Jay Brannan Does Londontown Right

It’s been a while since I’ve done a music review, and for good reason. I haven’t heard anything I really liked… But the other night I went to the Fly Bar here in London and got to hear a really cool voice—Jay Brannan. I got some pretty cool shots and some video that I hope you’ll enjoy :D

So you saw the movie Shortbus, right? Jay plays this really sweet character in this cult classic and even features one of his songs, Soda Shop, which I was able to record from the concert. Anyway, before meeting Jay, I couldn't help but wonder… what's he like in person?

Well, he’s a great guy.

When I met Jay before the show, he was very gracious and spoke to me about some of his recent traveling. He was just down in South Africa for part of his tour, and he was able to tell me a few places to check out, which is great since I'll be there so soon.

It was time for Jay to get on stage so we made our way downstairs where his London fans were waiting. He pulled out his guitar, set up his stand, entertained a few of his fans in front, and quickly got into it.

Jay describes his music as folk acoustic. His lyrics are catchy, a little poppy, and usually fun. They have a nice beat. I've seen some of his youtube videos before, but hearing him in person seemed to make the lyrics more real. His words can be self-depricating but always witty, giving us a glimpse of the crazy shit that must be going on his head. He makes it very clear-- he's dealt with shit. People shit. Places shit. He's done a lot and been around.

Bottom line-- Jay has a great voice. It's different-- he's sweet-- and if you're one of the unlucky ones, you'll probably fall in love with him before the show is over.

The thing is, I'm looking forward to seeing where Jay Brannan will go next. Not just the progression of his European tour, but where this guy is going to take things. Like I said, he's different. He's open and honest and he has a lot to tell you, and for some reason you want to hear what he has to say. He'll change things. He probably knows it too. In fact he probably has it all figured out, and that's quite fine. I think Jay will push boundaries and change expectations that people have of musicians. As a mainstream artist, I have no doubt he'll continue to find success... because at this early point, it seems to be finding him pretty easily, and that can't be a bad thing.

Here are a few links for you to check out:

Jay Brannan's website
His blog.
Some of his youtube stuff.
Oh and his myspace.

Oh and here's a link to an interview he did that was pretty cool. Go see Jay live.