Songs That Didn't Make the Cut

I hate picking favorites. I'm one of the most indecisive people you'll ever meet. I believe this stems from growing up as an only child and always being asked which parent was right in the latest pointless argument. How can you choose one parent over another?

Similarly, how can you reduce an entire year of great music to ten great albums? Well, Kyle and I did it, and I still like our list quite a bit. However, that stubborn egalitarian in me just won't rest until I also write about some of the other awesome songs, bands, and albums that I loved in 2009.

The first of those that didn't make the cut is Bon Iver's Blood Bank EP, which was released last January. Despite the snowy cover and wintry release date (not to mention, I suppose, that "bon iver" means "good winter"), the EP has a more upbeat, warmer feel than the beautifully somber For Emma, Forever Ago of 2007.

Originally a one-man band, Justin Vernon has been joined on the EP by two more musicians, and the additions seem to have been an excellent decision. This isn't just For Emma, Forever Ago part two--Blood Bank is fuller and richer and, somehow in just four songs, demonstrates new sounds and new variety that For Emma didn't have. That being said, some fans may long for the acoustic aching of a lonely man in his Wisconsin cabin and see Blood Bank as a betrayal.

Some of what fans of For Emma loved is still there--Vernon's eerie, layered vocals and his reminiscent lyrics shine on the title track--but there is also the addition of electric sounds, pianos, and slide guitars throughout the EP, as well as the love-it-or-hate-it vocoder (think Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek") on the last track, "Woods."

Blood Bank is different, to be sure. But then, how could the brilliance of that first break-out album be repeated? I say kudos to Bon Iver for experimenting and giving us an EP to enjoy while we wait for the next album, whatever it may bring.

You can listen to (and download for free) "Blood Bank" (and several other songs) on Bon Iver's website.

RIYL: Fleet Foxes, Jose Gonzalez

City of Black & White - Mat Kearney

I woke up to Mat Kearney's newest single "Closer to Love" this morning on the radio, so I thought it would be appropriate to blog about his album City of Black & White. I first heard Mat Kearney on the radio with his single "Nothing Left to Lose" and then I saw him open for the Fray at the Knitting Factory in Spokane. Strangely it wasn't until I picked up his album, also titled Nothing Left to Lose, that I really got into his music style - which I've heard compared to everything from Jason Mraz to Everlast to Coldplay (which truthfully, I can see comparisons to all of them). It's true, he raps in Nothing Left to Lose, and some of his best songs are the ones where he raps (see "Girl America" and "Undeniable" - the former does sort of remind me of "What It's Like" by Everlast). In City of Black & White, for some unknown reason, Mat doesn't rap. Theories range from "some people didn't like Mat's beat poetry/rap" to he wanted his songs to be "radio-ready" (both "theories" I found on Amazon.com reviews). Admittedly I do miss his beat poetry/rap (which I came to recognize as part of his style); fortunately, City of Black & White still manages to retain his sound.

Mat Kearney was born in Eugene, Oregon and has spent the last eight years living in Nashville, Tennessee. His songs have appeared on a plethora of popular television shows from Friday Night Lights to Grey's Anatomy. City of Black & White blends piano and guitar beautifully in an album of storytelling and hopeful love songs. Without the rap, I do feel like the album has less variety than Nothing Left to Lose - there's still variety among ballads, but I don't feel like I'm exposed to the same range of emotions from his previous album. Regardless, the slower, softer nature of the album does nothing to diminish Mat's energy and passion. My favorite tracks are "All I Have", "Fire & Rain (Acoustic)", "Never Be Ready" and I really do like the radio single "Closer to Love" - there's a music video for the song at the bottom of this post (I apologize for the ads, it's from Mat's site, but it's a pleasant video). Mat will be coming back to the Knitting Factory in Spokane on October 30th, 2009 and Seattle on November 2nd and Portland on November 3rd.

Fave tracks: "All I Have", "Fire & Rain (Acoustic)", "Never Be Ready" and "Closer to Love"
RIYL: The Fray, Coldplay, Jason Mraz, Everlast, Erin McCarley, U2

Big Whiskey And The GrooGrux King

First off, let me say this is a fantastic album. I'm not going to lie, I wasn't crazy about their previous release, Stand Up (2005), but Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King is a wonderful return to form for the band. Everything I loved about their earlier albums - the jam style, songs with multiple parts and tempos, crazy beats and rhythms by Carter Beauford - have all returned in new and spectacular ways.

