Derby City Scene

Louiville is for Lovers Vol. 9
Now Available on CD/Vinyl/Digital Download

Here are a couple of songs (and live video of one of said songs), from the Louisville is for Lovers Vol. 9 compilation.

First is "Same State" by The Fervor (this song also features Louisville great Dave Cronin, formerly of the band Follow the Train). These melodic brooders write achingly beautiful while equally heartbreaking odes to the most mysterious of the human conditions. There's stunning naivete to the wistful lyrics that forces this song to linger long after it's stopped playing.

02 Same State [with Dave Cronin].mp3

And also a video of The Fervor performing "Same State" on WFPK's Live Lunch:

Second is "Joan's Song" by Teneia Sanders (who has one of the best voices in town). This is a gorgeous song about secret, unrequited love from one woman to another, in a time when such feelings were not widely accepted. It's brilliantly based on a character from the t.v. show Mad Men.

08 Joans Song.mp3

2 in a week? Really?

For the second time in a week there's a new video from Taylor Swift. This one is definitely higher production value...but I don't buy the fact that they put the 80's hoot-owl glasses on Swift and expect us to buy her as the "Plain Jane" character. Although I totally buy the dark wig turning her into the vixen character. Good song, kind of a hokey video. As much as I dig her music, her videos have disappointed me on a fairly consistent basis.

"You Belong With Me"
from her 2008 album Fearless

This is an absolutely ancient video that features Stuart Duncan (a good friend of this blog) and a rather vintage looking Allison Krauss...

Show Review: O.A.R.

O.A.R. (Of A Revolution)
5/1/09 4th Street Live, Louisville, KY

O.A.R. is a band that has acquired the perfect amount of praise, the perfect number of fans, and the perfect number of infectious radio singles. Nothing more. They aren't a bad band by any means, as well they'll never be mistaken as a great one either. They can draw a massive crowd but maintain the fan appreciation that goes with their pseudo-underground following. All of this combines to make a perfect concert going event because a) their die hard fanbase will show up no matter what and force the crowd into a good time, while b) even the most casual listener of their music can go, have fun, and recognize at least a handful of songs from their setlist.

Last night the band was on and rolled through their catalog of crowd pleasing favorites. Highlights included pretty much everything you assume they would "Hey Girl", "This Town", "Love and Memories", "Shattered", and of course "Crazy Game of Poker". The unexpected shocker was when the band pulled out a nearly flawless, note-for-note cover of The Beatles' "With A Little Help From My Friends" (they of course did the classic Joe Cocker/"Wonder Years" arrangement of the song).

The sad affair of the whole night was the fact that the steel and concrete interior of 4th Street Live is not designed well acoustically speaking, therefore anywhere further than fifty feet from the stage sound pretty distorted. But the band was playing on point last night, they were talkative, and obviously in a good mood - while fairly restricted by sound issues that were out of their hands.

Opening band Parachute left much to be desired. They are the kind of band that you hear live and feel immediately underwhelmed, however, at the same time in your mind you're thinking "I'll be their album sounds really good." But during their performance last night everything meshed together and ended up sounding like one really long song.

New Taylor Swift Video...

This is the new video from Taylor Swift. The song's about her mom and it's all heart warming in stuff. Happy early Mother's Day.

Cover of Fearless

"The Best Day" off of her 2008 album Fearless...