I recently purchased a new camera with the intention of making a number of music videos from the comfort of my living room and while this was technically shot in my friend’s apartment, this new video cover of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah is my proud first effort. Filmed and edited by yours truly, I hope you enjoy the new video!!

DOWNLOAD THE AUDIO .mp3 FOR FREE >> http://bit.ly/9OHgug

As you know, I recently experienced a very special musical event at The Alberta Rose Theatre in Portland, OR — a warm venue, brimming with a warm crowd and resulting in the warmest memories. That said, the entire evening was captured on film and I am finally getting around to editing and posting the videos.

While the clips below are my first attempt at multi-angle video editing (and will never win an award for “Best Editor”) my hope is that they offer you a peak at the very special evening that was had. Thank you to all that attended and contributed to such a special moment. Cheers!

THIS TOO SHALL PASS

THE ARSONIST

OFTEN & MUCH

With the help of my good buddy Caleb, I have created a tongue and cheek video entry for CXCW (Couch by Couchwest) — an online event/venue that aims to host all of the indie artists that didn’t get to attend this year’s SXSW festivities in Austin.

Yes, I’ll admit this video is a bit cheezy but, in the end, that was kind of the goal. Please enjoy my subtle tweak of James Taylor’s Carolina in My Mind and be sure to help the cause by following the simple 2-step directions below…

YOU CAN HELP W/ JUST 2 CLICKS…
– Click to view my entry here http://bit.ly/wA39fM
– THEN, click the blue “Like!” button just below the video

YOU CAN HELP W/ JUST 2 CLICKS…
– Click to view my entry here http://bit.ly/wA39fM
– THEN, click the blue “Like!” button just below the video

I recently issued a press release announcing the use of my song We Grow within the newest Chevy Volt commercial. By clicking here or on the link below, you can read the entire press release about this exciting milestone on PRWeb.com. Spread the word!

SYNOPSIS FROM PRWeb.com

Portland-Based Recording Artist Provides Original Music for Most Recent Chevy Volt Commercial With all of the controversial discussions surrounding the new Chevy Volt as of late, Chevrolet has fired back with a national “Just the Facts” television campaign that aims to educate those with a resistance toward the innovative electric vehicle. Providing the elegant soundtrack to the informational retort is Portland-based recording artist, Tyler Stenson, and his original song about progress and change entitled “We Grow.”

READ THE FULL PRESS RELEASE HERE:
http://www.prweb.com/releases/tyler-stenson/we-grow/prweb9236608.htm

Track number one on my 2010 EP Long Before the Wheel is a song called Leave Oregon — it was the first song I wrote in Nashville and should be considered a direct letter to my loved ones in the West.

While the state of Oregon means the world to me, I knew it wouldn’t resonate with everyone, therefore, I elected to record an alternate version of the same song. In the end, they’re nearly identical but with only one single lyric adjusted within the chorus:

INSTEAD OF:
“Who was I to leave Oregon
When the rearview facing West held all I loved?”

IT IS NOW:
“Who was I to leave where I’m from
When the rearview facing West held all I loved?”

SAMPLE ‘LEAVE WHERE I’M FROM’

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DOWNLOAD ‘LEAVE WHERE I’M FROM’ HERE

While I will always sing the true version of Leave Oregon, I thought my non-Oregonian friends and fans might appreciate the alternate lyric that can apply to Any Town USA. Enjoy the song and make it your own!

DOWNLOAD ‘LEAVE WHERE I’M FROM’ HERE

When going over the footage from my video EPK I found all kinds of great stuff that was never used. That said, I made this sweet and simple little video for my song Leave Oregon — look for many more videos in the near future!

DOWNLOAD ‘LEAVE OREGON’ ON iTunes and CD Baby

NOT FROM OREGON? DOWNLOAD ‘LEAVE WHERE I’M FROM’ HERE (alt lyrics)

DOWNLOAD ‘LEAVE OREGON’ ON iTunes and CD Baby

NOT FROM OREGON? DOWNLOAD ‘LEAVE WHERE I’M FROM’ HERE (alt lyrics)

I am proud to announce that Chevrolet has recently employed the use of one of my songs within their most recent Chevy Volt commercial. Yep, keep an eye out for the instrumental version of my song We Grow to be featured in a “Just the Facts” about Chevy Volt commercial, both on national television and online.

Like the sound of it? Then download “We Grow” here: iTunes | CD Baby

I enlisted the help of a full band this last weekend at Someday Lounge in debuting a number of songs from the upcoming album. Above all, I’d say one of my favorite songs of the night was a brand new one called Lover Things — it just felt good.

That said, below is a video of the inaugural performance of Lover Things with lyrics added in an effort to combat the crowd noise. Enjoy the new tune and look for it to be on my new record, Some Days I’m a Lion, in June 2012.

Two years ago, just before my stint in Nashville, I was invited to collaborate with Portland-based hip hop artist, Madgesdiq. He was writing a new album and, in addition to himself, he wanted to feature multiple artists … I’m lucky enough to have gotten the call to be the folky flare on Rastamerica.

While I don’t do a lot of co-writing in my career, I was truly honored to be a part of this project. Admittedly, I was a bit intimidated upon arrival but the unfounded tension soon eased and we were eventually left to do what we do best — write a song.

The resulting tune, World without Walls, is something truly special — it’s about a world without discrimination, judgement, genocide, prejudice, war and all of the other walls that drag us down as a human race — equality and harmony at its finest.

In the end, if ever you believe that this utopic world could never exist and that there will always be walls between men, just know that this song was a collaboration between a 6-foot-4 black hip hop artist with waste-long dreadlocks and a 5-foot-8 white dude with a crew-cut and a healthy twang — unalike on the surface but the same underneath.

Enjoy it. Live it.

WORLD without WALLS (feat. Tyler Stenson):
by Madgesdiq © 2012

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DOWNLOAD WORLD WITHOUT WALLS ON iTUNES

DOWNLOAD WORLD WITHOUT WALLS ON iTUNES

In the 100+ songs that I’ve written, only a handful have been written in a single day. Yesterday was one of those special lightening-strikes of inspiration. Although this is an extremely rough recording of an early version that will surely evolve over time (as I get more comfortable with the nuances), I’d like to introduce my newest song, This Too Shall Pass.

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This Too Shall Pass
by tyler stenson © 2012

So, you’ve fallen behind
Oh no, not again
And you can see that you are
Hard-pressed against a wind
That hits just like a hammer
On a nail that’s bent
Oh no, not again.
Oh no, not again.

Oh, I know these days are hard
And I know it’s hard to last
But, believe you me,
Just sturdy up your heart
And this too shall pass.

So, there are wars being waged
But they’re not your voice
And good love has gone away
But it wasn’t by choice
If it’s out of your hands
But you just can’t let go
And there’s a whole lot on your mind
But a whole lotta no one to show

Oh, I know these days are hard
And I know it’s hard to last
But, believe you me,
Just sturdy up your heart
And this too shall pass.

So, you’ve fallen behind
Oh, no, not again
And you can see that you are
Hard-pressed against a wind
That hits just like a hammer
On a nail that’s bent
Oh no, not again.
Oh no, not again.

Oh, I know these days are hard
And I know it’s hard to last
But, believe you me,
Just sturdy up your heart
And this too shall pass.