This is part two of  a series of posts called Music That Moves Me. In each post, I will feature one local Denver band and say a bit about them.

Anthony Ruptak

Anthony Ruptak sings with an urgency and passion that demands no less than your full attention. Some people sing from the heart, but Anthony sings from his soul – which, as the lyrics in one of his songs mention, is an old soul for such a young man.

If you’ve never heard him sing before, you’re in for a treat. At a house party my band The Belle Jar played recently, Anthony played a short impromptu set between bands. There were a number of talented Denver musicians, songwriters and such in the audience standing around drinking beer and chatting. Once Anthony started playing, by the end of the first line that he sang, everyone had stopped talking and all eyes were on him. After he finished the first song, one of the other musicians standing next to me leaned over and said what everyone was thinking: “Whoa, this guy is good.”

Anthony has a unique voice with impressive range, and he strums his acoustic with an unorthodox (pick-free) technique that punctuates his songs with a distinctive percussive effect. I don’t usually like to compare artists, but I can’t help but mention that his voice and melodies remind me of the best of Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie) meets the best of Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes)…with a little bit of Aaron Weiss (MeWithoutYou) thrown in. Comparisons aside, you should give him a listen and hear for yourself.

Anthony just released a new album C’est La Vie that offers a taste of all the great music that is to come from this emerging artist. Stream or buy the album here.

To fill out the songs and add a new dimension to their live shows, Anthony has teamed up with some very talented musicians including Anthony Carroll on drums, Jeb Draper on guitar and Julie Schmidt on cello and stand-up  bass. Jeb is also a filmmaker who contributed his artful eye and production skills to this video:

See Anthony perform with his band tonight at  The Walnut Room.

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Music That Moves Me: Strange Americans