Ryan Darton, "I Am A Moth."

I’ve been lucky to have many friends in my life who have become amazing musicians. Some of them have become famous, some of them play live shows at local bars/venues and some of them just continue to make music because that’s what makes them happy (regardless of if they’ve become famous or not). I’ve always enjoyed watching them grow and change.

I’ve been watching my friend Ryan Darton grow and change for over 10 years… I remember the good ol’ days when I used to watch his band Underlie play in high school. All of our friends wore our “Underlie” T-shirts with pride. Ryan has definitely grown a lot since then. His voice and music has matured so much throughout the years and it’s such a good feeling to watch friends grow, change and excel throughout life. I highly recommend you check out his new album – “I Am A Moth.”

If you are like me you are always chasing the sound of the Garden State soundtrack in one way or another.  “I Am A Moth” definitely has a Garden State feel to it. It’s got a great mix of rock and acoustic guitar and you can tell that Ryan has been influenced by many great bands such as Jimmy Eat World, Pinback, Jason Mraz, Daphne Loves Derby, Panic at the Disco, etc.

The album is mellow, romantic, thoughtful, poetic, upbeat and has great lyrics. Each song is so eclectic and the vibe changes from one song to the next so it keeps you on your toes.

The beginning of the album starts out with poetic lyrics and melodies with the song “Summer and Snow” and then moves into a Panic at the Disco like song with a great harmony called “Sing To Me Baby” that makes you want to tap your toes and get up and dance.  

“Uptight” is my favorite song on the album. It has great lyrics, great drums and a great melody - “I’m gonna fix this hole and make it new… I’m gonna catch this bird and make him sing and only sing for me.”

Another song with great, romantic lyrics is “You are Mine” - “Hold me close until we turn to wine. Let our lips touch til’ their like the sun. Fate has brought us here and I’ve never been so in love…It’s your touch that keeps my fears away…”

Overall, the album is an extremely thoughtful compilation of poetry, romance and great music. I highly recommend you check it out.

Google Earth view of Gulf of Mexico oil spill...

Google Earth view of Gulf of Mexico oil spill... makes me a little nauseous... feel bad for my ocean animal friends : ( http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/keeping-up-to-date-on-gulf-of-mexico.html



Reminds me of the Ben Harper song - Excuse Me Mr.

"Excuse Me Mr."

Excuse me Mr.
do you have the time
or are you so important
that it stands still for you

excuse me Mr.
won't you lend me your ear
or are you not only blind
but do you not hear

excuse me Mr.
but isn't that your oil in the sea
and the pollution in the air Mr.
whose could that be

so excuse me Mr.
but I'm a mister too
and you're givin' Mr. a bad name
Mr. like you

so I'm taking the Mr.
from out in front of your name
cause it's a Mr. like you
that puts the rest of us to shame
it's a Mr. like you
that puts the rest of us to shame

and I've seen enough to know
that I've seen too much

excuse me Mr.
can't you see the children dying
you say that you can't help them
Mr. you're not even trying

excuse me Mr.
won't you take a look around
Mr. just look up
and you will see it's comin' down

excuse me Mr.
but I'm a mister too
and you're givin' Mr. a bad name
Mr. like you

so I'm taking the Mr.
from out in front of your name
cause it's a Mr. like you
that puts the rest of us to shame
it's a Mr. like you
that puts the rest of us to shame

and I've seen enough to know
that I've seen too much

so Mr. when you're rattling
on heaven's gate
let me tell you Mr.
by then it is too late

cause Mr. when you get there
they don't ask how much you saved
all they'll want to know, Mr.
Is what you gave

excuse me Mr.
but I'm a mister too
and you're givin' Mr. a bad name
Mr. like you

so I'm taking the Mr.
from out in front of your name
cause it's a Mr. like you
that puts the rest of us to shame
it's a Mr. like you
that puts the rest of us to shame