Month: October 2010

five song friday, music musings, music suggestion, you tube

5SF: october 29

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Well, I didn’t know if I would have five songs to bring to the table this Friday, and it turns out, I tend to underestimate myself! I found five great songs worthy of some praise, so I wanted to share them this week. Here’s the Friday five for this week:

Nadine Coyle – Insatiable
While I have seen a few negative remarks regarding Ms. Coyle’s new single, I have to say, I love it. A big thanks to my buddy Stu for bringing this delightful pop number to my attention. Listening to this song makes me remember with fond memories the time when I first heard of Girls Aloud; and subsequently, when I realized just how much I loved them. This song is a perfectly sexy, swanky ballad, that is very radio friendly. Love it or hate it, this song definitely has ‘hit’ potential all over it. Check out the video for Insatiable here.

A1 – Perfect Disaster
Man, I was surprised when I saw the news a few weeks back that A1, the once defunct Norwegian boyband I had loved from the late nineties/early 2000s, were not only back together, but releasing a brand new album. After a proper listen to their new album, Waiting For Daylight, I was surprised to find quite a few amazing tracks on it. This is one of my favorites, and one that they should definitely release as a single. While these guys split up, waited 10 years, and decided to give it another go, and I think that fans of theirs from yesterday and new fans alike will be happy to hear what new material they have waiting for them today. Listen to Perfect Disaster here.

Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow – Shame
Speaking of boy bands reforming… Robbie Williams recently got back together with his band mates in Take That, and while the verdict on whether this was a good move or not has yet to be handed down, I do find myself quite taken by this recent collaboration for Robbie’s most recent greatest hits release. I didn’t really care for it the first time I heard it (to be honest), but after seeing the homoerotic video with these two hunks (I definitely wouldn’t mind being between these two), I couldn’t resist any longer. Check out the video here.

Elizabeth & The Catapult – Do Not Hang Your Head
I was quite excited to see that Elizabeth & The Catapult released a new album last week, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. After one listen, there are some definite standouts, and this for me, is one of the best. The song is delicate and grandiose at the same time; it fully commanded my attention with one listen. The arrangement highlights the beauty of her voice, and the vocal effect adds a symphonic quality to the track. Such a beautiful song from such a delightful band. Listen to Do Not Hang Your Head here.

The Script – This = Love
I love this song. I have been really enjoying the new album by the Script, Science and Faith (even more so recently!), and I have to say, this album seems to get better with each listen. I am almost at the point of declaring it better than their self-titled debut. That being said, I was actually drawn further into this amazing album because they played this song in the background on the Vampire Diaries in a recent episode. After hearing it, I ran to my ipod and played this amazing song on repeat. I cannot describe how much I love this song, it is full of energy, power, and the lyrics are incredibly inspiring. The Script is one of those bands that is really underrated, and hopefully, since this song made such a big show, it can get them some more of the attention they deserve. Listen to This = Love here.

What did you think? Let me know! Also, let me know what I’ve been missing, won’t you?

five song friday, music musings, music suggestion

5SF: october 22

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I’ve been doing my best to relax today, as I have been majorly stressed out with school lately, and listening to music always seems like such a great way to do just that… relax. So I’ve been chilling out listening to some new stuff, and I have a few songs I’d like to share with you.

Antony and the Johnsons feat. Bjork – Flétta
While it isn’t in english (no singing along for me!), it is amazing, breathtaking, beautiful, and epic nonetheless. I am a big fan of Antony and the Johnsons, as well as Bjork, and when I saw that these two had collaborated for Antony’s new album, Swanlights, I was really excited to hear their song together. What they delivered is this incredible production, which marries their two styles amazingly together, and a song that I cannot get enough of. Beautiful music needs to be shared, and this, ladies and gents, is beautiful music. I am still a bit lukewarm on the whole Swanlights album, but mostly because Antony’s last album was so incredibly amazing, I knew it was going to be hard to top it. Either way, it’s worth checking out for sure; especially if you are a fan of Antony’s previous work. Listen to Flétta here.

