One

A year ago today, after some contemplation, I started off on this little experiment of a music blog. One year later, 425 posts and a total of 121,433 and 143,160 page visits (somewhat less unique visitors – this number is low, because I added on tracking a couple months after I started.) I’d say this is a success. The site has really grown over the past couple of months, and I’ve tried a number of features, such as the Cover and Original, Acoustic and Original, Live and Original, Artist Evolution, 80 Bands Around the World, Artist Comparison and a couple others. Some of those I haven’t kept up with, but it’s been a fun ride thus far.

The name Carry You Away came from a couple of songs, most notably Cary Brother’s song Who You Are and Rilo Kiley’s The Angels Hung Around. The idea was that music carries one away while listening. I liked the idea when I heard Who You Are, and it stuck.

From The Angels Hung Around:

“…’Till the angels hung around
as they carried me away.”

From Who You Are:

“…You try to, but you can’t move
As the windows crash around you
No one there to carry you away”

My main mission here is to highlight music that I like. Over the past year or so, my tastes have grown considerably, and I’ve found that there’s a lot of stuff out there that I like. I’ve become a more competent reviewer and writer, partially because of the amount of writing that I’ve had to do for this site, and my tastes in music is more refined. I’ve met artists, taken tons of pictures, and found hundreds of new artists and songs that I never would have come across otherwise.

So, thank you to everyone for making the site a success, and for hearing what I’ve got to say about things.

Beginnings - Chicago
Thirty One Today - Aimee Man
One Week - Barenaked Ladies
One (Blake’s Got a New Face) – Vampire Weekend
One Good Year - Slaid Cleaves

Who You Are - Cary Brothers
The Angels Hung Around - Rilo Kiley

Hype – Buy – Look

New Video – Thirty One Today

The video for Aimee Mann’s latest single, Thirty One Today, off of her 7th album, @#x%x*! Smilers is now up:

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I’m not entirely sure what I think about it. It’s a fantastic, if depressing song, but the video doesn’t really fit all that well with it.

Thirty-One Today – Aimee Mann

Hype – Buy – Look

The Best of April

This month’s had a bunch of really good new songs and releases. There was a lot of really good stuff this month:

View from the Root [Album]
The Adam Ezra Group has rapidly become a favorite of mine, ever since I saw them last December with Carbon Leaf, and again when they returned a week later. They’ve recently come out with their latest album, and it’s a step up for them – they’ve really refined and strengthened their sound and have produced a really good record. Flyin’ is a nice, laid back song that just feels right, and Katie is another fantastic song from them with a great beat and rhythms. My review is coming soon.

Thirty One Today – Aimee Mann
This song feels and sounds great, but it’s depressing as hell. The guitar, keys, bass and vocals all work wonderfully today with a nice, seductive sound that’s really propelled it to the top of my playlist.

Julian of Norwich – Bombadil
A Buzz, A Buzz – Bombadil
I covered these guys recently with a review of their debut album, A Buzz, A Buzz. They’ve got a really neat, unique sound with some fantastic songwriting that’s really set them apart from a lot of other groups that I’ve listened to. Julian of Norwich and the title track, A Buzz, A Buzz are two of the best on the album.

Violet Hill – Coldplay
Coldplay’s first single off of their upcoming album. It’s pretty different from some of their earlier works. I like this sound, and I’ll be interested to see what the next album brings.

I Will Possess Your Heart – Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie’s back with a new album and a wholly new sound. I have yet to hear the rest of the record at this time, but so far, I really dig it. I Will Possess Your Heart, I think will become one of their better songs, despite the drama from the fanboys on this one. Bands do change their sound. Relax, you will live to see another day.

Westward Bound – The Fairline Parkway
Nowhere to Be – The Fairline Parkway
These guys are new, and made a splash at the South by Southwest festival. My review of this album is forthcoming, but here are two of my favorite tracks from this album.

Let It Go – Jon Regen
The Last Song – Jon Regen
Regen is a new artist to me, and I love his Soul/Jazz sound that really resembles Marc Cohn’s Walking In Memphis. This whole album is tight, full of emotion and really sounds fantastic.

Memory One – Lili Haydn
Satellites – Lili Haydn
Lili Haydn’s also a new artist to me, although this is her third album. She has a nice, easy going style that’s really set apart with the piano and violin.

John Adams Theme – Robert Lane
My new favorite show – I’m in love with history, and it’s fantastic to see a television show get something to the public that’s actually good. John Adams is a wonderful show about the founding of the US, and this theme song is just amazing.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar – That Mitchell and Webb Look
This show just makes me laugh. This is actually a theme song for a reoccurring sketch within the show, but it’s so slapstick, it’s just hilarious.

Hideaway – The Weepies
I haven’t listened to these guys extensively, but I’m adding them to my ‘to listen’ list because I’m really liking their laid back sound here. These songs are light, with a fantastic sound and some interesting lyrics.

Hype – Buy

Catch the trade winds in your sails

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

I’m on a short trip out to a conference in Utah this week and the weekend – I really can’t wait to get back on a plane again, see somewhere new. Here’s some songs that I’ve been listening to recently:

Come Fly With Me – Frank Sinatra
Falling or Flying – Grace Potter & the Nocturnals
Freeway – Removed by Request - Aimee Mann
International Airport – Carbon Leaf
It’s My Turn To Fly – The Urge
Leaving on a Jet Plane - John Denver
Minutes to Memories (John Mellenkamp) - Carbon Leaf
Out of Town - Zero 7
See The World - Gomez
Venture Highway - America
Where Are You Going? - Dave Matthew’s Band

Hype – Buy

Thirty-One Today

A new Aimee Mann track’s come up through the music blogs, and I have to say, I really like it.The song’s from her upcoming album, @#%&*! Smilers, which is due out June 3rd, 2008.
I’m not a huge Aimee Mann fan, but I can’t say that I’ve really listened too much to her. Lost In Space is the other song that I have, and really like it.
While listening to this song, I’m reminded about how much I can identify with music. The chorus, “I thought my life would be different somehow, I thought my life would be better by now.” really hits me, as it’s something that I’ve thought about and wondered as I’ve just graduated from college and embarked on a career, of some sorts. I find myself sitting at home alone, thinking that exact same thing.

Thirty-One Today – Aimee Mann

Hype – Buy – Look

Cover and Original

It’s been a little while since I’ve done one of these, so here’s a couple to catch up for lost time:

This song you would have heard if you’ve turned on a TV recently. Tristan Prettyman has a fantastic cover of it:

New Soul (Yael Naïm) – Tristan Prettyman
New Soul – Yael Naïm

Again, I think that Matt Nathanson is a bit of a prat, but this is a fun cover/duet of Matt, Cary Brothers and Kate Vogele:

Don’t Stop Believing (Journey) – Matt Nathanson
Don’t Stop Believing - Journey

And Coldplay’s one of my favorites, so it’s interesting to come across a cover of their works. Here’s a good one from Aimee Mann and another from Johnette Napolitano:

The Scientist (Coldplay) - Aimee Mann
The Scientist (Coldplay) - Johnette Napolitano
The Scientist – Coldplay

Hype – Buy