A Summer Gift

You may have thought it was never coming, but I finally got around to finding the tape it was on. The video of Patrick playing "I Told Her Its the Summer" is now on youtube. Check it out, and let it be a reminder of a time when it was a little warmer outside.

-Eric

Taking a Break

The Soloists will be taking a short break as Pat spends his semester in France and I head off to Ann Arbor. Follow Pat's trip at www.pkinfrance.blogspot.com. We hope you enjoy the EP and we're looking forward to playing more shows when Pat returns to the US!

-Eric

Playlist Review, #10

Alright, it's here, the end of the Playlist to Paris series. Let's review the entries, shall we?
1.Where I Stood-Missy Higgins
2.The Man Who Can't Be Moved-The Script
3. Landed- Ben Folds
4. Anna Begins - Counting Crows
5. Make it Mine- Jason Mraz
6. All We Are- Matt Nathanson
7. Why I'm Talking to You- Jon McLaughlin
8. Hammers and Strings - Jack's Mannequin
9.Syndicate - The Fray... and the last song will be
10. You Make it Real- James Morrison

James is a great singer from the UK, a lot of soul and grit in his voice. Hopefully I will be able to check him out while I'm in France. I hope you enjoyed this series and that you get to explore some new artists or new songs from familiar artists.

The EP is Here!

You can listen to the "Bending the Truth EP" on our myspace page, www.myspace.com/thesoloistsmusic! Enjoy

-Eric

Playlist 9

As the playlist draws closer to the finish with only 2 songs left, I'm searching for the bands that I've left off. One of them is The Fray. After seeing them twice already this year with the potential for another show in Paris this October, I've developed a great appreciation for their music and for the guys themselves, they are all great musicians.

Playlist to Paris # 9 - Syndicate - The Fray: The first song off their latest cd, the piano part is pretty impressive, and the chorus is another catchy one by Issac Slade. Check the new stuff out if you haven't already, because if you've only heard the radio hits, then you haven't heard enough of this band.

Playlist 8

Next on the list will be: Hammers and Strings (A Lullaby) - Jack's Mannequin

Some of you may know that Eric and I enjoy listening to many of the same artists, and when we see new music or if there are bands playing a concert with a band that we know, we'll check out their cd and see how it is. Well we knew some of Jack's Mannequin's old songs, but ever since we bought the new CD, it's been hard for both of us to stop listening to it. Check them out when you have a chance, and check out this chorus:

"Give me something to believe in, a breath from to breathe in, so write it down I don't think that I'll close my eyes, cause lately I'm not dreaming, so what's the point in sleeping? It's just that at night, I've got nowhere to hide, to the sleepless this is my reply, I'll write you a lullaby."

Eric's Song of the Day

I've let Pat do most of the blogging lately, but I thought I'd jump in with a song of the day. "Phantom Limb" off of The Shins' album, Wincing the Night Away, has been played a few times on The River (for those of you who don't know, 93.9 The River is the radio station I'm pretty much always listening to) and I can't get enough of it. The first song of the Shins that I heard was "New Slang", which is also a great song. That song was recommended to me by Mr. Langley. (noticing a trend?) As Natalie Portman said, The Shins will change your life, so you should probably check them out.





















In other news, our EP will be called "Bending the Truth EP" and it will hopefully be released later this week. We hope you're looking forward to this release as much as we are, as a lot of work has been put into it and we're very happy with the way its sounding.

-Eric

Update, playlist 7

Hi, the latter half of the summer is proving to be a busy one for Eric and I. The EP is in the editing stage and we are starting to prepare for a show that will be formally announced in the near future, it promises to be a good one. We are both very excited about playing our new songs live and having a great time performing for our fans.

Also, I will be jamming and possibly writing with a good friend in the next few days..so there might be a new release in the next week or so. More on this as the week progresses.

