I just got put on to the ridiculously amazing cover of this song in the new trailer for The Great Gatsby. ”Love is Blindness” was originally performed by U2 off their classic “Achtung Baby” album, and was covered by Jack White (of White Stripes, Raconteurs, Dead Weather, and general awesomeness fame) for a charity album that came out last year to benefit Concern Worldwide. The album had some amazing artists cover each of the songs from “Achtung Baby”.
Anyway, who does it better? I think my vote is for Mr. White…
This weekend is the official unofficial start of summer, so with that its time to kick off into summer music mode. Luckily, we have some fresh video of the Fresh Prince performing his classic “Summertime” last night at the release party for the new Men In Black 3 movie. Scroll down below to see the original video classic. If it aint broke then dont try to fix it…
Well Im headed to SF today so I had to pick the most obvious song to commemorate the journey. Im totally gonna cheat on this one because Wikipedia has a description that sums up this song best, so here it is:
“San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)” is a song, written by John Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas, and sung by Scott McKenzie. It was written and released in June 1967 to promote the Monterey Pop Festival.
McKenzie’s song became an instant hit. The lyrics tell the listeners, “If you’re going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair”. Due to the difference between the lyrics and the actual title, the title is often quoted as “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair)”. “San Francisco” reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, and was number one in the United Kingdom and most of Europe. The single is purported to have sold over 5 million copies worldwide. The song is credited with bringing thousands of young people to San Francisco, California during the late 1960s.[citation needed]
In Central Europe, young people adopted “San Francisco” as an anthem for freedom, and it was widely played during Czechoslovakia’s 1968 Prague Spring uprising against Soviet rule.[citation needed]
The song has been featured in several films, including Frantic, The Rock and Forrest Gump.”
This 1966 classic from the Rolling Stones entitled “Paint It Black” became a favorite of mine growing up as the theme song to the short lived (but amazing) TV series “Tour of Duty.” Mick Jagger of The Stones said the track was written about a girls funeral. Newer generations of folks have gotten hip to this song from it being covered by Vanessa Carlton on her 2002 debut album. While part of me feels like its sacrilegious to even pose this question…who does it better???
Music in an artform whose medium is sounds and silence.
Music with voices or words, is a song. You dont need voices however to have great music as we know since music has been performed for centuries without necessitating words.
While you may not hear them on the radio, there are many artists across all genres that are making beautiful music without voices and here are two of my favorites.
First, is Austin, Texas based band Explosions In The Sky performing “Your Hand In Mine”. Gotta love the methodical build up of this track only to have it brought right back down in the end.
The second is legendary Icelandic band Sigur Ros performing their beautiful and haunting “Untitled Track 3″. This song actually does sneak some vocal “ooohs and ahhhs” in there but Im including it anyway because Ive been listening to this track tonight and it inspired the post To me this is a song you put in your headphones and close your eyes and listen to and no matter what is going on around you, it makes it all slow down and moves your distractions away.
Check it out, enjoy, and let me know what other lyric-less tracks you like.
One of the most beautiful soul performances Ive ever seen has to be Maxwell’s cover of “This Woman’s Work” on MTV Unplugged in 1997. The song was written by legendary songwriter Kate Bush, and Maxwell took it to the next level with this performance at Brooklyn Academy of Music. One of the interesting things about this Unplugged is that prior to taping this, Maxwell had only released one album which was “Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite”. Typically Unplugged status goes to well established performer. Nevertheless, this song made its rounds on R&B and adult contemporary radio, appeared on the Love & Basketball movie soundtrack and college mixtapes across the country.
Enjoy this live performance from the MTV Unplugged and tell me he doesn’t suck you in with song…
This one has Summer 2012 written all over it! To do the song justice, you might have to close your eyes and not watch the music video because its pretty awful (at least in my mind) and kinda detracts from the song. Nevertheless, tell me you can imagine yourself poolside, beachside, lakeside or on a boat listening to this track this summer?
The music world lost an icon this week with the passing of Beastie Boys Adam “MCA” Yauch. When they released their first album, the legendary License to Ill, in 1986 many people had trouble taking this trio seriously. Some of that came from their sophmoric humor and antics, some came from the fact that it was three white kids from NY trying to fuse rock and roll and burgeoning rap music genre. The result however was pure innovation that paved the way for so many others and in many ways led to the music we see so often today which mixes hip hop, rock and dance.
Their influence went far and wide, and that is exemplified below in a beautiful tribute by Coldplay on May 4, 2012 at the Hollywood Bowl. Just another reason to love Coldplay too.
Just found this deep in the internets…Damian Rice and Glen Hansard “busking” on Grafton St in Dublin, Ireland singing Rice’s “Blowers Daughter” and then transitioning into Radiohead’s “Creep”. What is “busking” you might ask? Just another word for street performing, we just dont really use it here in the US.
Busking on Grafton St is not an uncommon tradition, and Christmas Eve seems to be a special day for this. Damian Rice and even Bono have turned up to busk in recent years. You can check out Bono’s busk below too which is pretty amusing as he forgets the words to “One” twice. It then segues into “Knocking on Heavens Door” which is cool. Its all for a good cause though as proceeds from these busks go to aid homeless people in Dublin.
I was just put on to this song and I LOVE it. Embarrassingly enough, I have yet to see the movie “Once” that this song, “Falling Slowly”, hails from but its now moved to the top of my watch list. Just a beautiful love song performed by Glen Hansard, who I know from the band The Swell Season, and Marketa Irglova. Take a listen and put this on your Sunday afternoon mix. Also, for the heck of it I found a version of this song with Hansard accompanied by Eddie Vedder, so check that out below.
While this song ultimately highlights Red Hot Chili Pepper frontman Anthony Keidis’ voice, or lack thereof, I think its quite an interesting cover given the band and the song. Originally peformed by Dion and the Belmonts in the late 1950′s, “Teenager in Love” was an instant classic and regarded by some as one of the greatest rock songs ever. Aside from the RHCP, this song was also covered by everyone from Bob Marley to Simon and Garfunkel. I can almost picture the ’57 Cadillac, poodle skirts and soda shops as I listen to this tra
ck… :)
In honor of the Brooklyn Nets unveiling their new logo, colors and apparel today, Im gonna post a song that will surely get a LOT of airtime in the new Barclays Arena where the Nets will play next season…”Brooklyn We Go Hard” by Jay Z and Santigold. Tell me you cant imagine this to be a theme song of theirs, nevermind the fact that the songs author Jay Z is a part owner of the team. The song was released on the “Notorious” soundtrack, the film about Notorious BIG’s life.
Check it out, and get ready to wear your black and white for the BK this fall!
…would be Long Beach, California’s Cold War Kids. Coming onto the scene in 2006, this group was another one that got the indie rock crowd all sorts of excited, and deservedly so. This track “We Used to Vacation” comes of their debut album which was called Robbers and Cowards, and was the first of their 3 albums recorded off of Downtown Records. Take a listen and let me know what you think!
