VIDEOS: Sofar

Having a concert in your living-room may seem like a luxury, only available to celebrities or royalty. However, this could now be a reality for you thanks to Sofar. The idea is to take passionate music fans and introduce them to new artists in secret living-room gigs held around the world. Due to the intimate nature of the performances, the audience are completely focused on the musicians, and the artists quickly gain new fans and publicity. As the venues are so small, there are only a limited number of tickets available, and these are quickly snapped up. However, to be in with a chance of attending a gig, you can sign up here: http://www.sofarsounds.com/. For those who aren’t lucky enough to attend, videos of the shows are put up on the Sofar Youtube channels. As well as the main Sofar Sounds channel, there are also others dedicated to different genres, such as Sofar Alt, Sofar Electronic and Sofar Acoustic, so be sure to check those out. The unusual settings of these tiny concerts create unforgettable gigs, which result in some really cool videos. These shows allow a real connection between musician and fan, and also showcase fabulous talent that can be watched by all. Below is one of our favourites – Rays by To Kill A King, performed in Philadelpia.

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/user/Sofarsounds/featured

RELEASES: Afire Love – Ed Sheeran

It’s been a long time coming, but over two and a half years after the release of Ed Sheeran’s astounding debut album comes his new record X, and it’s been well worth waiting for. To celebrate the album coming out on Monday Ed has been releasing a new single every day in the week leading up to X’s release. The first single released was Afire Love, and it is definitely our favourite so far.

Afire Love has a very different feel to Sing, Ed’s principle track from his new album. X’s closing track, this song is deeply personal to Ed – he sings about the pain of watching his grandfather die of Alzheimer’s disease. Ed’s emotions really come through the strong vocals and simple melodies of this song. Gentle strings and piano only emphasise the meaning of his words.

It’s clear that this isn’t just an album filler – Ed has written his song for himself, not his fans. Whilst listening to Afire Love you can’t help but feel emotionally connected to him and what he has been through, especially if you have had a similar experience. Listeners of all ages will be able to relate to this, and the heartache of losing an older relative.

After the success of +, Ed Sheeran has had a lot to live up to. Fans needed something new from him, yet still wanted the sounds that they knew and loved. This new track proves that whatever Ed does, he is at his best when singing from the heart. Yes, it may not get a crowd jumping, but songs like Afire Love do so much more. They allow Ed to connect to his fans in a way that songs like Sing never could. Perhaps this personal touch is just as responsible for his immense success as his catchy tunes.

VIDEOS: WatchListenTell

Doesn’t music always sound better when it’s outside? Well, that certainly seems to be the case for WatchListenTell. This Youtube channel takes up-and-coming artists – and occasionally more seasoned ones too – and puts them in idyllic settings to perform stripped-back versions of their songs. This results in some seriously gorgeous videos. The fact that the sessions are often shot in the great outdoors means that the artists sometimes have to improvise for instruments – we’ve spotted a suitcase, a drinks can and a fence all being used. Although videos are not uploaded very often, they are definitely worth waiting for. Also, there are 11 secret tracks hidden in the annotations – see if you can find them! This channel showcases new talent in a way that is beautiful to look at as well as to listen to. Artists featured include Little Comets, Bombay Bicycle Club and Two Door Cinema Club. Below is our favourite – a simply stunning version of Overjoyed by Bastille.

Watch here: http://www.youtube.com/user/watchlistentell