12 Artists To Watch: April

While April does mean spring is here, it is also the hardest month for those of us in college. New musicians and their style is a refreshing break from all the work we've all had to do this past month. So, here are 12 artists who have been on the rise lately to help everyone ride out these last couple weeks until sweet summertime.

Broods - Georgia and Caleb Nott make up this brother-sister duo from New Zealand, and have just released a killer new single. The song itself is super powerful and the video has a seriously chilling dystopian future vibe, with fashion to match. Definitely watch for the new album coming soon from Broods because I have a feeling it will be one you don't want to miss.

Tracks To Listen To: "Free", "Bridges", "Sober", "Mother & Father", "Sleep Baby Sleep"



CHVRCHES - Lauren Mayberry fronts this electro-pop Scottish band. They are a favorite at music festivals such as Coachella and Bonnaroo, and they have a seriously cool indie style. Lauren is always rocking a cute outfit and a cat-eye, and their new album "Every Open Eye" has been on repeat in my car since the day it came out.

Tracks To Listen To: "Leave A Trace", "Empty Threat", "Bow Down", "Gun", "Recover"



The Lumineers - Almost everyone knows the Lumineers for their first single that made it big, "Ho Hey". Their new album "Cleopatra" was just released a few weeks ago, and it has the same relaxed type of tracks. As a band, the Lumineers has a style that is a modern take on folk, which is a huge trend right now, so they're definitely a band to keep your eye on.

Tracks To Listen To: "Ophelia", "Cleopatra", "In The Light", "Classy Girls", "Stubborn Love"



SEAFOAL - A friend introduced me to SEAFOAL on YouTube, where she has several videos of her doing covers of popular songs and mash-ups. After "Van Gogh" was released I totally fell in love and knew I had to feature it. SEAFOAL is a very cool place to find fashion inspiration, as she doesn't identify with just one gender. The catchy music mixed with the breaking of gender boundaries makes for a great person to put on your playlist this month.

Tracks To Listen To: "Van Gogh", "Soulsick", "Fading", "Read It And Weep"



Oh Wonder - This duo from London creates perfect music to listen to no matter what mood you're in. The combination of the feminine and masculine voices within their songs is addicting, and in their videos you can see their effortlessly cool and simplistic contemporary style. Once I start listening to them, I can never stop.

Tracks To Listen To: "Without You", "Lose It", "Drive", "Technicolour Beat", "Livewire"



Halsey - I've been listening to Halsey for years, and I've actually been lucky enough to see her play live twice. She's only recently gotten further into mainstream music with her album "Badlands". In this video specifically I absolutely adore her schoolgirl look, but she is usually very versatile. Each time I've seen her she's had completely different style, but she always looks amazing. She's been one of my favorites for awhile, and is totally worth checking out.

Tracks To Listen To: "Colors", "Hold Me Down", "Trouble", "New Americana", "Ghost"



Santigold - Santigold is an artist that's been around in the indie/alternative genre for awhile, but just this past February, her new album "99¢" was released. I couldn't help myself from adding her to this month's music inspiration when I saw this video. The message of the song mixed with her fabulous fur coat and sunglasses was the perfect inspiration. She can't get enough of herself, and I can't get enough of her lately either.

Tracks To Listen To: "Can't Get Enough of Myself", "L.E.S Artistes", "Banshee", "Disparate Youth"



Father John Misty - (A.K.A. Joshua Tillman), is an extremely talented musician who has been in several bands before beginning his solo career, including Fleet Foxes. His sound is very unique, as are his videos, but that's part of the draw. He's become very popular in bigger cities, and is starting to really take off all over the country. The best way I can describe his music is "dreamy", and this video (featuring the lovely Aubrey Plaza) is hard to take your eyes away from.

Tracks To Listen To: "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings", "Chateau Lobby #4", "Nancy From Now On", "I Love You, Honeybear"



George Ezra - I absolutely love George Ezra because he's a singer who doesn't look anything like he sounds. He's just a very cool English musician that almost everyone enjoys listening to. I like his style because its very classic and uncomplicated, and allows you to really get a feeling for the laid-back kind of guy he must be.

Tracks To Listen To: "Budapest", "Blame It On Me", "Barcelona", "Listen To The Man"



Sad Cops - Although I am biased because I've had the privilege of being friends with the drummer of this band for about a year now... you really won't regret checking this band out. Their new album "Liam Murphy Holt" just came out and it really is amazing. They have a niche in the music industry with their pop/punk/emo style that instantly makes you want to get up and dance.

