’s perfect for a little daydreaming contemplation.

Watch the just-released video for Evelyn below!

The Summer Set have debuted their new music video for Boomerang on VEVO, and I’m instantly hooked! The addictive track is off the band’s latest release, Legendary, which is available now via Fearless Records.

Besides releasing fun summer jams, the band also recently won the 2nd annual Macy*s/iHeartRadio Rising Star competition, which gives them the opportunity to perform alongside music’s biggest stars at this year’s 2-day iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas on September 20th & 21st.

Make sure to catch The Summer Set live this summer, performing on all dates of the Vans Warped Tour!

Video for Boomerang below.

[Related Post: On Heavy Rotation: The Summer Set]

Beyoncé is ruling soundtracks lately. First came the smooth cover of Amy Winehouse’s Back To Black for the Great Gatsby soundtrack, and now Queen B has contributed the inspirational track Rise Up for the animated film Epic! Not only is she providing material for the soundtrack, she also voices the role of Queen Tara in the film.

(I’ve seen the film and it’s awesome. Aziz Ansari made the movie for me.)

Written by Sia and featuring production from Hit-Boy and Chase N. Cashe, the beautiful song features blissful harmonies backed with touching lyrics: “Some people try to drag you down/ Take it from me, stand and be proud/ You’re a warrior/ You’re my warrior/ Be who you are.”

Listen to Bey’s Rise Up below.

I’ve always thought the best artists are the most hurt. And if that’s the case, Eve remains Queen. Eve bares her battle scars like a heavyweight champion. The new album isn’t about taking back any title, because she’s never truly been dethroned. Her lyrics are undeniable, high class, honest, raw, potent, deep. There’s not a single female rapper in the game that keeps it as genuine and piercing as E.V.E.

This track is an instant classic.

Listen to the incredible Never Gone (feat. Chrisette Michele) below.

Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Complete and total inspiration!