This classic from Simon and Garfunkel was first released in 1968, but it wasnt until a few years later that this song became a bit more popular. To me this song reflects what I imagine to be the music from this era. Interestingly enough, S&G “Bookends” album that this song was on was actually one of the first to have unrhymed lyrics which is pretty revolutionary.
I love the story this song tells as well, of two lovers journeying across America to discover its true essence. Again, very reflective of the sentiment of the day which is why I think the song is so iconic. Do you have any songs that you think really represent that tumultuous time of the late 60s? If so, let me know!
Yes, its a band, and a good one at that. Passion Pit the band is a bunch of Berklee School of Music grads who formed circa 2007 to bless the world with indie pop/alt dance/electropop music. Many of the indie rocker/hipster folk have loved these guys for a while, and deservingly so. There first album hit the world in ’09, and we should see their second studio release July of 2012. If you dont know them yet, check out this track, “Sleepyhead”.
Now do you know where the name Passion Pit comes from/refers to? Theres two answers, but only one is right. Guess in the comments
While they are neither naked nor (really) famous, The Naked and Famous is a great post-punk band from New Zealand who really got cranking in 2010 when their debut album hit the market. This track, “Young Blood”, is one of my favorites although there are plenty of gems if you dig this type of music. If you do like them, peep the track “Punching in a Dream”. Check it out and let me know what you think of this crew!
Off of Maroon 5′s 2011 album, “Never Gonna Leave This Bed” has all the ingredients of being a 2012 summer hit (aside from maybe being released a little too early in the cycle to claim that title).
Lead singer Adam Levine has definitely used their previous success, coupled with his constant promotion via the show The Voice, to lock down some great songwriters and songs on this album.
Take a listen and prepare to be addicted if you arent already
This song just makes me want to close my eyes…so pretty.
I dont know much about it other than what it says in the notes of the YouTube video. I was turned on to this song by the author of a famous poetry blog that was so powerful it had to be removed from the internets…
You gotta respect a young artist who despite being courted by major labels, decides to independently release her first album. Thats what Meiko did in 2007 which produced this great track, “Reasons To Love You”. Even before signing, she toured with acts like Brett Dennan and Mat Kearney, and played the famous Hotel Cafe in LA, played Sundance and even KCRW’s legendary “Morning Becomes Eclectic” show with Nic Harcourt.
This installment of “Who Does It Better” features “Skinny Love” by Bon Iver. Competing against the original is this great cover by 15 yr old British singer Birdy, who won the 2008 Open Mic UK competition.
So Eva Cassidy was from DC. She has an angelic voice and recorded some amazing tracks, more specifically her cover songs of classic pop song were mesmerizing. While she was popular in DC when she released some songs independently in 1992, she sadly was unable to see the true fruits of her talents as she prematurely passed away at 33 years of age from melanoma.
Four years after she died her cover of “Over The Rainbow” was featured on the BBC in the UK which caused such a stir, her album shot to #1 on the UK charts prompting 3 of her single to hit #1 and sell 10 million records.
Truly a great talent. If you like this cover of Cindy Lauper’s “True Colors” you will also love “Over the Rainbow” (which I also included below) and “Fields of Gold”.
2010 saw the release of the collaboration album between Damian Marley and Nas that was first teased by the track “Road to Zion” on Marley’s hit album “Welcome to Jamrock”. While their collabo album didnt do a ton for me, this track “Patience” was a true gem. Featuring a sample from the great musical duo from Mali, Amadou & Mariam‘s track “Sabali” (which means Patience), this song really reflects the energy of the overall album which is about ancestry, Africa and poverty issues.
This is a great track as background music while having people over or for driving down the highway to
The mid 2000′s produced some great singer/songwriters and one of the best voices to come out of this period was Regina Spektor.
Her career really took off in my old stomping grounds of the East Village in NYC, and the video below is a deep dive into her archives with a 2004 performance of her song “Hero”, recorded at the famous Knitting Factory. This song was made more popular in recent years as it was featured in the film (500) Days of Summer, but I like this video because its raw and shows her talent and uniqueness before she really blew up.
The other interesting tidbit about her is that she shares managers with my 2AM Club crew. Maybe thats not interesting to you, but there it is nonetheless
There will never be another Bob Marley, and while his songs are very cover-able, nothing sounds like Mr. Robert Nesser Marley…except his son Stephen. “High Tide, Low Tide” is my favorite of the Marley library, and Stephen Marley does a great cover of it here. This song is simple, heartfelt and to me just classic Bob. Oooooooooo yah!
So as my AZ friends probably know by now, Ive gotten back into country music in a serious way
I say “gotten back into” because I did get turned on to it by my mom when we lived in the Midwest, but being in Arizona has rekindled the fire. It first started by getting invited to the Country Music Awards which inspired me to take a deep dive into the country music abyss on the internets one night, and I havent looked back since.
One of the newer artists I really like and got to see perform in Vegas is Eli Young Band. “Crazy Girl” is their big hit right now, but this track, “Even If It Breaks Your Heart”, is my fav. I also loved that when they won their award at the CMA’s the lead singer was wearing on of my friend Jac Vanek’s “Believe” bracelets. Jac also made a special one for us at Big Brothers Big Sisters that says “Think Big”…if you want one let me know!
You ever hear a song and it can instantly transport you back in time to that moment in your life, or even a specific situation, when you heard that song? I definitely get that feeling every once and a while and I love it when it happens. You can close your eyes and literally feel like you were placed back in that time and place.
For me, one of those songs is “Dont Look Back in Anger” by Oasis. I remember clearly packing for freshman year of college in my house and placing my Oasis CD into my new laptop (which was a approximately 2 inches thick) and listening to that track. Then I remember that song playing in my CD player as I moved into Larison Hall at Bucknell. When I hear that song today I can feel the summer sun coming through the windows of my house and the breeze blowing through the screen door as I packed. I can smell the rubberized stairs I walked up to carry my belongings into my freshman dorm room, and the smell of the older building as I moved in.
One of the beauties of music is that it not only entertains and creates memories, but it also preserves them. It serves as a black box in your mind of moments, both good and bad, and then brings back your five senses to its own melody. Its one of the many reasons music is so important to me.
If you have songs that give you that feeling or have thoughts on that matter, let me know!
And without further adieu, check out this great live version of “Dont Look Back in Anger.”
Well, theres not much to say other than you need to watch this whole video. Basically, a man who appears to be under the influence is arrested in Canada and then proceeds to sing Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” in its entirety in the back of the squad car on his way to the station. Hilarious!
This is amazing! It must have taken someone a long time to pull these clips together on beat, but the result are well worth it. Check out our President “singing” “Im Sexy And I Know It” made popular by LMFAO. You can click here to see the LMFAO version which is one of the funniest videos of recent times in itself.
Its true. The first song I ever remember listening to and learning the words to was a country song…”The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers. I also remember being about 4 and standing up in the front seat of the car while we were driving singing it, but we will save the discussion of the evolution of child safety awareness in cars for another time…
Anyhow, this song is a classic, definitely on my All Time Favorites list. There isnt much that needs to be said about it so I wont, other than no matter what music you listen to everyone has at least heard the song once and most likely can sing along to the chorus. Heck, even Coolio did a remix to it (which could be one of the most awful samples Ive ever heard unfortunately…judge for yourself here).
