My Brightest Diamond: A Sparkling Debut

I saw new artist My Brightest Diamond open for Sufjan Stevens last month. I was so impressed, I special-ordered her CD from Borders weeks after the show. Shara Worden's musical moniker, MBD is signed to Stevens' label, Asthmatic Kitty. Worden served as Stevens' Illinoisemaker cheerleading captain and has been touring with him for a good while. She has an engaging live show -- her mix of electric guitar, piano and dramatic vocals keeps things interesting. The songbird's freshman release, Bring Me the Workhorse, is one of my favorites this year. Well-written lyrics, innovative arrangements and solid production make BMTW a standout record. Also notable, Worden produced the disc herself. Her voice is a powerful tool, which she uses expertly -- from haunting whispers to operatic screams. In a league all her own, MBD blends indie rock guitar with vocals from another era. Think Judy Garland meets Nina Simone meets PJ Harvey.

Defeat Repeat

If you read my 10.15.06 Poster Child post, you are acquainted with my recent eBay saga. I bid on a $10 Sufjan Stevens concert poster, which eventually sold for $147.50. Needless to say, I refuse to pay that much for a $10 poster. Last week, my friend Janine spotted yet another copy of the same poster on sale, on which I also bid. I am disappointed to report that I lost the second poster by a mere $4! Alas...

Underdog Spotlight: Nissi

BIG VOICE, LITTLE FANFARE: There are certain vocalists who thrill me when they sing live. Nissi is one of them. I first heard Nissi's voice as one-fourth of the R&B/gospel group Anointed. Years later, having moved to Nashville and joined my church's choir, I was surprised to find myself sitting next to Nissi in the alto section. One year, I locked my keys in my car during a choir Christmas party. It was Nissi who called AAA on my behalf and had a locksmith rescue me. She not only has a big voice, she has a big heart. Nissi self-released her solo album, Stronger, in 2003, which features her songwriting, arrangements and powerhouse vocal.

Spinning This Week:

Nissi : Stronger
David Crowder Band : Illuminate
Delirious? : Glo
Kirk Franklin : Hero
Patty Griffin : Living with Ghosts
Patty Griffin : Impossible Dream
The Rocket Summer : Hello, Good Friend
Iona : Open Sky
Smalltown Poets : Self-titled
Fleming & John : The Way We Are
DeGarmo & Key : The Pledge
Sufjan Stevens : The Avalanche

Mac Attack

Despite earlier reports, tobyMac's new record is slated to drop in February.

For Nostalgia's Sake: For an Open Sky

Listening to Velour 100's For an Open Sky always reminds me of a show that I saw with my good friend Dave in the late '90s -- Velour 100 at Four Friends Coffee House in Grand Rapids, Mich. To this day, I name that concert among my all-time favorites. The band filled that cozy venue with a colorful sonic haze. Dave and I sat in the front row, closed our eyes and got lost in the aural atmosphere. None other than Rosie Thomas fronted the group at that time, far before she became an indie goddess. I smiled when I realized that THAT Rosie was the same Rosie Thomas garnering notoriety and a nice little fanbase today. I bought For an Open Sky at that show. I didn't know it that night, but the EP was to be V100's final album; one that the band self-released. As such, it's now out of print, which is just another reason why I'm so glad I was at Four Friends that fine evening.

Spinning This Week:

David Crowder Band : A Collision
dc talk : Nu Thang
Katy Hudson : Self-titled
Patty Griffin : Flaming Red
Leigh Nash : Blue on Blue
Patty Griffin : Living with Ghosts
Diana Krall : The Girl in the Other Room
Downhere : Wide-eyed and Mystified
Maroon 5 : Songs About Jane
Arrested Development : 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life of...
Switchfoot : Nothing Is Sound

My Two Cents: Comatose

My initial reaction during the first spin of Skillet's sixth studio album was two fold: 1) I am glad that John Cooper's (vocals/bass) wife Korey's (keyboards/vocals) voice has returned to the mix (they have a nice blend); and 2) I am also glad that the music is a bit more melodic than that of the last album, Collide. I interviewed John for Seven Ball magazine prior to Collide's release. According to him, they decided to nix the husband/wife harmonies in favor of a more driven, male, rock vocal. Collide was the heaviest, darkest record in the band's repertoire. On Comatose, Skillet trades some of Collide's grit for lush orchestration (at times a la Evanescence) without losing its edge. This record sounds good, but the lyrics fall a little short, for my liking. I'm all for relevance and relatability with a broad audience, but, when lyrics are too vague or weak to make an impact, I lose interest (unless, of course, we're talking about a crazy club mix that is intended to mean absolutely nothing). In short, Comatose is both a return to what Skillet does best and a step forward sonically.

Underdog Spotlight: Brian McSweeney

BIG VOICE, LITTLE FANFARE: I first heard Brian McSweeney's blue-eyed-soul-meets-rock-n-roll vocal when I picked up his former band Seven Day Jesus' first album, The Hunger. McSweeney served as frontman, guitarist and chief songwriter for the outfit. His powerful, dreamy voice won me over immediately. I saw SDJ in concert several times during its tenure. After the group disbanded, I learned that McSweeney had a new band, Matthew, when I happened upon the quartet's disc, Everybody Down, in a used CD store. Perhaps the most memorable of the performances that I witnessed, he played a little Nashville coffee shop on Sept. 12, 2003 -- the day that Johnny Cash died. It was intimate and raw and wonderful. It appears that McSweeney has since gone solo. Unfortunately, his MySpace doesn't have any tracks on it at the moment. When you have the opportunity, you would do well to check him out.

