Thursday, October 1, 2009

Butch Walker: The Man Behind Your Music

I'm going to use the blog today to briefly talk about one of my ABSOLUTE favorite underrated artists, Butch Walker. Although the name probably doesn't mean a lot to you now, I hope it does by the end of this blog. I highly recommend checking him out when you have a couple minutes to kill!

You know those songs you hear, the ones you can sing word for word but you have no idea who wrote them? Well, there's a good chance they were originally penned by this man! Although he has achieved limited radio play in his career span, many of his songs have appeared in movies and on TV. Not to mention, he's also a rather prominent writer and producer, having worked for the likes of Pink, Fall Out Boy, Katy Perry, Tommy Lee, and Weezer to name a few. Thats a pretty impressive career for a guy who rarely steps outside the club tour circuit. I find it refreshing that he is able to write, perform and have an input on every aspect of his music.

An active musician for nearly twenty five years, I almost find it sad that he has not obtained much critical appraise for his work. This man is the definition of hard working artist after all. I had the opportunity to check out one of his rare Canadian dates while on tour last winter and I cannot even begin to describe it. Never have I experienced a concert to that level of intensity. The raw talent and pure passion radiating from his presence were enough to draw even the most skeptic onlooker to the stage. He was very engaging to the audience, asking them to speak out if they felt it necessary, and even going as far as to jump off the stage in the middle of a song to perform the rest of it in the crowd. I mean, how many people start singalong circles at concerts these days? It was like being in the presence of an artist about to create a masterpiece. The anticipation, the curiosity, the passion... it was breathtaking.

One thing I truly love about this artist is the fact that his greatness is unknown to him. He still admits to getting nervous, he still plays shows at little bars in his hometown, he still shies away from television slots. He is highly sought after for his skills in the business, but decided after many years of broken industry promises and band breakups to keep his work rather modest. Albums are few and far between as he has been coined somewhat of a perfectionist, never settling for something he isn't proud of. He's not all about the money and extravagant stage shows, he's about the love of music and making a living through it. The stripped down, basic guitar rock songs are his craft, and I for one am so thrilled that artists like this still have a place to make a name for themselves. If you EVER get the chance to see this man perform, please do it. I promise you, you'll regret it if you don't because this type of artist and performance style are incredibly rare these days. Even if you arent sure how much you love the music, I can almost guarantee you'll love the show. I'll leave you with a set of songs by Butch that I highly recommend.

Album: Sycamore Meadows
This song is super catchy, once its stuck in your head, you'll be singing it everywhere you go... in a good way!

Album: Left Of Centered
A beautiful song that really showcases his vocal abilities.

Album: Letters
Again, gorgeous and simple love ballad (you may recognize this one!)

Album: The Rise and Fall Of Butch Walker and the Lets Go Out Tonites
Back to more upbeat rock songs on his repertoire... yes that IS Avril Lavigne in the video

Album: The Rise and Fall Of Butch Walker and the Lets Go Out Tonites
I love the video, its a great explanation of his career to that point (so the first 20 years or so)

Album: Sycamore Meadows
This song features singer, Pink. Amazing duet, definitely check it out... this video is also one of the ONLY TV performances he's done!

Album: Letters
This is the first song of his that I fell in love with, so beautiful and so sad

Album: Sycamore Meadows
This video follows him as he returns to the ruins of his home after he lost everything in the California wildfires. A perfect fit for the haunting music. "Just wanna walk away from the ashes, And take the fact that I got burned. And baby let you know I'm still standing... if you miss it again, miss it again, I'm around"

Like him, don't like him? Let me know!
Enjoy Butch Walker people!
Rock on!
- Girl At The Rock Show

2 comments:

  1. "Don't Move" is actually on Letters... :)

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  2. Thanks for catching that, you're right!
    I was debating between "Dont Move" and "Far Away From Close", guess I totally forgot to change the album title!

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