Top 10 Discoveries of 2009
Since it’s the last day of the year, I figured I should get to putting down my top 10 list. Now, since I have little interest in following the norm to the “t”, I’m going to do this my own way. Most of these songs and albums were released in 2009, however a few were released before this year but were new to me, so they count for me. 
This lists is more about the artists, but here are the songs that lead me to discover or rediscover them in 2009.
10. Now I Know Better by The Greg Mayo Band – Of all the great funky songs on their album Universal Communication, it was this ballad that stopped me in my tracks.
9. Mountains to Move by Gavin DeGraw – I rediscovered Gavin this year a few months after he released his latest album and recalled why I fell in love with his music in college. Tbe great thing about his album Free, is the contrast from his previous self-titled album. The self titled is very polished whereas Free was recorded in the Brooklyn studio of producer Camus Celli in a under 2 weeks.
8. Uprising by Muse – Muse stepped into the spotlight again this year when they provided a song for the Twilight Saga: New Moon soundtrack and released their fifth studio album. Every time I hear this song, I can’t help but move to the beat.
7. There You are In Me by Nelie McKay – This song is from Nellie’s 2006 release Pretty Little head. I don’t really know/remember how it came to be in my itunes library, but it came up a few times on shuffle this month and each time I played it again. So I decided to get the rest of the album and i certainly wasn’t disappointed.
6. The Big Picture and Lightning in a Bottle by Robbie Gil – I just couldn’t decide between the 2. I’ve been a fan of Robbie Gil for 3 or 4 years now and I was very excited about the release of his new EP, Lightning in a Bottle, this year. These songs are part of that release and I still can’t get enough of them. If you have a chance to see Robbie play, you really should do that. He’s one of my absolute favorite performers.
5. Some People by Rachel Platten – I heard about Rachel a while ago but never got around to checking out her stuff until a friend posted this video a little while back. I dare you not to relate to this one. 
Check it out here.
4. I Need a Riff by Martin Rivas. I heard this song a few times live before I picked up Martin’s latest release Sea of Clouds. It starts out, “I need a riff to get me through the morning” and I just love that thought. I don’t go anywhere without my ipod and a notebook, so I can completely relate. This song has a great grove and riff, of course. I loved hearing it live and I love having the CD so I can play it whenever I Need a Riff.
3. You Could Be The One by Dan Torres – I saw Dan play live at Rockwood Music Hall about a month ago, I think, and I was just blown away. He reminds me, especially in this song, of a cross between Jeff Buckley and Dallas Green. And he’s an awesome musician and songwriter in his own right, of course. Make sure to check out his music.
2. Locked Up by Ingrid Michaelson from her latest album Everybody which was released in August. I love the intensity of this song and I wish I could put into words how much I relate to a lot of what Ingrid is talking about with this song. Anyway, since I’m not really doing it justice at all, I’m just going to say it’s a great song and you should really check it out.
1. Afterglow by Ian Axel – It’s one of my favorite songs and has been since I heard it a few months ago, which has a little to do with the circumstances of my discovering it, but much more with the fact that it’s just a great song and part of an impressive first offering from a very talented artist. Ian’s first full length album comes out on Tuesday (1/5) so be sure to check that out! From what I’ve heard of it so far, it sounds like it’ll be great.
Rebecca Correia @ The Bitter End
| December 29, 2009 | ||
| 9:00 PM |
Rebecca Correia @ The Bitter End
Tuesday, 12/29/09, 9pm
147 Bleecker St. (between Thompson and LaGaurdia)
Awesome singer-songwriter from Nashville. Come out for her set if you can. Otherwise, check out her music at rebeccacorreia.com
Backscratch Session V
Quick recap of highlights. I think these are in order of the sets, but I could have mixed them up a little.
1. Rebecca Correia – just awesome, all 3 songs were great. I think her first song was called Home, I don’t remember the name of the second one (but i remember liking it), and I’m pretty sure she covered one of Amy’s songs. I’m not always great with details, so feel free to correct me if you have a better memory than I do. What I do know is I was totally impressed and I’m so going to see her at the Bitter End tonight. (-9pm bleecker btwn thompson and laguardia)
2. Amy Regan singing/playing Martin Rivas‘ North – I agree with her thoughts on this song – one of my favorites from the nyc scene.
3. Martin Rivas with Wes Hutchinson singing a new tune of theirs, I think it’s called Don’t You Ever Stop Believing In Me. I really like this song, so forgive me and please correct me if I have the title wrong, guys.
4. All of Live Society’s set. Especially their cover of As by Stevie Wonder, my favorite love song of all time. If you don’t know it, get it now! Really, just get the entire Songs in the Key of Life album. If you’re a music fan and it’s not in your collection, you are missing out. Anyway, I’ve never heard anyone do that live so that was great. 
So yeah, just a few things that stuck in my head from an awesome night of music. I can’t wait for the next one.
3/6/10 YNYC Elegiac Verses
| March 6, 2010 | ||
| 8:00 PM | to | 10:00 PM |
The Young New Yorkers’ Chorus presents Elegiac Verses: Music for the Mystery of Beyond.
