I first heard Joe Purdy when many other Americans first heard of him, back at the end of the Third Episode of Season One of Lost. It's the scene where Hurley picks up a cd player and starts listening to music, then he's walking around on the beach with a smile on his face and an amazing song playing over the air. That song is called "Wash Away (Reprise)." From that single song I searched out the artist and found a new favorite.
Joe is a truly independent artist. He writes his own songs, produces them himself, and is not signed to a label. Being free from the label gives him the ability to do whatever he likes, whenever he likes. And he's one of the most successful independent artists out there. Not only has he been featured on Lost, but he also had several songs played on Grey's Anatomy, House M.D., a Kia commercial, and the new Dawn commercial. Again, all of this is from being a successful and talented independent artist.
Joe's style is all over the place, but mostly falls in the range of acoustic-folk-Americana, with the occasional dose of electric guitars. This album, You Can Tell Georgia, is not as melancholic as some of the other albums, but still has traces of sadness and longing to some of the songs. The music is of such superb quality and solid that you can't help but tap your feet and sing along.
You Can Tell Georgia has the quality of a seasoned artist who's found his niche, but at the same time it feels exploratory. The album has 11 tracks and runs for almost 50 minutes. None of that time is wasted, and every song is a true joy to listen to. "You Can Tell Georgia" has a rebellious, fun feel to it. "Secret" is all about hidden love. "Can't Get It Right Today" is amazing. "Ode to Sad Clown" is one of my favorite Joe Purdy songs, and I find it beautiful.
The best part about Joe Purdy is that all of his albums are available on his website, linked here. You can listen to them in full, test out the waters. Joe has ten studio albums out now, all penned and completed from 2001 to now. I feel like telling everyone I know about Joe Purdy, recommending him to everyone that has a heart and a set of ears. He's appreciated around the world as a fine artist, and yet he maintains anonymity and small crowds, eschewing popularity and record labels. He's a brilliant, young artist, and I look forward to following his career for a long time. I could laud Joe Purdy for a long time, but really I recommend going to his website and listening to some of his albums, starting with You Can Tell Georgia, Paris in the Morning, or Only Four Seasons.
6 comments:
Wow, he has a great voice! His site is pretty cool, too. I'll definitely be checking out his music! Thanks for the introduction to a new artist. Very cool commercials, by the way!
I love that little ducky!!
Well said. I tell everyone I know about Joe. He is an artist's artist. Very sincere, very honest.
@Krista: His voice is amazing. Definitely check out some of his cd's.
@Keisha: I know!
@Dave: Thanks for stopping by and commenting. "An artist's artist" is a perfect description.
I spent a couple hours today on that website, listening to a bunch of songs. The guy definitely has a distinct sound. I remember that songs from that episode of LOST that you mentioned, and, like everyone else, I remember being captivated by it. It's nice to finally put a name to that cool memory.
Thanks for the link.
@David: You're welcome, and I'm glad you spent some time with Purdy's albums. I would spend hours at that site, listening to different tunes while I saved and bought each and every one of his albums (via Amazon, except for Last Clock on the Wall, which I bought on iTunes).
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