Maria Mena

There have been so many artists featured on this blog that come out of Nashville. There is no doubt that it is a place over flowing with amazing talent. This week though our artist comes from a place much farther away – Norway. I first heard Maria Mena on Pandora and immediately fell in love with her music and soon after bought her album White Turns Blue. Sadly, the rest of her albums are not available in the U.S. unless you want to pay $20 to import. It just might be worth it as this young emerging singer/songwriter has come a long way since releasing her first single in 2001 at just fifteen. Her first single “My Lullaby” is a song she wrote while coping with her parents divorce. Maria writes her song after real life experiences and as a result her music has touched her fans including myself. Her track “Sorry” is my favorite and tells a tragic story of loving a friend who does not love you back.

Maria has already released five albums including the most recent Cause and Effect in 2008. I was able to hear some samples on Amazon and can already hear how far she has come over these last few years. As she has gotten older her voice has changed and become stronger allowing her to sing a wider range of songs. As well as sharing her life through her songs Maria also blogs heavily to connect with her fans. “I like sharing my ups and downs and I believe it’s extremely important to maintain a relationship with those who ultimately buy and appreciate my music” These days, with Twitter and blogs, artist are connecting more with their fans who now feel closer to their favorite artists.

Maria’s career has been blossoming throughout Europe and with one album released in the U.S., a David Letterman performance and several tracks used on the hit show So You Think You Can Dance, my hope is that she will have some success here as well. Her music is raw, beautiful and touching and I can’t wait until I get her new releases. If you love Maria’s music you purchase physical copies through Amazon.com.

I hope you have enjoyed this week’s artist. Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.

http://www.myspace.com/mariamena

http://mariamenamusic.no/

mariablog.com

Seth Philpott

Growing up I listened to the typical pop music that my peers listened to. Since my parents weren’t music people they didn’t introduce me to any of the classics so I fell into what everyone else was listening to. It wasn’t until late college that my taste for independent music took charge. I honestly don’t remember what started it or how my love of music developed really developed but I think it was just a sweet gift from God. When the time comes for me to have kids I absolutely can’t wait to give them their musical education. I hear a difference in the artists who grew up listening to really good music because they have learned from it and pulled parts of it for their own music. This week’s artist, Seth Philpott, grew up listening to artists like Willie Nelson, Otis Redding, Harry Connick Jr. and Van Morrison. Once you here Seth’s music you can hear those influences.

Seth Philpott grew up in Texas and now resides in Nashville, TN pursuing his music career. His first release, Good Hearts, came out this past November. You can pick up this 6-track release on iTunes or Amazon.com for just under $6. I’ve been getting his music from Brite Revolution which is the only place you will find his tracks, “Nashville” and “Still” which happen to be my two favorite tracks. All the more reason to join Brite. His music is full of heart break and love. Some intense and emotional like “Still” and others like “Heartbreaker” are a little more upbeat and fun, all showing off his soulful voice and honest music writing.

Seth doesn’t have any tour dates released right now but I can only hope that he is using this time to work on more of his music. He seems to be a part of that great Nashville community of artists and has played with Andy Davis, another soulful artist from Nashville previously featured on MMM.

I hope you have enjoyed this week’s featured artist. If you’ve enjoyed his music be sure to let me know what you think in the comments and check out his music on iTunes or Amazon.

http://www.myspace.com/sethphilpott

http://sethphilpott.com/

Photo1 – Rob Culpepper

Phoenix

This week’s artist comes all the way from France. You know that place with all the good cheese and bread? Apparently they produce some pretty good music as well with the Paris based band Phoenix. Now I realize they have been around for a little while and they just won this little award called a Grammy but I still felt they were worth featuring. I first heard their album It’s Never Been Like That, which was released in 2006, when I purchased it on Amazon’s daily deal. Since then I can't seem to get enough of their music.

Phoenix is made up of four band mates, vocalist Thomas Mars, bassist Deck d'Arcy, guitarist Christian Mazzalai and his older brother Laurent Brancowitz also on guitar. The band comes from a suburb of Versailles and got their start by playing bars and pubs. If anyone out there has pursued a career in music you know that playing to a room full of drunks is sort of a right of passage that everyone should have to go through.

The band released their first album in 2000 followed by three others until their current release, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, which earned them their Grammy award this past January for Best Alternative Album. Lead singer Thomas Mars has a child with his partner, film director Sofia Coppola which caused a three year break before releasing the Grammy winning album. What a little time off will do, eh?

