Cary Brothers – You Sing I Write

Cary Brothers and Greg Laswell showcased their emotion-filled songs and onstage banter last night at Maxwell’s while Harper Blynn provided a fitting backing band throughout each set. The first night of their summer tour, Tuesday was just a glimpse of what is to come.

“I’m originally from Nashville, but I hated country music and I always listened to British music,” Brothers said. “That’s why when I sing I sound British.”

Though he dislikes country, he said his song, “Blue Eyes,” is the closest he came to writing a country song. Well known for being featured on the Grammy Award-winning soundtrack to the film “Garden State,” the track was definitely a crowd favorite.

For the complete review on Hoboken Patch, click here.

Watch Cary Brothers’ new music video for “Ghost Town” below.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ch-0xVRfh4g]

You can see Greg Laswell’s video for “Take Everything” below. Fun fact: he’s actually singing the words backwards so it appears accurate in the video.

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=11173400&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1
Greg Laswell “Take Everything” from Vanguard Records on Vimeo.

I first caught Cary Brothers‘ performance during the Hotel Cafe Tour last spring with Ingrid Michaelson, Joshua Radin and Priscilla Ahn. If the name doesn’t sound familiar, Brothers is perhaps most known for his song “Blue Eyes,” which was featured on the 2004 soundtrack of Zach Braff’s film, “Garden State.” The soundtrack won a Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album and propelled “Blue Eyes” to the top of the iTunes Folk Chart. While major labels started lining up offers for Brothers, surprisingly he wasn’t interested.

“I’ve seen too many people go through the major label process — the rapid rise and fall that leaves artists burned out and used up,” Brothers said. “That’s why I am excited to bring my independent label Procrastination to Bluhammock. They didn’t ask me to write 10 songs that sound like ‘Blue Eyes.’ They let me make the music I wanted to make.”

And that is what he has done. From continuously touring over the past few years (he co-founded the Hotel Cafe Tour) to working on numerous albums, Brothers has been keeping busy.

With a voice that can ease your stresses of everyday life, his music is light and airy but at the same time has so much depth to it. “Honestly” is a beautiful slow ballad with light guitar strumming and even softer piano accompaniment, never overpowering his vocals.

“Ride” is another strong track with Brothers’ intriguing vocals and lyrics. Listen to “Ride” here for more of a feel. I’d love to know what you think! If you like what you hear, Cary Brothers will be showcasing songs from his upcoming album live in New York and LA in March, so be sure to check out his MySpace for more info! Take a sneak peak below on his video blog and listen to his cover of Ryan Adams’ “Come Pick Me Up.”

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RClZGugmc7Y]