Needtobreathe – Hang On

Needtobreathe - Hang On

Needtobreathe, stylized as NEEDTOBREATHE, is a band from South Carolina, United States, that has been around for nearly 20 years. During that time, they have consistently released strong and often successful albums (the last one debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 album chart) but, nevertheless, they remain a mostly unknown band to the casual music fan outside the US. Their music style lies on the fence between folk, country and alternative rock. In a way, you could say they are an older and lesser-known version of Mumford & Sons.

The band will release their seventh studio album in August but a couple of their new songs have been made available already, with Hang On being one of those. It is a great song that perfectly represents what the band is about. With its upbeat rhythm and extremely catchy chorus, it got all the necessary ingredients to become a musical crush. Enjoy it below.

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Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher

Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher

Phoebe Bridgers is the world’s favorite indie/folk artist right now. In fact, when she released her second album, Punisher, one day earlier yesterday, she became a trending topic on Twitter. So, I don’t think you need me to tell you who she is. You probably know that already.

Anyway, that a true singer/songwriter singing this type of music is having so much success in this day and age, is something that I think should be celebrated. It’s pretty rare nowadays. Besides, despite being the song after which the whole album was named, the song I’m recommending here today, Punisher, has not been released a single so far (those have been Garden Song and Kyoto). I cannot say was a huge fan of Phoebe. I mean, I do like her but not in a cannot-stop-listening-to-her kind of way. That being said, I loved the ethereal mood of this song from the first time I heard it. Ms. Bridgers has a soft and delicate voice that pulls you in in a hypnotic way. As a curious side note, musicians use the term punisher to refer –in kind of a condescending way– to super fans that linger at the merch booth in live shows a little too long. Phoebe wrote this song as if she would have been Elliot Smith’s punisher.

Maybe I’ll become a big fan after all. What about you?

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The Strumbellas – I’ll Wait

The Strumbellas - I'll Wait

Canadian band The Strumbellas had a moderate hit a few years ago with their song, Spirits, yet they remained relatively unknown to the casual listener. Last year, they returned with their fourth album, Rattlesnakes, which included the anthemic folk single you can find below. If you haven’t listened to it yet, you must do it now because its infectiously uplifting melody will put a smile on your face and make you sing-along.

I’ll wait became an instant musical crush for me the first time I heard it. I hope it does the same for you.

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