Song of the Day: “The Ladder”

So I’ve been gone for, y’know, more than 2 weeks or so. 16 days of silence. Many apologies for that, since from the beginning I’ve intended for Harmony Avenue to be something that I don’t leave alone for weeks and months at a time, but a project that I’m actually dedicated to updating and putting my heart into. And I’ve loved where this blog has gone so far, and I can’t keep moving forward if I end up having such a long break like that. Sorry to fill the void with yet another Song/Music Video/quick post of the Day, but at least it’s something until I return to regular (full-sized) posting. Tonight’s spotlight? How about a little…

“The Ladder” by Andrew Belle!

Andrew Belle’s terrific new CD, also titled “The Ladder,” recently came to my attention through an email sent to me by NoiseTrade (a great site I mentioned in an earlier post where lots of great artists post music that’s offered for absolutely free of charge) about how said album was being offered for 3 days (of course, for free) on the site. Sadly, that deal is no longer available, but you can still find a nice EP or two of his there (just click on the link and it should be pretty simple to come across). Anyways, I discovered when I started listening to the album that the 3-day deal wasn’t just a good deal…it was an INCREDIBLE one. Andrew’s music draws a lot from similar male singer-songwriters like Greg Laswell and the like, but it’s strikingly original as well, and very passionately delivered. It’s music with heart and soul and life, not just some cookie-cutter ‘pretty’ stuff you’d hear while shopping at some trendy boutique. This particular song is the jaunty title track that opens the record, and it’s one of my favorites off the album. You can check out Andrew’s website here. All his music is highly recommended.

So will I ever break out of this short-post rut? What I’m planning in the coming week:

• My long-gestating Grammy predictions/wishes post
• At least one new album review and/or artist spotlight
• A Sketches post about…something (I originally planned for it to be about men’s choirs, but I might just make it a little bit of this & that…TBD)
• And maybe something else entirely.

I’ll do my absolute best to make sure there’s not any long 16-day breaks again here on Harmony Avenue (well, at least until I leave on my mission in a few months, in which case there will unfortunately be, y’know, a 2-year break or something ), because I want to keep sharing my love for great music…and of course, as much of said great music itself as possible…for a long time. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see y’all posthaste with another new post.

Song of the Day: “Bulldozer”

It’s the last Song of the Day (and post on Harmony Avenue, for that matter) of the year! Sniffle, sniffle. What shall it be? How ’bout a little something called…

“Bulldozer,” by Bess Rogers!

I got this song just yesterday thanks to a free sampler NoiseTrade (an absolutely terrific site where you can find lots of free music from up-and-coming artists, I highly suggest you check it out) and Bess herself were offering this week. (It’s still available for a short time, so go forth and get it! It features a collection of 9 great songs from her various EPs, along with a few other tracks.) I’m not quite sure how I stumbled upon it, but I do remember checking out Bess’s music on iTunes about a year ago and loving it (but sadly, my wallet didn’t love it, and I couldn’t buy any at the time). She’s toured with the one and only Ingrid Michaelson (in fact, in the live version of “The Chain” on Ingrid’s compilation CD “Be OK,” Bess is one of the trio vocalists), and all her music is absolutely terrific. I just can’t get enough of this particular song, especially (I’m getting close to just sticking it on repeat, since I’ve already listened to it so much)…it’s peppy, but deep; the chord progressions are just SO good, and Bess’s voice is full of power and personality. I highly recommend you close out 2010 with this fine number…and bonus! Here’s a firecracker live performance of the song, courtesy of Blender (the embedding thing didn’t work for some reason, so just hop on over to the link):

http://www.blender.com/video/live/85036/bess-rogers-bulldozer.html

Have a great New Year’s, everyone! See you all in 2011, with lots more musical goodness here in Harmony Avenue. (And if you’re looking for a blog-y way to celebrate, how about subscribing? It’s the best, most convenient way to keep up with everything happening here. Just click on the button on the right.)