A couple of years ago, I came across an EP on NoiseTrade from an artist named Jessie Smith. Having been raised on sweet tea and hot, steamy summer days, the southern vibes of Smith’s sound were immediately appealing. I especially … Continue reading Getting Swampy With Jessie Smith
Here’s my problem: I have a tendency to gush on and on about how much I appreciate J.E. Sunde’s music. Over the past five years, I’ve written several pieces about Sunde and his various projects. There’s a reason for that: … Continue reading The Ambivalence and Hope in J.E. Sunde’s Now I Feel Adored
There’s a pretty good chance my feelings about Bon Iver’s new album are a bit tainted. Certainly, I’ve enjoyed Justin Vernon’s music for a while, whether it’s Bon Iver, Shouting Matches, Volcano Choir, or any other of his projects. However, … Continue reading Caught in Bon Iver’s Web… 22, A Million
As I listen to Whym’s new EP, Sing, Doubter, I find myself struggling to find the words to describe what I’m hearing and feeling from these songs. I started out with “ethereal.” And then there was “moody”… naw, that ain’t … Continue reading The Joy In the Doubter’s Song: Whym’s “Sing, Doubter”
I first became aware of Latifah Phillips a few years ago when I began listening to her project, The Autumn Film. I fell in love with that music. It was heart-on-the-sleeve, emotive stuff. The lyrical content, which spoke of … Continue reading Latifah Phillips’ Moda Spira: An Emotional Journey
My relationship with Lizzy Diane’s music has been an interesting one. If you have been listening to the TS10 playlist on weekly basis, you know we have featured several songs off her new album, Otherkin. If you are connected with Tomme Suab or me personally on Facebook or Twitter, I have been actively promoting her for a while now. However, when I first listened to her, specifically her debut EP, Encompass Rose, I’m not sure I could have envisioned myself becoming a big Lizzy Diane fan. Thankfully, first impressions do not always tell the whole tale. Here’s the thing… … Continue reading The Unassuming Authenticity of Lizzy Diane
Ever since I started listening to music as a teenager, there have been those albums that have just grabbed a hold of me, seemingly not wanting to let go. U2‘s Joshua Tree and The Unforgettable Fire were a couple of … Continue reading Captivated by J.E. Sunde’s “Shapes That Kiss the Lips of God”
A great philosopher once said, “Sad songs, they say so much. So turn them on, turn them on, turn on those sad songs…” Okay, so that is literally one of my least favorite Elton John songs. But, he was on to something there. Sad songs can say a lot. More importantly, they can mean a lot. They can impact us deeply… taking us to emotional places we need to go… helping us feel deeply and perhaps even heal from emotional wounds. There is something special about honest, vulnerable, sad songs. As I am becoming more and more acquainted with Rivers’ … Continue reading Rivers’”Of Dusk”: An Invitation to Necessary Sorrow
picard is a project initiated by Jason Ulwelling in 2011 that has grown into a full-blown collaborative effort (including Brad Hanson and Eric Giardina, and various other influences and musicians), resulting in the release of the band’s first album (appropriately entitled “#1”) earlier this year. Style-wise, it’s hard to classify picard as anything more specific than “rock.” Some of their songs are edgy/harder. I can easily hear some grunge influence in several of the songs, as well as elements of epic rock story-telling (especially in “Ed”), like you might hear in classics like Queen or Led Zeppelin. Now, I’m not … Continue reading picard: A Mixture of Discontent and Melodic, Driving Rock
I make no bones about the fact that I am a big Adelyn Rose fan. I love their style, the fullness of their sound, the uniqueness of Addie Strei’s vocals, and the incredible percussion talent that is Dave Power. The first time I talked to Addie and Dave back in August of 2012, their debut album, Mezzanine, had only been out for a few months. Even though I, and many others, thoroughly enjoyed that album, Addie and Dave were quick to mention that the songs there were not really indicative of who they were as a band anymore and they … Continue reading Coming of Age: Thoughts on Adelyn Rose’s “Ordinary Fantasy” and Album Release Show
