Oh Dorian

I never would have thought that there would be such great music in the town I live. Normally I'm writing about bands and artists that originate some place else. But with Oh Dorian, she is right here in my backyard. I caught this excellent artist on a local newscast and was dumbfounded at her voice, her lyrics, her everything. The best way to describe Oh Dorian (aka Heather Kemp) is to take Fiona Apple, Sara Bareilles, and Regina Spektor and put them in a casserole dish and bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Oh Dorian has a smoky, easy on the ears voice that is just effortless. Her songs are piano driven folk/pop gems. The melodies are not retreads of familiar territories as her voice zigs when you expect it to zag. Blue Cigar starts off with a boppy piano as her lyrics tell of a child being born as the mother dies, (Oh but sir, I have bad news/I'm afraid it's your wife/she just couldn't fight for two) and thus finding life in death. The juxtoposition of the happy piano with the somber lyrics shows tells of songwriter who is wise beyond her years. Her song The Sequel turns from a peppy piano ditty into a grungy lo-fi anthem. I have yet to hear a song I didn't like from this girl.

Oh Dorian is currently recording her upcoming EP, so keep an eye out for this young singer because she will be one to watch in the future.

Oh Dorian- Myspace
Blue Cigar (Live)-

Mat Kearney

It's about time. Mat Kearney finally has a new single out and a release date for his sophomore album. Closer to Love off the sure to be excellent City Of Black & White will be officially released to radio on March 10th, but you can hear it right here, right now. Kearney burst onto the scene by having his music featured in almost every TV show there is. He is a folky singer/songwriter with a knack for "rapping" in his songs. (Now the rapping is more along the lines of talk/singing but still.)

Closer to Love is the best I've heard Mr. Kearney in a while. His music sounds so clean and exuberant. Maybe it's the cheery piano chords heard throughout the song or the uplifting lyrics, but either way Mat Kearney finally has a song that should find its way on radio and your iPod alike. The record was written in the oddest places- the back room of a studio, in coffee shops with people he met, even hearing someone fiddling around with the guitar and humming along. City of Black & White will be in stores on May 19th.

Mat Kearney- Myspace
Closer To Love-

Closer To Love from Mat Kearney on Vimeo.

Winston Audio

So it's just a coincidence that Winston Audio hails from the great state of Georgia. And it definitely shows in their music. Dry your eyes, whiny emo bands because Winston Audio are here to usher in a new era in rock. They are a straight up rock band with no frills, no synths, no eyeliner. Just dirty, southern, catchy rock music.

Their full length album The Red Rhythm, is packed with great songs, hooks, and lyrics. Action/Reaction begins with a crunchy guitar riff before lead singer Daniel Dewitt sings of resolving conflict through force. (If you push we'll push back/ Violence is the only way we react) It is a hypnotic song with an epic feel. But perhaps the best song is Hey Ann, with excellent lines like, "You were sinking like a ship with a hole in its side." It's a slow burner with pounding drums, a killer guitar riff. DeWitt completely puts his all in this song, with his vocals straining to a breaking point. Winston Audio is dirty enough to be good, but clean enough to hear the great melodies they provide.

Winston Audio- Myspace
Hey Ann(Live)-

The Modern Society

This is my new favorite band at the moment. They are so new that they have almost no videos posted anywhere. It doesn't hurt either that they are from my home state of Georgia. The Modern Society put out their debut album Friends and Enemies on their own. It had a couple of good songs, but they really have outdone themselves on their sophomore album The Beat Goes On. It has some of the catchiest, rollicking songs I have heard in a long time. The best of them all is the rollicking Promised Land- an ode to living in a small town. Woody Brown speaks directly to me with lines like I've never been one for the politics of a southern town where sticking around is the same damn thing as giving up/Get me out of here!

The Modern Society crank out catchy rock. Whether it be the blues stomping Paper Moon, or the pounding 81, these guys know how to write clever, blast it from your stereo music. Brown's vocals are what set the band apart from the others. With a rasp that adds soul to every note, he makes all the difference here. Unfortunately their album is only available through their website. Make sure you check out their Myspace page to hear their best songs.

The Modern Society- Myspace
Tokyo-

Powderfinger

File this under "Big In Australia." Powderfinger formed in 1989! But I have never heard one of their songs until I heard it playing in band breaker, Grey's Anatomy. Their sound is very melodic with Train type quality, but way better. They are on their sixth album, Dream Days at the Hotel Existence, and it has a few great tracks. Among the better ones to check out is the song featured in Grey's called Drifting Further Away. It's sparse arrangements during the verses allows you to really hear what lead singer Bernard Fanning is saying; Don't shut me out/don't hold it all in/you're drifting further away.

Another great track to hear is Nobody Sees. Powderfinger may not be the newest band, but upon discovering them you will wonder why. They have a definite soft side but with catchy melodies and a rock edge.

Powderfinger- Myspace
Drifting Further Away-

Valentine's Day...Massacre

Saturday is Singles Awareness Day or if you are in a relationship, Valentine's Day. So in the spirit of both I have pulled 2 of my favorite songs to reflect both sides of this day. I fall in the former category myself, so I will be laying low until the dust settles.

