Wow...this has got to be the most unoriginal blog post title to date. Anyhow, 2008 is almost halfway over so I thought it would be a good idea to check in on what's rocked my lobes so far this year. With most of my money going towards gas these days ("Don't get me started, don't even get me started"), I haven't had the chance to buy a lot of music this year. Luckily, Coldplay came to the rescue by giving their first single, Violet Hill, away for free. This brings me to my top pick of the year so far...
1) Coldplay! - I love this band, and from the sounds of the two songs I've heard so far, all of America is going to fall in love with them too (if they haven't already) with the release of their fourth studio album, Viva La Vida. Strings?? Church Bells??? Synthesizers???? Awesome!
2) Gavin Degraw - Not sure about the self-titled album title, but the material on his sophomore effort is rock solid. In Love with a Girl is as hooky, yet lyrically sound as ever, but the hidden gem on this record is Let It Go.
3) I'm Yours by Jason Mraz - If you bought Mraz's second album on iTunes in 2005, you likely know this song. It was included as a bonus track and among the better songs on the entire album. Remixed and with a more upbeat tempo, it's now the lead single on his third album We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things. Somehow the lyrics are more fitting now then they were when the song was originally released.
4) Sheryl Crow - I've blogged enough about Sheryl this year, but this album is definitely worth purchasing. Some of you may be shocked that she only lands at #4 on this list. To be honest, I've stopped listening to the CD and it's only been three months! I think I listened to it way too much the first month and needed a serious Sheryl break. I promise I'll start listening again soon. If you don't feel like buying the entire album, at least purchase Diamond Ring and Make It Go Away (Radiation Song), songs that will never reach radio but are definitely worth your hard earned 99 cents.
5) Singles - I'm digging Take A Bow (Rihanna), Sweet & Low (Augustana), Nine in the Afternoon (Panic at the Disco), Falling Slowly (Oscar winners Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova), Stop & Stare (One Republic), Realize (Colbie Caillat), Trying to Stop Your Leaving (Dierks Bentley), Laughed Until We Cried (Jason Aldean), Say (John Mayer), How Far We've Come (Matchbox Twenty).
Things I'm over:
1) Madonna and Mariah. Stop making music, please.
2) The word Shawty (Shorty, Shortie, etc.) in every freaking song! Having that word in your song does not make your song good. Stop using it. Immediately.
3) Taylor Swift. Such a dilemma here - she's a talented songwriter and pretty hot, but has anyone else noticed that she can't sing? Isn't that a problem for a professional singer?
4) Sara Bareilles' Love Song - She's awesome and the song is great, but that doesn't mean it needs to be used in every commercial, movie soundtrack, Valentine's Day highlight package, etc. The song is over. Move on, please.
5) British People besides Coldplay - Corrine Bailey Rae came along and sounded cool. Then Lily Allen, who wanted to be the opposite of CBR, came onto the scene. Then Trainwreck Winehouse won a whole bunch of Grammy's. Now there's Duffy and Adele. They are all the same person and all fighting to sound cool with a throwback sound. Newsflash - you all sound the same, which makes you uncool. How about some originality?
That's it for my half-year roundup. Feel free to leave me some comments and tell me what you are listening too.
Showing posts with label Sheryl Crow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sheryl Crow. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Perez Elects Next President
I have officially seen it all in regard to this presidential election. Our society is bordering on ridiculousness when well established news organizations imply that people like Perez Hilton (yes, PEREZ HILTON!!) singlehandedly helped a presidential candidate win the votes of young people and women just because of his endorsement. Here's a newsflash for the media -- just because people use the Internet and like to read about pop culture does not mean that they blindly cast a vote for whoever the author of their fourteenth favorite blog endorses.Also, newsflash for Sam Donaldson, who has been anchoring the news in some capacity for over 25 years -- The Internet was created decades ago and blogs aren't exactly a new technology. Is it really that inconceivable that Perez Hilton wrote a post about who he endorses for president AND one about a pregnant person -- in the same day!? Do you even know what a blog is?