The album's been a long time in the making, beginning late 2007, the band worked on the album throughout 2008 at two studios in Seattle; they finished in 2009 in New Orleans. It's the first album to include Jeff Coffin on saxophone (who undertook LeRoi Moore's role since LeRoi's ATV accident in June 2008 and his passing on August 19, 2008). It's also the first album to include trumpeter Rashawn Ross and be produced by Rob Cavallo. The band also recorded with guitar virtuoso Tim Reynolds for the first time since Before These Crowded Streets (1998). The name of the album comes from a combination of the made-up word "GrooGrux" that Beauford used to describe the vibe and energy of the "wild-sounding rhythms" the band made up together, and a chance encounter with a drunk man in New Orleans who asked for money to buy "a big whiskey".

As mentioned before, the reason I first got into Dave Matthews Band was because of their innovation and phenomenal musicianship (I was in 9th grade and I'd never heard a contemporary band with a violin and a saxophone player - not to mention rhythms that weren't in standard time). I'd never heard music that borrowed sounds from so many different genres and mixed them together (jazz, rock, soul and country to name a few). One of the first concerts I ever went to was Dave Matthews Band at the Gorge and it was incredible (and as a result I mistakenly assumed all musicians were fantastic live and that all live performances enhanced their studio recordings with 20 minute jams). The same type of innovation and musicianship is evident on Big Whiskey. Some songs remind me of Before These Crowded Streets (like one of my favorites "Dive In) and some remind me of Under the Table and Dreaming. Others sound completely new, with bits and pieces from a variety of places, but none of it sounds recycled or generic. And unlike Stand Up, Big Whiskey makes good use of the band's unique instrumentation: the saxophone, violin and trumpet parts are wonderful to hear and an indelible part of the album. Whereas I felt like Carter Beauford was held back on Stand Up, here he gets to show off his chops (see Why I Am and Alligator Pie), reminding me why I think he's the most talented drummer in contemporary music.

As a whole, the album is a satisfying length with a tremendous amount of variety and hidden gems (a riff here, a sax solo there) - it's taken me many listens to get this far and I know there will be many more. My favorite tracks are "Dive In", "Shake Me Like a Monkey", "Seven" and "You & Me".

Fave tracks: "Dive In", "Shake Me Like a Monkey", "Seven" and "You & Me".
RIYL: Before These Crowded Streets, O.A.R., Counting Crows

I found this cool playlist on imeem of the entire album so you can listen to snippets from each song. Enjoy!

Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King

double whammy! - Jack's Mannequin

Good morning Kharmonious readers! Thanks for all the recent comments. This post is more of a "have you heard" for Jack's Mannequin, but it's also a "double whammy" because I'll touch on both of their albums, Everything in Transit (2005) and The Glass Passenger (2008).

I first heard Jack's Mannequin on Pandora (I don't remember which station it was on, maybe Muse? They both use pianos... :/). It was their single "Dark Blue" and I was hooked (probably because of the piano - I still love the way the piano and drums bounce off one another with alternate beats). I picked up Everything in Transit soon after and recently The Glass Passenger. I would highly recommend both albums for fans of piano-driven alt-rock with a hint of punk. To this day, I think Jack's Mannequin is the best band Pandora has introduced me to, which speaks very well of the band, and maybe not so well for Pandora :/.

Jack's Mannequin is a four-member band from Los Angeles, California and is relatively new; they formed in 2004. Founding member, pianist and vocalist, Andrew McMahon was in the band Something Corporate before forming Jack's Mannequin, the name which he said was the combination of a song title "Dear Jack" and a band name idea "Black Mannequins". From the very limited amount of Something Corporate I've heard, I think Jack's Mannequin's sound is cleaner and striped of some of the feedback; less guitar and more piano. Something Corporate fans call me out if I'm way off track. It also sounds to me like Andrew McMahon's vocals take more prominence in Jack's Mannequin and the backup vocals are more background.

