Band of the Week: Scars on 45

There are so many wonderful things to say about Scars on 45 that I barely even know where to start. So, I will start with a short band bio and then have some posts about other  Scars on 45 things later this week...

Scars on 45 is a 5-person, indie/acoustic rock group from Leeds, England. After breaking his foot at the age of 21, co-founder Danny Bemrose's professional soccer career with England's Huddersfield Town F. C. came to and end. “I was in limbo, without knowing what to do with myself,” he said. Danny ended up turning to music, which in turn led to the formation of Scars on 45: Danny Bemrose (vocals/guitar), Stuart Nichols (bass), David “Nova” Nowakowski (keyboards), Aimee Driver (vocals), Chris Durling (drums). After their song "Beauty's Running Wild" was featured on an episode of CSI: New York, they were quickly picked up by Atlantic Records' Chop Shop Records label. 

In January of 2011, Scars on 45 released their first EP, Give Me Something. After the release of their successful debut EP, the EP Heart On Fire was released in October of 2011. They went on to release a self-titled full-length album in April of 2012. The album was ranked 7th out of 50 on Amazon.com's "Best Albums of 2012" list. 

Scars on 45 has had their songs featured on several television shows, including Grey's Anatomy, CSI: New York, and Pretty Little Liars, and have been at the top of several charts. The song "Breakdown" was featured on Itunes' "Single of the Week" download in April of 2012. 

Here are a couple of their better known songs. "Give Me Something" gives you a good feel for Scars on 45's overall style, while "Heart On Fire" really shows off both Aimee's and Danny's incredible vocal talents and how well each of their voices compliment the other's. Enjoy!


"Give Me Something"

"Heart On Fire"

I'm hoping to make my next Scars on 45 post about how the band was formed, which, I must say, is a very interesting story. Keep checking back for more! Thanks!

Top Picks: The Best Sites on the Web To Find New Music

Through many late night web searches for new music, I have discovered several great sites that offer thousands of artist profiles, free (legal) downloads, and a very wide array of genres. Here are a few of my go-to sites. (Click on the site name to follow the link to the site.)

1.) Noise Trade: This site allows you to discover relatively unknown artists and a few "bigger name" artists. Noise Trade makes it easy to connect with other music lovers and the artists through their email system. The site is extremely easy to navigate and easy to use. EVERY song on Noise Trade is FREE AND LEGAL to download, but you have the option to support the artists through donations of as little as $1 up to $100 (again, completely optional).

2.) PureVolume: PureVolume is very similar to Noise Trade. It offers lesser known artists and bigger names. The website is great for finding and promoting new music and emerging artists. Each artist has a profile that typically contains basic info, updates, photos, shows and music for streaming. Artists have the option of making each of their songs available for free download. Listeners and fans can also create profiles to interact with artists and each other, as well as track and share music they like.

3.) Myspace: This may come as a surprise to some, but some of my favorite bands have been the ones I have found on Myspace's music profiles. Although Myspace is dead to the general population, it is still a gold mine of incredible musical talents.

4.) Amazon: Amazon.com has an infinite amount of music to download and listen to. You can find literally any music you could ever want. They have over 22,000 free songs to go through. I have found some very interesting music in their free downloads section. It's definitely worth the look, besides, you never know when an "up and coming" artist will be featuring a free song on Amazon (I have found many of these!).

5.) Free Music Archive: This site is by far the most diverse when it comes to genres offered. It offers anything from hip-hop to rock to "old-time/historic" restored records. Free Music Archive is yet another website that provides you with completely free and legal downloads and has something for everyone!

There are all kinds of music sites out there! Some are harder to find than others, but don't be discouraged if you can't find what you are looking for on the first try. Keep searching and you will definitely be rewarded for your efforts. I have several other sites I use, so if these aren't your style or you need help getting started, let me know! I will be more than happy to help.