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Featured Artist - Amy Correia

A little over a decade ago, I had been spending some quality time with my gal pal, MJ.  She was in law school and I was trying to jump start my career.  Our hanging out was typically quite chill as we were both pretty exhausted from either long hours or odd shifts.  Around this time, I was knee deep into electronica & ska, while edgier stuff like System of  Down, Incubus, Disturbed, and Union Underground  were all featured on the radio.  But for our hangout sessions, I put together a mix:

  October Low
  1. 'Rodeo Clowns' -  G Love & Special Sauce
  2. 'Cold Brains' - Beck
  3. 'Untuchable Face' - Ani DiFranco
  4. 'California Phase' - Jeremy Toback
  5. 'Chansons Sans Issue (Ne Vois Tu Pas)' - Autour De Lucie
  6. "Wishing It Was' - Santana feat. Eagle Eye Cherry
  7. 'Meet Virginia' - Train
  8. 'When You Gonna Learn' - Jamiroquai
  9. 'Shower Your Love' - Kula Shaker
  10. 'Jukebox' - Ani DiFranco
  11. 'Rollin Tumblin' (remix) - R.L. Burnside
  12. Let Me Go - Cake
After hearing this for the first time, MJ gave me a recommendation that would fit right in.  She suggested I should check out Amy Correia, who had just put out Carnival Love.  

'Life is Beautiful' from Carnival Love by Amy Correia.


I didn't find Amy Correia right away, but I kept her in the back of my head.   A few years later during my "pilfer era", when I traded many an artist soul for immediate access to music via Napster, I finally got my hands on Amy Correia.   By this time, .Amy had a few other songs available, and another album with 2004's Lakeville.  Best amongst the extra tracks are, 'Angels Collide (embedded below), the stellar cover 'Rhinestone Cowboy', and 'Gasoline Alley/It’s All Over Now' from I-10 Chronicles Vol. 2: One More for the Road

'Angles Collide' by Amy Correia


Admittedly, I fell more for Carnival Love,  but both albums weave incredibly well narrated stories that you can completely imagine the experiences yourself.

Just as I have in the past, trying to pinpoint the best song for this post from 'Carnival Love' has proven to be a most difficult exercise. 'Starfishin' is excellent, but 'Day Dream Car' is a great story that's also rockin'! Likewise, 'He Drives it' has an fun story, but 'The Bike' is a story, in which you can really feel the attachment to the bike, as figured out it's history.

Excerpt from 'The Bike' by Amy Correia

"When he used to ride on the bike
Way back in '52
He was starting out a life
And the bike it was brand new
And life was laid before him like
a platter before a king
He was young and he was handsome
and the world was alive with meaning"
My favorite, I've come to determine is 'Gin' a song about intricacies of a night out with "my best friend Gin"

Lakeville, her second album, also mixes beautiful ballads and fun stories.  'Hold On' leads the ballads, while 'The Devil and I' and 'Dollar Lake' stand out amongst the upbeat stories. 

Several years have passed since getting my first taste of Amy Correia, but excitement grew in 2010. Her site announced that she was ready to do another album, and this one was going to be done 100% with fan support.  At amycorreiamusic.com, you could contribute at your own level, in return you could get items ranging from an copy of the album to a private concert.  The plan was successful and, You Go Your Way came out late 2010. 

Amongst the tracks are the title track 'You Go Your Way' which I see as a pronounced statement of being back.  "Powder Blue Trans Am' shows she can still weave an excellent story, this time with stark honesty of how she's feeling about her "man search".   During 'Took Him Away', you can't help but feel the pain of the child without her dad.  The sincerity of her feelings that "god will help" comes through with conviction.   My favorite track, is 'Carolina Rail'.  Unlike many of her other stories about a man she didn't get, this one is about a man, that she let slip away.  The composition is a excellent blend of varied music and her writing.  See the list on the right for more of the albums top tracks, amongst other 2010&2011 great tracks. 

'City Girl' from You Go Your Way

Amy Correia"City Girl" from Martin Cole on Vimeo.

For more info check out wiki/Amy_Correia or amycorreiamusic.com



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