I think my favorite part about Jack's Mannequin is the energy they bring to each of their songs, even the ones with moderate and slower tempos (see "Rescued" and "Swim"). The talent of drummer Jay McMillan is imperative here, as he keeps the songs from sounding all alike or typical alt-rock. The piano Andrew plays is beautiful too, I have no clue how they recorded it, but it sounds fantastic on both albums (it's never drowned out by other instruments, which happens too often in rock bands, and even the bass notes come through clearly). Of the two albums, my favorite is Everything in Transit which includes "Dark Blue", "Bruised", "I'm Ready", "Rescued" and "Holiday from Real" (<-- one of my favorite Jack's Mannequin songs). The Glass Passenger isn't shabby though, my picks from it would include "Spinning", "Swim", "Annie Use Your Telescope" and "Caves". In my opinion, Everything in Transit is simply a more consistent album, but both have been enjoyable additions to my collection.

*Jack's Mannequin is coming to Spokane tomorrow at the INB Performing Arts Center with the Fray, however, I will be absent, as I don't have the dough to shell out $45 to see the Fray again... :(

RIYL: Something Corporate (?), The Fray, Jimmy Eat World, Relient K
Fave tracks from Everything in Transit: "Dark Blue", "Holiday from Real", "I'm Ready"
Fave tracks from The Glass Passenger: "Swim", "Spinning", "Caves"

Swim - Jacks Mannequin

Far - Regina Spektor

To say the very least, Regina Spektor exudes personality. One glance at her website or "Survival Guide to Soviet Kitsch" zine* will reveal this and her music is no different. Wikipedia associates her with "anti-folk" music - which I didn't know existed and am not really sure what it means. Nonetheless, much of Regina's music is beyond classification. It's piano and vocal driven (Regina is one of those gifted musicians who truly uses their voices as an instrument), it's experimental and it's kinda folksy (or anti-folksy if you prefer). Her most famous singles are "Fidelity" and "On the Radio" from her previous album "Begin to Hope" (2006).

Personally, it took me a while to get into Regina's music; "Begin to Hope" was the first album of hers I bought. Her newest album "Far" on the other hand, I fell in love with immediately. From the upbeat opening track "The Calculation", Regina entices and intrigues with interesting melody lines and unpredictable vocals. On the whole, I'd say "Far" is more upbeat than "Begin to Hope" but equally thoughtful and insightful, especially "Laughing With" and "Blue Lips" - two of my favorite songs from the album. In its entirety, the album covers a range of tempos and moods. Her piano melodies often begin simply, but gather steam throughout the song with the addition of percussion, her own beatboxing or a tuba (to cite just a few examples) - her instrumentation is fabulous. Her lyrics often muse on relationships, religion and humanity (but they really do feel like musings and not soapbox rantings). I recommend the entire album, but my favorite tracks at the moment are "Dance Anthem of the 80's", "Eet", "Human of the Year" and "Laughing With". You can also view her music video for "Laughing With" here: http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid4020141001?bctid=23871654001 (the embed code wasn't working, but if it does later I'll add it). I thought it was pretty unique and cleverly edited.

* If you like Regina's music, I highly recommend checking out her "Survival Guide to Soviet Kitsch" zine. Just go to "Reginapolis" on the navigation bar and the pdf download link is in the bottom left corner. There's also a Tetris game called "Spektris" on the same page.

Fave tracks: "Dance Anthem of the 80's", "Eet", "Human of the Year" and "Laughing With".
RIYL: Kate Nash, Feist, Ingrid Michaelson, Sia

Eet (Album Version) - Regina Spektor

The Rebirth of Kharmonious?

Oi, it's been a long time since I wrote an honest review - not to insinuate any of my reviews are less than honest :) suffice it to say it's been some time so please excuse me if I'm a little rusty: I picked up Ben Lee's 7th studio album, The Rebirth of Venus several months ago, right before I drove to Portland to meet Katie. I listened to it a couple times through on the trip there and back on windy Highway 84 and a few times since.

For those of you unfamiliar with Ben Lee, he's a singer-songwriter from Austrailia whose music I'd describe as acoustic-pop-folk. His most recognizable single is "Catch My Disease" from the infectious Awake is the New Sleep (pun intended) - the song appeared in Grey's Anatomy, Scrubs and the film Just Friends - so you've probably heard it somewhere. Like a lot of Ben's music, it's catchy, campy and hokey, all at the same time - and sometimes that's a good thing. Ben isn't afraid to have a crowd of everyday people sing along with him.

