Good Morning, Mat!

Mat Kearney will perform on "Good Morning America" tomorrow, Mar. 1.

My Two Cents: Portable Sounds

: URBAN POP/ROCK :

In short, a great record, though not necessarily as good as I had anticipated. Each of the three tobyMac albums feature a main ingredient that defines that particular batch of T-Mac's genre-defying, self-described musical "gumbo." Momentum has a strong rapcore flavor, Welcome to Diverse City a funk base, and Portable Sounds a pop punch. Perhaps that's why I am not as satisfied with PS. Don't get me wrong -- it's a strong project -- just not quite as tasty as I had hoped.

My Two Cents: Hold On

: SOUL-N-ROLL :

I first began drooling over Tyrone Wells' beautiful voice when I became acquainted with his former band Skypark's album Am I Pretty?. I remember wondering why I hadn't heard of Wells before. His full-bodied rock vocal was all but perfect. So, when I learned of his solo debut and read a flaming hot review by a trusted critic, I was more than excited. Musically, Hold On is more organic than AIP. Vocally, Wells sounds like Maroon 5's Adam Levine meets Lenny Kravitz, only better. Compared to his nearly flawless vocal performance on AIP, Wells' vocals on HO are just SLIGHTLY less impeccable, though more soulful. Easily one of the best picks of the year.

Spinning This Week:

Sufjan Stevens : Illinois
tobyMac : Portable Sounds
Skypark : Am I Pretty?
Tyrone Wells : Hold On
Shawn McDonald : Ripen
Calexico/Iron and Wine : In the Reins
Over the Rhine : 'Til We Have Faces
M.O.C. : Jersey Chica
According to John : A2J
Group 1 Crew : Self-titled
Cool Hand Luke : The Balancing Act
Over the Rhine : Drunkard's Prayer
Patty Griffin : Children Running Through

Hot Picks: Out Today

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tobyMac : Portable Sounds

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Group 1 Crew : Self-titled

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Cool Hand Luke : The Balancing Act

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Spinning This Week:

Sufjan Stevens : Avalanche
Mute Math : Self-titled
All Star United : Self-titled
Tyrone Wells : Hold On
tobyMac : Portable Sounds
Group 1 Crew : Self-titled
All Star United : Love and Radiation

The Sky's the Limit

I was so excited to learn that Tyrone Wells, former Skypark frontman, has gone solo. What a voice! Now a Universal Republic artist, his national debut, Hold On, hit shelves Feb. 6. Of the freshman disc, HM Magazine's Doug Van Pelt said, "Hold On is about as hot as the marriage between R&B and Rock can get." I plan to purchase the disc and post a review in the near future.

Spinning This Week:

Over the Rhine : Ohio
Sixpence None the Richer : The Fatherless and the Widow
Patty Griffin : Children Running Through
All Star United : Self-titled
All Star United : International Anthems for the Human Race
tobyMac : Welcome to Diverse City
Eric Schrotenboer : Forever Faithful
Over the Rhine : Amateur Shortwave Radio
Morella's Forest : Hang Out EP
Caedmon's Call : Just Don't Want Coffee
Coldplay : A Rush of Blood to the Head
Fleming & John : The Way We Are
Over the Rhine : Good Dog Bad Dog
Tyrone Wells : Hold On

My Two Cents: Children Running Through

I was wary of, though committed to, purchasing Patty Griffin's new disc, as I was disappointed with the last record, Impossible Dream. Having had the pleasure (and I do mean pleasure) of seeing her live at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium, I can attest to the fact that ID failed to translate her fiery passion (though it did hint at her fragile pensiveness). She is, hands down, one of the most talented performing singer-songwriters I've ever seen. She can do it all -- from Americana to blues to country to folk to gospel to jazz to rock. And she reminds us of that anew with Children Running Through. The album is nearly everything that I had hoped for. (A smidgen more rock-n-roll, and it would be a perfect record.) One of the more notable tracks, "Burgundy Shoes," is the kind of song that is over far too soon, the kind that you never want to end. It practically had me in tears before the first chorus hit. From the jazzy opening cut to the country-flavored final ballad, CRT portrays Patty's powerful musical palette.

Late Night TV to Love

Not only is Patty Griffin on "The Late Show with David Letterman" tonight, Mat Kearney (pictured at left) will be featured on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

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I might recommend that you opt for Patty tonight, because Kearney will appear on "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" tomorrow night, Feb. 9.

Hot Pick: Out Today

Patty Griffin : Children Running Through

ty Griffin; and 2) Discount Fireworks, the first career retrospective album by Over the Rhine. Look for my two cents on Griffin's new disc in the near future.

Spinning This Week:

The Rocket Summer : Hello, Good Friend
Ray LaMontagne : Trouble
Sufjan Stevens : Illinois
The Waiting : Blue Belly Sky
Coldplay : Parachutes
Vector : Temptation
Sufjan Stevens : Seven Swans
Patty Griffin : Children Running Through
Hillsong : Mighty to Save
Shannon Stephens : How I Got Away
The O.C. Supertones : Supertones Strike Back
Jars of Clay : Who We Are Instead

Sallie's New Record to (Finally) Drop in March

Nate Sallie's much anticipated sophomore album, Ruined for Ordinary, is scheduled to release on Mar. 20. I have been salivating about this new record ever since I heard the single "Breakthrough." You can be sure to find my review of the disc in the days to come.

As I've said before, you really ought to check out the video for this cut. It can be found at both his site and MySpace.

P.O.D. Announces New Label Partnership

Just released last night, the rapcore rockers of P.O.D. have formed a partnership with INO and Columbia Records, with a new project to drop late this summer.