Mat Kearney – Not Your Mom's Playlist

Alternative Rock, Happy Songs, Love Songs, Singer/Songwriter, Upbeat Songs

Song of the Day – “Better Than I Used To Be” by Mat Kearney (feat. Afsheen)

November 10, 2017

* NEW SONG ALERT!*

This song was just released today by Mat Kearney, who is probably one of my very favorite artists. I absolutely love his music and his incredible, emotion-filled voice! This is a great new song and I thought I would share it quickly so you can check it out on the day of it’s release.

I have seen Mat Kearney live an amazing five times, and had the opportunity to meet him about five years ago in Dallas, Texas. He is such a great talent and just a fabulous guy … and I love his signature hats. 😉

I have been following him and his music since 2005 and always get excited when he releases something new. He has been known to combine all types of music, including rap, hip-hop, folk, rock, pop, and now a little electronic mix. I really like it and hope that you enjoy this new song. If you have not yet had the opportunity to see him perform live, I highly recommend it.

Meeting Mat Kearney – Dallas, Texas, September 2012

My collection of tour t-shirts. 🙂

Alternative, Alternative Rock, Folk Rock, Rising Artist, Upbeat Songs

Song of the Day – “Take It All Back 2.0” by Judah & The Lion

October 28, 2017

Today’s song is from a young band that I saw live back in March 2015 while they were touring with Mat Kearney. They were so exuberant on stage and their energy was contagious!

Judah & The Lion – Best Buy Theatre, NYC – March, 2015

Joining Mat Kearney on stage for an energetic performance! NYC – March 2015

In the two years since I saw Judah & The Lion live in NYC, they have really made a name for themselves and get more and more popular all the time. They have been dubbed “one of Nashville’s most genre-bending bands” and their style is hard to describe. They originally started as a folk rock band, but they have combined that folk tinge with other styles, creating a cool hybrid style.

In February of this year they were named by Rolling Stone as one of “10 New Artists You Need To Know.” They have grown their huge fan base through constant touring and live shows. They opened for the huge Twenty One Pilots tour earlier this year, and it was immediately following that run that they started touring as their own headliner.

This is their most popular song and I think it is worth sharing for those who have not yet heard it. The song was popular with their fans long before it was released because they had been playing it live. In Dec 2016/Jan 2017, the song jumped to #1 on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart and stayed there for three weeks! The song was originally released as just “Take It All Back” on their 2016 album Folk Hop N’ Roll. “Take It All Back 2.0” was released on their Folk Hop N’ Roll (Deluxe) album in March, 2017. In addition, they released a Take It All Back (Remix EP) in August. All of the versions of this song are pretty awesome!

Alternative Rock, Love Songs, Soft Rock

Song of the Day – “What Side of Love” by Parachute

October 11, 2017

Today’s song is from a band that I discovered back in 2009 while living in London. I cannot remember how exactly I was introduced to them there, but I was instantly a fan.

I saw Parachute perform in NYC in March 2015 when they were touring with Mat Kearney (my favorite!) and they put on a great, full band performance, but as much as I liked that …

I just recently saw them in an intimate, acoustic show at City Winery in NYC last month and it was absolutely amazing! What an incredible venue to hear their music. They obviously sang all the favorites and nearly everyone in attendance sang right along with them.

Today’s song of the day was probably my very favorite of the performance that night. The song is from their most recent album, Wide Awake, which was released in 2016. Will told the story of what he wrote the song about, but he also said that he felt like it was especially fitting for this time in the world. The lyrics really resonated with me … It is just a great song!

Parachute was originally formed in 2006 in Charlottesville, Virginia and they started touring in 2008 after college graduation. The band consists of childhood friends: Will Anderson (vocals, guitar, frontman), Johnny Stubblefield (drums), and Kit French (keyboard, saxophone).

Their debut album, Losing Sleep was released in 2009 and the I still love the song “The Mess I Made” from that album. Their 2011 album, The Way It Was has some of their most popular songs on it with the song “Kiss Me Slowly” leading my list of favorites off that album.

I hope you enjoy this song. Let me know what you think.

