Str8 Boys Need Love Too - Matt Nathanson

Matt Nathanson is the singer/songwriter whose Come On Get Higher seems to be getting lots of radio play. I am not sure I love the song, but I really like what he does with it. To me, the lyrics are a little too 'I want to write a song for the Gray's Anatomy Soundtrack' but ultimately he sings the crap out of it. Oddly, when I looked him up, I have to say I was shocked to read he was 36 years old, for I thought he was much younger.



So Some Mad Hope, the name of the 2007 release with Come On Get Higher, is the sixth studio album. There are also 4 EPs, and one live CD. And I had never heard of him. Guess that says something about tenacity, the ability to believe in your talent and that one day, it will be heard. Not only good for him, but great for him. He is signed to Vanguard Records, most notable for their promotion of Jazz and Folk musicians.



He did a video for the acoustic version of the song All We Are from his living room. There has a certain amount of charm with this video.



Nathanson was originally from Massachusetts, but moved to the San Francisco area with his wife in the 90s. To find out more about Matt Nathanson, click here for his official website.

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STR8 Boys Need Love Too - Chris Cornell

I have already mentioned my love of Chris Cornell - the voice that makes me listen with amazement. He sings with passion, such depth, such raw grit. Starting with his work with Soundgarden, then to Audioslave, and then solo work, I have listened with deep appreciation and respect. And he is really hot! His wife, also a stunningly beautiful woman, is damn lucky, and he makes being a daddy really sexy.



Cornell recently released Scream, a new CD I really enjoy. It has a more pop, accessible feel to it, but he still rocks on it. This week Cornell released a new video, for the song Long Gone.



Previously, he released Scream, the lead song on the CD. I think Long Gone is a much better song. Earlier, he release You Know My Name from Carry On. This is a video of the song performed live on MSNBC. Good Lord, how sexy. I mean, talk about a growl.



You can find out more about Cornell at his website.

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Str8 Boys Need Love Too - Wes Carr

Wes Carr won Australian Idol last fall, and I didn't hear one thing about him until this past spring, when I ran across the video for one of his songs. And unlike the 2008 winner of American Idol, I really like Wes' style. His music was fun and sexy, and seemed like it was more about enjoyment than showing the world how damn clever he was [that is addressed to far too many rock musicians these days].



He was 26 when he won Idol, and seemed to have a clue about what he wanted because the CD is rather good. The Way The World Looks is a strong pop/rock effort, with Carr's strong bluesy vocals pulling most of the weight. The lead single was You, the winner's single from Idol. It charted very well, hitting number 1 in Australia. It was released on November 23, 2008. It is kinda sassy and sexy. That is the first one I saw. Click here to see it. That was followed by It Feels Like Woah [above] and Fearless, below. Of course, there is a bit of nonsense with the CD, including some covers of U2's Desire, the Beatle's Get Back, and a truly misplaced If I Were A Carpenter, all of which he apparently performed on the show.



Now, what is surprising is without ever seeing a single episode of Australian Idol, I now have 2 of those contestants I really enjoy - Wes Carr and the golden-voiced Anthony Callea. Now, they couldn't be more different, with rocker Wes and his throaty blues and Anthony, a young man with a gorgeous voice who could make me enjoy a recorded version of an Ikea manual. No matter, I like 'em, and hope there is more to come from both!



You can find out more about Wes Carr on his MySpace page. To give Anthony Callea another listen, see my post here.

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Str8 Boys Need Love Too - J.R. Richards

J.R. Richards is the lead singer for Dishwalla, a band I have had an unhealthy preoccupation for since the 90s. Part of that fascination has been because of J.R.'s voice, with its wonderful tone and control. When I found out he was working on a solo project, I couldn't wait to hear it. A Beautiful End was released recently, and of course I had to pre-order it, complete with the signed copy. Since the CD was mailed on the day of the release, and patience is not my strongest virtue, I also purchased it from iTunes [immediate gratification is my friend]. A Beautiful End is a wonderful and sumptuous recording, It is softer than the music of Dishwalla, and more piano-driven, but with a fare share of other instrumentation. But the voice, it is spectacular. There is a depth to his tone, a solid strength. J.R. wrote all but one of the songs, making it a personal venture. The emotional textures are there, sometimes a little moody, other times hopeful. It is hard to pick out one song that is particularly better, I love them all.



Today, J.R. announced the release of the first video, A Beautiful End. I have loaded to this post, but you can watch it at J.R.'s website, and download it for free. How great it is the artist is just doing that for fans?



You can buy CDs, t-shirts and posters directly from J.R. Richards at his online store.

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STR8 Boys Need Love Too - Travis Howard

I came across the music of Travis Howard on MySpace a couple of years ago, and liked it. I purchased an EP he had for sale, and it immediately moved on my iPod. His style of country-fried rock is cool and sexy, and the lyrics tended to be rather intelligent. Oh yeah, and he is good-looking, too. I haven't been a huge fan of country music, although do have people like Dwight Yoakam, Lyle Lovett, Dolly Parton, Big & Rich, and Emmylou Harris in my collection.



The other day I was cruising around, and heard a new song, The Life of a Driven Man, on his MySpace page, and tried to buy it, but couldn't find it anywhere. So I dropped a comment on there asking where I could. I got a message back from Travis, asking for my email address, which I sent. Soon, I got two emails with songs attached: the song I was looking for, and Come Before The Lightning, a working demo, along with thanks for listening to his music. How freaking kind and cool was that!



One of the things [besides the music] I have enjoyed about Travis are his blogs. He is smart, articulate, and funny - always a great combination. He seems to be gay-friendly, politically aware, and just a great guy. He has written with the exciting Miranda Lambert. I would love to see him perform live sometime, and from the YouTube videos, it looks like those live shows are rocking!



You can find out more about Travis at his website.

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EOB - Equal Oportunity Blogger - Str8 Boys Need Luvin' Too

Just to show I can be OK with people, no matter their sexual orientation, I will put up a couple of videos from str8 boys that I enjoy listening to. Like Chris J Keys, an indie artist from Belfast, Northern Ireland. I don't know how I ran across him on the internet, but I am so glad I did. Also, he has been a sweet guy to correspond with.



JR Richards is the lead singer for Dishwalla, a very cool rock band from California. JR has an exceptional voice, at once intoxicating and sexy, despite his apparent heterosexuality. He just released a solo CD, A Beautiful End. The following video is when he performed with Dishwalla and a full orchestra, singing 'Angels and Devils.'



And I would be remiss if I were not to include a clip of Ace Young, my favorite all-time American Idol contestant. He is stunningly handsome, talented, and a very nice man.



Enjoy!

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