It’s that time of year again... when the music industry gives itself a proverbial pat on the back. That’s right, we just had the Grammys. This year I was pretty happy with the results, but I have decided to throw in my two cents. So here it is, the Gradammys® -- my picks for best music of the year.
Here is a Spotify playlist where you can get a taste of each of the artists:
Album of the Year ~ Katie Herzig, The Waking Sleep
I’ve been a big fan of Katie’s since her days in Colorado with Newcomers Home and on through her move to Nashville and her ensuing solo career. Katie has seen much success in her solo career. Her music has been heard regularly on Grey’s Anatomy, Pretty Little Liars, One Tree Hill and has been featured in commercials. But I’m sure that receiving the Gradammy® for Album of the Year will be her crowning achievement. Katie’s latest album, The Waking Sleep, is instantly familiar to Katie’s fans, yet takes all the right risks. From the infectious dance groove of “Free My Mind” to the cinematic soundscapes of “Closest I Get,” this record takes you on a wondrous journey.
The neo-folk duo, The Civil Wars, has exploded in 2012 and for good reason. The chemistry between Joy Williams and John Paul White is electric. Despite their sparse arrangements, The Civil Wars’ songs carry boundless energy. This is especially true of “Barton Hollow,” which takes home the award for Song of the Year and a close second for album of the year.
Okay, Andrew Belle isn’t exactly a new artist and his album, The Ladder, isn’t either (released in 2010). However, Andrew’s music was a new find for me this year, and was probably the most played album in our household. It is a great record start to finish, and gets the award for my Best “New” Artist.
Being part of the Denver/Colorado music scene, I’m particularly biased toward the great music being made here. The band that gets the award for Best Album by a local band is My Body Sings Electric and their album Changing Colors. MBSE’s songwriting and sound has matured immensely since their previous release. With sweeping guitar riffs and stirring rhythms, they truly create an electric atmosphere. Be sure to check out my favorite track from the album, “Step Into The Light.”
After a 10+ year hiatus, I’m especially excited to welcome Burlap to Cashmere back into heavy rotation with their most recent self-titled album. This Greek-American outfit struggled through considerable adversity when their guitarist -- one of my all time favorites -- was mugged and nearly beaten to death. Overcoming that adversity, they’ve made a beautiful and captivating record. Welcome back boys.
This one is for all of my Colorado friends... I'm playing a show at Cervantes on February 12th, 2012. Click on the flier for tickets! Also, you can use this code to get $3 before January 14th: ADAM704
Posted:
Monday, October 17, 2011
by AdamLockwood in
Labels:
24 Songs
I had some fun with this one. I actually wrote the song in about a day, but as you will hear, I went a little further with the arrangement. It was a little time-intensive, so I don’t know that I will always put as much effort into the arrangement for following songs. It makes me happy to have it done and up for you to hear though! So, take a listen. Enjoy!
Also don’t forget, for a limited time, you can get the first six tracks from the project for free by clicking here.
I don’t know about you, but I’m growing tired of the popular idea that humans are inherently good; that left to our own devices we would tend to do the right thing. In truth, I believe this type of thinking is narrow and short-sighted. Historically, our human existence is littered with evidence of man’s tendency toward destruction over and over again.
We all have the ability to do both good and evil, to create and destroy. It’s built into all of us, you and I, and that’s what this song is about -- the internal struggle we all face to choose right over wrong, good over evil. I see this duality in myself. I would be willing to bet that if you are honest with yourself, you would see it too.
Man, that was kind of depressing. I felt like it came from my heart though. I hope you like the song! Let me know what you think below in the comments. As always, I appreciate you listening to the songs and my ramblings.
Posted:
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
by AdamLockwood in
Labels:
24 Songs,
Free Music
Okay, we’ve made it through six songs here. As a big thank-you for following me in this process, I’d like to give you these songs. These will be available until I finish the next six; then I will put those up. So, be sure to grab them while you can!
Just so you can see the big picture, let me be upfront about my intentions. As I have talked about before, these songs aren’t perfect. These are, what we would call in the music business, demonstration recordings, or demos. They get the idea of the song across, but aren’t necessarily the finished product. So the plan is to take the cream of the crop from these twenty-four songs, and record an album. Hopefully that can get started within the next year.
So that's the plan. Thank you again for joining me on this journey! Enjoy!
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