
We've partnered with Stetson to give our valued readers a chance to win some signed merchandise from rising songstress, Erin McCarley . According to her official website , McCarley draws from such lauded artists as Fiona Apple , Patty Griffin , and Greg Laswell to produce her tender sound. Recently, Erin recorded a cover of the Hank Williams classic, 'I Saw the Light,' in Nashville, Tennessee. The result is a youthful and energetic interpretation of a time honored Country and Western staple. You [...]
Nashville-based singer/songwriter Erin McCarley recently took a break from writing and recording the followup to her 2009 debut album to cover Hank Williams' "I Saw the Light." Also shot as video for Stetson (that's right, the hats) to promote their fall line of clothing, the song is a playful pop updating of a country classic.
This Summer, Lilith Fair will return after a 10 year hiatus to once again showcase the best female musicians. So, it makes sense that the traveling festival has added another round of acclaimed performers to its 2010 bill. And a rather indie batch at that! Cat Power, Norah Jones, Gossip, Kate Nash, Sia, Beth Orton, Lights, La Roux, Marina & The Diamonds, and Erin McCarley are among the newest names now scheduled to appear at Lilith Fair 2010. A few old favorites have also been added, including Loretta Lynn, Heart, Priscilla Renea, and Rosie [...]

mp3: Magneta Lane-Lady Bones mp3: Erin McCarley-Love Save The Empty mp3: Marching Band-Make No Plans mp3: Milow-You Don't Know mp3: Miniature Tigers-Cannibal Queen mp3: The Sounds-Dorchester Hotel

Here we go again (sorry it's been so long!) For those who don't know, this is iTunes Mixery part siete. Here's how it goes: I play iTunes on shuffle -> tell you which song comes up -> provide the mp3 and a tidbit -> continue until five songs and embarrassment are complete. See my previous "mixeries" at the bottom of the post. Again, nothing's off-limits – I don't "fix the mix". Have a look into my life… Nada Surf - "Amateur" [MP3] (from The Proximity Effect ). This [...]

Paolo Nutini . You glance at the name and think maybe that's a new flavor of ice cream. Or maybe gelato. Sounds Italian enough, doesn't it? But you'd be wrong. Paolo Nutini is, in fact, a 22-year-old singer/guitarist from Paisley, Scotland (his father is of Tuscan descent) who quickly became a UK heartthrob in the wake of the success of his 2006 pop/soul debut album These Streets . I recall seeing the video for his tune "New Shoes" on the VH1 Top 20 Countdown one Saturday morning and [...]

Erin McCarley and her male counterpart had a sort of Swell Season thing going on without the back story of having a sort of fake relationship play out in front of audiences across the planet. Also They're more focused on the female vocals, because, you know, the group is Erin's. Her counterpart was on what looked to be your standard Nord keyboard pumping out synth tones and providing Electro beats for Erin to play fairly safe, Adult Alternative kind of singer/songwriter pop tunes. Erin McCarley - Love, Save The Empty

Mat Kearney packed the Pageant on Monday, July 13, with quite a few lovely ladies who were in store for a 15-song set showcasing his ability to combine the dark soulful songs of Snow Patrol with the pop accessibility of Coldplay . But before Kearney's set, I had the pleasure of photographing the rather lovely to look at Erin McCarley , who's song, "Love, Save The Empty", has been making the rounds on radio and TV countdown shows. McCarley opened the show with a 40 minute set [...]
Guster - Jesus on the Radio (Meow Mix) Mat Kearney - City of Black and White Dead Confederate - The Rat Jerry Joseph & The Jackmormons - Ten Killer Fairies Erin McCarley - Love, Save The Empty Paper Bird - Pennies honeyhoney - Little Toy Gun Joe Pug - In The Meantime Electric Touch - Love In Our Hearts Again, I fully recognize that [...]

