Wanna Be

If you remember, a few weeks back I talked about artist Roderick.  Last Tuesday he released a new track "Wanna Be," and it is exactly how I thought it would be.

All About Roderick

[Photo:  Roderick, YouTube]

I personally consider this song to be my favorite of his.  It has a groove and vibe that is hard to find in current music--almost the same as The 1975, but unlike The 1975, Roderick's songs all sound different and creative (sorry fans of The 1975).  The engineering and mixing are both very professional, and that may be because he is the one doing all of the heavy lifting.  Jeff Lynne (you all know how much I love him) did the work for ELO and look how far it got them.  Having complete control is perfect in the music business, because you can put out music that you and only you believe in, which is a big reason why Roderick has been so successful thus far.

One of the most difficult things to achieve in music is releasing music that people can purely relate to.  I see a lot in popular music that music is perceived to be relatable, when in reality, the listeners just think it is because it is being performed by one of their favorites.  To dumb it down, music is easy to bullshit.  Roderick describes his music as "Songs about life from an honest perspective" (Source).  That description in itself is a very honest one.  Unlike artists on the charts who are almost 100% influenced by the people surrounding them, it is clearly evident in Roderick's music (in particular "Wanna Be" for the sake of this post) that he is using only his personal experiences to convey messages through music.

This NEW song (and his others) are absolutely worth listening to.  You can stream this track on Spotify.

French Blonde

You may remember my post from a few months back about Deal Casino.  Since then, they have released a full length album that still transports me to a different place.  This past Wednesday they released a video for the NPR Tiny Desk Contest, featuring an unreleased song, "French Blonde," that is nothing short of a musical masterpiece.

Review of Deal Casino's EP

I like comparing new music to old to help paint a better picture of what I think a band was trying to achieve.  I have to say, though, that Deal Casino is a band that I have a hard time doing that with, mainly because of how original and creative their music is.  Their self-titled debut featured elements of classic rock, including '70s harmonies and a rich guitar presence.  While they are keeping their roots evident in this song, you immediately feel a sense of evolution and maturity.  Like most alternative rock bands, they are starting to become more experimental with different vocal and instrumental styles and techniques.  The spoken words in the verses, the pedal on the bass, and the added effects throughout the track all bind together in a way that I have never seen (or heard for that matter) before in any song.  While hearing things like this might get some people thinking that this song is an acquired taste, it's not.  Anyone with an appreciation at all for the art involved in music will find their own individual love for "French Blonde."

[Video:  Deal Casino, YouTube]

Lyrically, "French Blonde" is very unique from what they have released in the past.  The spoken words in the beginning and the rhyme schemes feel as if a Charles Bukowski poem has come to life:

I'm a dead animal

You're used to seeing my guts

You just pass me on the street

And drive right over me

While you're puttin' on...your makeup

I'm the next holiday

I'm your team, down by 6

I'm all your meals at once

A French blonde at Sunday brunch

They're strange (not in a bad way at all), yet oddly charming and intriguing, so you want to keep listening--something that Deal Casino has landed several times before...just never like this...and it's incredible.

I'm going to leave you off here, since I want you to enjoy this unreleased track for yourself.  Comment down below with your thoughts!

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Unzip Your Harrington

The first time I listened to the Drowners, I assumed, because of their sound, that they were English.  And don't get me wrong - the Union Jack (even though paired with an American flag) did nothing but add on to the deception from this post-punk NYC-based band.

[Source:  Amazon]

Now, my "false" predictions that the quartet is English weren't completely false.  Lead singer Matthew Hitt moved from Wales to NYC.  See?  I kind of know what I'm talking about!

Anyway, enough with my ongoing obsession with Englishmen.  Everything about this band is perfect.  To start, their songs are not long at all . . . we're talking Beatles lengths.  In fact, only one song from their debut album Drowners was over 3 minutes.  Even though the songs are short, they don't seem unfinished like some shorts songs do.

Their songs are also very lyrically well put together.  "Watch You Change" has the repetitive line "There's not a shoulder cold enough for me to give her," and "Unzip Your Harrington" starts the chorus with "I'm gonna hang around long enough to be part of your furniture."

