After not feeling up to it last week, I am back with your regularly scheduled five song Friday. Rejoice, children. Rejoice. Now, let’s go ahead and get started, shall we?
Brandi Carlile – Dreams
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_828_brandicarlile-dreams.mp3]
After I first heard Brandi’s sophomore album, The Story, I knew I had stumbled onto something truly outstanding. She has a very weathered and experienced quality to her voice, which is surprising when you see how young and stunningly beautiful she is. Well, I hadn’t thought about her in a while (mostly because it’s been more than two years since The Story was released), and I happened to re-discover The Story a few weeks ago. After listening, I naturally checked in to see what was going on with her, and low and behold, she has a new album coming out in October! To add to that good news, I found that the lead single, Dreams, was available on iTunes, and it is quite fantastic. What do you think? I am definitely looking forward to Brandi’s upcoming third album.
Kate Earl – Melody
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_828_kateearl-melody.mp3]
This song was offered as the free track on iTunes last week, and I found myself really liking the chorus, so I downloaded it. Then, I listened a few times, and I find myself liking the whole song as well. I love Kate’s sweet voice, and I can tell there is some power in there waiting to be belted out. This was a great offering from iTunes, and one I am happy to share. I do have to say, that I hope that Kate doesn’t turn into a Colbie Callait for me though; I liked her at first too, and now I can’t stand her. Here’s hoping that doesn’t happen.
Everything But The Girl – Walking Wounded
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_828_ebtg-walkingwounded.mp3]
This is one of the best songs of all time, in my honest opinion. The rich melody, the entrancing beat, the backing sound effects, and MOST OF ALL, Tracey Thorn’s amazing vocal all come together to make this a masterpiece of drum and bass. I fell in love with Everything But the Girl when they decided to go down the electronic route with Missing, and I loved most of their work that came after it. Walking Wounded was a massive record for me near the end of High School, and it really made me into a lover of electro music. I especially love really, really well done drum and bass, and this is a shining example of when it is done right, it can be amazing. Everything about this song is fantastic, including the great writing, and the imagery that is conjured by it. To me, this song is just perfect, and when recently stumbled back onto it, I decided that I wanted to throw some well deserved attention at it, and get it on a 5SF.
The Sounds – No One Sleeps When I’m Awake
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_828_thesounds-noonesleepswhenimawake.mp3]
When I first heard this song, I didn’t like it. In fact, the first time I heard of the Sounds, I didn’t like them either. While I am still not really feeling the rest of the new album, Crossing the Rubicon, I have fallen head over heels in love with this upbeat pop-rock track. The backing melody, and the way in which they harmonize her screeching vocal with the distortion of the guitar is just brilliant. While I may never have the love that so many do for the Sounds, don’t worry, we can both relish the fact that at least we will have this song to share.
Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson – Relator
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_828_peteyornscarjo-relator.mp3]
I’ll be the first to state that I wasn’t at all interested in Scarlett Johansson’s first foray into music; in fact, I the only thing I got from it was a laugh, because of so many people saying it as the worst record they’d ever heard. However, my interest has been significantly risen with her most recent musical adventure; her new collaboration with Pete Yorn is AMAZING. This song is a brilliant duet, and highlights the fact that she does indeed have a brilliant singing voice. Pete Yorn did her a major favor by teaming up with her, and gives her real street cred as a singer this time around (not saying she didn’t have it before, but as I said, I didn’t even pay attention before now). I have given their new album Breakup a listen, and it has a lot of the same alt-country, pop rock feel of She and Him’s Volume One. Overall, it’s a pretty decent record, and I suspect that they will make some new fans by releasing it. I’m glad she didn’t let the “haters” stop her from singing, because she has found her niche with the help of Yorn. Good for your Scarlett (and you too Pete!)!
Again, sorry for leaving you without a post for last week, and no explanation. That was just bad, and I do feel bad for letting you down. However, we have to move forward, so let me know what you thought of this week’s selection, and as always, let me in on what you have been listening to!
I 
Back in 2006, Daughtry’s self-titled debut ended up making my 
It has barely been a month since I 
My love for Joshua Radin began when I heard his tear-inducing track, Today. Since that time, he released an album, which ended up making my year end list in 2008. This song came back up recently on a session of shuffle, and I fell back in love with it; even more so than the first time. I love Joshua’s style of acoustic rock, and his lyrics completely make me weak in the knees. Definitely an artist I will continue to watch from now on.
I 
This is the first single from Mika’s hotly anticipated follow up to his amazing debut, Life in Cartoon Motion. I saw lots of “eh” feelings on the blogosphere about this track before I got around to listening to it, and honestly, I couldn’t disagree more. The song has Mika’s trademark vocals, great pop sensibility, and an upbeat and happy nature that makes it unmistakably Mika. It sounds like he has had some more time to “craft” this next album, and is obviously up for taking some chances (the intricate layers and use backing multi-instruments) that he didn’t fully explore on his debut. Overall, the track is extremely catchy, and I think it is even more polished for radio than anything he has done before. Perhaps Mika is going a bit more “mainstream” with his brand of pop, but that doesn’t really bother me, because with We Are Golden, he is proving that he can do that, AND stick to what made me a fan of his in the first place; making great pop music. 
Not too long ago, I wrote a tweet that stated the words “feat. Kanye West” meant that I would instantly skip a song. I have seriously ODed on Kanye, and I am tired of him, and even more tired of his droning form of “rap”, that lately seems to do more mucking up otherwise brilliant pop songs (see Keri Hilson’s Knock Me Down) than adding anything worthwhile at all. So imagine my surprise when I loved this track after finally hearing it. One very notable exception to my aforementioned beef with Kanye is his participation in this track; he actually sings, and it doesn’t distract away from Hudon’s brilliant pop track, and it doesn’t do what Kanye has proven himself so good at; completely taking the spotlight from Hudson and putting it on himself. I will give credit where credit is due, and say that it was my buddy 
I love Muse. I think that they are one of those bands that are crazy amazing, and should be on the tip of everyone’s tongue, but for some reason, they aren’t. I first heard them a few years ago when I stumbled on their release “Black Holes and Revelations”, and my only disappointment with that album, was to have discovered a full year after it was released (because it would have topped my year end list; it is completely flawless). Well, I have been waiting for a new album for Muse since I fell in love with that album, and it appears that my wait is almost over. After hearing this song, and reading what others are saying about the resemblance to Queen, I must say, that while I do hear it, I think that Muse definitely have their signature woven deeply throughout the track. They take an influence and turn it into their own epic rock opera. I also particularly love the almost Bollywood flair of the backing orchestrations, and the ending which takes you back to a Victorian palour where someone is sitting and playing a peaceful sonata. I expected that Muse’s new album would be amazing whenever it came out, and after hearing this first song from that record, I am even more excited for it to be released this fall. 
I may alienate some of you with this one, because it is a VERY country song, but there is something about Kellie Pickler that I just adore, and when this song came up recently while my ipod was on shuffle, it gave me chills. The way that she gently eases into the chorus where she cries out that she just wants someone to love her, just grabbed hold of my heart and wouldn’t let go. I am a sucker for deep sentiment that comes in small packages, and this song is definitely an amazing example. The feeling and emotion in this song is echoed with her beautiful vocal, and it really forces me to constantly reconsider my “ban” on most things country (I ignore at lot of it, but admittedly, not all of it, and Kelly is firmly in the “do not block” column). Regardless if you like country or not, there is no denying the tender beauty that permeates every second of this song. 
This song reminds me a lot of other male/female folk-rock collaborations like She & Him, the Weepies, and the amazing pairing of Ben Gibbons and Fiest on The Train Song (which I posted a few months back). I love the sweet and tender vocals of the man and the woman, and the sweet melody and arrangement of the song makes for a delightfully fantastic pop song. I heard this song after seeing the SUPER CUTE video, and I knew that I wanted to hear more from the Eulogies. After checking out their recent release, Here Anonymous (from which this song comes), I was really pleased to have found another fantastic album that will probably end up somewhere on my year end best of list. Also, when I saw the video, I knew that recognized the beautiful female vocalist; she’s none other than fellow label mate, Nikki Monninger from the AMAZING Silversun Pickups. I just love when great musicians come together and make beautiful music, and this great track is certainly no exception. 
A little bit Pipettes, a little bit Sugababes, and a little bit Amy Winehouse, this track sure is chock full of fun, and great pop influences. Pixie is getting a lot of buzz over the UK, and I am going to do my part, and bring the buzz stateside. This song is a fun, danceable song that has a drum beat that reminds me a LOT of Imani Coppola’s amazing hit from the 90’s, Legend of a Cowgirl. Damn, there’s yet ANOTHER great influence. This girl is harnessing some great stuff, and making fun, relatable pop with it. Um, did I mention FUN enough?
I heard about this track from a 
I had a hard time getting into this track initially, because it really feels like stumbling onto some kids doing double dutch, and you are instantly asked to join in. The beginning of this song starts at a running pace, and you really have to already be at a good pace to catch up (and to maintain, this track will not slow down for stragglers!). However, when I did finally do catch up, and got to the airy chorus where she sings, “blo-ho blo-ho oh-oh oh-oh away”, I saw the greatness in this saccharine sweet pop track. I enjoyed A Fine Frenzy’s debut album, and if this is an indicator of her forthcoming effort, I think that I am going to enjoy it as well; perhaps even a little more. 
I will admit that I was originally drawn to Ryan’s EP because I thought he was cute; but I loved his smoky, deep vocals, and that is what got me to download it (think Chris Daughtry with more edge). Then, I kinda forgot it was on my ipod, and then Right Now came up on random one day, and WOW. I love how he uses familiar lyrics like, “we are strong, we are young”, and builds a MASSIVE rock and roll track for the youth of the world with Right Now. The message in this song of “cherish all that we have, for tomorrow may not come” goes from mere sentiment to power and stamina from Ryan’s amazing vocals. I’m defiinitly looking forward to more from Ryan in the coming months.
Yes. I posted a song by Aqua. The same Aqua that gave the world Barbie Girl. And YES. I am demanding that you listen to it, because it is FUCKING GREAT! Aqua recently released another greatest hits album, and while I wasn’t feeling the lead single (Back to the 80’s), this song REALLY stood out, and only has me questioning why they didn’t chose this gem as a comeback single? Either way, this is a great song that satisfies my nostalgia for earlier Aqua (and their particularly sweet style of pure-sugar driven bubble gum pop), and brings them into the here and now. Now, if they made more like this, I think we would all be ready for a whole album of new stuff, from Aqua! Take note!
This song isn’t actually on Florence + The Machine’s impressive new release, that is, unless you managed to get the deluxe (or extended?) edition, which is a shame, because this is hands down, the best song on the album for me. I love the way that it starts so soft, and the way that she builds with the beating drums and the pounding rhythms to crescendo; only to instantly screech to a halt and bring it back down again. The ache and wailing of her voice is nicely coupled with the sharpness of the beat; all of which make this track stand out more than any other on the album to me. Definitely a great reason to get the deluxe version!
I was checking out Sara’s website earlier this week to see what she was up to recently (I am wanting a new album soon, after all, I really love Sara B as you should all know by now), and she posted that she had collaborated with Ryan Tedder on this track and that it was now available on iTunes. One listen, and I can see why she was spreading the news; it is a beautiful song, and per usual, her vocals are amazingly beautiful. I have this weird relationship with Ryan Tedder, in that I like SOME of his stuff, but overall, I’m not what I would consider a fan. However, you put Sara Bareilles on the track, and I AM THERE. Beautiful song (even if I think she out sings him by a long shot…).
The vocals of this one remind me a bit of Biz Markie, but after seeing the video, I love how this nerdy white boy is laying down smooth classic R&B like this, and doing it so well. The music style reminds me a lot of the Delfonics, and I think it really does a great job of bringing such an amazing classic sound back into the limelight. Something about this song is just really sweet, and full of a sentiment that made me instantly love it. While the song has been out since last November, it just came across my desk this week, so I am delighted to pass it on to you.
Here’s my blast from the not-so distant past track for today. I realized this week that I hadn’t listened to Fiona Apple in such a long time, and as a huge fan of hers, I was wondering why, so I decided to remedy that. Well, after listening to Extraordinary Machine again, I recall just how happy I was 
I resisted La Roux for quite a while before she clawed her way into my heart with that shrill-ass voice coupled with a velvety smooth beat. While, as I mentioned, the vocals are something to definitely, um, “get used to”, the music is not. This song is definitely one that begs to be blasted from every car stereo as you drive about in the summer heat, and promises to fill dance floors throughout the land. The uber-catchy quality of this song is what allowed me to give it chance after chance, and eventually get used to the vocals (which it may seem that I am harping on, but cannot stress enough, you will get used to); the music is too fucking good to let it get in the way. This is definitely a “song of the summer” for sure.
Another massive song from Peter Bjorn and John, It Don’t Move Me didn’t “move me” when I initially nabbed their follow up to the wildly successful Writer’s Block. The album is noticeably darker, and the beats are almost angrier; but underneath, the same attention to detail and high quality music is clearly present. This song definitely shares more similarity to the songs from Writer’s Block than much of the rest of Living Thing, but it shows a musical maturity that is not only welcome, but totally refreshing. It has made me pay closer attention to Living Thing, which has turned out to be a good thing; fantastic, well crafted songs like this, are what make listening to music one of my favorite past times. 
HELL FUCKING YES, Imogen Heap is BACK! WAAAAY back in 2005, Imogen released her stellar sophomore album, Speak For Yourself, and while I didn’t hear it until some time later, it completely blew me away with how amazing it is. The most amazing song on the album, Hide and Seek, made me fall deeply in love with Imogen’s unique voice, and the manner in which she creates music that is not only beautiful, but unique and interesting. The rest of the album resonated very well with me, and made me a huge fan of her sound, and had me waiting with baited breath for a follow up. Well, that follow up is just on the horizon; her new album Ellipse will be released the day before my birthday, August 25, 2009. This is the first, and quite fantastic, single from the new album, and it harnesses her trademark sound from Speak for Yourself. If this is an indicator of how fantastic Ellipse will surely be, I expect it to be amongst my top albums of this year.
This is the little song that threw its lasso around my heart, pulled me in close, and comforted me like a warm blanket on a cold night. The tenderness of Toby’s vocals, coupled with the sweet folk-pop music makes for a beautiful ballad; one that only gets better with the super sweet sentiment of the lyrics. I should also say that there are several words that just make me happy when I hear them, especially in songs (for whatever reason, I don’t know…), and unfurled is one of them, and he uses it in the chorus; which obviously makes me happy. This is a sweet song with great sentiment, and highlights the surprising power in Toby’s vocals. It was a great random find.
I am going to go “old school” with you on this one. I discovered this song from an amazing little movie that most people have never even heard of: 
Every once and a while, I come across a song so amazing and beautiful, that it literally gives me chills. This is one of those songs. The delicate guitar picking, the haunting vocals, and the gentle-folk quality of this song are pure perfection. The vocal arrangements of the singers is almost choir-like in its nature, but instead of sounding like church music, it comes across as a beautiful ballad with intricacies that make this a truly amazing find. I love it when I come across songs like this, and I realize I have stumbled onto something incredibly beautiful; which unfortunately, doesn’t happen very often. I couldn’t wait to post about this one!
Here is yet another song that I randomly stumbled onto this past week that completely took me by storm. I discovered Marina and the Diamonds by watching the the video of this song (
I don’t know what it is about this song that I love so much; the throw back sound, the weirdness of the oooo’s and ahhh’s, or the quirkiness of the track in general. It reminds me of bands like The Shins, Peter Bjorn and John, and even Vampire Weekend; all of which posses that interesting weird-ish quirk that intrigues me, and in this case, makes me love it. I saw how much hype was surrounding these guys earlier this year, and I scoffed at the time, but after hearing Two Weeks, I am definitely going to reconsider my position. 
What do you get when you take the vocals of someone very similar to Amy Winehouse, and instead of a throwback sound, you mix it with an truly danceable, pop-rock with almost and island feel to it? Why, you get this song!! I instantly loved the energy and the amazing vocal prowess VV Brown conveys in this massive song. I am sure that the UK radio will be burning up this track this summer (too bad it most likely will NOT make it to radio over here); as well as whatever is attached to my ipod. 
Holy song of the summer, Batman! Seriously, this one is going to make the hot months much more bearable. I have posted about the Gossip in the past, because I absolutely love the unique and powerful voice of the amazing Beth Ditto. Well, they released their newest album, Music For Men, this week, and so far, this is my favorite track on the album. This song is almost impossible not to dance and sing to; I love the tribal drumming and sticky sweet backing synth. I LOVE the crescendo the song grows to at about 1:25 in; it is epic!
Another free song offered on the UK iTunes, I Go I Go I Go is a fresh, and hip dance rock track for summer as well. It really reminds me of awesome bands like Vampire Weekend, and even the Lightning Seeds. This track is as fresh as recently laid out produce, and I have been loving it more and more with each listen. I LOVE when I find random, awesome tracks like this. Thanks UK iTunes (even though I couldn’t buy it/get it for free like the other UKers)!
This one is a “discovered while my ipod was running on shuffle” track. I added Safetysuit’s album, Life Left To Go, a while ago, but I hadn’t gotten around to a real listen. This track really stood out to me during the shuffle, and hearing talent like this really confuses me even more why people still love bands like Nickelback. If you like their “style”, Safetysuit is doing it, only better, and without the repetition (admit it, all of Nickelback’s songs are the same!! Stop the madness people!). I, for one, am glad that I found Safetysuit, and this great track (which really reminds me of what I LOVE about Our Lady Peace; the story telling, unique male vocals, and blaring distorted guitars). I only wish Safetysuit were getting the publicity that NB is.
I’m going to be totally honest: I didn’t care very much that he was even in the top 10 on American Idol. Yes, I thought he could sing beautifully, but since he wasn’t a “front runner” in my eyes, it was easy for me to ignore him. However, being that I definitely think AI has gained a really credible means of spotting true talent over the seasons, I wanted to check out his release when I saw it on iTunes earlier this week. Well, this song, the first track off of the album, has all of the vocal grittiness of Daughtry, with a tendency to lean more towards a Take That style (not to mention that it sounds A LOT like their amazing track, Rule the World). Overall, if for no other reason that I found this great track, I’m glad that I gave Michael another chance. 
At this point, there really shouldn’t be any surprise to any of you how deep my love for Dallas Green (aka City and Colour) runs. Be that as it may, Dallas sings in Alexisonfire, a post-hardcore band, which, I have to say, is NOT my cup of tea. After hearing City and Colour, it is almost a shock that Dallas is even a driving force in Alexisonfire at all. However, they released a new album this week, and with the last track on the album, Dallas injected a MAJOR dose of his folk sensibility into the record, and I couldn’t be more elated, as it is a gorgeous song. I’m glad that Dallas tenderized at least one track on the album, because it gives folk lovers like me a chance to love something about a band that I probably wouldn’t otherwise listen to.
William is yet another fantastic discovery that I came to via nothing more than a picture of the bearded singer. Sometimes, all it takes is some bearded goodness to get me interested, and luckily, William’s music is so beautiful that it drew me in even deeper. I discovered his album The Sparrow and The Crow through iTunes, where it was just released back in April; even though searches on the internets show that it actually came out late in 2008. I might have to ignore that fact, because this fantastic folk album could easily find a spot on my top albums of 2009, because it is incredibly beautiful, and each song is even more beautiful as the last. I have a weak spot for those bearded folk guys… what can I say? And it doesn’t hurt when they are incredibly talented to boot!
Matt’s 2007 release, Some Mad Hope, actually made my year end best of list, but recently, I gave it another listen, and remembered how much I loved it. I love his vocals and the way in which he weaves a pop rock anthem. This was one of those experiences when I “re-discover” something on my ipod, something that I hadn’t listened to in such a long time for no other reason than I hadn’t thought to. Matt’s single, Come On Get Higher is making the rounds on radio right now (part of the reason I dusted his album off and gave it another listen), and I hope that he will release Gone as a single too; both are favorites of mine from the album. I can’t wait for new material from Matt, and I hope that his success will signal something new very soon.
This is the free download of the week on the UK’s iTunes, which is awesome for them, but unfortunate for us; since we can’t download it in the US. However, some searching the internet proved fruitful, and I was able to find this amazing track to bring to you today. I love the blaring backing snyth of this track, and the pulsating beats that go along with it. It really reminds me of a recent discovery, Miike Snow, with a similar energy and ferocity to it. I hope that when Dan finally releases his album that it is filled with more great songs like this one; because this song is fantastic.
Perhaps one of the funniest names of a seriously amazing dance band, Booty Luv recently released their new single, Say It, and I have been LOVING it more and more with each listen. It has a similar floor stomping beat that the best tracks off of their debut, Boogie Tonight, had when it was released back in 2007. I am hoping that this song is an indication of what we have to look forward to on Booty Luv’s highly anticipated follow up. If that truly is the case, the release date can’t come soon enough. This song makes me want to fucking dance all night long, and is definitely one of their best to date.
Little Boots is one of those greatly hyped acts that for whatever reason, I grew instantly skeptical of. Perhaps it is the stubborn side of me that likes to make things difficult, but whatever it is, it made me ignore Little Boots’ release Hands (other than my instant love for previously featured track, New In Town). Well, in steps one of you guys (fellow music blogger 
I got a huge, welcome surprise when I looked at the new release list on iTunes this week; one of my favorite Canadian folk artists, Hayden, released a new CD, The Place Where We Lived! You may remember that his amazing In Field and Town made my year end list for 2008, coming in at 
Well, it looks like this week, we have not one, but two Canadian singer-songwriters! I mentioned Matthew back in May when I discovered his AMAZING track, Easily Bruised. Well, after falling for that song, I went and downloaded his album Ghost Notes, from which the song hails, and I found many more amazing tracks. His style reminds me a bit of Hayden at times, as well as other folk-rock acts like Joshua Radin and even Bob Dylan. This song is achingly beautiful, and it reminds me why I love searching for new music; occasionally, I stumble onto something truly amazing. This song is just that; truly amazing.
I have featured Jack on the 5SF in the past, but I quickly lost interest in him because of how many of the songs from his debut where a bit too similar to stand out for me. Well, I heard that he was revamping his style, and releasing a new record this month, and after checking it out, I must say that I have regained my interest in him; big time! I love the changes he made to his sound, and I find myself really liking this album. Pull My Heart Away is my favorite track that I have heard so far from the aptly titled, Everything Is New; which is out June 22.
I was late to come to the church of Patrick Wolf, but honey, I am swaying the pulpit now! I liked several songs off of his previous release, The Magic Position, but overall, the entire album didn’t resonate with me for whatever reason. When I heard he was to release a new album this month, I was excited to see what he would bring me next, and I must say, after listening to The Bachelor, the entire album resonated with me on a much deeper level. It took me a minute to appreciate the often avant garde style Wolf harnesses in his music, but once I did, I realized how fantastic he is. There aren’t many artists out there carving their own niche anymore, and Wolf really reminds me of the innovativeness of artists that came before him; especially those like David Bowie. Watch this kid, because he is doing some pretty amazing stuff with music.
Lastly today, I wanted to pay homage to one of the greatest bands ever, the almighty Blur. When I was in high school, Blur was one of those bands that made me really realize how much music meant to me, and it helped me appreciate really great music at the same time. This song, from their AMAZING debut, Leisure, is a fantastic reminder of so many good times from those days, and a welcome stroll down memory lane every time I hear it. Leisure is one of those albums that I can listen to from beginning to end, and it will always be amongst my favorite records of all time; along with many other Blur albums too.