Mumford and Sons – After The Storm
It seems like their album Sigh No More keeps sneaking back up and surprising me with how amazing it is. The first time I heard Mumford and Sons’ recently released album, I was blown away by how wonderful it is, and how much I loved it. Well, naturally as time passes, something else steps in and takes the spotlight, but it seems that this album is a great scene stealer… it keeps finding its way into the limelight. During a recent episode of Stargate: Universe (EXCELLENT show!), they played this song, and I instantly went back to Sigh No More, and I have been enjoying this beautiful song ever since. I love when they play great music on my favorite shows; especially when it’s music that’s already on my ipod!! Listen to After The Storm here.

Erik Hassle – Taken (Still In My Blood)
Apparently, this amazing pop music virtuoso just keeps bringing downright amazing shit to the table, time and time again. I have blogged about this Swedish wonder before, who happens to have one of my favorite albums of the year (so far) with his re-released debut, Pieces. Well, I was reading my usual music blogs today, and I saw that he released an EP recently; and this song is just another testament of how talented this guy really is. It is a beautiful, haunting, and very well written pop song. I hope more people talk about this guy, because music this great really does need a wider audience; it’s too good to be (largely) ignored. Listen to Taken (Still In My Blood) here.

Robyn – Indestructible (Radio Edit)
Seriously. Seriously! She cannot be stopped. Indestructible? More like unstoppable! Unless you have been living under a rock, Robyn should clearly be one of your favorite pop artists of 2010, because she has released single after single of solid, amazing, pop music this year; and it seems, isn’t slowing down any time soon. Her last installment (and the compilation/conclusion) of Body Talk comes out next month, and this “little” teaser highlights why Robyn is THE woman to beat in pop music right now; she’s killing it like no one can right now. I am going to see her on the 8th at the Buckhead Theater, and I am so freaking excited, because I know it’s going to be an amazing show. Listen to Indestructible (Radio Edit) here.

Logan Lynn – Last High
I first saw the video for this forever ago it seems, and I could never get the song in iTunes (or anywhere else), so I kind of forgot about it. Then, randomly, the other day, I was looking at my “list of songs to download”, and just gave it a shot to see if it was iTunes, and it was! I love this song, which is apparently a cover of the Dandy Warhols song. Logan is an out (and proud!) artist, who is quite handsome, and someone who has made the 5SF before with his song, Feed Me To The Wolves. I like how fresh and flirty this song is, and I am glad I finally got to download, and enjoy it. Listen to Last High here.

So there’s this week’s five song Friday. What did you think of my selections? Anything you’ve been enjoying that I seem to be missing each week? Let me know in the comments! NOTE: If you’re wondering why Whip My Hair by Willow Smith wasn’t featured today, it is because that (quite brilliant, actually) song is getting enough attention this week.

five song friday, music musings, music suggestion

5SF: october 15

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Holy fuck! Two weeks in a row?! You bet your ass! Welcome to another, apparently fully revived, edition of the five song Friday, kids!! I have some slow stuff, some boy band stuff, and some dance stuff for you today, so we are going a bit all over the place today, if you’re up for it. I am glad that I was able to find a way to share the music again, because I love talking about music that I believe is worth praising; especially when most people wouldn’t hear about it otherwise. Here’s hoping you enjoy this week’s selection! Now, on to the fun…

Greg Laswell – Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
I love a great cover, and this one is fantastic. We saw Greg Laswell (finally!) live last week when he opened up for Sara Bareilles, and he played this little gem; which I had never heard, but apparently, has been on like 5 soundtracks. He performed this song amazingly live, and I immediately downloaded it when I got home from the show. I love how playful, and endearing it is; especially when you consider the Cyndi Lauper original, which I would have thought was almost impossible to improve upon. Well, Greg, you’ve done more than improved upon it, you’ve turned it into something delightful, and completely beautiful all on its own. I’m glad he played it at the show; otherwise, I might not have known it even existed. Listen to Girls Just Wanna Have Fun here.

Jeremy Messersmith – A Girl, a Boy, and a Graveyard
I have to say, I am a sucker for shows that use songs like this during some pivotal scene. I think this one came from the Vampire Diaries (totally guilty pleasure show), and I love that I could find it using that Shazam app on my phone. This song is beautiful, and whoever the music director is for that show, you are a genius (I’ve found so many great ones from you!). This song complimented the touching scene it was used in, AND got me to run out and buy this track soon after the episode aired. The song reminds me a lot of acoustic artists like Joshua Radin, but the vocal has an oldness to it, almost like a Simon and Garfunkel feel. Definitely a beautiful song, and one I’m glad to have been able to find! Listen to A Girl, a Boy, and a Graveyard here.

