Pop. Rock. Hip Hop. Country. Jazz. Alternative. Classical. These are only a few of the many ever-changing genres of music. For every song that makes your skin crawl, there is a song that helps you workout. For every song that reminds you of home, there is a song that energizes you for new beginnings. That’s why music rocks. We can all find a way to connect. Connect with a genre. Connect with an artist. Connect with a song. To feel something. To explore ideas. To enjoy life.
I would say that I have a very open mind when it comes to music. That doesn’t mean that I love all music. It just means that I can enjoy and appreciate a simple top 40 song, as well as a detailed verse in rap. I love experiencing all of the variety that music offers. Sometimes the music I choose may connect with a season. Or maybe something I’m going through. Or a new artist I am overly obsessed with. No matter the reason I think we should all share what we find. You never know what you might fall in love with.
Artist You Should Listen to NOW!
I love finding artists that aren’t as well known. As a fellow rockstar, I like to give hope and love to these amazing people. I want them to make it. I want them to share their art to the masses. I want them to be found. I also find myself exploring singer songwriters the most. It makes sense. It is the style I love to write in.
The only reason I found this artist was him being the opener for Ben Platt. When you go even deeper, the ONLY reason we were there is because our family had bought tickets, but then could not attend. Christine and I jumped at the chance to see the, “Dear Evan Hansen” star. What we were not expecting was to fall in love with the music from another.
Ben Abraham, is a folk singer and songwriter from Australia. The much cooler part. HE IS AMAZING!!! He plays guitar and piano and writes his own music. Heck he writes for many other artists. You may have heard of this one, “Praying”, made famous by Kesha… His song.
I love his writing style. I love his lyrical genius. I love his vocals. I loved seeing him live even more than his recordings. That’s the true mark of a legend. To be better live than recorded. I highly recommend checking him out and following him on Instagram…if you are into Instagram. He takes time with fans and plays live often. He will also always have a special place in my heart for his song, “Satellite”. He wrote it last year and I listened to it a few hundred times after Knox was born. The lyrics are too perfect. Check him out NOW!!!
“When you think you lost the line
Stuck in starless night, lift your eyes and watch the sky
I’ll be your satellite”
Album on Repeat
If an artist can make an album that you truly enjoy front to back, you should be thankful. It’s such a hard thing to do. I don’t say this to put down musicians. I just think that typically there is a song or two that doesn’t move the needle. I’ve even run into albums that I really didn’t like minus one song. That’s the worst type. I mean you feel let down. This is not that.
I’m not a huge country fan. To be honest, I really don’t enjoy old country…some may call it “real” country. That doesn’t mean I don’t respect it. I just don’t go out of my way to listen to it. I have fallen in love with some of the newer “pop-country”. I’m not even ashamed to say it. I’m also drawn to the country genre more in the summer. It’s probably because it sounds even better with the windows down on a summer night.
Sunday Drive, is an album by, Brett Eldredge. The only reason I ever looked into it was his first single, Gabrielle. It was playing on one of the Apple radio stations this summer as we sat in our living room. The first thing that caught my attention was the feel of the song. It felt like a throwback style. Not old. Just of simpler times. I was drawn into his voice and liked how I could sing along to it…I know super selfish, but I love being able to sing along.
To my surprise the rest of the album was even better. He has sad ballads that get stuck in your head and also uses rhythmic styles that reminded me of, Marc Broussard, another favorite. I also feel like the style is more inline with folk music or soft rock. Think 90s soft rock. I personally feel like it fits really well with, The Wallflowers.
Even if country is not your cup of tea, I implore you to give, “Sunday Drive“, a listen. I think you may be very pleased with what you hear.
Turn this song WAY UP
I’ve always enjoyed hip-hop. Kind of a weird thing for a kid from small town Iowa. I think it started with the rhythm for me. I love the energy it gives me. It makes me feel as though I could run through a wall. I’ve learned to truly appreciate the lyrical genius of many of these artists as well.
I also love musicals. I mean who doesn’t love telling a story through song? Oh, you don’t? Well either way I think it’s such a super cool way to connect with the audience. The music is also typically amazing. If you’ve seen, Hamilton, you will probably agree that the two mix well. If you watched it on Disney+ you got to see the original cast. You got to see the original, Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson… Daveed Diggs.
Daveed Diggs joined an experimental hip-hop group in 2010 called, clipping. The group consists of, Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, & Jonathan Snipes. They work with different sounds to create new ideas, with Diggs writing rap over the top of the beats.
I came upon this song while listening to a completely rad podcast, Song Exploder. This podcast talks with the musicians about how and why they wrote a particular song. For clipping’s episode they focused on, “Work, work”. It was absolutely fascinating to hear them talk about creating and capturing EACH SOUND used in the song. Like literally hitting canteens a few hundred times to record the perfect sound, as well as breaking a cinder block and playing that sound backwards and forwards. REALLY COOL STUFF. Listening to them talk about their process and rules was cool enough, but the overall feel of the song is great. It is now a key part of my running playlist.
Check out their interview here: https://songexploder.net/clipping and turn that jam WAY UP!
I’d love to hear about the tunes you are jamming to currently! Comment below and let me know what you turn WAY UP.
DadMod Musings 
I think these “old country” fans are getting uncomfortable with how diverse country music is becoming. One again a great read and like you I love finding new artist!
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