Hello lovelies! I thought I'd share some of my current favorite songs with you guys today! If you've read my blog you know that music, along with massive amounts of chocolate, are a couple of my addictions. As long as I have awesome tunes & chocolate I'm generally a happy gal. :) My sister and I are the types that dig & search out songs to fall in love with and become addicted to. We will listen to them over and over again until the addiction wares off a little and then move on to new ones (because your life's soundtrack should always be changing & evolving) . Music is like our catnip... :D.
These are some songs that I've been addicted to over the last couple months, songs that have been making up the soundtrack to my days. There are old favorites & some new, as well as songs that I've just discovered. Hope you guys enjoy & maybe find a gem or two that will become your own personal brand of catnip too! :)
Barton Hollow by The Civil Wars
Enchanting. Magical. Beautiful. Seriously, I could gush about these two all day their music is just that good. The Civil Wars, which is made up of Joy Williams & John Paul White, has taken the music scene by storm. This is currently a song I can’t get enough of! This is also one of my favorite live performances, it so captures the essence of who The Civil Wars are. Their interaction on stage and the chemistry that they have is infectious! It makes their performances all the more special. I honestly don’t know if I’ve ever heard two more flawless voices. I love that the only backing music they have is John Paul’s guitar… it’s simply all they need.
Smarter by Eisley
I’ve been in love with Eisley’s whimsical music since I first saw them open for Switchfoot in 2005. They just released their long awaited new album “The Valley” in March and “Smarter” is the first single and video from this album. This seems like a very personal album for the group as many of the songs were inspired by Sherri Dupree’s divorce from her first husband (she’s now happily remarried). In the latest issue of Relevant Magazine she stated “My songs kind of follow a story of finding out that I was going to be divorced, accepting that, and moving on from that and then falling in love again”. In this song and video you really can feel that is the theme. The lyrics are brutally honest and Sherri sings them such feeling and attitude it makes it that much more intense. … And the guitar Sherri is playing towards the end of this video is seriously like my dream guitar! lol
Steal Your Heart by Augustana
This is another band I saw along with Switchfoot and Eisley in 2005 and became an instant crazy fan of! You can’t help but notice the progression of this band over the years, they just continue to get better. Lead singer, Dan Layus, has grown so much as a vocalist, and the musicianship of the band is tighter than ever. “Steal Your Heart” is the first single off their new (self titled) album which released in April. This is a video of their live performance on David Letterman. A beautiful & romantic song that reminds me why I love these guys!
This Is The Stuff by Francesca Battistelli
This song constantly gets stuck in my head and I find myself singing it at random moments. It’s a fun, catchy pop song sung by the lovely vocals of Francesca Battistelli
Restless by Jon Foreman
Switchfoot front man, Jon Foreman is my favorite songwriter of all time. The songs he writes are always so full of beauty, truth, and meaning. “Restless” is a brand new song that will be featured on the upcoming Switchfoot cd, Vice Verses, which for those who haven’t heard yet is set to be released on September 27th!!!! Woot! Woot! .. As you can probably tell I’m a little excited… ;). This is a performance of “Restless” Jon did recently with his sister in law and fellow artist, Sarah Masen, singing background vocals. The lyrics to this song are so beautiful & worshipful,“I’m restless, I run like the ocean to find your shore. I’m looking for you”.
Something In The Water by Brooke Fraser
This song feels very summery and fun! I am a huge fan of Brooke Fraser, her music is simply stunning! This is off her newest record, “Flags”, which if you don’t own yet I strongly suggest you consider running to your nearest music store to get… like right now :). This is a fun, poppy love song that showcases a different side of Brooke’s musicality.