One of the musical highlights for me last year was going to the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra gala where Kenny Rogers (or a man who closely resembled Kenny Rogers post plastic surgery) performed all of his greatest hits with the orchestra playing backup. Truly and unforgettable night and an honor to see a country and songwriting legend perform. Now, enjoy “The Gambler”!
Make no mistake about it, Garth Brooks is one of the best musicians in music history in any genre.
If you dont believe me, chew on this: Garth Brooks has sold 128 million records worldwide in his career, which is 3rd in all time music history only behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley. That is just insane and makes me wonder why I haven’t gone and seen him play in Vegas yet!
His success is not only remarkable in the overall music picture, but for country music he really put that genre on the map globally. Yes, country music was big in the US for decades, but it was Garth that crossed over and brought his country music to other countries and other music outlets (rock, pop, contemporary).
Whats respectable about Garth is that with this success, he also worked to elevate issues in his song lyrics and videos. The two examples Im sharing today are “Standing Outside the Fire” and “Thunder Rolls”.
With “Standing Outside the Fire” he visually displays the common stereotypes that people with disabilities face and then shows a story of courage and redemption as the protagonist overcomes these obstacles. In doing so he also somewhat comedically highlights classic early 90′s video making including over the top pyrotechnics, bad outfits and exaggerated visuals (ie. the boy who trips on the track then gets up with so much blood on his face it seems like he must have gotten shot).
“Thunder Rolls” on the other hand is less uplifting and also Garth’s most controversial video, and one of the most controversial in music video history. In this story he depicts a cheating husband and a vengeful wife who ultimately invokes her own penalty for his indiscretions. While the video was initially applauded for highlighting the issue of domestic violence, it was ultimately pulled from CMT (Country Music Television) and TNN (The Nashville Network) within 24 hours of its premiere because they thought the violence shown was unnecessary and they didnt feel their networks should be a platform for pushing social awareness agendas. Thankfully times have changed.
Check out these video and share your thoughts. Unfortunately due to what I assume is copyright restrictions none of Garths videos are on YouTube or legitimate websites, so you will have to click on the links below to see the videos because I couldnt embed them. Sorry!
This weekend Im lucky enough to head to Vegas with Team Salkin (best technology marketing company in the country!) for the Academy of Country Music Awards which will air on CBS Sunday night. In honor of this event, Im go’in country with my blog posts the next couple days and maybe I can break some of you into country music a bit like I was.
It seems like in the states when you ask some people what music they listen to they commonly say, “I like pretty much everything except country and techno.” I probably was the same way until I moved to the Midwest (Kansas City and St. Louis) for middle school and got turned on to Garth Brooks, Clint Black, Alan Jackson, Deana Carter and others. While I dont necessarily listen to country music on a daily basis, I do appreciate it and love songs that give me that vintage, wholesome Americana feeling that so many do, those that creatively tell a story or those that push the limits of what country is.
Today I wanted to share one of my favorite recent country songs and that is “My Kinda Party” by Jason Aldean. I feel like this song has it all…the classic pick up truck, down-South vibe, tells a free spirited story of living life, but also includes a great rock guitar solo towards the end that gives everyone something to take away from the track. Check it out and let me know what you think!
So the hardest part about Missy Higgins is figuring out which of her melancholy songs I like more. For this I chose “The Special Two” but could have easily gone with “Where I Stand”, “Ten Days” or “Nightminds”. I first saw her in LA back in 2004 when she opened for Ray LaMontagne and was blown away. Great piano player, sweet voice and loved that you could hear her Australian accent through her lyrics.
I think her strongest songs are the ones about love, love lost, heartbreak and angst which pretty much would eliminate any hopes you had of hearing her on a workout mix. For a rainy day or lounging around your apartment theres none better. Check out this video below but be sure to also listen to the songs I mentioned above.
St. Pattys Day falling on a Saturday seems to be many peoples dream come true
I know there are a lot of people starting the festivities tonight and restarting them again bright and early in the morning, so I figured folks may need some uptempo music to keep the energy levels high!
This is a great track from Scottish DJ Calvin Harris off his forthcoming album and the song is called “Feel So Close.” Already a staple in many club DJ’s set lists, this is a great pop-dance track that is a feel good song and will give you your second wind if needed. Enjoy!
This post punk rock band blew up on the internets in 2004/2005 but not from their own doing, rather because of their fans use of MySpace. Fans created MySpace pages for the band to share and promote their music which led to the meteoric rise of this group of teenagers from Sheffield, England. I saw them play in 2007 at Roseland Ballroom in midtown Manhattan and they put together a fantastic live set, sounding much like their recorded album which many people enjoy. Check out this video below of them playing one of my favorites tracks of their debut album called “Mardy Bum” at the Glastonbury Festival in 2007.
Love this song! This is one of the songs that would make the cut if I had to make a single CD of my favorite songs to take to a deserted island with me (assuming the island also had a CD player and electricity). This is definitely a song that you either love or it does nothing for you. I love the creativity of the Brooklyn based band TV on the Radio and think this song exemplifies their art.
I was first introduced to these guys in 2004 after their first full album was released and they were recognized by making the Shortlist Music Prize which was an award given out to the best albums that sold less than 500,000 albums at the time. By the way, check out the Shortlist link above and check out the nominees and winners from years past…its basically a whos who of all the best artists. Unfortunately the award only lasted from 2001-2007. The good part for me is that for the 2 years I was living in LA, MTV2 aired the Shortlist Music Prize as a show so I got to attend and see the nominees perform in 2003 and 2004 which was pretty cool.
Anyway, check out the song below and I included the lyrics below the video so you can sing along at home. Enjoy
Congratulations on the mess you made of things;
On trying to reconstruct the air and all that brings.
And oxidation is the compromise you own
But this is beginning to feel like the dog wants her bones
saved
You force your fire then you falsify your deeds
Your methods dot the disconnect from all your creeds
And fortune strives to fill the vacuum that it feeds
But this is beginning to feel like the dog’s lost her lead
This is beginning to feel like the long
winded blues of the never
This is beginning to feel like it’s curling up slowly
and finding a throat to choke
This is beginning to feel like the long
winded blues of the never
Barely controlled locomotive consuming the picture
and blowing the crows, the smoke
This is beginning to feel like the long
winded blues of the never
Static eplosion devoted to crushing the broken
and shoving their souls to ghost
Eternalised. Objectified.
You set your sights so high.
But this is beginning to feel like
the bolt busted loose from the lever
Never you mind
Death professor
Your structure’s fine
My dust is better
Your victim flies so high
All to catch a bird’s eye view of who’s next
Never you mind
Death professor.
Love is life,
My love is better.
Eyes could be the diamonds
Confused with who’s next
Never you mind
Death professor.
Your shocks are fine,
My struts are better.
