New Crow Medicine Show…

In 1998 a new band was bred from some old roots.  This bluegrass band was not comprised of old men playing folk instruments, but was a rather young-faced, string band named Old Crow Medicine Show.

According to the group’s site, the fearsome quintet met in New York City and eventually made their way down south to North Carolina.  Old Crow Medicine Show has been labeled folk, Americana, alternative country, and bluegrass, but no matter their label the band has proven to produce purely unique music. Find out more about the band’s history here.

The group released their first full-length, self titled album O.C.M.S in 2004, followed by their sophomore release Big Iron World. Both albums show Old Crow in their natural light, with song after song of bluegrass bliss.

One aspect of the group I love is their appeal to so many different audiences.  When music lovers hear a Old Crow favorite like “Wagon Wheel” everyone is sure to fall in love, no matter what their musical background may be.

“I think one of the reasons I love Old Crow is because they were the first band of the bluegrass sort of genre that I began listening to. Not only is their sound so relaxing and unique, the lyrics talk about places I know and love, from Roanoke to the James. I think the familiar lyrics really pulled me into their fan base.”

Lisa Wise, a JMU Junior and fan of Old Crow

Whether you like your grass blue or not, Old Crow Medicine Show puts a new spin on a genre that has such deep roots in American soil.  The band released their latest album Tennessee Pusher in September of 2008, and the band has still stayed true their roots creating great, new music.

So, check out Old Crow Medicine Show on MySpace and iTunes™.

“Y’all enjoy now, ya hear!”

Attack of the Singer/Song Writer: Part II

Another very talented musician and good buddy of mine is Ryan Brooke.

Ryan Brooke and I met freshman year and have been good buddies ever since.  We both are Media Arts and Design majors with Music Industry minors here at JMU, so we have the majority of our classes together, not to mention we live in the same dorm.

Ryan Brooke has been playing guitar since he was 14 years old.  He is constantly writing new music that amazes me every time I hear him play.

His easy-listening, acoustic guitar matched by his captivating vocals make for an impressive live show. When it comes to his studio work, Ryan has perfectly matched this energy through his recordings.

As I said before, Ryan is currently a student at JMU.  He has played shows all over Harrisonburg, and his music has gathered a great fan base in the area. I have really enjoyed getting know Ryan over these past two years and love the stuff he is writing and recording.

Ryan Brooke has recorded two demo EP’s that are available for free download at his website.

So, I asked Ryan to sum up his thoughts about his music in a couple sentence. Here’s what Ryan Brooke had to say:

“I try to write music that connects with people on a broad level. I usually write about my life and it seems that a lot of people have the same feelings and issues in their lives as I do; but they aren’t necessarily going to share that with people. I’m the guy who says out loud what everyone else is thinking.”

Check out his music on MySpace and follow his blog.

I’ll leave you with a live video of Ryan:

Attack of the Singer/Song Writer: Part I

After posting blog after blog of great musicians whom I do not have the privilege of knowing on a personal level, I wanted to take some time to tell you guys about some great musicians who happen to be good friends of mine.

The first of which is my good buddy Dane Ferguson.

Dane Ferguson is a singer/song writer from Halifax, VA. I have had the privilege of knowing Dane since I could practically walk.  He is an amazing musician that makes unique music that everyone can enjoy.

Being really good friends with Dane, growing up and playing in numerous bands and projects with him, I can honestly say that Dane Ferguson is one of the most talented musicians I know.  From playing spotless guitar pieces to writing amazing lyrics Dane has got it all.

His musical drive has recently been opening a lot of doors for a guy whose dream has always been music.  His career has brought him to the Big Apple, where he is working on recording a lot of new music.  Dane Ferguson recently released his first single “Static” which is screaming for radio play.

Fusing elements of soul, reggae, rock, and even the occasional hip-hop twist Dane’s music has such a unique aura about it that it is sure to appeal to the masses.

Where Dane truly captures his fans is through his live performances.  Since an early age, Dane has always been able to captivate audiences through his music. Take a look at this video from one of his live shows in New York City:

So, check out Dane Ferguson’s new single “Static” available only on iTunes™.

Keith Urban is truly Defying Gravity…

Every since 1992, when New Zealand-born, Australian-raised, Keith Urban burst into the Nashville country music scene, according to his website, he has be awing audiences ever since.

Bringing a style to the genre that country has never seen before is Keith’s specialty, and last week, on March 31, 2009, his talent was proven again with the release of Defying Gravity.

Though Keith Urban may not be a new artist, playing music for over 10 years now, he definitely fits the unique category.  He is constantly giving country music a new spin and graces the genre with his own flavor. On Defying Gravity, Keith has proven his talent yet again producing new music with a new spin.  Combining a country feel with purely rock guitar licks, Keith’s unique vocals top off the sound with great compliment.

