Playlist: HITS magazine

To celebrate the release of our first print issues, here's a playlist featuring all artists involved.

HITS x Berlin

We hosted our very first live gig in Berlin - and this is what it looked like.

Cover The HITS

Our latest video series - covers performed by our favourite acts, exclusively for us.

Video Interview: Scenic Route To Alaska

Melting away in front of Stuttgart's castle, we had a chat about touring, band names, Toy Story and a lot more.

Find us on YouTube!

Visit us on the 'tubes for interviews, exclusive performances and outtakes.

Showing posts with label acoustic pop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label acoustic pop. Show all posts

Day 4: Beth Keeping | #HITSBC17



Hey guys!

You know... when I studied journalism, one of the first things I was taught was to avoid repeating things.
Of course that makes a lot of sense.
You wouldn't want to bore people with the same facts over and over again, right?

But let's be real - I won't shut up about how excited I am about this countdown.
Every day is like opening a new door on an advent calendar and if that isn't super exciting, I don't know what is.

Before I really bore you all to tears with my repeating intros,
let's just focus on day 4!


What is #HITSBC17?
HITSBC17 stands for house in the sand's Birthday Countdown 2017.
Throughout the entire month of February, we are going to celebrate house in the sand's fifth birthday.
(Because why celebrate on one day, if you can celebrate for an entire month, right?)
With the support from some of the finest artists and bands around, each day in February will be filled with an exclusive performance just for us.

Who is performing today?
Beth Keeping.
She is a singer/songwriter based in London, UK.
Beth's refreshing style blends melancholic Acoustic sounds with the catchiness of Pop and sprinkles of Country and R'n'B.

Influenced by acts such as Colbei Caillat and Ed Sheeran, you'll find a lot of honesty in Beth's music.

She started out by busking in the streets of London, crafting her way of performing and opening up to a very honest audience.

Her debut single "No Hard Feelings" was released in July last year and has brought a lot of joy into her fans' lives.

What needs to be said about this performance?
Beth will bring the biggest smile to your face with her infectious happiness.
Her performance is brilliant and charming, and I know you'll enjoy it a lot.
I know I did and I'm so happy Beth joined us to celebrate our fifth birthday with us.

Alright, here we go - enjoy Beth's performance of her song "No Hard Feelings".





Where can we find Beth Keeping online?
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud | YouTube | Instagram

Who deserves a thank you?
The absolutely wonderful Beth herself who is a delight to chat to and was so lovely to work with on this little project. I can't wait to meet you in person, Beth!! 

What can we do now?
If you enjoyed this video and post, please help us reach more people.
Share it online along with the hashtag #HITSBC17.
We would love to hear what you think, so please feel free to comment.


Thanks so much for spending another day with us and for making this countdown such joy.
Come back tomorrow, okay?





Day 3:                                                                                                        Day 5:
                                                                              http://houseinthesand.com/2017/02/day-5-alx-green-hitsbc17.html




Thank you for your visit!















Credits // Text: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image: Beth Keeping | Video: Beth Keeping for house in the sand

Cover Of The Day: "Chandelier" by Stephen Langstaff (Sia)


 

Hey guys!

The mainstream charts are a tricky thing for me. I never really know how to feel about them.
There are songs where I totally get the hype that's being made about them (hello James Bay!) and there are songs that are hyped but just don't get me.

The very popular song "Chadelier" by Sia didn't quite catch me to be honest. I'm in no way saying it's a bad song, I just didn't find it very special.

Not, until I've heard a brilliant cover version by the very talented Stephen Langstaff.

Stephen Langstaff is a singer/songwriter from Liverpool, England

He writes songs which are genrefied as acoustic pop. They convince with soothing yet expressive vocals, honest and storytelling lyrics and well arranged instrumentals.

His talent speaks for itself, nonetheless some of Stephen's achievements should be mentioned: so far he's supported acts like Lightening Seeds and China Crisis, sold out multiple shows and released his single "Sirens" along with some acoustic versions.
Even BBC Merseyside approves Stephen's sound.

Now, let's speak about his cover of "Chandelier" by Sia.
Stephen recently shared a video of him covering the song. It's an all acoustic version which means it's only Stephen's voice accompanied by light guitar work.

I think it's the simplicity and honesty of his version that absolutely grabbed my attention.
It's the way Stephen made this song his own in such beautiful way.


Have a listen yourself!


 


Stephen Langstaff online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube


 
More of Stephen on house in the sand: music video | exclusive performance



Thank you for reading!





 



Credits // Text: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image & Video: Stephen Langstaff

Video Of The Day: "Sirens" by Stephen Langstaff


 

Hey guys!