Tracks To Listen To: "Dirty Sheets", "It's Eating At Me", "You Did It All For Me", "Magnetic Silence", "TV Screen"

HAIM - I've also been lucky enough to see HAIM play live when they opened for Taylor Swift (Don't judge, I'm a hardcore T-Swift fan), and they will forever be fashion icons for me. The band is composed of three sisters plus their drummer, and they all have their own individual but equally as fashion-forward style. They're fantastic to watch live, and have an awesome stage presence, and basically I want to raid all of their closets.

Tracks To Listen To: "The Wire", "Forever", "Falling", "Don't Save Me", "Honey & I"



gnash - I stumbled across this track from gnash on Spotify one day and instantly got hooked. gnash is a DJ that has collaborated with several other artists as well as releasing his own album "us". When I saw the music video, I instantly loved his style, from the retro glasses, to the leather jacket, to the crazy haircut. He's been part of my monthly inspiration, and hopefully he can be part of yours as well.

Tracks To Listen To: "i hate u, i love u", "feelings fade", "rip", "rumours", "Daydreams"




To listen to more music from the artists above, check out the Spotify Playlist I've created below, and don't forget to follow me (reilly.farris), to get monthly playlists!



Thanks for reading!

XOXO,

Reilly Renée

12 Artists To Watch: March's Hot Men in Music

We're halfway through March which means it's time for a new playlist and some fresh musical inspiration. This month I decided to showcase all the "man bands" that have been my sources of inspiration lately. Please enjoy the attractive male musicians, the new songs to jam to, the eccentric music videos, and of course, the fashion...!

The 1975 - Hands down, my favorite band ever. I am most definitely a fangirl, and I'm 99% sure I've alienated almost everyone I know due to my obsession with The 1975. Their last self-titled album "The 1975" was what originally got me hooked, but their new album (with an obnoxiously long name) "I like it when you sleep for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it" is most definitely worth a listen. The band's British alternative sound almost has an 80's vibe to it, and as shown in the video below - The 1975 definitely breaks the typical "cookie-cutter pop band" stereotype in the best way possible.

Tracks To Listen To: "The Sound", "She's American", "Sex", "She Way Out, "UGH!"



Years and Years - This electro-pop British band stole my heart from the first time I heard them. They're perfect for a workout or dance playlist, and their fresh urban style is a go-to for some new fashion inspiration this month. As you can tell from the music video below, Olly Alexander (the lead singer of the band) is well on his way to being hugely famous both as a musician and a trendsetter.

Tracks To Listen To: "King", "Gold", "Desire", "Shine"



MOTHXR -  I stumbled across this band by accident while doing some research for this post and almost could not believe my eyes. Penn Badgley (A.K.A Dan Humphrey or "Lonely Boy" on Gossip Girl) has a band! Despite my bias due to my love for Penn, MOTHXR is actually a really good alternative/indie band, and I'm totally digging the whole grunge style they have going on.

Tracks to Listen to: "Touch", "Easy", "Stranger", "Impossible"



Panic! At The Disco - I'm assuming most people reading this have already heard of Panic! At The Disco, because they've been around for years as the go-to pop punk band - complete with "guyliner", crazy theatrics, and skinny jeans. But, in the past few years, Panic! has completely reinvented itself, and with the two most recent albums, "Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!" and "Death of a Bachelor", the only original member of the band left has been the lead singer, Brendon Urie. He is solely responsible for all the writing, vocals, and instruments for these last two albums - and somehow the songs are even better than before.

Tracks To Listen To: "Victorious" "Death of A Bachelor", "Don't Threaten Me With a Good Time", "Hallelujah", "This Is Gospel", "Nicotine"



LANY - I actually heard LANY for the first time live - they were the opening band for a musician named Halsey at a show I saw in Dallas. They weren't at all what I expected based on their name - but they went above and beyond my expectations. Although the band was formed in Nashville the songs have a very laid-back and romantic Californian vibe to them. They don't have a full album yet, and their only music video is this stripped live version of their single "ILYSB" - but don't be surprised when you see them topping the charts very soon.

