I thought that today I would take a look at why Brite Revolution exists. Some of you may not know what we are all about and some of you may just need a refresher course. All too often, we lose track of the things that really matter in this life and Brite seeks to simplify things. We aim to do that by hand picking great music for you to sample so that you don’t have to rummage through the supersaturated Internet to find new music thus giving you hours back of your life. We know that not everyone likes Justin Beiber and Lady Gaga so we try to make it easy for you to find new content by just sending you a newsletter every week chock full of good stuff. The other thing we aim to accomplish is connecting you to causes, because life is about more than being entertained. We must live for the just treatment of human beings as well as our planet and the living creatures that roam it. In short we are stewards and we must remember that on a daily basis. Take a moment today to check out some of our worthy causes by clicking here and get involved in changing your world.
Let me start by saying that I have not seen such a creative, fun, and inexpensive video since Ok Go did “Here It Goes Again”. I nearly fell out of my half functional office chair the first time I gazed in wonder at the ingenuity of it all. The whole video was made for around $500 dollars and it was done in one continuous shot. That alone is enough to make my heart go pitter-patter. This opens a whole new world to creative artists looking to get their product in front of eyes. In Tim’s case he is bordering 100,000 views so far and it has only been out just over a month. The other thing that struck me was the artistic feel to the set design. At first glance you might imagine that was more about the process of making the single shot dynamic work, but the more that I watch the video, I am impressed with the attention to detail in the layout of the scenes. The moving parts of the sets take what could have been a very static picture and put a whole new dimension to it all. Oh yeah, and the song. As a Brite employee I have all the songs on our website carved out in a special place located in my brain. I was familiar with Tim’s work, but this song is a hit in my book, which is not to say that I don’t like his other works. At the very least it is a teenage anthem, but it somehow resonates with a majority of people. I would dare to say that most people have had a “the one that got away” moment in their lifetime. To get a freeTim Halperin track click here.
Summer Candy
Summer Candy is a new two song EP by Ben Rector and it is as colorful as the cover art. The title track runs just over the two-minute mark, which I find to be a cruel length. It’s like a one hundred calorie pack of cookies. You get just enough of what you want to spiral your craving into a downright frenzy. This generally leads to eating the entire box of packets. The difference is Summer Candy is zero calories so you can enjoy it over and over without any harm to the ability to get your skinny jeans on. The first track drives straight through funky town into a dance track sure to keep your feet tapping the floor. The second track “Mr. Mailman” is more piano pop driven but no less fun than the first. These two songs will fit great into a summertime playlist for heading to the beach or just staying inside and remembering the days when you could sit outside in August. Be sure to check out his four free tracks here as well.
A Tall Drink of Water
Well, for those of you who live on a polar ice cap this posting will have little meaning to you… but for the rest of us caught up in this heat wave, you know how great a tasty glass of water can be. It doesn’t really matter what your normal choice of beverages is, after a grueling afternoon of working in the garden, mowing the lawn or even walking down the street, the only thing that will do is a tall drink of water.
It’s very easy to take these simple necessities for granted in the midst of our dog eat dog lifestyles. We cram so many things into our day that we often times miss the wonderful pleasures that make our life comfortable, but if we stop and think about it, it is hard to imagine a day without them. What if after a long workout at the gym you reached for your bottle to find that it was teaming with harmful organisms and bacteria neighboring the other contaminants that make it look as though you took it from an unattended gutter. Each year there are 2.2 million people who die from unclean drinking water.
That’s 20 jumbo jets filled to capacity each day.
The “dirty” truth is that more people die from water born illness each year that war and terrorism, but you wont see that on your news crawler in the morning. The other tragedy about water in a good number of locations globally is that many hours a day are spent retrieving water which prevents children from attending school and parents from holding steady jobs. It causes illness and then — to add insult to injury — “literally” it robs them of medical treatment to cure the illnesses bred by the same substance because of the poverty it inflicts.
The most insane thing about that to me is that we actually can do something about the problem in a tangible way. You will probably never see people protesting unclean water because it is as simple to fix as contributing to a group of people who have a plan to eradicate this issue from our planet. One such organization is Living Water International. Brite is proud to stand beside the work that this marvelous bunch of frontliners are doing to make clean water a reality for people who could have never imagined such a thing. Sweet Talk Radio is a Brite artist who is also excited to show their love for Living Water. You can get two free tracks from them here. To find out more about what you can do about this global crisis click here!
That’s Heavy man!
The first time I ever heard The Heavy was on a Kia commercial and I fell in love. There were life sized sock puppets and robots, which in my book is really all you need to get my attention and maintain it for extended time frames. Somewhere beyond the flood of visual stimulation I found myself soaked with wonder about this song that seemed so familiar yet at the same time so different. At the time I had no idea who these guys were, but as I later discovered after putting two and two together on who this group of chaps were, I am enveloped by each one of their songs with a fantasy I had when I first sank my ears into the musical sound buffet as a young lad. My first thought was slightly punny when I thought to myself “How could such a raw and dirty sound come from a place called Bath”. These English natives are dealing out the same fate to musical stereotypes as was dealt to the Berlin Wall and the Roman Empire. Believe me when I say that you will be hearing more from these sound Spartans in the future and rest assured that I will be spinning these tracks with vigor in my current playlists and many more to come. I suggest that you follow my lead.
A Special Thanks!
This has been a bittersweet week at Brite Revolution. It is the end of an era of epic interns. These four diamonds in the rough have gone above and beyond the typical “file and sort” status quo that is the industry standard in this town. They rolled up their sleeves figuratively and, with the heat we have had during their stint, literally to attack any project we have thrown their way whilst simultaneously taking on vigilante tasks of their own. Through it all hopefully they have learned what they set out to learn, but more importantly, after discussing it with them, it seems they have learned more about themselves and their true passions. Some have been unwavering in their pursuits and some have discovered new paths toward a more niche´ career. One thing is for sure and that is they will be missed on a daily basis. So thanks to Aly (blogger extraordinaire), Joe (IT guru and court jester), Evan (Brain stormer and walking dance party), and Erin (The Mike Rowe [dirty jobs] of telephone calls). Also a special thanks to our summer intern coordinator Michelle who has also served as an office Pitchforkesk guide to new music. Without her I would still be listing to Wallflowers “Bringing Down the Horse” for the eight hundredth time.
It-Can’t-Be-Real Poem
You read. You ponder. You might even smile.
The common blog reactions, a sight worthwhile.
Then you hold hands with all that you’ve gathered
Some specs, some ideas, some laugh out louders
Lucky for you, it gets even better.
“But how could it? Brite’s better than ever?”
So glad you asked, special authors we bet you could guess
Some people you know, those you’ll never forget
Brite Artists interviewing other Brite Artists
A sure fire read to be added to your lists
So check back in and learn more about your friends!
They are as excited as you are to begin.
Brite
The Co Reflects on Gregory Alan Isakov
“Transportation” (Thoughts on Gregory Alan Isakov)
When I first listened to Gregory I was sitting in a coffee shop on 21st avenue in Nashville.
It was raining out, I remember that. It was cold, and there wasn’t anywhere else I wanted to be but inside.
“That Moon Song” came on through my headphones and I was immediately transported about a thousand miles west of where I was.
I was walking in Estes Park, CO. Running after someone with long brown hair. She was smiling.
Then it was snowing.
Then the sun set and rose again.
Coffee fumes.
Written and unwritten letters.
Missed phone calls.
Farewells.
And then the song was finished. All of that, not even knowing he was from Colorado…until after.
Like me, Gregory is a songwriter. But coming to find someone who puts you into a setting is difficult if not impossible. He does something more than shape lyrics within his music. His music transports me to another time. One’s long gone. One’s I hope to come.
To feel a connection to another artist or writer speaks volumes, especially if it is only within the realms of an album. That being said, as a writer … as an artist … I feel Gregory speaks truth.
He is like Dylan, Young, or even Cash I would fancy to say. Not always knowing exactly what confession he is making, but knowing it is very intimate. Very much a “what if” at times. A “maybe if I had said this” sort of thing.
I truly look up to him for that. Not being afraid to say. Not being a man who backs down on his word.
He is truly an inspiration to me.
- Troy Akers (The CO)
Where’s BubbleJoe?
It’s nearly impossible to find a phrase that rhymes with ‘Where’s Waldo’. Especially when the word bubble is involved. But, what we came up with is curiously odd and somehow gave us a chuckle. Why? Because Joe is an actual person that works here at Brite, and he is completely unaware of this idea. So, behold! The new Brite segment called ‘Where’s BubbleJoe?’ begins.
Look below to try and spot the Brite BubbleJoe!
Have you seen it yet? The little yellow bubble that smiles as you walk by? Well.. if you haven’t you will. Look at the back of cars, telephone poles, anywhere! Here is a closer look:
Where have you seen BubbleJoe? Take a picture and leave a comment on the blog. Then we’ll see who really dominated those ‘Where’s Waldo’ books in the 2nd grade.
Brite
Terra Naomi: New and Noteworthy
In light of this week’s posts, being heavily focused on the new and old, it is important to finish strong. Though, the term ‘finish strong’ is a funny one to me. As encouraging as the phrase can be, it still takes me back to a fainéant senior year of high school with each senior literally catapulting themselves down a plastic slide in the hall during class. A few feet away, the history teacher is standing arms crossed and shaking his head slowly side to side in disappointment saying, “Finish strong, finish strong,” barely audible enough to be heard. So, ‘finish strong’ seems almost contrary to me, but we will press forward as I hope the phrase has not been tainted for you. Lucky for you, pushing onward will be a bit of a joy ride as we discuss the lovely, beautiful, and talented Terra Naomi.
Terra Naomi, new and noteworthy, has recently added tracks to her Brite Page. Please check them out and give this fine woman the attention she deserves! This LA then London then New York then LA gal has polished her sound over the course of her long journey of finding home; journey that she feels is just beginning. With such an accomplished, earthy sound already, we are excited to see what music is born in the years to come. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Presently, the music is real, and can be illustrated as a delicate compilation of hovering acoustic guitar parts, hearty lyrics, and an ambient structure to the songs themselves. Finish strong, and go download one, or two, or three…. FOR FREE!
Did you catch that? That rhyme there? I think Brite had their Wheaties this morning… Oh, and we would love to hear from you guys. Please leave a comment and let’s talk. Ask about Terra, Brite, Causes, or anything your heart desires!
Love.
-Brite