music for your monday

{photo credit}

i've been listening to some great new music this past week, and i want to share my discoveries with you all. only one of the artists is really brand new to me, but the other artists just released new albums which is always a treat.  yay music! 

medicine: drew holcomb and the neighbors

i don't remember when i was first introduced to this group, but it was love at first listen. they have what people refer to as an "americana" sound (whatever that means). sort of country minus the whiney twang plus folksy guitar rhythms? who really knows. but man they are so good! i have seen them in concert twice, and each time i smiled and danced the whole way through. this album is not my all-time favorite, but it's still a great collection of songs. drew's voice is deep and scratchy and soft and loud in all the right places. 

then came the morning : the lone bellow

my boyfriend really likes this group, especially the lead singer, zach williams', solo album. we saw them a few months ago at the hall river ballroom, and they put on a pretty fun and upbeat show. they had the crowd dancing and singing along. i downloaded then came the morning over the weekend to give to dan, and now i have a copy for myself. (love when presents for other people turn into presents for yourself...) they played a few of their new songs at their live concert but most of the songs are totally new to me. excited to listen to the album in full.

the art of celebration : rend collective

it still boggles my mind that my mom was the one who introduced me to this band. when she first told me about them i didn't rush to youtube to check them out. i think i had to read about them on another blog before i actually looked them up. it's not that my mom doesn't have good taste (she does), it's just that i didn't want my mom to be more hip than me. how can my mom know about a band before i do?! but, alas, she proved her coolness by introducing me to this group of christian irish hipster musicians and their amazing sound. we just went to their concert this past friday, and it was such a wonderful experience. basically, it was a night of worship where the whole crowd stood and sang along with the band. their song "art of celebration" is one that i am really liking. 

james bay 

dan and i have this running joke that he can never find an artist or a band that i have not heard of. he always tries to find some new music for me and i respond "oh them? yeah, they're pretty good. where have you been?!" it's pretty cute, but i am happy to report he succeeded this weekend! james bay is an english musician, and i can't stop listening to two particular tracks from his upcoming album chaos and the calm. they are "let it go" and "hold back the river". you must go and listen to them! i've been listening to them so much that i haven't even checked out any of his other albums. 

do you guys have any new music that you've been enjoying lately? i'd love to know! i have been going through emma's january playlist song by song, and i am liking what she has listed. go check it out if you have a few minutes! happy monday, y'all.