A serious musician from an early age, Costello has made some serious waves for a 20-year-old. Her quirky vocals and clever lyrics landed her tunes on numerous TV networks including CW and ABC, and got her featured on LA’s KCRW as a ‘Top Tune of the Day’. She’s been in Teen Vogue, Marie Claire, and Paste Magazine to name a few, and her cover of Weezer’s “Island in the Sun” is currently featured on Bilboard’s Mashup Mondays here.

Hype aside, Katies most alluring feature is undoubtedly her unique voice.  A blend of Sara Bareilles, KT Tunstall and Ingrid Michaelson, Costello’s tone has the ability to pierce right through you, and then softly woo’s you over.  Her control is uncanny, and her delicate vibrato brings each note to life with an effortless simplicity.

Then there’s her incredible talent for songwriting.  She began putting pen to paper at just 13, and credits her music-writing as the catalyst that would ultimately prepare her for the public eye.  (read the full interview on spinner.com here) Her lyrics are generally simple, but strung together with obvious intention and generous consideration for phrasing, and her melodies are anything but predictable.

The first single off her new full-length, Lamplight is “Cassette Tape” and we think it’s a perfect example of the types of songs you’ll find on the record.  An homage to all those faceless friends in your social network, this quirky little ditty is reminiscent of early Ingrid Michaelson, and is quite a challenge to listen to without taping a toe or two.  Another stand out from Katie is “City Scapes” which can be found on her recent EP, The City In Me.  About as ballad-like as Costello gets, “City Scapes” moves delicately through arpeggiated verses and then jumps right into a punchy hook, telling darkly lit story of love and inspiration.

With three releases under her belt, Katie has a ton of music to choose from, but we recommend you start your journey with the most recent installment, Lamplight.  You can find it on iTunes and anywhere else digital music is sold, or preview it on Katie’s MySpace here.  The resources put into this record are obvious, and her songwriting really shines through.  Especially on tracks like “Ashes Ashes” and “Out of Our Minds” where delicate melodies play with unconventional phrasing.  Lamplight allows Katie’s voice to take on many forms as she bobs and weaves through the 12 tracks.  She channels influences like Amie Mann and Fiona Apple, and straying only now and then from familiarity, and at times even sounding like a understated version of Katy Perry.  (Think, “Not Like the Movies” or “Thinking of You”)

Regardless of influence, though, it’s clear, even upon first listen, that Katie is a true artist in every sense of the word.  Her knack for word play and impressive melodic sensibilities have helped her carve a nice little niche for herself in the singer/songwriter world.  In just a few short years Katie has accomplished what most musicians will only ever dream of, and her future looks nothing but bright.

We hope this little introduction will entice you to explore Katie’s world even more.  Purchase Lamplight if you’re so inclined, and check out a show or two if you’re in the New York area.   Until then, you can see the video for Katie’s new single, “Cassette Tape” below, and check back for more updates as they come.

Enjoy!

In case your Sunday has you looking for some new music.  Shout out to MuttsMusic.com for introducing us to these guys!

West coast transplants, Jason Hendrix and Jason Richards made the move from San Diego, CA to Chicago, IL back in 2007 to collaborate with long time friend and producer Jason Clark.  After months of hashing out tunes in their respective basements, and finally finding a drummer in Jeremy Pena, BIG SCIENCE was born into the underbelly of the Windy City.   Three hundred and sixty-five days of writing, rehearsing and heavy drinking later, the friends embarked on a journey to record their first EP, The Coast of Nowhere, and self-released it in January of 2009.

The five-song EP is a collection of new wave minimalism, nineties alt-rock, and eighties post-punk, with a heavy nod toward shoe gaze, and distinctively artistic pop sensibilities.  The title track makes for the perfect introduction to BIG SCIENCE, with it’s reverb-soaked guitars and Bono-esque vocals, and should be followed-up by our personal favorite, “DNC”, which channels more of the band’s post-punk influences, mixing a grittier vocal, ethereal ooh’s and ahh’s, and picking up the tempo just slightly.

In all sincerity, The Coast of Nowhere is an indie gem just waiting to be discovered.  There’s a clever irony in the lyrics, and a familiarity it’s sound that’s comforting, like an old afghan your grandmother knitted just for you.  For a self-recorded, mixed, and produced effort, it’s anything but amateur, and would have no trouble competing for a spot in any music-enthusiasts collection.

As for the men who created this incredible record they’ve described themselves better than we ever could, saying, BIG SCIENCE is simply, “another band made up of four friends, entrenched, dedicated, and in love with the act of making music that captivates and exalts the tones of being, of youth, [and] of the city.”  So here’s to BIG SCIENCE, wherever they may find themselves today.  It’s one thing to envision a record like The Coast of Nowhere, but to execute it with such seemingly effortless precision is quite another.  To you we say, “Keep ‘em comin’!”  At the very least you have a fan in Audio I.V. 

For more info on BIG SCIENCE, check out their new and improved website, BigScienceBand.com and stream tracks from The Coast of Nowhere on their MySpace here.

