Mallonee's former band, Vigilantes of Love, made a record called "Audible Sigh" in 1999 that my wife and I have been not just playing, but talking about for nearly a decade. It's that layered--poignant, heartbreaking, beautiful in every measure. A "Blood on the Tracks" filled with dark witness to good news.
We saw Mallonee play a drab Cambridge bar in 2002. He was the opening act for an overrated band (that shall remain nameless). Five or six of us stood at the edge of the stage during Mallonee's entire set and let him lead us in a chorus of joyful heartache. Everyone else in the house congregated around the bar, waiting for him to finish. Mallonee sang his heart out right to us, we sang along, and he thanked us after each song. At the end of the night, he came back out with the overrated band and joined them in a gorgeous, lingering rendition of--what else?--"I Shall Be Released." I've seen a lot of great shows, but that one touched me like few others have.
More Mallonee below, from a show in Somerville, Mass.
But tell us--what artist do you love that you wish others loved, too?
Add to Del.icio.us
Add to Technorati
Add to Digg
Add to Newsvine
Add to Facebook
Add to StumbleUpon
'Course dylan, springsteen, cohen, and mitchell deserve top 10.
Also very gratifying to see kris kristofferson (38), al green (44), john hiatt (61), richard (though did some of his best stuff w/linda) thompson (63), merle haggard (69), bruce cockburn (77), and t-bone burnett (100). Where was Nanci Griffith? sigh.
Matt Maher. His album "Empty and Beautiful" is one of the best kept secrets in the industry. But it's filled with incredibly annointed songs and lyricism. The CD also shows his command of different genres of music, though it's all based on praise and worship.
Neil Young is definitely underappreciated! I have been under his spell for 30 years. His lyrics about any subject are heartfelt and should be taken the cores of our souls. If you are a listener, you will agree! His songs will make you think.
Chris Rea
Anthony Gomes--the best guitarist you will ever ever experience. And one of the most soulful, inspiring singer/songwriters! With his latest reinvention of himself, frontman for the power trio New Soul Cowboys, the best is yet to come!
Post a Comment
By submitting these comments, I agree to the beliefnet.com terms of service, rules of conduct and privacy policy (the "agreements"). I understand and agree that any content I post is licensed to beliefnet.com and may be used by beliefnet.com in accordance with the agreements.