The Red Circle

oday I’m continuing my Top 10 Songs of the 2000’s. We arrive at #9, while yesterday’s #10 was “Stare Too Long” by Corrosion of Conformity. This was a particularly tricky list for me to make, so please stick with me while I post each.

Song: Josh Woodward – “Cherry”
Year: 2005
Link: MP3 on joshwoodward.com
About: Josh Woodward is an independent acoustic rock artist that gives all of his music away for free on his website. I discovered this song in 2005 when the album, Crawford Street came out. I attended Josh’s cd release party at Coffee Amici in Findlay, Ohio. I was living in Findlay at the time, and had begun performing at Coffee Amici quite often when they would host open mic nights. Josh was doing the same. Not only was Josh an astonishing performer (who has only gotten better over time), he was/ is a phenomenal song writer. The first time I had ever listened to “Cherry“, I was hooked. The song speaks loudly of lyrical genius and promise. Since hearing this song five years ago, it still lives on my list of personal favorites of all time. Josh has this uncanny ability to capture the animation of a brilliant song, and put it into music. A rarity amongst the most successful of songwriters. I can only hope that the first time you hear this song, you feel the same way.

Since the release of Crawford Street in 2005, Josh has released 6 more albums, which are all beyond unbelievable. The newest being Breadcrumbs, released in 2009. As a songwriter myself, I have consistently been challenging myself to write a song that even comes close to the sincerity and sheer beauty of a Josh Woodward song, and yet I haven’t even grazed the surface. Probably never will. Remember, ALL OF JOSH’S MUSIC IS FREE, so please go to his site and have a listen. You can also purchase physical cd’s on a “name your own price” basis, which is revolutionary for the independent music circuit. Supporting Josh would be supporting true musicianship and great music. www.joshwoodward.com

Share