As you're reading these lines, I'm on tour with one of my favourite bands to document their first headline tour in Germany. 
I'm probably trying my best to film a nice tour diary at this very minute.

So as you can probably tell, videography is something I'm very passionate about.
I just love how you can 
a) document memories and basically re-live them whenever you want
and b) visualize songs by telling stories with filmed clips

(Of course there are c)s and d)s and z)s why film making is fascinating, but the ones above are the ones I want to focus on.)

Earlier this month I've received an email from Stephen Langstaff, an artist I've enjoyed working with for our Birthday Countdown 2015. (Watch his performance here.)

He released his music video for his new single "Sirens" and I definitely want to share it with you.

Stephen Langstaff is a singer/songwriter from Liverpool, UK.

He writes acoustic pop songs which convince with soothing yet expressive vocals, honest and emotional lyrics and well arranged instrumentals.

His talent speaks for itself, nonetheless some of his achievements should be mentioned:
So far Stephen has supported acts like Lightening Seeds and China Crisis, 
sold out multiple shows in his hometown Liverpool and even BBC Merseyside approves Langstaff's sound.

The music video for "Sirens" is the perfect example for a video which tells a song's story. 
Stephen says about the song: "I wrote a song called "Sirens" about a girl with a bad reputation and a big heart."

And the video exactly reflects his message; it shows a girl who struggles to get along with others, steals, fights, drinks. Stephen's character sees the good in her and tries to protect her and keep her safe.

The camera work is lively, shows all scenes with the certain emotions (fight scenes are a bit blurry, the slightly romantic once are calm) and captures the song perfectly.

But have a look yourself!




(Link leads to iTunes page, download does NOT start without your permission!)


Stephen Langstaff online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube



Thank you for reading!







Credits // Text: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image & video: Stephen Langstaff

Day 10: Marcus Valance | #HITSBC15



Hey guys!

Day 10! Two digits already! Time seems to fly by this month!
Maybe it's because of my over-excitement... who knows?!

Let's carry on with the Birthday Countdown!

What is the Birthday Countdown though? Throughout the entire month of February, one artist/one band a day is going to wish house in the sand a happy birthday and then perform a song exclusively for us.

Today Marcus Valance is here to celebrate with us.

Marcus Valance is a singer/songwriter based in West London, UK. His style could be described as acoustic/folk-pop with the constant presence of the singer/songwriter elements.

He got into music at the early age of five when he started playing the piano.
A few years later he now also plays the guitar and has released a self funded EP called "Life In A Paper Cup".
His EP was mixed by Steve Fitzmaurice, co-producer to the four Grammy award winner Sam Smith.

Marcus' songs win you over with beautifully arranged instrumentals, honest and story telling lyrics and, of course, his incredible, husky yet soft voice.


Now, why don't you let Marcus convince you himself? As a part of our birthday party he performed his song "Empty Pages", enjoy!




 Many thanks to Nessi from carpe carmina for introducing me to Marcus' music. And of course, many thanks to Marcus for taking time to film a video and for supporting the countdown.


Please go ahead and share this performance with your friends by using the hashtag #HITSBC15.


Marcus Valance online: Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud



Day 9:                                                                                                                             Day 11:
 photo Nina Yasmineh Photo KLEIN_zpsy0nl3emb.jpg
 photo The Old Border Photo KLEIN_zpstd4gplpa.jpg









Credits // Text: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image: Marcus Valance | Video performance & camera: Marcus Valance | Video intro: Vanessa Jertschewske

EP Review: 'One Take Recordings' by Keeva

 
Hey guys!

If you have been reading the blog for a while, you probably know that I'm crazy about live music. 
Hearing an artist live is the most honest way to experience a song. 

Today I'm going to review the 'One Take Recordings' by Keeva. As the title gives it away - all songs have been recorded live in one take.  

 Artist: Keeva
Title: One Take Recordings
Genre:
Pop, Acoustic-Blues
Label: independent
Release: 28th August 2014
hits rating: 8/10

"Melodies inspired by George Ezra. Emotion inspired by John Mayer. Sass inspired by Kacey Musgraves. Lyrics inspired by my life.", that's how Keeva describes her music. 

The singer/songwriter from London, UK has an incredibly warm and souly voice and of course, a brilliant writing style. Maybe it's the combination of her influences, maybe it's talent.

Tracklist:
1) Louisa
2) Keep Them
3) The Drive
4) Screw You

Opener 'Louisa' already represents Keeva at her finest; atmospheric guitar work, controlling vocals - the simplicity of the moment. Her voice is smooth, souly, warm and you just feel like you can't get enough of it.

