Kelly Clarkson Coming Back Stronger

While being under the radar for some time now, Kelly Clarkson's new album, Stronger, was released this past October. Clarkson is a pop/rock artist and is known for beginning her career on the first season of American Idol. Stronger is Clarkson's fifth album, and it shows her comeback into the music world. The songs on her album tell a sort of empowerment story and consist of powerful lyrics. Her album expresses her expanding perspective but feature the similar sounds of Clarkson's unique voice. There are over twenty new recordings on Stronger and some hit singles include "Mr. Know It All" and "Don't You Wanna Stay" who Clarkson sings with Jason Aldean. Clarkson actually won a Country Music Award this past week for Musical Event of the Year for her performance with Aldean. Winning this award reveals Clarkson's ability to collaborate with various artists and her versatility to perform a different genre of music. To purchase Stronger, visit Kelly Clarkson's website.

Check out one of the songs from Clarkson's new album: "What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger)"

Secret Crazy Project A Success

Kina Grannis, a guitarist and singer-songwriter, began her career after winning the Doritos' Crash the Super Bowl contest. As a result of winning the contest, her music video for "Message From Your Heart" was played during the commercials of Super Bowl XLII. Her music is mainly pop or acoustic, and several of her songs have made appearances on television shows including General Hospital. Grannis began her World In Front of Me tour in the beginning of this year, and she plans to perform in Europe, Southeast Asia, and Australia later this year.
For twenty-two months, Grannis has been working on a music video for her single "In Your Arms." She called it her "Secret Crazy Project" because she wanted to create a video that nobody else has made before. Grannis was successful because her video features the use of 288, 000 Jelly Belly jelly beans and stop motion animation. The music video is unique because of Grannis' use of the jelly beans to create different backgrounds and effects. I thought her idea was very distinctive because she actually interacted with the objects that the jelly beans were forming. The light, happy tone of the song is supported by the creative use of jelly beans, making the audience feel carefree. To see the "In Your Arms" music video and to hear more from her, go to Kina Grannis' website.

The Band Perry Making Their Mark

Oftentimes, it is easier to form a band with your family, or the people who are closest to you and know the most about you. The Band Perry is a country group composed of siblings Kimberly, Reid, and Neil Perry. They began making music in 2005 and are currently signed to Republic Nashville. Older sister Kimberly leads the group, providing most of the vocals for their songs. The Band Perry did not start gaining recognition until 2008 when Bob Doyle helped them make recordings. Ever since then, they have gradually expanded their audience and have made a name for themselves in country music.
The sibling trio released their first album The Band Perry in October 2010. Some notable songs on the album include "If I Die Young," "You Lie," and "All Your Life." Many of the songs were written by the band themselves, which is rare for artists today. Kimberly's vocals are strong and reveal her emotional side as well as her creative side as she sings about a variety of topics. It is evident that The Band Perry is a quickly emerging group because they are nominated for five CMA awards, including New Artist of the Year and Single of the Year ("If I Die Young"). They are also nominated for New Artist of the Year for the American Music Awards. Both award shows will be taking place later this month. To find out more and to learn about their upcoming shows, visit The Band Perry's website.

Watch their newly released music video for "All Your Life."

Tim Be Told Shines In Humanity

Tim Be Told is a contemporary Christian-based group that incorporates a variety of pop, rock, and gospel. They are still relatively unknown, but they are gaining popularity as they tour at college campuses and churches around the country. The group is made up of Tim Ouyang, Andrew Chae, and Caleb Wu, and they aim for honesty in their songs. Humanity, which is their new album, is now available on their website. The songs featured on this album are inspiring and give faith to listeners. Some notable songs include "The Symphony (Compose Me)," "Humanity," and "Reach for the Light." Tim Be Told's vocals are strong and emotional, and their lyrics are powerful. Because most of their concerts are free, I think that Tim Be Told will be able to gain popularity quickly, and they will be able to publicize themselves more easily. For a preview of Humanity and a list of their tour dates, check out Tim Be Told's website. 

To buy Humanity, go to Tim Be Told's store website.

Owl City's Breanne Duren Goes Solo

For several years now, Breanne Duren has been working with Adam Young in Owl City. She is featured in a few songs including "Honey and the Bee" and "The Saltwater Room." Currently, she is playing keyboards for Owl City in their "All Things Bright and Beautiful Tour," and she is opening their shows with music from her new EP Sparks. She began working on Sparks while on tour, and she plans to pursue a solo career. Her voice sounds like a girl version of Adam Young's voice, as there is evident influences of electronic sounds in her newly released "No One Else." Owl City fans will most likely be drawn to Duren's voice and style because of its similarity to Young. You can purchase her EP now on iTunes, and for more information, go to Duren's website.

The Fray Is Back

Making new music is inevitably difficult, as artists and bands seem to "disappear" from the music scene for some time. The Fray gained popularity with their How To Save a Life album but have otherwise lost touch with the public. However, they recently came out with a new single called "Heartbeat," which is part of their new album Scars & Stories. Their album is scheduled to be released by Epic Records on February 7, 2012. The group will begin a series of television appearances on October 27 in order to publicize their new album.

Lead singer, Isaac Slade says that the inspiration for "Heartbeat" came from his travels to South Africa and Rwanda. He wanted to stay open to anything that came his way, and he was especially inspired by an expatriate woman there. As a result of his experiences in Africa, Slade was able to come up with the lyrics and melodies of songs on Scars & Stories. The Fray did not hold back on their third album, and I am excited to hear new music from this popular group.

Check out The Fray's website here for more news.

Looking Forward with Future Focused

Oftentimes, people begin their music careers as members of a larger group and then decide to go solo. Former Cute Is What We Aim For guitar/bass player, Dave Melillo, is just one example of an artist that is planning on releasing an album later this month. His EP called Future Focused is a preview of his 13-song mixtape that he began writing seven years ago. Recording for this album began at the beginning of this year because Melillo was going through difficult times. He comments that every song on the upcoming album is based on his personal experiences, and that the album is a way for him to look forward to the future by learning from the past. For a link to the EP, go to Dave Melillo's website.