Well, this will be the end of my “100 Artists” music blog. I have enjoyed it, and if any of you are still reading this at all, I hope you’ve enjoyed it too.
20. Jimmy Eat World
It’s interesting how almost all of JEW’s best songs are one-word titles: Kill, Dizzy, Work, Clarity, Seventeen, Futures, Cautioners, Sweetness. . . Throw in Here You Me and Get it Faster and that may be their top ten.
Songs: Any mentioned
19. Jason Mraz
You don’t meet many people that dislike the music Mraz makes. There is just something about his style that is unique and entertaining. And I love the fact that he can freestyle with just his guitar and voice.
Songs: You and I Both, 1000 things, Sleeping to dream
18. Boyz II Men
They were my favorite when I was little. I recently saw them live for a reunion concert. They weren’t quite as mobile as I remember, but their voices were just as good.
Songs: In the Still of the Night, Water Runs Dry, On Bended Knee
17. Mat Kearney
I’m interested in his new album coming soon; but so far, I’m not too impressed with the new song “Hey Mama”. Maybe he’ll rap again in this one though!
Songs: All I Have, Fire & Rain, Girl America
16. Ne-Yo
I love Ne-Yo, but I think “Shaffer” is caught in the wrong era. He’s still pretty dang famous, but I think he could’ve been even bigger 35 years earlier. These days, R&B is pretty much dead, and pop and hip-hop are all about who can make the better song for the club. Sure, Ne-Yo sometimes makes music just for the club too, but he’s got real talent and ingenuity; I don’t think club music is really what he was made for. He’s Michael Jackson of our time, but nobody would ever put them on the same level. Let’s try and compare them though:
Singing – Michael barely wins
Songwriting – Ne-Yo
Dancing – Mike, but Ne-Yo’s pretty good
Swagger – Ne-Yo
Uniqueness – Michael, easy
Acting ability – Ne-Yo
Performing – Probably Jackson
# of hits, fame, legend status, others’ praise – all Jackson (but what if they switched places… I think Mr. Smith would’ve been just as Big!)
Songs: Because of You, One in a Million, Miss Independent
15. Joshua James
The passion, pain, and feeling of James are almost unmatched. He really knows how to capture the essence of loss, sin, and doubt. I like happy music sometimes too, but there’s just something about the sadness and loneliness of some songs that I really, really like. Maybe there just aren’t too many genuinely happy artists out there because I feel sad songs have a lot more feeling, truthfulness, and pure human emotion than do the happy ones. The 2 bests gloomy songwriters have to be James and Ray Lamontagne. Ray touches on the despairs of love well, but James doesn’t really mention love much, which I think makes him unique. His dark songs are more about lack of faith, the woes of the world, and depression.
Songs: Lawn Full of Marigolds; Lord, Devil and Him; Crooked Arrow
14. Eric Hutchinson
It’s funny how I just went on a rant about sad songs, and now my next artist is the fun, pop-sounding, melody-based Hutchinson. His songs, though some lyrics are definitely not all joyful, can’t help but make you happy. I can’t wait for his new album. I’ve been checking his website regularly for a release date for like the last year.
Songs: Oh!, It hasn’t been long enough, Outside Villanova
13. Stevie Wonder
My second favorite old timer all-time (if you don’t include George Strait as an old timer) . . .
Songs: Lately, Overjoyed, I never dreamed you’d leave in Summer
12. James Taylor
And this is my all-time number one old timer. The original JT has so many good songs. He and Carole King together writing songs are magic. I will always love JT and think of old family vacations whenever I hear his timeless music.
Songs: Something in the Way She Moves, Carolina in My Mind, and Caroline I See You
11. The Rocket Summer
I often like to think of Pop Punk music as a thing of my past, but Bryce Avery is one artist I can never let go of. His crafty ability to make tons of his songs applicable to a girl or God, depending on the listener’s preference has always impressed me. I’ve seen him live and the image of his sweat dripping onto his piano will forever be with me. You could tell he is a humble and passionate guy who loves making music.
Songs: Run To You, So In this Hour, Light
*These are my top ten, and I think they are a step up from the rest. They’re those artists for me where I would purchase anything they made and feel ok about it. They can hardly do wrong by me. I’ll list their top five songs as well as their best album, because, well you should hear them; they’re great!
10. George Strait
I’m sure all of you know George Strait. But that’s what is great about him; He never goes away, he has hit after hit, and he is so freakin’ cool. He can hold a guitar on stage and strum it barely once per song and nobody says a thing. How can you; he’s George Strait! I can’t think of anyone ever with a better country swagger and of anyone but my wife with a better smile (and that’s still a close race). It is on my bucket list to see him live. I probably better hurry up, because he’s not getting any younger . . . but then again, he may be making hits into his 90’s!
Songs: She’ll leave you with a smile, I cross my heart, I can still make Cheyenne, I’ve come to expect it from you, The Chair/ The Fireman – tie; Album: Just get his ’50 Number Ones’ if you can afford it, you can never have enough Strait.
9. Joe Purdy
Purdy’s love for music is evident in the fact that he puts out a new CD every year, and sometimes even twice a year. He’s only been around like 10 years and has about 12albums! And none of the albums are low quality either; they are all original songs from his heart and each album even seems to have a little theme of its own. I’m sure 2011’s is coming shortly.
