testing!!!

Looking into the near future, we have some reasons to get excited about the music industry. Mat Kearney is releasing his second full length album City of Black and White on May 19th, 2009. You can hear his new single, Closer to Love, on his site   http://www.matkearney.com/ I’ve been a huge fan of Kearney since he  he released his first album on InPop way back in 2004. Now that he has gained popularity and appeal, I am very excited to see what he is going to do with this album. This is something not to overlook!

FM Static is also releasing a new album this spring titled Dear Diary off T&N on April 7th, 2009. Some samples are avaliable at thier myspace:   http://www.myspace.com/fmstatic I’m not sure what to expect from these guys, but I am expecting at least a few good tracks from them. Hopefully I’m only underestimating.

Brandon Heath

What If We

Brandon Heath has been one of my favorite artists since his first release Don’t Get Comfortable. Well, I took his words to heart and was incredibly fidgety when I heard he was coming out with a new album. Now that it’s been released, I have can’t help but sit still and listen to this incredible album. I’m sure a couple of you are familiar with his most well known song right now, Give me Your Eyes, which is played on many stations around the country.

Strengths

I had the privilege of seeing Brandon Heath in concert just a few months ago, and one of the things that stood out to me was how much sincerity he performed with; this was not lost in his album. The depth and sincerity Heath sings with is one of the best attributes of his work. It’s incredibly touching to hear about him singing about standing on the streets of London and crying, praying for God’s understanding, and his experience with other hurting people. This is not a superficial album in the least bit.

Other strengths include his brilliant voice and the shift in style from his last album. You can still tell that this is the same guy, but something about this album is different. There is slightly a more rhythmic feel to some of his songs and you can tell that his musical maturity is growing. His voice clean and clear while the music is not muddled  or too overpowering. It seems that the balance between vocals and instrumentation is very well done.

Weaknesses

Well, weaknesses aren’t things I like to think about because I like this album so much, but nonetheless, I will still address it. Things that leave me wanting more include the lack of  a wide variety of instruments as well as the lack of variety in song style. I would love to hear Heath do a purely acoustic track or a track that is done in simple harmony. I would like to see him expand his musical depth by further molding his lyrics to the style of the music. One might find that the instrumentation can sound similar throughout the entirety of his album. There are a few songs that certainly stand out, but I would still like to see more variety in how Heath expresses himself.

Aesthetic Appeal

Heath’s songs include much of a pop sound, but he also brings a more rhythmic and R&B feel to this album. Give Me your Eyes is a great example of this while Listen Up also portrays another side of this. Heath uses a lot of acoustic and electric guitar in addition to strings, clapping, piano, etc. However his voice is certainly the core focus of each song.It is mostly a vocal album with a few cool rhythms and beats, but he does not do a whole lot to expand on musical instrumentation and display. This seems to be a great album though. There is not much lacking, and it is something that appeals to a wide range of people. His song Give Me Your Eyes is number one on (the Christian genre of)  iTunes…

Spirituality

Heath sings about love. He sings about love for God, love for other people, and love for the world around him. Once again, Give Me Your Eyes is a good example of this. He sings about asking for God’s eyes, his view on the world, and the ability to see and do as God does. It is a cry to be more like Him, a desire to be his servant, and a cry to renew his heart. The rest of his album does not deviate from this theme. There is a strong feeling of praise and reflection in this album. It is not one lacking spiritual depth.

Standout Tracks

(Of Course) Give Me Your Eyes

Listen Up

London

Love Never Fails

Heath’s website

Heath’s myspace

Here’s a link for a free download of Fiction Family’s new single, When She’s Near. Right click and select “Save Link as” to download.

When She’s Near

You may not expect to discover an incredible voice in a pub named after a cat, but after arriving only  to miss the first act, “hairball(ish)” is certainly the least likely way to describe Aaron Espe’s voice. Coming from a small town, Espe has managed to reach a much larger crowd (perhaps the size of a couple large towns) with his stunning acoustics in Songs from a Small Town.

I didn’t know what to expect upon deciding to go to the show at the campus “pub”, but after hearing just a few songs, I was glad I went. It was refreshing to hear a new voice, a voice that is not muddled like all of the other voices of the pop age that seem to blend together. His voice is intriguingly raspy, enough to bring it flare, but not enough to make it feel like sandpaper. But now that I think about it, “raspy” may not be the best choice of words, in light of how well he sings, but maybe “bark like” (tree bark) with a weathered and worn sound on top of vibrant and youthful budding would be better.

I would recommend checking this guy out. He may not be recognized by the celebrities of today, but Chester (the cat the pub is named after) certainly approves (and he’s one classy cat). Espe’s music has prompted me to rummage through the music sources I have in order to find more acoustic gems like this one. If you are from a small town, you may get along with this guy quite well.

