"Dear No One" by Tori Kelly

Dear no one,

Have you heard about the new free single on iTunes? It's by this gal named Tori Kelly out of California. She's been on three different reality TV competitions: Star Search, America's Most Talented Kids and American Idol (season 9). She actually won America's Most Talented Kids, but
only made it to Hollywood week on Idol, so she's pretty hot stuff, but not too hot, if you get my meaning.

Y'know, when we get a free single from an obscure artists on iTunes, I'm used to it being an indie artist trying to promote their new alt. genre, but Tori Kelly is immediately going down the pop track. Her style is kind of Christina Aguilera-ish (or for a more modern reference, Ariana Grande-ish), with lots of runs and trills that don't mean anything. It's pretty showy for an artist that's trying to make it big time.

Anyhow, "Dear No One" comes off of her brand new EP, Foreword. She's released this EP, another in 2012 titled Handmade Songs and a handful of singles. Without having produced her first full album, she's actually leaving on a short tour pretty soon, staying mostly in California. Looks like she's making a push to get some fame before releasing an album. In the meantime, you should take a closer look at this single and her new EP.

"Cool Kids" by Echosmith

This week's free single, "Cool Kids", is about as uncool as the kids from your high school. I am becoming seriously jaded toward iTunes' selection of indie-pop these days. Often they find real diamonds in the rough to promote as free singles. The work of Echosmith is not amongst them.

Echosmith is a four person sibling act - three brothers and their vocalist sister put together a little family band out in LA. They are a very, very young group. The eldest brother, Jamie, is just 20 years old, while the youngest brother, Graham, is still 14. The third brother, Noah, and their sister, Sydney, are 17 and 16, respectively. 

That means all but one member is still in high school, and it shows in their music. They have just released their first album, Talking Dreams, and it sounds, appropriately, like a high schooler's attempt to produce alternative pop music. 

"Ribs" by Lorde

When I think of ribs and music, my mind goes on a number of insane little journeys. The first is a meandering stroll towards a jingle that captured the hearts and appetites of America with the help of a little group you've probably never heard of.

Further down the paths of musical association I'm drawn to a memory from a Disney movie that we all know and love. You laughed at Pumba's antics, you cried when Mufasa died (spoilers), and you hummed along when this little ditty got stuck in your head courtesy of a captive hornbill trapped within a ribcage.

It's worth noting that these songs have nothing to do with this week's free single, "Ribs" by Lorde aside from my mindless word association. If you haven't heard of Lorde, then you're living under a musical rock. As I write this, her hit single "Royals" is the number one song on iTunes and the Billboard Hot 100. Her managers must be worried that that won't prove to be enough press to promote her new album, so they've cushioned that exposure with a free single.

Despite her number one single, Lorde is still relatively unknown as a person and artist. Her real name is Ella Yelich-O'Connor, and she's a 16-year-old from New Zealand making it big early in her musical career. Her EP, The Love Club, was met with critical acclaim, and she later ushered her hit single "Royals" onto the world music scene. All of this has spiraled into a whirlwind of press and attention over the course of about five months and is culminating now in her first full album, Pure Heroine. It's electric-infused alt-pop with a musical maturity not expected out of someone her age. Compound this sound with her smooth, mezzo voice and her poetic lyrics and you've got an artist that deserves all the attention she's getting. But don't take my word for it - let's listen to this week's example.

"The Mother We Share" by CHVRCHES

Picture the Scottish. Those kilt-wearing pipers are known for shepherding their flocks through meadow and moor with a leg of mutton in one hand and a fifth of whisky in the other. For too long Scotland has played host to a one-dimensional culture whose people are only good at shearing sheep, drinking, and drunkenly shearing sheep. The narrow worldview and skill set of the Scots is being expanded to include synth pop music thanks to the hard work, diligence and musical talent of a group called CHVRCHES.

Lauren Mayberry, Martin Doherty and Iain Cook pose for

Interview Magazine.

 This Scottish electronic trio formed in 2011 and is, two years later, releasing their first full album, The Bones of What You Believe. Their wheelhouse is synthesizer work between Iain Cook and Martin Doherty, backing up frontwoman Lauren Mayberry's compelling melodies, but they don't restrict themselves. Iain plays guitar and bass, and both gents will get behind the mic to sing harmonies and occasionally lead vocals on tracks. This week's free single, "The Mother We Share", is the first track on the new album and typifies most of what you'll hear throughout.

