Pop and Not

For the past couple of months I haven't done a lot of writing because everything seems to be in a bit of a limbo period right now...not sure what's going to change or not. It’s the exciting and horrifying part about being in this business. I’m very grateful to already have a fantastic base like Spring Awakening.

Recently I have actually been receiving an odd amount of emails from fans regarding my taste in music. It’s true that I tend to recommend things that are less top 40 pop and maybe sometimes way off the beaten path, for example my next recommendation. That is a band named The Callers. They are based in providence Rhode Island. My sister, Colleen, was the one who got me hooked a little over a year ago on some of their demos from their self-released album. You won’t find them on iTunes, and it’s hard to even find much about them through google. But I think they are remarkable. I also think the lead singer has an immensely rich voice that is a bit of a mix between Madeline Peyroux and Carole King. They show a lot of promise for an underground band from Providence. Go to: http://www.myspace.com/callers

On a MUCH more mainstream level...I going to finally talk about James Morrison. I'm not sure why I never mentioned him on here, but I gotta say how impressed I am by this guy. When I was in the UK he was just breaking out. "You Give Me Something" played pretty much non-stop in Tesco foods every time I grocery shopped there. I would walk out and realize I was humming it an hour later. His voice is a more listenable Ray Lamontagne sound. And his songs are all sweet and uplifting. Think...great driving music. I'm impressed at how much the states have taken to his music. Really...I don't need to give a link...he's huge now. Just google. Or iTunes.

So what’s with talking about such unknown music? I have nothing against pop music. In fact I’m actually fascinated by pop music and have a great deal of respect for it. Whether we’re talking about High School Musical or Timberlake’s Futursex/Lovesounds…there is a great deal of genius behind most pop music. Anything that becomes wildly popular should be commended. While it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, I think there is something very special to be said about a phenomenon like a pop album. It reminds us how universal music is. Hit Me Baby One More Time, Pop, Faith, Thriller…these are brilliant songs. I think back on the boy band crazes and Brittany when she first landed onto the scene and remember what remarkable creations these were in terms of entertainment. They did everything, were incredible performers, and had incredible creative teams working behind them. There is such a great deal of creative force that goes into a single well-crafted pop song. In the same way that I respect many indie artists for being so unique and individual, I respect many pop artists for being so collaborative. There are brilliant musicians, mixers, writers, singers…ect…behind these songs that have the remarkable understanding of how to create a piece of music that will thrill someone from Tokyo as much as someone from Wisconsin.

I guess I tend to recommend music that’s a bit more off the beaten path because most people don’t know about that music and I feel it deserves to be heard.

If you’re in New York this week, go outside! The weather is supposed to be great. Spring is just around the corner. I can’t wait.