Sunday, June 28, 2015

Olivia Rose is set to take on the Ladies of Country

Olivia Rose Promotional image


It's amazing to be able to follow an artist as they break on the journey that is country music in Canada.  I have the luxury of being able to listen to and see some of those artists that are coming up in the industry and this is another who I have been following for a number of years.

Olivia Rose is to say the least an amazing singer and is just starting out on her journey with her first release to radio "Make Up to Mud" which is receiving great reviews from across country radio.  Olivia has given me an opportunity to not only review this release but also her next 2.



"Make Up to Mud" is upbeat and wants to get the boots moving on the dance floor or while driving on the open road, just watch the gas pedal and the odometer.  Olivia is not responsible for speeding.  It's lots of fun and let's you start to see what kind of star Olivia is going to be.  I can say Kira and Jesse might have some competition in the next couple of years for CCMA female artist of the year.  The song is perfect for Radio and your mp3 player.

Her next release to radio, coming very soon, is "Daddy's Little Girl" which slows things down a little but is going to get lots of air play as we head into wedding season for the fall, especially once newly engaged ladies hear it, they will be requesting it for the Daughter-Father dances.  It is truly inspriational and takes you through the memories of a young lady and her life with her dad, remembering that she will always be "Daddy's Little Girl".  This is the wedding song for 2015-2016 wedding season.

I also got a sneak preview of a single that is heading to radio later in 2015, around or just after CCMA awards and Country Music Week 2015 in Halifax, NS.
"Please Maybe", another upbeat song with a little pop 80's flair to it, but remaining true to her country roots.  You can see the direction Olivia is going in her career and dance floors are going to be thankful.  But there is another thing that is for sure, the three releases this year are going to send Olivia into the spotlight on the country music scene in Canada.

Rating:
Overall: Olivia is going to be on the charts of country music for a while if these three releases are where she is starting out.

Although not an album review, these 3 original songs are going to be hits and with so much ahead of her I am giving Daddy's Little Girl 5 guitars, "Make Up to Mud" and "Please Maybe" 4 guitars not because they are less than Daddy's Little Girl, but because Daddy's Little Girl grabbed me and I know it is going to be an exceptional release that will hold the test of time especially when it comes to brides and their Dads. 



It's important to also realize that female artists like Olivia are making moves on the country music charts and you will be seeing an influx of female artists in the next few years which is in contrast to the current country music situation, and that is a real threat to the boys.

Oh and Don't let the good looks fool you, this 16 year old is exactly, as she portrays in her music, soft but she is willing to go "Make-up to Mud" in 3 seconds, if she has to, to show her musical abilities both written and vocal.

Olivia Rose has over 10 years experience but she also wants to always make sure she only puts her best out there, with these 3 tunes she has.

You can check her out on her web site Olivia Rose Music

Who knows maybe she might let everyone else hear her new singles at K-days in Edmonton July 20th, 2015 at 8 pm on the North Stage.

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Review: Julia Nicholson's Self Titled EP "Julia Nicholson"

Julia Plays at the MacLab for the performing Arts
With Julia Nicholson, you are never ever going to be listening the same old songs over again.  When I first ran into Julia it was at the TELUS stage at K-days in Edmonton and I was hooked.  Julia was doing her own rendition of the Man in Black Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" which knocked me off my feet.

It was from that point on, that I couldn't wait for her to start dropping music.  She has done it again knowing Julia is not your normal country artist, she can rock it, pop it and country it all with the same full sound that caught me off guard the first time I heard her.

This CD does not disappoint me, she takes her country soul and pops it up a little, funks it up a little and even gets a little rap involved on the fourth single Lucky featuring the rap artist Toxsic. Which although it has the rap in it doesn't over do it and actually accentuates the song.


Black Camaro is the first single on the EP and gives you a little taste of the islands of Trinidad and Tobago, and a jazzy guitar. It is a great way to start the listening experience of music from Julia, once started you can't stop. This is one of those songs that you can see the dance floor swaying with a little grind.


Julia on the TELUS Stage at K-days

First time I caught Julia Nicholson
Feel your love is a little Taylor Swift, and well JULIA, she takes every song she sings and puts a little Julia flair in it.  One thing you will notice is the guitar is the main instrument in every song but it's not over powering.  In "Feel Your Love" the guitar is light and airy and adds to the song.


"What does she do" is that country pop funky sound that many singers have tried and have not been able to accomplish.  In some ways it almost has a 80's pop kick to it, and that's not a bad thing. I can see the dance floors in both the clubs and country bars packed dancing and wanting more of that sound.   
So now that she has out interest now we want more.

Julia Nicholson's Self Titled EP gets 4 out of 5 guitars, would have gotten 5 but she left me wanting more.... which is not a bad thing.   

Go check her out at Julia Nicholson's Web Site