It's crazy I have gone so long without knowing this band and their music.  Bands with such cool tunes deserve a lot more recognition.  Share them with a friend, they'll probably love them.

Cheap and Cheerful

Garage rock is a genre we have seen since the 1960s with groups like The Kinks and Andy Warhol's The Velvet Underground.  Of course one could say that garage rock has evolved, but to be honest, what doesn't age through generations?  Despite that being fairly true, I don't see much of an evolution with garage rock and here's why.

First, listen to "All Day and All of the Night" by The Kinks from 1964.

[Source:  YouTube]

Now, listen to "Cheap and Cheerful" by The Kills of their 2008 album Midnight Boom.

[Source:  YouTube]

Aside from the obvious difference in quality, what's the major change between the two tracks?

Well there isn't much.  I know this may be true for these songs only, but it does go to show that the genre clearly hasn't done much changing in the past 50 or so years.

I first heard "Cheap and Cheerful" when one of the people I follow on Tumblr posted it from Spotify.  The first listen I took didn't make me too pleased.  It wasn't until I continued playing it on Spotify that I fell in love with it and bought it on iTunes.  It's quite good.

Talking Body

I was on iTunes yesterday trying to find some new music to buy and stumbled across one of Tove Lo's songs from her debut album Queen of the Clouds called "Talking Body."

After the chart success of her single "Habits (Stay High)," I had to give the track a chance.  After only twenty seconds of the minute and a half preview I fell in love with the electropop tune with 50 Shades of Grey raunchiness.

"Now if we're talking body, you got a perfect one so put it on me.  Swear it won't take you long.  If you love me right, we f*** for life on and on and on."

[Source:  YouTube]

Speaking of 50 Shades of Grey, I am also in love with "Love Me Like You Do" by "Burn" singer Ellie Goulding.  I guess Valentine's Day has a big effect on me - I'm in love with songs about love at the moment.  At first, I wasn't a huge fan of this song, mainly because I thought the chorus was too repetitive, but I did like the strong use of percussion and lyrically is a great song.

"Fading in, fading out, on the edge of paradise.  Every inch of your skin is a holy grail I've got to find.  Only you can set my heart on fire, on fire."

"Yeah I'll let you set the pace 'cause I'm not thinking straight.  My head's spinning around, I can't see clear no more.  What are you waiting for?"

[Source:  YouTube]

When You Were Mine

In my Business of Music class, my professor plays a song or two from a new(er) album.  He played four different artists today, one of them being Night Terrors of 1927.  The LA-based duo just released their debut album through Atlantic, Everything's Coming Up Roses.

One of the songs my professor played was "When You Were Mine," featuring twins Tegan and Sara.  After hearing it that one time, it's probably one of my favorite songs at the moment.

[Source;  YouTube]

It may sound a little amateur, but I really like how this song has two duos.  It's pretty symmetrical - it goes well with my OCD.

Nobody Does It Better

If you have been a reader of my blog for a while, you will know that I go through quite a number of obsessions.  Sometimes they're songs, while other times they are people or groups (ahem One Direction:  still going strong!).  Well, right now I have a new obsession with an old song.

"Nobody Does It Better," the theme for The Spy Who Loved Me, performed by Carly Simon.

[Source:  YouTube]

I have probably heard this song around fifty times in my nineteen years of living.  "Why is she so obsessed with it now?"  Well I am glad you asked.

The song is phenomenal if you have not heard it - if you haven't heard it that means you didn't watch the video I so kindly provided above.  Typically when you hear someone talking about a James Bond song, you think of a song like "Goldfinger" - something a little more on the jazzy side.  While the song may not sound like the other Bond songs, it still did something that most 007 songs do:  the writers, Marvin Hamlisch and Carole Bayer, incorporated the title of the movie in the song.

I love the pace of the song, as well as the lyrics.  "I wasn't looking but somehow you found me / I tried to hide from your love light / But like Heaven above me / The spy who loved me / Is keeping all my secrets safe tonight."  Nothing says "James Bond" better than using "spy" and "secrets" in the song.

