Keep me hanging on!

And now....NUMBER ONE!

Silers Bald - Real Life

You may never have heard of these guys, but stick with me.

One of the problems with the bubble gum pop crap music that is out there now is the loss of a distinctive musical sound. The good music relays a feeling of where the music actually came from. Yes, I'm talking about the geographical location of the band! A lot of California bands do that...you can picture yourself driving down Santa Monica Blvd. Marc Broussard does that (as most blues artists do.) And Silers Bald does that like no other. When I first heard this CD there was a point in one song where I literally felt like I was on an Appalachian mountainside with a beautiful winter snow falling around me!

Silers Bald is from western South Carolina...the Appalachian Mountains! You can sense that mountain feel (it's like bluegrass or Americana, maybe) in the guitars, violin, flute, and especially the dulcimer. Shoot, one of their songs is simply titled "Carolina Line." I can't describe it in words...you HAVE to hear it.

And their lyrics are outstanding. (You would almost think they're Reformed! I think they referenced Francis Schaeffer once in a blog!) "My Heart Will Sing" hooked me on these guys. They don't pretend to sing a simple cheesy song about God. They flat out say they can't put God into words (because you can't) but their heart will sing. And "Emmanuel" is an incredible song about a wedding...what pictures it paints! "Feel" turns up the rock sound of Silers Bald in a great way. "Turn" continues what appears to be a trend of great songs with single-word-titles. (ha.)

But one of my favorite songs (besides "Feel" and "Emmanuel") was actually penned when the group members were struggling one night in their creativity. So they sat down and free wrote...and out came "Truly Gifted." It is not ready for mass consumption whatsoever...and it is delicious! I love the music and the lyrics...and the four-bar musical interlude that paints a wintery scene in the mountains.

Sadly, I haven't heard much of anything from these guys since this album was released on Essential Records a few years ago. I think they are now an independent band, doing a couple of dates a year, but that is all I know. Serious, I'll give somebody money or a CD if they can give me some solid info.

Regardless, get out and hear this music. Go to their website. Find their page on MySpace. Ask about it in a store. HEAR IT!