MY LIST: April

April’s artists: Josh Ritter, Joshua Radin, Joshua James (The 3 Joshuas)

Sorry for the belatedness of this post, my 2 jobs and school are really getting in the way of these important things, you know what I mean?

I title this the 3 Joshuas for obvious reasons, but I group these three artists together because of their relative similarities in music and small discography. This blog is named after a Joshua Radin song, Sundrenched World, the opening track on his beautifully tragic debut album: We Were Here. Some of you may know Joshua Radin as Zach Braff’s buddy who gets his songs put on his shows like Scrubs and movies such as Garden State and Last Kiss starring the actor/director. However, Radin’s music speaks for itself, all it needed was a little exposure. A mellow and mostly acoustic series of 12 tracks paint a picture of melancholy and hope mixed together like a collage. The album weaves from one track to the next with string backings and vocals that crescendos and dims even within the same words. The lyrics typically revolve around a young man’s angst in love and in his own skin. Accompanying the vocals are catchy guitar melodies that set the tone of the songs even if separate from the theme of the lyrics. This album has no standout songs but each song is an enjoyable listen for relaxation and introspection.

Song that will change your life: Sundrenched World
Other tracks that you must listen to: Winter, Everything’ll Be Alright, Closer, Today
Hidden tracks: Someone Else’s Life, These Photographs, Only You

Joshua James is my most recent discovery, thanks to iTunes free downloads – they can surprise you every once in a while. James’ debut album: The Sun is Always Brighter (no, I did not get it for the sundrenched theme) begins with a very catch and upbeat spin on the typical love song. Again, a mostly acoustic album, James incorporates percussion and piano to back his more lighthearted playing style over Radin’s picking melodies. I’m still getting to know this album and a few songs have caught my ear the initial listening, others I will have to give a little bit more time before judging. The style ranges from up tempo to waltz-y tragic. What separates James from Radin is the greater range of overall music presentation, however each does well in their respective styles and desired emotional aims. James’ vocals are more rustic, for a lack of a better adjective, than Radin’s smooth ebb and flow vocals. James reminds me of a male Patty Griffin if you are familiar with her long catalog of work. Joshua James is a good middle man leading to our final Josh in this music fix.

Song that will change your life: FM Radio
Other tracks that you must listen to: The New Love Song, Soul and the Sea, Today,
Hidden tracks: Lord, Devil, and Him, Abbie Martin, Commodore

Josh Ritter has been around longer then our previous two Joshuas and is a more polished musician from his folksy roots to mainstream airplay. Ritter’s early work clearly shows the influence of the Bob Dylan genre - low, vocally driven tunes that weave tales of down home characters leaving out lives and jobs in Middle America. Accompanies by the occasional harmonica, Ritter would walk the guitar along with his stories to produce folk tales reminiscent of Dylan and Adam Brodsky. Where I discovered Josh Ritter was through a live EP he released with 4 songs from his Hello Starling and Golden Age of Radio albums, and they blew me away. Slightly transformed from the album version, the live EP exposes the greatness of Josh Ritter and the significant transition from that folksy self-titled debut album. Hello Starling and Golden Age include foot tapping, crowd clapping, and sing-a-long tunes that define Ritter’s stage presence. Now I see he has a live album that was recent released, I guess I know what my next musical purchase will be – its never-ending. Ritter’s most recent studio album, The Animal Years, continues Ritter’s evolution as a song writer and willingness to define and redefine his musical style, without losing his folk upbringing. Each album includes those toe-tapping, lyrically savvy wonders as well as the down-home ballads. Each subsequent album expands Ritter’s growth as a song writer and experimenter, shifting back and forth from acoustic and clean electric guitars to a wide variety of backing instruments, Ritter is growing a loyal fan base. Just do a quick search on youtube and you will find a plethora of live concert videos and a few music videos. This is an artist you should definitely check out.

Song that will change your life: Thin Blue Flame
Other tracks that you must listen to: Girl in a War, Wolves, Golden Age of Radio, Man Burning, Kathleen, Snow is Gone
Hidden tracks: Harrisburg, Bone of Song, Monster Ballads, Lillian, Egypt, Leaves and Kings, Peter Killed the Dragon