Music Review: Schuyler Fisk - The Good Stuff

A couple years ago, I attended a concert at the El Ray here in Los Angeles. The headliner was Joshua Radin who I had become an immense fan of. I had checked around and found out that the opening act was someone I had never heard of and who's name I couldn't pronounce, at least from reading it. So show night, and out comes a young woman with her guitar.

She introduced herself as Schuyler Fisk, that's pronounced Skyler in case you were wondering, and from her first words I was captivated in a way that I don't think I had ever been at a concert before. It was love at first listen. Thanks to my friend, Colette (EiC of Tomopop.com, do check it out), I was able to get her EP. I will say this. If iPods didn't exist the CD would have a laser burn straight through it by now.

Now, after a seemingly endless wait, we finally have a full length album from Schuyler Fisk called The Good Stuff.

The wait was worth it. The Good Stuff is 14 tracks of great stuff. It's being billed as a folk album but to be honest the album delivers a multitude of genres. It's a bit funky, a bit rocky, a bit poppy, and a bit folky. If it truly is a folk album, it's probably the most accessible folk album in quite awhile. It is easily enjoyed by mainstream audiences.

Schuyler's lyrics are rich and emotionally engaging. If you read my music reviews regularly you know how big I am on relatable songs. Schuyler has a knack for this kind of song.

The CD is fantastic from beginning to end but there is one song that stands out even among the other tracks. It was a song I first heard back at that Joshua Radin concert I mentioned previously. They sang it together and it hasn't left my mind since. The song is called "Fall Apart Today" and is included on this album. I've included a live video of this song at the end of the review so I will let is speak for itself. Suffice it to say, it's beautiful and one of my favorite songs.

Schuyler has that kind of voice that is impossible not to enjoy. She sings with such honesty and emotion its hard not to fall in love with her music the moment she opens her mouth. Like I said, she had me at the first note.

The Good Stuff is an album full of perfect music. Lyrically and musically, Schuyler Fisk delivers fourteen incredibly enjoyable tracks. I can't get enough of them.

So far with amazing music from Chris Pureka and Schuyler Fisk, 2009 is looking like a great year for not only women in music, but women creating real, heartfelt music that resonates. I can't wait to see what else we're in store for.

Schuyler Fisk's The Good Stuff is available on iTunes now and on Amazon soon.

1. The Good Stuff
2. From Where I'm Standing
3. Mr. Johnson
4. You're Happening To Me
5. Fall Apart Today
6. Hello
7. Afterglow
8. Sunshine
9. Cold Heart
10. Miss You
11. You're Only Lonely
12. Other Side of Love
13. Who Am I To You
14. Last Day of Our Lives

For more information on Schuyler Fisk, including tour dates, visit her MySpace page.

She is currently touring with Ben Taylor and has a few dates in California in the next couple of weeks, including an LA date I would love to be able to go to.

RAWR(for more)

Review: Joshua Radin - Simple Times

As I type this, Joshua Radin's brand new album Simple Times is sitting pretty in the #1 spot on the iTunes album chart. I didn't even have to write about how good the album was for it to get the notoriety it deserves. Assuming little ol' me even has that kind of pull.

I first heard of Joshua Radin a few years ago courtesy of Zach Braff. I've been a fan ever since. His first album We Were Here was a great debut and he followed it up with the beautiful duet "Paperweight" with Schuyler Fisk (Remember that name. She is amazing.) on soundtrack to Zach Braff's The Last Kiss.

Here we are a couple years later with Simple Times. No sign of "sophomore slump" here. This album is even better that his debut. Simple Times is one of those albums you want to toss on the car stereo and just ride along with. The kind where you can be hanging out or traveling with friends and just let the music fill that comfortable silence. It speaks enough for everyone.

He seems to have improved in every aspect here. Lyrically, musically, vocally, everything shifts up a notch from his previous album. From the fantastic duet with my all time favorite singer Patty Griffin (You Got Growin' Up To Do) to the upbeat and chipper "Vegetable Car" (how no one has used the phrase 'Lisa Loeb Glasses' before is beyond me) Simple Times is gorgeous record.

I can't find a single flaw in the record. It delivers everything I want to hear from Joshua Radin. Sweet harmonies, especially those that feature Schuyler Fisk (who simply cannot release her record soon enough), touching and poignant lyrics, all delivered with the utmost of respect for his art. You can feel the energy and love that goes into the music he is making and it is infectious. Note: I apparently am mistaken in thinking that the lovely Schuyler Fisk sings on this album, she did contribute to his last album but it seems the voice I am hearing on Simple Times is Meiko!

Simple Times doesn't hit stores until September 30, but it is available now on iTunes so I'd get to clicking over there.

So far this year I've heard brilliant albums by Jay Brannan, Joshua Radin, Matt Bauer, and more. If this keeps up I'm going to have a rough time making a top album of 2008 list!

For more information on Joshua Radin head over to his website or MySpace Profile.

RAWR(for more)