The Wanted – All Time Low
For as long as I can remember, I have been a sucker for boy bands. From New Kids on the Block back in the day, up through the Backstreet Boys, N*SYNC, and my overarching, undying love and devotion for Westlife, it’s no surprise that I keep my eye out for new boy-band driven pop. A lot of the time, the stuff that comes out is, well, less than stellar, but occasionally, a pure pop gem comes around; and that is what we have here folks. Will these guys be more than their predecessors? That is pretty doubtful, seeing as boy bands are still pretty much a thing of the past these days, but if they can give us some fun pop songs to enjoy along the way, I will be more than happy. This song is perfect for the radio… that is, UK/European radio; this will never be on US airways, which sucks (but at least we get to hear about it thanks to the internet, right?). Overall, I have been playing this song on repeat for a few weeks now after discovering it on the top 20 UK tracks, and I have been loving it ever since. I noticed that they have a full-length debut coming up very soon, and I can only hope that there are more great pop songs like this one on it. I’ve heard another promising single (Heart Vacancy), so fingers crossed that the rest of the album is great as well! Listen to All Time Low here.

Jes – Closer
I had no idea at the time, but the first time I heard of Jes, was when I heard the amazing collaboration between her and Gabriel and Dresden called Motorcycle, back in 2003, with one of the best songs of that entire year, As The Rush Comes. After that, Jes popped back on my radar in early 2008, with the 5SF-featured, Around You (JukiBe Remix). Most recently, Jes is back on my radar screen with this fantastic little dance-pop number, which I saw the video for, and immediately wanted to hear more and more. I love the edge that it has, and her throaty and raspy vocal delivery is a great compliment to something so hard hitting. Overall, this is a great song for her, and I hope she gets some dance-radio airplay; it’s a great down-tempo dance song! Listen to Closer here.

Rihanna – Only Girl (In the World)
I will be the first to admit that I am abnormally hard on Rihanna. I have been a major critic of her work, and honestly feel she is studio produced for the most part (not that it’s a bad thing, but don’t try to sing live if you can’t pull it off completely; do the right thing and lip sync for your life!), and tends to copy trends set forth by artists that were more indie or more creative, and did it quite a bit before her (and then rockets it to the radio without throwing them a bone). That being said, I have to give credit where credit is due; this song is brilliant. It has infectious beats, club-filling synth licks, and a great amalgamation of some of her best hits (S.O.S and Please Don’t Stop The Music, most notably) all rolled into one. It is a song that I heard once and was thought I wouldn’t like it, because again, I’m hard on this chick, but I ended up loving it, and have been playing it more and more since it was released. It may not be anything terribly new, but it’s Rihanna, and it’s a fun track. She may have some flaws, but clearly, she has some good points as well. Listen to Only Girl (In The World) here.

What did you think? As always, leave me some comments to let me know what you thought, and suggest some stuff that you are in love with as well!

concerts, five song friday, music musings, music suggestion, you tube

5SF: october 8 – the return?

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So, I basically stated that the 5SF was kind of dead because of my inability to host/post songs anymore, but one lovely and delightful reader (hi Doug!) said that he would like it if I still did a 5SF, and he could just look up the songs (I mean, iTunes is really easy to use, after all, and you kids do know how to use google, right?). So, as much as I would like to post the songs for you to hear, I can at least tell you about them so that you know what to go out and try to listen to, right? I think it’s at least a good idea for the meantime… let me know if you agree. So, let’s get to some songs that I really think you need to go check out (I’ll try to post links to youtube or whatever I can so that you can listen to it without looking too hard… if I can. Side note: I wrote this first, and after writing the whole post, I was able to find links for each and every song this week. You’re welcome!).