The Rebirth of Venus is similar to previous albums, in that it mixes synthetic and acoustic sounds seamlessly (there may be a few more keyboards and mixed sounds this time around, but there still are some great acoustic tracks like "Surrender"). Ben's lyrics usually lean toward sensitive, introspective content, with a positive spin: Ben asks "what's so bad about feeling good?". A few songs on the album have political observations, "Wake Up to America" or social reflections, "Boy With a Barbie" and "I'm a Woman Too". They're completely harmless in that they're not mean-spirited, but some may find them obnoxious. "Blue Denim" sounds like it was written for a Gap jeans commercial, which again speaks to much of Ben's music; it's catchy, but not especially deep which may leave some listeners dissatisfied over the long haul. My picks for the album are "Surrender", "Families Cheating at Boardgames" and "Bad Poetry".

I saw Ben Lee open for Ben Folds a year or so ago, and it was the first time I've ever felt sympathy for a musician on stage: Ben (Lee)'s microphone stand wouldn't stay up and he had to sing his songs standing slouched over the microphone. He sang through several songs before any of the stagehands helped him. He didn't get mad at all and he was still great, but it was incredible to see that even with six studio albums under his belt (he hadn't finished the seventh), he seemed to be a genuinely humble and grateful musician and I admire him for that.

It's also worth noting that the bonus CD version of The Rebirth of Venus includes the track "Ben Lee" which is a song originally performed by the Ataris about how much they hate Ben Lee. Ben Lee isn't above making fun of himself or acknowledging that some people won't like him or his music.

Fave tracks: "Surrender", "Families Cheating at Boardgames" and "Bad Poetry"
RIYL: Ben Kweller, Ben Folds, Kate Nash

Surrender - Ben Lee

Album Review: The Fray

A couple weeks ago I posted about my dilemma regarding The Fray's new CD. Later that day I did indeed to decide to purchase the standard version on iTunes for $9.99. I had also posted my dilemma as my status on Facebook, and one friend wrote in response that she went for the deluxe version as $16.99. Apparently she was convinced by the videos. Having seen The Fray live twice and being quite sure that if I wanted to watch videos of the guys, I could probably find them on YouTube, I decided the extras on the deluxe album just weren't worth $7.

Originally, I was waiting to post a review until I had really given the album several good listens. I'd read plenty of reviews on iTunes and Amazon of fans who had loved How to Save a Life and were disappointed by The Fray. However, I had a feeling that this self-titled albums would be one of those that couldn't be judged on one listen, and I didn't want to dismiss the album just because it wasn't How to Save a Life. After waiting a few days, I got tremendously swamped and completely forgot about blogging for a bit...so, here's my very delayed review (for anyone who cares).

Ultimately, The Fray's second album is about what I expected it to be. I am neither as disappointed as some fans seem to be, nor am I blown away by this sophomore album. When there is a three and a half year span between albums, it becomes difficult not to get your hopes up for an album. With such a gap between releases, I really wanted The Fray to be even better than the first album, and I don't know that it's better. But I do still think that it's a solid album worth purchasing.

Yes, I do feel like I've heard some of this before--"Never Say Never" sounds like it could have been on How to Save a Life, with it's slowly building piano melody and catchy and repetitive chorus. Though the band stays on familiar ground for much of the album, on a few tracks they get a bit more experimental. "Ungodly Hour," features a haunting falsetto by guitarist Joe King (who also did the lead vocals on Life's "Heaven Forbid") and an uncharacteristic and beautiful guitar almost-solo. "Happiness," a song about the elusiveness and contradictions of being happy, which starts out mellow and whispery builds to a climax with a full choir backing Isaac Slade's vocals.

Basically, my verdict is that I will always love the sound of Isaac Slade's voice and the beautiful sound of The Fray. So, while their self-titled album may not be groundbreaking, it is a respectable sophomore album. Every time I listen to it, it grows on me a little more, and I remain excited to see what this band will do in the future.

Fave tracks: "Absolute," "Syndicate," "Ungodly Hour," and "Fair Fight."

Whisper House review

To some, Duncan Sheik is the one-hit-wonder behind "Barely Breathing" (released over a decade ago in Duncan's debut, self-titled album). To others, he is the two-hit-wonder behind the aforementioned title and "On a High" from Daylight. And to yet others (myself included in this group), he is the underrated, underexposed and understated singer/songwriter behind "Genius", "Half-Life", Spring Awakening* and now Whisper House. Incidentally, Whisper House shares more in common with Spring Awakening than anything else I've heard of his - and that is a very good thing. Like the Tony-award winning musical, Whisper House is full of stories, surprising melodies and harmonies and thoughtful lyrics. One thing I've always liked about Duncan is his unimposing, restrained melodies - sometimes they're created by ethereal, haunting keyboards, other times pensive, acoustic guitar.