Your fiction flies so high,
Y’all could use a doctor
Who’s sick, who’s next?
Never you mind
Death professor.
Electrified, my love is better
It’s crystallized, so’m I.
All could be the diamond
Fused with who’s next
This is beginning to feel like the dawn of a loser forever
This is beginning to feel like the dawn of a loser forever
This is beginning to feel like the dawn of a loser forever
I remember when The Strokes were blowing up in NYC in the mid 00′s and they were the absolute darlings of the music industry. Everyone praised them like there were gods gift to music and they certainly were talented and in many ways elevated the East Village/Lower East Side New York vibe which in turn really ramped up what we now call the hipster culture. These guys were rockers and in many ways earned the praise they received.
While they’ve released a few albums now, they havent been able to duplicate their early success to date. I enjoyed Julian Casablancas solo effort as I wrote in an earlier post, but the folks that were drooling over them a few years ago have definitely moved on it seems. Last year they dropped another album and it didnt make much noise, but I really enjoyed the title track called “Under Cover of Darkness” which to me is a classic indie rock song that really captures some of their early brilliance. Check it out and let me know what you think.
It definitely happens every once and a while, and while I was recently looking up the video for this song I was quickly reminded about when bad videos happen to good songs. Deana Carter’s 90′s track “We Danced Anyway” for me was a nice, light country song and I imagined Deana dancing around some farm in Tennessee, the summer breeze, small town USA, fireworks, tailgating in the summer night, etc. Instead, Deana decides to take us to Puerto Rico in her video for this song. Now I’ve been to Puerto Rico a half dozen times and had a great time every trip. I love Old San Juan and have been to Fort San Filipe where the video is shot a couple times. Its all good…but not for this particular country song. I wont even get into the low production quality of the video, the awful 90s jeans and jean shorts, and the fact that she is walking the streets of San Juan barefoot. I saw Deana perform this song in one of the conference rooms at MTV prior to a CMT appearance she was doing and she was amazing along with the song. The bottom line is the video just doesnt fit the song, and therefore this one makes the list of “When Bad Videos Happen To Good Songs”.
Definitely one of my favorite Elton John songs (and one of his all time favorites too), “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters” is a classic song about New York City. Written in the early 70′s, the opening line also pays tribute to Ben E. King’s song about NYC called “Spanish Harlem” which includes the line “There is a rose in Spanish Harlem”. Elton John’s song starts with:
Now I know
Spanish Harlem are not just pretty words to say
I thought I knew
But now I know that rose trees never grow in New York City
This song, like most other Elton John songs, was written by Bernie Taupin who wrote this after hearing gun shots go off outside his hotel room during his first visit to NYC. I feel like his lyrics paint a beautiful and direct picture of life and people in the city. What do you think of this classic?
Check this song out, you will see what I mean. It’s called “Time We Had” by San Francisco based band The Mother Hips. These guys have been playing for over 20 years now, although they have had a couple band members leave, be replaced, return, etc. If you listen to their catalog its pretty varied over those 20 years, but this one is a favorite of mine along with “White Falcon Fuzz”.
Musicians have lent their musical platform for centuries to the advancement of causes close to the hearts of them and their communities. In many instances the use of such platform has helped to elevate a particular issue and cause a groundswell at times that can be the cause of political or societal change. Today Im going to kick off a recurring blog called “Musicactivism” which highlights the work artists are doing on various causes.
Ill start with something that has been buzzing around the internet which is the “Kony 2012″ movement. This movement was started by the good folks at Invisible Children. The idea behind the movement is we need to bring awareness to the atrocities being committed in Uganda by Joseph Kony, especially against children who were/are being kidnapped and forced to live a life of military servitude. There is a short documentary going around right now to inspire people into action. You can check it out below. If you want to get more involved in the movement after watching the video you can do so by going to www.Kony2012.com. If you want to hear a dissenting opinion on the effort, check out this blog post.
A band that has been involved with Invisible Children and this issue for a while is Fall Out Boy. Aside from their speaking up on this issue at concerts and events, they also committed the video of one of their songs to the plight of these invisible children. Check it out below, and let me know what does or doesnt inspire you to take action.
Well then I can help you out. Thanks to the resourcefulness of my social (Headcount, Surfrider, etc) and musical activist friend Nicole Parisi Smith, you can check out the songs from his new album via live performances of them that have been posted on YouTube from various shows around the country. Rather that steal any of her thunder, please check out her blog directly to hear these track. Enjoy!
Click on his new album below to check out the songs:
K’Naan is definitely trying shed his squeaky clean Coca Cola/World Cup/”Wavin Flag” image with some of his new tracks, and so far I like what I hear. This song, “Nothing To Lose”, is a nice little ditty featuring Nas where they draw some parallels between life in Queens and the struggles K’Naan saw growing up in Somalia. I also like K’Naan’s flow…its choppy and intentional but unique. When I talked with him at the Video Music Awards last year he was very low key and interested in the struggles different people were facing in the US and abroad. Im interested to see if he continues to use his platform to bring about awareness and incite change…I hope he does. Check out “Nothing To Lose” and let me know what you think.
Imagine Dragons is a Vegas based band that got signed to Interscope Records in November of 2011, and just put out their first 6 songs EP on Valentines Day 2012. They came up the old fashioned way…writing music and competing and winning local and city Battle of the Bands competitions, before entering the studio to record. I really like this little live performance video they made in Utah. It shows off their sounds and talents well. If you dig this, check out the other 5 songs on their EP called “Continued Silence”.
I remember first hearing him since back in 2004 and was struck by the purity of his sound. Very folky sounding, but very clean with a little bit of an edge. His story is an interesting one too that should give us all hope. He grew up in Philly then went to college at the University of South Carolina where he studied English and minored in Education. After college he was a school teacher in Philadelphia and bartended at music venues for extra cash. During this time after college he picked up the guitar, started writing and doing open mic nights and sent a 4 song sampler out to some labels. An executive at Blue Note (home of Norah Jones) heard it, loved it and signed him, and then when Norah heard the demo she loved it too and asked him to open for her on tour. Not a bad way to get your post college hobby up and running huh?
This song, “Soul Suckers”, is a soothing track that I honestly would put on my playlist to fall asleep to, but really gives a good showing of his sound. Enjoy.
First off, dont judge! Second, she writes her own songs, writes her own lyrics, plays a bunch of instruments, has a great voice, and has a TON of hit songs. Thats all the explaining Im gonna do!
The song Im choosing to share is one of my favorites of hers. It may not have been one of her #1 hits, but its a great one and to me is the essence of what she is all about. She writes songs about the emotions she feels as a young person in life and relationships. This song, “Enchanted”, tells the story of her meeting someone and having a sort of ‘love at first sight’ moment that we’ve all had. You know what Im talking about too! You see someone in the grocery store, or at the gym or walking on the sidewalk and maybe you exchange a few words with them and then you spend the rest of the day wondering if you will ever see them again, did they like you, what will you say if you see them again, etc. Its happened to all of us, Taylor just puts it into nice songs.