They are current touring through Australia and Europe but will be making their way to the U.S. in April for Coachella and Bonnaroo festival as well as about a dozen other shows through out the nation before heading back to Europe.

Hope you enjoyed this weeks feature. For some of you this may be stretching your musical tastes--as I have mention before is my goal. I’d love to hear what all of you think. Have a wonderful week!

http://www.wearephoenix.com/

http://www.myspace.com/wearephoenix

Meaghan Smith

The music, movies and fashion of the 20s, 30s and 40s has always captivated and inspired me. My mother raised me on the old classic movies and to this day Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers films and anything with James Stewart holds a very special place in my heart. So when another artist takes inspiration from that era when people dressed in evening gowns and tuxes for dinner then I know I’ll love it. The music of Meaghan Smith takes me back to those decades I think I was meant to live in. She too is influenced by those decades and it is so very evident in her music. Meaghan’s debut album, The Cricket’s Orchestra is something quite magical to me. She says of her release, “I wanted the album to be an inspiring musical experience that makes you feel like you’re leaving one world and entering another — a colorful, whimsical and imaginative place where you can reflect on your past and look forward to your future.” Doesn’t that sound just wonderful? Well, after hearing the whole album I whole-heartedly agree.

Meaghan Smith grew up in Ontario, Canada with a very musical family. Her mother taught piano and her father was a bass player. Though her three sisters are talented singers and musicians Meaghan is the only one pursuing a career. She didn't always believe that music was for her as she was overwhelmed by stage fright. Instead she went to school to study animation. It was there that she continued to write and play her music and perform little concerts in the stairway on her guitar for a few people at the animation school. She couldn’t keep herself away from music and with some encouragement from others she worked on recording a demo and played at local venues to build her confidence and get over the stage fright.

The name of the album, The Cricket’s Orchestra, seems like the perfect title as several of the tracks actually sound like there could be a little cartoon orchestra of bugs and birds playing instruments made of grass, flowers and leaves. I know it may sound crazy but listen to “A Little Love.” Can’t you just picture Jiminy Cricket conducting this orchestra? Meaghan also released a Christmas EP last year titled Wish Upon A Star.

With this debut album Meaghan Smith is signed with Sire Records and she is on the roster for the Lilith Fair, which is returning this year. She is on the roster with several others who have been featured here: A Fine Frenzy, Erin McCarley, The Weepies and Rosie Thomas to name a few. They haven’t released the dates but I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to attend this year. I was never old enough to go before so I’m excited to be a part of what will hopefully be a continuing tradition that supports women’s charities and female musicians.

I hope you have enjoyed the beautiful music of Meaghan Smith. To learn more about her and the making of The Cricket’s Orchestra you can view the video bio below. I can’t confirm but I’m assuming this video is showcasing Meaghan’s animation skills. Make sure to leave you comments below about the music.

http://www.meaghansmith.com/

http://www.myspace.com/meaghansmithmusic

Photo 1 & 3 by Jennifer Tzar

Ben Sollee

Instrumental music has never had much of a place on my iPod. I prefer lyrics that I can sing along with usually while stuck in Los Angeles traffic. I do make an exception for Debussy and any cello music. The cello is an instrument I could listen to endlessly as it has a soothing power over me (maybe I should play it while in traffic…). Combine a cello with my favorite genre of music, folk, and you might find my new favorite artist, Ben Sollee. I first heard Ben Sollee after receiving his new album, Dear Companion in which he collaborates with guitarist Daniel Martin Moore. After hearing the album I knew I wanted to feature this artist and was blown away to find that he accompanies himself on the cello. All of a sudden I had a new appreciation for his music and have been chomping at the bit to feature him this week.

Ben Sollee is a classically trained cellist who started playing when he was in elementary school in Kentucky. Though his background is classical his music is a blend of folk, bluegrass and jazz. In 2005 he joined The Sparrow Quartet, which released its first album in 2008. The same month he released his own EP and the next month a full-length solo album titled, Learning To Bend. Ben wasted no time in getting his music out to the public.


