Mason Jennings has a lot to say.

When Mason Jennings sings, he doesn't just sing with his voice; he sings with his heart. Whether he's on a folk kick or in a rock mood, listening to him is an intimate experience.

The Minnesota native is not just a musician. He is an agent for peace, a humanitarian, a husband and a father. As he maintains his humility, his spirit comes alive through his music.

Since his album Blood of Man was released in September, he has been touring with his new band, made up of close friends.

Although Jennings has played the majority of his career solo and records all the instrumentation on his studio tracks, his new dynamic is more of a rock show than anything else. There will be electric guitar and bass players, along with a variety of drums on stage.

"It's more expandable," Jennings said of the new setup. "They all bring their own personality."

Blood of Man provided an opportunity for Jennings to unleash his rock persona, inspired by his son's curiosity about the electric guitar. He describes his songs as dark and joyful at the same time.

The guitar, piano, harmonica and drums were all done personally by Jennings.

"It's an extension of what I do," Jennings said. "Just a little more raw."

For now, Jennings is just enjoying his new sound on tour. Musically, Jennings said his inspiration comes from a combination of new experiences on the road, the people around him every day and whatever resonates with him at the time. The songwriting comes when he's off the road and has time to get quiet in his studio and "let it flow."

Jennings' shows take up all his energy when he's on the road, he said. His tour ends on Thanksgiving and he'll be home for the next three months, ready to immerse himself in new record ideas.

"It really depends on what I'm interested in hearing," he said, "Some days, I wake up and want to hear aggressive music."

"I want to do both polarities — the intimate stuff and then the rock," Jennings said. "I like when shows are changing throughout the night."

Whatever mood Jennings might be in, expect to hear quality music. His sounds will leave you electrically charged and acoustically vulnerable. It's really the intimacy he creates that draws people to him.

Devendra Banhart continues to suprise and enlighten.

Devendra Banhart is not average by any means. Born in Houston and raised in Venezuela, it is clear he evolved as a musician from a plethora of ethnic influences. Although you might not understand everything he is saying, his sixth album is intriguing, eclectic and liberating.

Released Oct. 23 by Reprise Records, What Will We Be, showcases Banhart's mysterious persona that rises out of his stream-of-consciousness lyrics and shaky vocals.

Straight out of the "New Weird America" movement, Banhart challenges traditions with his multi-dimensional genre-proof songs. As he alternates between Spanish and English, it is clear Banhart possesses a deep connection to the universe that many people lack.

Using repetition throughout his songs is one element Banhart incorporates to emphasize the importance of his lyrics. In "Meet Me At Lookout Point," he repeats, "My heart will find you," displaying much sincerity and enthusiasm.

Indie, reggae, rock, tribal or freak-folk music — whatever you want to call it, Banhart's musical adventures allow us to explore ideas inside of us that are otherwise suppressed.

With lyrics about dancing, horses and renaissance fairs, Banhart reveals his eccentricity as a songwriter. It is a surreal experience to be surprised with every track, similar to that of his past two acclaimed albums, Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon (2007) and Cripple Crow (2005).

Although it is difficult to decipher his lyrics or gage Banhart's emotions, you can grasp his intentions for living in his music. Asking questions about the world, loving those around you and taking the time to celebrate life are essential parts of his life.

Throughout the track "Maria Lionza," Banhart sings "Who do you love?" An advocate for self-reflection, you can't help but think about the question the same way you can't help but sway to the relaxing sounds.

Banhart's instrumentation is mostly a calming background that supports his vocals, which dictate the mood of the track. You might hear rock. You might hear reggae.

It might take a couple of listens to understand the true freak-folk beauty of What Will We Be but have some patience, and you will come to appreciate Banhart's emotional spectrum and experimental nuance.

As Banhart says in the track "Baby," you will be saying "Holy moley" after becoming involved with the album.

Ghostland Observatory rages.

With tight black pants to match his two long black braids, Aaron Behrens aggressively grabs the microphone on stage and yells out “Vibrate!”

The crowd obeys, entranced by his strong presence as he casually picks up his electric guitar to immerse himself in another song.

As lasers dominate the stage his musical partner, Thomas Turner, sings background vocals, plays the drums, and controls a synthesizer.

Ghostland Observatory combines techno beats with a harsh rock n’ roll dynamic that is hard to match. The two Texas natives are reminiscent of Daft Punk, The Clash, and a little bit of Prince. In my opinion, anyone can go to their show and leave a born-again Ghostland fan. I was absolutely mesmerized in the front row. The way Behrens takes the stage like a rockstar while Turner handles the beats makes it impossible not to dance all over the place at an alarming rate.

The combination of electronics inspires a liberating feeling that converges all the fondness of childhood with the perks of being an adult. With his confident attitude and vivacious dancing, Behrens reminds you that self-expression is the essence of living. There's the temptation to close your eyes to feel free with the music, but then you could miss the epic light show or a piece of the constant entertainment on stage. In my eyes, it's a win/win situation.

