TGIF! For whatever reason, it seems like this week has flown by; but don’t worry, I’m not complaining!! For this week’s selection, along with a couple of “must listen” tracks, I decided to feature some songs that I found on my ipod by listening on shuffle. I was surprised by how good they were, and I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t heard them before I did. It just goes to show, that there is a ton of good music out there, and some of it is right under your nose; and unfortunately, sometimes it can get lost among the masses. Well, I’ve wasted enough time talking about this… on to the tunes!
Erin McCarley – Gotta Figure This Out
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_417_erinmccarley-gottafigurethisout.mp3]
I posted a song by Erin a while back, noting how her similarity to Sara Bareilles made me sit up and pay attention. Well, I never really got around to listening intently to her whole CD (sometimes, I just let things fall through the cracks), but when this track came up during one of my rounds of listening on shuffle, my interest in Erin was instantly re-invigorated. This track is sweet and the melody is beautiful. I love the backing violins and the way the song builds; all while retaining an inner softness. Thanks to shuffle, Erin is definitely going to be getting some more well deserved attention from me in the future.
Elbow – Some Riot
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_417_elbow-someriot.mp3]
I downloaded this a while ago, mainly because I kept seeing people talk about it on other music blogs. Additionally, I heard one song on BBC Radio One, and I kinda liked it, so I thought I would give the rest of the album a go. Unfortunately, it, like Erin’s album, slipped through the cracks, and I forgot about it. Well, when this haunting and enigmatic track came up during a shuffle-driven listening session, I did a double take when I saw who it was. This song is fantastic!!! I love how his vocals mirror some of the weathered despair of Morrissey with an added touch of Peter Gabriel, and I love the subtlety of his accent as well. I also love the piano, which reminds me a lot of a Nicole Atkins track. A big thanks goes out to shuffle for finding this great track that I let slip!
Matt Wertz – Everything’s Alright
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_417_mattwertz-everythingsright.mp3]
When Matt Wertz first hit my radar, I was instantly a fan. I liked his vocal style and the playful and upbeat pop-rock style that he used in his music. He reminds me a lot of fellow singers like John McLachlan; not only in style, but in this particular case, there is a big similarity in the voice. Overall, Matt Wertz released a “new” album last year, and it kind of fell off of my radar, because it rehashed several of the songs on his previous release, which led to me kind of forgetting about it. Then, shuffle brings this song up, and instantly Matt is back on my radar. This song is perfect for spring, and I am glad that it is back on my playlist.
Glasvegas – Geraldine
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_417_glasvegas-geraldine.mp3]
Sometimes, (shit, most of the time) I am a sucker for a beautiful accent. Particularly, my favorite accents are Irish and British, and definitely Scottish. Well, the thick Scottish accent present in the lead singer of Glasvegas is downright swoon worthy. I have had this song on my ipod for quite some time, and it wasn’t until it popped up during a shuffle that I really paid quality attention to it. I ended up downloading the whole album and I really like it. It quickly turned into one of those records that I wish I had of discovered last year, because there is definitely a chance it could have made my year end list. Oh well, I shouldn’t really dwell on the past, so I am more than pleased that I have it to listen to more in the future.
Silversun Pickups – There’s No Secrets This Year
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_417_silversunpickups-theresnosecretsthisyear.mp3]
Earlier this week, the delightful Silversun Pickups released their second album, Swoon. I was eager to see what they would bring with this new release, because I really enjoyed their 2006 album, Carnavas. What I like most about the Silversun Pickups, is how their use the distortion and heavy alternative influence of early 90’s Smashing Pumpkins; only they put there own twist on it, making it perfect for the here and now. This is my favorite song off of the album, which overall, is a solid, well made, and familiar release. I am glad they are still rocking hard, and making great music like this. I hope Swoon is a massive record for them; it definitely should be.
