The Day the Music Died

Well, at least a piece of the music scene died. I just read these words from Jason Harwell earlier today:

This past weekend, we celebrated Independence Day, our country's birthday, on the 4th of July. This comes one day after July 3rd (of course), which is a much less significant birthday - that of Rebuilt Records. I spent much of my time this past weekend away from the world, and most of my thoughts revolved around freedom, independence, and that pursuit of happiness our forefathers declared to be an inalienable right. At some point in the six years since Rebuilt became my full-time activity, I feel like I misplaced these things. And so it is a bit poetic perhaps that here is where we end Rebuilt Records. See rest of article here.

The ending of Rebuilt Records strikes me as sad in some small ways, mostly because I appreciated what I saw to be the heart and passion of Rebuilt Records and Jason's quirky wit and the inspiration of the music. Whether it was the soulful sounds of Micah Dalton or the down-home feel of Jon Black or the fun and flare of the Flavor cds, I liked it.

Harwell's Alive in the Fall really is one of my favorite albums, finding a comfortable blend of indie/folk/pop that always felt a little-bit Tom Petty and little-bit lazy Sunday afternoon. The music is a beautiful compliment to the hope and hurt and joy and passion of the "standing-on-the-edge-of-something-new" lyrics throughout the album. Here's a little of what I'm talking about:

Somewhere The Sun

VERSE
I'm waking up for the first time in years
Not afraid to remind myself
Of who I am and in who I am found
It's all right

I'm making plans to get back on my feet
Don't want to be afraid no more
If I can make it right down to the street
It's all right
Yeah, it's all right

CHORUS
Break through all the doors you can't seem to open
Somewhere the sun is shining
It's what you are hoping to find

VERSE
Nobody said it was easy this way
But I think that it's worth the trip
I might not be the biggest bang for your buck
It's all right

So what if I fall flat on my face?
The poster boy for the never-was
Life is too short just to count my mistakes
It's all right
Yeah, it's all right

I'll offer the token of support by passing along the current website links for the Rebuilt family of artists (not knowing when these links may expire or be affected by the ending of the label):

• Jon Black
• Micah Dalton
• The Goodfight
• Paul Reeves
• David Herndon
• Jason Harwell

Thanks for the music that is a part of the soundtrack of special times and memories in my life. "Here’s to finding the next wave."

Technorati tags: rebuilt records, jon black, micah dalton, the goodfight, paul reeves, david herndon, jason harwell, alive in the fall