Irresistible

Fall Out Boy have done nothing but impress me so far with this new album of theirs, American Beauty/American Psycho, which is set to be released January 20th.  The most recent song released from the new record is "Irresistible" and already holds the number one spot on iTunes, bumping Mark Ronson's and Bruno Mars' "Uptown Funk" to number two and T-Swift's "Blank Space" to number three.  The band also has "Centuries" in the number nine spot.

As put by Ryan Reed in his Rolling Stone article from yesterday, the song is "deadly love."  "You're second hand smoke / I breathe you in, but honey I don't know what you're doing to me" starts the bridge, while lyrics such as "I didn't come for a fight but I will fight till the end / This might be your battle, might not turn out okay" line the verses.

Whether you're a fan or not of this pop punk/alternative rock band, this track - hopefully as well as the rest of the LP - is a must buy.

[Source:  YouTube]

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

I felt a really big urge to post this because I still love One Direction.  Jimmy Fallon, The Roots, and One Direction performed "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" with classroom instruments... all while wearing ugly Christmas sweaters.

[Source:  YouTube]

Silent Night

One of my favorite Christmas songs is Sinead O'Connor's version of "Silent Night."

She has such a beautiful voice, especially in this song.

[Source:  YouTube]

Yours

I am completely obsessed with Ella Henderson's new song "Yours" from her new album, Chapter One, set to be released in January.

The song is vocally beautiful.  She has such a flawless voice that is complemented so well by this song.

Hearing her sing this reminds me of her X Factor audition back in 2012.  She auditioned with an original tune and blew the judges away.

[Source:  YouTube]

I can not wait for her album to come.  I loved her first single "Ghost" and hearing "Yours" really puts me on the edge of my seat.  There's talk about her possibly being the new Adele?  I guess we'll just have to wait and see!

Do They Know It's Christmas?

I wasn't going to talk about Band Aid 30's 2014 charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" but it's number four on the iTunes charts so maybe I should.

Recorded earlier this week in Notting Hill, London, the purpose of the track is to help in battling the Ebola virus.  The song was originally written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in 1984 (hence why the current name is Band Aid 30 because it has been 30 years) to aid the famine in Ethiopia.

Several artists came together to record the song, including One Direction, Ellie Goulding, Paloma Faith, Ed Sheeran, Olly Murs, Bono, Sam Smith, Rita Ora, Chris Martin, and Emeli Sande.

You can purchase the song on iTunes and all of the proceeds go to helping battle the virus.

Buy the song.  Stop the virus.

[Source:  YouTube]

Baby, It's Cold Outside

I was just on the Billboard website and watched the music video for Idina Menzel's and Michael Buble's "Baby, It's Cold Outside" and it is very adorable.

The video is two kids singing and dancing through a hotel lip-syncing to Menzel's and Buble's parts.  The two singers even make some appearances in the video.

The song is off Menzel's Christmas album, Holiday Wishes, which was released back in October.

Check out the video below.

[Source:  YouTube]

Say You Love Me

After being nominated for a Mercury prize with Devotion, Jessie Ware's fans became so excited when news came out about a sophomore album. After two years, the wait was finally over with the release of Ware’s title track, “Tough Love,” in June. With its peak in the Top 40, the single gave clue to what would come with this collection of broken hearts and deep feelings.

The difference between her sophomore album and her debut is her improved maturity, vocal delivery, and poise, making this album one of the best out right now. Her songs, like her debut, convey feelings of sadness and broken hearts. Produced by Dave Okumu, BenZel, and James Ford, the album is the perfect mixture of Electronica and Pop.

[Source:  YouTube]

Co-writing every track, Jessie Ware found herself occasionally collaborating with some of the most well-known songwriters of today’s time. Fellow Brit Ed Sheeran assisted in writing ballad “Say You Love Me,” the second single from her album, released in September. The song presents her power-alto voice in the way it should be presented.

