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.

Dudley Saunders at Potter's House

I was lucky enough to attend Dudley's Saunders live show in Washington, DC, on October 12, 2012. Dudley played at Potter's House, a veritable landmark in DC, an established book store coffee house that caters to artists and their patrons for much of the last century. Dudley was planning to play many of the songs off his new album, 'Monsters'. As I hadn't seen Dudley before, I was so very excited at the prospect, and as time drew closer, I got more excited. I was thrilled to attend the show with another talented artist, Tom Goss, along with his handsome husband, Michael. I of course, brought my still camera and video camera, and both Tom and Mike lent a hand in recording some of the songs, and took a few still pictures. So I will bring you the sights and sounds of the show, taken by all there of us that night.

Tom helped Dudley get ready for the show, and they discovered the sound equipment was not working, and Dudley decided to go on with the show, without amplification. This added level of intimacy was an added bonus, perfect for Dudley's music. Dudley began the show with "We Were Right" off the 'Monsters' album.

Dudley also performed the brilliant "What Rats Are We", another song off 'Monsters'. I kept much of Dudley's chat before the song, for I really felt it added to the experience and understanding of the song.

While most of the songs Dudley performed were off the latest release, he also played some songs featured on previous albums. This is a video of his "Jesus Didn't Love Us Enough" off the album 'Emergency Lane'. I was so touched the first time I heard the song, and have to admit hearing it live brought a tear to my eye.

The next song was the final track on 'Monsters'. "Coal Tattoo" is a bracing and beautiful Gospel-fueled song that brought me to my feet. It was during this song I thought tom myself the only was to explain this man would be to believe he was the bastard son of Ronnie Gilbert and Levon Helm, a gorgeous voice matched with such a deep and giving soul. Enjoy "Coal Tattoo".

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Dudley Saunders has such a distinctive voice, both vocally and in his writing, I find it hard to think of anyone not appreciating his gift. 'Monsters' is such a wonderful album, one of my favorites released this year. IIf you appreciate great music, it should be in your collection. You can purchase 'Monsters' on iTunes, Amazon, Bandcamp, and CD Baby. To learn more about Dudley, visit his official website. You can also 'like' him on Facebook, or 'follow' him on Twitter.

Below Clockwise: Tom & Michael; me and Dudley, and a shot thought the window at Potter's House.

Dudley Saunders Live in DC Preview

On October 12, 2012, I was lucky enough to be in the audience when Dudley Saunders played at The Potter's House in Washington, DC. The show was celebrate the release of his latest album, 'Monsters'. It was my first time seeing Dudley, so I was quite excited. I was also thrilled to be attending with Tom Goss and his partner Mike, both of whom helped taking videos while I was taking pictures, and pictures when I taking videos. Here is my overview of the fantastic show on video, or 'Dudley Saunders in 5 Minutes!'

To learn more about Dudley, visit his official website. You can purchase 'Monsters' on iTunes, Amazon, Bandcamp, and CD Baby.

Dudley Saunders • 'Monsters' Released

Well, it is finally here. Dudley Saunders has released his new album, 'Monsters'. Now I normally try to start out with a low-key introduction. Screw that, I love this album. I mean love, in the sense that I adore it. Beginning with the opening bars of "We Were Right" when the reminiscing was sweet and joyful, through the closing of the spiritual "Coal Tattoo", I can tell you this will be one of my favorites till at the end of the year. "Zero Out (In These Boxes)" is a gorgeous song, taking on the process of a new beginning, a fresh start. And then comes "Monsters", the song I heard on YouTube a while back, that just took my breath away. In fact, here is that very video. This is Dudley singing "Monsters" live.

That is followed by "The Man In The Game," and I have to tell you, I got lost in the song, so beautiful and sung with such a pure voice, I stopped writing and was listening until the end again. for it is even more haunting when you realize he is singing about a gun and a shooting spree. "Roving" has a quality of great Folk, yet when I listen closely, there is a greater depth to the structure of the song, the way it is woven. I was almost immediately was enchanted by "What Rats Are We", a striking commentary on modern life, wrapped in a stunning bow with Dudley's gorgeous production. We all have to take a stand at some point, and decide "What I Won't Do", right? There are other moments when Dudley shows up as a hybrid, part troubadour, and part artist. He captures the life at the core of the action at the convenience store in "Wheelchair in the 7-11 Parking Lot". Timing is everything, at least according to "Rosewood Casket". Some people don't learn their lessons in time, so keep that in mind. And, finally, there is the stunning "Coal Tattoo", is a pure testimonial, a spiritual truth coming from the heart. You need more than just my word? Well, check out the songs below, on the widget from Bandcamp that will let you hear it all.