I also appreciate the fact she puts herself out there in her music and is honest with her lyrics. In this song, I love towards the end when she sings:
“Please dont be in love with someone else
Please dont have somebody waiting on you”
It doesnt get anymore honest than that. Shes sitting there hoping the person is not taken and that she has a chance with them. Gut-wrenchingly honest. And this is why I fully endorse Ms. Taylor Swift! Enjoy this performance of “Enchanted” from BBC Radio in London.
PS: I met Taylor in the elevator at MTV some years ago and I think she probably wrote this song for me. OK maybe not, but she was still very nice
I stumbled upon Macklemore checking out an underground hip hop blog, and it turns out this Seattle based rapper is already on the up and up. He was recently highlighted as Unsigned Hype by The Source and made XXL Magazine’s 2012 Freshman Class list. I really dig his raps because they are honest and not about the BS, but actually have a point and a story to tell.
Check out this first song, “Otherside”, which is a VERY powerful song about the mirage that rappers paint around drug use, and then Mackelmore brings it back to reality and highlights the struggles he and his friends had overcoming drugs and addiction.
The second one below, “Wings”, starts as an ode to Nike shoes but turns into a testament about materialism and consumerism.
Robert Glasper Experiment — which has a new album out on Tuesday, and a feature in this week’s Arts & Leisure — specializes in deep, immersive grooves, nourished as much by hip-hop and R&B as any known species of jazz. On the album, “Black Radio,” the band’s sprawl is contained by the dimensions of its songs; that’s not necessarily the case in concert, where a single woozy vamp can often last half an hour or longer.
(Having sold out a Tuesday night show at the Highline Ballroom, the band has added a second show on Wednesday night, with Lupe Fiasco and other guests.)
There’s plenty of improvising in these shows, by Mr. Glasper, on Fender Rhodes and acoustic piano, and by each of his dangerously proficient band mates: Casey Benjamin on saxophone, keyboards and vocoder; Derrick Hodge on electric bass; and Chris Dave on drums. And yet it’s worth posing the question at the top of this post, especially in light of an album with clear crossover designs. So: is it jazz?
Mr. Glasper would answer that question a few different ways. “My whole thing is just getting a new audience to the music,” he said during the first part of our recent interview, in his Brooklyn apartment. “My purpose is not to get everybody to like Charlie Parker. Because the realistic thing is, everybody’s not going to. Everybody’s not going to like jazz, let’s just be honest about it. Everybody doesn’t like everything. There’s a disconnect in generations and some people just aren’t going to feel that music. But there is a modern take on certain things you can do that, to me, is still jazz.”
The last sentence in that quote is a key to understanding Mr. Glasper’s appeal, both in and out of jazz circles. As a close collaborator to so many artists in hip-hop and R&B, he understands what drives that music; he’s no dilettante. And as noted in the article he has made a point of honoring the memory of J Dilla, a producer who was highly regarded well before his death (in 2006), and has since become enshrined in legend. This happens not only with the Robert Glasper Experiment, but also with Mr. Glasper’s trio. Here’s a bootleg recorded at Yoshi’s, the upscale Bay Area jazz club, in 2007:
After the band fades out of “F.T.B.,” an original tune, there’s some stage banter followed by a segue into the J Dilla track “Thelonious,” which was released by Common and Slum Village. Obviously “Thelonious” is J Dilla’s nod to Thelonious Monk — and hardly an idle one. There’s a reason so many young jazz musicians have followed the example of Mr. Glasper (and his partners, especially Mr. Dave) and started incorporating J Dilla beats into their music. Mr. Glasper, among others, would still call it jazz.
But he really doesn’t care whether you would agree with that. Or so he maintained later in our interview, over lunch at the General Greene.
Just saw a nice review of these guys in the paper so I checked them out and I dig it. They’re called Miniature Tigers and definitely have a Weezer vibe going on. They live in various places, but call good old Phoenix their home and this is where they come to write, rehearse and play. They broke though by having the track below entitled “The Wolf’ featured on the soundtrack of the 2010 movie “Easy A”, which coincidentally (or not) stars Emma Stone, who also hails from Phoenix. They play at Crescent Ballroom tomorrow (March 7) for my Phoenicians. Check it out and let me know what you think…and heres to the hope of a blossoming music scene here in PHX!
Ever have trouble getting out of bed in the morning? If you’re a night owl like me then thats every day. My remedy is typically to flip my stereo on and throw on some music that gets my blood flowing. My recommendation to you today for such music is “Heartbeat” by Childish Gambino.
You may or may not know him already as Donald Glover, the 29 yr old actor, comedian and writer. In the last 3 years though you can add DJ and musician to his list of talents under the moniker “Childish Gambino” which was a name that he came up with by popping his real name into the Wu Tang Clan Name Generator. Seriously.
Click here to find your Wu Tang name. Mine is Homicidal Terrahawk. Dont think Im going to be releasing anything soon under that one…
Prob not LMFAO, but I love their humor. They remind me more of Dizzee Rascal mixed with The Streets perhaps. Either way, check out this uptempo track that is the latest single from British hip hop duo Rizzle and Sylvester of the group Rizzle Kicks. These 20 and 21 yr old Brighton, England based lads dropped their freshman album on Halloween of last year, and this is the most recent single to be released from it entitled “Down with the Trumpets”. I think its a fun track to throw on a running or workout mix perhaps…what do you think?
This song is just fun. Lloyd definitely took a page out of Bruno Mars’ book on this one, but its a fun little up tempo song dedicated to his ex combined with a retro themed video and a cameo by Andre 3000 as a cat (see for yourself). I gotta imagine this one is going to blow up on the radio soon, then again maybe it has already (I dont listen to the radio). This song is already hitting the charts hard internationally, do you think it will make it in the US?
Pop Music aka popular music is often regarded as a four letter word to people, but it shouldnt be. Pop music is called such because it is popular, meaning its catchy and has a beat, rhythm and lyrics that a lot of people will enjoy. The song below my friends is in my mind the definition of pop music and if you give it a whirl you will hear why.
This song is by an 18 year Canadian singer, Alyssa Reid, who has had some success already north of the border. In this song she combines her solid voice with a sample of the classic 80′s song “Alone” by Heart, adds a couple squeaky clean rap versus in between by Canadian rapper P. Reighn (whose name I hope isnt some ode to R. Kelly) and tops it off with a video worthy of TRL circa 2001.
Now to many of you that may sound awful, but it is popular music and many will like it, so deal! Here it is, judge for yourself…
So I’ll be upfront and say I havent given the album a thorough review, but at first glance I gotta say that Kid Cudi’s foray into “rock” has left me a little underwhelmed. The intro to the album entitled “The Arrival” is a solid lyric-less beat. “Upper Room” I dig, but thats because it pretty much sounds like a track that could have been on his first album. One of the tracks I do like is the one below entitled “Teleport 2 Me, Jaime, ” and I think one of the reasons I like it is because in it he samples a track I also like which is “Under Your Spell” by the Montreal/Portland based electro rock band Desire. Check out Cudi aka WZRD’s version below along with the original, and as always let me know what you think.
