One of my favorite discoveries from 2007 was Boston-based songwriter Madi Diaz. We shared a night of music at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge, MA in November last year and despite the band complaining of sickness all around, they put on one hell of a show. Excellent songs featuring surprise chord changes, nimble male/female harmonies, and some handsome suits and dresses! I was able to leave Massachussetts with a copy of her debut record “Skin and Bone” which I have been constantly spinning since.

Earlier this week, Madi posted two new (?) songs to her MySpace page – “Pictures” and “Give You Up”. The latter sounds like a laptop demo (hear the click at the very end of the track?) featuring a banjo and some love-worn lyrics. The former further closes the ties between Madi’s music to the everybodyfields in that strong-melody country-tinged fall-in-love kind of way. Someone book these two bands together, please! It’s nice to hear these songs without the studio sheen that pervades the “Skin and Bone” record and to see an unfettered view of the songwriting process at birth.

Thanks for sharing, Madi!

(Bonus: check out a live set from WXPN :: Madi Diaz live!)