Friday, May 20, 2011

Now listening to...

Hey, maybe you already knew about these artists...if so, why didn't you tell me about them earlier?!?!

But just wanted to share with you 2 artists/bands that are constantly playing on my computer, in my car & on my phone.

First up, The Civil Wars.

This duo is composed of Joy Williams and John Paul White. I heard about them when their EP released a few years ago called Poison and Wine. On first listen, it didn't really grab me. So I passed. But now time has gone on and I am older, wiser, and more mature. Also, their full album (Barton Hollow) was ONLY $7.99 on iTunes (& still is as of 5/20)! I'll admit, that's what initially caught/re-caught attention. (What can I say? I'm half Chinese.) So because of the great price, I decided to take a listen.  Now what I do when I listen (to any band) is I preview the songs on iTunes, check their MySpace and Facebook, check their website, and check on any reviews people have posted. So as I did, the thing that first struck me is how incredible Joy and John Paul sound together. Their harmonies are amazing.  After making the purchase, I think I must have played the album at least 5 times before I started listening to the lyrics. When I DID start paying attention to the lyrics, you hear how sad and full of heartache some of them are...and I appreciate that...that they made me feel what they feel...what they are singing about. Just a really nice band.   Definite recommend.

Up next, Ben Rector.

I heard about him via iTunes recommendations. You know the kind where under the album, it says "people also bought"...or something like that. Anyway, so I decided to investigate further. But what really got me was reading a blog post at Messycanvas.com Mandy Steward writes an incredible post and then adds one of Ben's songs (When A Heart Breaks) at the end of her entry. Pretty much right then and there (the entry + the song) I was hooked. There is just a certain quality in Ben's voice that...I like. He also writes great songs and sings with something that makes you "feel" what he's feeling. Like in his song White Dress the chorus repeats: I never knew that I could love someone the way that I love you...the way he sings it, makes me think about my wife and that I feel exactly what he's singing and how he's singing it.  I guess after getting distracted by everything that goes on in the world, that lyric specifically brings me back to what's important to me...brings me back to her.  You can get his album on iTunes, but it may be cheaper on Amazon.

Anyway, just wanted to share a bit.

Happy listening!

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