The Script – For The First Time
I have always really liked the Script and their style with that kind of rock-rap hybrid, and I was such a fan of their self-titled debut, that it came it at number 19 on my year end countdown way back in 2008 (which is honestly surprising, since they still have a hit from that album on the radio right now, even though their new album should be making more of a splash). I’ll be honest, when I first heard this first single from the new album, Science and Faith, I was a bit ‘meh’ on it, but now, I freaking love it. It is such a grower, and it should, by all accounts, be a big radio hit for them. Fingers crossed that it will be. Listen to For The First Time here.

Elizabeth & The Catapult – You and Me
I was absolutely elated when I opened up iTunes and saw that the amazing Elizabeth & the Catapult had released a new single last week; and rightly so, it’s amazing. I adored their previous album, Taller Children (which was my number 13 album of the year last year), and I am pretty excited to see that they have a new one coming our way on October 26th. The single has all of the playful energy and delightful lyrics of their previous album, and an updated, more polished newness to it as well (also, the beginning reminds me of one of Marina and The Diamonds’ amazing songs as well! Bonus!). This single was a big surprise that revealed an even bigger surprise that I cannot wait for; I found out about the album release because its release date was on the single’s album art! Listen to You and Me here. (I like what the author of that site had to say about it, too).

Sara Bareilles – Basket Case
I know you are probably tired of hearing me heap praise on Sara Bareilles, but honestly, I don’t care if you are or are not; she’s amazing and she deserves it. After seeing Sara at the Variety Playhouse last night, I just had to post this, my favorite song, from her new album Kaleidoscope Heart. This song is EPIC. It is already one of my favorite of 2010, and is fast becoming one of my favorites of hers as well (Gravity is still on top… for now). Overall, her concert was beautiful and amazing (as I expected it to be, since I have seen her many times), and I had a wonderful night (it was nice to finally see Greg Laswell live, and to discover Holly Conlan as well). The performance of this song was especially beautiful, and I was glad I got to see her perform it live; it only solidifies how amazing it is. I love the new album, and Sara has solidified herself as one of my favorite artists of all time because of songs like this. Listen to Basket Case here.

P!nk – Raise Your Glass
It’s about time P!nk released a greatest hits collection; she’s had a shit load of fantastic singles spanning her career, and it will be nice to have them all in the same place. Plus, it gives her a chance to pull out a great song for the radio, to entice would-be buyers; and that is exactly what she has done with Raise Your Glass. This song is playful, fun, radio-ready (although, check out the, I guess, NSF…R? version. I hate bleep outs), and oh-so P!nk. I love it! It’s kind of So What part II, which makes it all that much more perfect. Here’s hoping for another number one for you, P!nk! Listen to Raise Your Glass here.

Kelly Rowland – Forever and a Day
After the big surprise that was Commander earlier this summer (summer anthem bitches!!), I was again blown away by Kelly a few weeks ago when I heard this amazing new single! Again produced by David Guetta, this song is incredible, and should be a big hit for Kelly… it should be. However, I doubt it will, since it doesn’t seem to be getting a release here in the states (at least not yet). At least she will have success overseas, because a song this good deserves some attention. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, Kelly girl, hold on to D. Guetta’s number! He’s doing you so right!! Listen to Forever and A Day here.

Okay, so I guess was able to make all of the songs available for you to at least go and listen to them. I hope that you will, and I hope you enjoyed them as much as I have been. It feels good to do another 5SF after so long!! I hope you enjoyed it, and will leave your comments letting me know how you felt. If this “new” format works for people, 5SF might be alive and kicking folks!!!

blog on blog, five song friday, school

another class complete and 5SF stuff

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As of yesterday, I have successfully completed my Peds class. Whew!! That was rough at times, and I am just glad it’s over. I still have two more clinical days, but they shouldn’t be so bad. Now, just to start studying for Pysch’s first test, and get prepared for OB to start up. School work, it seems, is never done.

I know that I spoke about this in the past, and even found a temporary solution, but it looks like the 5SF might be dead for real this time, kids. I can’t add files to grooveshark anymore, and they never have what I want to post. Also, I can’t figure out how to use this plug in without it giving out my file storage area (which was the problem before, and caused my bandwidth to disappear), so I think I might just have to give up. I wish I could figure out something else, but honestly, I’m just so busy right now that I can’t do it on my own. Any solutions that I could figure out fairly easily are welcome. If not, there’s not much else I guess I can do right now; it’s disappointing, but it’s reality, unfortunately.