I really enjoy listening to music while I work. If I am traveling around the church I turn my iPhone on for a little traveling music. I wanted to listen a few of the CDs that I have really enjoyed over the past few months and ask you what you are listening to.

• Matt Maher, Alive Again, amazing worship album
• Visqueen, Message to Garcia, This one is infectious
• Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago, sensitive-man-music to chill out to
• John Mayer, Battle Studies, Great album and the bossa nova track is a favorite
• Lady Antebellum, Need You Now – Single, I really look forward to the album

So what are you listening to? What do you recommend?

Up From Under had a photo shoot a week ago and we got our pictures back and I wanted to share a few of them with you. We had a blast on the shoot on the west side of Tulsa near Sand Springs. We just pulled off the highway jumped a fence marked No Trespassing and proceeded to take lots of pictures. We will be using the pictures for the upcoming album artwork and in our online social sites. Can’t wait for you to be able to see our next show. We got possible dates for the second round of the battle of the bands and will let you know soon when we need all of you to come out to the show and scream your face off, seriously we need you guys to come out and help us make it to the next round.

Let me know what you think about the new pictures. Find Up From Under on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/upfromunder

In high school the first influential album in my life was Ten by Pearl Jam. It was the first CD I bought and I listened to it literally a thousand times. That fact that there was a track on the album named Jeremy was totally a bonus. My friend Rodrick and I bought every Pearl Jam album we could find at the stores and searched far and wide for the hard to find live and European albums. We would sit around listening to Pearl Jam or playing their songs on our guitars. Alive was the first song I could play from beginning to end. Pearl Jam was first live concert experience in the Travel and Transportation building at the OKC Fairgrounds and we were in the mosh pit and just out from the center of the stage. I have front row at Coldplay, but nothing will compare to that first experience. The Seattle bands connected with my friends and these bands continue to be in heavy rotation in my playlist. I remember the night they first played Saturday Night Live and thinking that Eddie Vedder is the freaking man. They had some much passion and angst.   Not for You and State of Love and Trust are two of my favorite songs.

So what has been one the most influential albums in your life?

Check out the original.

There is some pretty interesting a cappella videos out there. I have wasted about two hours tonight on YouTube

     I recently came into some iTunes credits. Lucky me. I got the new Kings of Leon, Lincoln Brewster and various Eddie Vedder and Red Hot Chili Peppers tunes. The Kings of Leon CD is really great. Caleb Followill’s vocals are out of the ordinary. I have noticed that I really like vocalists with strange tones like that of Paul Banks from Interpol. I trying to decide what to do with the rest of my credits.

If you could convince me to buy 1 or 2  albums  or 20 different songs what would they be?

      I am watching Deal or No Deal at the house and one of the songs that they play during the tension moments sounds a lot like Lollipop by Lil Wayne. Watch an episode and see if you can pick it out. I just checked it out on Google and several other people have picked up on this. You never know where the inspiration for the next million selling album will come from.

      I got the new Charlie Hall album The Bright Sadness last week. The album is really good. I especially like Scenes, You Are God and Bloom Again.

     What new music are you guys listening to and what do you think about the new Charlie Hall album?

       I purchased the new Conor Oberst album yesterday and have listened to it three times now. I really enjoy the songs and stories Conor is telling. I like the way he works in the phrase “milk thistle” into a song. I never thought I would hear that one. Conor has a way of expressing the fear and frustration through his singing that few others seem to be able to capture. Check out I Don’t Want To Die in the Hospital. I enjoy the new/old school country sound that Conor and Ryan Adams have been bringing back. The Rhodes on Eagle on a Pole is an amazing sound and is pure pleasure.

I need to take the time to thank Leslie Penhall for introducing me to Conor and his music.

I saw that Conor is going to be at Cain’s on September 25th with Jenny Lewis from Rilo Kiley. I am going to have to get tickets.

Is anyone else getting excited about this?  I saw the new iTunes ad today and it looks great.

Here is a pic of me launching into a ferocious guitar solo during the Battle of the Bands on Sunday.  I am not sure how it was a battle.  There were not any judges and the other bands were really nice to us.  A girl from one of the bands even offered to carry my gear up two flights of stairs.  We had a great time and my friend Craig took this picture.  I really enjoy getting to play more guitar and look forward more gigs.