Headed down to Tucson last night to check out Drake since that was incredibly the closest show to Phoenix (still wondering what touring company he is with that wasnt able to book a large venue here in PHX). Anyhow, the show opened with Chase N. Cashe and A$AP Rocky…A$AP, representing Harlem (yayuh!) was solid, although they definitely used the cheap sound system for those performances which diminished any opportunity for their music to be heard, let alone appreciated. The crowd was amped up for all the performances which was great to see, and when the lights dimmed for the last time as Drake was set to take the stage people went nuts.
I thought Drake’s performance was fantastic. Great visuals on stage, had a elaborate set of 100 TVs as his back drop, and came with a live band which is a must these days at hip hop shows. The audio was great, he played everything the crowd wanted to hear from his mix tapes, to label albums to his collaborations with other artists. It was a well timed, well planned show and he kept the energy levels high even during his more R&B-ish tracks. He also made the night of dozens of fans when he spent a solid 10 minutes of the show doing what I call “I see you’s”. He basically stood on stage going around the arena giving shout outs to fans “I see you with the green shirt jumping around, I see you with the U of A shirt, etc”. It was actually a lot of fun and now dozens of people can brag today that Drake gave them a special shout out at his show…a great way to interact with the fans and the first time Ive seen an artist do that. Well Done Drizzy Overall, Id definitely say it is a tour worth seeing. Check out a video I shot during the show.
So I think it was 2007, but I was in NYC and got invited to go to the Linkin Park concert at Madison Square Garden. I saw them once at the LA Coliseum when they opened for Metallica and they crushed it, so I was really excited to see them again.
I went to the show with two friends, one of whom was the VP of Music and Talent for MTV and the other who was the label rep for Linkin Park at Warner Brothers. Before the show the 3 of us decided to grab a drink at a bar underneath MSG so we headed down there a little before the show was to start. About 15 min into drinks, a guy walks into the bar named John Meneilly who is Jay Z’s business manager and someone we all knew and had worked with, so he stopped over to join us for a moment. We were shooting the breeze and lo and behold who walks in a few minutes later is Jay Z himself, who also stopped by and said hi. That was all really cool in itself, and then we all walked in to see the show and got to our seats just after Linkin Park’s first song. I didnt put two and two together at the moment because I was so excited about seeing Jay and being at the show, but soon something amazing was about to happen…
After Linkin Park finished what was an incredible set, totally reaching and exceeding my expectations, they went offstage as the crowd cheered for them to come on and perform an encore. Did they ever! Not only did they come back, but who walks on stage with them but Jay Z! He ended up performing with them the ENTIRE “Collision Course” album that they did together, and I think it ended up being the only time they did that whole set together outside the time they originally performed it at The Roxy in LA for our MTV show. At the end of the day it ended up being one of the best live shows I ever saw.
Here is one of the classics from that partnership, “Numb”.
Damien Rice is probably my favorite import from Ireland since my family
His music has a classic Irish sound to, but mixes with it an indie rock edge. His first album “O” in my mind is a must have for every music library, absolutely beautiful from start to finish and this track entitled “I Remember” comes off of it.
The reason for the “beautifully bipolar” subject line is that this song is actually two songs, and two emotions for that matter, rolled up into one. One of the first times I saw Damien was at Radio City Music Hall in NYC, and it was an absolute incredible performance. At that show he told the back story to this song which is this. He was at a pub, met a girl and kind of fell for her right away. Im not sure that they actually engaged, but he fell in love from afar and went home and wrote the first half of this song which is sung here by another great Irish singer Lisa Hannigan. A few days later he returned to the pub only to see this girl with her boyfriend, thus crushing his fantasies of their life together and leading Damien to write the second half of the song which he sings and is full of anger about the failed beginning.
Check it out, and knowing the back story now I think it gives an interesting lens to listen to this track from…enjoy!
So even though the last post included a Fray song, Im gonna double down and post a new song off their latest album, Scars & Stories. This song is called “Be Still” and I heard it first in my hot yoga class (thanks yogamaster Brooke!) I think this is a great song for your “chill” playlist. What do you think?
Here is a live performance of the song from a recent show in Worcester, MA, and below that is the album version.
I have to admit, I think both of these songs are fantastic. Very different, but both very soothing and reflective. I think its hard to go against Billy Joel on this, but part of that comes from it being sacrilegious for a New Yorker to vote against Billy Joel in anything
Check them both out and you choose, but you really cant go wrong.
Sad day, Davy Jones of The Monkees passed away Anyone else remember watching The Monkees TV show as a kid? As a tribute, I play you my favorite Monkees song, and an all time classic, “Daydream Believer”
So I figure from now on I’ll highlight some songs that are on my list of all time favorites. These are songs that I feel best capture my musical preferences or really connected with me or a time in my life. This song is definitely on that list, and its “Painted By Numbers” by Swedish indie rock band The Sounds.
I dont even recall how I was introduced to this band, but it was in NYC circa 2007 and they’re songs remained on the PH3 party mix ever since. Aside from being in love with their lead singer Maja Ivarsson, they do a killer live performance and their indie rock/new wave fusion makes you feel like you are rocking out in a European club circa 1984.
Check out “Painted By Numbers” and let me know what you think!
One of the albums that really flew under the radar in 2009 was Julian Casablanca’s debut solo album “Phrazes for the Young.” For those that dont know, Julian is the lead singer of the group that was the former darling of the music industry and hipsters around the world, The Strokes. As he stepped out and released this album, it didnt receive too much praise from the critics and I can accept why. The album is a bit of a loathing, its a little jumbled in its sound (he basically throws the entire kitchen sink of sounds at you throughout the course of the album), and its a bit difficult to put your finger on exactly what there is to love about it. That said, there are some gems, and here is my favorite, “Glass”.
Take a first listen to this new track off of what will be 2AM Club’s sophomore album. Tell me you cant imagine yourself cruising around in the spring/summer listening to this while hanging out with your friends? Love it and cant wait for the new album. Maybe I should organize Peteapalooza 2 and have them come out and play again???
Damian Marley’s “Welcome to Jamrock” album was one of the best albums to come out of Jamaica since his father passed. Part reggae, park rock, part rap, part smooth, part hard…the album had it all. Most people are at least familiar with the title track as that got some US airplay, but there were a number of gems on the album. Two of my favorites were “Confrontation” and “Road to Zion” featuring Nas. I really got into this album during a trip to Jamaica when I committed myself to listening to some of the albums I had in my music collection from Jamaican artists that I hadnt spent much time with yet. Im glad I did!
Whenever I hear “Confrontation” it sounds to me like the song you might hear a boxing entering the ring to, or the soundtrack to a revolution. What do you think?
“Road to Zion” was a staple at PH3 in New York (my old apartment) and is the the song that first brought Nas and Damien together for what ended up being a long term partnership that resulted in a great duet album between the two.