My advice to anyone reading this is to buy it, buy it now. Dowload it, or buy the CD, whatever works for you. Just buy it. Put it in rotation in your iTunes. Listen at least five times before you admit it kicked your ass, and you are Dudley's aural bitch. Saunders combines amazing musical technique with a vision, an eye on the world quite unlike any other. He uses notes and words to paint human landscapes, at times like a realist, while in other places, he paints more like an impressionist, offering his brushstrokes more to define mood or condition. He offers a journey that is every bit as intoxicating as it is heartbreaking. You can purchase 'Monsters' on iTunes, Amazon, Bandcamp, and CD Baby. Until then, if you would like to learn more about Dudley, visit his official website. There you can see all the latest information, including his tour dates. I hope to be attending his October 12th show in Washington, DC, and pray I can come back with pictures and/or video I can share with you all soon.

Still Time To Support Dudley Saunders

You still have time to offer your support to singer/songwriter Dudley Saunders as he raises funds to release an album of new music. His music is very special, a great amalgam of the power of great Folk music with the haunting soul of strong poetry, and the jolting edge of Punk. check out this music video for "The Winding Sheet" from his album The Emergency Lane.



Dudley started his Kickstarter campaign to raise money to help with the marketing and promotions for his new album, Monsters. Like all campaigns, there are levels of donations, each offering a gift in return. If you pledge $10, you will get an early download of the album, much like you have pre-ordered the album. For $25, you will get the early download, as well as an autographed copy sent from the artist himself. For $50, you will get the early download, plus signed copies of the latest AND Dudley's last two CDs, and a download of his out of print debut. There are many more, including an opportunity to have Dudley come to your house for a private show for you, your friends and loved one!



If you are a regular reader of this blog, you must have already heard my belief that we music lovers can not rely on others supporting musicians we want to hear, it is up to us. In election years like we are in now, I often wonder what would happen if we limited the amount of money that could be raised and spent, and instead placed that money into the arts, including music. Think what it would mean if Mitt Romney spent as much money on the arts as he has in his attempts to run for political office? But that will not happen. It is up to us, the people who appreciate music and the artists who make it, to support them when we can. Whether it is a little or a lot, You send the message that their voice is heard, their message is received, and their work appreciated. This is especially important for LGBT artists, who have recorded the history, raised their voices when no one would listen, and told our stories when it was not popular to do so. They've been doing it at Pride festivals, bars, or coffeehouses. A quick tour of AM or FM radio will tell you all you need to know about the corporate support. To hear music that speaks to our lives, our struggle, our loves, our losses, we need to stand up and be counted. We need to support the LGBT artists by purchasing their music, and attending their live performances. When we do, they have reason to believe they can continue to raise their voice. And that is exactly what Dudley is looking to do, with a voice that combine the beauty and musicality, well-worth our support. Check out this video for the song "Love Song For Jeffrey Dahmer", also featured on The Emergency Lane album.



So stand up and let our voices be heard. Back Dudley Saunders, in a way you can afford. He is looking for your support, be it $1 or $1,000. Be open to hear his voice, when his sings a song about his life, and our life. There is less than two weeks remaining to offer your support. Click on the widget below speak up, and let all our stories be heard.

Dudley Saunders • Kickstarter Campaign

I am a recent convert to the church of Dudley Saunders, only finding his music late last year. Since then, I keep coming back to it, like an addict to his crack house. And not just because of the strong handsome features or his sexy build. On his albums, Dudley combines intricate and beautiful music with unexpected and haunting lyrics. You never quite feel like you are on even ground, as he keeps you off-balance, cuddling you one moment, running a chill down your spine the next. His albums are definitely a journey you take with the artist, almost bordering on a love affair. There are moments of infatuation, lust, love, recoil, disgust, anger... You get the idea. So when I found out he was working on a new album, I was excited, to say the least. But rather than allow me to prattle on about it, I'll let Dudley tell you himself.