Ahhh Yellowcard.  You supplied the soundtrack to my Senior year of high school, “Ocean Avenue” became an instant classic for emo-kids everywhere, and then you faded away into the abyss of pop-punk.  When so many other bands were trying to cash in on the trend you stuck to your guns.  Sure your follow-ups were never as successful, and most of America would call you a one-hit-wonder, but all that is about to change, mark my words!

With the release of their seventh studio album, When You’re Through Thinking Say Yes, Yellowcard is back in full force, and ready to dominate a genre that’s been lacking substance for a long while.  Courtesy of Hopeless Records, When You’re Through Thinking Say Yes hit stores last Tuesday and has made quite a splash in a mere seven days.   Channeling everything that made Ocean Avenue a smash hit, Yellowcard proves with this record, they’re nowhere close to finished making waves.

The album’s first single, “Hang You Up” is a bit of a ballad, but still manages to retain the band’s signature energy, and knack for wordplay (the hook is, “this is a black and white of you I found, I hang you up and then I pull you down”).  When You’re Through Thinking Say Yes opens with the stunner, “The Sound of You And Me”, which we’re betting will be a summer-love single, and doesn’t slow down until “Hang You Up” comes in on track four.  Listeners should check out “With You Around” for a poppier song complete with a shout to Audio I.V. faves, Saves the Day, and stick around for “See Me Smiling”, a deeper cut with everything you loved about Ocean Avenue, and nothing you hated about Lights and Sounds.

If you’re jonesin’ for a little video action from these guys you won’t have to wait too long.  Next Tuesday you can catch the premier of the official “Hang You Up” music video on all MTV networks.  But, until then, When You’re Through Thinking Say Yes should be on the short list of new releases to explore this weekend.

Happy Friday!

BUY THIS RECORD!

The video follows the duo through the streets of New York as they explore the depths of their imaginations, and culminates in a glittery explosion of dance moves as singer Thompson Davis croons, “home, ah ha ha” over and over. The creativity and imagination that went into making the video is anything but ordinary, and the quirky street style is just what the Dr. ordered for your hump-day blues.

Check out the video above, and visit the band’s website for more info on upcoming shows, and even more videos!

He’s played for Rilo Kiley, Jenny Lewis, The Elected and others, but now guitarist Mike Bloom is ready to make waves as a solo artist via the debut of his first full-length, King of Circles. Written, performed, and mixed by Mike himself (with a few co-production exceptions) King of Circles is smooth, warm, and subtly affectionate.

Songs like “Floataway Sinner” where a scornful woman exacts revenge on her helpless victim, and “Butcher Paper”, an evocative love song with descriptive lyrics, paint vivid, emotional pictures while maintaining a certain familiarity fans of The Elected will undoubtedly recognize.

The first single from King of Circles is the acoustically driven “Anything But This”, which starts unassumingly and gradually blossoms into a bittersweet story of two lovers who just can’t seem to get on the same proverbial page.  The melody is sweet, and as acoustic pop/rock tunes go, this one is more infectious than mediocre.

Check out the video for “Anything But This” below, and scope out Mike’s MySpace for more info on shows and upcoming releases.

A few weeks ago I was contacted to be a part of ‘The Anatomy of a Blogger’ on BreakThruRadio.com.  Having never heard of the online station I set out to investigate with curiosity, and bit of suspicion.  We’ve all heard of Slacker, AOL radio, last.fm, and GrooveShark, and that’s what I expected to find at BTR.  However, instead of a rotating playlist of music on constant repeat, or a major corporation’s attempt to match you with ‘similar’ artists, BreakThruRadio is old-school, like a top-notch college station on crack. It’s DJ-centric with more than 50 different programs to chose from, spanning every genre you could ever imagine.

Reading about BTR, their motto “Radio rediscovered”, really resonated with me.  THIS IS WHAT RADIO SHOULD BE PEOPLE!  Every show is stream-able with a few mouse clicks, the sound quality is great, there are special ‘in studio’ events and performances to explore, and each DJ has a unique and valid view of the music their spinning.  IT’S GREAT, and it’s so easy to enjoy!

When I started writing this post, I surfed on over to Breakthruradio.com, and within seconds, was tunned into DJ Jazz’s Get Into the Van. There’s no signing up, or surrendering your e-mail address, and I was happily surprised by the quality of content.  DJ Jazz interviewed an Irish singer/songwriter by the name of Steafan Hanvey and discussed his work in depth.  There were no cheesy pop culture references, or annoyingly over-expressive interjections by Jazz, and as a result, I felt like I was able to connect with the music on a deeper level.

After a few minutes with DJ Jazz I switched back to browse through BTR’s available programs, and landed on DJ Meredith’s Extreme Endurance, which focuses on heavy, energetic dance tracks for the work out enthusiast.  Meredith promises her playlists will ‘inspire you and keep you going’ and even though I wasn’t in a gym somewhere sweating it out, I was indeed inspired.  She perked my interests and the tunes she chose were a breath of fresh air, and amazing in terms of quality.