Regardless of how her songs were composed, what really matters is how Ware sounds. Her powerful and romantic voice makes each song worth listening to 10 times over. With the electronic sound not as profound as in her debut, her vocal delivery is more apparent, resulting in an album that should be put on repeat.

American Pie

There are several reasons why one would say the ‘50s era of rock and roll ended.  In 1959 Jerry Lee Lewis, as mentioned before, married his 13-year-old cousin, Little Richard retired to become a preacher in 1957, and Chuck Berry was arrested.  But one of the most significant days was February 3, 1959.  February 3, 1959 was the “Day the Music Died,” as put by Don McLean.

Rock and rollers Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper were all killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa.  Buddy Holly, along with his new backing band, toured with Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper.  After a gig, the conditions on the tour bus were very poor, as the bus had no heat.  Holly decided to get a plane, where the Big Bopper took a place on the warm plane because of the flu, and Ritchie Valens won his seat on the plane by a coin toss against Tommy Allsup (a member of Holly’s backing band).  From inclement weather, the plane crashed and the three rock and rollers and the pilot were killed.

[Source:  YouTube]

In the song “American Pie” by Don McLean, he says, “But February made me shiver / With every paper I’d deliver / Bad news on the doorstep / I couldn’t take one more step,” and he continues with, “I can’t remember if I cried / When I read about his widowed bride / But something touched me deep inside / The day the music died.”  Anyone who was alive when this happened can agree that it was a tragic day, especially in rock and roll.  That was the day the music died.  The era of early rock and roll was officially over with the tragedy.  Three men who had brought nothing but happiness and identity to rock and roll and what rock and roll would later become.  They may not have been around long, but their presences contributed to what rock and roll is today.

And with this, the beginning era of rock and roll ended.  But rock and roll would continue with the teen idol in 1959 and then with the first wave of the British Invasion in 1964.

The Beatles photographed by Bob Bonis

The Rolling Stones photographed by Dezo Hoffmann

Peggy Sue

I have definitely talked about Buddy Holly before, but he was a pioneer of rock and roll, so I'll talk about him again.

Unfortunately, the “King of Rock and Roll” to me, did not last long enough in the music industry to obtain that title. Buddy Holly (despite dying so early into his life and career) did make a difference in the world of rock and roll. He wrote his own music and was the first to use advanced techniques in the studio. He, along with Berry, Lewis, and Domino, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.

He learned how to play the guitar, piano, and the fiddle at a young age, and after high school, he formed the Western and Bop Band, a country group. Holly was soon signed by Decca and released singles with the band name, Buddy Holly and the Three Tunes. Then, in 1957, he got a new band that he called the Crickets. Their song “That’ll Be the Day” immediately got them a contract with Coral and Brunswick labels.

When he split from the band in 1958, he did some solo work, which is sometimes easy to distinguish from his work with the Crickets because his solo work sometimes involved an orchestra – the Crickets only used their instruments. His songs with the Crickets became Number Ones quickly because of their upbeat rock and roll sound.

[Source:  YouTube]

"Peggy Sue" was released in 1957 by Buddy Holly - The Crickets weren't acknowledged on the single.  Joe B. Mauldin and Jerry Allison, however, were known to be on the track.  Even though Buddy Holly had so many successful songs, people think this one is his best.  

Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On

Here's to another rock and roll pioneer.  Jerry Lee Lewis was probably the first reckless rock and roller.  Inducted in 1986, he at that point had sold millions upon millions of singles and records.  Known for his scandalous lyrics, Lewis also developed a reputation after marrying his 13-year-old cousin in 1958.  That was the point where his career faltered a little bit.

But aside from his troubled past, Jerry Lee Lewis began loving music at a young age.  At eight he started to play the piano based on the music he heard around him.  Boogie-woogie, R&B and Delta blues were his influences in music.  In 1956, he traveled to Memphis, Tennessee to audition for Sun Records.  Rock and roll greats Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Roy Orbison were all a part of the record-breaking label.

