I wrote this on a best you're not listening to blog back in early 2009...
Yes Please is composed of a singersongwriter that considers herself a duel citizen of both Olympia and San Francisco. Sadly, she is no longer recording under this name, but the album "For Now, for Then, for Them" is very special. An artist that was born to be featured on Gray’s Anatomy.
...but sadly, I didn't share any of her music at the time. That was before I created my own YouTube Channel, and before I realized how quick and easy it was to make and upload songs that lacked an internet voice. So, today, while listening with my eyes closed, this first track came on, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. So, I thought I'd upload it and share, I did the second one for good measure. Like I said, quick and easy.
So the other day, my co-blogger Stevie, posted the song "Family" by Noah Gundersen, and it pissed me the hell off. I fell in LOVE with the song, and I had never heard of Noah Gundersen, and that doesn't happen to me. I am the one that finds bands that Stevie doesn't know, and she gets my goat when it's the other way around. But, the song was soooooo good, that I jumped on the bandwagon, and dove into Noah Gundersen. Turns out before he was a solo act, he was a part of a band called The Courage, and they released this beautiful album in Sept. 2010. I would say it's sad that The Courage broke up, but have you heard his new EP? It is fanfuckingtastic. So, if The Courage had to die, to get Family, so be it.
But, I really recommend you pick up The Courage, as it is a gem of a record.
This song, hits me hard. But not for the romantic connotations. It reminds me of the mistakes I have made, but that makes the song all the more beautiful for me. Enjoy.
Dawes is a band that snuck right up on me. I was going to a concert for Brett Dennen, and for Brett Dennen only, but, being the audiophile I am, I opted, as I always opt, to make sure I was early enough to catch the opening act. This band that my friend who sold me her tickets to the show, was very excited to see. A band that I had never heard of. This little band called Dawes. A little band the blew me away. A little band, who's album I purchased based on that set alone, is now dead set to end up in the top 5 records of 2011.
Now, I may have been behind on the times when it comes to Dawes, but I'm making up for it with my enthusiasm for them now.
So, with that, I present you, the Band of the Week:
Dawes
Below, you will find 5 fantastic songs, three of them I would like to thank the fantastic people over at Sleepover Shows for producing and making available. The other's and just a couple songs I could not fathom to leave off this showcase.
"If I Wanted Someone" (Sleepover Show)
"A Little Bit Of Everything"
"How Far We've Come" (Sleepover Show)
"That Western Skyline" (Sleepover Show)
"Million Dollar Bill" (my personal favorite, and one that I uploaded myself)
Brett Dennen is the Man. Now, I say that in general, but in particular, he is the Man when it comes to final tracks. And you all know how I feel about final tracks. How I believe, maybe naively, that the last track of an album means something special, something personal, something more to the artist then any other track. That they fought for that song to be on that album and all that jazz.
So, below, you will find two prime-ass examples of how Brett Dennen is the Man.
"Ain't Gonna Lose You" by Brett Dennen (of the Hope For The Hopeless album)
"Alone Again" by Brett Dennen (of the Loveboy album (amazon.com exclusive track))
I think when I saw Ivan & Alyosha at The Moore theater this last year, they must have had an off night, because, if they sounded 1/10th as amazing as in this clip, I would have sung their praises all over this little blog. Nonetheless, I have discovered, so I share, as is my way.
There are some songs that get into you like a splinter. But the good kind of splinter.
I don't know what it is about this song. It is clearly not for everyone, but it is for me. I think that when I write, like really write. not for this blog, (not that this is not real writing,) but writing for me, not for anything else, I write like this. I love these words.
