I love music and I've tried to included a lot of it here at Thought Theater. Today, I'm including the first artist that I actually know...and one well deserving of the attention. James Roy isn't widely known...yet...but he ought to be. Aside from liking James the person, I like his music and I love his lyrics.

I first met James in a club in Denver through a mutual friend. As I was traveling around the world in 2005, James and I exchanged emails after my friend assured James I wasn't a loon with an agenda. I simply wanted to know more about the person who sang the words that spoke to me. Ever since, we've kept in contact.

I've followed James' career and the release of his CD's as well as his first music video. When I started Thought Theater, I told James I would be happy to do a posting to introduce my readers to his music...and I'm happy to say that day has arrived.

With the recent debate in the LGBT community over the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA)...a debate which has been spirited and divisive at times...it seemed like the right moment to introduce James and his thoughtful and insightful words and images...words and images that speak to many of the issues that mean so much to the LGBT community.

I strongly recommend that readers visit James' website here...as well as his MySpace page here. He also has a microsite...here...that features the many remix tracks for his song, Rise Above. If you go to his site and click on the music tab and scroll down to the last CD, Don't Let Me Go; that was the first promo release of James' music and the CD I purchased the night I first heard him sing.

If you like what you hear, by all means tell your friends and encourage them to visit James' site or to stop by Thought Theater and take a look-see. If you have a website or know someone who does, don't hesitate to post his music video. Oh, and most importantly, if you do like his music, by all means purchase one of his CD's.

I've included the following bio which I lifted from James' website. Following his bio are two versions of his song, Rise Above. The first is the original release and the second is the remix James is currently featuring. After the two videos, I've included a graphic I threw together which contains the lyrics to Rise Above.

From jamesroymusic.com:

Not every artist starts out as one. For James Roy, it took a four-year electrical engineering degree and a taste of the corporate world before he realized that life is more about living than trying to meet the expectations of others. In the few years that followed, he built up a studio, founded the company Blue Disco Records, Ltd., and started capturing the world around him in high-energy songs with powerful lyrics.

Each song he writes is a completely different experience - a different story, sound, and emotion - and no single track can describe the rest. From edgy and aggressive to happy and upbeat, James builds a complex and changing soundscape that is held together by one idea: that we can always try something new and from that we can learn to grow.

With the desire to make a positive impact and encourage people to think differently, James released his first music video Rise Above. Full of strong imagery and vibrant color, the video exposes his feelings about discrimination and offers the scenario of a more progressive and open-minded society. Rather than perpetuating conflict through aggression, he suggests taking a greater perspective through understanding.

Following up with his new album "begin", he continues his musical journey with a collection of songs about new experiences and self-realization. He offers the chance to look at life in a new way, with each event as a stepping-stone to the next opportunity.

James is currently growing his business through production and remix services, live performances, online distribution, and promoting his new album. Each day he takes another step in following his dreams.

Leslie Feist, who performs as Feist, appeared on Saturday Night Live last evening. Feist is a Canadian who has performed in a number of bands but surprisingly gained her fame in the United States following the use of her song 1234 in a commercial for Apple's iPod Nano.

The song is from Feist's third album titled The Reminder. I think 1234 is very reminiscent of the song, Fidelity, by Regina Spektor. Feist has a long history of collaborating with other artists and it no doubt has added to her interesting sound. Her work is primarily driven by her vocals which offer a blend of jazz and folk influences...all delivered with a quiet, yet piercing and pure, clarity.

The first video is of her performance on Saturday Night Live last night and the second video is from a performance on The Late Show a couple of months back. I find it interesting to see how the song is "packaged" for the two different demographics.