Adam Shenk • Suitcases

I have often remarked I have come across music in many ways, from liking the cover photograph when buying, to hearing someone open for another artist I love. I first ordered Christopher Dallman's 'Race The Light' on a whim, not hearing a single track before it arriving in the mail. And I have often blamed Eric Himan for my excessive music bills, having exposed me to acts like Aiden James, Tom Goss, Levi Kreis, Andy Moore, Coyote Grace, both Jimmy Adams and Angel Adams, and so many others that now fill my iTunes. Just like listening to J.D. Doyle's monthly OutRadio podcasts, and his Queer Music Heritage posts have tipped me off to several other artists. Recently, I added a new resource when I was spending a bit of time with Tom Goss, and he handed me several CDs, telling me they were people I should be listen to. Well, when a fellow-musician makes a recommendation, I tend to take notice. One of those discs was 'Suitcases', featuring the music of Adam Shenk. Knowing nothing about him, I put in the CD and hit play, and now I understand why Tom gave me the CD. While I might be about three years behind the curve on this one, I must admit I instantly liked Shenk's music, and think many of you might like it as well.

'Suitcases' is an 11-track offering, but there are three additional "bonus tracks", so let's go with fourteen tracks. The songs were written by Shenk and Ayhan Sahin, and Sahin aslo produced and mixed the album. The music is R&B based, with a splash of Pop through in to sweeten the mix. There is an inherent sexiness to the music, the rhythms tending toward slow and grinding, with heartfelt ballads and some mid-tempo stuff that makes me dance the minute it comes on. I am am going to offer up my current three favorite songs on the CD, and let you figure out why you should be adding Adam Shenk to your music collection. I will begin with the title cut off the album, "Suitcases". It is the one song I found with a music video, and I can understand why. This mid-tempo number is bright and cheery, despite the subject matter. The singer struggles with following his heart by staying put with his lover, or needed to move on to take the next step on his journey. I love "Suitcases", and hope you do, too!

Now, while I think "Suitcases" give me an idea just how amazing Shenk's vocals can be, the first track on the album, "Seed", made me sit up and take notice. The song also features Jennifer Hirsh, and the two give amazing performances on the chorus. This allows Adam great freedom to sing from the heart, and soar when he needs to. The song is another one filled with hope and joy, with such a positive look to the future. Enjoy "Seed" featuring Jennifer Hirsh.

See, the final 30 seconds of that song are just amazing, aren't they? Finally, I really love "Saturday". The song features The Rhode Island-based Hip-Hop group Heightz who lay down a tight rap on the track. In the middle of the song, I hear the hat-tip to Buffalo Springfield's classic "For What It's Worth", repeating one of the great lines from Stephen Stills' lyric. I just really loved this song right away, and can listen to it all the time. I hope you enjoy "Saturday" featuring Heightz as much as I do.

The album is really filled with nuggets like these. I really enjoy, and can't thank Tom enough for sharing it. You can find 'Suitcases' on iTunes, Amazon, and CD Baby. To learn more about Adam Shenk, visit his official website. You can also 'follow' him on Twitter, and 'like' him on Facebook.

Julie London • "November Twilight"

It just seemed like the perfect time to turn to the amazing Julie London and have her sing "November Twilight," written by Paul Francis Webster. The song was featured on her 1956 album, 'Calendar Girl.'

You can purchase the 'Calendar Girl' album on iTunes and Amazon.

Barry Manilow • Weekend In New England

It might be hard to believe it has been almost 36 years since Barry Manilow released his huge hit, "Weekend In New England". The song, written by Randy Edelman, was off his fourth album, This One's For You. Both the album and single were released in 1976. It was a time when it seemed as though Barry was dominating Pop music and Top 40 Radio, with hit after hat. I thought this would be a great way to kick off your Saturday morning, whether you are in New England or not.



It is interesting to note that the song mentions New England only once, and never really mentions weekend at all. That didn't stop Barry from making it to #10 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart, and #7 on the Canadian Pop chart. You can find "Weekend In New England" on Barry's Greatest Hits: Volume II on iTunes and Amazon.

Nick Drake • Saturday Sun

When I was thinking of what to post today, Nick Drake crossed my mind. I found his beautiful song Saturday Sun, and knew this was the post for me. I am not sure how many people know of him, but Drake released his first album in 1969. The title of that album was Five Leaves Left, a ten-song collection of guitar-driven folk/pop. His music is marked by his sensitivity, and an ability to communicate through his music, much like a modern day John Keats. It was as if he reformulated the description of the brooding romantic. There is no footage of him performing live, so just sit back and listen to Saturday Sun.



While still a young man, just in his early twenties, he put out several albums in a row. However, he also struggled with his own demons. He never felt comfortable in interviews, or performing live, which made promoting his music tough. Throughout his life, he struggled with both depression and insomnia. After his third album in 1972, Drake decided to retreat to his parents home in rural Warwickshire. He did this to help bolster himself from depression, but it didn't really help. This is The Day Is Done, off his first album.



In November of 1974, Drake was found dead, having overdosed on his prescribed anti-depressant. He was just 26 years old. Having little promotion for his albums, Drake had a small fan base, but had not had much by way of sales. In 1979, Fruit Tree, a selections of his collective work, was released, and gave the world a chance to reassess the music. The music was seen in a new light, and gained great respect. Drake became an inspiration to some of the more prominent musicians, like Robert Smith (of The Cure), Peter Buck (of REM), Kate Bush, Paul Weller and The Black Crowes. British band Dream Academy wrote their hit song Life In A North Town for Drake.

You can purchase Five Leaves Left on iTunes and on Amazon. You can discover more about Nick Drake with a visit to the official website of his estate here.