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Put your hands on the remote! browse music »Peace Of Mind by Lisa O'Kane
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fave it Traditional Country | Country Folk
14 tracks | 48 minutes
Released May 2004
on Raisin'Kane Records
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- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 02:57 No Tomorrow lyrics BUY MP3 02:57 No Tomorrow lyrics "GIFT MP3" 02:57 No Tomorrow
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:20 Foggy River lyrics BUY MP3 03:20 Foggy River lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:20 Foggy River
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:00 Long Gone lyrics FREE 04:00 Long Gone lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:00 Long Gone
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:25 Settle Down lyrics BUY MP3 03:25 Settle Down lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:25 Settle Down
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:07 Stronger Than Your Memory lyrics BUY MP3 03:07 Stronger Than Your Memory lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:07 Stronger Than Your Memory
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:09 Peace Of Mind lyrics BUY MP3 04:09 Peace Of Mind lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:09 Peace Of Mind
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:39 Wrap Me Up lyrics BUY MP3 03:39 Wrap Me Up lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:39 Wrap Me Up
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:37 A Room Up For Rent lyrics BUY MP3 03:37 A Room Up For Rent lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:37 A Room Up For Rent
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 00:44 Little White Lies lyrics BUY MP3 00:44 Little White Lies lyrics "GIFT MP3" 00:44 Little White Lies
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 02:57 Softer Place To Fall lyrics BUY MP3 02:57 Softer Place To Fall lyrics "GIFT MP3" 02:57 Softer Place To Fall
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:17 Coercion Street lyrics BUY MP3 03:17 Coercion Street lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:17 Coercion Street
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 05:05 Everyone Says Goodbye lyrics BUY MP3 05:05 Everyone Says Goodbye lyrics "GIFT MP3" 05:05 Everyone Says Goodbye
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:15 Sometimes lyrics BUY MP3 03:15 Sometimes lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:15 Sometimes
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:36 Highland Ground lyrics BUY MP3 04:36 Highland Ground lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:36 Highland Ground
Acoustic-centered, mountainy country, with crystal clear vocals ranging from lyrically sensitive ballads to a hard-hitting blues waltz making it an album to be reckoned with.
Editorial review
While releasing one's album on a little-known independent label will not put a performer on the fast track to success, it doesn't mean that the album has to be bad. Lisa O'Kane is proof of that. Perhaps it would be easy to take a peak at the cover of Peace of Mind and get the wrong impression: another singer/songwriter pouring out her heart on the cheap. But the opener, "No Tomorrow," clears away such nonsense, leaving the listener with a catchy, fun bit of country music. Sure, O'Kane doesn't mind singing about love gone wrong in a moody song like "Foggy River," but she can't be accused of navel gazing. Instead, her vocals, backed by pedal steel, fiddles, and Dobros, fill each song with a strong emotional center. Peace of Mind is packed with good songs in the traditional sense, too. Mark Fosson's "Wrap Me Up" rolls along at a happy pace, mirroring the upbeat lyric as it moves from snappy verse to hooky chorus. With a no-nonsense approach and straightforward arrangements, Peace of Mind reminds one of good country music from the '70s, back before "alternative" became a catch phrase. O'Kane has made a fine album that should appeal to anyone who likes enjoyable, honest music with a bit of country twang. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford Jr., All Music Guide
Bio / Background
There is an iron fist beneath the velvet glove that Lisa O'Kane presents to the world. In addition to O'Kane's obvious talents, there is a steely resolve and a heartfelt determination lurking behind her pretty face. These admirable traits are what drove Lisa to worldwide acclaim with her freshman release, AM I TOO BLUE, and drive her daily to better herself.
There is no false show-biz bravado to O'Kane. She is delightfully down to earth, easy to talk to, caring and warm. This is a lady whom men would love to take home to their mothers and whom other women would love to have as a friend. She shrugs off these accolades, attributing her casual manner to her upbringing in the lovely Yosemite Valley. Lisa herself could easily be compared to that magnificent place - she is a natural beauty, with a face as memorable as the high country peaks and a voice as soothing as the wind in the giant Sequoias.
