Burst of Inspiration after Growing Up Away From Here

I haven't been inspired to write a post in a pretty long time. I was starting to lose my fuel that had kept me motivated to stay in Nashville, continue networking, and fulfill my dream of working in the music industry. I had no artists that spoke to me, especially after watching this years Grammy's and being disappointed by Kanye and Rihanna's performance and honestly getting bored with the award show after a while. Imagine that, someone who wants music to be their career, getting bored by the most important night in music. I really had to stop and think, was music really what I wanted to do with my life?

This week is the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville. To those of you who aren't familiar with 'CRS' it is basically a week where local record labels and up and coming artists try to show off their newest talent to all the larger market radio stations hoping to get a few extra adds or spins. For me; well I saw this week as an opportunity to network my ass off, listen to some great newer musicians and get inspired again. Luckily for me, the week had barely started and my inspiration came strumming through during the very first event I attended.

One of my internships asked me to run and grab a few local Nashville trinkets for a small showcase we were going to hold at the CMA office. Naturally with country music that means get some GooGoos and Yazzoo beer because we need to keep these industry folks happy. Will Hoge is a seasoned singer-songwriter from Franklin, TN and even though he is already on his 10th studio album, I am sure many of you have still not heard of him. Well, I had heard his name a few times but was never really phased by it until yesterday. Much like most of these showcases I will be experiencing this week, Hoge played songs that have been over-played on the radio recently. But there is something riveting about a background story to a song followed by its acoustic version in an intimate space. Lyrics from some of countries most iconic songs written on the walls "She pulled the bottle to her head and pulled the trigger" happened to be the first lyric I read. A lyric from the very first country song I had fallen in love with.

Maybe it was just because I had just returned from my hometown, Rockville, MD, but the moment Hoge explained the lyrics to 'Growing Up Around Here' I immediately regained feeling in my passion. Just as Hoge left his small town of Franklin, TN I left Maryland to plug myself into the world of country music. I knew my whole life I did not want to stay in the D.C. area knowing it was not ideal for a career in the music industry but my roots will always be planted there. It is hard to come back and not try to find a way to get back. All of my memories from my first kiss in front of Tilden Middle school to Walter Johnson's first football win in 7 years, all lay in my hometown. Nostalgia really pulled me in during my last visit; reminding me of all the people I love that I left behind to pursue a dream, a dream that constantly breaks my heart.

I really felt as if I had been brought to this showcase to a reason because as soon as I started to feel my heart cracking into a million pieces trying to find a balance between the love for my hometown and the love for my dream Hoge pulled out a song he had written for the Eli Young Band.
"Way back on the radio dial,
The fire got lit inside a bright-eyed child,
Every note just wrapped around his soul."
That was the exact feeling I once got when I first heard "Whiskey Lullaby" by Brad Paisley. Right then, the chorus reminded me
"Keep on dreaming,
Even if it breaks your heart."
My whole body felt awakened. I was interning with two amazing companies that continuously teach me something new everyday. I need to grasp the moment I am living in right now. Absorb as much as possible from all of my mentors and get excited for my future. This was exactly why I wanted to get into music; because moments like this inspire people to follow their dreams, or kiss the girl they never thought they had a chance with, or cry because sometimes it does make you feel better. Music plays throughout our lives like a movie score, we just don't realize it. I want to help write the musical score to someones life as the ever-growing city of Nashville has done for me.

You can catch Will Hoge's newest album, "Small Town Dreams" release on April 7th, 2015. Hoge has written numerous hit songs for other artists such as "Even if it Breaks Your Heart" made famous by Eli Young Band or "Better Off Now (That You're Gone)" Made famous by Lady Antebellum, or his most recent single "Middle of America".

If you are intested to learn more about Will Hoge check out his website; http://www.willhoge.com/, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter pages. You can also listen to more of his music HERE or pre-order his latest album HERE.