Unlike his singles, "Barely Breathing" and "On a High", much of Whisper House is reserved, slower tempo and more prosaic. Where those two songs embody a feeling, the songs from Whisper House tell a story; about a lighthouse keeper, a sheriff, a naive man named Soloman Snell... these are the characters of Duncan's songs. And at the same time, Duncan's songs have always been very introspective and lucid, and they still are. As a composer, Duncan has seemed to mature; between Spring Awakening and Whisper House, the two albums have some of the most interesting and beautiful vocal harmonies I've heard. That being said, I wouldn't recommend Whisper House to everyone - there are no clear "singles" ("We're Here to Tell You" is probably the closest semblance to a single) and it may take a few listens through the entire album before it grows on you (it took me three or four - thus my slightly delayed review).

Fave tracks: "Play Your Part", "The Ghost in You", "We're Here to Tell You", "Better to be Dead"
RIYL: Spring Awakening, Brooke Waggoner, Sufjan Stevens, Jason Robert Brown

*Spring Awakening is a Tony award-winning rock musical composed by Duncan Sheik, book and lyrics by Steven Sater. It won the Tony awards for Best Musical, Best Book and Best Score in 2007 as well as a Grammy award for Musical Show Album.

Have you heard... Erin McCarley?

Erin McCarley's debut album Love, Save the Empty came out January 6th, 2009. It is a blend of piano-driven alternative/pop/rock akin to KT Tunstall or Vanessa Carlton. The songwriting is creative and fun, but also more accessible than Regina Specktor or Kate Nash. One of my favorite songs "Blue Suitcase" creatively uses castanets during the verse, giving it a special flair. In fact, whoever the percussionist is, I applaud him or her for using a variety of different instruments and techniques that steer clear of the humdrum pop-rock drum beats we're so familiar with. Erin's voice soars, but retains a slightly husky edge (not quite Rachael Yamagata, but huskier than KT Tunstall). Where artists like Rachael Yamagata and Ingrid Michaelson seem to follow a minimalist, less is more mantra, Erin's tracks have obviously undergone more production. Singles "Pony (It's OK)" and "Love, Save the Empty" are full of strings, bass and backup vocals, but I wouldn't label them overproduced... at least not yet. Despite the layers, there remains a quality of clarity and direction.

This is another story, but I first heard Erin McCarley late last year, downloaded two songs on iTunes and then the album disappeared for about a month before returning on Dec. 30th (I hate when that happens! Has it happened to anyone else?). Rest assured it's available now for $7.99 on iTunes, 12 tracks. Solid debut album that is sure to entertain. Too bad the closest her tour is coming to Spokane is Dallas, Texas :(

Fave tracks: "Blue Suitcase", "It's Not That Easy" and "SleepWalking".
RIYL: Vanessa Carlton, Colbie Caillat, Sara Bareilles or KT Tunstall

Album Review: Fiction Family

About a week ago I posted about the upcoming album from Jon Foreman of Switchfoot and Sean Watkins (formerly) of Nickel Creek. The album came out yesterday and is available to download on iTunes, Amazon.com, or on the pair's website.

I have to admit that I was sucked into buying this album through a very clever marketing scheme. I was actually doing homework for my book marketing & promotion class, which was to write about positive experiences we'd had with marketing. While I was pondering what to write about, I logged on to Facebook and noticed an ad on the right side of the page. It mentioned two bands I enjoy, so I clicked through to find out more, downloaded the free track (still available here), told some friends, and just payed $11.99 for the full CD. Clever marketing sure does work.

So far, I am extremely pleased with the album. As I may have mentioned before, the album was pieced together bit by bit in between busy tour schedules. The combination of this and the diverse genres of music Foreman and Watkins hail from gives the album a patchwork feel. The album is really quite eclectic--at times it feels like what Nickel Creek would sound like if Foreman became its lead singer (not something I'm at all advocating, by the way), tracks like "War in My Blood" are heavy on the bluegrass and feature Foreman's unique vocals over Watkins' skillful guitar work; "Throw it Away" begins as a moody, acoustic number ala Elliott Smith or Radiohead and then gets spiced up by a surprising sitar; and while "Closer Than You Think" may come closer at times to the rock/pop numbers Switchfoot fans may expect, the harmonica and the blending of Foreman's and Watkins' vocals make it something new altogether. Ultimately, while comparisons can be drawn between these artists' work with their well-known bands, Fiction Family is more experimental than it will be familiar to fans of either band.

