Lights

This next post I’m sharing with you is Lights. She’s a singer-songwriter from Toronto, Canada. I found out about her in 2009 when I was browsing youtube videos and came across one of her songs called “Saviour” from her debut album “The Listening”. Her sound on her albums is very pop, synthpop, new wave. The great thing about Lights is she can also play guitar and when she does acoustic versions of her songs, that’s where I think she shines the most. She would post acoustic videos on youtube and I would like these better then the album versions of her songs. Not that I don’t like the pop, dance production on her albums because I do, I just think her talent as a singer-songwriter shines more when it’s just her and her acoustic guitar. When her second album “Siberia” came out in 2011, there was more of a dubstep influence on this album. I didn’t really listen to this one because of the heavy production on it. She then released an acoustic album of  “Siberia” and I immediately loved this album more. The acoustic album has simple instrumentation. The only instruments were vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, and strings on most of the songs. I’m a huge fan of this album. Her recent album “Little Machines” came out last year and it was more like her first album, which I loved. The above video is a song called “Up We Go” from this album. As a bonus video, here’s an acoustic version of her song “Saviour” that was from her debut album and the first song I heard from her:

Ellie Goulding

For this post, I’m gonna share an oldie but a goodie. I’m sharing Ellie Goulding’s cover of Elton John’s “Your Song”. This is probably one of my favorite covers of “Your Song”. I’ve been a fan of Ellie’s for a while now and I’m so glad that she’s getting all the attention for her music now. I first heard of her when I worked at the Gap back in 2010. Her song “Lights” was on rotation on the store CD. I kept hearing it a lot and I finally decided to check out the rest of her music. Right when I played her debut album “Lights”, I immediately became a fan. I told everyone I knew to check out her music and that they wouldn’t be disappointed and I was right. It’s funny when I started listening to her music, her song “Lights” started to get radio play on many radio stations in the city. She released her second album “Halcyon” in 2012. This album was a departure from her first one because it was a darker album. I’ve seen Ellie perform live back in 2013 at the Aragon Ballroom and I was definitely amazed by her performance. She plays guitar also and during some of her songs, she had a drum on the stage next to her and she would play it while singing. She has such a beautiful and amazing voice, which is why I’m a fan of hers. She’s had many of her songs remixed and also has a couple of songs on movie soundtracks, the recent song being “Love Me Like You Do” which is on the “50 Shades of Grey” soundtrack. I’m a fan of hers and will always be a fan. Here’s her most recent song “Love Me Like You Do”:

Chvrches

So speaking of Justin Timberlake, this past week, Chvrches covered “Cry Me A River” on BBC radio. Chvrches is an electronic, synthpop band from Glasgow, Scotland. I first heard of Chvrches when my brother told me about them. Their most recognized song is probably “The Mother We Share”. That was the first song I heard of theirs and immediately became a fan. Right when I heard it, I immediately bought their CD/debut album “The Bones of What You Believe”. They consist of vocalist Lauren Mayberry, who also plays synths and samplers, Iain Cook, who plays synths, guitar, bass, and sings also, and Martin Doherty, who also plays synths, samplers, and does vocals also. They have a pretty interesting setup when they perform.  I haven’t seen them live yet but I plan to really soon as they will be performing at Pitchfork Music Festival this summer at Union Park. Chvrches started when Iain invited Lauren to sing on some demo songs had had recorded with Martin. Right after they formed, they began sharing their songs online and immediately got popular on music blogs. They played many gigs before releasing their debut album. It took a while for their debut album to come out because they wanted to make sure that their record contract gave them creative freedom. I totally agree with this because as an artist/musician, you want the creative freedom to try anything. You wouldn’t want someone telling you how your music should sound like right? You should have the power and control of how your music sounds and how you create it. I hope you enjoy this cover as much as I did and here’s a bonus video of them performing their song “The Mother We Share”. Enjoy…

Justin Timberlake - "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay" (Live "In Performance at The White House")

For this post, I’m sharing Justin Timberlake’s cover of Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay”. This performance was a PBS special called “In Performance at the White House: Memphis Soul”. The description on the Youtube video from the PBS Youtube channel says, “The PBS special honored the soul sounds from the mid to late 1960’s that came from Memphis, Tennessee.” Also the PBS website said, “The evening pays homage to Memphis, a segregated city in the 1960s where many whites and blacks nonetheless came together to make soulful music, a mix of gospel and potent rhythmic grooves — known today as “Memphis Soul.” It’s only fitting that Justin performs because he was born in Memphis, Tennessee. Also, who doesn’t love listening to Otis Redding’s music? I’m a huge fan of Justin and he is also a huge inspiration to me as a musician and performer. When he puts out any new music, I’m always a fan of it. He can sing and perform anything. I’ve seen him perform live many times over the past couple of years and every time, he just kills it and blows me away. He has so much talent. Of course, I’ve been a fan of his since his boy band days in NSync and when he went solo, I became an even bigger fan. When he performs, you can tell that he drew inspiration from all the greats before him. The Michael Jackson influence is probably the most notable, which is why people probably gave him the nickname, “The President of Pop”. Michael’s “The King of Pop” and Justin’s the “The President of Pop”, which is pretty cool and I think it’s pretty accurate. I hope you enjoy Justin’s performance of  “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay”!