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Hozier Took Me To Church

As I sit in my cubical during my internship I couldn't wait to post about this awesome music video, I have waited too long to watch. I really like Shazaaming songs in my car so that I can remember to download them later, otherwise I suck at remembering artists or song names. Last night I heard "Take Me to Church" by Hozier and didn't really think about the lyrics but loved the gospel feel the song had, so naturally I shazaamed it to listen to it at work the next day. Of course as I am listening to it at the Christian Record Label that I work for I start to notice the pro-gay rights lyrics and started to feel a bit uncomfortable with blasting that song in such an environment. Naturally, from my background and people I am surrounded by each day, I have a very strong opinion about gay rights but feel a bit nervous to share them in my work place. But I could not shake the feeling that this song kept giving me as I replayed it over and over again while I analyzed Christian radio BDS charts. It was such a beautiful song with such a powerful meaning written and performed by an Irish musician (anything Irish has hit home for me ever since I lived there).

Finally, I became curious as to what the music video was like, was it just going to be filled with interesting graphics or did it have a deeper story to tell. Half way through the video I noticed my heart racing and how mesmerized I was by everything going on. Starting with an innocent love story you immediately begin to connect with the two protagonists, while it is obvious that there is a sense of urgency and fear in both of them. The most powerful line in the song to me is, "I'll tell you my sins, and you can sharpen your knife". To anyone who has been to church; you learn to accept everyone for who they are and forgive people for their sins, especially when they repent. Hozier is showing that in Russia there is no forgiveness for such a "sin" as being gay so people are taking it upon themselves to punish anyone involved in such a relationship. The music video is disgusting and painful to watch because of such hate crimes that occur but to me, it is incredible to see an artist such as Hozier put himself out there and protest these hate crimes.

Here is the music video to Take Me To Church for those of you who haven't seen it:

After moving to Nashville, I learned that the world, especially the United States, has people that have very different opinions than I have grown up around. Getting raised by two parents with very open minds, in a dominantly liberal region with a sister who is gay has led me to accept people of all colors, beliefs and personalities. One of the first people I met in Nashville became my close friend fairly quickly and we could talk about anything until the day he said "Gays can do what ever they want as long as it isn't legal in my state (Tennessee)." I questioned him multiple times about why he reacted in such a way, and that it was difficult for me to continue our friendship if he couldn't keep an open mind to the way my own sister lived her life. I tried comparing it to racism and quoting the bible to show him that it very well should be legal and that everyone should be treated equally but all he wanted to do was ignore this argument and pretend we never had this conversation. That just didn't seem right to me.

Our generation is the one that is going to change same sex equality, just as MLK did for racism. It will be interesting to see our kids being open about their sexuality at a young age because that will soon be the norm. Another music video that struck me a long time ago was "Same Love" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. They had a different take on inequality, more about how it is difficult to come out of the closet when you are younger because everyone expects you to play spin the bottle and enjoy that first kiss with someone of the opposite sex. You watch the protagonist struggle with his sexuality as he goes to different high school events but eventually finds love with another man. It is incredible to see a rapper who is not gay, speak out so strongly for gay rights. Our generation needs to realize we need to make a difference and have our mark on history. Whether it be the legalization of same sex marriage or marijuana, we will make a difference.

Here is the music video to Same Love, in case if you haven't seen it:

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The Griswolds

Who hasn't been to at least one Warped Tour in their life? Well, The Griswolds definitely would be a band to play at Warped Tour, or Firefly, which they did play this past year! So that should already say a lot about them if you have attended these festivals. They are a very entertaining, very upbeat, and alternative band that you could listen to, basically at any time of the day. My favorite part of The Griswolds is that they describe themselves as "tequila-inspired party pop" which really speaks for itself. They are originally from Australia which gives them a different tone to them from typical alternative rock bands but it is an extremely refreshing sound! If you are into Phoenix, Vampire Weekend, St. Lucia or Strange Talk, The Griswolds are a great band to check out. They claim they have influences from MGMT, Kanye West, the Beach Boys and Vampire Weekend which, to me, is an extremely interesting diverse list of influences but it is pretty clear when you really pay attention to their music that these are their influences.