After watching this video I have decided that I want to crawl in a hole loaded with Flight of the Conchords and How I Met Your Mother DVDs, Cheez-It's, and Sheryl's new album and not come out until this election is officially over. Can't we just have one day - just ONE day - where we don't have to hear how Perez Hilton elected the president or see Tim Russert blow his load all over the Today Show set because this race is just "so exciting?" Please? Ugh, I didn't think so. Hole, here I come.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Detours, Song By Song
My copy of Detorus has downloaded. My ears are prepared for auditory excellence. My fingers are prepared to type for you my first reactions to Detours, song by sweet awesome song. It's a good day for all. Here goes...
1) God Bless This Mess - Completely stripped. Just Sheryl and a guitar. I wonder if she's playing the guitar here. Her voice cracks a little when she says "God" for the first time. I like that it's not polished. It's raw, which is appropriate for a song like this. Very political. I think she's saying what a lot of us are thinking. There are pieces to this country that are a mess right now. Good intro to the album.
2) Shine Over Babylon - One of the two songs I already know from the album. At first I thought the chorus was lazy, but it's melody gets stronger and stronger with every listen. I'm going to have to study these lyrics! The message here is a lot like God Bless This Mess - we're in need of something positive to overtake the messy, almost degenerate society we've created. There's an interesting instrumental effect in the background of the song that I love, but I can't place what instrument it is.
3) Love Is Free - The second of two songs that I knew going into the album. Very catchy. Reminds me a little of All I Wanna Do from Tuesday Night Music Club. Really good chorus. There's a weird instrumental effect in the bridge that sounds like a Nintendo sound effect when Mario jumps into one of those big round tubes. Distracting. The song makes me happy.
4) Peace Be Upon Us - Worldly instrumentals. I love when she harmonizes with herself. Sounds like an Arabic singer in the second verse. Wonder who it is. Interesting choice - maybe saying that music can bring these two cultures together. The chorus is catchy and the song has a nice beat.
5) Gasoline - Instantly love it. This album takes me back to her Globe Sessions album. I love when she kind of talks and sings at the same time. Sounds like something you'd hear in the 60's and 70's - or the Forrest Gump soundtrack to be more exact. Again, a political song if you couldn't figure that one out from the title. The jist is that we need to free ourselves from our gasoline addiction.
6) Out of Our Heads - Another worldly sounding song. Her voice sounds different here, almost like Madonna. Hmmm, the chorus is very catchy! Wow, I really like this. There is a nice choir singing in the chorus. It sounds like one of those African Freedom songs like Singabahambayo or Siyahamba.
7) Detours - The sound here reminds me of some of the Wildflower songs. Quiet, almost sad sounding. I'm a little iffy on this one. Good song, but it doesn't stand out for me.
8) Now That You're Gone - I love when songs start out with just a beat. Good start for me. This one is a little bluesy, almost R&B if you can believe it. I like the instrumentation in here. There are subtle strings in the background during the chorus and some nice guitar riffs. Not the catchiest song so far, but definitely a keeper.
9) Drunk With the Thought of You - I immediately thought Sad, Sad World, which is one of my favorite Sheryl Crow songs. I love the music in this one. I almost think her vocals could have been a little more distant in this. Maybe my stereo isn't mixing it well. Short song.
10) Diamond Ring - Short, syncopated beats - then the chorus comes and everything becomes elongated. I like the addition of reverb in the chorus. This song is obviously about Lance Armstrong, and her vocals are very raw. She goes hoarse in the middle of the song a little. This is a really good song. The bridge definitely made the song for me. She sings with a lot of raw emotion.
11) Motivation - This album is so good!! This is one of those songs that I instantly like. It will probably be my favorite for the first few weeks and then I won't be able to listen to it anymore. It's not overly political (not that I mind) and not about Lance Armstrong. I think I like it because it will make me think about how she came to write the song - and thinking about Sheryl is always a good thing. This is a fun song.
