April 2013 – Page 6 – Patrick Rhone

Recommendation: Bomba de Luz

Yesterday night, as I was driving home, I happened to catch an in-studio performance on Radio K of a band I had not heard of before. I do consider myself generally in touch with current music and even the local music scene but these guys were a complete revelation to me. Their name is Bomba de Luz.

After hearing the interviews with the band and hearing them play through a couple of songs, I was smitten. The music is big and deep and evocative. The lead singer, Lydia Hoglund, reminds me very much vocally of a female Jeff Buckley. Her voice has amazing tone and range. It floats and soars over the melody like the breeze just before a coming storm. The other musicians are all excellent too. Within you will hear folk, rock, jazz, and influences ranging from from Joni Mitchell to Radiohead.

I immediately bought both their self titled debut album, Bomba de Luz and their even better current offering, What A Heavy Weight. Both are highly recommended.

But, you don’t have to take my word for it, listen to the tracks below and hopefully you will be equally impressed.

Free embed music player from ReverbNation.com

Oh, did I mention these guys are all still in high school? High friggin’ school! Boy do these kids have a future ahead. I, for one, will be listening closely to see where they go. You should too.

Your free will donation of any amount helps to support a full-time independent writer. Thanks for reading!

Is [This] Making Me Better?

I’ve come to call this The Better Metric. Whereby [This] is a place holder for anything we decide to do. Example, "Is my relationship with this person making me better?" or "Is my job making me better?"

This is the question we should always be asking ourselves about everything we choose to do. Because if the answer to this question is not yes then we should be asking some important questions. Questions like, "Am I the right person for [this]?" or "If this isn’t making me better then why am I spending time on [this]?"

Now, this metric and point of view might sound selfish. Perhaps, in some ways, it is. I’m going to argue that this is OK. This idea that all interest is self-interest is not a particularly new idea and, in fact, is considered enlightened by some. To wit, in order to give we must first receive so that we have something to give.

I know the coffee me and my wife have in the morning makes us better for getting Beatrix get off to school. I know that the time I take in solitude makes me better for being around others. I know that being a writer makes me a better human. Any endeavor I engage should make me better. And anything that does not make me better, I should not engage or find a way to disengage from as quickly as possible.

I believe we all would be better by doing the same.

I’m a full-time independent writer who works hard to bring you quality reading and ideas here daily. If you enjoy what you read here, please consider a free will donation of any amount.

One Day

Because there are days when I need inspiration too. There are days when I feel as much a writer as I do an imposter. When no words of consequence are committed for no excuse that makes up for this fact. I need to remember that, while this day was not that day but only one day of many that brought forth much work that I am proud of.

But, mostly, I just needed to say I wrote one thing today and this was that thing.