I have great news, the guys at AmieStreet are running a special promo for everyone out there who loves good music and reads my reviews.
All you have to do is sign up for a new account on AmieStreet and put in the promotional code "razi". This will start your account with a 3$ free credit and 2 recs for free. Yep, that is 3$ of free music.. and when you can get great music easily for under $.25 a song everyday, that is at least a dozen new tunes. I will be astonished if, as you are poking around on the store and trying to decide which songs you want, you will find at least a dozen others that are FREE. Use your recs wisely, and they can earn you more money for buying still more music.
The guys at AmieStreet do not pay me at all, and this was their brilliant promotional idea to get the word out, not mine.
So, even if you read this and have not been reading the reviews, go ahead and use the code. Then, maybe pop back in once in a while to find more great music.
Sometimes giving up the "9-5 sure to succeed" track and following your dreams leads to bigger and better things-- and Rob Drabkin is the perfect example of this. Although he studied music for years and years, he got all the way to post college graduation before it occurred to him to follow his love and be a musician for a living, rather than an avocation. We are all blessed and lucky that he made the decision to follow this dream. With lyrics that are well written and stream from the heart, uncanny and beautiful skill with a guitar and a collection of talented instrumentals playing along, both his first album and the subsequently released EP are additions to my musical library I will replay and treasure for long to come.
Without taking himself too seriously, he puts heart and soul into every song he creates. A Small Time, from the Don't Worry About Me EP has deep echoes of Dave Matthews, but his unique style shines through in a tale of hope and longing.
Contrast this with Lullaby, from the same EP, that is a soulful guitar and sax instrumental that may make you cry yourself to sleep from the sheer beauty of it.
Showing off the incredible breadth of his talent, his style stretches all the way to from acoustical guitar cover of Frank's The Way You Look Tonight on his first self titled CD, Rob Drabkin that would give any girl chills to the faster paced finger twisting She Comes and Goes.
There is not a bad track on either of these releases- we can only wait with baited breathe to see what comes out of Colorado and Rob's heart and mind next.
See excerpts from a live show:
Although Czech composer DJSAW has music available in several online venues and dance music forums, there is not a lot of biographical information about them. So let's play detective. Their latest album Half Life is available and continues to expand on Amie Street, and I think we can use the track titles to tell us a little about the person behind the music.
DJSAW Likes SciFi, may even be a fanboy(girl??)... hence the tracks StarTrek and FifthElement. Both of these are dance songs that have a driving bass line and very well layered electronic. You will not stop moving when you hit the play button on these two songs.
DJSAW is into math or computer science... hence the tracks x-ray and The Point of View. In addition to infinitely danceable beats, both of these use rhythmic progressions that had to come from a scientifically artistic mind.
DJSAW like a mystery... hence the tracks Area 51 and Hats of my Hard ( someone please tell me what that last title means.. it is killing me.).
No bio... No Video... DJSAW is a musical X-File.. lets hope that the music keeps on mysteriously appearing in his Amie Street Store and we can keep on dancing....
There is always a powerful joy in discovering a lyrical and emotionally deep musician for the first time. You get to find the nuances, the highs and lows of the music and the lyrics as if they had never occurred to anyone before. You are there at the moment of pain and joy and insight. Then you play the album a second time and a third. Many times the feeling becomes stale, familiarity stealing much of the power in the experience. But in the really great music, the attachment just deepens over time, the insight becomes clearer and the highs and lows a familiar friend. Such is the case with 14 Days, the first album by Plunkett. Ranging from purely folk style songs in the style of Bob Dylan to higher energy Indie Rock songs with a little bit of old Simon and Garfunkel style story singing in the middle, this is a great album from beginning to end. This is an album with really great lyrics, songs that move you and make you think set to excellent music.
How much better when the back story behind an album is a great love story, a story of creativity and disappointment, of pain and triumph over time. Here is a now married couple who won out against hardship and bad times and are making a go of it on their own.
There are rumors of an album to be released before the end of the year, and I can only hope that it is true.
Morris Mills has been playing in the Chicago music scene for a long time now, but is starting to gain national ( and international) attention.. and it is well deserved.
His aptly named recent album, Love and Coffee is full of delicious songs that wake you up and make you yearn for someone to wrap your arms around. Although a few of the songs are lacking in production quality, the majority of them are well produced and well performed. Especially notable are Hello, where Morris' falsetto soul style sends you into orbit and the title Track Love and Coffee, which has a very Stevie Wonder feel to it. I am especially fond of the faster paced, high energy Steppin out 2nite which is a bit of Lenny Kravitz meets modern electronica. Give him a listen and grab the album.
I went digging through my Amie Street library looking for a good jazz recommendation today in memory of Joe Zawinul, who passed into eternity yesterday, Sept 11 2007.
Copperlion is a group that I know Joe would have appreciated. Combining great jazz keyboard work with a variety of other musical styles and influences, this is jazz that makes you want to dance and sing. "Second First" ,from the new album Which Way Did I Go?, is a song that makes you just want to say "oh yeah!" out loud when it is over. Then you start the song again from the start.
In TVLand, the full jazz ensemble takes turns wowing you.. a brass section that is a standout, piano that is smooth and entrancing and sax that sings for you to follow along. This is jazz music that the afficianado and the jazz newbie will both love.
Tracy Lee Walker is not fresh to the county music scene, but this is the first evidence I could fin of her solo work. As a matter of fact, it is difficult to find anything at all about her on the web, other than that she is from Scotland. But her album Living in Your Shadow stand on its own and her experience shines in every song on the album. With a voice that can go from raw to crooning, she reminds me a lot of Reba McIntyre. Her lyrics are true and sometimes full of the irony of love that lets you down, but does not desert you. Check her out and grab the whole album
Coming from Ashville, Ohio- the heartland of the US- Category IV expresses the heart of homegrown rock music. High energy and expressive, their music bounces out of the speakers and around the room. Their songs speak to the listener not only with instrumental integrity, but with lyrics that ring true to the experiences of their listeners. You will dance hard as they rock out.. but there will also be that quirky smile on your face that says "oh yeah, I have so been there!"
Take a listen and then grab The Storm, the album they recently uploaded to Amie Street.
Not everyone on Amie Street is a new and struggling artist. Take Jay Johnson, a many times over finalist or winner of numerous music awards. With strong roots in the southern rock tradition, having three of his albums ( RoyalBlueMoon, Deep in the Heart of Texas and Images) on Amie Street does nothing less than make it a well rounded and very pleasant place to hang out.
Play one of Jay's songs and you are not only entertained, you are transported. With a blend of both southern rock and blues guitar stylings, he sings original lyrics that are both insightful and entertaining- sometimes down right humorous. Ranging from quiet songs like "Deep in the Heart of Texas" to rocking tunes like "Blues Number Five", his versatility make him a winner no matter your mood. If he was not already a favorite of yours before Amie Street, be sure to check him out now.
With the release of their album Astronomy is my life, but I love you on Amie street, Breaking Laces contributes great music to this community. This is not the first album for the Brooklyn based Trio, and we can only hope it is not their last. They are a little bit pop, a little bit indie rock, nearly impossible to classify and even harder to stop listening to. Check out this sample from What You Cant Take Away, but be careful- it is addictive. This whole album ended up on my iPod in a heartbeat.