I can't help but be reminded of John Mayer's live version of 'Daughters' when I hear 'The Drive'. And I don't mean that Keeva copied it somehow. No, this lady has her very own sound and she should hold onto it because it's brilliant.
The support of a male backing vocalist adds more depth to the song. Beautiful arrangements compliment the atmosphere and give it a lot more grip and intensity.

'Screw You' in one word? Sassy! Oh hell yes. The upbeat track marches into the pop music direction but is still bluesy enough to be enjoyed by all "pop music critics". Supported by powerful guitar chords Keeva's performance is on point. Anger, energy, carelessness - all those feelings rush through me when I listen to the lyrics. We all know that one person we can dedicate a 'Screw You' to, don't we?

 To sum it up: Melancholy meets sass. It's seems like there's nothing Keeva could not make us feel. Her voice is the highlight, no doubt. But her compositions deserve just as much attention. We want more!

You should listen to these tracks: The Drive, Screw You




Keeva online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud | YouTube


Thank you for reading!




Credits // Text: Vanessa Jertschewske | Artwork: Keeva

EP Review: 'Honey' by Liam McClair


Artist: Liam McClair
Title: Honey
Genre: Acoustic, Pop
Label: HourGlass Productions
Release: 28th July 2014
hits rating: 8.5/10
__________________________________________

Hey guys,

When artists you've been following for a while release new music, it's always pretty exciting.
 Those artists who's plans for the future you're kind of involved in are special and it's lovely to see their music doing well.
And I'm happy to review the brand new EP by such artist.

Liam McClair is a singer/songwriter from Manchester, UK. You could put him into the acoustic pop genre but still you'll find sprinkles of folk in it.
With strong live performances Liam has convinced crowds all over the UK and even made it to Belgium and Holland to play his music.
Music fans from all over the world are drawn to his sound.

His first EP 'How' already got a lot of positive feedback for a good reason - it's, simply put, brilliant.
It left us with high expectations for his follow-up 'Honey' which is out now.

So let's talk about it, shall we?

Album Review: 'X' by Ed Sheeran (Deluxe Edition)


Artist: Ed Sheeran
Title: X
Genre: Acoustic, Folk-Pop
Label: Asylum/Atlantic
Release: 23rd June 2014
hits rating: 9/10
______________________________________________

Hey guys,

Great Britain - you land of musical talent...
Has anyone of you noticed that around 70% of all artists/bands blogged are from the UK?
I'm not saying that other artists are not talented, geez, there are so many jewels from all over the world.
But a lot of them are from the British land.

And so is Ed Sheeran.

Spotlight On: Keeva


Hey guys,

Sometimes when I receive music submissions I get really angry.
Not because the music is bad or the people are rude, definitely not because of that.

But because there is so much talent that doesn't get enough recognition or 'fame'. 

And yes, I got a little angry when I was done reading the email Keeva sent me. An absolutely lovely girl with a voice that just gets to you.

Spotlight On: Liam McClair

 

Hey guys,

Liam McClair, a 22 year old singer/songwriter from Manchester, England is one of those unsigned musicians you better keep an eye on.

The genre to put him in would either be folk or acoustic pop. But I think it's a nice mix of both elements.
With nothing but his guitar and voice he's able to hypnotize you by telling stories in some of the most melodical and dreamy ways you'll ever hear.

EP Review: 'fünfkommafünf Lieder' by byebye


 Band: byebye
Title: fünfkommafünf Lieder
Genre: Acoustic Pop
Label: unsigned
Release: 2012
hits rating: 9/10
_____________________________________

Hey guys,
don't worry - you are not drunk - the title of today's review is German. ;-)

The band byebye contacted me and ask for a review on Albumcheck. (You probably know that I'm a contributer for this amazing webzine.)
Of course I agreed and got two CDs - the album I reviewed for Albumcheck and another EP which I decided to take for house in the sand.

Review: "Life's A Show" - Martin and James


Band: Martin and James
Title: Life's A Show
Genre: acoustic, folk, pop
Label: Vertigo / Universal
Release: 30th August 2013
hits rating: 10/10

_________________________________________________________

Hey guys,
I could not be happier to write today's review.
30th August is the day music lovers have been looking forward to for quite a while now.

Martin and James from Glasgow (Scotland) are now ready to conquer the world with the second album "Life's A Show"

If you've seen Martin and James multiple times performing live you already got an idea of their talent. They play 2 or 3 instruments at once, they barely never miss a note and they just sound great.

So what can you expect from this longplayer?
Let me tell you: