Caroline Smith . . .

. . . is awesome.

 I really don't have to add anything else to this post because those two words sum it all up, but I will anyway.  I don't remember the first time I heard her, but I know from the very first listen I was hooked.

I feel like on a dark dreary winter day, her voice would bring anyone out of their funk.  And in the middle of summer, her voice makes me think of strolling barefoot along a beach soaking in the tranquility of the moment.

I loved Caroline (and the Goodnight Sleeps') Backyard Tent Set, which I found to be fresh well put together.  Caroline and Jesse Shuster opened for Cloud Cult the other night, and I found myself longing for them to play more and just, ya know, delay Cloud Cult for a bit.  During this show she played a new song called Eagle's Nest which immediately made me fall in love with her all over again.  I could only find one youtube video of it, and cannot wait until August for the new release! She also played Calliope which is also fantastic.

http://youtu.be/-iHpY8FtjzQ

Keep rockin Caroline, you made this week all the more bearable :)

-kb

There are many things that I miss...

Of all the things in my life that I miss, I think the biggest thing would be knowing who I am.  When I was 19 my views, orientation, beliefs and dreams were the clearest they've ever been.  I'm not 19 anymore.  For the past two years I have put my feelings on hold, and honestly tried not to think of them.  But they never went away.  I was able to escape into my music and really just disengage from these questions that are sitting heavily on my heart.

The worst part, is that I have absolutely no one to talk to about this.  I thought I did.  But I guess I'm afraid. Afraid of my friends looking at me differently, afraid of being on the outside again, afraid of causing a crisis of faith.  Afraid that I will really and truthfully be alone.  Theres a loneliness within me that dissipates when I lose myself in music.  When I immerse myself in it.  Like I'm doing now.

I've been listening to a lot of Wye Oak this week, but currently J. Tillman is playing and he fits the way I feel at the moment.  When I Light Your Darkened Door is a beautiful song, and his other song Firstborn really can get to me too.  But Earthly Bodies is really capturing the state of me right now.

Hopefully the next post will be a little more uplifting, but for now this is all I've got.

-kb

Sharon Van Etten

Happy New Year!
Here's to a year full of musical discoveries!

So I've been starting to show symptoms of Brandi Carlile withdrawals lately, and I thought I should try and fix that.  Finding new music is always a pleasure for me and when I'm searching for something new I usually head over to TheCurrent.org or Lastfm to see what I can find.

Recently my find was Sharon Van Etten.  I got hooked on her song One Day after about 3 listens.  I wasn't sure at first if I enjoyed her voice, but I kept listening and determined, that yes, yes I did like her :)

Theres been a lot of talk lately that musicians just aren't making good music anymore.  I have to disagree.  People need to turn off their generic radio station and branch out into other turns of the dial.  When they do this, there are quite a few artists out there making really good music.

Sharon Van Etten has a voice that reminds me of someone, but I can't put my finger on it.  Her songs are diverse in that for the most part they don't all sound like a pop song, an indie song, and they don't sound tired.

Giver her a listen people of the world, give her a listen.

-kb