Dear Companion is Ben Sollee’s new album with Daniel Martin Moore that isn't only about the music. The album was inspired and created to bring awareness to Mountaintop Removal coal mining (MTR) and its detrimental affects to the people and heritage of central Appalachia. If you purchase the album 100% of the proceeds will go to the organization Appalachian Voices. Good music, good cause. You can’t go wrong with buying this album.

http://www.bensollee.com/

http://www.myspace.com/bensollee

I really hope you enjoy this music as much as I have. The new album has been playing non-stop since it was release two weeks ago. Ben’s first album Learning to Bend is available for only $5 on Amazon. Also to really grasp what Ben does with the cello watch the two youtube videos below. Hope you enjoy!! I would love to hear your comments!

Video One

Video Two

Photo One by Liz Linder

Photo Two by Liz Linder

Photo three by Mickie Winters

Delayed Post

Happy Monday!

Today's post will be delayed slightly due to the fact that its 4am and I've been at the ER all night with my roommate who has appendicitis. Not to mention I was in a car accident Thursday night that has forced me to put all work aside and focus on fixing that mess. I'll have the posting up later this evening or Tuesday but taking care of my roomie is my priority right now. I just didn't want any of you to think I was slacking ;) Pray the surgery goes well! Thanks everyone!

Mary

Interview with Charlie Hardin!

A few weeks ago I featured a new artist named Charlie Hardin out of Nashville, TN. I often get little shout outs from the artists I feature through Twitter thanking me or even their dad commenting on the post, but this time the response I got nearly made me fall out of my chair. After featuring Charlie he sent an email thanking me for the feature, stating he was impressed I was able to pull something together about him considering there is hardly information on him online (I’m blushing at this point in the email). He then asked me if I would want to do an interview with him to help promote both his music and my blog. I’m pretty sure my coworkers all thought I was crazy when I started shouting out with glee. This is something I’ve wanted to bring to this blog and I hope this is the first of many interviews.

After sending Charlie a list of questions he graciously answered each one talking about his pursuit of his passion, his musical family, a slight obsession with the TV show Lost and bi-lingual women, Nashville and even his new music recommendations. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did. His responses left me laughing hysterically and feeling more enlightened and connected with the path of a new artist. I even discovered that we will both be 26 in April. Thank you Charlie for offering this up. I’m more excited than you can imagine.

Mary's Monday Musicology: So Charlie, when did you first start playing music?

Charlie Hardin: My family is a musical one, so I've been singing with them as long as I can remember. I started writing songs around the age of 10, but it wasn't until about 12 that I picked up a guitar and started putting things together. Around that time was when I first saw That Thing You Do and wanted to grow up to be Guy Patterson. My father gently suggested guitar instead of drums.

MMM: Do you play any instruments other than guitar?

CH: I have a functional knowledge of piano, but it's very rudimentary. I absolutely cannot play the drums at all. The brass and woodwind families are like a foreign language.

MMM: Is your family musical at all? If so, how was music present in your life as you grew up?

CH: My Family actually is musical. My parents met in a travelling singing group called Eternity in the 70's. If I'm not mistaken, Dad was the bass player, mom was the lead soprano. It was a choir with a band, kind of like Polyphonic Spree with more of a Jesus lean. Also, between '90 and '93, we were missionaries on the Navajo reservations in New Mexico. My parents were on staff with a summer camp named Broken Arrow Bible Ranch. In the off-season we sometimes traveled around singing in churches (mostly in the southern half of the U.S.) as a family band sort of thing to raise money. For several years when we lived in Starkville, MS, my dad would put together five-part arrangements of Christmas carols and we would go all around town to our friends and favorite businesses and perform them. So... the short answer is yes.

MMM: When did you decide you wanted to pursue a career in music? Has it always been your dream or did you ever want to do something else with your life?

CH: I remember very specifically when I knew I wanted to do music, and it was long before I had any reason to think I would be good at it. When we were living at the camp in New Mexico, the camp director was a guy named Steve Knox. My family was very conservative at that time, even by normal Christian culture standards, so my musical exposure was mostly limited to tapes of worship music by Maranatha and Vineyard. Steve introduced me to Petra, the Godfathers of Christian Rock. Their album Beyond Belief absolutely blew my 7-year-old mind. Then he showed their concert video. I'd never seen grown men wear such tight pants. I knew in my heart of hearts that one day I would wear tight pants in front of people who paid money to see it.

MMM: What other artists inspire you? (musicians, painters, poets, etc.)

