WARNING - Non-Rhapsody Post! Please move away from the application and no one will get hurt!

I know I said that the posts will have Rhapsody links, but I have a little band I want to write about that is not in Rhapsody and probably won't be for some time. They are out of Pittsburgh, PA and are just now starting to generate a little bit of a buzz. I actually heard a song of theirs on NC State's WKNC one morning. That's the station we have the radio on for our alarm... and luckily now there is a DJ most mornings (I think his name is Jacob or something like that) who plays great stuff. He was definitely not working this morning as I was ripped out of my slumber by the pulsating of hip-hop beats... grrrr... But anyway, the other day the good DJ played a song by this band and I was struck by how beautiful it was. So I went to the computer and tried to find it... I usually overcome these challenges with a little perseverance but this time I just couldn't find anything anywhere for that song. So in desperation I posted to the wknc.org message boards and wouldn't you know it the good DJ responded in about a minute. With this information I went to the band's website and purchased their CD, received it a few days later and have been listening to it all week. Interesting band. Guitar, bass, drums and keyboard (usually set to "piano") comprise the band but the biggest impact is the lead singer's tenor voice. From a peripheral listen, this music may come off as a bit cheesy but the songs are interesting and the lyrics are heartfelt. They do not bill themselves as a Christian band, but many of there songs have a religious focus or reference. You can tell that the band has been influenced by brit pop (especially Coldplay) but generally they avoid the brash British guitar sound that Coldplay will throw in every now and then. Instead, they keep things a bit more lush and sweeping... Anyway, its still a new listen for me so we'll see what kind of staying power it has... Monarch - The Grandeur That Was Rome P.S. The band played at the SXSW Festival this year (kicking myself for missing yet another...) but then apparently got into a bad car accident traveling to their next show... ugh... Looks like they'll be back on the road soon though...