The standard version of the album has 12 tracks and is $9.99 on iTunes. There is also a deluxe version which is $11.99 and includes three bonus tracks (including a cover of the Cure's "Friday I'm in Love" and another sitar-influenced track which rocks harder than most of the album, "Resurrect Me.")

Fave tracks: "Out of Order," "Not Sure," and "Look For Me Baby."
RIYL: Wilco, Switchfoot, Nickel Creek, Jon Foreman, Sean Watkins, Bob Dylan, or experimental alt-country-folk-rock.

Top 10 Albums of 2008 - #1 Viva la Vida / Prospekt's March by Coldplay

Katie and I debated whether or not putting Viva la Vida and Prospekt's March together as #1 was cheating. Being you can purchase the two together on Amazon.com for $14.99 or $12.99 on iTunes, I say fair game.

Regardless, Viva la Vida would have won the #1 spot without Prospekt's March; it is, as they say, the icing on the cake - and what a delicious cake it is. Beginning with the vivid "Life in Technicolor" and its gradual build and ending with the tranquil acoustic version of "Lovers in Japan", Viva la Vida is a spellbinding album from start to finish with some of the band's best music to date.

Vocalist/pianist/guitarist Chris Martin, lead guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, and drummer/multi-instrumentalist Will Champion formed in London, England in 1998. In 10 short years they've released four studio albums and sold over 40 million. There are many bands out there that "sound like Coldplay" (I've heard the following artists likened to Coldplay in one conversation or another: Keane, Radiohead, Oasis, Snow Patrol, David Gray) - some would argue Coldplay gleaned their sound from bands like U2 and Radiohead. What makes Coldplay special though (which every fan knows already) is there ability to transform sound and music into something extraordinary, as evidenced in their latest album Viva la Vida. Never content with recreating previous successes or previous albums, every Coldplay album possesses its own unique sound and yet they are all distinctly Coldplay.

Compared to previous albums, Viva la Vida is probably their most sonically diverse (making it extra special); from the electronic "Life in Technicolor" to the string-dominant "Viva la Vida" to the breezy "Strawberry Swing", Viva la Vida is full of interesting and unexpected melodies. Like the multi-part songs "Yes", "42" and "Death and All His Friends" (each is like several songs combined into one). One technique Coldplay uses to make their music interesting is instrumentation. Coldplay melodies and their chord progressions are generally pretty simple, but their ability to layer different instruments and riffs on top of one another is spectacular. Without Prospekt's March, Viva la Vida is a little short on tracks (12 tracks including 2 repeats), but not length (a little over 53 minutes by my calculations). With Prospekt's March, Viva la Vida is a sweeping 20 tracks long (1 hour and 20 minutes), a musical tour de force and our choice for Top Album of 2008!

Happy New Year from everyone at Kharmonious*!

*Everyone = Katie and Kyle. We're the only ones, but it sounds official, doesn't it?

Top 10 Albums of 2008 - #2 Sounds Like This by Eric Hutchinson

Here at Kharmonious we talk about Eric Hutchinson a lot. In fact, I was scrolling through old posts to see what we had said about him before to avoid redundancy, and we've posted about him much more than I realized. So much so in fact that Eric should probably be showering Kyle and I with free concert tickets, merchandise, and love. Maybe someday...

Unfortunately, I still have yet to see Eric live...He's doing a tour in January, but for some unknown reason is hitting Spokane, Seattle, and then...Eugene. What's that all about? No Portland? You're killing me, Eric. Luckily, thanks to the lovely folks at NPR, I (and anyone else having trouble seeing Eric live) can hear a couple live tracks recorded in NPR studio 4A. Click here to hear excellent acoustic versions of "Oh" and "OK It's Alright With Me." Accompanied only by his piano, Eric's voice really pops. The live version of "OK" is a bit slower and has a jazzy feel.

