For Nostalgia's Sake: Shawl

I'm spinning The Prayer Chain's Shawl tonight. The 1993 release reminds me of my junior year of high school. I remember dancing around my living room with my friend Jodi like a Native American every time we listened to "Crawl." I was prompted to pop Shawl into the player tonight because I've been e-mailing Tim Taber, TPC's frontman, a bit lately, as I am writing a feature on Cool Hand Luke for HM Magazine, and Taber (now the owner of Floodgate Records) serves as CHL's publicist.

Christmas with Sufjan

I got my Sufjan Stevens Songs for Christmas five-disc box set order in the mail today! Look for my two cents on the Christmas collection in the near future.

Spinning This Week:

Darrell Evans : Freedom
Patty Griffin : Living with Ghosts
Sufjan Stevens : Songs for Christmas Vol. I
Sufjan Stevens : Songs for Christmas Vol. II
Sufjan Stevens : Songs for Christmas Vol. III
Sufjan Stevens : Songs for Christmas Vol. IV
Sufjan Stevens : Songs for Christmas Vol. V
Cool Hand Luke : Wake Up, O Sleeper
Various (Via Records) : Noel
The Prayer Chain : Shawl
Rhythm of Creation : Mankind's Encounter with the Creator
Eric Schrotenboer : Fruit of the Spirit
Crystal Lewis : Holiday!
My Brightest Diamond : Bring Me the Workhorse
Delirious : World Service
London Symphony Orchestra : Winterscapes
tobyMac : Welcome to Diverse City
Genie and Troy Nilsson : Whisper

Spinning This Week:

Passion : Sacred Revolution
Genie and Troy Nilsson : Whisper
Sufjan Stevens : Seven Swans
Sarah Masen : Carry Us Through
Rich Mullins and a Ragamuffin Band : The Jesus Record
Shawn McDonald : Ripen
Sufjan Stevens : The Avalanche
Nat King Cole : The Christmas Song
Ray Charles : Ray Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Amy Grant : Home for Christmas
Leigh Nash : Blue on Blue
Kevin Max : Holy Night
Phil Wickham : Self-titled
Bing Crosby : Merry Christmas
Crystal Lewis : Holiday!
Sufjan Stevens : Illinois

Underdog Spotlight: Phillip LaRue

This week I had planned to spotlight brother-sister duo LaRue -- after researching to see if they are, indeed, still making music together. (The pair's third and final album, Reaching, was released in 2002, and Phillip and Natalie have since both gotten married.) I discovered that Phillip LaRue has gone solo. Before I blog a bit about him, let me celebrate the sibling songsters. If memory serves me, the LaRues recorded their first album at the tender ages of 14 and 12, respectively. They each have one of those rare, monsterous vocal gifts that surface at a very young stage in life. Both Phil and Nat's voices amaze me, and their blend together is beautifully powerful. As for Phillip's solo ventures, I hope to hear more great work from him in the future. His voice is gorgeous -- both delicate and strong, passionate and peaceful. Traces of the beautiful side of Jeff Buckley and Kevin Max's vocals can be heard in Phillip's voice, although he has a sound all his own. Fans of Buckley, Max, Josh Groban, Phil Wickham and Coldplay would do well to check out Phillip's tunes.

Great Week for Kearney Fans

Mat Kearney's music will make its third appearance on "Grey's Anatomy" this Thursday. The hit ABC drama will feature his song "Where We Gonna Go From Here." As if that wasn't enough, those of us in Nashville will have a chance to experience Kearney live both Friday and Saturday nights at Exit/In. Stay tuned for my review of Friday night's show, also featuring opener Griffin House (pictured above).

Spinning This Week:

Lakewood Live : We Speak to Nations
Out of Eden : Lovin' the Day
Over the Rhine : Amateur Shortwave Radio
Paul Wright : Sunrise to Sunset
Coldplay : Parachutes
Griffin House : Lost & Found
Caedmon's Call : Intimate Portrait
Bleach : Self-titled
Mat Kearney : Nothing Left to Lose
Over the Rhine : The Darkest Night of the Year
Iona : Journey into the Morn
LaRue : Reaching
Over the Rhine : Good Dog Bad Dog
Sufjan Stevens : Illinois
Audio Adrenaline : Until My Heart Caves In
Patty Griffin : Flaming Red
Over the Rhine : Ohio
Griffin House : Homecoming

Over the Rhine News

One of my absolute favorite groups, Over the Rhine, has just finished a new Christmas album (their second). I was thrilled to learn that OTR will be in Nashville next month! Visit their Web site to see if Linford and Karin will grace your city this season. You can expect my review of the new disc (and possibly the concert) in the days to come.

Kearney on Conan This Thursday

Catch Mat Kearney on Late Night with Conan O'Brien this Thursday.

Spinning This Week:

Shawn McDonald : Ripen
Iona (with The All Souls Orchestra) : Woven Cord
My Brightest Diamond : Bring Me the Workhorse
Sixpence None the Richer : The Best of Sixpence None the Richer
Wilshire : New Universe
Joy Williams : Genesis
Yellow Second : Altitude
Bob Dylan : The Best of Bob Dylan
tobyMac : Welcome to Diverse City
Rosie Thomas : Only with Laughter Can You Win
Robert Calmes : The Spirit of Evergreen
Chris Rice : Run the Earth * Watch the Sky
Delirious? : World Service
Lenny Kravitz : Greatest Hits
Over the Rhine : Drunkard's Prayer

Sufjan Stevens on Austin City Limits This Saturday

I ripped this one straight from the Asthmatic Kitty Records Web site:

See and hear Sufjan and the Band of Butterflies perform live on the Austin City Limits stage on Saturday, Nov. 4....find out when the program will be shown in your area.