Out In The Rain • Out Artists Singing About Weather

It was all over the television, there was a big storm coming to the area. According to both local newcasts and 'The Weather Channel', this was going to be a quick by hard storm. There were reports of the dark clouds coming in, and making it seem more like night than day. High winds and heavy rains would make it seem more like a monsoon than a spring shower, so they said. Soon the thunder and lightening could be heard in the distance, and some dark clouds came rolling in. It turned the day gray, not quite the darkness we expected. The wind blew a bit, but not enough to send the sheets of rain that followed too far. And just as quickly as it come in, it moved on through. The sky to the East showed the effects of lightning, flashing more dimly as the sound of moved further and further away.

With the storm gone, it left a glistening sheen on the plants, and puddles on the driveway with the occasional ripples from the drops off the trees. The birds came out, looking to eat, flying from one spot to another to check for worms and insects. Life was quickly back to normal. But it lasted long enough to make me think of songs about rain, some you might be familiar with, others refreshingly new. The first is a song by Darren Ockert, from his album 'Anything Is Possible'. There is a wonderful feel to the song, the sound of rain made in musical form. Enjoy "Out of the Rain" by Darren Ockert.

You can purchase 'Anything Is Possible', the album which features "Out of the Rain" on iTunes and Amazon. The next song has a beauty that is stunning in conjunction with the description of Manhattan's 8th Avenue. This is a very different rain than what I just experienced on the farm, but one I do remember from the decade I spent living in New York City. Dudley Saunder's evocative and intoxicating "The Rain on 8th Avenue" just fills me up like few songs could.

You can purchase the album 'Emergency Lane', which features "The Rain on 8th Avenue" on iTunes, Amazon, and Bandcamp. There is a wonderful tone to "The Rain", the beautiful song by Anna Gutmanis, off the album 'Glimmer in the Dark'. While listening, I begin to feel bewitched, transported into the story.

You can purchase 'Glimmer in the Dark', which features the song 'The Rain', on iTunes, Amazon, and Bandcamp. And finally, after bringing those three original songs to the post, I thought I would bring a classic in to complete the post. Matt Gold sings the classic "Come Rain or Come Shine", written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer, but puts his own stamp on it, giving it new life. I found the song on his SoundCloud page, and am very glad I did. Here is Matt Gold singing "Come Rain or Come Shine".

You can find the song on Matt's SoundCloud page. If you'd like to check out more of Matt's music, he recently released the excellent album 'Drown Before You Swim'. You can purchase Drown Before You Swim' on iTunes and Amazon. And I hope this 'rain' music has helped brighten your rainy day at least a little bit.

Music for a Rainy Night

Clockwise: Darren Ockert; Janis Ian; Matt Gold; and Dave Koz.

Here on the East coast, the rain started during the middle of the night, and has continued all day, at least for us. There are some reports it might change to snow, but so far, it has not. As I look out the window, I can hardly see, for the rain has beaten through the screen, causing a watery blur to make outside seem distant. So the cold and damp day also makes me want to reach for a blanket to curl up on the sofa, or even to crawl back into bed, snug in a warm blanket or two. All this made me think of a song or two, perfect to capture this feeling. It was then the light bulb went on, and I knew what I was going to post about - the rain. So I opened up iTunes, typed in 'rain' to see what came up. And a stunning 472 possibilities came up, giving me plenty of room to pick and choose. I decided to go with artists who were out and proud members of the LGBT community, making beautiful music. I still trimmed further, simply by picking some favorite songs. And one of those favorites is by Darren Ockert, an ElectroPop singer/songwriter. His song "Out of the Rain" is off his album 'Anything Is Possible'. The chorus is so damn catchy, I find the song irresistible.

You can purchase the album 'Anything Is Possible' on iTunes or Amazon. Folk artist Janis Ian is best known for her stunning "At Seventeen", a song that takes a close look at a young woman coming of age, and the pressures that come with maturing into womanhood. Her songs were often stories that were based on her experience, coming straight from the heart. Such is the case for the next song, "Night Rains". The moody song captures the feelings and emotions behind one of the rainy nights. Enjoy Janis Ian singing "Rainy Nights", off the album of the same name.

You can purchase the album 'Night Rains' on iTunes. There is something very sexy about listening to the Jazz Saxophone, which is almost doubled when I know it is a handsome man like Dave Koz. And when it is a song that seems to spen a bit of time steeping, and a little time brooding, all while you listen, I can't help but think this is a wonderful treat. That is how I feel about "Lullaby for a Rainy Night", a hit single off the 1996 album 'Off The Beaten Path'.