Selections of the Requiems of Howells, Victoria and Richafort as well as Tarik O’Regan’s thrilling Triptych and Beethoven’s Elegisher Gesang for choir and string orchestra.
St. Michael’s Church
225 W. 99th St.
8pm
Tickets: $10 Students and Senior Citizens/$15 Adults in advance
$15 Students and Senior Citizens/$20 Adults at the door
| December 29, 2009 11:00 PM | to | December 30, 2009 12:15 AM |
If you live in NYC or nearby and haven’t seen a Josh Dion show you really need to fix that. And you can do so tomorrow. Full band shows listed below as well.
TUESDAY DECEMBER 29 at Rockwood Music Hall ( 196 allen st NY,NY)
josh solo 11 pm FREE FREE FREE no cover 21+
New Years Eve
THURSDAY DECEMBER 31 —- New Years Eve Hang with The Narwhals
11:30 pm www.bitterend.com for more info
The Narwhals are: Greg Mayo – guitar Josh Dion – keyboards – Vinny Sperrazza – drums – Geoff Kraly – bass
And one completely in the new year.
FRIDAY January 15, 2010
josh and the band
live at the Mercury Lounge (217 east houston st NY,NY)
11 pm
$10
21+
| January 6, 2010 | ||
| 8:00 PM | to | 11:00 PM |
This is The New Year, Ian Axel’s first full length album will be on itunes and other online retailers on January 5th. This show celebrates the release in nyc. I can’t wait to hear the full album, everything I’ve heard so far is sounding great. Check out the music video for the album’s title track and album previews on Ian’s youtube channel. And come to the show if you’re around.
It starts @ 8pm
No cover
Rockwood Music Hall
196 Allen St. between Houston and Stanton
| December 28, 2009 10:00 PM | to | December 29, 2009 3:00 AM |
NYC songwriters covering each others tunes in addition to playing a few of their own.
This one features Rebecca Correia, Shira Goldberg, Julia Ilowiecki, Genevieve Labean, Live Society, Andy Mac, Amy Regan, Martin Rivas, and Jesse Rubenfeld, should be a fun night!
Backscratch Session V
The Red Lion
151 Bleecker St. @ Thompson
10pm-1am
No cover!
here’s the facebook event page for more info
Diversity in musical taste
I sometimes forget how much I appreciate and enjoy certain genres of music. I went to a holiday party tonight with quite a group of musicians in attendance. So, not surprisingly, there was a good amount of music making going on. However, in contrast to the environment of my usual musical haunts, this was a group of classical musicians. I’ve been privy to some impromptu performances of a few genres, but not so much in the way of classical. Tonight my friend and his companions read a Fauré quartet for strings and piano among a few other pieces which were all just lovely. Later on, he sang a bit of Schumann lieder, with which you really can’t go wrong.
Meanwhile, the soundtrack for my commute today was the Wicked original cast recording, which I haven’t listened to as a whole in year or so and never to the extent that I listened to showtunes in my middle school days. All of this just got me thinking about how much music is out there and how much of it I love. And also, how I tend to step away from some genres for one reason or another.
I would love to know more about classical music as a genre, and as a time period really, but that’s a whole other story and part of my dilema really. There is just so much out there that I don’t even know where to begin. I only hear what people I know have played or recommended to me. So in that case, I think it may be time to start researching.
Anyway, when I got home tonight I listened to some local pop/rock artists that I’ve become a fan of recently and I love the fact that I can thoroughly enjoy all of this music. I have favorite songs or pieces in so many genres and for different reasons, but I think it’s great that there are so many different kinds of music out there, just as there are so many different kinds of people. And then there are people like me who are insatiable and just want to explore everything.
So as a conclusion to the randomness that has been this post here’s a short list of current and lasting favorites in various genres. Check them out!!
Classical:
String Quartet No. 14 in C Sharp Minor, Op. 131: VI. Adagio quasi un poco andante Beethoven – I discovered this because of it’s use in the miniseries Band of Brothers, which I recommend to everyone. The placement of the piece and it’s slight integration into the storyline is just the kind of thing I wish would happen more often in filmmaking.
Choral:
From Heaven Distilled a Clemency by Tarik O’Regan from Triptych (cantata for string orchestra and chorus) – the entire piece is great, but this movement is without a doubt my favorite of the 3. I’ll be singing this with YNYC in March – head over to ynyc.org or contact me for more info. I also recommend both Conspirare recordings of this piece – Threshold of Night includes the entire Triptych and A Company of Voices includes a recording of this movement with chorus and percussion instead of strings, which is also really cool.
Musical Theater
Wicked Original Cast Recording – There is something about the main theme of this that just gets me. I love the use of brass in this orchestra and the choral harmonies in No One Mourns the Wicked give me chills.
Ragtime Original Cast Recording – Still my favorite musical and cast recording. If you are a fan of musical theater at all you really should look into this one. So powerful.
Local/Indie:
Leaving in the Morning by Dan Torres
Afterglow by Ian Axel from his ep i’m on to you. See my repeat offenders post for a little more on that.
Get Out by Josh Dion
and I’m sure there are many more in all of the above genres. I hope there is something here that appeals to you. If not, let me know what’s on your playlist lately.