As far as getting free stuff goes, I did find a way for hardcore fans to score some gear. Eric is currently a contestant in Yahoo Music's "Who's Next" competition. On his website he asks fans to vote for him, and, because you can vote as many times as you want, he is offering a three pin set to anyone who votes 50 times and e-mails him to tell him about it. One lucky grand prize winner will get a phone call from Eric himself. Now, I neither have time to vote fifty times, nor do I really like pins all that much, so I'm passing. But I did vote for him once, and you should too. Vote here.

I suppose I should talk some about "Sounds Like This," since this is our top ten album countdown review series thing. However, you can read my original review of the album here. Now that a few months have passed and I've listened to the album many, many times, my favorite track on the album changes a lot. My current favorite is "All Over Now." Normally songs with clapping in the background bother me, but here it is catchy and fun. Also...what in the world is that springy sounding instrument? Anyone know?

Want a button? Go here

Top 10 Albums of 2008 -- #3 Hello by Tristan Prettyman

I was first introduced to Tristan Prettyman a few years ago at a Jason Mraz concert in Spokane, Washington. At the time she was dating him (perhaps still is?) and was one of the opening acts for his tour. I fell for her soft, smoky voice and bought her first cd Twentythree that night.

Hello is an improvement on Twentythree in many ways. While I enjoyed her first cd, Tristan has obviously matured as a musician, and the variety of Hello shows it. I can't quite figure out what genre to put Tristan in. My iTunes calls her pop, but I don't really think that does her justice. Her songs range from pop to rock to folk to country to soul. While Twentythree was primarily just a girl and her guitar, on Hello Tristan is accompanied by steel guitars, organs, pianos, and other strings. Both Tristan's music and lyrics have a new depth and range of emotion on Hello that makes the album feel very different than her last.

"California Girl" is one of my favorite tracks on the album. It starts out simple enough, a whispered, simple melody. The song grows into a soulful and fierce chorus. "You Got Me" (listen below) is another fave--in contrast to "California Girl," this album-ender is upbeat, catchy, and romantic. Also check out "Hello," "War Out of Peace," and "Interviews."

08 You Got Me.wma - Tristan Prettyman

Top 10 Albums of 2008 - #4 Heal for the Honey by Brooke Waggoner

It's going to be difficult for me to write about this album without gushing, but I'm going to try. As you kharmonious frequents know, Brooke Waggoner is new to both Katie and myself, having learned about her from an anonymous tip a few months ago. Very few artists do I connect with so immediately - Ben Folds Five comes to mind and that's about it (not even Dave Matthews Band or Coldplay did I adore instantaneously). But Brooke Waggoner embodies everything I love about music so much, I was helpless. Many of you know I hold music in higher regards than lyrics. That's because we're talking about music after all, not poetry. And many examples of music succeed without lyrics entirely - classical, jazz, movie scores and miscellaneous others. On Brooke's website, she wrote:

"I generally write the music first. Melody. Everything starts on my piano. If it works by itself all stripped down and naked then it's gonna work no matter what. And by work, I mean convey what I'm feeling and trying to give to the listener whether or not I add a bunch of crazy strings, or drum beats, or layers of vocal prettiness or hooks. I write the story with musical themes then add the words to audibly enhance it or to add an additional connecting block for dimension."

It's like she was reading my mind. The piano is paramount - and how I love the piano. The brilliance, the extravagance, the unexpectedness and thrill of her music constantly remind you it's the music taking precedence. She even boldly explains, "sometimes the words are written strictly because they phonetically feel good to say. I suppose it depends on the song. In fact, I often enjoy making up words or using "improper" versions of words such as casted, abode, etc. I do this because I can stretch and stretch. No need to be 'quirky and weird' for the sake of being 'quirky and weird.'".

She hit the nail on the head. There are some 'quirky and weird' artists I enjoy (Regina Spektor and Sufjan Stevens come to mind, even Kate Nash), but Brooke Waggoner really isn't one of them. Her music is truly unique and special without treading into the territory of 'quirky and weird' (similar to Rachael Yamagata I suppose, yet totally different). And just because the music takes precedence doesn't mean the lyrics are bad; they're often thoughtful and reflective. If you share my sentiment of "music over lyrics" or my infatuation with the piano as a musical instrument or simply love great songwriting, then listen to Heal for the Honey, it is my album recommendation for the year.

Okay, so I definitely gushed, so sue me :)