CH: Musically, I tend to find a handful of folks that I really connect with and wear them out. I really love Wilco an abnormal amount. I can't get enough of Smashing Pumpkins first 3 albums. Wallflowers' Bringing down the Horse is probably a perfect album (definitely the best drum sounds of the era). Josh Ritter doesn't know how to write a bad song. The Jayhawks Rainy Day Music, Ryan Adams' Cold Roses, Pavement's Crooked Rain, Ben Folds' Songs for Silverman and Suburbs... I find that I am very album-specific with a lot of what I love musically. I have a big thing for the 90's. I don't know how much it works its way into my songwriting, but I love movies and long-form TV shows. I read Aintitcool.com every day. It's possible that I have a song about a character in Lost, but don't tell anyone.


MMM: What would you say to other hopeful artists wanting to move to Nashville and pursue music?

CH: That really depends on what kind of music they are making. Nashville has a great singer/songwriter community, and if they want to do Country or Christian music, then this is the place to be. It is the capital of Christian and Country. It also has all the business functions of New York or L.A. for music, but is much smaller and much more affordable to live in, so that is a plus. The downside is that there are literally thousands people trying to get everybody to come to their shows, so it can be very tricky to draw a crowd, and even if people come, they may not be very enthusiastic. I've heard repeatedly that London and Nashville have very similarly jaded audiences. So there are positives and negatives, but I absolutely love Nashville and am so glad to be here.

MMM: Nashville seems to have a great community of artists who work together. Have you experienced that community and has it been beneficial to you?

CH: I actually have experienced that, and it is a really cool thing. For me it really keeps my ego in check. The two communities that I spend most of my time with end up being musicians and folks from my church, with a surprising amount of overlap. I have the privilege of knowing some amazing writers and performers who inspire me to not just write crap, some of whom you have previously featured (Crystal Thomas, Milktooth, Madi Diaz), and a slew of them that you really ought to check out, because they are sooooo damn good (yes, this is my gratuitous name-dropping segment).

* Natalie Prass: she's this tiny little sparrow of a girl with some badass rock and roll in her bloodstream. Also, her song "Violenty" may be the sexiest thing I've ever heard.

* Stephen Gordon - I've toured with Stephen a bunch, so I'm biased, but he has such an articulate way of speaking his heart, it is a constant encouragement. He is a songwriter's songwriter.

* Brooke Waggoner - She's gotten a lot of attention for her amazing skills as a pianist and arranger, but I think her bare-bones songwriting abilities are my favorite part of what she does. She wouldn't bill herself as a great lyricist, but that's rubbish. She is a really surprising writer and is always swinging for the fences. She also periodically has the most amazing she-mullet I've ever seen.

* Heypenny - Best Party Ever?

* Mikky Ekko- He's the most phenomenally gifted guy I've ever met. And Hooooottttt. Yes, ladies. It's true. Hearing him sing is like being touched by the very hand of God.

Another fun benefit of being in the community is sometimes getting to collaborate for special occasions or jump up on stage and sing background vocals for each other.

MMM: Have you been able to make a living thus far solely on music or do you have any other projects/jobs as well to help support you?

CH: I'm still in the day-job circuit. I do landscaping mostly, sometimes do load-out for shows around town. I also sold fragrances at Macy's for a while. That was an awesome job.

MMM: What does music do for you personally? For example, is writing a form of therapy for you?

CH: It certainly has been at various times. The downside of that is that I can get dependent on drama for songwriting, which is uber-unhealthy. There is this poem called "Poemectomy" I was assigned to read in the 10th grade that describes the writer as having this malignant growth of words inside them and if they didn't get it out it would consume them. I think I really identified with that at the age of 16 because I was hopped up on hormones and everything was urgent and dramatic. 10 years later I think of writing more like the ability to throw a baseball - I can do it better than some people, not as well as others, and if I stop doing it I won't be as good. I will tell you though, very few things are as satisfying as writing a song that says exactly what I mean.

MMM: When are you inspired to write music? Can you write at any time or do events in your life spark you creativity?

CH: Dramatic events make it easier, but when I rely on that I get rusty. All that to say, I had a really dry year, writing-wise. I probably started 30 songs and only finished 2. Here's to you 2010.

MMM: What do you do if you ever feel a creative block or experience discouragement in your career?

