If I know these guys does that make me cool?

"You've gotta listen to this", my husband's larger-than-life-second-out-of-five-brother, Zach, would always say, calling me with another artist I just had to listen to immediately. "Jess, they're gonna be famous. Promise."

There have been numerous times I have gone to some unknown Myspace page to listen to someone's music for 30 seconds or so before I got bored and moved on. Yea, their voices sounded good, but I wasn't all that interested. Two of those people he mentioned years ago (no lie) are Regina Spektor and Missy Higgins. I often times feel guilty when one of their voices starts to play over my computer's speakers. "It's not that I didn't love you then, [Regina / Missy]...it's just that....well, you didn't sound quite as wonderful over Myspace."

Christmas 2006 Corey and I drove out of Knoxville, heading back to Memphis with another one of Zach's must-hears in our CD player. It was Seabird's first studio CD. Not perfectly polished, but the kind of music mix where you appreciate all it's rough edges. Corey and I drove the 6 hours home listening to Seabird's first CD (all of 5 songs) on repeat. We were hooked. Aaron has the type of voice that is the perfect mix of all things talented, distinctive, perfectly unrefined - Chris Martinish, Tom Chaplinish, maybe even a little Bonoish.

Two months later Corey planned an entire get-away-weekend to Nashville where we were to meet up with Zach and see our newfound, favorite band. I sat there listening, satisfied as can be. I even bought a t-shirt (which were homemade), marking myself as an official groupie.

While photographing Zach's groomsman, I found myself looking at Aaron (who, did I mention, is a dear friend of Zach's?) through my viewfinder thinking with certainty that that boy would one day be famous.

Then, just tonight I stumbled upon their voices outside of my iTunes playlist. If ABC has already jumped on board, these guys are for sure to become a household name. And, I have their homemade t-shirt to prove that I've been a fan since day one.

Go ahead. Call me cool. Call them cool. Go buy their CD and then call yourself cool.