Eric Hutchinson and My Coloring Calendar Have Something in Common

     This is a photo of singer/songwriter Eric Hutchinson's 2008 album, Sounds Like This. This album and his other EP's were the quintessential soundtracks to my college days. Eric is an amazing  live performer, mastering the piano and the acoustic guitar. If you haven't guessed, Eric came to my college several times (and I'm scouring to find my old videos) playing small, intimate shows. In the course of a set, he would heckle people as they left early and then a moment later, go into a stand-up comedy routine that led to the whole crowd to stomping and singing to his super catchy hits like "Rock and Roll".  See this amazing video of Eric singing Motown classic "My Girl" and R. Kelly's soon-to-be classic "Ignition" together.  In fact, I insist you get tickets to go see him, right now! What are you waiting for? See the live performances below for all the proof you need to get someone to go!

     Why have I sent all this time praising Eric Hutchinson, aside from him being a cultural musical tour de force? As it turns out, my color a day calendar (thanks to my buddy Nicole for the Christmas gift) has an eerily similar image I colored in this week.

Track Listing and music for Sounds Like This:

"OK, It's Alright with Me" 2:30

"You Don't Have to Believe Me' (Live Video) 3:45

"Outside Villanova" (Live Video) 4:15

"Food Chain" 3:41

"Rock and Roll" 3:58

"Oh!" 3:54

"All Over Now" 3:44

"It Hasn't Been Long Enough" 4:20

"Back to Where I Was" 3:10

"You've Got You" 4:38

A Note About: Some Kind of (James Blunt) Trouble

     The day my pal and fellow music-lover, C, and I have been waiting for is finally here. For the last 6-8 months, we've discussed the need for some new music by James Blunt.

     Imagine my surprise when about three weeks ago, I found out he was releasing a new CD. Today's release, Some Kind of Trouble, has been a great listen so far. It's in some ways so different from Blunt's earlier albums int erm sof the sound. I love his earlier pieces, Back to Bedlam (2005) and All The Lost Souls (2007), but they both have a very low-energy, stop-the-pain , look-back-at-the-past vibe. This album has an overall more uplifting theme. As always, Blunt's beautiful guitar and hauntingly pained and at the same time gorgeously pure voice shine though.  He has worked with OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder and others for this new offering. Here are some of the highlights so far:

I'll Be Your Man
Catchiest line: "So come over closer.... from the edge of the sofa...."
Similar to below new single, this is a refreshingly lighthearted romp is a Tedder-influenced hit in the making about committing to your crush!

Stay the Night
The first song off the album is a balmy "Hey, Soul Sister"-style song about falling in love during a great party down at the beach. When Blunt says, "If this is what we've got/ Then what we've got is gold," I'm inclined to agree.

If Time is All I Have
Another breathtakingly beautiful balled from Mr. Blunt, similar to the wistful lost love of "You're Beautiful" with a touch of the sad-laded breakup song "No Bravery"

Calling Out Your Name
Blunt's soldier ballad talks about the downsides of war. Another weep-worthy ballad. I cry every time I hear it.

Dangerous
The cool, sexy vibe of Blunt's  "1973" carries through this song about a no-good girl that is all dressed up, stealing your heart, and not letting go anytime soon.