Chris Aguilar & Christian Inciong - Thinking Out Loud (Ed Sheeran Cover)

Speaking of Ed Sheeran’s song “Thinking Out Loud”, I’d like to share a cover version of it that I recorded last summer with my cousin Christian. My cousin Christian was actually the first one to show me this song when Ed’s album “X” came out. Like I said in the last post, I immediately connected to it the first time I heard it. Right when I heard it, I picked up my guitar and spent the next couple of days figuring out the chords and how to play it. When I finally figured it out, I showed Christian and we decided to record a cover of it. It’s such a beautiful song. It’s actually number one on the iTunes charts as I type this which is awesome because both my cousin Christian and I predicted that this song would be popular at some point. When I first heard it on the radio, we both weren’t surprised. I’m glad that Ed’s finally getting the recognition that he deserves because he’s such a talented musician and songwriter. He performed this song at the Grammys last weekend with John Mayer, Herbie Hancock, and Questlove, which was an amazing performance and everyone is still talking about it. It’s awesome to see such talented musicians perform together. It gives us musicians some hope that we can one day be at the Grammys and get to play our music. For me, “Thinking Out Loud” makes me think of every feeling I’d like to one day have with someone special. It gives me hope that there’ll be a moment when I’m with that special person. I think that’s why this song speaks to me so much. I hope you enjoy our version and thanks for checking it out! Also, remember to continue to follow me on Twitter as I post more cover videos and share them at: @thechrisaguilar and also on my YouTube page!

Thank you!

Ed Sheeran - Stay With Me (Sam Smith Cover)

Since we’re fresh off Grammy week this past weekend, I’m sharing Ed Sheeran’s cover of Sam Smith “Stay With Me”, which won Sam 4 Grammys last weekend. This song has been heard everywhere the past year. I first heard it last April when Sam Smith performed on Saturday Night Live. That’s actually the first time I heard about him also. When I heard the song I immediately connected to the lyrics. I’m pretty sure that’s why this song was really popular. Everyone that heard it, probably immediately connected to it because we’ve all had that moment where we’ve wanted that one special person to just stay with us no matter what’s happening. Sam is such an amazing vocalist. I’ve listened to his album “In The Lonely Hour” and his voice has so much soul and emotion to it that you just feel the lyrics and melodies he’s singing. Two of my favorite songs off that album are songs titled “Like I Can” and “Lay Me Down”. With those two songs, you just feel so much emotion in them. If you get a chance to listen to the album, you won’t be disappointed.

I’m also a huge fan of Ed Sheeran. I’ve seen Ed perform when he opened up for Taylor Swift on her “Red” tour two years ago and I was immediately blown away. When he performed it was just him and his guitar for his whole set and it was amazing. He also has so much heart and soul in his voice. He has also has song on the top of the charts right now called “Thinking Out Loud” which is probably one of my favorite songs from him. I also connected to that song immediately when I heard it. For me, if I immediately connect to the song, I’m a fan of the artist and the song, which is why I’m a fan of both Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran. Enjoy this cover of “Stay With Me” by Ed Sheeran!

"Uptown Funk" Cover by Fall Out Boy

For this post, I’m going to share Fall Out Boy’s cover of “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars. I’ve been a Fall Out Boy fan for a long time now and I have to say they are one of my favorite bands. They’ve influenced me so much in my musical journey. When I first started playing guitar and started singing, I would learn their songs and I listen to vocalist Patrick Stump’s voice. They are all talented musicians and I’ve had the pleasure of meeting them a couple of times through out the past couple of years. Plus, they’re from Wilmette, Illinois, which isn’t too far from Chicago. I learned how to sing, play guitar, play drums, and play bass because of them. I’ve seen them live many times over the past couple of years and I have to say that they always perform with so much energy and so much passion. 

When I was in a band with some of my best friends, I would imitate Patrick Stump’s vocals and his stage presence. I even had a guitar that was similar to his. I wanted to be Patrick because he’s so talented and such a humble guy. He’ll forever be one my of idols and one of my heroes. He influenced me so much as a musician. His vocals in this cover are just amazing. He can sing anything. If you get the chance, watch this youtube video of him singing a Michael Jackson medley. I promise you will not be disappointed: http://youtu.be/NYk1HZeA7SM

Enjoy this version of “Uptown Funk” by Fall Out Boy! 

"Let You Go" Songwriting Process Voice Memos (Audio Blog)

For this post, I’m gonna share a little bit of my songwriting process with you. All the way from the first idea all the way to the finished version. I’ll be talking about how I wrote the chorus to one of my songs called “Let You Go”.

Here’s a link to the final version for “Let You Go”:

https://soundcloud.com/thechrisaguilar/let-you-go?in=thechrisaguilar/sets/bittersweet-struggle-ep