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 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.
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?
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
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.
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
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!
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”!
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!
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?
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.
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.
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…
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.
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!
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.
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 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.
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.
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”
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!
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.
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).
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”