Jamie's sister is getting married today! You know, sometimes (ONLY sometimes) a music blog takes a back seat. He also doesn't know I'm writing about this, so I hope he won't mind, but hey! what's a blog without some personal stuff eh? Congratulations Jamie family! [image courtesy of Bambi Cantrell ] My mixtape (which follows a progression of sorts) for his sister would be something along these lines, (though I'll keep this one much shorter.) Time to get allll sappy. St. Vincent - "Marry Me" [MP3] (from Marry Me [...]
The answer: Move to San Diego, work in retail.Or so is the only real moral I glean from this Q&A on CNN.com today with singer-songwriter Erin McCarley (pictured right; credit: Reid Rolls), who get... Continue reading "How Dallas Singer-Songwriters Can Make It Big, According To CNN.com" >
The holidays are over, which is a big YAY for anyone looking for signs of life from the music industry via new releases. It's still a relatively small week, but things are finally revving back up. I'm excited about what appears to be a stateside release of Burial's contribution to the DJ-Kicks series. Lots of people are talking about Glasvegas , so I'll probably check that out, too. And any of you Apples In Stereo fans should check out Thee American Revolution , Robert Schneider's new band. Also, [...]

We hope everyone relaxed and reset during the holidays. Music-wise, it was slow on multiple levels, but now the 2009 charge for the greatest albums and songs begins. Whether you consider it a 2008 or a 2009 release doesn't matter, as Glasvegas ' self-titled album will more than likely find its way into homes and onto iPods. Their release of "Geraldine" a few months back ignited an internet frenzy focused on the Scots and lead man James Allan. The album was our #25 album of 2008 in our top [...]
Happy New Year everyone! We actually meant to post this yesterday, but we were just so busy celebrating the New Year that it didn't happen. So, in honor of the first day of the new year, here are some artists we think you should keep your eye out for in the year 2009. Erin McCarley It's hard to believe that her album was just released on iTunes two days ago- December 30th- with a physical

This year is going to it's end, so let's look back at the year we had. 2008 was a year full of great debutalbums and EP's from young (female) singer-songwriters, but also had some awesome follow-ups. As always it was very hard to come up with this list of only 25 albums, but after some intense thinking and searching sessions, this, more or less, gotta be it! I also decided to make a little favorite-EP-year-list, since I've been listening to quite some of those as well. Enjoy! [...]

Music should strike fire from the heart of man, and bring tears from the eyes of woman. ~ Ludwig van Beethoven ~ What is the essence of adept or good music? Is it the mere ability to catch people's attention or has it had to do with the virtuoso style of creating the songs which somehow makes it unique from other pieces? +/- I couldn't answer that. In some ways, music has its own relativity. For almost 500 posts here in Play which 6 months later [...]

Yep, another post of the female singer/songwriter variety. What can I say, I'm a sucker for them. Erin McCarley 's debut album, Love, Save the Empty , hits stores January 6 (iTunes December 30) and I couldn't be more excited. From Nashville, by way of San Diego, McCarley is making a name for herself with her breathtaking and elegant songwriting. Her songs float wistfully, aspiring to be of a sophisticated complexity. One of my favorite things about McCarley's music is that it touches upon different sounds and isn't afraid to explore the depth of her [...]

With a Top Ten album debut, a Top Ten radio single and a run of sold-out club shows, singer/songwriter Brett Dennen announces plans for a Hope For The Hopeless headlining tour that will stretch from January 2009 into the spring (see dates below). Hope for the Hopeless on amazon.com The tour will hit major venues across the country including two nights in Brett's hometown of San Francisco (The Fillmore) and two nights in his adopted hometown of Los Angeles (House of Blues LA). Tickets go [...]
By now, I hope my love of female singer-songwriters is apparent and rejoiced by all those gentle listeners in the blogosphere, cause today I'm handing out a huge handfull that have caught my ear in the past few weeks. I hope to make this a bit of a reoccurring segment, mostly because there are a lot of artists out there that haven't released their demos or amazing singles yet (*cough* Laura