New Year's Rockin'

Catching some air time at Seattle's
Experience Music Project, Oct. 2014. ©

Happy New Year! 2015 is off to a great... dare I say, rockin' start.

One of my favorite hangouts, Bourbon Street Bar & Grill has been running a singing competition, picking two qualifiers each week to square off during the finals, with $1000 to be awarded the winner. So, last week I entered... and won, landing a perfect score for stage presence in the process. From here I advance to the semi-finals, to be held next Wednesday, February 4— I love a challenge and, of course, the chance to perform... wish me luck!

This is great motivation, since I have really been concentrating on music lately, actively singing and taking electric guitar lessons since last summer. It's taking some time, but slowly and surely I'm adding songs to my repertoire, while practicing general scales and chords, reading music, and so on.

As I type this, I'm listening to Mark Ronson's latest album, Uptown Special—I have long admired the producer's skill at bringing back retro sounds in a soulful new way (i.e. Amy Winehouse), and this album certainly continues on that promise. Refreshing! Here is the first hit single off the album: "Uptown Funk":

I have only started listening to Uptown Special, but I wonder if it will be on my best album list by year's end? Quite possibly. 

Black Keys turnin' blue in Philadelphia, September 20, 2014.
Photo by Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

2014 certainly had its share of soulful moments. My favorite of the year was the Black Keys' Turn Blue—the album offered a slightly new sound for this veteran blues/rock duo, as it ventured into more introspective territory (for instance, the title track, which I love). Well, I had merely a passing interest in the Keys' music, but I think I finally got it... so much so that we had to head to Philadelphia last September to see them perform live for the first time. They did not disappoint in concert (even covered Edwyn Collins' epic "A Girl Like You"... wow), and I was excited to hear that they will be playing at this year's Mountain Jam in the Catskills—that's a little closer to home, and I'll definitely take them up on it! Keeping guitar rock alive... thank God.

Sean Rowe and opener "Uncle Tony" Prezio
@ Caffe Lena's, Jan. 19, 2015. Photo ©Jeremy Clowe.

Another great album from last year was Sean Rowe's Madman. Originally from Troy, New York, Rowe has already made quite a name for himself in the Capital Region.. but one listen to the single "Desiree" made me realize why there is so much national buzz going on about the guy! In addition to smart lyrics and melodies, one of the attractions is the singer's vocice—sort of a cross between Tom Waits and Otis Redding (the latter I was pleased to learn was an influence). Sarah and I had a chance to catch him during a very intimate concert last week at the historic Caffe Lena's in Saratoga. Rowe is now embarking on a European tour, but I hope to see him perform again in the area, sometime later in the new year... local boy done good.

Looking back at year-end music countdowns from our favorite local radio stations (WEQX, WEXT), I was hardly surprised to see that Irish singer, Hozier's "Take Me To Church" made the top spot for both stations in 2014—the heartfelt song was an instant classic, and one I need to try sometime at open mic:

Anyway, here's to a year of new musical discoveries... can I get an amen, amen?

Related Links:

Black Keys, Live at Austin City Limits (full set), November 17, 2014

"Mark Ronson: How sampling transformed music," TED Talk, March 2014