“It don’t have to change” (especially when it sounds this good)
I just have to say it: I love Julia Nunes.
She’s got everything a good musician, in my humble opinion, should have: a killer voice, a fun personality that makes you want to become her bff, and a down-to-earth spirit.
Her videos vary from quirky covers, to soulful ballads (like the cover below) and her approach to music is where the industry is heading. In a January article from The Stranger, Paul Constant sums this up nicely, “Nunes is part of a generation of musicians who make their own media and personally cultivate adoring fan bases online. Their DIY approach refutes the impersonal megastar tactics the record labels have lived on for decades.”
Nunes sells out shows up and down the east coast when she’s touring, she’s played shows with Ben Folds and is set to perform at this year’s Bonnaroo.
Her most recent video is “It don’t have to change” originally by John Legend. It’s a little more “serious” than the majority of her videos, but the performance is consistent with her unique personality.
For some fun and funky videos, I suggest checking out the following covers:
“Jesus Walks” by Kanye West, “Her Majesty” by The Beatles, “Survivor” by Destiny’s Child.
Want more Julia?
You can download Julia’s EP on iTunes, follow her on Twitter, and visit her website here.
All your favorite TV theme songs in one video
TV theme songs are so fun. They’re quirky, catchy and remind you that it’s time to sit down after a long day and enjoy some laughs and entertainment. When your favorite show isn’t on, have no fear, Fredde Gredde of Switzerland has made a compilation that is sure to hit your favorite TV show nostalgia nerve.
Despite the fact that Fredde states outright on his bio, “Sorry that I can’t upload videos more often, it just takes too much time, and time is money you know!” this is definitely a situation of quality versus quantity. For some fantastic covers, check out the TV Theme Medley video (below) and the 32 Songs in 8 Minutes video. For originals, see The Wayfarer and Beside Me.
As always, if you like what you see, feel free to subscribe to Fredde’s YouTube channel, Freddie25. Download the full MP3 here.
TV Medley (full list of theme songs below video).
0:01 Two and a Half Men
0:22 The Simpsons
0:36 O.C
1:00 Naruto
1:11 Family Guy
1:41 Married with Children
1:57 Cheers
2:16 That 70’s Show
2:41 Big Love
2:58 Freaks and Geeks
3:18 Malcolm in the Middle
3:35 X-Files
3:55 Firefly
4:09 The Office
4:24 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
4:44 Scrubs
4:54 True Blood
5:27 Charles in Charge
5:38 The Big Bang Theory
5:55 How I Met Your Mother
6:05 Mission Impossible
6:14 Friends
A “Hey Soul Sister” cover always looks better in a Red Beanie
“I do not know HOW to sing. I think I can adequately hold a note but I do not have any skills or techniques used by professionals,” claims Chris Holmes of Red Beanie Music.
But 551,587+ people (total video upload views) beg to differ.
Her music isn’t glitzy or glamorous, but with videos that cover anyone from Paramore to Corinne Bailey Rae, Chris Holmes proves herself wrong- she does know how to sing.
Check out her cover of “Hey Soul Sister” by Train— an impressive cover for someone who doesn’t know how to sing.
If you like what you hear, check out the rest of Chris’s YouTube videos and visit her MySpace page, which has a few original overs. I particularly really like “What it Means to Hold a Hand”
How sweet is a sweet pea? I bet Amos Lee knows.
I like to call Amos Lee a “small artist with big reach.” He’s a singer songwriter who’s music and shows have gained widespread exposure because of his talent, not his Hollywood antics, like some other singer songwriters out there (I’m looking at you, John Mayer).
Many people will recognize Amos Lee’s “Sweet Pea” from AT&T’s cell phone coverage commercial, but he’s been on the scene since 2005 and his music has been featured on hit TV shows like House and Grey’s Anatomy and he’s performed at notable music festivals like Coachella, Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits. Having had the pleasure to produce a show with Amos Lee in 2007, I’ve seen first hand that his personality is just as genuine as his music.
Now that you know Amos Lee, let me introduce you to Nick and NJ from Pacific Union College. While they’ve only got a few videos on YouTube, what they lack in quantity is certainly made up in quality.
What is great about their cover of Amos Lee’s “Sweet Pea” is the amount of energy, soulful harmonies and personality that bursts throughout the video. Take a look for yourself and if you like what you hear, don’t forget to subscribe or rate their video. They’ve also got two original tracks up on MySpace worth checking out.
Gabe Bondoc: For some musicians, there’s only one shot
Sometimes in life, you only have one shot to get it right (or as close to right as possible).
Musician Gabe Bondoc gets his one shot every time he records a video for YouTube. On his channel, he does “OTS” or One Take Sessions where he records a video only once. Some videos have mistakes, some don’t, but they get uploaded as-is. He’s got a variety of videos on his channel ranging classic covers (Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror”) to silly originals (“Twitter Song”).
What I love about Gabe and his music is that it’s very, very genuine. He doesn’t beg people to subcribe, comment and rate his videos- rather, he exudes a general excitement about sharing his music with the world.
Check out his cover of John Mayer’s “Neon” below, and if you’re in the mood for something silly and fun, check out his “Twitter Song” below that.
If you like what you hear, subscribe to his YouTube channel, follow him on Twitter, and listen to some of his more polished tracks on MySpace.
Cover- John Mayer “Neon”
Original song- “Twitter Song”
“Oh Vienna” your sounds are smooth like the rain
It’s a rainy day here in D.C. and Joel Bickford’s cover of Passion’s “Oh Vienna” is the perfect song to set the tone for a day like today.
Joel hails from Davenport, Iowa and has a Jazz-y-Blues-Folk-Pop sound, also known as “musical deliciousness.”
From what I can tell, Joel is just breaking into the music scene, but he’s doing it with with a big amount of talent.
Watch his cover of “Oh Vienna” below and for the rest of his videos, visit TheJoelBickford YouTube page.
Keep up with Joel on Twitter, become a fan of his music on Facebook and check out his recent jams on MySpace (and tell your friends about him!)
I’ve never heard a more refreshing, “Hello”
There’s something so distinctive about Gloria Lee’s voice- it’s, pure, refreshing and just plain fun. Annnnd she reminds me of Zee Avi, someone who went from YouTube to Monotone/Brushfire Records (Jack Johnson, ALO, the White Stripes…). My fingers are crossed that Gloria Lee gets the same kind of recognition some day.
Besides her distinctive vocal style, Gloria spices up her songs and covers by recoring multiple harmonies and mixes in some creative edits to her videos. I really can’t say enough good things about Gloria, so I’ll let her video do the talking.
Sit back, relax, and watch “Hello”- an original by Gloria Lee (if you like what you hear, download the MP3 for free here).
Awesome voice, loves Zelda, takes on Rihanna: Christina Grimmie
Christian Grimmie is a teen with a lot of talent and a whole lot of heart.
At first glance, one wouldn’t suspect that she’s a self-professed “video game geek” but the Sonic the Hedgehog poster that makes an appearance in nearly all of her videos and her YouTube screen name, zeldaxlove64, help give it away.
A true musician, Christina plays the piano for everyone one of her videos. The numbers on Christina’s YouTube channel speak for themselves, with 10.8 million views on her 26 videos in just a little over a year, there’s no denying that people like to listen to and watch her perform.
Via her YouTube bio, Christian says:
“Hey ! I’m Christina Grimmie ! I’m 15, i’m obsessed with Zelda. Im a Christian, love Jesus Christ, He’s my Lord & Savior, i also love mario and prety much im just a videogame geek. I love to sing, write music, and i never take a ride in a car without my ipod. like, ever. mario and zelda are amazing and i probly know EVERYTHING about zelda ocarina of time.”
I think she has a strong voice with a lot of soul and I am impressed with the variety of genres that she covers on her channel, everything from R&B to country to pop. Check out her version of Rihanna’s “Unfaithful” below:
If you like what you heard, visit her page at http://www.youtube.com/user/zeldaxlove64 and be sure to subscribe.
Pomplamoose Music (or grapefruit if you’re French) take on Beyonce
Jack and Natlay of Pomplamoose are as surprising as a the first time I tried grapefruit- it didn’t taste how I had expected it to, but I liked it!
Most of the videos on their YouTube page are VideoSongs, which they describe as:
1. What you see is what you hear (no lip-syncing for instruments or voice).
2. If you hear it, at some point you see it (no hidden sounds).
What impresses me the most about their cover of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” is that they’ve taken the song and made it their own, but kept the elements that made the original so catchy and likable in the first place.
Check out the video for yourself! What are your thoughts on this cover? Is it too different?
If you like what you heard, download the free MP3.
Find them online:
Buy their album on iTunes
Follow Pomplamoose on Twitter
Listen to Pomplamoose on MySpace
Watch the rest of their videos on YouTube
Sam Tsui & Kurt Schneider: Michael Jackson Melody
This is probably one of the most unique and creative executions of a Michael Jackson cover I’ve seen. Kurt Schneider, a songwriter/music producer, arranged and produced the following video while Sam Tsui, a singer/songwriter, lent strong vocals to create an amazing rendition of some of MJ’s greatest hits.
There are so many great artist on YouTube who sing straight into their Web cams, which is great, but I really appreciate the fact that Kurt takes the time to created a fun and creative video for his audience. If you’re looking for some more great videos by Sam and Kurt, check out their cover of Jay Sean’s “Down” and their Glee inspired cover of “Don’t Stop Believin.'”
Like what you saw and heard? Subscribe to Kurt’s YouTube channel. It’s loaded with 28 videos, including a short film series called “College Musical.” If you want to connect with Sam on Twitter, follow him here and fan him on Facebook while you’re at it.
YouTube Tunes 