Happy Valentine's Day-
Jem does an excellent cover of the simply gorgeous Coldplay song Yellow. Now you can't really beat the original, but there is something about performing this song with a piano that really brings the words to life. (Look at the stars/look how they shine for you and everything you do). This version is off of the Sweethearts compilation that features artists covering their favorite love songs.

Yellow (Cover)-


Happy Single Awareness Day-
Fiona Apple is my all time favorite artist, ever. So when she gets scorned or wronged, expect to be hearing about it in a song. One of my favorite songs is off her excellent thrid album Extraordinary Machine. It's called Not About Love and is singing about how, well, she is not in love. (This is not about love/cause I'm not in love/In fact, I can't stop falling out). Great song to sing when you look at all the other people spending who knows how much on gifts that don't really matter.

Not About Love-

The Damnwells

So not so much new but one of favorite bands, The Damnwells seems to making music on their terms. Their last record Air Stereo was released back in 2006 and ever since then I have waiting on their follow up. Well, what do we have here? Oh it just their new album One Last Century, FOR FREE. Yep, they are giving away their new album for free. Through the magazine Paste, The Damnwells want everyone to get this album without paying a dime. Check out the brilliant Come to Me below, the best song off the album. With it's simple lyrics and down home melody, this song is begging to be a classic.

Lead singer Alex Dezen knows it sounds odd to do this and expects that some will say that the album must be full of b sides or something. Wrong! Dezen says, " I have never worked so hard or put so much of myself into a collection of recorded songs. It is for just this reason that I want to give it away."

The Damnwells- Myspace
Come to Me(Live)-

Chester French

A they not a he, Chester French is comprised of D.A. Wallach and Max Drummey. This duo definitely has a unique sound. They are at once electronic, pop, rock, and pure ambition. Their first single She Loves Everybody, embodies a simple backbeat before exploding with electric energy. That song is filled with excellent lyrics about that one girl who, how can I put this nicely, has a lot of love to go around. Wallach sings, You're just a little girl now/ you're just a girl who misses her dad/I know she loves me/ she loves everybody.

And can we talk about the video? It sucks you in. It takes a turn. And you can't look away. Excellent song to introduce you to a band that strives to make smart complex music in today's world of easily digested pop music. And oh yeah, it doesn't hurt that they have Pharrell Williams in their corner. He signed the band amid a flurry of offers from Kanye to Jermaine Dupri. Chester French's debut album Love the Future is filled with quirky songs and is bound to be far from complacent.

Chester French- Myspace
She Loves Everybody-

Civalias

I'll give credit to where credit is due. I found out about Civalias from a great blog Let Me Like It. So I really can't take credit for this dig. BUT, when something is this good, it deserves to be found by any and everybody. Civalias is the project of Adam Stidham. Adam's from Southern California but his sound is similar to that of Aqualung and Coldplay. His songs are melodic and simple, somber and restrained.

His EP you.me.we., is filled with one great song after another. We Got Company and Something Real are the standouts, but really I could have chosen any of them. Something Real starts out with a lone piano before giving away to a wash of vocals singing, We can live without the worry because we survive on something real. It's all about loving someone for who they really are. Civalias' voice is reserved and quite amazing. His cover of Muse's Starlight is beyond words. He transformed that song and, in the words of any of the American Idol judges, made it his own...dawg.

Civalias- Myspace
Starlight-

Max Morgan

There's got to be something in the water over there in Liverpool. Hailing from the sacred stomping grounds as The Beatles, Max Morgan is a relatively young (22 years old) rocker with a sensitive side. And man, has he hit pay dirt. He's had his music featured in the taste-maker show Grey's Anatomy as well as it's sister show Private Practice. (The latter show featured the song Loneliest Man In the World).

Max's upcoming debut album Interrupting the Silence, comes out at the end of March. It features piano driven ballads and up tempo pop songs as well. First single Wait For Me, tells about not being ready to love someone; a mid-tempo pop song filled with giant piano and guitar melodies. The rest of his songs aren't quite as catchy as this one, but still worth a listen.

Max Morgan- Myspace
Loneliest Man In the World-

Tyrone Wells

Tyrone Wells sings that song. You know that song in the show. His music has been featured every-freaking-where,(Rescue Me, One Tree Hill, Numb3rs) but yet no one really knows who he is. His biggest and probably most familiar song has to be More which is featured heavily in TLC and A&E promos. Tyrone's music is hooky folk/pop/rock. His voice though is the main attraction here. He is in his element when acoustic guitar leaning melodies.

His new album Remain just hit stores and the title track is probably his best. Lyrically, Wells sings about being the one thing that will be sturdy in a life full of changes and chaos. It begins with a pulsing guitar chord before giving way to a charging chorus singing I will remain.

Tyrone Wells- Myspace
More/Remain-

Sesame Street

This is proof that ANY song, if arranged right, can hit you in the gut. Joshua Radin puts his spin on the Sesame Street theme song. You heard me. The Sesame Street theme song. Only accompanied by a piano, he turns the bubbly kid friendly tune into a serious, melancholy song that works on many levels. It was featured in last night's episode of Scrubs. And if you don't watch this show, just know that The Muppets were a key plot point throughout.

Check it out: