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.

A month ago, I made up my mind that I was going to write a song about Wyoming. The inspiration was there, the love of subject was there and my writing had finally returned after months of drought. I finished it (proudly) last week just in time for the Artichoke concert.

I wanted this song to be deep, heartfelt and human. I wanted it to really express the beauty within the state and the air that flows through it. With that said, it spoke for itself and I had written three of the four verses before finally hitting a wall. In search of some final inspiration, I went to Wikipedia to gain a little insight on Wyoming and her history.

Above is the song’s debut at Artichoke Music. The lyrics to Wyoming should reflect my love but above all, tell a story and pay tribute to the last good plot of land.

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.

It seems months since I last wrote a song. Between recording the new album, work and juggling my personal life, I’ve been sitting in a major writer’s slump with no signs of progress. Well, this Sunday I slept in, woke up and made a pot of coffee and went to my balcony with my writing journal in hand. I sat in the sun for a couple hours with nothing but my thoughts and a pen.

Nothing is final, nothing is complete but I did get a jump start on three possible songs: The Ramblin’ Kind, Explode and Constant Bending (all tentative titles). Above are a few Ramblin’ Kind verses directly from my journal. Read them out-loud and and imagine its potential. It was a good weekend- no doubt.

A week ago I received notice that the Portland Songwriters Association was going to be hosting its annual Top Ten Final on Wednesday February 13th in search of this year’s Performing Songwriter of the Year…

With that said, as last year’s winner, the PSA board presented me with a unique opportunity; either play as an honored “alumni” guest and hand down my crown OR play by the rules, play NEW songs for NEW judges and compete to defend my title… with little hesitation, I chose the latter.

Last year I played LAST in the line-up of performers so it was fitting that I was the FIRST to compete in this year’s competition. I was no doubt nervous when I started the evening- I played “Whistle Stop” and then made a last second switch to “Cellophane” as my songs of choice. Once finished I simply sat in the back (full of nerves) as the other performers played one-by-one, better and better each time as the evening progressed.

I was in the presence of many talented individuals and would have happily conceded my title to any of the songwriters in this final round; however, I’m pleased to announce that my new songs earned me a victory and the repeat title of the Portland Songwriters Association 2007 Performing Songwriter of the Year!!!

I didn’t expect to hear my name but I’m so proud to wear the badge of honor for one more year. Thank you to all of you for your support and providing me with the confidence to tackle these nights with little hesitation.

Quickly becoming one of my favorite songs, Cellophane was schemed at the top of Mt. Pilatus in Luzerne, Switzerland roughly one year ago. As you can see from the picture, very few sites in this life parallel the beauty of a Swiss Valley and the magnificent Alps in the distance; however, as the song lyrics suggest, one other caused distraction:

Oh, look there!
See that gleam?
It’s the sun-
Your eyes the beam.

Below is the new recording of Cellophane from Mississippi Studios, PDX. Though the lyrics aren’t quite current in this version, I hope you’ll take the time to read along with the updates on the lyric page at some point. I laugh because when I wrote this song, my intentions were romantic but I’ve since been told that there is nothing romantic about plastic wrap:)

The water looked like Cellophane,
Reflecting stars back into space
And your eyes look that way to me.

Cellophane by Tyler Stenson

Random Note: Lake Pilatus is said to be the resting place of Pontius Pilate.

As I mentioned before, the Lander live at Mississippi Studios recording is in the process of being mixed and mastered and it seems some time since I last updated everyone on the status. Well, I’m proud to report that we are in the home stretch! Approximately sixteen songs are being mixed and mastered at SmileyNote Studios by Daniel Work and it is sounding great. Though the finished product is still a couple months away, I wanted to let everyone sample Popo Agie. Again, this is not considered a final product but a fair gauge of what to expect later this winter. Ladies and gentlemen, I proudly present Popo Agie, live at Mississippi Studios, PDX.

Popo Agie by Tyler Stenson

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.

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!