Mike and the Moonpies

Mike and the Moonpies

Listen to Americana country honky-tonk music by Mike and the Moonpies from Austin on their latest album Touch of You: The Lost Songs of Gary Stewart.

Albums

Touch of You: The Lost Songs of Gary Stewart (2020) – 10 songs, 31 min

Cheap Silver and Solid Country Gold (2019) – 8 songs, 31 min

Steak Night at the Prairie Rose (2018) – 10 songs, 37 min

Mockingbird (2015) – 10 songs, 37 min

The Hard Way (2012) – 10 songs, 31 min

Live at WinStar Casino & Resort (2016) – 23 songs, 1 hr 23 min (2 CDs)

Videos

You Look Good in Neon – Live on The Texas Music Scene (2019) – 5 min

Steak Night at the Prairie Rose – Live on The Texas Music Scene (2019) – 6 min

Mockingbird – Live on The Texas Music Scene (2016) – 4 min

Danger – Live on The Texas Music Scene (2019) – 5 min

Smoke ‘Em If You Got Em (2016) – 4 min

The Hard Way (2015) – 4 min

The Last Time – Live on DittyTV in Memphis (2018) – 5 min

Beaches of Biloxi – Live on DittyTV in Memphis (2018) – 5 min

Photo credit: Touch of You: The Lost Songs of Gary Stewart – album cover @ Amazon.

Book Review: Tidal Flats

Book Review: Tidal Flats

Recently I read a fantastic debut book Tidal Flats by author Cynthia Newberry Martin, and I really liked this book. It won the Gold Medal in Literary Fiction at the 2020 Independent Publisher Book Awards, as well as the 14th Annual National Indie Excellence Award for Fiction.

I wasn’t sure if the focus on marriage would interest me that much, but I was pleasantly surprised that it was very enjoyable. I wanted to read it because its author is a blog friend, and I have been following her Catching Days, How We Spend Our Days, and 365 True Things series and her new Cynthia Newberry Martin web site for quite a while.

It was very easy reading, with a nice pace and flow through the chapters. I found myself getting into the characters of Cass and Ethan, their world, and situation. Following this story of their marriage touches on their agreement, love, loneliness, freedom, and forgiveness.

She provided great background about her friends and the elderly residents (The Fates) at Howell House where she worked, as well as Ethan’s experiences as a photo journalist in Afghanistan.

I kept wanting to find out what happens next, and it kept my attention. I completed it fairly quickly, in spite of other distractions recently, unlike some other books where I had gotten stuck on for a long time before getting through them.

She has a wonderful skill with words, her writing was well crafted, and descriptions conveyed visual images, emotions, and feelings.

This is a fantastic debut book, and I look forward to more books by this talented author.

Photo credit: Tidal Flats – book cover @ Amazon.

Christopher Boscole

Christopher Boscole

Listen to solo piano music by Christopher Boscole on his latest album Dawn of Love. I have included his earlier albums and some videos.

Albums

Dawn of Love (2019) – 15 songs, 58 min

Soul Dreams (2017) – 12 songs, 58 min

Skipping on Daisies (2016) – 14 songs, 1 hr 16 min

A New Age of Classical Piano (2014) – 12 songs, 45 min

Floating on a Melody (2012) – 12 songs, 1 hr 5 min

Inner Voyages (2010) – 12 songs, 1 hr 5 min

Presents of Angels (2008) – 14 songs, 1 hr 6 min

Shimmer (1986) – 10 songs, 1 hr 1 min

Christmas

O Christmas Tree (1992) – 19 songs, 1 hr 9 min

Videos

Dawn of Love (2020) – 6 min

Ode to Joy (2020) – 6 min

Simply You (2020) – 7 min

Links

These are links to his website, social media, and artist pages at popular music players and music stores.

Photo credit: Dawn of Love – album cover @ Amazon.

Cinematic Pop: All the Lonely People

Cinematic Pop: All the Lonely People

Listen to pop orchestra music by Cinematic Pop on their new album All the Lonely People. I also included their earlier albums and some videos.

Albums

All the Lonely People (2021) –  12 songs, 49 min

Prologue (2017) –  13 songs, 53 min

Cinematic Pop (2015) –  9 songs, 35 min

Videos

Somewhere Only We Know – Keane featuring Josh Mortensen (12) – 4 min

Hallelujah – Leonard Cohen featuring McKenna Breinholt (16) – 5 min

Human – The Killers featuring Spencer Jones – 4 min

Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol featuring Spencer Jones and Cosette Fife Smith – 4 min

Sail – AWOLNATION featuring Spencer Jones – 4 min

One – U2 featuring McKenna Breinholt – 5 min

Like Memories – 4 min

 

Photo credit: All the Lonely People – album cover @ Amazon.

David Tolk: Peace

David Tolk: Peace

Listen to solo piano music by David Tolk on his latest album Peace. I also included his other albums, including several with Christmas music, as well as a playlist of his music. Also see the albums from his daughter Mackenzie Tolk.

