Spotlight on Emerging Indie Artists, Vol 2

We have a growing number of talented folk artists at BlueMusePublishing.com so Volume Two of Spotlight on Emerging Indie Artists will be devoted to folk music.

Folk artists are generally known for their wonderfully artful lyrics and simplicity. However, folk music can also be a lot of fun and infuse elements of style and rhythm. I hope to provide a nice spectrum of folk music and styles, but I know that I must create new volumes to recognize many artists who I am unable to include in a single blog/podcast. I hope those artists will accept my apologies and my pledge to return to this wonderful genre.

I should say that I had one foot firmly planted in rock music while growing up in East Central Georgia, but the other foot was planted in folk. I was, and will always be, a fan of Simon & Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, and John Prine. I suppose I should also add that I needed at least two more feet as I loved country and R&B growing up, as well. I cannot help it, I love a variety of music.

I also love to travel, but this will be a virtual trip of music from England, Holland, Colorado, California, Nebraska, and New York.

Confoundry is a duo in England that writes beautiful music and lyrics. The song Watching Swans has a very nice arrangement of vocals, guitar, flute, and harmonies that, I think, paints a very nice picture to go with the lyrics. Please make sure you check out the beautiful flute intro on She Moves Through The Fair.

Vast Countenance is a group out of Amsterdam, Holland playing a variety of styles. However, their song, Afterglow, is very much in the folk genre. This song has very nice guitar, piano, viola, vocals and harmonies.

Wes & Victoria are a husband and wife team from Colorado that have a solid repertoire of original music. These two share their life's experience through their music. There is great instrumentation, with guitar, organ, and harp fills throughout many of their songs, but the vocals are also very good. The song, Trail of Tears has a lot of emotion. It is well written and produced with great instrumentation and vocals. I want to acknowledge the wonderful talent that is on this CD, The Ballad of Billy Saigon. Aside from Wes Hamil on guitar, there is also Albert Lee and the late, great Stephen Bruton. In addition, Victoria Hamil lends her very distinctive harp style throughout. Victoria has also recorded with Roy Rogers, Johnny Cash, and was featured in a film by Robert Altman.

Gil Garcia, from California, is more like Neil Young than Neil Young. I am particularly impressed with Gil's song, Songs. This song has the signature palm muting and phrasing of Neil Young, but Gil's distinct voice gives it life. I am really amazed at Gil's ability to play harp while playing the guitar. This is an extraordinary skill that I wish I had. There are also some very nice harmonies in the chorus. Please check out Gil Garcia at BlueMusePublishing.com.

Artist Stephen Monroe from Nebraska also has a great range of styles with a lot of folk blues and some jazzier tunes. I include Stephen because he is a solo artist playing a style that is part folk, part blues, part jazz. I really love his song, Sorry I Lost Control. It reminds me very much of John Hammond, Jr. There is also a very nice 20's effect at various times during the song.

The last artist featured in Volume Two, is Dan-O from New York. Dan-O is short for Dan O'Connor and his music also ranges in styles. His song Crowd in the Palace is written in a folk style. I am not certain of the meaning behind Dan-O's lyrics, but I am among those who like lyrics that lend themselves to interpretation. It certainly provides a little something for us to think about while we enjoy a well crafted song.

Review of In My Dreams

I really like the music from JD Wood's, "In My Dreams". I find myself repeatedly listening to each song in my car, on my I-pod, and on my computer.

While this music is mostly rock oriented adult contemporary, JD is clearly comfortable infusing several styles into his originals. Most of the songs have certain similarities to artists such as The Fray, Lenny Kravitz, Bon Jovi, and 70's group, Badfinger, but there are a few jazzier compositions with similarities to Harry Connick, Jr.. Otherwise, the music is uniquely JD Wood, a blend of powerful vocals and well-crafted songs.

As a whole, I suppose I am first impressed by the cohesive nature of the songs on this CD. Lyrically, it is about relationships and the songs tell stories of love found, love lost, and recovery from love lost. I am also impressed with the expressive nature of these songs and the appropriate musical settings. The melodies are nicely interwoven into sophisticated chord progressions and arrangements, producing a very desirable effect throughout the entire CD.

The title track, "In My Dreams" has a sweet intro that quickly morphs into syncopated orchestration. The song then moves seamlessly into a beautiful bridge and a majestic chorus. This song could easily find a place in film or television, but I found myself worrying a little about the overall content of the CD, despite having listened to only one song. My worries immediately dissipated as I moved to the second song.

I was surprised and refreshed by the groove of the second track, "Come and Tell". This song could very well have been a collaboration between Dr. John, Stevie Wonder and Badfinger. It starts out funky but moves quickly to a syncopated rock song. The bridge and the chorus deviate from both initial styles to create a refreshing melody in the style of Badfinger (or another group from the 60's and 70's starting with a B). I don't take this level of praise lightly, but this music deserves it. I found myself moving around in my chair while listening. I love this song!

Song three is a very cool jazz groove entitled "I Feel Alive" that is in the style of Harry Connick, Jr. The music is again syncopated and fun. All of the instruments are excellent with amazing arrangements. JD's singing evokes images of a jazz performer who is in command of his voice and very comfortable in this genre.

The fourth track, "Smile To My Face" starts with JD's superb piano that is quite reminiscent of Elton John with some very nice orchestration thrown in for effect. The song is a very nice love ballad that Barry Manilow would be proud to call his own. The bridge and the break are very well written and arranged, one of JD's many gifts.

The fifth track, "Tell Me Why", goes in a new direction with a ballad rock style that I could associate with Bon Jovi or Rob Thomas. The break is a bit retro on it's way to a hard rock orchestration style at the end.

"Love Made Me Blind" has a very tender intro and the chorus is dripping with emotion. This emotion is carried into a very nice string accompaniment. This song drifts into a bridge section. However, it really surprised me at the end with a strong hard rock change that caused the hair on my neck to stand up.

"It's Time To Say Goodbye" has a decidedly darker mood than any of the other songs. It is another very emotional song about parting ways. I believe this could be a song for the stage.

"Time Is Ticking Away" is another song in the rock ballad style reminiscent of Bon Jovi. The chorus is very good with a nice break. JD once again demonstrates his talent for composition with an appropriate bridge section and a final chorus.

"Welcome Back To Life" is another very cool jazz number. The bass in this song would make Stanley Clarke proud. The chorus section has a great hook and moves very nicely back to the orchestrated verse section. The bridge is too cool for words and it delivers once again with a song that sticks in your mind and keeps your interest throughout.

The Key starts with a syncopated piano and goes immediately to a very nice lift to the chorus. The melodies are very nice throughout, but the chorus melody is extraordinary. The bridge section is much harder but the return to the chorus is nothing short of spectacular.

Perhaps my favorite song on the entire CD, "I Am Strong" has a great hook. The song has the signature emotion, groove and melodic movement for JD Wood. This song builds very nicely and evokes the same emotions that you might get when you go to see a great "feel good movie" when the underdog is finally able to overcome adversity in the end.

It would be unfair to JD to compare this music to any one artist. This music embodies many of the rich textures in today's hot adult contemporary. Yet, there is an infusion of classic rock and jazz elements in this masterful collection. This music is not only cool, but it is enjoyable as each song is worthy of airplay. "In My Dreams" is available on CDBaby.com.