Check out this video of Aaron singing "Vibrate" while dancing his body off:

The Avett Brothers' new album does not disappoint.

If you've been looking for an album that can impact you instrumentally, lyrically lift your spirits and entertain your curiosity then pick up The Avett Brothers' latest record I and Love and You.

After the success of their highly regarded album Emotionalism (2007), the North Carolina natives had a pretty hard act to follow. But Seth and Scott Avett, along with band mates, Bob Crawford (stand-up bass) and Joe Kwon (cello), found a way to enhance their band dynamic, while maintaining their strong folk foundation.

Leaving their folk roots, The Avett Brothers permeate into other genres such as country, bluegrass, rock and pop on their new album. Released Aug. 25, this album features a unique combination of instruments, such as the cello and banjo, fused with the acoustic guitar and stand-up bass, making a creative sound that is worth more than one listen.

Combine the instrumental talent with coordinated fraternal harmonies and background vocal support, songs such as "Laundry Room" could make grown men cry.

The incredible range of the album cannot go unnoticed. "Kick Drum Heart" will make you want to dance your feet off, and "The Perfect Space" reach a more emotional level with lyrics like: "I want to have friends that I can trust/that love me for the man I've become, not the man that I was."

A variety of different themes exist throughout the album. The song "Tin Man" explores the idea of experiencing real, genuine human emotion. The lyrics read: "The wind upon my face/And caring what it brings this way," and continue to say,"I miss that feeling of feeling."

An obvious but brilliant parallel to the "The Wizard of Oz" character, it is no surprise The Avett Brothers believe in an active pursuit of things that evoke feeling in their lives and they want their fans to do the same.

Their songs can appeal to a wide spectrum of audiences because they go beyond instrumental diversity and lyrical maturity. Sincerity is the reason why their fan base has grown immensely.

The Avett Brothers' utter simplicity is apparent in "January Wedding." Scott Avett sings, "I am thankful for her kind of loving cause it's simple." It becomes clear as the album continues just what kind of priorities the band has and how earnestly they want people to listen to their music.

The key to realizing the overall meaning of this album is recognizing the sincerity of The Avett Brothers and their desire to reach people. It's when you unlock the true meaning of their lyrics and dissect them word for word that you can truly appreciate the underlying purpose of their music.

Casiotone for the Painfully Alone thrives solo.

I recently had the chance to see Owen Ashworth of Casiotone for the Painfully Alone perform an intimate show. Watching the California-born keyboardist mix sounds on stage was absolutely a unique experience. His earnest singing combined with the complexity of his music was impossible to escape, as I watched him stand completely isolated on stage.

I actually got the chance to talk to him and he's

After he released his latest EP, Vs. Children, he decided to go on tour. While buried in his electronic equipment, Owen sings his heart out. Almost quite literally. Although the loneliness creeps out of every song, there's a strong sense of empathy that gets ahold of every person in the room.

The songs that stuck out to me the most were "Nashville Parthenon" and "I love Creedence." If you listen closely to the lyrics and think about what they mean, you can feel his pain. And it's beautiful really.

If you want to check out more of Owen's stuff, make sure you don't just listen but watch too. Half of his craft is his art on stage.

KiD CuDi lives up to expectations.

What started as a mixtape from a kid in Cleveland (A Kid Named Cudi) ended up being a sensational work of art in the hip hop world, and not just according to Kanye and Jay Z. If you haven't yet, check out KiD CuDi's album Man on the Moon: The End of Day. All of Cudi's tracks flow into each other in an extremely succinct fashion, leaving you no choice but to become completely lost in the beats and lyrics.

The lyrics. Cudi is not a rapper with just girls and parties on his mind; actually he is a endlessly complex character with thoughts that run deeper than most of us even dream to conceive most of the time. Listen carefully to "Soundtrack to My Life," "Up Up & Away" and "Pursuit of Happiness." They may change the way you think about things.

Cudi is really a breath of fresh air for the hip hop community and the music scene in general. He collaborates with MGMT and Ratatat on this album, which adds whole new layer to his already enhanced dynamic. The beat for his track "The Player" comes from the Band of Horses song "Funeral." By collaborating with these groups that are not often associated with the hip hop scene, Cudi makes himself versatile and opens up his music to layers of new fan bases. He knows that music is a multi-dimensional craft that deserves to be shared with everyone.

Find daily info on Cudi here:

http://datnewcudi.com/

Monsters of Folk album cover released.

Although the album is not due out until September 22, the Monsters of Folk have released their album cover, which appears to be a headshot

of the four folk stars connected through a condensed forest of vines and leaves. Going clockwise, the cover features the faces of Oberst, James, Mogis and Ward. Done by stereogum, the cover was created by Matthew Hollings.