When you get hand-picked by Neil Young to be an opener for a crowd of over 20,000 people every night, it’s kind of a big deal. Whether the stars have aligned or you’re just plain that talented, it’s an opportunity that not many artists can claim. Everest can.
Did you know that Everest is actually a mountain located in the Himalayas AND it’s the biggest mountain in the world? I know, it shocked me too. That’s a little free piece of trivia for you. I guess when this band was choosing a name, they wanted something as big as their musical prowess.
We recently got a chance to check out their live show in Chicago and have to say, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a group as tightly knit as these guys. They blend well together on stage and are completely and utterly absorbed in every facet of their music. These guys believe in destiny and I think their being rewarded for it.
Listening to their most recent album, On Approach, you can easily pick out qualities similar to Neil Young, but also elements of blues, folk, rock, alternative and Indie. I even picked out some Jeff Buckley and Black Keys (whether they were going for that or not) and you can draw some elements of the classic American folk sound.
If you’re looking for a group with a classic sound that sticks to the roots and delivers a solid performance, make sure you check out Everest as your next musical venture.
Check out the video for their latest single “Let Go”:
Buy the album:
I first met Griffin House, back in 2003, when he was promoting his album Upland. When I arrived at the venue and I heard his name as the opening act, the nerd in me thought, “wait…the Gryffindor’s have a house band?” Forgive me for my nerdy Harry Potter reference, I am who I am. The uniqueness of his name quickly disappeared once he hit the stage. Griffin House’s voice cast a spell on me. Kinda like a Expecto Patronuses charm. Damn, I need to get out more.
Griffin House is a salt-of-the-earth kind of guy. His voice is warm, his lyrics are emotive, and his music is organic. For me, he is a modern day troubadour. He is the sort of guy I would want to go camping with, just so I would have music at the ready when it is time to sit around the campfire. If he wasn’t there I would just be singing kumbaya on repeat. When you listen to Griffin’s music, imagine a roaring campfire nearby. He delivers the vocal equivalent of a perfectly toasted marshmallow.
His latest release, The Learner, brings forth the same folk goodness that ran true through his previous works. Griffin House continues to balance on the edge of becoming a mainstream name. If and when that day comes, rest assured in knowing that as a listener, his music will still have the intimate feel of a campfire serenade.
KC’s Personal Picks: “River City Lights”, “If You Want To”, & “Feels So Right”
Check out Griffin House’s acoustic rendition of “River City Lights”
Buy The Learner
When I heard Ari Hest was part of a side project called The Open Sea, I didn’t have to wonder if I would like it. I just knew I would. Honestly, if Ari left me a voice mail message I would probably say the message is the single of the week. Yeah, we like Ari. Now, add the heavenly Rosi Golan into the mix and this thing just got real…for real.
Rosi Golan and Ari Hest
As individuals, Ari and Rosi have developed solid singer-songwriter careers that highlight their incredible voices. It is always wonderful to see when two talented individuals come together to make something new. We, the listeners, reap the benefits. Ari and Rosi’s voices fit together perfectly like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. The finished product is absolutely beautiful and a wonderful showcase of what the human voice is capable of.
As The Open Sea, Rosi and Ari have created something special in their EP, Little Apple. The 5 tracks that they have chosen float effortlessly through the atmosphere. Their superb vocals and simple arrangements show off what they are both so darn good at. Little Apple is exhibit A for why more artists need to seriously look at collaborating. Do everything in your power to spread the word about this project. Support great artists and great music.
KC’s Personal Picks: “All in a Day” and “Starlight”
Check out their live performance of “All in a Day”
Buy the album
I know it’s out of season, but I love the movie Elf. I also know that it’s meant for 6-year-olds, but I can’t help myself. Something about it’s enchanting storyline and magical memories leave me with that unmistakable Christmas-y feeling every year. Or maybe it’s just Will Ferrel prancing around like a 6-year-old and me having the humor of a small child. It doesn’t take much for me.
But the other great part about the movie Elf is Will Ferrel’s love interest, Jovie. At the time, I was unfamiliar with actress Zooey Deschanel. In the movie, she steals the stage in the moments she decides to spread the Christmas cheer with her voice. Usually in these situations, one would think she is most certainly lip syncing. At first I thought the same thing. But the unique jazzy, flowing tone of the voice made me dig deeper to find out the truth. And the truth is, Zooey Deschanel can sing. For real.
It wasn’t long before I discovered her band, along with songwriter M. Ward, She & Him. The indie folk duo brings back the roots with a genuinely old-fashioned sound that’s relaxing and clean. Rhythmic piano, melodic guitar and light drums compliment Deschanel’s unique voice in such a pleasant way, it’s a guaranteed feel-good album. Check out both volumes and expect more to come. These guys are on the ups.
Check out the video for “In The Sun”
Buy Volume Two:
There’s an ancient Greek myth about a dude named Orpheus who lost his wife Eurydice to the underworld due to a series of very nasty poisonous snake bites, on their wedding day of all times. The story could end there and still suck, but it gets worse.
Orpheus travels to the underworld and so moves Hades with his beautiful, mournful songs, that he agrees to release both he and his bride-to-be back into the upper world with one, admittedly odd, condition: Orpheus must lead the way, Eurydice must follow silently behind, and Orpheus can never look back at her until both have reached the upper world.
The moment he set foot back on solid earth, he turned to gaze upon the face of his beloved, forgetting that they both had to be in the upper world before he could look back. Eurydice, of course, got sucked back down to hell and Orpheus never would see her again.
Your asking yourself what this story has to do with popular music, and it’s a valid question. The answer is simpler than you think, and her name is Anais Mitchell. An Ani DiFranco product, Mitchell is a soulful, talented songwriter who in March of 2010 finally released a recording of “Hadestown,” her folk opera based on the story of Orpheus and Eurydice.
The term “folk opera” sounds like it’d be the lamest genre of music in the history of life, but the score to “Hadestown” is so diverse and emotional and—dare I say—blessed with the hard-to-achieve virtue of relistenability, that it’s anything but boring. Featuring such talented musicians such as DiFranco, Bon Iver, and a folk artist named Greg Brown that’s got one of the most guttural, affecting voices in the genre.
My personal favorites are “Way Down Hadestown,” “How Long?” and “Hey, Little Songbird,” but there are a ton of tracks on this record that could be stand-alone successes. A few are a little experimental, but there’s a reason this Anais Mitchell album (and the live show it’s based off of) has been so critically acclaimed. It’s smart, moving music, but with a story like this one, how could it not be?
It’s a musical experience you won’t regret you had. You won’t look back. In fact, you’re forbidden to. Just like Orpheus.
Buy Hadestown:
