Category Archives: Artist to Watch

Artist to Watch, Cody Simpson, Music, On Tour

Artist To Watch: Jackson Harris

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It’s been quite an exciting year for singer Jackson Harris!  Since releasing his debut EP, “Sharks and Vampires” in Feburary, Jackson has opened for artists like Fifth Harmony and Before You Exit, and is currently on tour with Cody Simpson in Europe.  Growing up in NYC, Jackson always knew he wanted to be a musician.  He immersed himself in music, listening to everyone from James Taylor to his sister’s Backstreet Boys albums, and friends’ Fall Out Boy albums.   Fitting right in with today’s DIY pop music trend, Jackson taught himself to play guitar by watching videos of John Mayer on Youtube, and posting his own covers of artists like Taylor Swift and Imagine Dragons.  (de rigueur for pop stars these days!)

Jackson has a versatile sound, and you can hear the range of influences in his songs.  Watch the video for his single “Life Through a Lens” below!

European Tour Dates with Cody Simpson
July 4th – Bord Gais Energy Theatre – Dublin, Ireland
July 5th – Academy 2 – Manchester, England
July 6th – Library – Birmingham, England
July 8th – La Maroquinerie – Paris, France
July 11th – Bikini – Barcelona, Spain
July 12th – Shoko Live – Madrid, Spain
July 14th – Armazem F TMN Ao Vivo – Lisbon, Portugal

He’ll be back in New York for a show on August 12th with Mike Tompkins at the Studio at Webster Hall.   Tickets are on sale now! Pickup a copy of the “Sharks and Vampires” EP on iTunes or Amazon!

Be sure to follow Jackson Harris & Secret Fangirls on Twitter for more updates!

Artist to Watch, Music, On Tour

Shawn Mendes Drops First Single “Life Of The Party”

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Youtube sensation Shawn Mendes, who was just signed to Island Records, released his first single “Life Of The Party!”  Shawn snagged a coveted opening spot for Austin Mahone and The Vamps on tour this summer.  He’s known for his unique covers of artists like Justin Bieber and Lana del Ray, which he posts to his Youtube channel as well as his Vine account.  “Life Of The Party” is Shawn’s first original song to be released, after teasing fans with (what else) Vine and Instagram videos in recent weeks.

Watch the official lyric video below and download it now on iTunes so you can sing along on tour!

Check out all of Shawn’s upcoming dates on the Austin Mahone tour here!

Be sure to follow Shawn Mendes and Secret Fangirls on Twitter for more updates.

Artist to Watch, Music, Secret Fangirls

Artist to Watch: Tiffany Houghton

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We love the pop-country sound of rising singer-songwriter Tiffany Houghton, who was just added to MKTO’s American Dream Tour lineup!  Tiffany has that fresh “early Taylor Swift” sound that we’ve been searching for.  Armed with an acoustic guitar and girl-next-door charm, Tiffany’s catchy, well-crafted songs will have you singing along before the first chorus.  Tiffany moved to Nashville at the age of 17, and has spent time songwriting and honing her craft.  We’re sure you’ll be hearing a lot more from this girl in the future!

Watch the video for her new single, “17 Again,” below, which was inspired by one of our favorite movies,”Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”

Tiffany teamed up with ConcertBlogger.com for a performance of “Band Boy,” which she wrote about her weakness for boys in bands after getting home from a concert one night.  This song is pretty much every fangirl’s anthem.  We especially love the line “fangirls love band boys and band boys love fan girls!”

Be sure to follow Tiffany Houghton & Secret Fangirls on Twitter for more updates!

Artist to Watch, Boy Bands, Music

Artist To Watch: Phase V

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Phase V is truly a modern boy band, or as they call themselves an “urban-pop boy band.”   We love that they are a boy band in the classic sense of the word:  They sing, they dance, they sing while they dance – they’ve got it!  (The right stuff.)  Phase V’s brand new single, “Drop It” is out now and it’s everything you need in a summer jam.   As fangirls of 90s boy bands, it’s safe to say that Phase V might be our new favorite artist to come out the recent 90s resurgence.

Be sure to pick up a copy of Phase V’s “Drop It” on iTunes and Amazon.  Watch the official video below.

