Featured Friday Music Shuffle - Penultimate Mix

It's Friday!  Time to shuffle up some of our Featured Artists of the Month.  And another chance to plug our Band of the Month poll.

Words cannot express how much I loved this morning's shuffle. Wait a minute, I'm a writer, so yes, words can express how much I loved this morning shuffle:

First up is Dean Fields with Forever Never Knowing from his release entitled Under A Searchlight Moon. Forever Never Knowing is indie folk pop at best.  Bottom line, it's just a well written and wonderfully executed song. It's a love song that doesn't slip into sentimental silliness (but what's wrong with that, I'd like to know).  Dean Fields is soon going to moving from Richmond, VA to Nashville, and I look forward to seeing him around town soon!

  

Killing Kuddles is currently leading in our Band of the Month poll.  He brings a grungy, punk spirit to a folk troubadours' heart (or maybe it's the other way around).  In Vegas, from his Waking Up Older EP, I hear shades of early X, it's a fun little number and damn good song.

 Couldn't find a video for Vegas so here's another Killing Kuddles song

Then there is Shayfer James. Weight of the World from his Counterfeit Arcade album was my introduction to this amazing New Jersey artist. With a carnival-like sound and uniquely emotive vocals, Shayfer, like Don Ryan and Elephant Goes West, draws from what must be a verdant garden of Waitsian magic located somewhere in the Garden State. The thing is, it is very easy to pick the fruit, but it takes a master baker to know what to do with it. Shayfer James is a master chef, and I can't wait for the next batch of tasty treats to come out of his kitchen....  Damn, I made myself hungry!

   

And we close out this shuffle with Jo Wymer who is currently holding down the number two spot in our Band of the Month Poll. This powerful bluesy rock singer/songwriter makes sings classic sounding original songs.  I hear that she is coming to Nashville in September, and I for one, can't wait.  This Ain't Love (Love and War) is another stand-out track on her fabulous Living With Scars album.

 

I couldn't find a video for This Ain't Love so here's a live clip of Jo performing a P!nk song from a show she opened for Corey Glover (Living Colour)