Anyone that's gotten deep into a beer or 5 and talked music with me will verify that I'm a lyrics guy at heart. Oh, I love all kinds of music, but the stuff that really resonates in me has always been the poetry. I've been known to force friends to sit quietly with me and take in a song, if the words really strike a chord.

I'll be sitting a few people down to listen to Ain't No Reason by Brett Dennen. In fact, I may just take a few hostages and not release them until they've listened to every single note on Brett's phenomenal album So Much More ($9.80).

Brett isn't the only guy in folk rock these days with a seriously distinctive voice, and it's tempting to make the easy comparison to contemporaries with similarly unique vocal timbres. The fantastic Kevin Devine comes to mind. But I'd rather compare Brett's style to someone less current. I can't listen to So Much More ($9.80) without thinking about Steve Forbert -- specifically his 1978 debut Alive on Arrival. I realize I may be speaking to an incredibly narrow subset when I say so, but if you love Steve Forbert like I do and you're not listening to Brett Dennen yet, you need to remedy that situation immediately.

Looks can be decieving. So can sounds. Take Lee Rogers as an example: with vocals reminiscent of Marc Cohn (yeah, the "Walking in Memphis" guy), a list of influences including Bruce Springsteen and James Taylor, and songs referencing Boston, you would not seem foolish to peg Lee Rogers as an American singer/songwriter. You would, however, be mistaken:

A mish mash of footage taken by Belfast musician Lee Rogers and filmmaker Michael Pye, edited into a short introduction to Lee, his background and his music. Lee narrates his nostalgia of his home town, Carrickfergus, and his stomping ground where he cut his teeth musically, Belfast. The song playing in the background is the as-yet unreleased "Dying Day." [YouTube]

Lee Rogers paid his dues playing residencies in the clubs and bars around Belfast, in Northern Ireland. Having outgrown mid-week residencies, Lee now spends his days touring steadily around the UK.

Drawing Clocks ($8.98) was recorded in Italy in 2005, and is now available for your enjoyment here on Amie Street. It's all pretty can't-miss, but the three standouts in this reviewer's humble opinion are:
Brian Writes Poetry (Radio ... (98¢)
Ida (98¢) (This is the one with the Boston reference...)
Long Gone Days (98¢)

Buy the album Drawing Clocks for $8.98

"I feel like there is a new style of music emerging now, where hip hop, electronic music and alternative garage can be married" said Topher Mohr in an interview with Trace Magazine. From that statement, it's no surprise that Mohr's music blends and juxtaposes everything from rock to rap to singer-songwriter pop.

On Earthquakes (46¢), Mohr combines the roles singer-songwriter and rapper while Give It Away (48¢) mixes rock melodies and distorted guitars with fast rhymes. Mohr blends these genres together seamlessly making for a new and refreshing genre stemming from the best of contemporary pop music. This happens most notably on No Way Out (50¢) -- the most danceable track on the album. The beginning of the chorus is reminiscent of Justin Timberlake's falsetto while the rock-backed rapping during the verses sounds derivative of Linkin Park.

While some tracks on The Killer EP ($2.82) sound unlike anything you've heard before Dancebaby (47¢) and It Never Rains (47¢) contain catchy pop-rock that will bring you back to your comfort zone.

Buy the album The Killer EP for $2.82

You've already heard Chase Emery I Miss You (51¢) on Lonelygirl15 and MTV's Laguna Beach, so now it's time to check out the rest of his album Definition ($4.54). Fragile (37¢)begins as if it were off of U2's The Joshua Tree while I Can't Wait (39¢) and Talk To Me (39¢) are feel-good, catchy, acoustic-pop. If you're into John Mayer, Jason Mraz, and Matt Kearny then you should definitely check out Chase Emery

Here's a video of Chase discussing his album Definition ($4.54)

Buy the album Definition for $4.54

This week, Amie Street is bringing you some great material from one of our most popular artists, Griffin House. First up is House of David, Vol. 1 ($3.77). This features some wonderful piano ballads including Only Love Remains (71¢) and Say I Never Loved You (67¢) as well as the folk-rock of Sinner (64¢).

Next we have House of David, Vol. 2 ($3.68). This EP features the confessional Show Me Yourself (68¢), the quasi-experimental Don't Try to Hide It (58¢), and the Oasis-esque New York Times (57¢).

Homecoming for $8.98 features one of the most popular songs on Amie Street, The Guy That Says Goodbye (98¢). But the goods don't end there: Never Again (86¢) showcases Griffin House's Bono-esque voice and Live To Be Free (81¢) has moments of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, The Killers, and U2.

Check out this video for Downtown Line (85¢):

Buy the album Homecoming for $8.98

Buy the album House of David, Vol. 1 for $3.77

Buy the album House of David, Vol. 2 for $3.68