for your consideration

if you’re like me, you’re a fan of new music, and of supporting people in their attempts to put good music out there. there are two albums listed at the right, in the “to hear” section (yeah, the images are kinda hard to miss), that are definitely worth listening to.

the first is peter jonathan olson’s suite for the green mountains. peter is a vermont artist who has been writing and playing his own solo piano compositions for about eighteen years, though this is his first “real” album. while many may compare him to george winston, peter shies away from the “new age” title. his music is, in his own words, “impressionistic and pastoral,” and the pieces included in this suite, in particular, evoke the sights and sounds of vermont. oh, he’s also my brother.

the second is ilsabe o’connell’s little lost cause. ilsabe is a member of my church, and got her start playing in our annual coffeehouse. she had the audience rolling with her rendition of “the dollar store,” and came back the next year with “pity party,” which, while a sad and bitter song, is also quite humorous (especially if you are not in a sad and bitter place when you hear it). this gave her the courage to attend open mic nights elsewhere in the city and let others hear her. her voice is raw and pure and her lyrics are strong and heartfelt.

for those interested in purchasing either or both of these albums, they are available at cdbaby.com. however, if you wish to have all of your money go toward the artist(s) (instead of giving a significant cut of it to the web site hosting them), leave me a comment, drop me an email, or give me a call. i can tell you how to purchase them from the artists directly.

peace and independent music to all!