↓ more ↓Tall and slender, she brims with an almost palpable energy and resonates with a positive outlook.
When asked what she considers her biggest achievement, the California songbird replies, "I'm a good Mom to my two daughters. They get a lot of attention from me and I think that's really important for children at any age. It creates a conflict, though, with my career, and it's a juggling act that never ends," she says. Fortunately for all, it appears that neither the children nor the career have suffered, as her girls and her career are both flourishing.
This citified "country girl" returns to her birthplace (Fish Camp - population 36) every summer. These sabbaticals are shared with friends and their children and Lisa is always the first to show a newcomer the ins and outs of hiking, hopping stones and finding cool treasures. "It's a different world up there," she says. "There are very few people. It's a very simple life and I've tried to hold on to the values that I learned growing up there and to instill those beliefs in my children as well. I try to learn something new everyday and I try hard to be a good person, too. I'm also learning to be a pretty good songwriter," she says with a laugh.
Fresh from the studio where she has just completed her second album, PEACE OF MIND, the levelheaded beauty is recouping her energies and preparing for another European tour. "I wrote five of the songs on this project," she says. "My favorite is 'Peace Of Mind.' I really felt like I had come into my own when I heard that song played back in the studio. It wasn't my vocal performance so much as the track as a whole. It was more satisfying than anything I've ever done besides having my children. This is a very personal album, but I think people will be able to relate to most of the material. And, that's what means the most to me: getting to the heart of the people."
There is a vibrant presence to PEACE OF MIND that was only hinted at on Lisa's 2002 debut CD, AM I TOO BLUE. There is a strong identity to the vocals and Lisa attributes this to two things: "That I wrote some of the material changed my perception," she says, "And the fact that I've been performing so frequently." Also key was Lisa's constant input and supervision of the project. "I chose the musicians and all the songs. I was at the studio for every note that was played and every mix that was done," says O'Kane. "I've learned a lot since my first record. I've put a lot of that knowledge into this CD.
The results are an outstanding collection of songs sung by a true artist. O'Kane handles the uptempo numbers with blazing confidence and treats the ballads with a strong, yet gentle hand. Comprised of fourteen tracks, the CD runs the gamut from Bluegrass to Roots to Gaelic-influenced songs - nowhere does it miss a beat.
The title track, "Peace Of Mind," offers a great vocal interpretation of an impressive lyric and the track features brilliant piano accompaniment and competition-quality finger-picking guitar. The message matches the song's dynamic build and it's no wonder that this is O'Kane's personal favorite. A remake of the bluegrass classic, "Foggy River" is given a modern-day twist with primal-sounding drums and a haunting fiddle. Lisa's alto vocals lend urgency to the angst-filled lyric and the result is a remarkable twist on the genre. The poignant "A Room Up For Rent" features a sparse track highlighted by O'Kane's delicate vocal. The analogy between a room for rent and room in the heart makes for a great story. "Coercion Street" is a slow tempo look at life's adversities. A gritty insight into the struggle for self-awareness, the song is an unusual choice for a female vocalist, but one Lisa handles with aplomb. The disc's finale, "Highland Ground" offers a complete departure from the modern-day world. An Irish whistle weaves its magic throughout the track while the lyric transports the listener to the Emerald Isle. A heart-rending tale of a loved one's passing, the song casts a spell that is hard to shake.
Lisa O'Kane's talent and strength have gotten her to where she is today. Her remarkable resilience and enormous energy will surely keep her at the forefront of the Roots music scene. In the short time since her debut project was released, Lisa O'Kane has grown as an artist, songwriter and individual. She is a remarkable woman, riding high on the glory of self-discovery and self-fulfillment. It has been an honor to watch her climb this mountain.
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