fiddles, folk, and mandolins

I have found a new world of music: folk roots. I should say first that I have found a magical way to explore the untapped world of music: Pandora. My friend Pat told me about the radio website a couple years ago, but my computer was never fast enough or smart enough to make something like that work (it could have been the operator, I suppose).

I was recently in a staff meeting where the professional development topic was technology. One of my colleagues mentioned Pandora and I finally found a reason to take interest. You essentially identify an artist or a collection of artists and then the program (they call it the music genome project) connects the similarities in the styles and gives you streaming music in that genre. Needless to say, my musical tastebuds have had quite the adventure!

I cannot possibly capture all the musical terrain I have covered in the last couple weeks, but I have come to love the folk stylings of Erin McKeown, Paul Cardall's original piano numbers, and I finally found the music of the Peasall Sisters (they recorded "Down to the River to Pray" for O Brother Where Art Thou?).
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I also had the chance to see a couple shows since I last wrote. In honor of my friend Pat, I went to a David Bazaan concert. It was a spectacular experience that began and ended way too late for my working-girl life, but it was well worth it. The show was at a place called Emo's, so you can imagine the tight-jeaned, bearded, spiked, and extremely 'independent' crowd that gathered in the rootsy space. During the opener, I was swaying along with the other admirers and when I looked to my left and saw Bazaan himself swaying right with me. I'm pretty sure my friend Pat would have soaked his pants at that point, but I kept my cool.

Bazaan's music is a taste you first have to understand to appreciate. Each song has its own character, but they are most all hurtfully depressing. He pulls you into his journey of frustration, confusion, and pain, and it's all very real. I'd say that's the best part. He is singing to turn his heart inside out and I felt that when I was listening. I felt a bit turned inside out.

The other band I saw wasn't from any sort of fame, but it proved the kind of talent you'll find in any old place here in Austin. We went in because there was a fiddler. The group looked like three friends with day jobs who weren't quite ready to let go of music's hold. And they were good! I love a good fiddle, I've found.

I also went to a small show last weekend that was put on by a group called "above grounds." The group sponsors Christian artists and promotes shows. I heard a girl named Sarah Monteen who reminded me of Allie Rogers and Bethany Dillon in a pre-mainstream kind of way. Her voice was truthful and possessed a naivete that somehow also spoke of deep life experience. It was easy to rock a bit in my coffee chair seat to her original melodies.

Well, that's it for now, but there will be more:)