Artists I think you should give A listen to (If you haven't already)

Among the cesspool of awful music in the mainstream these days, there are thankfully some redeeming lights out there that you may or may not have discovered. These are some of my current and all-time musicial favorites, which above all appeal to me because of their great emotional substance.

1. Ray Lamontagne--"Trouble" and "Til The Sun Turns Back" are both brilliant albums.

2. Martin Sexton--Lots of great stuff. His double live album is wonderful. The guy can do INSANE things with just an acoustic guitar and his voice.

3. Damien Rice--I just bought "9" and I really like the first track.

4. Marc Broussard--A self-proclaimed white-boy with soul. I agree wholeheartedly.

5. David Gray--"This Year's Love" has brought tears to my eyes (despite its overuse in romantic films). "The Other Side" is a weighty tune.

6. Edwin McCain--Most folks know "I'll Be" and "Could Not Ask For More," but this guy has several albums full of both beautiful and groovin' tunes resonating with his powerful voice.

7. Blessid Union of Souls--You'll probably recognize some of thier hits, but there are a lot of great songs that never made Top 40. Check out their earlier albums, "Home" and "Blessid Union of Souls." "Walking Off The Buzz" has some good stuff on it, too, but in my opinion marks the beginning of the band's shift to very produced sounding pop/rock and away from the more acoustic-based stuff that really drew me in.

Halftime Show

I'm not really a sports guy, and last year I didn't even watch the Super Bowl at all. This year I only watched the Halftime Show in my brother's room, but man it was fantastic. Prince was the performer this year and he was just absolutely awe-inspiring.

It was pouring in Miami during Prince's performance, but the guy wailed and brought the house down despite having to sing and play electric instruments in a drenching rain. I've played in wet weather before and can tell you this is no small feat. Considering all the lights, pyrotechnics, and other electric gear the performance required, the show's engineers also deserve a lot of credit.

Prince ended with Purple Rain (the perfect soundtrack for the ensuing weather conditions), during which he threw articles of clothing into the audience, kicked over the microphone in a climax of musical emotion, and lead the entire stadium in singing the song's final 'Ooo's. I thought the whole thing was pretty powerful. It made me want to be Prince, or at least be able to do what he did in that 10 minutes.

Thanks, Prince...