I detoured from Extreme Endurance to investigate DJ Tracy’s Inside the Label which I found particularly interesting.  Bands like Yeasayer and Here We Go Magic dominated her playlist and between sets, she spoke about the ins and outs of the labels they call home.  If you’re at all interested in the business side of the music you love, Inside the Label is a station you need to discover for yourself.  When was the last time you were given the life story of a record company on terrestrial radio?  That’s what I thought, NEVER!

My last stop on the BTR tour was DJ Thompson’s Anatomy of a Blogger, which Audio I.V. will be featured on in the coming weeks.  If you’re an avid blogger yourself, or just love to explore new blogs this show is for you!  Anatomy of a Blogger finds out the story behind the conception and lifespan of a different blog each week, and features music that the blogger him/herself selects.

This week you can hear Thompson talk with Isreal, part of the two-man team who created TheCargoCult.com and hear some awesome tunes by bands like Hawkwind, Grace Jones, and Francoise Hardy.  This show is all about a love of music, and the inspiration behind blogging in general–definitely not your typical radio show, but that’s exactly what makes BTR so entertaining, and genuinely fun to listen to!

So now that you know a little about what BTR brings to the table, check it out for yourself.  There’s bound to be a program that fits your musical needs so browse around, check out different stations and discover some new music while you’re at it.  It was a pleasure working with BreakThruRadio.com and I can’t wait for everyone to hear the playlist we put together, as well as the interview.  Although I will admit this is my first interview EVER, so it’s not the most polished thing in the world, but it was still a blast, and I’m honored to be a part of such a legitimate musical collective.  Thanks again to BTR for your support of Audio I.V. and independent music everywhere!

Stay tuned to Audio I.V. for more info on our work with BreakThruRadio.com, links to the show and much more!

Check out OnThatNewHit’s coverage of TBS and “El Paso”, here and listen to “El Paso” below!

Mutts

In all my years of working with independent artists, I have never been as impressed with a band as I am with Mutts.  A Chicago-based four-piece, Mutts packs a hard rock punch that’s laced with blues and un-apologetically teeters on the border of insanity.  As a whole they’re incredibly talented, passionate, and business savvy.  With a lead singer who also acts as manager, and years of collective experience as hired guns, as well as active side projects, Mutts is ready to make waves in the world of rock music.

Since their conception in 2009, Mutts has self-released 3 EP’s, played a countless number of shows in and around the Chicago area, and received glowing reviews from dozens of publications.  Known for their intensity, the four brothers-in-music have created a recording and performance style that’s just as polished as it is off-the-cuff.

Singer Mike Maimone explained how organic a recording session can be, saying:

“Our EPs sound the way they do because we just had a few days to arrange and track all of our songs.  There [wasn't] time to over-think the music [and] in the sense that it helps keep our tunes honest and spontaneous.”

Considering a fully-funded major label EP can take months to be “finished”, it’s a wonder these guys have anything at all to package and sell.  Nonetheless, the spontaneity of the recording process is no doubt what helps this foursome convey the pure energy and passion the band has managed to capture to tape.

For the maximum Mutts listening experience check out their latest EP, The Tells of Parallels here, and name your own price if you like it.  (If you don’t think it’s worth your dollars, you’re deaf.)  The EP’s single, and Audio I.V. favorite is “Junior”, an in-your-face, perfectly punctuated tune about following in the footsteps of your creator.  Another stand out is “Symmetry”, grittier than most and full of that signature Mutts energy.

What the future holds for Mutts, only time will tell.  There is no denying, however, that these Chicago-natives are well on their way.  It will be a hard road paved with would-be saviors, guaranteed disappointments, and a ton of whiskey, but Mutts have what it takes so stay tuned. If you’re in the chicago area you can catch the band at their upcoming ‘unplugged show’ at 2105 S. State St. Chicago, IL 60616.  Doors open at 6pm and it’s free for 21+.

In the meantime, visit MuttsMusic.com to download any of their EP’s and check out the video blog they’ve got going on, there are some pretty cool behind-the-scenes features you’ll love!

Happy Listening!

This song wasn’t my pick to be the record’s first single, but as a tribute to Hurricane Katrina victims, the whole package shines in a completely different light.   True to form the message is loud and clear, and as a native New Orleanian, it’s sad to watch.  None the less, RA should be proud of this one, and you should definitely give it a peek.

Find the new music video for “Help is on the Way” here.

From the record’s opening “Woo!” of “The Fear”, Lovett takes you on a journey to a simpler time, where melodies whirl around you like a warm summer wind, and genre lines blur into the hot hot heat of sun-baked asphalt.  Start to finish, Highway Collection screams “Road trip!”  Channeling folk-rock legends like Dylan, Petty, and Browne, each song is infused with sincerity, a subtle grit, and signature ease most bands struggle to capture to tape.

Standouts include would-be-single, “Heartattack”, the quirky, “Same Old Song” and closer, “Ghost of Old Highways”.  New listeners should also check out the Steam Punk video for “Eye of the Storm” which features an extended cut of the song, and some pretty amazing green screen work.  (see below)

After a pretty solid debut at this year’s SXSW festival, it shouldn’t be long before Lovett is making splash nationally.  This is a record everyone should listen to at least once, but I’m warning you now, once you hit the gas on Highway Collection, there’s no turning back.