Philippe now has a Facebook set up for his class (which is called Daddy Daughter Hair Factory), and wants to continue to hold classes for any fathers who are interested. His pictures have had a HUGE response on various social media sites, and will definitely continue to amaze us. I think that this is such an important story to share because we live in a world were we always hear about all of the evils of our society. So it’s nice to see a father who is willing to use his time and skills to help other fathers who struggle with trying to be a mother & a father to their children. Hopefully stories like this will remind us that little actions can really change lives.
Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘YouTube Wednesday’ we’re going to talk about a band that a lot of you may already be familiar with. If you’ve ever heard of the indie pop rock band ‘King The Kid’, then you’re already familiar with the AMAZING new band that we’re going to talk about, ‘Future Sunsets’. After ‘King The Kid’ disbanded, two of the members, David Michael Frank and Jose Mostajo, decided to evolve their sound and Future Sunsets was born. In 9 short months, Future Sunsets has already proven to have a loyal fanbase, with 7,421 subscribers, and 288,047 total channel views. So please read on to see why you will have Future Sunsets’ music stuck in your head all year long! Ready? Ok, let’s go!!!
The first video that we’re going to talk about is Future Sunsets cover of ‘Rather Be’ by Clean Bandit feat Jess Glynne, which was uploaded September 30th, 2014. I really liked their take on this song, because they kept the upbeat fun vibe that made this song so popular, but also added their own flair that makes this rendition unique. This song was a VERY strong start for Future Sunsets’ YouTube channel, and will definitely make you excited to see more from the band (you check out the video below to find out for yourself). The next video that we’re going to talk about is Future Sunsets’ cover of ‘Bailando’ by Enrique Iglesias, which was uploaded on December 31st, 2014. I thought that this was such a interesting choice for the band, and they were honestly able to pull it off very well. It’s fun to see a band you like take a chance with a song that’s a little different than what they typically do, but equally entertaining. You will definitely play this video over and over, and love it more everytime.
Next up we have Future Sunsets’ cover of ‘Iris’ by Goo Goo Dolls, which was uploaded on March 21st, 2015. This is a song that EVERYONE knows, whether you’re a fan of this genre of music or not. Because of this, there is definitely a added pressure to make an amazing cover, and the band perfectly hits this mark. They are able to not only make a rendition of this classic that is very well done and keeps your attention, but are also able to really make you feel the emotions that the lyrics convey. This cover definitely deserves 5 smiley face (because as I’ve said before, smiley faces are cooler than stars). The last video that we’re going to talk about isn’t a cover, but is a really awesome original song that you just gotta check out! Future Sunsets released the lyric video for their song ‘Without Your Love’ on December 16th, 2014 (you can check out the video below). This is a really cool song that has catchy lyrics, and upbeat vibe, and will instantly hook you as soon as you start to listen to it. It has a lot of the same elements that made fans fall in love with this band, but also show that they are constancy evolving and making their sound even better. I could definitely see them not only seamlessly integrating into mainstream music, but also stand out in such a way that will make them a cross-genre hit.
Keep up with everything Future Sunsets is doing:
YouTube: Future Sunsets
Twitter: Future Sunsets
Instagram: Future Sunsets
Tumblr: Future Sunsets
Hello people of the internet! For this ‘YouTube Wednesday’ blog, I am going to introduce you to a group that I have recently become obsessed with. I first heard of them, when they started following me on Twitter, so I decided to listen to their YouTube covers and original music. I have to say that my first impression of them was surprise…as to why I hadn’t ever heard of them before! Luckily, after reading this blog, I know that you’ll check them out and became as obsessed with them as I am ( you’re welcome). If you like country super groups such as Rascal Flatts and The Band Perry, then you’ll love Ashton Lane. They are a country group from Scotland, which consists of lead singer Ester O’Connor, her brother, and her husband. I wasn’t able to find too much more biographical information about them however; I will tell you what I think of their music, and their overall sound as a group. Shall we begin? Great, let’s go!
