Thursday Roundup – Gnarls Barkley, Ben Nichols and Denison Witmer

It’s been a while since I’ve done a roundup post, so here are the tunes that have been spinning in my iTunes this week.

Gnarls Barkley – Who’s Gonna Save My Soul?

You know, it still strikes me as strange that certain people only know Gnarls Barkley as that “Crazy” duo, when there’s so much more to them than that one tune. This song, the demo version of “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul?” – which incidentally has a killer music video, which I’ve included below – shows off just that point.
Stripped down, Cee-Lo gives this song an emotion that slays.

Listen: Gnarls Barkley – Who’s Gonna Save My Soul?

Ben Nichols – The Kid

If you’re a fan of the alt.country genre, chances are pretty good that you’ve heard Ben Nichols‘ name before, as lead singer of the always-awesome Lucero.
Nichols is releasing his solo debut full-length album sometime next year, but in the meantime, he’s just released a seven-song EP, “The Last Pale Light In The West”… which is available now (and yes, that “now” is meant to instill a sense of urgency within you), here.

If anything, I prefer Nichols’ solo output to his stuff with Lucero, and that’s saying something. Take some stripped-down, dusty guitars and a plaintive, yearning voice, and you’re close.

Listen: Ben Nichols – The Kid

Denison Witmer – Life Before Aesthetics

You might have heard some of Denison Witmer’s work in the past if you’re into cover songs… and if you haven’t, you might want to check out this post from the uber-excellent Cover Lay Down blog.
This song, however, is his own… and will appear on his upcoming album, “Carry The Weight“, which is due out in November. It’s a killer track, and one which really has me excited for November.

Listen: Denison Witmer – Life Before Aesthetics