Live Music • Matt Alber & Tom Goss

Matt Alber, left, and Tom Goss, right.

I am very excited, for tonight, barring any hangups is traffic, I shall be listening to the amazing music of Matt Alber and Tom Goss, and that just sounds perfect to me. I have been a fan of both for some time, and their music has spoken to me on so many levels. And while their music might be not share the same style, both certainly have a wonderful emotional base, as well as a melodic purity that I find really appealing. And it never hurts that I have met both, and find them to be such nice men as well. To show you what a time I will be having, I thought I would feature some of their music in this post. And I will begin with a song from Matt, who recently released a DVD that is both beautifully shot and so sweet to listen to. Alber joined forces with The Cello Street Quartet, and made this live recording that is so lush, yet so simple at the same time, I never tire of playing it. So I picked "Tightrope", but I could have easily chosen any of the songs, and been just as happy to share it.

Tom recently made a video of a new song, a bit of a departure for him. Tom has a catalog of songs that is so deep, he rarely sings a cover song. In fact, I have been to shows when I have loved every song,but later realized there was a favorite of mine I missed. So I was a bit surprised when he released the video for "Can't Hold Us", an acoustic cover of the song by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. But he did it his way, playing all the music himself, making textured music by adding layers recorded live and making it all grow together. Not sure yet? Well, check out Tom's version of "Can't Hold Us" for yourself.

When I first saw the video for Matt's "End of the World", I was aware of him as a singer, but this really brought home just how stunning his gift was. I mean, that gorgeous voice, with that interpretation that just touched the very core of my heart, it blew me away then, and still does today. What is even more mind blowing is when I heard it live, and I can honestly tell you I still got goosebumps. So with no more delay, here is Matt singing "End of the World".

And finally, I have one more song, this one from dear Tom. I couldn't decide which to choose, so I finally went with the music video I appeared in, along with my sister and niece. We made the trip to Washington, DC, to do something we haven't before, and to participate in a video for a singer/songwriter we all love. We had a great day, and are now thrilled to be in a video we love to watch. The song is "It's All Over", off Tom's album 'Turn It Around'.

For more about Tom Goss, including his tour schedule, visit his official website. For more about Matt, and to check out his upcoming tour dates, visit his official website. To purchase the most recent release from Tom Goss, 'Lost Songs and Underdogs', you can find it on iTunes and Amazon. To purchase 'Constant Crows', the latest release by Matt Alber, you can find it on iTunes, Amazon or Matt's online store.

Looking Back at the Year 2011

Clockwise: Tom Goss, Eric Himan, Jake Walden and Garrin Benfield.

They are just the beginning to the list of names of talented artists I shall be mentioning over the next few days. I shall be taking a look at the new music of 2011, much of which I have covered here on this blog. There was a number of amazing LGBT musicians who released new material, and I was lucky enough to see several of them live. But I shall start with what was a bit of a first for me, and that was appearing in a music video. I was able to do that with the gracious assistance of Tom Goss when he was filming the first single off his latest album, Turn It All Around. It's All Over is the joyous first single off a great album, one that really rocks!



You can purchase Turn It Around from iTunes, Amazon, and from Tom's online store.

Another favorite of mine released a new album this year. Eric Himan worked with the the talented Namoli Brennet on Supposed Unknown, a brilliant album that shows Himan's growth as a songwriter and as a performer. It also had a gritty and sexy video for the first single, Dust.



You can purchase Supposed Unknown on iTunes, Amazon, and at Eric's online store.

I managed to catch Garrin Benfield twice in the last 12 months or so, and am grateful for each opportunity. I swear Garrin's music enchants me, and brings me to a place I'd love to live full-time. I was beyond thrilled to make it to his New York City album release party for The Wave Organ Song. It is an outstanding album, one I am listening to once again today, and still can't get enough. Here is the video for the first single, Walkin' Time Blues.



You can purchase The Wave Organ Song on iTunes, Amazon, or on Garrin's online store.

I was introduced to Jake Walden by Tom Goss, and have been blessed to have gotten to know the talented and handsome man. So when he hit the road earlier this year to support the release of his latest album, Same Something Different, I couldn't wait to see him. And I was not disappointed. The new music was great, as you can see in the video for the first single, Even In Your Doubt.



You can purchase Same Something Different from iTunes, Amazon, or Jake's online store. If you are lucky enough to have the opportunity to see any or all of these talented artists performing live, I would say do it, without hesitation.

Tom Goss • It's All Over Video

Scenes from the video for "It's All Over" by Tom Goss.

Well, it is finally here. The new video from Tom Goss for his single, It's All Over. And, my friends, if you look closely, you will see me in there, playing cards in the park with my sister. Yes, we are making our music video debut! So what fun we had when we headed over to Washington, DC, to work on the video for Tom's rollicking fun and joyous song.



See, you couldn't help it, could you? You had to smile. You can keep smiling by purchasing Turn It Around, the latest from Tom Goss. It includes It's All Over. You can find it on iTunes here, and on Amazon here. You can either buy the physical CD or download the music at CD Baby here. You can also check out his new website here. Woohoo, you can even see a couple of my pictures I took of Tom there...