The Big Hearts performance from Artichoke Music is now posted to YouTube for posterity. This song was written for some very close friends of mine that have amazing hearts- constantly helping mine grow. Though I could never thank them enough for their grace, let this song be my humble attempt. This is quietly one of my favorite songs so I hope you enjoy it too.

Watch the video then listen to the studio version:

BIG HEARTS

Heaven knows I’d wait to feel another breeze.
To lay beneath another sun.
Germany here I come.

Big hearts are filling up the hemispheres.
Big hearts are warming up the coldest years.
They’ll lay beside me forever more
Cause big hearts make mine grow.

Growing everyday and softly resting miles away.
Heaven is exploding there-
It’s filling up the air.

Big hearts are filling up the hemispheres.
Big hearts are warming up the coldest years.
They’ll lay beside me forever more
Cause big hearts make mine grow.
Big Hearts are Full Moons and Northern Lights
They come full circle to defy science.
Big Hearts are freight trains that push me along-
Shine out the clearer;
Shine on.
Big Hearts are factories of Godlight Beams
That just get brighter as the daylight recedes.

I picked up the Artichoke concert DVD from EMA Video on Tuesday afternoon. Between then and now, I’ve managed to cut up the film enough to post a couple songs on YouTube (including this version of Cellophane). I am no video editor but over the next couple weeks I will pretend to be one as I release the Artichoke footage bit by bit. Here is Cellophane from last Thursday’s performance… the rest will come with time.

Sometime in February, my song Babysitting the Cowboy was featured as a Willamette Week Local Cut of the Day. Riding the momentum of the PSA Award and upcoming album See That Gleam, I’m hoping to get much more press like this one to continue to spread the word. Click here or on the image above to see the full Local Cut post and read the author’s interesting interpretation of the Babysitting the Cowboy story. I always love hearing a third-party analysis of my songs but of course, if you view the comments, I had to leave a note from the writer… telling the true inspiration behind Babysitting the Cowboy.

I just posted this new video on YouTube of me playing Come Around at PolitiPalooza earlier this January at the Montgomery Park Building in Portland. This is the newest song that will be included on the upcoming album so give it a watch, read the lyrics and patiently wait for the album to be released within the month or so!

I hope someday
In the sunlight’s softest rays
That you will glide your way
Back through this town.
I hope someday you come around.

Paul the Music Lover posted another one of my songs on the Indie Music Sampler! He has a great ear for good music and I was excited to hear the audio debut of Better Be Us All within his most recent podcast. Click here or on the image above to stream the November 9th podcast from the Indie Music Sampler and listen for the last song… Better Be Us All.

Paul the Music lover found us one night at the Bitter End in Portland- he bought an album and gave me his card before he left for the night. Weeks later I received an email letting me know that Lander had been featured on a Pod Cast on the IndieMusicSampler.com with my song What I Feel Like As Winter Comes. We are the last band featured on this particular Pod Cast but Paul ended with some really kind words about our sound. Click here or on the image above to listen to the PodCast featuring Lander and our ‘knock you over with a feather’ music.

Click to listen to the Podcast
Click to listen to What I Feel Like As Winter Comes

A very talented Mr. Paul Wardwell is the official videographer for the Oyster Ridge Music Festival and he just sent me a link to his most recent video compilation for the 2007 festival. Click here or on the image above to see the full video recap on YouTube! Lander is a pretty minimal part of the entire video but you’ll get a great idea for the vibe of the festival and the reason we make the road trip every summer to Kemmerer. Enjoy!!!

It is no secret that mySpace is a lead generating machine. It has always been a great vehicle for corralling music lovers and allowing them to listen to loads of indie music, but now, Snocap has found a way to help those browsers actually buy your music directly from your mySpace page! I got a call from CD Baby today and they asked if they could help me install a Snocap store-front to the Lander mySpace page as a BETA for the Snocap/mySpace integration. Of course, I agreed and now the Snocap store is up and running and prime for sales and Lander exposure. Click here or on the image above to check out the Lander Snocap store on our mySpace page!

For those of you that have followed my music through the years, you can even shop Rhetoric Tuesday’s Snocap store!

On July 22nd we were honored to play at the McMenamins Kennedy School Concert Connect Fundraiser for Autism. Oregon has the highest Autistic rating in the entire country so it is important to have awareness events such as these to raise money for the cause and support the organizations that are working to fight this disease. Lander was one of nine bands that performed that day for the cause and we were glad to do our part for the organization and meet a lot of really great people and volunteers in the process.

The Portland Songwriters Association puts out a Quarterly Newsletter that highlights the latest and greatest in the PSA. This most recent update was a very warm surprise for me and a great way to start the weeks of June. The newsletter featured a wonderful report on the Top Ten Showcase and then published the results of the Quarterly Lyric Contest! I wanted to post the Top Ten article in full so click here or on the image above to read the article. I sincerely enjoyed reading Tom Arnolds’ and Dan McIlhenry recap on the PSA Winner’s Showcase and thank them both for his kind words.

Tyler Stenson closed the show with a wide array of his own material. He took us back to re-listen to the selections he played as part of the competition and filled out the rest of his set with some equally grabbing songs. Tyler takes advantage of the limelight when he performs, drawing audiences into his songs.

At times he’ll slow his phrasing down to a near standstill accompanied by a whisper and then dramatically bounce back powerfully working his voice and guitar through the next pass. It’s exciting to hear him share his poetic, image rich songs. PSA wishes [you] the best with your singing and songwriting!

Tom Arnold and Dan McIlhenry
-PSA Board Members

There were many great artists involved so I encourage you to read the article and check out some of the other writers when you get the chance! In the meantime, below are some links to the PSA Newsletter!

PSA Newsletter Cover
PSA Top Ten Article (cont’d)

Published Lyric Contest Results

Thank you PSA for publishing such a nice article and hosting such a fun contest(s).