[Source:  YouTube]

Lewis recorded "Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On" with Sun Records in 1957.  The song was originally written by Dave "Curlee" Williams and James Faye "Roll" Hall.  The song was first recorded in 1955 by Big Maybelle for Okeh Records.  It was Lewis' idea to add the "boogie piano" with complements by J.M. Van Eaton playing the drums with a lot of energy.

Blue Monday

Also considered a pioneer of rock and roll music, Fats Domino, a native of New Orleans, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, as well. He played a huge role in the transition from R&B to rock and roll. In fact, Fats Domino sold more records than any rock artist from the ‘50s except Elvis Presley. He scored more hit records than Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Buddy Holly combined, and he made it on the Billboard charts over 100 times. He started playing in the New Orleans music scene in the mid-40s, and was signed by Dave Bartholomew in 1949 to Imperial Records.

[Source:  YouTube]

"Blue Monday" was not originally by Fats Domino.  The song was written by Bartholomew and was recorded in 1954 by Smiley Lewis, a New Orleans native like Domino.  Later versions of the song have credited both Bartholomew and Domino as co-writers, even though Fats had no part in the writing of the song.

Bang Bang

I think Jessie J has an absolutely incredible voice.  She, in my opinion, has one of the best voices in the industry right now.  But the only problem I have is I think she is so underrated.

A few months ago I talked about her live performance of her song "Who You Are" in a New York City subway station.  That's a difficult song to sing and she sounded flawless.

The most recent piece of evidence is the song "Bang Bang."  She sings the song with Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj.  While Ariana and Nicki sound good, I think Jessie sounds by far the best.

[Source:  YouTube]

Jessie J does not get the attention she should for that voice she has in her, yet Ariana Grande is the nation's pop princess.  I like Jessie J a lot more than I like Ariana.

Saturday Night

I saw the Eagles on September 13th at Madison Square Garden.  Words can't begin to describe how amazing it was.

They performed 27 songs, which is why they took a fifteen minute intermission halfway through the show.  The set list was as follows:

1. Saturday Night
2. Train Leaves Here This Morning (Dillard & Clark cover)
3. Peaceful Easy Feeling
4. Witchy Woman
5. Doolin'-Dalton
6. Tequila Sunrise
7. Doolin'-Dalton/Desperado (Reprise)
8. Already Gone
9. The Best of My Love
10. Lyin' Eyes
11. One of These Nights
12. Take It to the Limit
13. Pretty Maids All in a Row
14. I Can't Tell You Why
15. New Kid in Town
16. Love Will Keep Us Alive
17. Heartache Tonight
18. Those Shoes
19. In the City (Joe Walsh song)
20. Life's Been Good (Joe Walsh song)
21. The Long Run
22. Funk #49 (James Gang cover)
23. Life in the Fast Lane
24. Encore:  Hotel California
25. Encore 2:  Take It Easy
26. Encore 2:  Rocky Mountain Way (Joe Walsh song)
27. Encore 2:  Desperado

For the most part, the whole show was done in chronological order, since the theme was, "History of the Eagles."  

"Desperado" was my favorite song of the night, but that may just be because it is my favorite song of all time.  I was really upset that they didn't play "Ol' 55," though.

They all sounded really fantastic especially for their ages.

It started out with just Henley and Frey sitting on stools.  It felt more like the Beacon Theatre than it did MSG - very intimate.

The group currently consists of Don Henley (drums, guitar, vocals), Glenn Frey (guitars, vocals, keyboard), Joe Walsh (guitars, vocals, keyboard), and Timothy B. Schmit (bass, vocals, acoustic guitar).

[My photo, please credit if used]

When researching the songs from the first few albums, you don't see much written by Don Henley (and only three by Glenn Frey) in their first album, Eagles.  But once their sophomore album Desperado came along, most of the songs were written with Henley and/or Frey.  There are also a few songs written by Jackson Browne.  The musician/singer-songwriter co-wrote songs "Doolin-Dalton," "James Dean," and "Take It Easy."

You never know who will just show up to a show at Madison Square Garden, so I was hoping Jackson Browne would have made an appearance.  My dreams didn't come true.