Playlist #7 Why I'm Talking to You - Jon McLaughlin - One of favorite piano-driven artists, I feel that Jon has inspired part of my music, and that I've tried to create or at least have a touch of his elements in my songs. This song represents the blues song that I have longed to write as time goes on, a great groove and piano solo.....as is the case for many of his songs.

Playlist #6

Next up on the list, as I am 17 days from France:

All We Are- Matt Nathanson

One of the more simple songs on the list, another great song from Matt Nathanson with a great chorus: "All we are, we are..All we are, we are..And everyday is the start of something beautiful."

A great line to remember as we wake up and get ready for school or work, everyday is the start of something beautiful.

Playlist #5

Next up on the playlist is a song that relates to an upcoming concert:

Make it Mine-Jason Mraz
A nice, upbeat song with some cool parts in it, the opening song on his latest cd. And these lyrics give you the inspiration for why his tour is called the "Gratitude Cafe Tour"

"I keep my life on a heavy rotation, requesting that it's lifting you up, up, up, and away, and over to a table at the gratitude cafe."

I just got my tickets in the mail and that made me want to listen to Jason Mraz, always good with words and melodies.

Playlist to Paris #4

Alright I'm around 3 weeks and 1 day to the time of my flight to Paris, so here is song number 4 on the list:

Anna Begins-Counting Crows - If you haven't heard this song before, and you listen to it, you may wonder why it is in the top 3 of my most played on iTunes. It's not really a traditional song with all kinds of things going on, it's just a nice drum beat, and the instruments come in as it goes on, chords are struck, and the lyrics are sung.. This kind of structure is something I haven't done in my short songwriting career. Most of the song deals with minor chords and then it turns major and really gets to you at the end.

Playlist #3

Ok so for all of the followers out there, the last song I posted is not an "old classic", I just forgot to change the wording. Song number 3 on the list is now official:

Landed- Ben Folds - A great song to listen to in any situation, this is one of Ben's best songs with a great piano part and a great overall melody. Back on Monday with the next song.

Playlist to Paris #2

So after the Missy Higgins song, I'll go back to an old classic on iTunes, the 2nd song on the playlist:

The Man Who Can't Be Moved- The Script. I've been a fan of a few of their songs, this new band from the UK is getting some radio time here in America. It's a pretty catchy chorus that leads to a good bridge, here are the lyrics:

"People talk about the guy, who's waiting on the girl, there are no holes in his shoes, but a big hole in his world..And maybe I'll get famous as the man who can't be moved, and maybe you won't need to, but you'll see me on the news and you'll come running to the corner cause you know it's just for you."

Playlist to Paris

So I'll start up a new series and take some of the slack off of EVB..For those of you who don't know, I'll be over in France in about a month from now studying abroad for the fall semester. I've been getting ready and I thought that I'd start creating a playlist of what I want to listen to on the plane. I don't want to kill all of the battery on the iPod, so I'll have a few small playlists(besides the EP, of course) to get me through. I'll start listing some of the songs and a little description about them as the trip gets closer and I add them to the list. Here's the 1st one:

Playlist to Paris song #1: Where I Stood-Missy Higgins. Eric and I have had the pleasure of seeing this Australian piano/guitar player twice in concert. Her music is great, and the accent makes it even better. But take a listen to this song and you'll get a feel for her emotion and passion as she sings.

"Take what you've learned and try to turn it into something good"

The final song on the EP will be "Something Good". This song is about getting back on your feet and learning from mistakes. This is something I've experienced many times and I've found that there is always something to be learned from mistakes, and no mistake is permanent. You have to take whatever you can learn from it and move on with your life. This song is one of our more upbeat songs, so I think you'll enjoy it.

Now that you know all the songs, you're probably wondering what the name of this EP is and when it will be released. The final EP release post to be posted later this week will tell you just that, so be excited.