Where The Road Meets The Sun - Katie Herzig & Matthew Perryman Jones
I first heard of Katie Herzig in a issue of CCM Magazine (anyone else miss the days you could actually get CCM Mag in the mail, hold it in your hands, and read it?) 4 or 5 years ago. Christian music veteran, Margaret Becker did an interview with Katie & gushed about how amazing her music was. I remember reading some of the lyrics that were in that article and being so intrigued by her songwriting. I really don’t know why it took me so long to listen to her music… but I just happened to stumble upon this song a couple months ago and fell in love with it. “Where The Road Meets The Sun” is a soft, sweet, acoustic duet she did with Matthew Perryman Jones. Their voices just blend together so seamlessly, with their guitars and the pretty sound of the cello as the only backing music.. Katie released a new cd a few weeks ago called “The Waking Sleep”. You can download a free track from this album here: http://www.katieherzig.com/
Speaking a Dead Language by Joy Williams
It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of the music of Joy Williams. Whether it be her solo songs or the amazing sound of The Civil Wars, her music just never fails to blow me away. “Speaking a Dead Language” is one the most moving and haunting break up songs I think I’ve ever heard. You can feel the emotion in her voice. This song was featured on her ‘09 EP titled, “Songs from That”. Even though Joy’s name is becoming more and more well known through The Civil Wars be sure to also check out her solo music, it’s way too lovely to pass up.
Something’s Gotta Give by Joel & Luke
The music of the very talented (and um not to mention handsome) duo, Joel & Luke has such a special place in my heart. I’m so dying for them to finally release a full length cd! Brothers Joel & Luke actually got their start in music singing background vocals for their sister, Rebecca St. James! I grew up listening to Rebecca and going to her concerts, so I was somewhat familiar with these guys and seeing them back their sister up. Actually I remember all the girls going a little crazy over Joel…on Rebecca’s message boards a lot of them would plan to go to the shows just to see him and try to talk to him afterward. They called it being on “Joel Patrol”… no I’m not making that up. Anyway, just a fun tidbit that’s completely beside the point!
Joel and Luke released an EP back in 2008 called “A Tale of Two Towns”, which is amazing! Ever since then they have been working on a full length album, writing and recording with the likes of Aqualung and One Republic, and have said they are very close to finally releasing it. They have also chosen an official name for their duo, they are now called For King and Country! But I’m so used to calling them Joel and Luke that for the life of me I never remember to refer to them by the new name. This is a video of the guys singing one of my favorites called “Something’s Gotta Give”. Their voices sound so stellar, completely flawless. Be sure to keep an eye out for these guys!
Closer by Anberlin
Anberlin has been one of my favorite bands ever since my sister and I saw the music video for “Ready Fuels” back in 2004. Their music has gotten me through so many hard times, it’s given me truth to hold onto, and of course always something to rock out to. “Closer” is from their newest album “Dark Is The Way, Light Is A Place”. I instantly loved the intense music and lyrics. They don’t have an official music video for this song, but I found a video a fan made with photos supporting To Write Love On Her Arms with the song playing in the background.
While I have loved these guys for so long I’ve yet to see them in concert… but hopefully that will soon change. There’s been rumors floating around that they are set tour with my very favorite band ever, yes, Switchfoot!!!! I’ve heard it’s supposed to be in the fall but I'm so ready to buy my tickets now. :)
No I Don’t by The Almost
My sister and I had the chance to take our first trip to SXSW this year with our friends. We had such a blast and so look forward to going again! One of the reasons it was so awesome was because we got to see Aaron and the gang perform at Emo’s! My sista and I are huge fans of The Almost and both of us look up to Aaron as a role model. These guys put on such a killer show! They had the whole crowd rocking out! My only complaint was that their set was way too short.. just means we’ll have to see them in concert again ;). One of the songs they sang that night was “No I Don’t” off their most recent album “Monster Monster”. I love the lyrics to this song, “I’m free because you said so. And I’m learning how to grow because you held my hand. I’m free because you said go, keep walking.” If you have the chance to see these guys live don’t pass it up!
Beautiful Things by Gungor
How is it possible that I’ve only just heard the breath taking worship music of Gungor? I was so seriously blown away by this song and this band! I had heard a lot of buzz about them but just never heard any of their songs. Well about a month ago I was browsing around Relevant Magazine’s website and I stumbled on this live performance they did for exclusively for Relevant. This song just stole my heart! “Beautiful Things” is one of the most amazing worship songs I’ve ever heard in my life. It’s a song you should listen to with your eyes closed. It doesn’t feel at all like the typical worship music I’m used to hearing… there’s something so special, creative, and passionate about it. I don’t know much about Gungor yet but I can’t wait to hear more of their music! “You make beautiful things, you make beautiful things of the dust. You make beautiful things, you make beautiful things out of us.”