We hope these guys go on tour soon (and play in NYC) because we’re going to need to experience their smooth harmonies and sharp dance moves in person!   They also did a cover of Justin Timberlake’s “Not a Bad Thing,” which we’ve always said would sound great with a 5-part harmony.

Follow Phase V & Secret Fangirls on Twitter for more updates!

Artist to Watch, Music

Wild Party Announce Debut Album “Phantom Pop” Out October 7th

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One of the five finalists in the iHeartRadio and Macy’s Rising Star Contest, Wild Party, just announced their debut album will be released on October 7th.  You can pre-order the album on iTunes now and get a download of the single “When I Get Older!”
Check out a tweet from the band below featuring the album art!

If that’s not enough, Wild Party are going on tour this summer!  Check out the dates below.

Wild Party Summer Tour Dates
** w/ Andrew McMahon
June 21st – Macy’s Northridge – Northridge, CA – More Info
June 25th – Bootleg Bar – Los Angeles, CA – Buy Tickets
July 9th – Tricky Falls – El Paso, TX – Buy Tickets
July 10th – The Rhythm Room – Scottsdale, AZ – Buy Tickets
July 12th – Club Sound – Salt Lake City, UT – Buy Tickets  **
July 13th – Aggie Theater – Ft. Collins, CO  – Buy Tickets   **
July 14th – The Black Sheep – Colorado Springs, CO – Buy Tickets  **
July 16th – The Slow Down – Omaha, NE – But Tickets  **
July 17th – The Castle Theater – Bloomington, IN – Buy Tickets  **
July 19th – Schubas Tavern – Chicago, IL – Buy Tickets  **
August 8th – Stone Pony – Asbury Park, NJ – Buy Tickets  **
August 9th – Chameleon Club – Lancaster, PA – Buy Tickets  **
August 30th – Grand Junction Off Road, Grand Junction, CO – More Info

Listen to “When I Get Older” below.

Be sure to vote for Wild Party in the iHeartRadio Macy’s Rising Star Contest – it’s the last week to vote!

Don’t forget to follow Wild Party & Secret Fangirls on Twitter for more on your favorite artists.

Artist to Watch, Music, Secret Fangirls

Olivia Somerlyn: SomerLover Meetup in NYC!

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Attention NYC SomerLovers:  Olivia Somerlyn is having a meetup in NYC this Friday, June 20th!

Olivia’s music is super fun to dance to and definitely the perfect summer soundtrack.  Her new single “Parachute” (co-written/produced by none other than Nick Jonas) is out now on iTunes and Amazon.
Come out to a Somerlover meet up and you’ll know why Olivia is the sweetest popstar to emerge in recent years!

We hope you’ve been voting for Olivia in the Macy’s and iHeartRadio Rising Star Contest — this is the final week to vote!

Be sure to follow Olivia Somerlyn & Secret Fangirls on Twitter for more updates!

 

Artist to Watch, Boys We Like, Music, Show Review, The Vamps

MTV Artist to Watch: The Vamps at Highline Ballroom in NYC!

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British band The Vamps (yes band, NOT a boy band) played to a sold out crowd at NYC’s Highline Ballroom on Sunday.  The show was part of the MTV Artist to Watch Series, which has recently featured artists such as Austin Mahone and Hunter Hayes.   We were thrilled to have the chance to see them again!   This wasn’t their first time playing in NYC:  Back in February, they played the Gramercy Theatre with AJR.  Since then, The Vamps released their debut album “Meet The Vamps,” which has been as high as #2 on the charts in the UK, and have been all over the world in support of their album.

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The quartet, Bradley Simpson (lead vocals, guitar), James McVey (lead guitar), Connor Ball (bass) and Tristan Evans (drums) really mesh well together considering they found each other via social media about 3 years ago!  Each member has their own unique style and musical taste (James for example is a fan of country stars like Dan + Shay), yet the music The Vamps create is pure, catchy pop rock at its best.  The band’s musicianship, harmonies, and talent show that  this group is more than just another band creating a frenzy among teenage girls.

