Excellent Christmas Gifts

Santa Claus brought me wonderful Christmas gifts that I can recommend for anyone with an interest in singer-songwriters. Best one is a T-Shirt telling people how not to call me Nicola James, also great a book on songwriting by Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers. He writes: “We fall in love with songs; we break up and wonder how we ever could have gotten into that affair. We take everything personally.” Like!

Outlaws and other chased actors at Cambridge Junction

The Cambridge Junction promotes young bands once a month with “The Fiver”. Most exciting yesterday were Chasing Outlaws (indie rock) and Total Emergency (indie punk) with a mix of loud, loud and loud.

I’m building a shrine for the Fleet Foxes

Did you ever see Robin Pecknold from the Fleet Foxes blush on stage? Only because a girl in the audience screamed how wonderful the music is …

Mixtape #4: Best testosterony duets by singer-songwriters

I am literally heating up while I’m writing this. My earlier post about singer-songwriter duets featured only “him and her”. Here are the best testosterony duets from Jack Johnson to Eddie Vedder. Goose bumps promised!

Mixtape #3: Best duets by singer-songwriters

Duets can be wonderful and horrible at the same time. When a singer just teams up with someone else for commercial purposes, the result is often boring. But there are rare occasions when two voices melt together and carry a tune to new levels. Here are the best non-cheesy duets by singer-songwriters.

Singer-songwriters, fight to keep your soul!

Whenever a singer-songwriter has increasing commercial success, he starts fighting to keep his soul. Read on to find out why singer-songwriters hope to stay true to themselves by connecting to their “home”.

Mixtape #2: Best songs about winter and snow

Cold and chilly outside? Heading home for Christmas? If you need a mixed tape for December, here are the best songs about winter and snow that deviate from the usual Christmas crap on the radio. Also check out Mixtape #9: More songs about winter, snow, and Christmas.

Mixtape: Best songs about having babies

What happens when a singer has a baby? He sits down and records a song. James Taylor about “sweet baby James”, and Scott Stapp from Creed has his “arms wide open.” These are the 5 best songs for parents to-be or those who’ve just welcomed a newborn into the world.

Songwriter sees colors whenever she sings

Singer-songwriter Charlene Soraia sees colors when she hears music. Read on how synaesthesia shapes her music and why her new album should be on everyone’s current rotation.

Kiss a sunset pig – why singer-songwriters dream about home

I’ve been wondering why so many singer-songwriters want to go home. Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Carole King – these are just a few on the current rotation of notnicolajames who sing about home in one way or another.