The beginning of the school year is a busy time and students may find themselves with less time to spend on the Web searching for music, despite the fact that there is plenty of fresh, new music on the way. To help, here’s a preview of artists to check out.
Fresh from a divorce and finally recovered from a battle with malaria, British pop star Cheryl Cole is back in the studio recording another single to add to her growing repertoire of solo material. A member of the British girl band Girls Aloud and one of the judges on Britain’s popular reality show “The X-Factor”, Cole is no stranger to fame or the music industry. Though most of her singles have been solely released in her home country, she is quickly becoming recognizable in the U.S. with her growing popularity. The last single she released was the song “Parachute” in March, but there will surely be more amazing songs from her in the future.
The second artist takes us back to America and into the world of Janelle Monae. So far, it has been a banner year for the young artist with her second studio album, The ArchAndroid, being hailed as one of the Best New Albums by Pitchfork.com and acquiring rave reviews from magazines such as Entertainment Weekly and Paste Magazine. The year could only get better for Monae, and it has. The video for her first single, “Tightrope”, was nominated for Best Choreography at the MTV Video Music Awards, and over the summer the singer was present at the Outside Lands festival and appeared as a performer on the ESPY’s. Monae will be touring around the United States later this year with a Dallas appearance scheduled in November.
Around since 2003 and originating from Canada, Arcade Fire has come far in their journey as a band. Their last album, Funeral, released in 2007, was accepted widely by critics and for three years filled with touring and a few free shows in support of the Obama campaign, the band has come back with an album that is potentially better than the last. Suburbs is Arcade Fire’s third full length album and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The group was given a chance to showcase some of their new material at the Reading and Leeds Festival on the weekend of Aug. 27, sharing the main stage with other notable artists, Guns N’ Roses and Blink-182. The group also had a performance in Madison Square Garden in New York earlier in the month which was broadcast on YouTube.
This next musician has been considered to be an Australian Justin Bieber and already has an award under his belt. Teen Cody Simpson may not have as many hits as Bieber, but he was discovered essentially the same way – through the Internet. Simpson even won an award for “Breakthrough Internet Sensation” at the Breakthrough of the Year Awards. The young Aussie has two singles, “Summertime” and “iYiYi” which features rapper Flo Rida. He’s recently toured around the U.S. and opened for musician B.o.B.. His success so far gives reason to keep Simpson on your radar for new music.
There are sure to be loads of new music being released later in the year, and these are just a few artists to consider when you’re looking for something to listen to.