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Their high energy performance had the crowd dancing from start to finish!  The Vamps’ set featured all of their singles, including the latest “Somebody To You,” and the first song the band ever wrote together, “She Was The One.”  The crowd was singing along to every word, which is impressive for a band whose album hasn’t even been released in the US yet!    They have a great stage presence, interacting with each other and also with the lucky fans in the front row!

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The Vamps also performed solid covers of The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside,” Simon and Garfunkel’s “Cecilia,” and a fun, rock version of Jason Derulo’s “Trumpet.”   When the crowd started chanting “take it off,” Tristan turned it into a jam session showcasing all of their musical talents, as Brad told the audience “let’s make some music together!”   If you haven’t met The Vamps yet, get ready:  they are most definitely the Artist to Watch in 2014!

Setlist:
Wild Heart
Last Night
Somebody To You
She Was The One
Mr. Brightside (cover)
Girls on TV
Trumpets (cover)
Can We Dance
Cecilia (cover)

Watch our video of The Vamps performing “Somebody To You” and check out our Youtube & Tumblr for more photos & video from the show!

 

If you’re in NYC, you can meet The Vamps and catch an acoustic set at Planet Hollywood tonight!  If not, be sure to tune into their livestream at 6PM today…they’ll be making a big announcement you don’t want to miss! 

The Vamps will be touring the US with Austin Mahone all summer long!  Check out the dates here and get a copy of “Wild Heart” on iTunes!

Be sure to follow The Vamps & The Secret Fangirls on Twitter for more updates!

Artist to Watch, Friday Five, Music

The Friday Five: New Bands That Rock

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In the past, we’ve brought you new bands from across the pond, our favorite boy bands, and even our top favorite country artists. This week, we want to formally introduce you to five bands that rock!  All of these artists have a knack for writing a catchy rock song, with their own unique sound.

1 – Born Cages
We’ve featured this Brooklyn based band before and we’ve been lucky enough to see them play more than a few times. As we near the release of their next single, please enjoy one of our favorite songs from “The Sidelines EP“.

2 – New Hollow
This Ohio trio has worked their way into our playlists ever since the 106.1 BLI Summer Jam a few weekends ago. Catchy, grungy, perfect summer throwback sound – New Hollow has it all! Don’t miss these guys on tour this summer. Watch the official video for their single, “She Ain’t You” below.


3 – Action Item
Hailing from New Jersey, Action Item aren’t technically new, but that doesn’t stop them from rocking their way onto our Friday Five list! These guys are dropping a new single called “We’ll Be Fine” on June 24th and we can’t wait to hear what they’ve been up to. They’ll be on tour with MKTO all summer so be there or be square!


4 – The Strypes
The only band on this list from the UK, The Strypes are definitely ones to watch.  After a chance encounter with their name in an ad in Rolling Stone , we checked out their music and instantly knew these guys were on to something.  We love The Strypes cheeky lyrics on their debut album “Snapshot” and it’s about time the US has another proper British rock invasion!  Watch the official video for “What A Shame” below.

5 – Wild Party
One of the five finalists in this years iHeartRadio and Macy’s Rising Star Competition, Wild Party is definitely on the up and up. Their single “When I Get Older” sounds like Rooney and Phantom Planet – just what we need to blast in our car with the windows down and the sunroof open! Catch Wild Party at a free in-store performance at Macy’s in Northridge, CA on June 21st.

 

Be sure to follow Born Cages, New Hollow, The Strypes, Action Item, Wild Party, and Secret Fangirls on Twitter for the latest on your favorite new artists!

 

Artist to Watch, Music, On Tour

Artist To Watch: Chris Lane

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Rising country star Chris Lane‘s single “Broken Windshield View” was released this week and it’s already climbing up the iTunes charts!    Chris hails from North Carolina, and has opened for acts such as Brantley Gilbert, The Band Perry and Eli Young Band.   We’ve been on a a major country kick, so are excited to have some new music for our summer soundtrack! The song is a perfect summer jam, talking about living in the country, tearing up the dirt roads with your friends, and all the pretty girls you see on the weekends.  Check out the lyric video below!

Be sure to pickup a copy of “Broken Windshield View” on iTunes!  You can catch Chris Lane on the “This Is How We Roll” Tour this summer with Florida Georgia Line!  Visit IAmChrisLane.com to see how you can meet him on tour.

