Anders Osborne - "Standing With Angels"

Today marks the release of "American Patchwork," the long-awaited release from Anders Osborne on Alligator Records. His best work yet, American Patchwork features Pepper Keenan (of Down and Corrosion Of Conformity) on guitar, Stanton Moore on drums, and Robert Walter on keys.

The album kicks off with the B3 and guitar-driven "On the Road to Charlie Parker" backed by the bold rhythms of Stanton Moore. From there, Osborne lays out a mix of emotions delivered with influences of rock, country, soul, and even a reggae-infused "Got Your Heart". Our featured song, the Springsteen-esque "Standing With Angels" deals with the loss of a loved one as they enter Heaven to watch down on others left behind.

There are many aspects to "American Patchwork," but the guitar work is simply phenomenal. Anders is already known for his amazing guitar playing, but add Pepper Keenan to the mix and you're left with nothing short of a masterpiece.

With the release of American Patchwork, Osborne will hit the road hard. After playing three times at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (and many more area appearances during the two-week festival), Anders Osborne will then start a six-week tour of the U.S. on a double bill with The Stanton Moore Trio, followed by further touring with his own band.

Links:
Official | Facebook | MySpace | ReverbNation | Twitter | iTunes | Alligator Records

Jeremy Davenport - "Mr. New Orleans"

In honor of The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival kicking off this weekend, I give you Jeremy Davenport's "Mr. New Orleans" featuring Kermit Ruffins. For those of you who don't know Kermit, he's the Master Chef/Trumpet Extraordinaire on HBO's new hit series, Treme.

Coming from a musical family in St. Louis, and having support from two of the biggest musical families in the Crescent City, Jeremy Davenport was destined to launch his musical career in New Orleans. After studying under the great Ellis Marsalis, Davenport spent 6 years touring with Harry Connick, Jr's Big Band.

In 1996, Jeremy released his debut, self-titled album, followed by "Maybe In a Dream" (1998) and "Live at the Bistro" (2005). His latest CD, "We'll Dance Til Dawn" (2009, Basin Street Records), is his best work yet and showcases Jeremy's unique lyrics and trumpet playing skills.

As expected with any jazz musician in New Orleans, he will be playing just about every day for the next two weeks, showing his skills for the thousands of music fans in town for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. In fact, he'll be performing at Jazz Fest this Sunday at 12:55 pm, in the WWOZ Jazz Tent. You can also find him at the Davenport Lounge at The Ritz Carlton on Canal Street.

Links:
Official | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | iTunes | MySpace

Victoria Vox - "Oh I Wonder"

Earlier this month, I introduced you to Victoria Vox and her catchy song, "Summertime." I am excited to feature another of Victoria's songs, "Oh I Wonder" as she is releasing her new album "Exact Change." Over the last six years, she has averaged 125+ gigs a year, including numerous dates in Europe and Canada. This week, she's celebrating her new release with a string of appearances in California (San Diego, Huntington Beach, and L.A.)

Victoria's tour schedule remains very busy. In mid-May, Victoria heads across the pond for a few shows in Europe. She'll return to the states just in time for the Stoop Storytellers Radio Show, June 3-5 in Baltimore, and the Steelbridge Songfest June 6-12 in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Check her website for specific dates, but definitely go see her live!

The official release date for "Exact Change" has been moved to May 25th, but you can order your copy now at www.victoriavox.com.

Links:
Official | iTunes | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | MySpace

Julia Ilowiecki - "Hardest Part"

Julia is another artist that I discovered in the MySpace search for new music. Before contacting her, I had already previewed "Hardest Part" and knew that I wanted to feature it here.

Julia Ilowiecki began teaching herself piano at the age of 10, and spent a lot of time forcing her neighborhood friends to perform her songs. She is a former competitive gymnast and diver, who found her way back to music after an injury forced her to quit competing. After the injury, music was Julia's emotional outlet, resulting in honest stories from the heart.

I don't have any info on a full-length release, but Julia has a few songs available for sale on iTunes. She also has a few shows scheduled across the country to satisfy people in all regions. Through May, she has dates booked in Chicago, Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, Nashville, and New York. Check her out live, and send me a report!

Links:
Official | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter | MySpace | iTunes

Jonathan Clay - "Lucky To Be Loved By You"

You may have noticed that I am not living up to the song-a-day format. I promise, it will get there. One reason for the lag is that I try to contact each artist before featuring them on the site, and lots of people just haven't gotten back to me yet. To help things along, I decided to go looking for songs. I turned to the MySpace Music charts, started previewing songs and contacting the artists I liked.

One of the first to reply to my email was Jonathan Clay. Jonathan is from Austin, Texas and is very passionate about his songwriting. It seems that Jonathan is very comfortable telling his life story through his songs, and is anxious to let his fans in on the last few years of his life. In fact, after a short stint with a major-label in 2007, Jonathan will release his new, long-awaited album "Everything She Wants" on June 15th.

Jonathan has a handful of shows booked throughout Texas, as well as a date booked in Nevada, Missouri. Follow Jonathan on your choice of social networks, and he'll keep you posted as the release date nears and any shows coming your way.

Links:
Official | Facebook | Twitter | MySpace | YouTube