Coeur de Pirate (translates to Pirate Heart) is a singer from Quebec who recently released her second album which this track, “Wicked Games” is off. This is a tranquil cover of the song originally performed by The Weeknd. I was put on to this artist by Viktoria from Paris who has a great blog you can follow by clicking here. Coeur de Pirate has garnered some success in Canada and Europe, do you think she will take in the US? Its up to you if you decide to share this post
Kid Cudi’s debut album “Man on the Moon” is a must have for anyone that even dabbles in liking hip hop music. The album brings with it a creativity and refreshing approach to hip hop that has been adopted by many artists since. His lyrics are honest, rapping about everything from his mental stuggles to his passion for herbal remedies, but all the while you never doubt that you are getting the real Cudi versus someone who is rapping to sell albums. His honesty is set to continue this year with the upcoming release of his new album which just came out under the name WZRD. I need to listen to it a bit more, but in the meantime check out “Pursuit of Happiness” off his debut album.
A lot of songs have great lyrics, melodies, beats and so on, and that is why we love them. I often gravitate towards songs that either have a complexity to them and/or I really connect with the songwriting. In the case of MGMT, I think its the former that drew me to them. Their songs are irreverent and often complex, but not over done. Lyrically though, I must admit that in many cases I remain confused. Check out two of my favorite MGMT songs, “Time To Pretend” (which to me was a theme song of sorts to life in the East Village/Lower East Side of NYC) and “Weekend Wars” (whose lyrics are included on the YouTube page for the video and offer a glimpse as to why I simply dont get their lyrics at times). I saw them play a show in NYC before I moved which was a blast. It included the 2AM Club gents and sitting in the grass in Prospect Park in Brooklyn on a nice July night catching the show. Not much better than the outdoor summer concert in NYC. Check em out, and enjoy!
I was reminded in my yoga class of an absolute classic that is a brilliant piece of songwriting. David Gray came on to US music scene and blew up almost immediately. I remember his first show in NY was a sold out performance at Radio City Music Hall…not a bad way to start! This song of his “Say Hello and Wave Goodbye” is probably my favorite. Just a timeless piece about a relationship that he wanted to work, but it just wasnt meant to despite their best efforts. I can definitely relate to this one more than I want to.
I know everyone knows “Pumped Up Kicks” from Foster The People’s album, but while that track was commercially successful there were a number of othere great songs on the album. Along with “Houdini” this song “Waste” was one of my favorites. I saw them perform in the fall of 2011 at The Venue at Scottsdale and didnt have many expectations, but they were fantastic live. There coming back to Phoenix in the summer of 2012 for anyone interested.
You ever have the blues and find that sometimes embracing that feeling actually makes you feel a little more at peace? Sometimes songs can do that for me, and there is probably none better than “Raining in Baltimore” by Counting Crows to make me feel good feeling bad. The one verse I really love is towards the end when he says:
Theres things I remember
Theres things I forget
I miss you
I guess that I should
Three thousand five hundred
Miles away
What would you change
If you could?
I feel like he really captures that emotion of longing for something, or more specifically, someone.
Check out “Tonight is the Night” by Outasight. Saw him play with 2AM Club and Chiddy Bang in Philly in 2010 and he’s really stepped up his game with this new party anthem ala Tonights Gonna Be a Good Night by Black Eyed Peas. Also brings back some great memories of NYC but we dont have to go there
Its not mystery to those that know me that I do love The Killers. Whether its seeing them live, playing their songs in Rockband or putting them on party mixes…Ive found a way to incorporate this Vegas band into most aspects of my life.
While many people choose to either love them or hate them, I choose the former because just because they are a mainstream pop/rock band, that doesnt mean their songwriting skills should be dismissed. Brandon Flowers is able to tell stories, often using deep analogies, of many emotions he deals with that are common to most. My favorite example of this is “Dustland Fairytale.”
In this track he, very powerfully in my mind, tells his parents love story from its origins to the present day, and in doing so shares both the innocence of long ago and the fear that comes along with the people you love growing in age. One of the verses that really stands out to me is when he says:
And the decades disappear
Like sinking ships, but we persevere
God gives us hope, but we still fear
What we dont know, the mind is poison
And is there really a more beautiful way to describe how someone you love is aging and the fear that sits in that “poison mind” of ours of losing that person than:
So Cinderalla in a party dress
But she was looking for her nightgown
Or when he closes the song describing his fear of losing someone he cares so much about with:
Now Cinderalla dont you go to sleep
Its such a bitter form of refuge
Dont you see the kingdoms under siege
And everybody needs you
Let me know what you think. Are you willing to give The Killers another look???
Ive seen them in NYC, LA, DC and even as the featured entertainment at one of our MTV conferences in Vegas when Pure first opened at Caesars Palace and they never seem to disappoint. If they come to your city, trust me and check them out!
I must say, this song may not be for everyone, but I remember copying this song on to a mix tape in high school off of my mom’s record. Its Harry Chapin singing “Mr. Tanner” and I think this is true art, true storytelling. Not only does he masterfully craft this song, but in doing so he tells the story of an singer who’s career started off much like his own, much like many artists. He also delicately weaves into the song the haunting, under-appreciated sound of Mr Tanner thus giving the listener a connection to the focus of this story and making you cheer for this underdog we only meet for a few minutes.
Growing up I remember listening to albums like Harry Chapin both at home and at my grandmothers house. Music was very much a part of my upbringing and Im happy to say that my mom’s appreciation for songwriters and storytelling through music is a trait that Ive inherited as well.
If there is a band that defined the year of my life when I moved back to NYC from LA in 2005 it has to be Brazilian Girls. I used to see these guys (actually 3 guys and 1 girl lead singer, none from Brazil) almost weekly at one of my favorite speakeasy clubs in the East Village, Nublu, whose entrance was marked by a blue light which was the only distinction between it and an old alleyway.
Their music will bring you somewhere, where that is is up to you. For me, it was this small dark venue where they performed without a stage, so you literally would walk almost through them to get from the bar to the dance floor. The crowd was either European, South American or the NYC music/arts crowd. The unifying factor in the crowd was a desire to disconnect, dance and appreciate the art of music and dance. On countless occasions I saw people join in with their instruments to play along, or conversely you may see their lead singer Sabina join the patrons on the dancefloor. No matter what, you were transported to a place where music and dance ruled and nothing else mattered.
I had the good fortune of spending New Years Eve 2005/2006 with this crew and it proved to be a night of epic proportions. Enjoy the song and check out the others from their self titled debut album.
If not song, it certainly contains one of my favorite verses ever, but more on that later…
The story of Ray LaMontagne has come to be one of those urban myths in the music industry as to what degree of adversity he faced throughout his life. By all accounts this is true: he grew up in a transient family who was by all means poor, was ruthlessly picked on which accounts for his painfully introverted personality both on and off stage and taught himself how to play the guitar and write music without any formal training or desire to be a star. There are different versions of how he was discovered, but as I was told before seeing his first show in LA back in 2005 I believe, he was living in a small town in New England and was reluctantly coaxed into playing at the mayors birthday party at which there was a friend of the mayors in attendance who worked for Chrysalis publishing. The guy fell in love with the music and did/tried to lock him into a publishing deal first and then help find a label. Who knows whats true, but the bottom line is the end product is raw, honest, painful at times, soul bearing music.