Chris Lane Summer 2014 Tour Dates
June 12th – Music Farm – Charleston, SC – Buy Tickets
June 13th – Lake Olmstead Stadium – Augusta, GA – Buy Tickets
June 13th – The Country Club – Augusta, GA – Details
June 14th – Riverwalk Stadium – Montgomery, AL – Buy Tickets
June 15th – Everbank Stadium  – Jacksonville, FL – Buy Tickets
June 19th – Park View Field – Fort Wayne, IN – Buy Tickets
June 19th – Rusty Spur – Fort Wayne, IN – Details
June 20th – Bowling Green Ballpark – Bowling Green, KY – Buy Tickets
June 21st – Mitchell Stadium – Bluefield, WV – Buy Tickets
June 22nd – McCormick Field – Asheville, NC – Buy Tickets
June 26th – Guitars Rock N’ Country Bar – Joplin, MO – Buy Tickets
June 27th – Nelson Park – Decatur, IL
July 5th – Maverick’s at the Landing – Jacksonville, FL – Buy Tickets
July 12th – Hickory Hills Lake – Fort Loramie, OH – Buy Tickets
July 23rd – Loudon County Fair – Leesburg, VA – Buy Tickets
July 31st – Clearfield County Fair – Clearfield, PA – Buy Tickets
August 1st – Kokomo Performing Arts Center – Kokomo, IN – Buy Tickets
August 6th – Augusta County Fair – Fishersville, VA – Buy Tickets
August 9th – Backstage Bar & Grill – Evansville, IN – Buy Tickets
August 10th – New Albany Market Square – New Albany, OH
August 15th – Greene County Fair – Greeneville, TN – More Info
August 16th – Franklin County Fair – Courtland, VA – Buy Tickets
Sept. 5th – The Gin – Tifton, GA – Buy Tickets
Sept. 6th – Bluewater Bar & Grill – Valdosta, GA
Sept 11 – Washington County Fair – Abingdon, VA – Buy Tickets
Sept 13th – Lincoln County Fair – Fayetteville, IN
Sept 19th – Kleman Plaza – Tallahassee, FL
October 4th – The Farm -Selma, NC – Buy Tickets
November 4th – THIS IS HOW WE CRUISE – Jacksonville, FL – Buy Tickets

Be sure to follow Chris Lane & Secret Fangirls on Twitter for more updates!

90s, Artist to Watch, Music

Artist to Watch: New Hollow

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We’ve been loving the resurgence of all things 90s, and Ohio-based pop rock band New Hollow clearly got the memo! These guys are bulldozing their way into the hearts of  America with their grunge rock throwback sound.

We caught New Hollow’s set at the 106.1 BLI Summer Jam last weekend at Jones Beach and they won us over immediately with their cover of “Rebel, Rebel”.  Their single, “She Ain’t You” harkens back to the alt-rock grunge days. They had us singing along by the end of the song and we’ve caught ourselves on more than one occasion humming it around the Secret Fangirls office! Hopefully they’ll come back and play in New York soon.

The band, made up of high school friends Evan West (19), Mookie Clouse (19), and Chad Blashford (18), recently signed with Epic Records – home to Karmin, Fifth Harmony, and The Fray!
New Hollow have been in the studio writing with Blues Traveler – how cool is that!?  We can’t wait for their album to come out!

Watch the official video for New Hollow’s “She Ain’t You” below!

Pick up a copy of “She Ain’t You” on iTunes and Amazon now.

Catch New Hollow live this summer!
June 6th – Shops at Mercato – Naples, FL – Details Here 
June 17th – TBD – Cupertino, CA – iTunes Showcase
June 26th – Canton Palace Theater – Canton, OH – Buy Tickets 
August 9th – Starlight Theater – Kansas City, MO – Buy Tickets
August 16th – Fraze Pavillion – Kettering, OH – Buy Tickets
August 29th – Fashion Meets Music Festival – Columbus, OH – Buy Tickets
October 16th – TBD – Cincinnati, OH – Coming Soon

Be sure to follow New Hollow and Secret Fangirls on Twitter for the latest on your favorite artists!