I've been listening to some new music lately, found through Pandora or noted on friends' facebook profiles (please give me credit for refraining from wondering aloud about how on earth previous generations managed to discover music trends before the internet age). I've been particularly taken with Eric Hutchinson, Mat Kearney and Mumford & Sons.
Eric Hutchinson is a singer-songwriter with who combines rhythmic wordplay reminiscent of an early Jason Mraz with catchy choruses that remind me of Train's Hey Soul Sister. Rock & Roll is probably his best known single, but I'm a bigger fan of Oh! and especially Ok, It's Alright with Me.
Mumford & Sons just sprang up recently on a friend's facebook page with a link to the youtube video of their single Little Lion Man. I paid no attention. Yesterday I was glancing through another friend's sister's blog (yes I get bored at work) and she also mentioned Mumford & Sons. Twice in a week this band I've never heard of finds a way to appear in my life. The universe must be trying to tell me something. Wow. Very cool stuff. A British foursome comprised of a guitarist, keyboardist, double bassist and banjoist (banjoist?). They perform compelling yet honest ballads that lift the spirit and make you want to hop a tour bus to travel the countryside with them.
And Mat Kearney. My favorite of the three. Go buy his album City of Black and White. Really. I haven't felt this way about an album since John Mayer's Room for Squares. For those of you who don't know, John Mayer was the first concert I ever attended. At the age of 16 I was a bit obsessed. And now I remember what that feels like. I get home from work, and the first thing I do is put on City of Black and White. I feel engulfed when I listen to it. Like Coldplay's Viva la Vida or U2's Sunday Bloody Sunday (ok not the lyrics, but the feeling of the song) every song on this album has that gripping, larger than life feel.
So. I have never written about music before. But I've been listening to these artists all week and they inspire me. They make me long to create. Create what? I'm not quite sure yet, so I figured the first place to start was at the source. Many poets write odes to their muses; this isn't exactly analogous, but perhaps it's a jumping off point.
If anyone is familiar with these artists, let me know what your take is!
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