You can purchase the album 'Off The Beaten Path' on iTunes or Amazon. For the final song of the post, I picked a song that was written by Harold Arlen with lyrics by great Johnny Mercer. "Come Rain or Come Shine" was published in 1946, and quickly became a favorite of singers around the world. Some of the greatest names in the music business have taken their turn, an a couple have already appeared on this blog. I love when an artist can take a classic like this song, and deliver a performance from their heart that stands by itself, and I think I found that when I heard singer/songwriter Matt Gold take on "Come Rain or Come Shine". This song is a Jazz standard, but in this live performance, Gold makes it sound new and fresh. Listen for yourself.

Unfortunately, Matt Gold's performance of "Come Rain or Come Shine" is not available for purchase. But you can buy his debut album 'Drown Before You Swim' on iTunes or Amazon. And you can also listen to it on his Soundcloud page. I hope you are staying warm and dry this wet and chilly day.

Rainy Day/Evening

On the Eastern Coast, and specifically in the Mid-Atlantic States, we are getting hit with some rain - well, a whole bunch of rain, to be exact. Since that is happening now, I thought I would take some pictures, and make a theme out of it. So, there will be some shots I took today around the farm, liek the shot above, showing the rain where my sister's back yard used to be. There will also be a few rain-themed music videos. I will start off with a favorite of mine, Anthony Callea, singing Rain.



My brother is never one to pass up some fun, and I took this shot of him riding the 4x4 in the rain, through my sister's flooded yard.



Of course, there is the iconic song by the Everly Brothers, Crying In The Rain. Once I saw the clip of them in their Marine uniforms singing on the Ed Sullivan Show, I knew it needed to be included.



I also knew I wanted to include old favorites of mine, The Alarm. The had a hit with Rain In The Summertime in 1987. It is a wonderful song, one I really love.



So this afternoon, I tried to go out to take pictures when it wasn't raining too heavy, and here are som of the pictures I took.



And, finally, I thought I would end with Madonna singing Rain.



Hope your evening it warm and dry...

Sunday Evening with Anthony Callea

You know, it has been a bit too long since I last featured Anthony Callea, so I will just be doing a random post now, just cause I want to. I admit it, I can't stop listening to this brilliant young man. It all started several years ago when he appeared on Australian Idol. I couldn't watch it, but soon enough saw a clip of him performing The Prayer, and was hooked immediately. It made me watch other performances, including this bold and brave jazz take on Route 66.



I ordered the eponymous first album and had it imported over too me. It was worth the cost, cause I just loved it. That includes the second cut off the album, Rain.



That cut was followed immediately on the album by one of my favorites, Hurts So Bad. I was quite pleased to find this live version of the song.



And, of course, the song that brought him to my attention, The Prayer. I am sure he sang it everywhere, and might have gotten tired of it. But I can tell you, I never tire of it. Just stunning.



The first song I heard from the second album, A New Beginning, was Addicted To You. I was crazy about it, and couldn't wait for my copy of the album to make it's way across the Pacific Ocean.



For more on Anthony Callea, check out his official website here. You can also find some news about Anthony here. You can follow him on Twitter here. He can be quite entertaining, as can be his partner, Tim Campbell, who you can find on Twitter here. Sometimes, they make me laugh just a bit too hard!

New Followers - Mind of Mine & Avishek

Left: Mind of Mine. Right: Avishek.

I would like to welcome two new followers to the blog, Mind of Mine and Avishek. Mind of Mine is a fellow blogger from Manchester, England. He talks about some of the gay culture around him, and is a fun read. Check him out here. I love the quote he uses for his blog: "Continually opening the wrong doors. Eventually I will open the right one." I can identify. Avishek is a 22-year-old str8 man from India, who is also a musician, at least I think he is from his picture. Unfortunately, I couldn't find his music to give it a listen, but if you read this Avishek, and there is music, let me know! I do know he seems to be friends with Chris Keys, and I am a big fan as well, giving me greater desire to hear Avishek's music! You can check out his MySpace page here.

As is custom, I am going to play a video to welcome the new followers. As luck would have it, I just found a new video by one of my favorites, Aiden James. He posted a videoblog that included a cover of Patty Griffin's Rain. Such a beautiful song, and a great cover of Aiden.



So welcome, Mind of Mine & Avishek. Hope to hear from you soon!