My favorite therapy.
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Recently, for a brief stint, my regular routine was detoured. I found myself out of whack in more ways than one. After a few days I realized that one major thing missing that was messing me up was that I hadn’t been listening to music daily like I usually do. Music is an integral part of our daily life around here. It can not only lift your spirits in an instant, but take you through a full range of emotions. Music can help us connect with others in ways plain spoken words just can’t. It can sooth a well worn soul, set a romantic mood, put a briskness in your step, and calm frazzled nerves.
Amazing how therapeutic music can be huh? I’m not sure I’d know what to do without the gift of music pouring through our home. The brief absence of it recently sure made me miss it a bunch.
I thought I’d take this time to share my current favorite artists, along with a couple of specific songs with you. I hope you check them out.
And will you please share your musical favorites as well? Purty please? It’s always fun to discover new artists.
A few recent musical favorites, in no particular order:
- Tedeschi Trucks Band (Midnight in Harlem, Come See About Me, Simple Things – really, all of their new album, Revelator)
- Amos Lee (Flower, Windows Are Rolled Down, Violin, Freedom)
- Patty Griffin (Heavenly Day, Let Him Fly, Move Up)
- Mumford and Sons (I recommend the entire album Sign No More in context, I do need to warn you about explicit lyrics in the tune Little Lion Man)
- New Grass Revival, always and forever (Good Woman’s Love, Angel Eyes, One More Love Song)
- The Avett Brothers (Paranoia in B Major, Slight Figure of Speech, And It Spread)
- Tony Rice (Shadows, Why You Been Gone So Long, A Song For Life)
- Ray LaMontagne (You Can Bring Me Flowers, Trouble, Repo Man, Beg Steal or Borrow)
- Railroad Earth (Too Much Information, Long Walk Home, Potter’s Field)
- Ivan & Alyosha (Living for Someone, Father’s Be Kind, I Was Born to Love Her)
Thanks for stopping by! Love ya bunches! xoxoxo
We definitely have similar music tastes – I listen to Mumford & Sons, Avett Bros, Ray LaMontagne a LOT.
Right now I’m also into Death Cab for Cuties latest album. And I really have gotten into the whole ‘americana’ music scene. New-to-me artists I’ve found recently are Sarah Jarosz and The Wailin’ Jennys.
And you’re right music is sooo therapeutic.
I recently added an iHome to our master suite and have discovered how much it has changed my mornings & nights.
Shannon Curtis is my newest fave. Her album Boomerangs & Seesaws is incredible.
I’ve recently also started to listen to more Christian music and it does wonders to lift me up on darker days.
If I am listening to music is the Christian… but MAN I can get into some good ole 80’s monster ballads. I heard Hurt So Good today and nearly cried from the happy memories that came to mind!
I love Mumford and Sons too, despite the explicit lyrics they are really something great. I am also loving Eric Church’s new album Chief; I listen to the song, “Springsteen” over and over.
My favorite artist in the world is my daughter. That being said, the ONLY music I have of her singing is from her college choir where she has a solo piece at the start of one song and while not soloing I can hear her soprano clear as a bell in another major piece. Makes me cry EVERY time and I’ve been listening to those pieces for 8 years now!
In a more popular genre…I do love Coldplay but my favorite female singer is Audra McDonald. Most people know her as a doctor on Private Practice but her voice is spectacular and she has won several Tony awards for her work on Broadway. I could listen to her all day. After Emily. 🙂
I also love Mumford and Sons and the Avett Brothers. (We were in NC over the weekend and I read an interesting article about theAvett Brothers’ music in a Blue Ridge publication.) Brandi Carlisle and The Civil Wars. Then there’s Keith Green whom I could listen to day in and day out without tiring. I love music from Wicked. I get on jags where I listen to The Eagles, Allman Brothers and any Southern Rock artists I can think of.
I’m wondering how you find your music and how you listen to it. Do you listen to Pandora, satellite radio?
How could I forget beach music? It’s in my blood.
We feel the same way about music here too Amy. My best gift was a Bose deck for my kitchen.
Adele is a fave. So is Sheryl Crow station on Pandora. I love Alicia Keys & so many others.
Have you heard of Bon Iver? There music is perfect for zoning out in backyard or on couch or to calm you on an airplane. Check em out, different, soothing & melodic.
My music list is so varied and all over the place – it in itself is sort of rambling, but in a good way.
we listen to EVERYTHING – jazz, blues, rock, Christian . . . such an eclectic mix . . . music is good for the soul . . .
I agree with you 100% Amy………I have music on all day, much prefer it to the TV. Lately it’s been on Pandora – Tim McGraw station
Jon Schmidt–amazing pianist and his cellist is also starting to have his own stuff–Steven Sharp Nelson. Fantastic music!
We’re exactly the same way around here. We have a Sonos system coupled with speakers in the ceiling of the living room and kitchen (we were lucky – the house came with those!) and we listen constantly.
Lately it’s been a lot of country, even The Brit is getting into some good ol’ Brad Paisley and The Zac Brown Band (Think Mumford and Sons goes country).
But our all time favorite music group is a band called Athlete, from London. In the UK, they’re as big as Coldplay. But over here, they haven’t got much airplay (other than some Grey’s Anatomy episodes) so when they tour here, it’s always really tiny venues. Listen to their Black Swan album, especially songs like Rubik’s Cube and Love Come Rescue. They soothe my soul in ways I can’t find words for.
I so love music therapy! We all drink it in like coffee at my house. I’m a alternative girl…still love ’80’s music, REM, Yaz, Modern English, The Cure etc. Classical stirs my soul as well.
You don’t want to know my musical favorites. Trust me, you will judge.
But I love yours!!
Girl, I would never judge. You’d be surprised at what all is in my iTunes playlists. For real.
~ Amy
It’s true that sometimes people judge by music. Music is such a powerful and personal choice and I love such a wide variety from classic, indie, World {Egyptian, Spanish, African} to Alternative and even some Gangsta Rap. 😉
I love Kate Walsh for relaxation. I made a “Kate Walsh” station on Pandora, and that throws Ingrid Michaelson, Regina Spektor, and other great artists into the mix!
I just bought a CD at the Whole Foods check out counter and it made my day. It’s amazing what music can do.
Oooo…I love your playlist. Some that I artists that like to listen to are Altan, Billy Holiday, Nickle Creek, Depeche Mode, Etta James, Social Distortion and Flogging Molly.
i love Ray Lamantange, I saw him and Ryan Adams in concert a few months ago w my girlfriend.
I have loved Bob Schneider for a long time now, I met my husband at his concert. He is not main stream but very soulful and original.
I also really like Calexico, a band I discovered about a year ago and am going up north to Prescott in a few weeks to watch them outdoors. They are kind of a melting pot for country, indie rock, various Spanish rooted sub-genres and jazz.
Try Alexi Murdoch. I love almost all of the artists you mentioned, so maybe you will enjoy Alexi!
Tristan Prettyman, Alexi Murdoch, Gary Go, Ingrid Michaelson, Sia, Feist, Norah Jones 🙂