I have been hella busy today, but it is finally time for the Friday five that I know all of you have been waiting patiently for! So without any further adieu, here they are:
Angel Taylor – Not Even Human
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_43_angeltaylor-notevenhuman.mp3]
First up today is the amazing Angel Taylor, who I posted about a while back, when I fell deep in love with her amazing first single, Chai Tea Latte, and just had to share it with you. Well, I noticed that Angel’s debut quietly album came out on Tuesday, when I saw that iTunes was featuring a song of hers for free this week. With that, I knew I had to check it out. Well, I can definitely report that I am loving some Angel Taylor right now. She undeniably reminds me of one of my all time favorite singer-songwriters, the indelible Ms. Sara Bareilles. In fact, this beautiful song is so similar in sound to Sara’s amazing song City, that I believe it would be a crime not to mention it. Despite the striking similarities, Angel’s voice is pretty different, and good on it’s own, and her style is a bit different (save this song) from Sara’s. This is one of my favorite tracks off of her debut, and I am glad that I took a chance on her and downloaded Chai Tea Latte not so long ago; because in doing so, I have found myself another great singer songwriter to listen to!
Bon Iver – Blood Bank
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_43_boniver-bloodbank.mp3]
Now, I have heard of Bon Iver before, and I have seen the insane amount of hype surrounding this fella. I didn’t get it. I didn’t see it. However, I was watching Monday’s episode of Chuck, and this amazingly beautiful song was playing in the background as Sara took Chuck to find his father. This was that song. At first, I thought it was a really depressed Coldplay song, because Bon Iver sounds EXACTLY like Chris Martin with a dash of Mat Kearney, but I came to find out that it was actually Bon Iver, thanks to the amazing power of the internets. Thank GOD for websites that post this type of information, because I love this song, and I had to have it immediately. It is beautiful! I can definitely say that I have a greater understanding of some of that hype for Bon Iver now. I guess I can thank the producers/music coordinators (?) of Chuck for including it!
M. Ward – For Beginners
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_43_mward-forbeginners.mp3]
Today has turned out to be rather folky, hasn’t it?! Oh well, let’s continue down that road, because after all, I really do love the softer side of music. This song struck me instantly with it’s sweet country-alternative sound, smoky vocals, and toe tapping rhythm. I really liked what M. Ward did with Zooey DeSchanel in the group She & Him, and he doesn’t disappoint on his own either. This is a really beautiful song, and really sparked my interest in his recently released solo album, Hold Time. I love how distorted and weathered his voice sounds, and I especially enjoy the simplicity of the arrangement of the song.
Kelly Clarkson – I Do Not Hook Up
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_43_kellyclarkson-idonothookup.mp3]
When Kelly finally released a very commercially viable single after years of trying to escape the depressed state that My December painted her into, I was all for it. I have been a big fan of Kelly’s from the beginning, and I knew that if anyone had it in them to burst back onto the pop scene, unscathed, it was her. Well, her recent release may have a few duds (3 in fact) that I would have preferred that she just left on the cutting room floor, the rest of the tracks are definitely strong, and all highlight the Kelly I fell in love with back with Breakaway. This track takes the energy of My Life Would Suck Without You, and revs the engine and slams down the pedal, sending you on a fast spin around the track. I absolutely love her vocals on this track, and can’t get the chorus out of my head, no matter how hard I try. Welcome back Kelly! (Note: I know that this song was written, at least in part, by Katy Perry, and while I can’t stand her, this song is just too pop perfect to ignore because of the stuff that she has done; plus, she didn’t sing it!).
Ciara – Love Sex Magic
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_43_ciara-lovesexmagic.mp3]
For me, Ciara really will never do better than One, Two Step. It isn’t her fault, because that track is literally hip hop-pop perfection. It is a song that, no matter how many times I hear it, it always gets me dancing. However, that love didn’t translate into following much else that she has done, but when I saw that she was coming out with a new CD, I will admit that I was curious to see if there was to be another One, Two Step-like track amongst the bunch. Well, this song, which is a duet with Justin Timberlake (and which is something that usually turns me off instantly), is definitely a dance floor filler, and while it may not have the staying power of One, Two Step, I am definitely enjoying it more and more with each listen. I will say, that after seeing the video, I want to know who in the hell choreographed it, and especially who the wardrobe person was. They should be fired on the spot! She wallows on the floor most of the time, all while clad in a very unflattering animal print unitard. It was not the video I would have expected for this song, and I really don’t think that it does anything flattering for either Ciara or the song. Oh well, I guess you can’t win ’em all.
Well, I hope everyone has a fantastical weekend; I will be inside, to prevent rubbing my nose off in a tissue. Let me know what you thought about this week’s 5, and as always, tell me what YOU are listening to!
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