CH: Sometimes I just lie in bed all day and wallow in the blah. But when I not being stupid, I do something with my hands (like mow a lawn!) and spend some time praying or talking to myself. Sometimes I have to just try to write something or it isn't ever going to happen, kind of like asking a girl on a date - at some point a guy has to just pony up and ask her or it's probably not going to happen. Unless he tries to guy friend his way in, a method I have come to loathe. I'm not sure we're talking about songs anymore.

MMM: Do you have plans to release a new album or EP? If so, when?

CH: Yes, I hope to release a full length by the end of the year.


MMM: Do enjoy performing live? Do you get nervous or stage fright? If so, how do you get past it?

CH: I love performing live. I love telling my stories and really letting folks in to the inside of the songs. I get nervous very rarely, but it does still happen occasionally. I don't really have a calm-down method, I just get out there and make it happen.

MMM: Who is your favorite musician? What is playing on your iPod right now?

CH: I'm terrible at this question. I love Wilco a lot. They are always on the iPod.

MMM: What is the hardest thing about pursuing a music career?

CH: Presently for me, it's making a living at it. The great thing about the Internet is how everybody can hear me, the bad thing about the Internet is that there are so many dudes with guitars playing mid-tempo folk rock that it is quite a challenge to get noticed. On a more theoretical level, it is very difficult to maintain relationships. I'm a pretty family-oriented man and have a great desire to raise a family of my own, but I don't know how those things will be compatible. I don't want my potential family to starve to death because I am not making enough money to feed them, but I also don't want to never see them because I'm out on the road for 6 months at a time. I have a friend who is married to a relatively successful artist and who is also a pretty successful artist in her own right. I asked her how she handled all that separation and having kids. She said she hated it.


MMM: What is your ultimate goal with this career?

CH: On a superficial level? Here in Nashville we have the Mother Church of Country Music - the Ryman Auditorium. I've Seen Wilco, Keane, Iron and Wine, Brian Wilson, Sufjan Stevens, Ben Folds, the Hold Steady and a ton of other folks there. I want to headline a show at the Ryman. On a personal level? I want to have a discography that I am proud of, full of songs that I love because I mean them and because I worked hard to write them, full of good, true things.


MMM: How do your friends and family support you in your music?

CH: They listen to all my baby songs and tell me what they think. My grandmother recently got forty people from her church to come to my performance in Lexington, SC, by the sheer force of her will. It was amazing. My dad has always been behind me to do this because I love it, and he's never given me the "get a real job" talk. I'm very blessed in that way.


MMM: Would you want to sign to a label or go at your career as many new artist are doing these days and stay unsigned?

CH: I would sign with label if they gave me a deal I could live with, but labels are increasingly unnecessary for folks in my genre. If I were putting together a boy band, I'd definitely want a label, but the grassroots thing usually works better for songwriters because it establishes credibility with listeners and it lets the artist keep larger percentages of their profit streams. Still, I'm not anti-label, but the record isn't the holy grail it was in the 80's and 90's because listeners are spending less and less money on buying music and more time finding artists without the help of a label paying for promo. My roommate Isaiah says folks have finally figured out they don't have to worship at the foot of mount Rocklympus where the labels sit on top and toss down things they hope will please the masses. So I guess I would be open to signing with a label, but I'd have to be really impressed with what they could do for me and convinced by the contract that they would in fact try to do it. I would prefer to stay label-less if I continue to gain momentum on my own, thanks to people like yourself.

MMM: What activity, place, person, etc. brings you joy?

CH:
1. Lost - I have an unhealthy love for Lost. Thanks APJ. Sure it's not perfect, sure there are more "literary" shows out there (I'm looking at you, The Wire), but who cares? Lost is a six-season opus of all of the nerdy things that I love. It's as if J.J. Abrams, Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof got together and said "Hey, let's make 130-something hours of sci-fi soap opera that will make Charlie happy."
2. Thai Food - Coconut AND Curry? Delicious!
3. 90's music - it was a magical time when guitars were loud.
4. Bi-lingual women (so hot) - I'm not sure how this has happened, but every girl I've ever dated has been bi-lingual. It's not intentional, it just happens.
5. Time-travel, with specific technological limitations. - I have a special affinity for the Tipler cylinder. Also, everyone should watch Primer. It's the best time travel movie ever.

I hope you all enjoyed this insight into the life of an artist. Thank you for reading. Please show your support for Charlie by checking out his music and leave a comment below. You can read the original feature on Charlie here. Thanks Charlie for sharing!

The fabulous photos are from Kristyn Hogan.