-Eric

"There's a fine line between fact and fiction"

The fourth track on the EP will be "Paper Thin". This song was written fairly recently and like many of my songs, it was inspired by a long run I was on (well, not long by Scott's terms, but long for me). This song continues the underlying theme of lies and deceit found throughout the EP.

Update, lyrics

Hi everyone, Eric and I are heading back into the studio tonight to continue working on what promises to be a great EP! We just got back from a great Chicago trip with friends, and there is potential for some golf later this week, we'll see if I can get revenge on EVB after losing in a team competition earlier in the month.

It's not really a one-liner, but I really love these lyrics from Jason Mraz's latest CD :We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things..very much looking forward to his concert in mid-August!

From his song, "A Beautiful Mess"
"Although you are biased, I love your advice.
Your comebacks they're quick and probably have to do with your insecurities.
There's no shame in being crazy, depending on how you take these words I'm paraphrasing this relationship we're staging.."

Last week I talked about the great lyrics of Adam Duritz, but Jason Mraz is no slouch at writing lyrics himself..if you want some fun lyrics, check out "The Dynamo of Volition" off of the same CD and you'll have plenty of interesting lyrics to read.

-Pat

"The road ahead is unsure, but I don't need you anymore"

The third track of the EP is "Last Time". It is about the end of a chapter in my life where I came to understand that I couldn't be with a certain someone and I needed to move on. Sounds like a simple enough concept, but it was important to write a song about it and go forward with things.

This song ended up being developed by a few people, as I came to Eric's house one night with chords, a verse and no chorus, he quickly fixed that, and then we had lyrics from others behind the scenes as well. This song will show some of the slower, but still very emotional side of our writing.

"I run from the truth and I chase every lie"

The second song on the EP will be "Calm Before the Storm". Laying on a beach on a small lake in northern Michigan, a big storm rolled in. It was amazing to watch the clouds roll across the lake and the rain come towards me, and the basis of this song came together in my head.

There was a version of this song recorded and released last year, but we've been tweaking it for this EP, so if you think you've heard it, think again.

-Eric

"All the jealousy in the world"

The first track of the EP will be "Slippin’ on Water". This song was inspired by a specific event (ask Pat for more details) and was a complete collaboration between us. We alternate lines throughout the verses and we are usually singing lines that the other person wrote, which is why the lines I sing sound so good.

-Eric

It's getting exciting.. One-liner #2

Well as Eric said, we are hitting the studio tonight! It's pretty exciting seeing that our project/band has been around for a little less than a year, and we also may have an exciting and epic co-headlining show to announce soon with one of our friends...Stay tuned for update on that and on the songs, the practices have been going well and we are looking forward to getting some great music out to the fans.

I'll get my lyric in for the day and continue EVB's new series:
"And the price of a memory is the memory of the sorrow it brings." Mrs. Potter's Lullaby from Counting Crows.
I could've listed a ton of lyrics from Mrs. Potter's Lullaby, one of my favorite Counting Crows songs, but this one is just another example of the great, meaningful lyrics that Adam Duritz writes.

In the Studio

The Soloists are proud to announce our 5 song EP to be released later this year! It will include some songs you know and a couple new ones you haven't heard before. Today is our first day in the studio. We should have a better idea of the timeline after tonight. We will post updates on the songs and other info soon so check back.

One-liner #1

I'm starting another new series. These are going to be song lines that stick out to me. They might not all be deep and meaningful, some of them might just be funny, but I'll start with my favorite line of all time. Its from one of my favorites by Tom Petty, "American Girl."

God its so painful
Something thats so close
And still so far out of reach

I guess it doesn't make much sense out of context, but the song is really good.

New Music Thoughts

Hi, the blog has been on for a while and this is my first post, so I'm slacking, but you have to start somewhere. I'll feed off of Eric's post where he talked about the concerts, I was lucky enough to be at the Counting Crows/Augustana show as well, and it was great. Many favorites were played by the Crows, but Augustana really caught me off guard with their set.

I'm not sure what people think about Augustana, but I've always viewed them as leaning somewhat towards the emo end of rock instead of the folk end like Counting Crows..This view was totally changed on Wednesday night. There were only a few moments where lead singer Dan Layus really went out for a kind of "scream" or a crazy note. For the most part, they looked pretty happy, and way more under control and mature than they were the last time I saw them. Their pianist was even able to rock out on the organ for several sounds, where was this a few years ago?

This again leads to Eric's point about listening to more than one song or making a judgement too soon. Lately I've been listening to CDs for more than just the hit song that is on the record, and it really gives you a better idea of who a band really is. I can honestly tell you that "You Found Me" isn't my favorite song on The Fray's latest CD, it's not even close..The days of buying the hit single on iTunes and leaving the rest for another day are over, maybe I would've been expecting something different from Augustana had I listened to the whole CD.

I hope everyone continues to discover new music and that you are able to go beyond the hit single and really see what a band is all about. Next up for me is Paolo Nutini, 22 year old from Scotland with an unmistakable voice. His first hit was "New Shoes", and now he's back with a new album called "Sunny Side Up", I'll let you guys know what I think.

Eric's Song of the Day

So its been a while since the first song of the day... The song stuck in my head lately is "Photobooth" by Death Cab for Cutie. If you've never listened to Death Cab before, you should really check them out. I've been a fan since I first heard "Soul Meets Body," which was recommended to me by Mr. Langley, for those of you that know him.

I never explored their older music until recently, and I've been missing out all this time. None of this music will get you pumped up or even excited, but there is something about it that I love. Maybe its the intricate guitar riffs or subtle piano and synths, or maybe its the complex and catchy lyrics. The lyrics Ben Gibbard writes are some of the most complex I've heard, and this is especially surprising because he was an engineering student, not an english major or something like that. We all know that engineers are not usually the best with words. Maybe there is some hope for me...

I was very excited when their new album came out, but I was slightly disappointed with their first single, "I Will Posses Your Heart." I didn't listen to any other songs on the album but that was a big mistake. I was missing some great songs. One of my favorites is "Grapevine Fires." So in case you didn't get the jist of this whole post, check out Death Cab for Cutie, you might find some music that you like.

In other news, I had a pretty big week. I made it to two concerts. My favorite band, Counting Crows with Augustana, on Wednesday night, and my friend Robin Horlock on Thursday night. The Counting Crows are always fun to watch, but this concert was especially good. Both bands played together for almost half the concert, so there were 12 people on stage singing and playing different instruments, and Adam Duritz was doing his usual antics running around and jumping off of things. They played all the songs I wanted to hear most in the first 5 songs, and even threw in some that I hadn't seen them play live before.

I've known Robin Horlock for about 3 years now. He's from Northville and our families are pretty good friends. I first met him playing at one of our neighbor's parties. I never made it to one of his official gigs until this one, so it was pretty exciting. He came out with a new album in January, which was excellent. If you only listen to one song on it, check out "Sink". Actually, check out "Music" too. They're both really good. You can listen to his music at www.robinhorlock.com.

-Eric

We have a blog!

Welcome to The Soloists' blog. This is where we'll keep you updated on what we're doing, talk about whats inspiring us, or maybe just post complete nonsense. It should be exciting. Feel free to comment and give us your input.

Eric's Song of the Day:
Yes, I'm starting a tradition right now. I always have a song stuck in my head, so here's what was stuck in my head today. "Gimme Sympathy" by Metric. Check it out. Its got some cool synths, good vocals, and catchy lyrics. Maybe I just like the Beatles reference. I first heard of Metric about a month ago when they released the first single, "Help, I'm Alive" from their new album, "Fantasies". I thought it was pretty good, despite how different it was from most of the music I listen to. It's been opening my mind to more indie music that I never gave a chance before. Well, thats all I have for today. Hope you enjoyed it.