Milky Tea Kid Music Blog

Island, Soul, Party Duo Wild Belle Are The Perfect Soundtrack For The Summer

milkyteakid — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:51:55 +0000

One of my new summer jams that I have been listening to is Keep You by Wild Belle. It has been called island/soul/party music… I’m not sure what you would call it really but why label it? It’s a tasty song from this brother and sister duo. Check out their performance at a Mulberry pool party at Coachella this year. I’m looking forward to hearing more from these guys, I’ve only found a couple of tracks so far!

Best Coast Release New Album With A Free Download and Free Streaming!

milkyteakid — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:49:00 +0000

What more could you want from Best Coast? (Aside from a hand delivered album by the band themselves) but that is just pushing it. The band’s second album is called The Only Place and it is really good! Indie, grunge, pop, little bit of surf in there too; it’s a great combination.

NPR.com have got the album for you to stream for free if you want to take a listen to it. Check that out here: NPR Best Coast – The Only Place Free Stream

As well as that, you can get a free download of their single The Only Place below!

I love free stuff, don’t you? I’ll be buying my ticket to see them live though, that’s for sure.

ZZ WARD Performs ‘Move Like You Stole It’ & We’ve Got A Free Mixtape For You!

milkyteakid — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:35:05 +0000

ZZ Ward is an American songwriter with a strong love for blues and hip hop. I love her voice and her writing style, the songs have got a definite blues undertone but I wouldn’t class it as solely that genre. There is a free mixtape download that I highly recommend you download, it’s available from the ZZ Ward website. Get a taster below of her live performance of Move Like You Stole It.

Grimes Is Still Making Her Mark

milkyteakid — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:59:12 +0000

I’m still mightily intrigued by Grimes, are you? The Canadian musician (real name Claire Boucher) has recently become more well known. I would put it down to a few key and influential people talking about her on Twitter and the fact that she was on Later… with Jools Holland here in the UK. That is not to say that her music doesn’t speak for itself, because it does.

Grimes described writing the new album as being.. “equally enjoyable and tortuous but I feel like the fact that it was really hard was part of the reason that it was really good, y’know? I definitely look back on that time with fond memories, even though I remember crying and being like “I hate everything!” at the time! (Laughs) But I recorded it in my room in Montreal and it was a really good way to work”.

She is odd but I think that is what I find interesting, the music can also be odd but she seems like she has a lot to say in it as well. Anyone who records their album in their bedroom and releases it to the masses has my respect! I do wonder how entertaining her live performance is though… have you seen her live?

If you haven’t heard of Grimes, check out Oblivion below, the video has near to 1.5 million views in just under 3 months.

Also – Grimes has teamed up with a Montreal artist to design and create a line of themed rings inspired by… female parts. Yes I know… but here is the link: Grimes Rings

Ben Howard Covers Carly Rae Jepson’s Number 1 Track ‘Call Me Maybe’

milkyteakid — Tue, 08 May 2012 20:37:39 +0000

And boy does he do it well! In my humble opinion, if you are going to cover such a popular song that is easily recognisable and annoyingly catchy then you need to completely change it and put your own spin on it. I love Ben Howard, and his voice on this cover is gorgeous and I can listen to this song and forget about the original entirely, which is quite nice!

Hip Hop Duo Chiddy Bang Claim To Be The New Ray Charles

milkyteakid — Fri, 04 May 2012 14:40:00 +0000

‘I’m the new Ray Charles’

Now that’s quite a statement to make! The video has enough humour in it to know the guy doesn’t actually think that… right?! Check out the video for popular single Ray Charles by Chiddy Bang.

Emeli Sande Makes Beautiful American TV Debut Appearance

milkyteakid — Wed, 02 May 2012 11:15:59 +0000

Emeli Sande is a talented songwriter and singer, (if you didn’t know she has been songwriting for other artists for a long time now and she’s only 24). I love the tone of her voice and really like the acoustic stripped down performance of Next To Me that she performed on Conan below. A perfect way to showcase your songwriting.

Stooshe Release New Video For ‘Black Heart’

milkyteakid — Wed, 02 May 2012 11:11:44 +0000

Stooshe are back with a new video for their latest single, Black Heart. I am reluctant to say it is a more ‘serious’ song and video but in comparison to previous singles it is definitely less tongue in cheek and more heartfelt. The ladies hinted at some of these types of songs when I chatted to them before Christmas. Watch the Stooshe Interview here.

Album Review: ‘Out of the Game’ by Rufus Wainwright

milkyteakid — Tue, 01 May 2012 11:45:56 +0000

Out of the Game Album Review for fairsharemusic.com

Even with seven albums under his career belt, Rufus Wainwright still has a lot to say with his music. A little snippet of attention catching information is that well-known producer, songwriter and artist Mark Ronson was a main collaborator on this album. But don’t worry; although you might be expecting some signature Ronson elements, it is fundamentally Rufus Wainwright through and through. Apparently the song that inspired Ronson was the title track, Out of the Game and you can see why. The upbeat yet mellow track features gospel style backing vocals and a guitar that simply sounds like it’s underwater.

CONTINUE READING ON FAIRSHAREMUSIC.COM

What is the Best Way To Record Your Music?

milkyteakid — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:49:38 +0000

I overheard a conversation the other day, it was a heated debate between two people about the best way to record their music. One was adamant that you should do it all DIY with your own equipment and the other was saying it wouldn’t be anywhere as good as if you paid to use a recording studio. What are your thoughts on this?

I say it depends on what you are recording and why you are recording it. If you are recording a demo then it is a bit silly to pay out for a studio but if you are recording your debut EP or album then hiring somewhere like www.recordingstudiolondon.co.uk is probably the best option for you. A place that can make your music sound polished is much better than an obvious bedroom recording. But once again I go back to what it is you are recording your music for… as a singer songwriter, a home recorded EP/album works well with the style and fans will embrace that.

Then there is the argument that most ‘listeners’ will not be able to tell the difference between programmed drums and live drums and studio recorded music versus a track you recorded in your house. With all the equipment and software that is available to us musicians it is absolutely possible and cost effective to record music yourself… and if you get signed you will get heaps of studio time in order to re-record anyway!

I want to know about your experiences and your opinions on recording your music…

“A lot of our tracks have sounded a lot better than I thought they would because of recording, mixing, and because I probably didn’t hear it that way. I’m not a songwriter.”
Charlie Watts

“But some great records are are being made with today’s technology and there are still great artists among us. Likewise there are artists today who are so reliant on modern technology, they wouldn’t have emerged when recording was more organic.”
Tony Visconti