We loves us some Amos Lee. He is one of the more soulful, powerful male singers we’ve heard in a while and he consistently puts out music that captures his style, emotion and fervor. He’s a man of many musical tastes which is exemplified in his music. You’ll hear the acoustic singer-songwriter background in just about every song, but he adds in splashes of blues, soul, R&B, country and folk to give a well-rounded signature sound that travels with him on every album he makes.
His latest release, Mission Bell, is no exception. It pulls in inspiration from all of these different styles and is absolutely Amos Lee. Admittedly I’ve always been a fan of the Philadelphian singer-songwriter, but something about the consistency in which he creates memorable albums is an accomplishment most artists can only aspire to. Many times when trying to explain his music to someone that has never heard it, I call him the male Norah Jones. He has a perfectly tuned voice that exemplifies the melody without overpowering the simple background accompaniment (which is most often just an acoustic guitar.)
If you haven’t heard of Amos Lee or simply haven’t gotten around to checking out his music, make this your New Year’s resolution. His self-titled album as well as his sophomore release Supply and Demand got me hooked and are guaranteed to get you hooked too.
Check out Mission Bell on:
After traveling via bus through weather that was promoted to be “Chicago’s worst storm in 70 years,” California-born Matt Costa made it to the Double Door in Chicago, IL unscathed and allowed us to take a seat and dig deeper into this former pro skateboarders unknown musical dream come true. Luckily for us (perhaps Matt too) his skateboarding career fell short at the age of 18, leading to the dawn of who is now, Matt Costa – singer/songwriter. Not to drop any names or anything, but Matt was founded by No Doubt guitarist, Tom Dumont, toured with Jack Johnson, and did some work with Phil Ek from Modest Mouse…but no big deal.
Recently releasing his third album, Mobile Chateau, Matt continues to woo the world with the single “Witchcraft” which takes a dash of pep and mixes it with a tablespoon of solid guitar riffs all the while sprinkling it with indie rock and folk. But why take it from me. Matt Costa is far better at explaining himself…himself. Check out the interview below.
Award-winning singer? Yes. New Zealand native? Yes. Gorgeous? Yes. Talented? Of course! If you answered similarly to all of these questions, then you might be Brooke Fraser. And if you are Brooke Fraser and you’re reading this, I don’t mean to be forward, but I think I’m in love. I hope that doesn’t scare you off, because I think we would be great together. If you’ve read some of my other posts, you’d know that I have a thing for accents and sexy singing voices. I think you have both of those things.
Brooke Fraser got her start in late 2003 with the release of her first album What To Do With Daylight. Since then she has released two more albums with the most recent addition, Flags, reaching #1 on the iTunes singer-songwriter chart in the first week of sales. Booyah.
Her recent press release tells you why:
“Flags is a dreamy, alternative-pop collection that showcases her agile soprano, lilting melodies and knack for telling her stories through the lives of vibrant characters…”
Dreamy? Agile? Lilting melodies? Ok, I’m interested. Of course, you won’t believe it until you hear it, but we can help point you in the right direction. And if you’re a Chicago new music fan, you can check out Brooke Fraser at Lincoln Hall on November 24th. I’ll be there. With flowers. And chocolates.
Check out the video for “Something In the Water”:
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
I suppose in 1997 I wasn’t ready for marriage. I was still playing video games and thought wrestling was awesome. I didn’t have a steady girlfriend and had not found financial independence. However, I would have looked past every single one of my setbacks to marry Natalie Imbruglia. She was probably the first musician I actually fell in love with and for good reason: she was incredibly hot. Admittedly, I wasn’t totally sold on the music at the time, but it had this certain nostalgia about it, and I wasn’t about to be the judge of whether or not she was a good musician. Her lips told me everything I needed to know.
Of course every time I heard the song “Torn”, I was reminded of my one true love from 1997. So naturally, when I heard it on the radio recently, I had to get the entire album. Besides the first single I knew all too well, Left Of The Middle also contains the single “Wishing I Was There” which also could have been our wedding song. I’m just saying.
Left Of The Middle is a very laid-back album with simple melodies and instrumentation. There really isn’t anything experimental or out-of-the-ordinary about it, but Imbruglia knows how to make appealing songs. And although “Torn” isn’t exactly the most romantic song of all time, I still love her for it.
Overall, Natalie Imbruglia was one of the more solid female singer-songwriters from the 90s and if you didn’t know her (or did but didn’t know at the time), we’re now giving you the chance to re-live what you missed out on. You’re welcome.
Check out the video for “Torn”:
Buy Left Of The Middle:
