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