The Griswolds have a really cool Caribbean influence in their music which you can hear in songs like America and Beware of the Dog, from the steel sounding drums to the upbeat "party pop" sound they carry throughout. What's great about The Griswolds is they can go from that upbeat party sound a much more mellow, deep sound that you can hear in Thread the Needle. Every album needs this diverse sound throughout the songs to keep you interested no matter what mood you're in, and they do a great job of doing this! I can't quite put my finger on what makes me want to keep listening to this band. Whether it's their peppy sound that comes out in every song or the unique way of matching the instruments to the story line of each song or because I can listen to them, jam out while getting ready for a night out and forget I'm on a time crunch or while I write this article and I genuinely feel no worries in the world. Whatever it is, The Griswolds definitely has my attention and I am happy to say their album release two days after my birthday on August, 26th may have been the most exciting part of that week!

Also, they are awesome enough to do a ton of give aways, for example right now they are giving away a few turn tables customized by them at local record stores. I know they are doing it in Nashville but check out if they are doing it in your city too:

o   Bull Moose - http://www.bullmoose.com/

o   Grimey's (Nashville) - http://bit.ly/1oCWnJ8

o   Easy Street (Seattle) - http://bit.ly/1oCViRx

o   ZIA (various locations) - http://zia.nanocran.com/

o   Music Millennium (Portland) - http://www.musicmillennium.com/

o   Record Theater (Buffalo) - http://on.fb.me/1CqgLYo

o   Park Avenue CD (Orlando) - http://bit.ly/1CqhaKi

o   Record Exchange (Boise) - http://bit.ly/1oCVG2E

If you are insterested in learning more about them check out their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Wiki page or website at http://wearethegriswolds.com/. You can also check out some of these sweet articles written about them that helped me really understand their vibe, and really fall in love with these Ausies from Billboard or The Music. Here is my favorite video by them for you to start getting a feel for their music, it's called the Beware the Dog.

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In Flames

Unlike any other genre, I have never really been introduced to metal music. Lately, though, while living in Nashville I have met a lot of people that are into metal that eventually want to be artists themselves. This caught me by surprise because I have always been much more into mellow acoustic music and thought most artists liked to be stripped and play acoustic if they were really artists, but I have really been proven wrong! I still don't have the most knowledge about metal music but my interest is growing and my mind is becoming much more open to this genre, so feel free to throw me any artist suggestions you may have because I would love to learn more.

From what I have gathered, guitar and drum solos are probably the most impressive in this genre of music and if you really pay attention to the lyrics you can be drawn in instantaneously. A band that has really opened my eyes to metal and was a great transition from knowing nothing to really enjoying and understanding metal was In Flames. They recently came out with a new CD "Siren Charms" on 9/9 and it is absolutely amazing! For those metal fans out there, if you like Engel, As I Lay Dying or Amon Amarth you would definitely be a fan of In Flames! Their whole new city has amazing guitar solos from the entrance to Rusted Nail that features thew two guitars going back and forth with amazing finger picking skills to the lyrics of Eyes Wide Open that really makes helps you understand their pain of having poor fate and being stuck with a girl they love but keeps doing them wrong. It is interesting to see how all genres kind of collide when it comes to lyric meanings. I would suggest starting off by listening to Paralyzed because it has amazing instrumentation and isn't too heavy of a song if you are like me, and weren't into metal before.

If you do like In Flames, like I do, definitely go check out their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or website at www.inflames.com. You can also read more about them on Wiki or through some articles they have been mentioned in such as they have in Rock Hard, ARTISTdirect and Ultimate Guitar. My favorite video by them is Through Oblivion, so definitely check that out as well! It has a great story line to it and makes you want to keep watching so you can continue to understand all of the metaphors that keep popping up throughout the video.

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Marco Benevento

After a week hideous, I am back with a on of artists to rave about!