Songs: Take my blanket and go, Sad Clown, Make It Up, Can’t get it right today, Homesick Blues;
Album: Paris In The Morning
8. Alison Krauss
It seems like all my favorite artists have come out with new releases lately. Purdy and Strait always have a new album out, and I was anticipating Ray, Dennen, and Amos’s new albums for months, but Alison and Union Station’s new CD caught me by surprise; I didn’t know they were making music together again. It sounds great just as expected. She can’t really do wrong by me – the best female voice in the biz! She could even sing the Russian alphabet and I’d enjoy it.
Songs: Could You Lie, The Lucky One, A Living Prayer, My Love Follows You Where You Go, Down To the River to Pray;
Album: Raising Sand – with Robert Plant
7. Ray Lamontagne
I think I’ve mentioned Lamontagne in a few other artists’ sections. He is one of the best at what he does. And I like his background and attitude towards music.
Songs: Let It Be Me, Empty, Jolene, Old Before Your Time, Like Rock & Roll and Radio;
Album: God Willin’ and the Creek Don’t Rise
6. The Avett Brothers
The Avett Bro’s had a free video single on I-tunes last year and I thought, I think I would really like this band, but couldn’t really afford (literally) to check them out. Then after I’d forgot about that free video (because who really ever watches music videos on i-tunes anyways), Amazon had another free song of theirs that was even better. When I saw a sale on an album, my wonderful wife let me get it. Then this band jumped up to my top twenty after just the first day of having it. Now, they keep moving up! If anybody knows of a way to get cheaper tickets for their upcoming show this month at the Silverton, please, please let me know.
Songs: If it’s the beaches, The Perfect Space, The weight of lies, Salvation Song, Ten thousand words;
Album: I and Love and You
5. Keith Urban & 4. John Mayer
To keep this blog from getting too long, I’ve bunched these two together. I think all of you know them so they don’t need much explaining. They’ve been favorites for years. Usually, I seem to start to like artists less the more and more famous they get; but not these two for some reason. Their talents and music are just too good.
Keith Songs: Only You Can Love Me This Way (our wedding song), Tonight I Wanna Cry, Got It Right This Time, Stupid Boy, and The Hard Way;
Album: Be Here
John Songs: My Stupid Mouth, The Heart of Life, City Love, Belief, Half of My Heart; Album: Room for Squares
3. Brett Dennen
Ang and I recently saw him in concert, and at first, I was a little bit worried that I was going to have to bump him down a few spots (because live performance is very important to me). If you know his music, you know his last two albums added a lot more instruments with some pop and rock flavor to them, and that’s all he and his band were playing at first. I was getting a little bit bored by the 6th or 7th songs. . . But then he finally slowed it down and then rocked out again to end, and did more and more of his impressive oddball dance moves as the night went on and I was grinning cheek to cheek by the end of the show. His guitar skills were less than I imagined, but his unique voice was even better live. And he’s not as unattractive and weird as some of his pictures and videos would make you think. All-in-all, he’s still a top 3 favorite singer-songwriter who makes you want to make a difference in the world, while dancing and singing the whole time!
Songs: Heaven, Aint no Reason, So Far from Me, San Francisco, Because You Are a Woman;
Album: Hope for the Hopeless
2. Amos Lee
I’m trying to think of why I like Lee, and the list is almost too long: His soulful voice, his passion, his defiance of genre, his life-applicable lyrics, his subtly spiritual song-writing, his pure love of music, his former love of basketball, his history as an elementary school teacher, his Philadelphia upbringing (cool city), his hair, his mysterious ethnicity, his music buddies (Zac Brown, Willie, etc), his simple yet complex songs, his calmness, his lack of concern for fame, his mature swagger, his introspective nature, and on and on. Let’s just say there are some reasons I like the guy and some reasons you should no doubt check him out.
Songs: Arms of a Woman, Keep It Loose Keep It Tight, Flower, Violin, and What’s Been Going On/ Black River - tie;
Album: Amos Lee (1st) or Mission Bell – another toss-up.
1. Nickel Creek
Even if they never get back together (which will be very sad because then I’ll never get to see them live), I think they will always be my number one artist/group/band. There can never be another band like them. Childhood friends growing up playing folk festivals together, two siblings plus “Beethoven” of the mandolin (Thile), three former child bluegrass prodigies forming an award-winning band as teenagers that would progress to touch on (as a band or solos or new bands) every genre besides maybe hardcore metal and rap. These three in my eyes are living musical legends, yet more people would know Nickelback (horrible) than would Nickel creek. This is why you can’t trust the masses, or radio, or MTV anymore. Hopefully, to any who have read some of this blog, you will expand your horizons to discover new talented artists like Creek, Dennen, and Lee on your own. Then figure out who and what YOU like, what makes YOU happy, and what touches YOUR soul. I know no artist makes me enjoy music more than Nickel Creek does!
Songs: Don’t sell yourself short, get all three of their albums; they’re each unique and amazing in their own way. My all-time favorite Creek song is “Doubting Thomas” though.
Well, that’s it for now . . . until I find the next random, trivial thing to blog about. If you read this, I hope you enjoy a couple new artists or at least just think about your own musicians that you cherish. Thanks!
