after hearing his newly released single, today, i pulled out some of gary allan’s old albums and remembered exactly why i love spending hours with nothing but the music and me. the greatest hits and living hard are my favorite albums by him. he’s a little rockin’ & a whole lot country and i dig his music, his captivating voice and the words he chooses to express himself…not to mention his easy-on-the-eyes demeanor.

kings of leon

the voice.

it is always the voice that does it for me when it comes to music. i like ‘em earthy. raw. passionate. primitive. archaic. unspoiled. unrefined. pure. untamed.

caleb followill has what i am talking about.  

i highly recommend kings of leon’s most recent album, only by the night…especially if your ears prefer something a little rough-around-the-edges. i can’t get enough of it.

true art lies in the eyes (and ears) of the beholder. what looks, sounds and feels good to me may not be the least bit appealing to another human being on earth. music has always had the ability to completely transform me to another world. earthy, raw, passionate voices speak right to my heart. i have included a few of my favorite artists that have touched, and continue to touch, my soul.

willie nelson

this creature deserves a blog all to himself. 76 years old and still lives his life exactly the way he wants. this picture, full of beauty, captures the qualities i love about him most…humility, quiet confidence, wisdom, gentleness, a little bit rebel, experience, a life lived. i have always been intrigued by his beautiful soul.

tracy chapman

her music exudes passion and truth. i always feel that her music, every song, is a way for her to say something she can no longer keep locked inside of her, something she must share. and she does it effortlessly without wasting words.

ray lamontagne

musically, he is my favorite artist. i have never experienced anything like it. there are not many artists who can move me with every single one of their songs, but he has a way of doing just that…his voice, his words, his soul, his ability to express every possible emotion. i put him in a category of his own.

annie lennox

i love this picture. it is the cover of her bare album. as an individual and as an artist, she embraces so many of the qualities i admire in a human being: strength, vulnerability, truthfulness, emotion, grace, compassion, authenticity. 

keith urban

i think i have just as much fun watching this sweet thing as i do listening to him. he seems to get sexier by the second. he just came out with a new album, defying gravity, and it is, in my opinion, his best yet. if you click on his photo, you can go straight to his website and hear his sweet new singles, kiss a girl and sweet thing.

tina turner

at 69 years of age, she is still dancing (in heels) as if it is the only thing she has to do. this woman can move like no other. her energy is boundless and her power as a person is beyond measure. she has been pure inspiration for me throughout the years. 

don’t let your mind get weary and confused 
your will be still, don’t try 
don’t let your heart get heavy, child 
inside you there’s a strength that lies 

don’t let your soul get lonely, child 
it’s only time, it will go by 
don’t look for love in faces, places 
it’s in you, that’s where you’ll find kindness 

don’t lose your faith in me 
and I will try not to lose faith in you 
don’t put your trust in walls 
’cause walls will only crush you when they fall 

be here now

one of my all-time favorite songs by one of my all-time favorite artists. 

this song does it for me…her voice, her words, her delivery.

close your eyes and the music will find its way into your soul. 

i believe in truth…

out of this noise, here comes the stillness
out of this chaos, here comes the order
out of this language, out of this language
out of these words…(music by autamata)

incredibly touching, beautiful video.

i have not found the words to describe this inspiring man or his captivating voice (maybe because there are none) but i can’t seem to get enough of him. this video is more of a pouring out of his heart than a performance. 

the musicians i connect with most are the ones that have taken the words from inside my soul and expressed them through their voice. ray lamontagne and tracy chapman are two artists who do this effortlessly for me. they both have new albums out. however, i like pretty much every song they have ever written and performed.

here are my top 10 favorite songs at the moment (for those of you who may be looking for some inspiring music to add to your playlist):

1. let it be me - ray lamontagne

2. all that you have is your soul – tracy chapman

3. fields of gold – eva cassidy

4. johnny and june – heidi newfield

5. one love – cheryl wheeler 

6. tougher than the rest – bruce springsteen 

7. aint gonna lose you – brett dennen

8. love me like a man – bonnie raitt

9. love you again – john hiatt

10. i’d rather be with you – joshua radin