Dudley is looking to raise just $4,000 to help with the marketing and promotions. Like all campaigns, there are levels of donations, each offering a gift in return. If you pledge $10, you will get an early download of the album, much like you have preodered the album. For $25, you will get the early download, as well as an autographed copy sent from the artist himself. For $50, you will get the early download, plus signed copies of the latest AND Dudley's last two CDs, and a download of his out of print debut. There are many more, including an opportunity to have Dudly come to your house for a private show for you, your friends and loved one! You can hear him performing his award-winning song "Monsters", also the title cut off the new album.



By now, we all know my theory about supporting the artists whose voices we and others need to hear, right? We can't expect everyone else to invest in your aural pleasure, for a listen on commercial radio will quickly tell you the LGBT voices never get the support they deserve, unless it is from our own community. And voices that combine the beauty and musicality with the focused eye of Dudley is well-worth our support. Check out this video for the song "The Undoing (Every Day)", featured on The Billy Whiteacre Sessions+ album.



So stand up and let our voices be heard. Back Dudley Saunders, in a way you can afford. He is looking for your support, be it $1 or $4,000. Be open to hear his voice, when his sings a song about his life, and our life. Click on the widget below speak up, and let all our stories be heard.

Looking Forward in 2012

Clockwise: We The Ghost, Robert German, Dudley Saunders, and Chad Cavanaugh.

I think there is plenty to look forward to in the New Year, but I will only touch on a couple of those things. Four, to be exact. Yesterday, we already had the great fortune of knowing that songster Aiden James released a new album. The great thing about a new year is just that, it is new. As the ball drops in Times Square, it can act like a great eraser, clearing out some mistakes so we can start fresh. We can promise ourselves we will try to get to see more live music, and to support those artists whose music we love.And, to the best of my knowledge, I think there are some people working on new music that get me more excited than it should.

That would include a band from Tulsa, Oklahoma, that is starting afrresh, writing some music and getting ready to put on some shows. We The Ghost, which features Beau Tyler, Dain Samuelson and blog favorite Jimmy Dean Adams, have started working together to make their own music. We can start with a clip of Beau singing an acoustic version of a song they wrote, Let The Love In.



You can find We Are The Ghost online at Facebook and ReverbNation.

When it comes to Robert German, I am completely coo-coo for Cocoa Puffs. I love his music, and have practically worn out my version of Sirens of Brooklyn. So when I heard he is working on not one, but two new projects, I get a bit giddy. I understand they will be released separately, but it certainly means something is coming, something is in the pipeline. And I love that he sent out little teasers, videos with demos of songs, giving us a view into the creative process. In the following clip, we get a taste of Duct Tape & Super Glue, and I love it!

Demo - Duct Tape & Super Glue by robertgermanmusic

You can find Robert on Facebook, ReverbNation and Twitter.

It has been far too long since I have had some new music from San Diego-based Chad Cavanaugh. I eat up Coffeehouse Rebellion, and adored We Got Love. The miltary veteran's pairing of classic folk with interesting rhythms keeps me wanting more. I know he was talking about going back in the studio, and certainly hope he has made it there. Until then, check out this live performance of his song Troubadour.



You can find Chad on Facebook, ReverbNation, and Twitter.

I know that handsome Dudley Saunders has been writing new music, and I hope he has been hitting the studio, or is making plans to do so, for I would love to have some new music from him. I enjoy the Billy White Acre Sessions, and just love The Emergency Lane, but still, I am greedy, and want more. Here is a taste of some new music, Monster. He posted it on YouTube from a live performance. I love it.



You can find Dudley on Facebook, ReverbNation, and Twitter.

Dudley Saunders • Monster

The amazing Dudley Saunders has released a new track while he is working on his upcoming album. Monster is just a beautiful song, one I couldn't wait to purchase. It is available here, and the money will help fund the completion of the new album, already in progress. But I am getting ahead of myself. Here is Dudley performing Monster live at a recent show at Kulak's Woodshed.