So there’s five songs for your Friday… I hope you enjoyed them. Let me know what you think, as well as what YOU are listening to. Leslie Hall pictures and concert post are coming soon, so be sure to check back for that too!
I discovered him by randomly seeing his video for the song “Nothing Left To Lose”, and I loved the song enough to snag the CD. And after a few listens, I can say that I am in love with it. I love his voice, because it is soft and sweet to the ears; all the while maintaining a worn, harder undertone. He sounds a lot (vocally, that is) like a mix between Chris Martin from Coldplay, and Adam Duritz from The Counting Crows; but has a little bit of that hip-hop funk Jason Mraz likes to throw down (without the cockiness). His sound is sort of light pop-rock, but sometimes has an interesting blend of folk sounds with some hip-hop beats and rap-lite singing. The whole CD is definitely a good listen, and is one that I find myself craving a lot lately. A few of the songs are so infectious, I find myself waking up with them in my head. With the initial praise aside, I must say that the more hip-hop oriented songs were harder for me to get into, but after listening to this CD over and over for a few days now (I told you I loved it), I am digging the whole disc, start to finish. I was hooked on “Nothing Left To Lose”, and have been reeled into the rest, because, well, the CD is damn good start to finish. It also doesn’t hurt, that when I listen to his beautiful voice, I have a mental image of his beautiful face, and I just imagine that he is singing to me (*swoon*). All hail the hotness that is Mat Kearney; beautiful face, beautiful voice, and a great singer/songwriter to boot. I will have to see him when he comes to Atlanta, for sure. I am also going to have to pick up his first, more independent CD, because if this is his sophomore effort, who knows what gems may be on that one. I hope he gains more momentum, and gets a lot more attention, because unlike many artists today, he actually deserves it; and this CD deserves the full six out of six stars (
). Standouts: Nothing Left to Lose, Undeniable (this will get stuck in your head!!!), In The Middle, and the beautiful, What’s a Boy To Do (probably my favorite).
Since I reviewed the other Mat’s CD, I will start by saying that this Matt’s sound is a little like Mat Kearney’s sound, but without the hip-hop stuff. Also he definitely has more of a Mark Broussard quality to his music, as it is pretty upbeat, somewhat jazzy-poppy-rock (and even a pinch of country), and fun to listen to. He definitely uses more of a jazzy-rock influence to his stuff, and manages to create a mature pop-rock vibe with his stuff. There is a lot of guitar, mandolin, organ, and other great sounds on th CD, and his voice is extremely pleasant to listen to. For whatever reason, he really reminds me of someone, but I can’t put my finger on exactly who it is… I would say that he is probably a little bit Bebo Norman, Stephan Jenkins (of Third Eye Blind), and maybe a little bit of a less emphatic Gavin DeGraw; but not necessarily all of those things rolled into one. Either way, I love the slight raspyness of his voice, which really makes for some great songs on this disc. It is a little bit more rock-y than the other Mat, and definitely more pop, but that isn’t a negative thing at all. The whole CD is a good listen, and I like the ballads just as much as I like the upbeat stuff. Interestingly enough, I checked him out on allmusic.com, and he lists Jars of Clay as one of his influences, and he even started out by touring with them, doing Young Life concerts and whatnot. I find this extremely interesting, to say the least, because Jars have always been one of my favorite bands. Even though he got his start at religious concerts, I don’t think that he is a Christian singer, as he really doesn’t say anything about religion in any of his songs on this record, and, he doesn’t say one way or another on his website. Well, not that his religiousness really matters to me at all, I just thought the close connection to one of my favorite bands was definitely interesting. Overall, I liked this CD right from the first listen, and while I definitely like every song, for whatever reason, I’m going to give it a five out of six stars (
); but not because there is anything about it I don’t like, it is mainly because there are CDs that I love, and this one falls just shy of that love. Either way, no need to split hairs, because it’s definitely good, and I am glad I discovered it. Standouts: I Will Not Take My Love, With You Tonight, Capitol City, and Carolina.