Rockadoodle doo… it’s February already! This week was pretty dry for new music discoveries, but after doing a bit of digging, I was able to scrounge up a few gems. I was going to post some Lily Allen, but I figured I would just be a good boy and wait until next week, when her album officially hits shelves. It’s quite a good record, btw. Well, let’s talk more about her next week; here’s this week’s TGIF musical selection:
Erin McCarley – Pony (It’s Okay)
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_26_erinmccarley-pony.mp3]
A friend of mine recommended Erin to me a while ago, because he said that she reminded him of Sara Bareilles (that piano intro is definitely Bareilles-esque), and everyone knows just how much I love Ms. Sara. Well, I gave her a listen, and while I do agree, there was something about her that didn’t mesh with me initially. While I liked this song, I didn’t give it a second listen until this week, and I found myself liking it way more than the first time I heard it. While her voice is no where near as powerful as Sara’s, this song is a solid pop rock song, and should have some success on the radio; that is, if it ever gets played. Seriously, Nickelback gets tons of play while talented folks like this fly under the radar. It boggles the mind, really.
Dave Barnes – Home
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_26_davebarnes-home.mp3]
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.
Keri Noble – Ooh Oh
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_26_kerinoble-oohoh.mp3]
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.
Melinda Doolittle – I’ll Never Stop Loving You
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_26_melindadoolittle-illneverstoplovingyou.mp3]
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.
The Bird and The Bee – My Love
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_26_thebirdandthebee-mylove.mp3]
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).
So there you are, listen, and be merry, for the weekend is nearly upon us. What did you think of this week’s 5SF? Love it? Hate it? Comment and let me know!