You can rate Jeff Raudebaugh (J RAUD) albums at Rate Your Music.

You have to sign up to rate (it’s free- and safe). After you’ve created a username, you can rate albums by other artists you like.

Here’s an old song from an old Michigan favorite:

Bob Seger- Ramblin’ Gamblin Man

I had a very Buddhist-like thought the other day. I was thinking how nice it is when you feel a nice breeze. I was thinking if I could be the breeze but whisper “I love you” in everyone’s ear, even strangers, life would be perfect. Because I truly love everyone.

My 2005 psychedelic folk album Nickels & Dimes is available for a limited time for free download/ streaming. Take advantage of it while you can. Click on the following link to access: Nickels & Dimes – Free

A few days ago, Bruce Springsteen gave the keynote speech at South by Southwest, the annual music and tech conference in Austin, Texas.

Throughout his speech he references many different musical artists including The Animals, James Brown, and Public Enemy. Even if you do not like Bruce’s music (I happen to like it very much) you could come away from the speech thinking about how powerful music really can be.

Click on the following link to hear Bruce Springsteen’s speech on the meaning of music: NPR: Bruce Springsteen on the meaning of music

My friend Jamie Miller has an eye for a great photograph. This is not surprising for someone who has been taking photos for years. She uses analog and digital cameras to capture her profound images. View a few of her photographs below and check out more of her work at her flickr account here.

I was thinking about Whitney Houston today. I was thinking about how great she was, and how it’s such a shame she had to die so young. She should have gone out with a bang, left us with some good news.

Her passing also made me wonder why so many artists and performers get mixed up in the wrong things. And also how they leave us with so many powerful artifacts.

I was never a huge Whitney fan but I am thankful for her contributions. She had a voice that could send chills down your spine. I remember when her version of “I Will Always Love You” came out in the early 1990s. I’d hear it at the roll rink, and just be in denial of the song’s power. It didn’t matter. I could try and try to hate the song, but it still struck a chord in me. And it still does.

This article from the Economist, written by a true Whitney fan, is a nice read.

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Pedestrian Photos is a blog maintained by DC photographer Megan Lovett. She doesn’t own a car, and she walks around town taking photos of the most fascinating scenes. I know I’ve posted about her before, but I’m doing it again because I value her work so much. Click here to see more.

Braddock Station
True, It’s You
Down to the River!
Vessel of Love
Take a Chance With Me

I recorded these live songs from Naked as a Jay Bird, while sitting in bed next to my favorite stuffed animal, singing into a laptop microphone.

You can still listen to Dance of Words by J Raud and the Firing Squad for free at Bandcamp.

It’s amazing how much time it takes to make an album. I think we spent like 150 hours in the studio working on this one. To top it off we must have played around 20-30 shows.

Thanks for all your support.