"Pumpin Blood" by NONONO

Sometimes you take a bite of a fresh-baked cookie and the taste is so full and complete that you wonder if you'll ever taste anything so delicious ever again. This week's single is nothing like that. It's better compared to one of those green smoothie drinks filled with kale, spinach and celery. It tastes good initially, but you mull it over a bit longer and find the aftertaste doesn't sit quite right.

NONONO, rumored to be a very disagreeable band, is a trio from Sweden formed in 2012, and so is relatively new to the music scene. Chasing the coattails of Swedish pop a la Icona Pop, NONONO captures similar catchy riffs and synth pop sounds, but is less electronic/dance, more alt-pop. I really enjoy their sound, and I like the song, but I don't think I can listen to it. Play the video below and I'll explain.

"Little Games," by The Colourist

I tell you what, I'm really torn over this week's free single. Normally when the folks at iTunes tap an alt pop single I expect it to be a real gem, but "Little Games" is just not doing it for me. But I digress.

The group is The Colourist, a four person act out of California releasing their first EP, Lido. They laid some groundwork before producing any tracks - they performed with indie giant Grouplove and appeared at Coachella, as well as opening for Youngblood Hawke and Atlas Genius (both groups that have featured iTunes free singles in the past year).

It's an impressive resume for a group with one EP, but I don't see The Colourist rising up to their likes anytime soon based on their published work.

"Outta Time," by Natalia Kills

Well I'm gonna keep this short, because much like the title of this week's single, I am out of time to write this post.

I'm going to be blunt here. I don't like this song. I don't like this artist. I gave Natalia Kills a fair shot, listened to her new album, Trouble, and her debut album, Perfectionist, and I came up dry.

I don't like the slightly off-pitch vocal riff at the start of this song. I don't like the boring drum beat. I don't like her voice. I don't like the chord progression. I don't like the twangy guitar chords in the background. Not even the lyrics do anything special for me. There's nothing about this song that I hate, but there's nothing I like either. It just bores me to tears.

None of her other work floats my boat either. Her most popular tracks, "Problem," "Saturday Night," and "Wonderland" have her torn between sounding like a female Kanye West and a subpar British Lady Gaga. It's not that it's bad music - it's just not special. I can't tell what she's striving towards as an artist from what I've heard, and I don't care to listen to more to find out after what I've been exposed to. "Outta Time" was an awful pick from her new album for the free track. It's not at all representative of the rest of her album, and anyone who does investigate the album after listening to it will be left very, very confused. Frankly, I'm just hoping for a better track next week. I give "Outta Time" a...

2 out of 5.

"Closed Hand, Full of Friends," by Foy Vance

They say you can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose. That may be so, but you can grip your friends tightly and never let them go when confronted with heartbreak. I don't see that becoming a common expression, but it is the inspiration for this week's free single.

Foy Vance is an Irishman raised in the American south. Most of his childhood was spent moving throughout the south with his father, picking up musical influences along the way. He returned to Ireland years later and began writing music inspired by the likes of Bob Dylan and Van Morrison. Vance's first album, Hope, was released in 2007. Since then he has produced and toured with Bonnie Raitt, Ed Sheeran and Snow Patrol, amongst others.

"Closed Hand, Full of Friends" comes to us from Vance's second full album, Joy of Nothing, released August 27. It's been six years since the last album, but Vance recently signed with Glassnote Music, famous for their work with Mumford & Sons and Phoenix. Vance said in an interview that he considers this his first album, in a way. Like Bob Dylan, who changed styles and genres from album to album, Vance feels his songwriting has reinvented itself over time. The album is a powerful one, riddled with songs about heartbreak and love gone wrong. "Closed Hand, Full of Friends" is an anthemic call to cling to hope and find joy where you can, and is one of the more uplifting tracks on the album.

Summer Recap

Oh, my summer was great, thanks for asking! I drank, danced and sang along to some fantastic summer singles courtesy of iTunes. Yes, that's right - just because I wasn't blogging doesn't mean that I didn't keep up on my free music. I hope you all were keeping tabs as well, because I wanted to recap the summer with a highlight reel of sorts: my Top 5 iTunes Free Singles.

