Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - "If We Were Vampires"

Michael Jason Isbell is a Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter and guitarist from Green Hill, Alabama, in Lauderdale County. Isbell has stated on the importance of his northern Alabama roots: "I definitely don’t feel like I would be the musician that I am, or the type of songwriter, had I not come from that particular place," he says now. "The soul music that came out of there, and a lot of the soul-influenced rock and roll and country music that came out of the studios in north Alabama in the '60s and '70s had a big influence on me." Isbell said that working at FAME Studios was everything to him, that it was a gateway towards the music that he wanted to play. In addition to citing Neil Young as a big influence, Isbell is a fan of singer-songwriter Ben Howard and guitarist Blake Mills.

He's got that bluegrass/americana/folk feeling that makes his music feel immediately familiar and fresh all at the same time. 

So today, with love in every bite I choose Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit's "If We Were Vampires" as my, gather ye round, make merry, make MARY!, song for a, traveling good time show, magic moonlight, wilderness in the breathe of your heart, Friday.

Etta James - "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)"

She was an empress in the pantheon of jazz goddesses. Often overlooked for bigger names, she was one of the last sensations of the jazz era, and up until just a few short years ago was still performing live. She was unstoppable on stage, her fire and gusto set the stage ablaze. We were lucky to have a voice like hers in our generation. 

So today, with wheels on the ground, I choose Etta James' version of "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)" as my, get up and go, get to it, no time but now, song for a, burn rubber, singe nostrils, jumpin jack flash kind of, Thursday.

Sweet Spirit - "The Power"

Like to party? Meet Sweet Spirit, a punchy, powerful party band that features up to nine members onstage at any given time.

If you’re not yet familiar with Austin’s Sweet Spirit, that’s okay… they’re still pretty new (Less than two, in fact.)… Their newest album, St. Mojo, just hit shelves and is, in fact, one of the year’s best, blending riffage of both ‘70s glam and Southern Rock; boasting a danceability that’s equal parts doo-wop, disco, new wave, and prom slow-dances and an attitude that’s equally indebted to the classic American rebel outlaw and ’77 punk. 

 The track, a firestorm of scorching vocals and blazing instrumentation, tells the narrative of a proud rebel drawing lines in the sand between herself and the world around her. Sabrina Ellis says of the track, "This song is a battle cry for the outcast, the awkward kid, society's fringe. Drawing on high school dynamics and personal experience, with a Glam rock, stadium vibe, this song is our opening anthem, the underscore to our freak parade."

So today, with energy sizzling off my skin, I choose Sweet Spirit's "The Power" as my get and do it, break off the broken bits, learn to let go it little layers, song for an, open your eyes to the light inside you, stand your ground, and own your own divinity Wednesday. 

Wagner - "Piano Sonata in A-Flat, WWV 85 (1878)"

He was controversial as a person, with his politics and his support, but he was also a genius. His works are some of the most produced and sung of any other composer. He was able to tap into the angst and anger of a generation and mold it into something beautiful, strong, and controversial, like all great art. 

So today with heart's in memory, I choose Wagner's "Piano Sonata in A-Flat, WWV 85 (1878)" as my with small miracles, with small hope, with large hearts, song for a, find the hidden dreams, search for every option, learn your truth one step at a time, Tuesday.

Kygo - "This Town (feat. Sasha Sloan)"

This song has been floating around me for a little while. I love the hook, and the somewhat melancholy feeling that draws you in, only to show you the true strength behind the lyrics. It tells you that being the same, being normal or blending in isn't the always the answer. Don't be afraid to be different, stand out in the crowd and be noticed. The only way you'll ever break the molding is by not fitting into it. 

Kygo always puts together deliciously tropical chill beats that keep you grooving, smiling and happy, without turning it into pots and pans dance party. The kind of song you want to dance in the sun to, or listen to while driving up the coast. NYC singer/actor Sasha Sloan gives a delicate and beautiful performance on the song. Letting hear just how wistful a memory you haven't made yet can be. 

So today, with hearts in flight and memories on the wind, I choose Kygo's "This Town (feat. Sasha Sloan)" as my, open every door, forget the fear, hope for the hopeless, song for a, walk on through the wind, if you open your wings you just might fly, let your light lift you up, Monday.

Gabriel Fauré - "Cantique de Jean Racine, Op 11"

An early success by the young Fauré for a competition to compose music to go with this poem by Jean Racine, this song his a bundle of contradictions. Normally performed with an organ, John Rutter, the master of the first art, finds something truly magical in his arrangement of this piece for voice, cello, and viola. 

Both sad and reverential, beautiful and heartbreaking, breathtaking and full of memory, this song brings each corner of the mind into light and then shadow. A gorgeous rendition of a timeless piece. 

So today, with both side of the coin in my hand, I choose John Rutter's arrangement of Gabriel Fauré's "Cantique de Jean Racine, Op 11" as my, with misty morning light, you've been through worse, one step at a time, song for a, break not the deepest, hold on to the light, remember your own majesty Friday.

Debussy - "Images pour Piano, Set 1, L 110: I. Reflets dans l'eau (Reflections on the Water)"

I'm sorry for the delay in posts, it's been an overwhelming few weeks.

As I sit here reflecting on the tumultuous year, and especially last few weeks, that I've had, I think about how far a person can come in a single years' worth of growth. We can become completely new humans, with tenacity and struggle we shed our older skins and become the things we believe ourselves to be. 

I look back on words I wrote almost 4 years ago and am aghast at the startlingly poignant message that lies within them, so forgive me while I quote myself:

"The world has opened it’s heart to me, and my life is beautiful. Heartache will come, and heartache will go, horrible things come and they are followed by the most gorgeous of moments. Dickens had it so right;

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way”.

When the Universe (or God) sends you pain, it’s accompanied by equal joy. Accept it, love it, live in the journey, and the world shall open up to you like an oyster offering it’s pearls."

So today, with quiet conviction and noisy laughter, I choose Claude Debussy's "Images pour Piano, Set 1, L 110: I. Reflets dans l'eau (Reflections on the Water)" as my, remember to look at how far you've come, history unremembered always repeats itself, a glance down at the bottom to give you perspective on how close you are to the top, song for a, accept it all, come what may, give yourself the space to cry and laugh and cry again - life is messy and beautiful and full of surprises. 

Halsey - "Bad At Love"

So back in 2015 I was obsessed with Halsey and her song Hurricane off her debut EP. Her pixie voice full of emotion and power pulled me in and then her lyrics kept me there. It was a perfect storm of pop, emotion, power, and balance. 

Check out that original post with more info and her bio here:

http://song-and-soul.com/www.Song-and-Soul.com/Song_%26_Soul/Entries/2015/2/5_Halsey_-_Hurricane.html

In the years since, she's blown up a bit, and her style has continued to evolve, and I for one am stoked to see what she's producing. She's a bundle of contradictions, with a delicate balance of raw and soft, power and subtlety, and passion and detachment, all wrapped perfectly into an imperfect package. 

I can't wait to see what the new and improved Halsey brings us. 

So today, with energy building like a tidal wave, I choose Halsey's "Bad At Love" as my, get into every one of these vibes, break your own mold, become something no one thought you could, song for a, why not now, lift off, rise & rise & rise & RISE, Thursday.