After the release of his first single off the album “Sweet Thing”, which he released earlier this year to hype Defying Gravity, I was, yet again, captivated by his amazing songwriting abilities.  I always love listening to truly talented songwriters, and Keith Urban continually climbs my list of favorites. Check out the video to his new single “Sweet Thing.”

The new album has a little something for everyone.  Tracks like “Sweet Thing” and “Kiss a Girl” are easy to sing along to, and tracks like “If Ever I Could Love” boast a more complex, mature sound.

According to Keith’s website, he says that the album was written in a truly joyful and grateful mood.

Fortunately, this is where I am at right now with my life, in my marriage, and in my home with a new girl…”

-Keith Urban

The fans are reacting well to the new music too.

I really enjoyed listening to Keith Urban’s “Sweet Thing“.  He has such a knack for writing lyrics and I feel like this talent is very apparent throughout his new album.

-Phil Saunders, a Keith Urban fan

If you are having trouble hearing, use Q-tip…

Though my age group may lay just past the point of remembering early hip-hop, most fans of the genre remember a group that helped shape a unique sound, A Tribe Called Quest.

According to the group’s Wikipedia page, the hip-hop trio, comprised of Q-tip, Phife Dawg, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, formed in 1988.  The group produced a truly unique sound in a time key to hip-hop’s formation.

Over their ten year stretch as a group, they released 5 albums and then ultimately disbanded in 1998.  The group reformed for a US tour in 1998 and has worked together since then on new music.

After the group’s split in 1998, A Tribe Called Quest frontman Q-tip, according to his website, began working on his own solo career, and later that year, released his first album Amplified.

Taking influence from his time with A Tribe Called Quest and his personal experience, Q-tip produced a new sound to the hip-hop community.  With his eccentric beats and lyrics, Q-tip brought a breath of fresh air to a genre always being reborn.

In in November 2008, Q-tip released his newest album The Renaissance, that continued to please hip-hop fans eager to hear a new sound.

This album definitely has the soul of Q-tip’s preceding works with a new twist that will please both fans of new and old hip-hop.  Tracks like “Gettin’ Up” stand out boasting feel good rhythms with colorful, not vulgar, lyrics.

I am not a huge hip-hop fan, myself, but I do enjoy the sounds of hip-hop artists trying to break the mold and offer new sounds to fans.

The Renaissance is available right now on iTunes™, so check it out.

Did you take all your Vitamins?

Most of our generation hears orchestral strings and assumes the musical score to be a symphony of Mozart or Beethoven, or add a beat and vocals and you have a multi-platinum pop song.  The guys at Vitamin Records, however, are doing things a little differently.

According to the record label’s website, the label formed in 1999 in Los Angeles, CA.  Vitamin Records’ goal was to bring music lovers, of all backgrounds, high quality, string, lounge, and electric tributes of major pop and rock artists.

This label kicked off this new venture with their release, The String Quartet Tribute to Led Zeppelin. After this first release the label has released 185 tributes to date.

The record label offers tributes for everyone.  Whether you are hoping to hear a string tribute to the Killers, Radiohead, Dave Matthews Band, or even Kayne West,  Vitamin Records uses some of the most talented musicians to give their own classical flavor to familiar tunes.

For all you music lovers, Vitamin Records String Tributes give you the choice to march down the aisle to what ever song your heart desires.  You can think outside the box now, you’re not stuck with Canon in D.

Check out Vitamin Records String Tributes on iTunes™.

In case of emergency, listen to Parachute!

As some friends and I combed the Time-Warner Cable Music Pavilion in Raleigh, NC looking for a quick meal before Dave Matthews Band was scheduled to hit the stage, we ran across a little band from Charlottesville on a side-stage. That band was Sparky’s Flaw.

With a truly unique sound, blending rock and acoustic sounds with the occasional saxophone solo, the band meshed well with the DMB fans that were their audience for the afternoon.  After their show, I immediately picked their first EP titled One Small Step, which is still available for purchase on iTunes™.

That band has grown leaps and bounds since I saw them in Raleigh two years ago. Sparky’s Flaw changed its name to Parachute, and with the new name came new territory. The Charlottesville-grown band signed with Mercury/Island Records in 2007, and for the past two years has opened for artists like O.A.R., Switchfoot, and Duffy.

Though the new name brought the band new opportunities, including working on a debut full-length scheduled for release this Spring, the band’s sound has only gotten better.

Earlier this year the band released its first single “She is Love”, available on iTunes™, along with a video for the song.

My roommate and best friend, Phil Saunders, was with me that day we first saw Sparky’s Flaw, and here is what he thought about the new name and new music:

“I thoroughly enjoy both their old and new music.  Their transformation to Parachute has not altered their unique sound which makes them so enjoyable to listen to.”

Follow the band on MySpace and stayed for some great music.

The Gospel of good music…

Last year, I began to dabble into the realm of podcasts and came across a very unique podcast called the Bored-Again Christian.

