I’ve often found that, regardless of how hard I try to resist, I have a soft spot for women with great voices. However, if my love were only gauged by how great a woman’s voice was, I would have been married approximately 43 times. Brandi Carlile is just such an occasion where all I needed to hear was the first line of the first verse of the first song I ever heard to know that I was going to love her. Her strong folk-y sound mixed with her powerful voice make her one of the better female singer-songwriters out there today.
Her latest album Give Up the Ghost was released in 2009. The single “Dreams” has a very pop rock sound without losing the folk-y flavor. Extremely catchy and extremely hard to get out of your head for days. I know this sounds like a bad thing, but we’re talking like-ability here. Other songs on the album like “Caroline” also have the fun, pop rock sound with heavy folk accents.
If you’re into slower songs that may or may not bring a tear to your eye, check out “That Year” and “Before It Breaks”. Heck I cried just writing that. The mix of different emotions she portrays in her music exhibit her complete artistic variety and let me know that she’s the real deal. I don’t like things that aren’t the real deal. Brandi Carlile passes the test. Yay.
Check out the video for “Dreams”:
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*Main picture by PhotoJustin.com.
Gil Scott-Heron – “New York Is Killing Me”
A little electronic mixed with hefty hand clapping makes the simplicity of this song completely unique. Add in an old blues man voice and it’s something you’ve never heard before. Plus, the guy has two last names so that counts for something.
Buy the song:
Helping Haiti – “Everybody Hurts”
A classic song already, “Everybody Hurts” has been re-made to help the victims of the Haiti earthquake. A great song plus a great cause is a winner in our book.
Buy the song:
Brandi Carlile – “Dreams”
We loves us some Brandi Carlile. This song has some rockin’ acoustic with her signature pipes. It’s very melodic and has some pretty great harmonies. You’ll know by the end that Brandi Carlile has dreams. Oh yes, she’s got dreams.
Buy the song:
