TGIF! For whatever reason, it seems like this week has flown by; but don’t worry, I’m not complaining!! For this week’s selection, along with a couple of “must listen” tracks, I decided to feature some songs that I found on my ipod by listening on shuffle. I was surprised by how good they were, and I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t heard them before I did. It just goes to show, that there is a ton of good music out there, and some of it is right under your nose; and unfortunately, sometimes it can get lost among the masses. Well, I’ve wasted enough time talking about this… on to the tunes!
Erin McCarley – Gotta Figure This Out
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_417_erinmccarley-gottafigurethisout.mp3]
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.
Elbow – Some Riot
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_417_elbow-someriot.mp3]
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!
Matt Wertz – Everything’s Alright
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_417_mattwertz-everythingsright.mp3]
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.
Glasvegas – Geraldine
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_417_glasvegas-geraldine.mp3]
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.
Silversun Pickups – There’s No Secrets This Year
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_417_silversunpickups-theresnosecretsthisyear.mp3]
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.
So there’s five songs for your Friday… I hope you enjoyed them. Let me know what you think, as well as what YOU are listening to. Leslie Hall pictures and concert post are coming soon, so be sure to check back for that too!
Dave Barnes, there is no doubt in my mind that you must make others swoon; because you do it to me oh so effortlessly. I mentioned that his CD Me + You + The World BARELY missed my year end best of list, simply because of how many damn good albums came out last year, but don’t let the fact that it didn’t make the cut let you think for one second that I didn’t enjoy it; it is great. The best part of Dave Barnes is these simple, piano driven ballads that just tug so gently at your heart strings. I love music like this, because it is the type of music that you hear it, and it just feels good. It’s like a really big warm hug; right when you need it most.
This one was a last minute addition to the Friday five; last night I was looking at the weekly releases on iTunes (as I do every week), and being one who loves his female singer-song writers as much as I do, I saw Keri on the main page, and had to check her out. Well, I listened to Ooh Oh, and I really liked what I heard, and I realized that Keri resembles Sara B even more than Erin does. In addition to her similarities to Sara, Keri has an undertone of Bonnie Raitt in her voice that is oh so beautiful and brings a welcome weathered flavor to this song.
Oh Ms. Doolittle, how I pulled for thee; I thought she was definitely the best singer on the show during her season on AI, but alas, she was not commercial enough to capture the votes necessary to win the whole shebang. Well, I was excited to see that she released an album this week, and I will admit that I was very surprised at what I heard. Instead of a modern, mainstream pop album, Melinda channels Billie Holiday and Etta James on a throwback to the hay days of soulful, airy pop/R&B. The result is a pretty decent album of songs, with this track being my favorite. Maybe she was just born in the wrong decade, because this album would have fit perfectly amongst the tunes of time if she would have released it around the same time as Ms. James and Ms. Holiday were hitting their stride. This album is a great surprise; something refreshing, different, and altogether pretty good.
Oh how I love the sweet sounds of Inara George’s voice wrapped warmly in sweet pop beats and clapping rhythms. As a huge fan of the Bird and the Bee, it was a treat to get their new album that came out a week ago, and hear so many fantastic songs on it. I’m not sure if I love it as much as I loved their debut album, but that would just be because I loved their debut so much, and it would be no small feat to overtake that level of love with this album. While the record does have a few minor duds, the strongest tracks show that the Bird and the Bee are still masters of their delightful brand of pop, and I for one, am glad that they are doing their thing, and doing it oh so well. This song is easily my favorite on the album (although I have to admit that it probably ties with Polite Dance Song).