This summer was a veritable gold mine of alternative jams, soulful melodies and anthemic pop songs. I could attempt to drum up my usual witticisms but I'm rather out of practice and need to get back into the swing of things, so without further ado... starting at the bottom of the list.

5) "Help Me Lose My Mind" by Disclosure, feat. London Grammar

Disclosure, an English brother act producing electronic music, has really burst onto the music scene this summer with the release of their first full studio album in June. Their original tracks and remixes were featured on a number of DJ summer playlists (see Diplo's Endless Summer) and has brought the pair some deserved prominence. This track from their album Settle has the ethereal elements of trance but a drum beat worth hearing at a summer party. It was a favorite of mine this summer and starts our list at number five.

4. "Beekeeper" by Aoife O'Donovan

I told you there were some soulful melodies from this summer. I am, admittedly, biased towards this song and this artist since I've had the privilege of seeing her perform live! Aoife (pronounced EEF-ah) O'Donovan toured with the Punch Brothers in the spring of 2012, and her Americana angel voice was the perfect opener for my favorite bluegrass group. This track shows her ability as a rock-oriented singer, and showcases her vocal talent and her guitar work. If you take the time to look up some of her folk music, you will not be disappointed.

3. "Un Dia de Sol" by Los Claxons

That's right - Hispanic pop. Based on my aversion to reggae, you might have assumed that I'm not open to, shall we say, "cross-cultural genres". Not so! I was pleasantly surprised by this track. The incorporation of both the English and Spanish languages is a great way of appealing to audiences. The chorus is a catchy monosyllabic riff that anyone can sing along to. If ever there were a way to get Americans to appreciate Hispanic music, songs like these are the way to do it. I can't listen to this song and not move and sing along. It's a fantastic song from this summer, and makes the middle of our list at number three.

2. "Pompeii" by Bastille

We've all heard this on pop radio by now. Released at the start of the summer on their new EP Haunt, Bastille weaseled their way into the American pop music scene. This English alternative rock band did a great job of writing a summer anthem. It's catchy, singable and bursting with summer energy, and is a great testimony to iTunes' ability to find those soon-to-be hits. It was a favorite on the Billboard charts, and a favorite in my library, landing at number two for this summer.

1. "Chocolate" by The 1975

If one of the biggest hits of the summer only landed at number two, then what could possibly hold the throne at the top of this list: diamond in the rough, a buried treasure, and one that I expect to soon be exposed. "Chocolate" by English pop rock group The 1975 was my favorite track of the summer. It made it's way on to the iTunes freebie list with the release of their EP stateside, IV. Now, I mentioned that I expect this track and this band to gain some ground soon. The 1975's first full album, self-titled, is scheduled to drop in September. This band is poised to do some great work, and is likely to permeate American pop radio just as Bastille did this summer. Look forward to that album, and enjoy this track in the meantime.

Now, these five tracks aren't the only worth listening to, by any means. Below are some honorable mentions I encourage you to give a listen to:

"The Wire" by HAIM

"You Know You Like It" by AlunaGeorge

"Second Chances" by Gregory Alan Isakov

"The Way We Touch" by WE ARE TWIN

Give them all a listen, and stay tuned week to week as I get back to reviewing the fine work of the iTunes select! If you have any other singles that are worth an honorable mention, let me know in the comments below.

"High Heel Leather Boots," by Baby Bee

I would love to say that I have a clever witticism for incorporating high heel leather boots into a personal anecdote, but I can't think of anything that wouldn't end as extremely graphic. Alas, somethings are just not meant to be. But my semester is wrapping up here quickly, I've thoroughly enjoyed this little foray into music critiquing. I fancy I may continue reviewing singles over the summer, so stick around.

This past week's single is a rocking single that comes to us from the swamps of Louisiana. Joe and David Stark formed their gritty family band, Baby Bee, in 2011, and are gearing up for the release of their first full length album later this year. To bide the time, they've produced an EP - The Shaker - to accrue a name on iTunes. They had a recent boost in popularity when one of their songs, "Love Bug," was featured on AMC's hit series, The Walking Dead. Their wailin' rock songs are infused with a distinct southern beat that would make any of their songs a pleasant fit in the zombie-infested American South. This week's single, "High Heel Leather Boots," is a great example of the style that the Stark brothers bring to their music.