The Firebare Blog

A hop, skip and a jump over the Atlantic Ocean in the middle of the United Kingdom is a town called Northampton. And apparently good music comes from Northampton because that’s where this week’s featured band hails from. The On Offs are the first in our British Uprising series. I keep hearing amazing bands from the UK, and I want to start sharing them with you.I absolutely love The On Offs’ music, it’s the kind of tunes that I enjoy speeding down the freeway to. Some of their songs have a certain vibe that just makes me want to get up and move, while others just seem to make me happy. So, sit back, grab a cup o’ tea with some tasty biscuits and enjoy The On Offs. You’ll be glad you did!To buy their music, check out “This Town / Grow Your Own” - Single on iTunes, or you can get their latest single “Wrong Upstairs” from www.hmv.co.uk (if you don’t mind buying from the UK).Find out more about The On Offs at www.theonoffs.com or on their MySpace page. 

The On Offs - Wrong Upstairs

Free Music Video Codes @ ProfileMix.com

If you’ve ever been to the iTunes Store, you know that every Tuesday, they give away a free song available for download for an entire week. I’ve been introduced to some amazing bands through this feature, such as Snow Patrol, and now I want to start helping you out. Every Tuesday, I’m going to start posting the iTunes Free Single Of The Week, here on The Firebare Blog. And the best part, it’s not going to cost you anything! I’ll be linking each post directly to the artist’s page on iTunes, so you don’t have to do any unnecessary searching if you’re not familiar with the process.

This weeks featured iTunes artist is Paolo Nutini with his extremely catchy single “New Shoes” Here’s what iTunes has to say about the song:

Paolo Nutini comes from an Italian family - but one that has lived in Scotland for generations. He’s fresh out of his teenage years and he’s got a voice that channels Ray Charles, Bill Withers, Van Morrison, Rod Stewart, Chris Martin, and well, whoever you happen to like. Let’s just say he’s got an amazing voice. “New Shoes” is an uptempo, ridiculously catchy folk-pop track that we’ll also call Single of the Week.

Now for some fun, here’s a video of Nutini performing “New Shoes” live:

Go here to download “New Shoes” free from the iTunes Store

Our Sunday Music Recommendation: Soyu Sae
by Daniel Matsuura

Soyu Sae is a hybrid performer who captures the art of storytelling through undeniable melodies. Her music is proof that she can not only carry a tune, but can carry her own weight in emotion as well. Each song is a time capsule of a moment in her life that she shares as a universal outlook that anyone can relate to. Her eclectic style is a musical amalgamation of indie, pop, and gospel double-dipped in traditional American folk. Soyu Sae has mastered many traditional-folk instruments, as well as many modern instruments. Fluent in both the guitar and banjo, she brings new perspective to a well constructed song. She accompanies herself with an aray of other instruments from the piano, harmonica, and recorder. When Soyu Sae preaches her unique perception on life, listeners can only nod in agreement as if they had lived through the same experiences she has.