Eeek! Friday the 13th! Okay, so maybe not; it’s just a superstition that was turned into a series of horror movies, right? Either way, I have had a pretty decent day, and the weather is amazing outside, AND I am going into a 3 day weekend, so I am pretty happy about it. I have to say, that I love doing these five song Fridays, because it is like a “welcome to the weekend!!!!”, and there is no way that could be anything other than awesome, right?! Well, let’s get to it then, shall we!?
Alesha Dixon – Breathe Slow
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_213_aleshadixon-breatheslow.mp3]
This song has hit written all over it. The first couple of times I heard it, I knew that there was something about it I kind of liked, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Well, after massive rotation on BBC Radio 1, I have fallen head over heels in love with this track, and had to feature it this week. Alesha Dixon had some success in the UK in the R&B girl band Mis-Teeq, but recently released quite a decent solo album. This is by far my favorite song on the album, and I am thankful to BBC Radio 1 for turning me on to this great track! Also, best of luck to Alesha as she heads to Africa to scale Mt Kilimanjaro for Malaria relief!
Lady GaGa – Fashion
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_213_ladygaga-fashion.mp3]
Alright, if you don’t get it by now, Lady GaGa is massive. HUGE. I have been screaming about her for almost a year now, and I am so pleased to see her getting the attention she deserves. Well, it seems like her steam engine has caught on fire, as there are all kinds of tracks spilling onto the tracks these days. The most recent is this amazing song from the Confessions of a Shopaholic soundtrack, appropriately called (and all about) Fashion. Lady GaGa’s blend of dance-pop is such a great, upbeat sound that it is hard not to bounce about when listening to great pop songs like this one. I’m glad that she released it, instead of Heidi Montag, which was what I had seen swirling around the internets. Hooray for new GaGa! Also, if it is going to all be this good, keep it coming!
Morrissey – I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_213_morrissey-imthrowingmyarms.mp3]
Now, I know that this will probably piss someone off, but normally, Morrissey just bores me. Now, that doesn’t mean that he isn’t a fabulous artist, but for whatever reason, his voice usually hits the “go to sleep” button in my brain, and I have to shut it off. However, with this new song, Morrissey has made me sit up and pay attention; with my eyes and ears wide open! It’s peppy, fun, and the video is down right cute! It makes me wonder where the depressive Morrissey has gone; although, the lyrics definitely have his typical sardonic twist, but this time, they are juxtaposed with a, dare I say it, upbeat pop backing track! I must declare that I love this song, and I might have to go back through his catalog and see if I can find other moments that are as peppy as this song is.
Joanna Pacitti – 4th of July
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_213_joannapacitti-4thofjuly.mp3]
Okay, I’ll admit it. I watch American Idol. Mostly, I like to see who’s good and who isn’t, and by the time they get to the top 12, it is all gravy because most of those kids are pretty good. Well, with the recent crop, there was this one chick who stood out; both because she had a great singing voice, and also because there was a lot of press about her having a record deal prior to her auditioning this season. Well, it all came to a head, and unfortunately got her the boot from the show, which kinda sucks I guess, because she had made it to the top 36 as of this week. Well, I was talking to my friend John last night about her previous records, and he informed me of a song she did for the Legally Blonde soundtrack that was actually quite good. After listening to that song, we headed to iTunes, and low and behold, they have some of her songs (although not that particular one… poop), and this one struck me instantly. It is brilliantly sung and totally beautiful. I hate that Joanna got booted from AI, but I hope that the publicity can get her back on track to making more great music like this. Keep going Joanna, and don’t give up!!
Lily Allen – He Wasn’t There
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_213_lilyallen-hewasntthere.mp3]
Oh Lily, how I have missed thee!!! Ever since I saw her in concert a couple of years ago (check out the pictures!), I have been a massive fan. Well, after there was word that she would be releasing a new album at the beginning of this year, I began to get more and more excited to see what Ms. Allen would have in store for us on her second record. After the release of the massive single, The Fear, my anticipation only grew, because I knew that I was going to be getting more of the Lily that I had fallen in love with on her debut. Well, as I mentioned last week, her album came out this week, and more great Lily Allen is exactly what I got. I love a lot of the songs on the album, even if they borrow heavily and sample heavily several other popular songs through the ages, and this one is definitely one of my favorites. I love that “playing on an old record” scratchy sound, and as always, her lyrics will make you smile and really show her writing ability to be pretty keen. I’m glad that her album is so good, and I am glad that it is finally out; I was tired of waiting! Also, as a heads up, I just noticed that on Amazon.com, they has It’s Not Me, It’s You
So there’s another five songs on this very nice Friday for you. I hope you enjoyed them as much as I enjoyed bringing them to you! Now, let me know what you thought, and as always, tell me what you are listening to!! You never know when you will see it on the list!