Upon clicking on Ashton Lane’s YouTube page, I decided to listen to their cover of Rascal Flatts hit song ‘Come Wake Me Up’ Come Wake Me Up Rascal Flatts- Rascal Flatts Come Wake Me Up ASHTON LANE COVER – YouTube, because honestly I thought that if they could do a good job on this cover, then I would have a good idea of their vocal talents. I used this song as a way to measure how good the group is, because Gary LeVox (the guy who usually sings the lead vocals in Rascal Flatts’ songs) is a phenomenal vocalist, so I thought that if Ester O’Connor could handle the same notes, then that would show us how good the band is. After I listened to their take on the hit track, I decided that this group is definitely the real deal. First of all, O’Connor has a beautiful voice. Not only is her voice technically correct, but she is also able to perfectly express the emotions within the songs she sings. The group’s harmonies were also very tight (which honestly can be a very difficult task to master), and shows how meticulous and serious the group is about their craft. The next cover song I listened too was the group’s cover of Katy Perry’s hit ‘Wide Awake’ Wide Awake- Katy Perry Wide Awake- Wide Awake Katy Perry (ASHTON LANE KITCHEN SESSIONS) – YouTube. Now I know that you’re probably wondering why I listened to this cover if Ashton Lane is a country group (just stay with me, I promise I’ll connect the importance of this cover back to the group’s primary genre), well the answer is simple…I wanted to see the group’s emotion depth. Now I know that I just raved about the group’s lead singer’s ability to capture emotion in her vocal delivery however, I wanted to see if she could really tap into the vulnerability that Katy Perry shows in the song. O’Connor definitely demonstrated that she is not afraid to completely commit to the emotional content of a track, which is a trait that is absolutely necessary in country music (see, I told you that I would connect this cover back to the group’s primary genre). The final cover video that I listened to was the group’s cover of Taylor Swift’s infectious track ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together Taylor Swift, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together – YouTube, (on a side not, I only looked at three cover videos, for the purpose of reviewing the group’s musical abilities…later on I listened to all of the group’s videos and my obsession with them only grew J). My reasoning for choosing this cover, is that I wanted to see if they could cover a fun song. At this point I knew that Ashton Lane could make me cry, and could make me look deep within myself for the answers to life’s problems however, I wanted to see if the group could make me want to dance…as excepted, they did not disappoint! The group’s execution of this sassy tune showed me that they can certainly handle producing a good quality mainstream country hit.
Now that I knew that Ashton Lane could put a cool spin on an already popular song, I was curious as to whether they could create original music that would have the same effect. Luckily, the group has a link on their videos which allows you to receive 7 free songs from their album ‘Magic in the Air’. Upon listening to three of these songs, I realized that there is no reason why this group is not already famous. Their original material is honestly very good, and I found myself humming along to the catchy tracks within a few rotations of the songs. The group has their full album available for purchase on ITunes, as well as another album entitled ‘Other Side’, and several singles. I would suggest purchasing all of the music that Ashton Lane has put out, because you will quickly become OBSESSED with them.
When I first decided to listen to Ashton Lane’s YouTube videos, I honestly had no idea what to expect. I hoped that I would find a good emerging country band that I could introduce to all of you, and that would be that. After listening to their music, I came to the conclusion that I had no idea what I had stumbled upon. I can say with a great deal of confidence that Ashton Lane will soon become a household name. I can definitely picture hearing their music on mainstream and country radio, as well as seeing them on every major award show…yea they are just that AMAZING! This group certainly showed me that they deserve to be in the fore front of everyone’s mind, and if a group can perform this amazingly with live vocals and two guitars, can you imagine what they can do with a full band and a lot of production behind them!? I personally cannot wait for Ashton Lane to become the next country super group. Trust me, the question is not a matter of IF the group will become a worldwide phenomenon, but rather WHEN this will happen. The group currently (as of December 17, 2013) has 45,659 Twitter followers, 10,487 likes on Facebook, and 7,225 subscribers on YouTube. My guess is they will become inescapable very soon, and you can say that you knew them when they were still music’s most well kept secret.
Here are some links so you can keep up with the group’s career J:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashtonlane
Facebook: Ashton Lane
YouTube: Ashton Lane – YouTube
*All photos and information used in this blog belong to Ashton Lane, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, countryschatter.com, eventim.co.uk, and all other original owners. I do not own anything in this blog. All opinions expressed in this blog are my own. I wrote this blog for entertainment purposes and no copyright infringement is intended.