Chelsea Kane

Hi everyone,

Every year those brits over at BBC nominate musical acts to watch for the coming year and they’re usually on the money. Sure, sometimes acts that are very popular abroad don’t always break here in the states but let’s be real: Good music is good music. Thanks to the Internet you can sample music from all over the world – it’s amazing!


 
While browsing BBC’s latest Sound of 2012 list I immediately fell in love with Lianna La Havas whose voice is so warm and soft. I want to just curl up inside out of her songs and take a vacation. Her musical and vocal style is somewhat understated but extremely charming and familiar. Somehow after listening to a couple songs of her songs I felt like I’ve known Lianna for some time. Check out Lianne perform her track “Age” while riding in the back of taxi cab:

Did you like Lianna La Havas sound? Are there any other acts you’re excited for this year? Leave a recent musical discovery for me in the comments

Peace, Love and Sparkles,
Chelsea

Hi everyone,



Meet the talented Alex Winston who I haphazardly found on youtube and now I’m hooked on her free spirited charm and catchy songs. Miss Winston is an indie-pop singer from Michigan who was classically trained as an opera singer. She’s released a several tracks and EPs over the past year or so but this video is what caught my attention:



Isn’t that video just to die for? I love the concept of a locomotive music performance and the natural acoustics of their location is amazing. Her voice has an interestingly sweet sound without making her sound young – in fact, she exudes a very powerful presence through her vocals.

If you’re like me and would like to hear more from Alex Winston you cab check out her latest offering called Velvet Elvis is available for purchase here. Keep your eyes and ears open because I have a good feeling about Miss Winston and expect to hear more from her soon.

I loved her video so much that I watched it a couple times and it ended up reminding me about my trip to Paris back in 2009:



Did you like the locomotive video? Have you heard of Alex Winston before? Have you ever been to paris? Dish it in the comments.

Peace, Love and Sparkles,
Chelsea

Hi everyone,



I want to introduce you to an up and coming LA based band called Juice. Julia Lucafo or “Juice” is the lead singer and songwriter for this rad group of musicians and you’ve just got to give them a listen. If I had to describe their sound I’d say they’re an insanely catchy rock band with a retro twist. Here’s a video of Juice performing their track “Hey Mr.” live at Studio City Sound:



Julia exudes a vintage charm both musically and in person - she's a little flower child with a badass personality. I’ve known Julia for a while and I think the best way to describe her is as a modern day Janis Joplin. It doesn’t get better than that ladies and gentlemen. If you enjoy intimate live shows and a good time then go see Juice perform at the famous Rainbow Room tonight, January 17th @ 10PM.


What’d you think of Juice? Have you ever been to the Rainbow Room before? I’m obsessed with Julia’s style and talent – so if you go, you just might catch me one of these days. ;)

Peace, Love and Sparkles,
Chelsea

Hi everyone,

Remember when I told you all about the mysterious siren they call Lana Del Rey? Well, looks like she’s been quite busy performing, accepting awards and making new music since we last checked in on her. In fact, it was recently announced that Daniel Radcliffe will make his Saturday Night Live hosting debut on January 14 and guess who will be the musical guest? Yup, LDR in NYC on SNL. Haha, couldn’t help it.



Check out her latest music video below for her latest single and title track for her upcoming album “Born To Die”.



She sure knows how to bring the drama, huh? Ms. Lana Del Rey has released several songs so far and you can check them all out on her YouTube channel. Which one is your favorite? If you’re hungry for more LDR then you’re in luck because she releases her album on January 31st and you can go ahead and pre-order it via Amazon here.

Will you tune in to watch LDR perform on SNL along with first-time host Harry Potter?! Do you know of any other on screen performances that I should be recording on my DVR? Dish it below people!

Peace, Love and Sparkles,
Chelsea

Hi everyone,

Today I want to share my latest musical discovery with you and his name is Bernhoft, an uber talented musician from Norway. His soulful voice will undoubtedly make you feel kinda woozy inside and once you see all his musical multi-tasking you’ll be hooked. Check out the video for his song “C’mon” that scored him a visit to perform live on The Ellen Show last September:



He’s been making music for years in a couple bands but most recently has done solo work and that’s what caught my attention. His style is a very layered and funky mix of playful vocal elements with upbeat percussion – though, not in a traditional drum kit sense. Bernhoft really makes his music original by relying on looping pedals and impeccably timed self-percussion, such as beatboxing, slapping his guitar and other fun tricks.

He’s by no means the first to employ this style of musical layering, however he stands out to me because his voice lends itself so well to the upbeat funky pop sound he favors over more experimental or alternative (ala radiohead) styles. His album actually has studio versions of his songs that feel a lot more produced and radio-ready, but I prefer his live versions. Expect to hear more from Bernhoft and hopefully he’ll go back to his stripped down live style on his next album!

What’d you think of Bernhoft’s style of music and fashion? Do you know of any other artists that use this layering style in their music? Does his voice remind anyone else of John Legend? Let me know below in the comments.

Peace, Love and Sparkles,
Chelsea

Hi everyone,

Remember when r&b ruled the airwaves and guys sang beautiful love songs to some mysterious girl and you wished it was you? Well, those days aren’t over yet my friends – I’d like you to meet an old friend of mine, The Roy English aka Brandon Wronski. I’ve been a fan of Brandon since his last musical project, Eye Alaska and I love his solo stuff from his latest ep FearLove.

 source: music.ninelleefremova.com

The FearLove ep sounds very enya meets badass and with his amazing vocals, it’s impossible not to think back on a simpler time when love songs were the norm. I think the radio could use a dosage of some straight up soulful love ballads for a change – don’t you?

Here’s an unplugged version of his track appropriately titled “Ever After” and just a tip, listen to it like it’s about you:



Dreamy right? You can check out the rest of The Roy English FearLove ep here on his soundcloud.

How’d you like The Roy English? He’s been making music for years and with his latest offering, I’m sure there’s still plenty more to expect :) What song would you like to hear The Roy English cover? Comment away.

Peace, Love and Sparkles,
Chelsea

Hi everyone,

Every once in a while I’ll hear a song in passing and become entranced by it, without having any idea who it is. This kind of stuff drives me crazy. Crazy I tell you! But today I can rest a little easier because I’ve solved the mystery behind this voice:

Meet Jasmine van den Bogarde, who goes by the stagename Birdy, a fifteen year old girl from the UK who is enchanting people with her amazing voice and beautiful piano renditions of songs old and new. Believe it or not, Birdy got her start a couple years ago when she won a singing competition called Open Mike UK. She recently released her UK debut album comprised of mostly covers, but don’t worry, you can buy it here on Amazon.



She reminds me of Florence Welch mixed with something sweeter and more earnest that only such a lovely young girl could transmit (braces included). As you may have noticed, I’m obsessed with this girl’s music and cannot wait to get my hands on more of her original stuff. Until then, I will have this nifty record of old favorites reimagined on constant rotation.



What did you think of Birdy’s voice and musical style? Seriously, her covers are making my life right now – which one did you like best? Tell me in the comments.

Peace, Love and Sparkles,
Chelsea

source: quitmumbling.com

Hi everyone,

Mysterious YouTube sensation, Lana del Rey, is seriously taking the blogosphere by storm with her sultry vocals and retro style. Her sound can be described as a love song with a decidedly tragic ending and sass for days. This siren from New York is getting compared to the likes of Cat Power and Florence and the Machine – not bad for a young newcomer!

source: hypetrak.com

Aside from her music, I’m loving Lana del Rey’s classic 60s looks crossed with edgier modern elements. How cute is that flower crown? I want one – now! I’m really digging her vintage inspired video for her track ‘Video Games’. It reminds me of the iPhone app 8mm – check it out below:

So what you did you think of Lana del Rey’s throwback sound? Who does she remind you of? Sound off in the comments.

Peace, Love and Sparkles,
Chelsea

Hi everyone,

Up and coming hip hop producer and musician, Darren Williams, aka Star Slinger, makes electronic music infused with hip hop beats. Aside from his original music, Star Slinger has done remixes for the likes of Foster the People, Gold Panda, Childish Gambino and Broken Social Scene.

There’s not much more to say other than that I’m completely hooked! I’m especially loving his track Mornin’– it sets the perfect mood for getting your day started off right!

So what do you think of Star Slinger? If you're in LA you can catch him at the Troubadour in West Hollywood on 10/7. Share some of your favorite musical artists with a similar sound in the comments so I can give them a listen!

Peace, Love and Sparkles,
Chelsea

source: myspace.com/elizadoolittle

Hi everyone,

Have you heard about a lil’ British dynamo by the name of Eliza Sophie Caird? No? How about Eliza Doolittle?

source: guardian.co.uk

I first discovered this stylish singer right around this time last year, and her poppy yet soulful tracks have been popping up on my iPod and brightening my days ever since.

I love Doolittle’s original tracks like “Rollerblades” and “Pack Up,” but I also appreciate her ability to absolutely kill it when it comes to cover songs. Take, for example, this sultry cover of Justin Bieber’s hit song “Baby” (I know, I know, but trust me on this!):

Fun Fact: Eliza has a side project featuring loads of talented young Brits (like pal Nick Harrison) called “Eliza and Friends Present.” Here’s one of my favorites by them - “Millionaire”:

So what do you think of Ms. Doolittle? Are there any other British recording artists you’re into at the moment? Let me know in the comment section below.

Peace, Love and Sparkles,
Chelsea