Completely setting the dark and mysterious tone for the album Spines of The Heart, Bryan Diester mixes his classical piano training with heavy vocals. Drawing influence from the dark and grungey sounds of 90s grunge, Spines of the Heart sets the tone for deep and reflective listening for listeners. Diester’s musical background shows the variety of music he is capable of performing. He has previously trained in the genres of classical, jazz, blues, and progressive rock. With spotlighted tracks such as All That I Have and Into The Sky, Diester delivers an overall steady grunge anthem of his own in his album. Citing the great Kurt Cobain as a significant influence, listeners should take note Diester is definitely full of ambition alongside his musical talent, as he currently is studying Writing & Composition at Berklee College of Music.
Mentioning singer songwriters conjures images of a single player sitting down behind a piano or strumming an acoustic guitar. I think of James Taylor singing “Fire and Rain” or Jackson Browne on “These Days” or even Ray Charles behind his piano on “Georgia on My Mind“. Often stripped down to barest bones, deeply personal and even slightly narcissistic, traditional singer songwriters seemed to be one man (or woman) bands. But let’s say you’re in the mood for some singer songwriters that bring some more instrumentation to the table. Well prepare to be amazed.
Sometimes it’s hard to separate where Bruce Springsteen ends and his E Street band begin. Sure there was that one forgettable period in the 90s when Springsteen disbanded the group to try it solo, but it seems like that period is in the past. Listen to Born to Run and learn why Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band is an American institution.
If you really want an in depth look at Warren Zevon, I’m not the one to give it. I’ve only be listening to the guy for less than a week. But the guy has impressive singer songwriter chops. Like really impressive because not only does he get up close and personal (in Don’t Let Us Get Sick), but also he has a sense of humor.
Here’s a guy who I wasn’t sure where to put. Jeff Buckley’s music certainly contains elements of, for lack of a better term, singer songerwriter-ness. That being said, he doesn’t really fit into folk or any other category for that matter. His only album before his untimely death, Grace, was a masterpiece, including the best version of the classic Hallelujah ever but I’m going to go with his “Lover You Should Have Come Over” to showcase Buckley’s own songwriting talents.
The Music Court 