Don’t be thrown off by the name. According to the podcast’s website, The Bored-Again Christian is iTunes™ featured music podcast that has a listnership that racks in over other podcasts such as: MTV News, Paste Magazine, and Tooth and Nail. This popular podcast is devoted to bringing good music, both new and old, to music lovers of all backgrounds.

Though a Christian himself, the host Just Pete plays music for everyone, believers and non-believers.

After listening to this podcast for over a year now, Just Pete makes it very clear that this podcast is for people of all backgrounds. One thing we all have in common is the quest for good music.

The message of the podcast and the creator is simple, the majority of the music may be about God, for God, or by Christians, but this does not make it exclusive to Christians. Christians artists and secular artists alike are featured on the podcast.

This Bible verse, featured on the podcast’s site sums it all up:

Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a man can make him ‘unclean’ by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him ‘unclean.’”

Mark 7:14-15

The podcast is devoted to breaking the mold and bringing new Christian music to the masses, breaking many age-old stigmas about the realm of contemporary, Christian music.

Recently, I asked my brother Patrick, a music lover and pastor in Texas, to check the podcast out, and here’s what he thought:

“I appreciate what JP of ‘the Bored-Again Christian‘ podcast is attempting to do. If we can broaden our understanding of Christian music, we open up a whole big world of music that we would never know existed if we only cling to our traditional Christian radio stations.”

So, check out The Bored-Again Christian on iTunes™ Podcasts.

You can’t just say Yeah once!

Why say, “Yeah!” just once when you could say it three times.  That’s what the Yeah Yeah Yeahs thought after forming their indie rock trio in 2000.

Still sporting the original lineup of guitarist Nick Zinner, drummer Brian Chase, and lead singer Karen O, the band is continuing to produce new and truly eccentric music. Learn more about the band’s history on Wikipedia.

Since the band’s formation in 2000, the group has released two full-length albums, Fever to Tell and Show Your Bones, and today, the band added one more album to that list with their release of the new album, It’s Blitz.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are a truly unique band not only because their one-of-a-kind sound, but also because of the way they constantly reinvent themselves and their music.  Clear changes are seen from album to album, and It’s Blitz is no exception to the rule.

Many fans of the group noticed an immediate change in style after previewing the first single off the album “Zero.”

So what do the fans think?  Are Yeah Yeah Yeah fans welcoming to the new musical direction?

According to the flood of comments on the iTunes™ album review sections, only a few are not thrilled with the change.

One listener comments, “I give the album 3 stars for the originality the YYY’s bring to the table, but I can’t get over the fact that the best rock band out there became this soft, poppy thing.  The raw power is gone, and although, there are a couple songs that I like for their new-wavey sound, this is mostly a disappointment.”

With a band as ever-changing as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, change is not only expected, its inevitable.  For the die-hard fans of Fever to Tell, and the group’s earlier works, those days maybe over, but there is new music to enjoy in the process of adjusting.

I have listened to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs since the release of their first full-length, and I am impressed by the new album.  Tracks like “Soft Shock” and “Skeletons” definitely stand out.

Check out It’s Blitz on iTunes™.

Who knew Sufjan could be so Gansta!

As technology quickly enthralls my generation, creating new and unique music is becoming easier than ever.  Any Mac owner can simply launch GarageBand™ and start making, mixing, and even remixing digital music from iTunes and elsewhere.

This has given birth to the Mash-up.

Mash-up: is a song or composition created by blending two or more songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the music track of another

This definition of the newest craze comes from Wikipedia, and perfectly explains this new art. Read more at Wikipedia.

Mash-ups, in recent years, have become an Internet sensation.  Music lovers made Danger Mouse’s Grey Album, the fusion of the Beatles White Album and Jay-Z’s Black Album, a huge hit followed by new mash-ups such as Jaydiohead, a Minty Fresh Beats production mixing Radiohead songs with Jay-Z’s raps.

This is where things get interesting.  Eclectic, folk musician Sufjan Stevens has boasted his extreme talent, playing dozens of instruments, through many albums and projects, such as A Sun Came, Enjoy Your Rabbit, and Michigan.

In 2005, Sufjan released the second of two state-themed albums Illinois which became one of his most popular and respected releases to date.

When listening to Sufjan’s music the last thing that a fan thinks about is hip-hop, but that is exactly what Montreal-based producer Tor had in mind.

Tor’s website explains that his creation, Illinoize, uses clever samples from Sufjan’s Illinois and mixes it with sounds and lyrics of MC’s such as: Aesop Rock, Big Daddy Kane, Gift of Gab (Blackalicious), C.L. Smooth, Outkast, Brother Ali, and Grand Puba.

As a huge Sufjan Stevens fan, I was quite hesitant to this remix of a masterpiece.  However, after listening to Illinoize, I was completely shocked at how unique and tasteful this mash-up was.  The choices Tor used for his samples, beats, and MC’s could not of been better.  I loved that the remix captured Sufjan’s unique sound.

Both Sufjan and hip-hop fans alike should check out the mash-up, available for free download here.