Albums

Peace (2020) – 12 songs, 51 min

In Perfect Silence (2018) – 14 songs, 55 min

Seasons (2017) – 11 songs, 39 min

Solo Piano Hymns (2015) – 11 songs, 50 min

Impressions (2013) – 10 songs, 41 min

Grace (2013) – 11 songs, 51 min

In Reverence (2006) – 10 songs, 52 min

Grace (2013) – 11 songs, 51 min

Stories in the Sky (1997) – 10 songs, 44 min

Mendham (1996) – 12 songs, 39 min

Christmas

Christmas (2010) – 10 songs, 45 min

Holiday (2000) – 12 songs, 54 min

Playlist

This is David Tolk (Playlist) – 48 songs, 3 hr 35 min

Videos

Autumn Lullaby – on Peace – 6 min

Setting Sun – on Peace – 5 min

Morning Light – on Seasons (2017) – 4 min

Through the Trees – on Impressions (2015) – 6 min

Photo credit: Peace – album cover @ Amazon.

Mackenzie Tolk: Silent Path

Mackenzie Tolk: Silent Path

Listen to music by Mackenzie Tolk on her latest album Silent Path. I also included a earlier albums, and some singles. Also see the albums from her father David Tolk.

Peaceful Inspirational Music with Celtic Influences

Albums

Silent Path (2018) – 10 songs, 37 min

Believe (2012) – 12 songs, 46 min

Singles

Silent Night (2020) – 1 song, 3 min 38 sec

Evening Sky (2020) – 1 song, 3 min 35 sec

Winter Lullaby (2020) – 1 song, 3 min

Still, Still, Still (2019) – 1 song, 3 min 33 min

Cliff of the Dawn (2019) – 1 song, 4 min 11 sec

Videos

Silent Path (2020) – 4 min

Rock Of My Heart (2020) – 4 min

Photo credit: Silent Path – album cover @ Amazon.

Anna Sofia Nord

Anna Sofia Nord

Listen to solo piano music by Anna Sofia Nord from Sweden on her new self-titled album. I also included her Christmas music and my playlist of her singles.

Album

Anna Sofia Nord (2020) – 10 songs, 24 min

Christmas

Silent Night (2020) – 5 songs, 15 min (EP)

Away in a Manager (2020) – 1 song, 3 min

Playlist

Anna Sofia Nord – Singles (Playlist) – 11 songs, 25 min

Photo credit: Anna Sofia Nord – album cover @ Amazon.

Michael Borowski: Peace Valley

Michael Borowski: Peace Valley

Listen to solo piano music by Michael Borowski on his lovely new album Peace Valley. See the review by Kathy Parsons on mainlypiano.com. His debut album was produced by Will Ackerman and Tom Eaton at Imaginary Road Studios in Vermont.

I included the video of a live performance of the entire album at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Chester Springs, PA on 29 Nov 2020. There is also a video of Long Goodbye 5 20 20 on piano/vocals along with his cousin Amy Rohm about the loss of his mother Cynthia “Cindy” Borowski-Burns in 2018 at the age of 72 after 12 years with Alzheimer’s disease.

Please consider a donation to his Cindy’s Angels team for the 2020 Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Philadelphia to honor his mother to help end Alzheimer’s with your support, care and research; he has already raised more than his $5,000 goal, but I’m sure more would be appreciated.

Visit the Brain Tour from the Alzheimer’s Association to understand more about Brain Basics and Alzheimer’s Effect, as well as his blog article.

My mother Elinor Warren also struggled with Alzheimer’s for 15 years until her death just before her 99th birthday in May 2019 so I understand the “longest goodbye” too. My father died six years earlier when he had a nighttime fall in the bathroom that sent him to a nursing home. She never even knew that he was gone after being married 69 years and living together in memory care for 5 years. We were fortunate that her five children were there when she passed, but even that would have been impossible if it was this year during the pandemic.

Album

Peace Valley (2020) – 12 songs, 50 min

Videos

Peace Valley – Live album performance – 50 min

Long Goodbye 5 20 20 – 4 min

Photo credit: Peace Valley – album cover @ Amazon.

Vin Downes: Something in You Remembers

Vin Downes: Something in You Remembers

Listen to acoustic finger-style guitar music by Vin Downes on his new EP album Something in You Remembers.

Album

Something in You Remembers (2020) – 5 songs, 17 min

Playlist

Vin Downes (Playlist) – 9 songs, 33 min

Listen to more of his music at Vin Downes with additional albums, videos, and links.

Photo credit: Something in You Remembers @ Amazon (album cover)

Randy Rogers Band: Hellbent

Randy Rogers Band: Hellbent

Listen to country music by Randy Rogers Band on their latest album Hellbent. I have also included my playlist and recent music videos.

Album

Hellbent (2019) – 11 songs, 35 mins

Playlist

Randy Rogers Band (Playlist) – 39 songs, 2 hr 30 min

Videos

I’ll Never Get Over You – 4 min

Crazy People – 3 min

See Randy Rogers Band for more albums, videos, and links.

Photo credit: Hellbent – album cover @ Amazon.