I wanted to post about this song, not only because it is incredibly beautiful, but because it really means something to me. LeAnn Rimes’ What I Cannot Change so succinctly sums up such a major issue for me, and does so with such elegance and grace, that it can’t be ignored. One listen to this song instantly gives me chills. It is one of the most beautiful, simply stated, and well put sentiments put to music that I have ever heard.
The arrangement of this song is achingly beautiful, but the spotlight shines brightest on the sentiment behind the message, because it is so impressively poignant. This song is a beautiful reminder, that it is I that needs to understand, and accept the things in life that I cannot change, because that is the only way that I will ever be truly happy. Believe it or not, but this song actually has the power to make me feel better.
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_12_leannrimes-whaticannotchange.mp3]Perhaps my favorite line in this song is, “It’s easier to please the world than it is to please myself”, because of how closely it speaks to my own experiences in life, as well as how closely it describes my way of thinking and doing (I care way too much about what others think, and as such, do my best to make sure to put others before myself).
This song is a beautiful way of stating that there are things that I cannot change. I realize that I will have to live with these things, and as such, need to learn to accept that which I cannot change. I realize that I need to continue to learn how to, and then forgive what I cannot change. I also realize that I can change, and I will continue to work towards changing whatever, whenever I can. Thank you LeAnn for this amazing song.
Who needs enemies? ESPECIALLY when this particular “role model” is nothing but a non-celebrity that is using his crass, bitchy, and bitter attitude to do nothing but bring the rest of us down to his level. Unfortunately, the person I am speaking of, is faux-celebrity blogger, 
Sometimes, I am told about a band, and for whatever reason, I have to come to them on my own before I really appreciate them. Metric is one of those bands. I managed to catch the video for Gimme Sympathy last week, and I INSTANTLY loved it. Too bad my friend Deb had already been singing their praises for weeks now. D’oh! Well, I am on the Metric bandwagon now, and I have been loving them a lot this week. Specifically, this dance rock number, which really gets me dancing in my seat whenever I hear it. If you enjoyed this song (and how could you not), I highly recommend you snag the rest of their recently released new album, Fantasies. 
I have heard this name a lot, but never really knew who Frankmusik was. Well, I was perusing an iTunes chart, and noticed that he had a song called Better Off As 2 available, so I thought I would at least listen to the sample and see what it was all about. Well, the result was an amazing, jaw-dropping WOW from me; this song is EPIC! I loved it from the first note all of the way through to the end, and I cannot stop listening to it! It has a little bit of the electo-rock sound of Hellogoodbye, yet turns its focus more to the dance floor, like other male solo artists such as Sam Sparro. I can’t wait until Frankmusik’s debut album, Complete Me is released next month; I am definitely looking forward to more of what he has to offer!
Like Frankmusik, I have heard A LOT about St. Vincent, but I had never actually heard anything BY her. Well, I saw the amazing video for Actor Out of Work randomly, and at first, I really didn’t like the song, but I really liked the video (she sits stoically while actors “audition” for her, and all show a range of intense emotion). Well, I listened to the song a couple of times, and I saw the pure brilliance in it. I highly recommend that you listen to this one several times before you make a judgment, because it is DEFINITELY a grower. Those of you that have been singing the praises of St. Vincent; worry no more, I am finally listening!
Now hear me out… I have liked Nick Lachey since he was in 98 Degrees. I have both of his previous solo albums, and I am not ashamed of that fact. My name is duane, and I like boy-band pop. There, I said it. However, this is definitely a great track, and one that I could see getting tons of airplay. Perhaps the third time is the charm for Nick, and this may be the album that brings him the fame he has been seeking since he left 98 Degrees. His first single attempt for this album may have flopped (it was a carbon-copy cover of Take That’s Patience), but this one is definitely a very great pop song, and I hope the rest of the album is just as good. I actually like this song better and better with each listen.
Finally today, I wanted to post something by the amazing Kate Nash, who made it almost all of the way to the top of my year end list in 2007 with her debut album, Made Of Bricks. Well, I have been listening to my ipod on shuffle this week, and this song came up, and it reminded me of just how much I love Kate, and how I hope that she brings us another fantastic record sometime this year. In the mean time, I will just continue to appreciate her fabulous debut, and the few B-sides (like this one) that are floating around out there. Perhaps my favorite thing about Kate is her way of story telling through song, and how she paints such a beautiful picture with her music and vocals. I miss you Kate! Come back soon!
I posted a song by Erin a while back, noting how her similarity to Sara Bareilles made me sit up and pay attention. Well, I never really got around to listening intently to her whole CD (sometimes, I just let things fall through the cracks), but when this track came up during one of my rounds of listening on shuffle, my interest in Erin was instantly re-invigorated. This track is sweet and the melody is beautiful. I love the backing violins and the way the song builds; all while retaining an inner softness. Thanks to shuffle, Erin is definitely going to be getting some more well deserved attention from me in the future.
I downloaded this a while ago, mainly because I kept seeing people talk about it on other music blogs. Additionally, I heard one song on BBC Radio One, and I kinda liked it, so I thought I would give the rest of the album a go. Unfortunately, it, like Erin’s album, slipped through the cracks, and I forgot about it. Well, when this haunting and enigmatic track came up during a shuffle-driven listening session, I did a double take when I saw who it was. This song is fantastic!!! I love how his vocals mirror some of the weathered despair of Morrissey with an added touch of Peter Gabriel, and I love the subtlety of his accent as well. I also love the piano, which reminds me a lot of a Nicole Atkins track. A big thanks goes out to shuffle for finding this great track that I let slip! 
When Matt Wertz first hit my radar, I was instantly a fan. I liked his vocal style and the playful and upbeat pop-rock style that he used in his music. He reminds me a lot of fellow singers like John McLachlan; not only in style, but in this particular case, there is a big similarity in the voice. Overall, Matt Wertz released a “new” album last year, and it kind of fell off of my radar, because it rehashed several of the songs on his previous release, which led to me kind of forgetting about it. Then, shuffle brings this song up, and instantly Matt is back on my radar. This song is perfect for spring, and I am glad that it is back on my playlist.
Sometimes, (shit, most of the time) I am a sucker for a beautiful accent. Particularly, my favorite accents are Irish and British, and definitely Scottish. Well, the thick Scottish accent present in the lead singer of Glasvegas is downright swoon worthy. I have had this song on my ipod for quite some time, and it wasn’t until it popped up during a shuffle that I really paid quality attention to it. I ended up downloading the whole album and I really like it. It quickly turned into one of those records that I wish I had of discovered last year, because there is definitely a chance it could have made my year end list. Oh well, I shouldn’t really dwell on the past, so I am more than pleased that I have it to listen to more in the future. 
Earlier this week, the delightful Silversun Pickups released their second album, Swoon. I was eager to see what they would bring with this new release, because I really enjoyed their 2006 album, Carnavas. What I like most about the Silversun Pickups, is how their use the distortion and heavy alternative influence of early 90’s Smashing Pumpkins; only they put there own twist on it, making it perfect for the here and now. This is my favorite song off of the album, which overall, is a solid, well made, and familiar release. I am glad they are still rocking hard, and making great music like this. I hope Swoon is a massive record for them; it definitely should be.