Wasn't that amazing? If you thought so, take a moment to vote for Dudley in 10th Annual Mountain Stage New Song Competition here. Just scroll down and place your vote. You can find out more about Dudley by visiting his official website here. The new album will be the first since the 2007 release, The Emergency Lane. You can purchase it on iTunes, Amazon, or CD Baby. And you can get a great song now, and hear the rest of the album a bit sooner. Purchase Monster here now!

Great Music - Dudley Saunders

Shame on me for just discovering the music of Dudley Saunders. The Kentucky native has been performing is own brand of folk music since the early 90s, after perfecting his edgy style in performance art and film. With his history in storytelling, it is no surprise he should evolve into a folk artist, one who manages to take the formula of classic folk and put his own particular spin on it, bringing the form to something new and sounding fresh. His voice is brilliantly crisp and strong, never failing to hit the notes, each phrase developed in tone and content. As an out artist, he sings about issues that range from highly personal to larger themes, often intertwining the two.




When I put on the emergency lane, the most recent release, I had no idea what to expect. The 13-song album has rather unassuming packaging, so I slipped the disk in and hit play. Opening with Look For Me, it kicks off with a simple acoustic sound of guitar and drums, though it is quickly enriched by the addition of Dudley's vocals and more instrumentation. The song moves easily between painting a strong picture and adding a bit of haunted mist to the image during the chorus. Give a listen to a live performance of the song here.



Lyrically, the album unfolds like a classic American novel, more Steinbeck in content and Fitzgerald in tone, maybe even a bit of Isherwood during the later 'American' years. He tells the story of the people that inhabit Saunders' world, at times revealing the sordid underbelly of society with a loving eye, yet no romanticized view. The characters are real, certainly not well-off, and at times struggling. Their behaviors, from prostitute to addict, takes varying levels of danger and failure to act safely. Take, for example, the second cut on the album, Love Song For Jeffrey Dahmer. Written and sung from the perspective of the serial killer, it is at once lovely and yet disturbing. Sonically, it is a lovely song, but the lyrics tell a distractingly ugly tale. The Rain on 8th Avenue shifts the tone a bit, more to the impressionistic than real. But the prose-like lyrics, almost Ezra Pound-like, tell the tale of the hookers working 8th Avenue in the rain. Take Me Back Home Again picks up the tempo of the album, mirroring the characters desire to not be lonely. Well, you are getting the idea.

The stories might have a gritty realism to them, scenes from an urban life, but it wasn't told from a foreboding place, more from the point of view of the subject of the song. Saunders paints a rather evocative picture with a loving and deft hand, yet never takes it to a romantic level. I am kinda reminded of some of the great songs of Lou Reed and his chronicles of the people in his Greenwich Villages in the 70s and 80s. But Dudley's voice is more in the vein of a Chris Isaak, for me is a male version of Joni Mitchell. The vocals go beyond the role of narrator, elevated to another instrument that helps define the mood and tenor of songs. Here is The Winding Sheet, the 9th track from the album, and the official music video. The vocals are more evocative of 60 folk balladeers like Pete Seger or Noel 'Paul' Stookey, telling the story with a painters touch, not that of a documentarian.



So by the end of the album, Dudley Saunders had brought me into his world, in quite the stunning fashion; I hung on his every word. This man is amazingly talented. He lives in Los Angeles now, but I certainly hope I have the opportunity to see him perform live sometime, because I think it would be an amazing treat. I read that he is finishing up work on a new album, so perhaps a tour might be in the offing to support it in 2011. And, in case you didn't notice the pictures above, is really quite the hot daddy. You can check him out at his official website here. And you should check it out, for it has some interesting interactive things going on, and it evolves on a monthly basis.

I will leave you with another example of Dudley's music. The Undoing (Everyday) is a cut from a prior album, The Billy White Acre Sessions. It is a bit less impressionist and more lyrical in nature, and more linear in storyline as it showcases the everyday struggles of many people fighting addictions.



In 2009, the emergency lane was named Best Album by the OUTMusic organization. Having just experienced, I know exactly why. You can check it out for yourself on iTunes here, on Amazon here, or at CD Baby here. It could tide you over quite nicely until his new album is available. i know I can't wait!