For all 3 people who read this...

Yes he does.

I submitted some Ashlan songs a while back for a new contest for people who work at Starbucks, and they chose us as semi-finalists! If you click on the picture above, it will take you to the website where you can listen to a song and vote!

The grand prize is an opening slot for a nationally known act at the House of Blues in L.A. So all three of you who read my blog please let everyone you know know about this! It would be really cool to win!

Get to votin'!

Shed that shallow skin, come and live again

I haven't come across a musician in a long time that has opened my eyes in this way; Brooke Fraser is brilliant. I've been listening to her music for a while now, but only recently have I really began to hear what she's saying.

What initially drew me to her were her instantly catchy but never overly poppy songs, they stick in your head and the melodies don't go away easily (a good thing). Secondly, her voice is so beautiful, she truly uses it as an instrument used to emote; at times it can be strong and bold, other times it's soft and introspective and that's when she really shines. The production value on "Albertine" is another contributing factor - compared to her fist album "What To Do With Daylight", her second album surpasses it's predecessor in instrumentation and scope. Lastly, and most importantly, her lyrics which encompass her messages are so evocative of real life and true true spiritual experiences I find myself getting lost in them and thinking about my own life.

This is real songwriting, this is God-given. It's not difficult to realize after listening to her music that Brooke is a Christian. She's a part of the Hillsong music projects and the worship songs she writes blow me away. "Hosanna" especially almost made me pull over.

Again - musicianship, songwriting, the voice, the production, the emotions, the message = one of my new favorite artists.

Brandie and I got the awesome opportunity to see Brooke live on Monday night in L.A. She played at the Hotel Cafe, a 45 minute set and of course it was amazing. She was backed by 2 other musicians, a girl who played keys and violin, and a guy who switched back and forth between drums and piano. We left wanting more, which we might get since she said to keep checking her myspace for when she'd be back in L.A.

My goal now is to spread her music to as many people as possible. Her stuff isn't available in the U.S., but if you do some digging you might find some of her songs online.

Below are some pics and videos from the show. Sorry the quality's not great, but you get the point. Listen to her you won't regret it.

Off to L.A.

Tonight Brandie and I are going to see one of our new favorite artists Brooke Fraser. She's big in New Zealand and Australia, but here in the States, her tix are $8! After we return Tuesday I'll post a complete review of the show and our time in L.A.