EYE SPY FEATURED MUSIC ARTIST: MARK LANE
This past month was a music filled month. EYE SPY was invited to all venues in the Los Angeles area like Viper Room, Roxy, Hotel Cafe and Troubadour to check out some of the hottest acts breaking it into the scene. Lets just cut to the chase - we had a specific list of criteria to go by for our featured artist.
Here is what we came up with as a team:
1. Originality
2. Did not matter how many people were there, as long as audience was fully engaged.
3. Fresh and New sound
4. Marketable
5. Impressionable
6. Good Looking
7. Multi- Talented
8. Conviction
9. EPIC - Timeless
10. "The Voice"
EYE SPY'S FEATURED MUSIC ARTIST is talented singer and songwriter MARK LANE, who performed at our favorite music venue The Hotel Cafe. We were first introduced to Mark Lane years ago with his album "Golden State of Mind" in 2003. If you haven't downloaded this album, it is brilliant. It is available on iTunes.
We were thrilled to hear he would be launching a new album and couldn't miss his release party. The anticipation of his new album had us full of excitement and expectations. Mark's performance was really well done. At times, his voice resembled the legendary Tom Petty. His music and lyrics make us appreciate music and the roots. He exceeded our expectations.
The moment Lane stepped on stage, the crowd welcomes him back with a huge applause. Lane is a sweet guy, his shyness and vulnerability only make his presence more appealing. The second his voice starts, you are sucked! All you can really do at this point is just sit back and listen. There were moments when we realized that we hadn't touched our drinks. His voice, conviction, melodies, originality and love for his music just spreads like wildfire. Lane is not only a talented musician, he absolutely loves what he does, plays, sings... its overwhelming.
Lane's new album "Something New" is timeless. You can hear his conviction and emotion through his music. With "Something New", Lane delivers a sonic approach and song cycle that transcends the limiting connotations of solo artist genre labels, boasting a unique blend of contemporary sophistication and ageless rock feel. Mark Lane has returned that showcases his talents as a multi- instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer.
Lane played all of the instruments on the record himself. He meticulously crafted each part by playing each instrument take after take until the right performance was captured, without relying on editing as a crutch to remedy unfulfilled or otherwise incomplete ideas.
The albums single "Matter of Time" is brilliantly orchestrated. Everyone must own this song. This is a song that we recommend while driving in your car, its the ultimate summer tune. Lane has this incredible way of putting a spell on you. Our favorite tune on the album is "Something New". This is the ultimate cherry on top. The melody is fun and heartfelt.
Lane's approach to his latest album began with a sudden inspiration and wound up taking on a life of its own during the project. Lane mused about the uniquely organic approach he adopted during the recording. "At the outset of the process, I actually woke up from sleep with the rough ideas for both 'Matter of Time' and 'Something New' in my head. I was immediately compelled to get the basic ideas captured, so I quickly recorded sketches on an old cassette tape recorder as they came to me. And, from there, I came at it piece by piece building the songs more or less like paintings; first creating a framework for the arrangements and then layering new textures one at a time."
Its up to you to go and buy the album and hear the rest of the music.
To download Lane's new LP, its available on iTunes.
For more background and information on Mark Lane, please visit is official home page at: http://marklanemusic.com/