Aaron Espe’s website

Posted in Music Tagged: Arron Espe, Songs from a Small Town ]]> http://theparenthesisproject.wordpress.com/2009/01/08/rummaging-for-acoustics/feed/ 2 Kevin Aaron Espe http://theparenthesisproject.wordpress.com/2008/11/15/relient-k-sleigh-ride/ http://theparenthesisproject.wordpress.com/2008/11/15/relient-k-sleigh-ride/#comments Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:46:24 +0000 Kevin http://theparenthesisproject.wordpress.com/2008/11/15/relient-k-sleigh-ride/ ]]>

Crimes

[These United States]

I received Crimes from a good friend of mine a little while ago. I had never heard of them before but I really liked the album art the first time I saw the album (this is [almost] always a good sign). So over the past few days I’ve been listening to the intricate multi-faceted music of These United States, and I approve.

Strengths

I always appreciate variety. This album is variety, and therefore I appreciate it. One of the strongest parts of Crimes is the diversity in style. There are several upbeat and rhythmic songs, but they are complimented by those that are acoustic ballads full of emotions in quiet esteem. The lyrical depth of the album is also something to be commended. Lines such as “each wave a mirror, each crest a key” strike me with elegant beauty. I am glad the use of instruments is also not over done or too colloquial. Yes, there is your basic guitars and drums, but with the addition of banjo, piano, and synthetic sounds, that mundane guitar takes on some pretty interesting shapes.

Weaknesses

These United State’s songs are pretty well crafted, however there are no obvious immediate hits. It seems as though the album is strong overall, but it lacks the potential to put itself way out on the forefront of the music industry. This is nothing to fret about, but I think a progression and maturity in their sound will lead to wider and wider influence in the music community.

Sometimes the music can seem a little repetitive, however this is not a huge deal. Some of the songs sound similar, but they do fluctuate with lyrical depth and instrumental craft. It’s not necessarily a great weakness, but there is room for improvement on balance.

Aesthetic Appeal

This is not pop, rock, or any typical form of popular music. This is pure alternative. Although “alternative” is certainly hard to define, Crimes is a bass infused peppy folk singers journal. There is lyrical depth and surfaces even through all the ragtime-esque piano runs. It seems to be a style based on southern influence with northern sophistication. The instrumental diversity will not be disappointing, and neither will These Untied States lead singer’s rich and dynamic voice. Although it is not entirely smooth, the type of music presented in Crimes complements the vocals nicely.

Spirituality

Although there is not a lot of content that speaks directly about spirituality in Crimes, there is a lot to say about emotion and reflection. Major themes of the songs include self-reflection, pride, pain, sympathy, and sadness. The album does not deal with anything that is too difficult to comprehend, but the way in which they present this communication can be difficult o decipher.

Standout Tracks

Six Fast Bullets

Susie at the Seashore

(This is kind of hard. They are all good)

These United States website

These United States myspace

Life Before Aesthetics.mp3

You can download Denison Witmer’s new EP, Life Before Aesthetics, from My Old Kentucky Blog for Free!

There is something about album art that makes me want to “judge a book by its cover”. I almost think you can. But besides that little note, I love this album’s album art. No particular reason why I am sharing this

( Digsby! )

I’ve always been frustrated that I’ve had to use multiple instant messaging services to talk to all the different people I may know. Some use Msn, others AIM, and there are always people on Facebook. So I found Digsby – an instant messaging service that allows you to integrate a whole bunch of different chatting programs into one!

The full potential of Digsby includes integration of AIM, MSN, Yahoo, ICQ, Google Talk, and Jabber. You can also add email accounts and social networks. It’s a nice little tool that is very customizable. I know this is not the typical kind of things I would post about on this site, but it’s just so great I have to share it. Here are some snapshots:

The pop-up window is probably my favorite part of Digsby (the picture above). When you aren’t in the messaging window, a little black window pops up where you can type and respond without changing your current window. It’s sweet. I am very happy that I have integrated all of the messaging services I use and now have one buddy list for them all. Check it out and customize it to the way you like!

Digsby

The Hymns Unleashed

The other day I found out about a project that is focused on bringing older hymns to the forefront of musical appeal for youth today. Here is their statement:

“The Hymns Unleashed Project is all about trying to introduce some of those wonderful melodies found in famous hymns to those who would not otherwise know them.  We want talented musicians to take a priceless hymn (of praise, worship, adoration, prayer) and make them uniquely your own, much like Jesse did with “It Is Well With My Soul”. Let these songs inspire you, possibly leading you in a way that will utilize your own God-given talents in a way that might even suprise you! “

What’s interesting about this site is that it invites other Christian indie artists to rearrange, rework, and share their hymns that may never “have never been heard on anything but a piano or organ.” Here is a sample of what the site is getting at:

This site has potential, and if you are a Christian Inide artist out there who wants to or has already rearranged some older hymns, you may want to give this site a second look.

The Hymns Unleashed