From the number of songs written about women or given women’s names, Im sure there has been some heartache in his life in that area but often times with Ray it morphs into gut wrenching honesty that has a universality to it that I think most people can connect with to some degree.
In “Empty”, to me he paints a picture of quiet, rolling hills and green and tan farmland underneath a calm, blue summer sky. You can almost see the white country home with linen curtains fluttering in the window as he delivers what I think is one of the most beautifully written lyrics from a song:
Lay your blouse across the chair
Let fall the flowers from your hair
And kiss me with that country mouth so plain
Outside the rain is tapping on the leaves
To me it sounds like they’re applauding us
The quiet love we make.
Simple, but beautiful and connecting.
Ive seen Ray preform now a number of times, including getting to take my mom to his second album release party at Hiro Lounge in New York in 2006. His live shows do not disappoint, although seeing him perform in Phoenix in 2010 was probably my least favorite show of his as he is meant to play in smaller intimate venues so you can connect with him and his music as it was intended.
Would love to hear your thoughts on his works though…
Wiz Khalifa is a guy that gets a lot of respect in the hip hop world and its well deserved. This Pittsburgh native is in my mind a breathe of fresh air in the game, has great style and I appreciate his independence. I like this track because I think its Wiz’s honest reflection on materialism. Check it out!
You ever hear a song and it makes you feel like spring is in the air? Or maybe the weather should be getting warmer soon? I dont know if you do, but I do, and this track by Gym Class Heroes featuring Neon Hitch is one of them. I remember seeing them down at the Crush Management owned “bar Angels and Kings which I may or may not have been the “Norm” of the establishment ala “Cheers” Also, did you know Travie of Gym Class is cousin to Tyga who’s “Rack City” track is currently blowing up the rap charts? Anyway, enjoy “A$$ Back Home”
Seriously. Its an amazing album that really highlights his amazing and consistent songwriting abilities. I first got to know Gavin back in 2002 when he would play on Tuesday nights at The Red Lion in Greenwich Village, NYC. When my friend Ian joined his band to take over the drums last year, I reunited with them all in Vegas and got to see them play this album in its entirety and its fantastic on your stereo and live. Aside from a enjoying a great show, I also taught Gavin how to play craps that weekend and we both ended up walking away with some winnings which is always a good thing Enjoy this classic post-break up song, “Stealing”.
Im not sure its possible! Thank Australia for providing us with Lenka who sings this infectious track that was also recently featured in the movie Moneyball. Cant stop smiling listening to this one
The Broken Bells album was a great one, which came from the marriage of Danger Mouse and the lead singer of The Shins. The album as a whole is fantastic, but “Vaporize” is one of my favorites from it. “Mongrel” is another good one. Check out these English kids picking apart the “Vaporize” track though, pretty funny
I dont know how this one got into my rotation recently but it has and I couldnt be happier. “Goodbye to You” by Scandal with Patty Smyth is just a classic 80s song, and this video definitely brings you back to the early days of music videos when bands werent sure yet how to operate with this new medium. Classic all the way around, in my mind this is a great feel good song both for its melody and its message of telling some who’s wronged you to kiss off! haha
“Help Im Alive” by Metric has been a steady one on my playlist this past winter. A great uptempo track that has some hints of 80′s pop/dance with some modern indie rock mixed in. Great for all social occasions or rocking out in the car And you can thank Canada for this band too!
Look no further. “A Real Here” by College is a a nostalgic and haunting track that found its way to popularity through its use in the 2011 film “Drive”. A great song if you a looking to disconnect while driving or mellow out in your living room.
Janelle Monae first popped on my radar leading up to the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards when she was selected to lead the house band for the show. Powerful and clean voice, with a unique style and edge that isnt over the top, just pure and honest. Check out this song and then her others.
This was the best performance of the 2012 Grammy Awards…and sadly it took place during the commercial break. In the vein of Johnny Cash’s cover songs, this is a well fit re-envisioning of Coldplay’s “The Scientist” by Willie Nelson, with a sprinkle of sustainability messaging…good on Chipotle for this.
Chiddy Bang is a hip hop duo from Philly comprised of Chiddy and Xaphoon. I met these guys back in 2009 when they started touring with 2AM Club and they have been consistently on the rise ever since. While Ive seen them play in NYC, DC, and Philly most often, I recently saw them do a great show in LA at a VMA weekend party for MTV and also here in Tempe last year. Check it!
Last night I got to head out with some of Phoenix’s Finest in the Police Dept helicopter as they went on calls after midnight. Here is a pretty cool video of downtown Phoenix I took including a great aerial view of Chase Field.
Come, my friends,
'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew
Though much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
-Alfred, Lord Tennyson: Ulysses
John Stewart has always used his platform, much like Stephen Colbert, to honor our service men and women. Here is a recent clip from his show which highlights some of the men and women he met last weekend in Afghanistan. To learn more about how you can support our troops or veterans go to www.USO.org and www.IAVA.org
Wow, interesting and impassioned commentary on the recent “debt crisis.” What do you think??? (not about Olberman, but about his thoughts on this particular issue).
“I place economy among the first and most important of republican virtues, and public debt as the greatest of dangers to be feared. We must make our choice between frugality and liberty, or excessive spending and servitude. If the debt should be swelled to a formidable size, its entire discharge will be despaired of and we shall be committed to a career of debt corruption, and rottenness. The discharge of the debt, therefore, is vital to the destiny of our government.” -Thomas Jefferson
Ive been disappointed in our political officials before, but never so much as I collectively am now. Despite people’s well being, our financial stability and our nations reputation being on the line, our elected officials continue to keep them all at risk as they fight for what truly matters to them: scoring political points for the 2012 elections and positioning to claim credit as the person or party responsible for averting this crisis. It makes me sick to my stomach. Please remember this when you vote and whether you are Democrat, Republican, Independent, Tea Party or other, don’t vote for people who put themselves before their constituents or their country. We need to take responsibility for who represents us!
Check it out! Tony who plays bass for Gavin DeGraw was wearing our white Think BIG! bracelet last night as they performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno! Tony is the guy with the cap standing behind Gavin. Go Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central AZ!!!
put on to the ridiculously amazing cover of this song in the new trailer for The Great Gatsby. ”Love is Blindness” was originally performed by U2 off their classic “Achtung Baby” album, and was covered by Jack White (of White Stripes, Raconteurs, Dead Weather, and general awesomeness fame) for a charity album that came out last year to benefit Concern Worldwide. The album had some amazing artists cover each of the songs from “Achtung Baby”.
To me this is a song you put in your headphones and close your eyes and listen to and no matter what is going on around you, it makes it all slow down and moves your distractions away.
Anyone else remember watching The Monkees TV show as a kid? As a tribute, I play you my favorite Monkees song, and an all time classic, “Daydream Believer”