Marco Benevento is a really interesting artist. He started out with a very strong Jazz influence and grew to create whatever music is growing in popularity. The interesting thing about Benevento is that he can put Jazz into any genre of music. Currently, him and his band are creating Jazz-Electronic music, it is hard to pin point the exact audience they target but generally fans of Phish, Arcade Fires, LCD and Dirty Projectors. I have never personally been a fan of electronic music but Marco Benevento has such a great background with music and his development with the Jazz scene in New York City has led me to give him more of a chance than I usually do with electronic music. After listening to a few of his songs a really like the vibe his music gives. It is a much more mellow and musical feel than most electronic artists I have been shown, feel free to show me more music like this so I can start appreciating electronic more than I do. Benevento has a very unique style that incoorporates so many different instruments and sounds you wouldn't typically expect in an electronic sound but the same could be said for the electronic sounds that wouldn't typically be heard in Jazz music.

It is really hard to explain Marco Benevento, he is very unique with his influences and creating music that regularly you would not expect to go together. I would really suggest checking him out because clearly, I cannot do him justice through words as he could through his music. Perfect for a day of studying and having a non-lyrical incredible artist playing in the background or if you want to listen to great composition and not be distracted by lyrics. My favorite song by him is Greenpoint, it has a great piano part that really helps you appreciate music composition again after turning off your typical top 40 station you were just blasting in your car. Just as our grandparents used to play a classical record and really pay attention to how every instrument put together made such beautiful music, this is how you have to go about listening to Marco Benevento.

You can follow him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or check out his website at http://marcobenevento.com/. If you want to read a little bit more about his history you can go to his Wiki page or read some of these articles that have been written about him http://www.ascap.com/audioportraits/b/marco_benevento_swift.aspx http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/av/2014/06/song-premiere-marco-benevento---at-the-show.html. Here is his music video to At The Show. I love the black and white theme they have going throughout the video. It helps keep everything simple and more about the music than about anything else which is really what Marco Benevento is good at, creating musical masterpieces.

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SomeKindaWonderful

You know that funky 80s rockband sound with all of the great technology we have today? That's how I sound describe SomeKindaWonderful. Very similar to Neon Trees, Foster the People, Cage the Elephant, New Politics and the Foo Fighers. They each have their own twist on that 80s rock/pop sound but they all reach a the same general audience. I personally love that type of band to blast in my car and make a trippy music video in my head while I scream sing all of the lyrics and wish I were driving down Route 1 in California. Sometimes I even pretend I am a great lyrical dancer and try to interpret these songs with my movements, I hope this description is as clear to you as it is to me, or maybe I am alone on this one. Nonetheless they are a great band to blast and really feel what the music is trying to portray to you.

Well SomeKindaWonderful is the next band to fit into that genre. Their newest music video, Reverse, definitely has that trippy music video that you would have tried to create in your head but not quite perfected like they did here! Like I said about the Colony House music video, this is beautiful art where they perfected matching the pain SomeKindaWonderful is trying to portray in their song with the contrasting dark colors against a white background or vice-versa that shows throughout most of the music video. The video really brings you into the darkness the song portrays and makes you completely understand what each lyric brings to Reverse.

Their beats are very prominent in their music and brings you to feel the music as opposed to just hearing it. They do not have many original songs out but it is very interesting to hear songs that they cover such as California Love. They completely change the feel to a 2pac original. SomeKindaWonderful gives a mellow tone to all of the songs they perform. They would be great for a casual night with your friends drinking wine and playing boardgames or driving around when you are trying to clear your head, or as my friend claimed "good hangover music".

If you want to get more information on SomeKindaWonderful you can find their official bio HERE or visit their website at https://www.somekindawonderful.com. Also feel free to follow them on Facebook, Twitter @skwonderful, Instagram @skwonderful or buy their music on Amazon or Spotify. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have since I recently discovered them! I'll keep you posted on any other releases they have in the near future!

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