‘Twas a dark and stormy afternoon:!
Seriously, you guys. It was almost sunny when I left the house this morningÁ¢€”something about which I laughed bitterly to myself while walking to my 8 o’clock class. What wind! What rain! Great Jeebus!
Oh well. I don’t mind. May flowers, and all that. Good weather for staying inside and Netflixing with some popcorn. Or, if you don’t like it when those little bits get stuck between your teeth, without the popcorn.
So, here are a couple of newish artists I’ve been grooving to lately:
Lee is an intriguing mix of sensitive singer/songwriter and gospel preacherÁ¢€”think Al Green if he’d befriended James Taylor at a young age. He’s opened for Norah Jones (they’re both on Blue Note), but I think he’ll appeal to a slightly different crowd. Good supper music. But don’t take my word for it:
Amos Lee – Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight
Amos Lee – All My Friends
Ray LaMontagne is an artist I’ve been hearing great things about for a long time now, but have only just gotten around to actually checking him out. Vocally, he’s been described as “Van Morrison meets Sam Cooke,” and I sorta think the comparison holds up musically as well. This is a really, awfully, incredibly strong debut. The production is the best of Ethan Johns’ careerÁ¢€”an ageless sound for a batch of timeless songs. Trouble bogs down here and there, but overall, it’s one of the best albums I’ve heard in a very long time. Strongly suggested for Van fans, as well as anyone who digs Damien Rice or David Gray:
Ray LaMontagne – Trouble
Ray LaMontagne – Shelter
All right. I’m off to start enjoying my weekend, beginning with the last half of Only the Strong Survive:
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