Tracks To Listen To: "ILYSB", "WHERE THE HELL ARE MY FRIENDS", "4EVER!", "Bad, Bad, Bad"



Marc E. Bassy - I was introduced to Marc E. Bassy through his feature on a G-Eazy song, and actually saw him perform at a G-Eazy show as well. His stage presence was impressive to say the least, and the songs grew on me really quickly. He has a great voice and sexy style, and was previously in the band "2 AM Cllub" - which I was also a huge fan of. If you're looking for a little R&B inspiration, check him out.

Tracks To Listen To: "Some Things Never Change", "Show Me", "Drunk & I'm Drunk", "That's Love"



Urban Cone - Five guys who were just a group of friends in high school created this band in Sweden in 2010,  and lucky for us they've found success and made their way overseas to the United States. A friend introduced me to Urban Cone, and I've found almost every track to be a hit, with emotional lyrics and upbeat music - plus each band member has their own uniquely fabulous hairstyle. Who could ask for more?

Tracks To Listen To: "Sadness Disease", "Skeletons", "New York", "Weekends", "Come Back To Me"



Aquilo - When you want a more relaxing band to listen to, look no further than the British duo "Aquilo". The smoothness of their voices works with the down-tempo tracks and sad lyrics for rainy days. They're also a good band to go to if you're like me and really enjoy the off-color and quirky music videos indie and alternative bands often come up with. (The video below is a perfect example.)

Tracks To Listen To: "Good Girl", "Calling Me", "Better Off Without You", "I Gave It All"



The Wombats - .... another British band! The Wombats have been around for awhile (since 2003), but they just released their new album "Glitterbug" this past December, and it isn't one you want to miss. The three guys that make up this band are effortlessly cool and just make you want to sing along - and they're bring some old-school fashion back (and rocking it).

Tracks To Listen To: "Greek Tragedy", "Emoticons", "Give Me A Try", "Your Body Is A Weapon"



Josef Salvat - Representing the male musicians of Australia, Josef Salvat is one of the most unique and sincerely cool artists I've ever come across. He has an edgy but suave manner with his sound and his style, and is known for his support of the LGBT community and the gender neutrality movement. I have a feeling a lot more people will be thanking Sydney, Australia for sharing Josef Salvat in the near future.

Tracks To Listen To: "Open Season", "Paradise", "Punchline", "Hustler"




ZAYN - Whether you love him or hate him for leaving One Direction, Zayn Malik is HUGE right now. Every single he has released so far has been an instant hit, and he's definitely showing off his personality with his new-found solo career. Plus, I think we can all agree that between his bad-boy bleached hair look and beautiful model girlfriend Gigi Hadid - he is a major fashion icon to follow this year.

Tracks To Listen To: "PILLOWTALK", "LIKE I WOULD", "iT's YoU"




Great Good Fine OK - I couldn't be happier that I happened to come across this band (thanks to Spotify looking out with their weekly playlists). From the band's name "Great Good Fine OK", to the unique and fun music videos, to the beachy and happy tone of the tracks, everything about this duo is inspirational. They will definitely be on all my spring and summer playlists.

Tracks To Listen To: "Take It Or Leave It", "Already Love", "By My Side", "You're The One For Me"



If you want to hear more of these artists, listen to my Spotify playlist below, and feel free to follow me (reilly.farris) to keep up with my monthly playlists!


Thank you for reading!

XOXO,
Reilly Renée

12 Artists To Watch: February

As February wraps up, I thought I would go ahead and start doing posts I'll be doing monthly with upcoming artists to look out for. Sometimes the best fashion inspiration comes from music and the people who create it. Here are some of the artists who inspired me this month...

Florrie - Florence Arnold, better known as "Florrie" is an English pop singer who not only has a beautiful voice and killer lyrics, but an effortless 70's-inspired style that makes her one of the most likable artists out there. "Real Love" is her most recent single that I can't get enough of - and it helps that the fashion in the video is to die for.

Tracks To Listen To: "Real Love", "Little White Lies", "Too Young to Remember", "Shot You Down"



LÉON - Look out for LÉON, the next big pop star coming out of Sweden. The uniqueness of her voice's tone and high-fashion look are going to bring her to the United States in no time. She only has an EP released currently (and sadly no music videos) - but hopefully there will be more to come from her soon, (and possibly a tutorial on how to get a cat-eye as perfect as hers).