Female Artists, Indie Pop, New York Artists, Singer/Songwriter, Upbeat Songs

SONG OF THE DAY – “ONE NIGHT TOWN” by Ingrid Michaelson & Mat Kearney

April 15, 2015

I am so excited for this new song! I love it!

I have been waiting for Ingrid Michaelson’s album to officially be released so that I could share this song with you. It was released at midnight … so here it is! As those of you who have been following my blog know, Mat Kearney is my absolute favorite! I have seen him live on four different occasions and would be willing to see him a hundred more times. He and Ingrid Michaelson co-wrote this song and it was just released on her new album, Lights Out, her fifth studio album. I have not yet seen Ingrid Michaelson live, but I am very fond of both her and her music, and I am definitely planning to see her on the upcoming tour. The two artists have toured together in the past and they make beautiful music together; I love how their voices mix. This is a great song by two amazing artists – enjoy!

Love Songs, Singer/Songwriter

SONG OF THE DAY – “CLOSER TO LOVE” by Mat Kearney

February 13, 2014

It’s Throwback Thursday! Today’s #tbt is from my favorite artist of all time!

I absolutely love this song, but actually … I love every single song by Mat Kearney. He is amazing and I never grow tired of listening to his music. This seems like the perfect song for the day before Valentine’s Day.

I fell in love with Mat Kearney’s music back in 2006 after the first time I heard the song “Nothing Left to Lose.” His music just captures my soul. He is an incredible songwriter and the lyrics of his songs are beautiful – so full of depth and emotion, and he is great storyteller. It is hard to classify his music into just one category because he has successfully been able to combine so many types of music into his songs: rap, hip-hop, folk, rock, pop, and just some amazing guitar melodies. Can you tell I am a fan?!

I love Mat’s story and his path. He was born in Eugene, Oregon and attended California State University in Chico. It was during his time at California State University that he had a life changing experiencing. In his words from a cbnmusic.com article, he said:

“I guess I lived it up and did what everyone said you should do in college,” he recalls. “I discovered the depth of depravity, the bleakness of that lifestyle. It just wasn’t working. I finally started understanding there must be more to life.” … “God found me when I was at my lowest point. That was the first time in my life when I really felt like I understood who Jesus was—it was more than just knowing about Him, I felt like He met me in that time and place.”

After that experience, Mat moved to Nashville, TN (where he still resides), and that is where his musical career took off. We actually made a visit to Hillsboro Village (an area near Vanderbilt University) in Nashville, TN this last summer on our road trip across the country while moving from Dallas to the east coast. I figured we were right there and, since he reportedly lives there, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take a photo. My kids were mortified! 🙂

I have seen Mat Kearney live on four different occasions and I would see him every month if I could. He has a very strong fan base, but I am amazed at how many people are still unfamiliar with him and his music. Every time I introduce someone to his music, they become a fan. If you are not familiar with him, listen to this song (and watch the great video!) and then go listen to ALL his music. I promise you won’t be disappointed. You also have to love his signature hats. 🙂

Alternative, Holiday, UK Artists

SONG OF THE DAY – “CHRISTMAS LIGHTS” by Coldplay

December 7, 2013

Throwback Thursday – Originally posted as my daughter’s Song of the Day on 12/18/2010.

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I decided to post this today so that you could enjoy it during the holiday season. But, to be honest, I listen to this song year round. This is such a beautiful song and is truly one of my favorites.

Listening to “Christmas Lights” always makes me homesick for London. Unfortunately we won’t be there for the Christmas season at all this year and when I hear this song, it makes me truly long for it. I’m guessing that many of you are already familiar with this song (easy guess as the YouTube video has nearly 17 million views!), so I hope it is just a nice recall for you and, for those not familiar, a great new introduction.

I love Coldplay! I just love almost everything they do and I am in awe of Chris Martin … what an amazing talent. I have seen Coldplay in concert twice – once in London (Wembley!) and once in Dallas. I would see them a hundred times! They can sell out huge arenas, but their shows still feel so incredibly intimate. Both times they suddenly appeared at a spot way out in the middle of the crowd and performed a few acoustic songs right there amidst the crowd. It was truly incredible! So many Coldplay favorites, but : Fix You, The Scientist, Yellow, and Paradise would have to be right up there.

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