"Stuff I like" Friday

Wanted to share a few things that I've found and I like. This may become a regular Friday staple. May not. Guess we'll see next Friday.

NEEDTOBREATHE

I stumbled across this band on the Internet. I was listening to an online radio station and the song in the first video below came on. I loved it. Musically, I'm pretty open. I'll give just about anything a chance. But there are a couple of things that are automatics for me. A horn section and an organ. If a song has either of those there's a very good chance I'm going to like it. If it's got both, forget about it. Well that song has the organ. I checked out the rest of the songs through the band's web site and you tube. The rest of the songs from that album were just as good. I listened to them over and over again at the day job.  Gina eventually bought me the CD for Christmas that year.There is something about that singers voice. The impurities in it or something. It's just a unique sound.



She bought me the band's next album this year for Christmas. I think I might like this one better. Favorite song off it is the one below. This album has much more of a country feel to it. There's slide guitar and some fiddle. But, if you're worried, they aren't going to be playing it on your country radio station.




The recording quality on those videos isn't the best, so if you like what you hear go search them out and look for the real videos. The official videos are what I wanted to embed here, but that functioning was disabled.

DEAD DROP by Jon F. Merz

I started reading this short story while in the waiting room at the doctor's office. As I got farther into it I kept finding myself hoping that the call back to the exam room would be delayed. I wanted to finish this story. I got my wish.
On the drive to work I was still thinking about the story. It's a taut tale, with nothing wasted. Lots of action. It's a great introduction to Merz's character Lawson -- who, I think, can be best described as a vampire cop. I'd never read any of Merz's series, but that didn't matter here. He does a great job of placing the new reader into his world without wasting time or words. The thing that I liked best -- and, after reading the beginning of the first Lawson book, a strength of Merz's as a writer -- is the dialogue. There is a natural feel to it. These are genuine exchanges, something that's not easy to write. So check it out. The story is free and includes an excerpt of the latest Lawson boon, The Kensei. Grab your copy here.