Tracks To Listen To: "Tired of Talking", "Treasure", "Nobody Cares"



James Bay - Though a little less obscure, James Bay's relaxed indie rock sound is another that is on the rise. His long hair and indie vibes draw you in, and the raspy undertones of his voice make you want to listen to him for hours. He is already very popular in England with his album "Chaos and the Calm", but after a recent performance with Justin Bieber at the BRIT Awards, I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more of him on U.S. charts.

Tracks To Listen To: "Let It Go", "Craving", "If You Ever Want To Be In Love", "Best Fake Smile", "Incomplete"



Zara Larsson - The winner of "Talang" (Sweden's version of America's Got Talent), Zara Larsson has been topping the charts overseas and has finally reached the United States like many others on this list. The mixture of her rich and naturally cool tones make you want to hear her songs over and over again, plus her makeup is always incredibly fierce.

Tracks To Listen To: "Uncover", "Lush Life", "Carry You Home"




Nina Nesbitt - I've been listening to Nina for years. Her Scottish accent and cutesy look always appealed to me. But recently, she's had a total transformation into an independent woman and sex symbol with her new EP "Modern Love". Both her old albums and this new EP are definitely worth listening to, and her modern look is the perfect place for fashion inspiration.

Tracks To Listen To: "Chewing Gum", "Boy", "Stay Out", "Take You To Heaven"




Niykee Heaton - Yes, that is pronounced "Nikki", and yes you should watch out for her because she is blowing up in the music industry right now. Men love her effortlessly beautiful appearance (and perfect body), and women love her emotional and honest lyrics. She really has it all. I find myself listening to her at least once a day and can already see her being the next big thing in pop music, and her risqué style is sure to get people talking.

Tracks To Listen To: "Bad Intentions", "Skin Tight", "Champagne"



Chelsea Lankes - Representing Texas in the music industry is Chelsea Lankes. I discovered her very recently, but everything I've heard from her so far has been incredible. After seeing her scruffy bleach blonde look in her music videos, I knew she belonged on this list. She has both the voice and the style of the next big female star in electro-pop.

Tracks To Listen To: "Secret", "Bullet", "Ghost"



Jon Bellion - I was introduced to Jon Bellion a long time ago by a friend, and I've never stopped listening to him. I don't find him to be very well-known, but his sound and look are so interesting it gets you hooked. He's rocking the hipster beard and an angelic voice, so he's one you should be watching for sure.

Tracks To Listen To: "Carry Your Throne", "Luxury", "Woke the F*** Up"




Ella Eyre - Ella has been around for along time, especially on the British charts, but I've noticed her gaining increasing popularity in the United States too and I'm loving it. She is one of the most fierce artists I've ever seen with powerful lyrics and perfect hair and makeup to back it up. If you want to listen to something soulful with an edge, listen to Ella Eyre - and check out her badass style as well.

Tracks To Listen To: "If I Go", "We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off", "Good Times"




Troye Sivan - Troye is an artist who became a sensation almost overnight. After his start as a YouTuber and an advocate for the LGBT community, his singing career took off. His album "Blue Neighborhood" is one that you'll want to listen to all the way through over and over - every song is unique and equally good. Of course, it also helps that he's one of the cutest and most fashionable guys in the music industry right now.

Tracks To Listen To: "YOUTH", "EASE", "COOL", "FOOLS"




G-Eazy - For anyone who knows me, G-Eazy will always have a special place in my heart. He's very different from anyone else on this month's list, and the only rapper I have represented. His track "Me. Myself, & I" is huge right now. It went Platinum this week. But, there is a lot more to G-Eazy than his singles on the radio. I highly encourage everyone to give some of his older songs and the other tracks on his new album a try, and while you're at it, take your time soaking in on his incredibly attractive "slick bad boy" style.

Tracks To Listen To: "Me, Myself & I", "Some Kind Of Drug", "Everything Will Be OK", "Let's Get Lost"




Leighton Meester - You may know her as Blair Waldorf from "Gossip Girl", but what very few people know is Leighton actually released an indie album titled "Heartstrings" back in 2014. Her voice and tracks are beautiful - and for diehard fans of Gossip Girl like me, I will always support "Blair" in everything she does. She is a major inspiration in my personal style.

Tracks To Listen To: "Heartstrings", "Sweet", "Run Away"



To hear more from the artists mentioned in this post, listen to the Spotify playlist I have created below:



Thank you for reading!

XOXO,

Reilly Renée