Independend Songwriter Society Awards

Honorable Mention Award for 'Hey Jesus' in the 
songcontest.issa-music.org/honorable_mention.htm

Austin Songwriters Group Annual Spring Song Contest - 

Hey Jesus --Selected as Finalist 2008

The Austin Songwriters Group

Status: Selected
Response: Thank you so much for submitting your song to the Austin Songwriters' Group 2008 Song Contest. We are pleased to inform you that your song has advanced to the final round.

Dan Appenzeller
Event Director
Review from Folkwest director/FolkWest

"I was blown away by the level of musicianship"

Can You Rock a Little Softer? Presents Brother Lou and Matt Sabatella Tonight
– Arielle Castillo, Miami New Times
It’s been a while since we checked in on Can You Rock a Little Softer, the weekly Wednesday event that Miami New Times just named Best Open Mike night. If you don’t already know, the schedule is thus: From 9:30 to 10 p.m., there’s an acoustic open mike. Then, from 10 to midnight, some featured acoustic acts perform. Finally, there’s another open mike session from midnight to 1 a.m.

On the bill as featured acoustic acts tonight are Brother Lou and Matt Sabatella. A regular at intimate spots like the Luna Star Café in North Miami, Brother Lou’s music definitely rambles in the folk vein. But alongside the conscious lyrics come catchy melodies and bubbling percussion, sort of like Simon & Garfunkel taken down a few octaves and roughed up a little with the blues. And this past April, his song “Hey Jesus” (actually a bit of a dig at self-righteous “Christians”) won an honor award in the Great American Song contest, in the folk/acoustic category.

Brother Lou's Song 'Tonight'
was named as a 2007 - Song of the Year, Finalist -- please visit the link!!

www.songoftheyear.com/webawards/l/luisdominguez.htm

Great American Song Contest -- Hey Jesus

Brother Lou's song "Hey Jesus" won the honor award in the folk/acoustic category of the 9th annual Great American Song Contest. Visit the link below..

http://www.greatamericansong.com/honorary.html

MUSE'S MUSE REVIEW


CD REVIEW: Brother Lou - As Good As You Want
By Don Sechelski - 06/19/2008 - 09:46 AM EDT
Artist: Band: Brother Lou
Album: As Good As You Want
Website: http://www.brotherlou.com
Genre: Americana, Folk, Acoustic
Sounds Like: 60's protest music

CD Review:
Brother Lou has something to tell you and he wants to be sure you're listening. Brother Lou is Lou Dominguez, a singer songwriter from Hollywood, Florida. In the tradition of folksingers, Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, Brother Lou has a distinct point of view. His songs are brash, sometimes in your face, and honest. When you've listened to this CD, As Good As You Want, you know exactly where Brother Lou stands.
Brother Lou plays guitar, slide, and harmonica. He's joined on As Good As You Want by producer/percussionist John Jay Martyn and bassist Jack Beasley. Rex Blazer Jr jumps in with fiddle and Teddy Strauss adds some mandolin and guitar. The result is a pleasant, folk/Americana styled musical blend with Brother Lou's driving vocal on top. But Brother Lou's lyrics are the real story. They are direct, political, and sometimes a little angry.
The first song, Nothing In The Sky, is an atheist's sermon. Brother Lou songs,
"There ain't nothing in the sky
Just a cool, calm, neutral blue
Staring me back in the eye
And no one's walking
On the water
Or coming back when they die"
The third cut, Tonight, echoes of Guthrie's This Land Is Your Land as it opens with
"This land belongs
To giants now
That dwarf the Philistine
That rock you've got is about
As much use as a protest sign"
The song goes on to indict corporate greed and big money for distorting democratic values. He finishes by referencing the assassination of JFK,
"I was born long after
It was still cool to believe
Perhaps I'm even lucky
I'm not stuck with some memory
Of what hope felt like
Before November 1963."
As Good As You Want is not just about protest songs. Elizabeth is a softer song about letting a loved one go. Brother Lou's fingerpicking and the simple string arrangement are a welcome change of pace. Trampled Heart is an angrier song about love gone wrong. Black and White Kisses is a questioning song that looks back at a past event and wonders. But the loudest voice is Brother Lou's protest voice.
As Good As You Want is not for everybody. Songs like Hey Jesus and As Good As You Want will offend some listeners. But Brother Lou is direct and honest in the tradition of American folksingers. His songs are sometimes reminiscent of 60's icons Phil Ochs and Dave Van Ronk. With Brother Lou, you always know where you stand. And you definitely know where Brother Lou stands.