Spinning This Week:

Sufjan Stevens : Michigan
Man Alive : Open Surgery
Michael W. Smith : i 2 (EYE)
Audio Adrenaline : Until My Heart Caves In
Velour 100 : For an Open Sky
P.O.D. : The Warriors EP Vol. 2
Mat Kearney : Nothing Left to Lose
Delirious? : World Service
Eisley : Room Noises
Ray Charles : Ray Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Ariana Terrell : Scenes from a Moving Car
Johnny Cash : The Legend of Johnny Cash

Poster Child

So I saw Sufjan Stevens at the Ryman last month. (See my 9.18.06 review post, Stevens' Show Satisfies.) After the opener's set, my friends and I scoped out the merch table only to find that the concert posters had all been sold. I wanted a poster for three main reasons: 1) I've been following Sufjan's music since our Hope College days -- well before his solo career began. Since we had a small poetry class together, I have a personal tie to him and love to cheer him on from a distance (as I enjoy doing for many other indie artists); 2) the show was a very moving, almost supernatural experience for me and I wanted a memento of the event; and 3) the Ryman posters have a legendary history. You see, from what I'm told, the Ryman Auditorium has long had a partnership with Nashville's Hatch Show Print. In fact, the company has been doing concert posters for the Ryman for decades. Hatch Show Print was founded in 1879 and has done show prints for everyone from Duke Ellington to Elvis Presley to Johnny Cash. From what I understand, Hatch creates posters the old-fashioned way, using blocks to print limited numbers of each design. Determined to look further, my friend Matt decided to contact Hatch Show Print itself, just in case, in an off-chance, the company might have one or two extra posters tucked away in a back room somewhere. To our delight, Hatch had two posters and Matt asked them to hold them for us. We were more than excited! Matt's mother had arranged to pick them up, but was ill on the designated pick-up day. Upon recovery, she stopped at the shop, only to find that the posters had been sold out from under us! Enter eBay. Disappointed, but dealing, I surfed over to eBay and did a quick search for Sufjan items. Would you believe there was ONE copy of the very poster for which I had been pining? My roommate, Taryn, an eBay enthusiast, agreed to help me bid on and keep an eye on the item. Mind you, the poster sold for $10 at the concert. Thirty minutes from the end of the auction, the highest bid was $40. Having told Taryn that my personal spending limit was $52, she rigged an auction snipper bid of $52.51 to be dropped the last five seconds of the sale. I felt like I had a legitimate chance. The next morning, I learned that the winning bid was an outlandish $147.50! I'm bummed that I lost the poster, but, in a small way, I am happy -- that obscenely high bid bodes well of Sufjan. Never underestimate the power of an indie artist...

Spinning This Week:

Gary Oliver : More Than Enough
Chris Tomlin : Arriving
Steven Delopoulos : Me Died Blue
Skillet : Comatose
Patty Griffin : Impossible Dream
Newsboys : Step Up to the Microphone
Mukala : Fiction
Sufjan Stevens : Seven Swans
Israel and New Breed : Real
Shawn McDonald : Ripen
Mute Math : Self-titled
Jennifer Knapp : The Collection
My Brightest Diamond : Bring Me the Workhorse
Jeff Buckley : The Grace E.P.
Matisyahu : Youth
Matthew (fronted by Brian McSweeney) : Everybody Down
Sufjan Stevens : The Avalanche

Stand By Your Man

If you've read my I Can't Stand "Standing Room Only" post, you understand how much I have come to detest singer-songwriter events sans seating. I have gone so far as to vow never to attend such a session again. I also alluded to a potential reason to renege on that vow -- THIS is that show. I've just purchased tickets to the aforementioned concert on Nov. 17, and I'm thrilled. Mat Kearney (at right) is one of my favorite artists, a singer-songwriter who mixes pop, folk and hip-hop. He once told me his music had a "Bob Dylan meets Tupac" sound. Griffin House, a young artist with an old soul, has an honest, earnest voice. I once read a journalist describe his sound as "Bono meets Johnny Cash." It's not an easy task to win me over as an unknown opener. House managed to do just that.

New Release: Skillet

Skillet's newest release, Comatose, is in stores today. Look for my review in the days to come.

Spinning This Week:

Israel and New Breed : Live from Another Level
The World Wide Message Tribe : We Don't Get What We Deserve
Phil Wickham : Self-titled
Jill Phillips : Writing on the Wall
dc talk : Intermission: The Greatest Hits
My Brightest Diamond : Bring Me the Workhorse
Michael Christopher : Unplugged
Michael Christopher : EP
Nirvana : MTV Unplugged in New York
Leigh Nash : Blue on Blue
tobyMac : Welcome to Diverse City
Sufjan Stevens : Illinois
Skillet : Comatose