Wednesday, April 22, 2009

# 24 - Names, Places and Amy Grant

In this episode of the Casey Stratton Podcast I answer a question about the use of names in my songs and then talk about the process of getting DIVIDE released and deciding to start my own label. I then play a recording of me at 12 years-old (1988) singing Lead Me on by Amy Grant. Live performances of Sinead O'Connor's Black Boys On Mopeds and my song Bipolar follow. Music recommendation is The Innocence Mission's Glow.

"Glow" is a musical treasure that immediately starts with a dreamy riff, taking you by the hand for a journey of tunes and floating guitar evoking the feeling of spring fever. "Keeping Awake" kicks of the stream of sound that leads into the Velvet Underground infused "Bright As Yellow", pulsating in a dreamy ramble, over to my favorite track "Brave - a mixture of amazing melodic hooks that take you to certain emotional corners. "There" is another sunny summer day tune that makes you want to lay in a hammock and smell some cut grass and flowers. - Amazon user


Listen to Podcast #24

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

#23 - Perspectives, Communication and Lots of Cats

In this episode of the Casey Stratton Podcast I answer a question about songwriting perspectives and points of view. I then discuss the newest release, Messages Sending in more detail and perform Turn It On from that work. Next up is a live performance of Bloom followed by the instrumental, strings only version from the Standing at the Edge sessions. Music recommendation is John Rutter's Requiem.

Requiem, his first composition written without being commissioned, is a convincing affirmation of Christian doctrine on death and eternal life. It is also a substantial and sincere work that strives to be widely appealing while preserving a spiritual context centered on themes of light and consolation. Highlights include "Out of the Deep," its modal tune and harmonies giving it the flavor of a spiritual, and the wonderfully gentle and restful 23rd Psalm. Rutter personalizes his Requiem by adding movements not traditionally part of the Requiem Mass--passages from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, for instance--and this proves to be an effective strategy. - amazon.com

Listen to podcast #23