The Good in Trouble

Ray LaMontagne, factory worker turned singer-songwriter, has created a masterful CD titled "Trouble." 

Ray's voice sounds of sandpaper and his music is mellow and warm.  I enjoy every song.  They are simple and Ray is sincere.  It begs you to sit and ponder and feel what he feels.  It reminds you of things long ago, when you felt what he feels. 

Quotes from Ray...

"Life is so difficult, the thing about music is that you can take deep things that hurt you and turn them into something beautiful."

"I'm right in there, feeling everything, and it can get exhausting....Night after night of being on that edge of songs written during a sad, sad time gets difficult. I've talked to my manager and booking agent about spacing the shows some. I'm afraid I'll wreck."

Here are some reviews worth reading...

Blogcritics: "This is an exquisite taste of a great artist in the making."
BBC Alt and Rock Review: "...a timeless album of graceful, genuine songs about heartbreak, vulnerability and hope."

Time to Stop and Stare

Robbie Seay Band (RSB): "Breathing Air Again." 

I love this song.  Refreshing.  If you don't know the song, hearing it makes the lyrics even more refreshing.  The word is that now that RSB has signed with Sparrow Records, this CD will be re-released.  I can't wait for this stuff to be more widely available. 

---

take the time to start anew
maybe it's in front of you

take the time to walk down your street
heaven knows who you might meet

take the time to be okay
and laugh a bit along the way

maybe you could take me for a ride
we could just drive all day

and breathe again
step outside the front door
gaze upon the stars
and know you're not alone
so run in the fields
scream louder than you can
it's good to be alive
and breathing air again

take the time to stop and stare
heaven's beauty everywhere

take the time to think about
someone besides yourself

take the time to be okay
and laugh a bit along the way

maybe you could take me for a ride
we could just drive all day

and breathe again
step outside the front door
gaze upon the stars
and know you're not alone
so run in the fields
scream louder than you can
it's good to be alive
and breathing air again

Eisley

After reading a review of Eisley from Relevant Magazine, I went to their website to learn more.  Eisely is a muscial group made up of 5 teenagers, four of them from the same family.  They write and play their own stuff, which really impressed me. 

On their site I watched a couple of videos and read up on the group.  Then I sampled every song on iTunes.  It was enough to convince me to pick up their first full-length CD. 

It's good.  The lead singer has a fairly unique sound, but sounds similar to the lead of Sixpence None the Richer, Leigh Nash.  She sings beautifully and has moments where she turns haunting.  There is a good deal of harmonizing with her sister, which is missing in so much current music.  It's very well done. 

Mostly the sound of Eisley is simple and clean, with a hint of pixie dust.  Recommended.

Derek Webb

Joe is saying some good stuff lately, and I have the inside track in knowing that some even better stuff is brewing.  I thought it would be good to mention that he discovered a great quote from Derek Webb, one of my favorite singer/songwriters.