12) Make It Go Away (Radiation Song) - Not a radio song, but very good nonetheless. You can tell this is a very personal song for her. It's obviously referencing her recent bout with breast cancer. I'm really impressed with the musicality of this album and this song is a good example of it.
13) Love Is All There Is - Good melody to the song. Not too impressed with the chorus, but it's still a good song. Not my favorite. It's going to have to grow on me, which I'm sure it will.
14) Lullaby for Wyatt - So simple and really beautiful. Not overly produced. It sounds as it should - like a lullaby. The lyric is interesting. She talks about the day she is going to have to give her son away to the world as he becomes an adult. Interesting that she is thinking about that now.
Overall impressions - This album is great. Another "front to back" album where you don't have to skip songs. I can't wait to listen more and more to find some deeper meanings. You should go out and get your copy today! Grade A.
1) God Bless This Mess - Completely stripped. Just Sheryl and a guitar. I wonder if she's playing the guitar here. Her voice cracks a little when she says "God" for the first time. I like that it's not polished. It's raw, which is appropriate for a song like this. Very political. I think she's saying what a lot of us are thinking. There are pieces to this country that are a mess right now. Good intro to the album.
2) Shine Over Babylon - One of the two songs I already know from the album. At first I thought the chorus was lazy, but it's melody gets stronger and stronger with every listen. I'm going to have to study these lyrics! The message here is a lot like God Bless This Mess - we're in need of something positive to overtake the messy, almost degenerate society we've created. There's an interesting instrumental effect in the background of the song that I love, but I can't place what instrument it is.
3) Love Is Free - The second of two songs that I knew going into the album. Very catchy. Reminds me a little of All I Wanna Do from Tuesday Night Music Club. Really good chorus. There's a weird instrumental effect in the bridge that sounds like a Nintendo sound effect when Mario jumps into one of those big round tubes. Distracting. The song makes me happy.
4) Peace Be Upon Us - Worldly instrumentals. I love when she harmonizes with herself. Sounds like an Arabic singer in the second verse. Wonder who it is. Interesting choice - maybe saying that music can bring these two cultures together. The chorus is catchy and the song has a nice beat.
5) Gasoline - Instantly love it. This album takes me back to her Globe Sessions album. I love when she kind of talks and sings at the same time. Sounds like something you'd hear in the 60's and 70's - or the Forrest Gump soundtrack to be more exact. Again, a political song if you couldn't figure that one out from the title. The jist is that we need to free ourselves from our gasoline addiction.
6) Out of Our Heads - Another worldly sounding song. Her voice sounds different here, almost like Madonna. Hmmm, the chorus is very catchy! Wow, I really like this. There is a nice choir singing in the chorus. It sounds like one of those African Freedom songs like Singabahambayo or Siyahamba.
7) Detours - The sound here reminds me of some of the Wildflower songs. Quiet, almost sad sounding. I'm a little iffy on this one. Good song, but it doesn't stand out for me.
8) Now That You're Gone - I love when songs start out with just a beat. Good start for me. This one is a little bluesy, almost R&B if you can believe it. I like the instrumentation in here. There are subtle strings in the background during the chorus and some nice guitar riffs. Not the catchiest song so far, but definitely a keeper.
9) Drunk With the Thought of You - I immediately thought Sad, Sad World, which is one of my favorite Sheryl Crow songs. I love the music in this one. I almost think her vocals could have been a little more distant in this. Maybe my stereo isn't mixing it well. Short song.
10) Diamond Ring - Short, syncopated beats - then the chorus comes and everything becomes elongated. I like the addition of reverb in the chorus. This song is obviously about Lance Armstrong, and her vocals are very raw. She goes hoarse in the middle of the song a little. This is a really good song. The bridge definitely made the song for me. She sings with a lot of raw emotion.
11) Motivation - This album is so good!! This is one of those songs that I instantly like. It will probably be my favorite for the first few weeks and then I won't be able to listen to it anymore. It's not overly political (not that I mind) and not about Lance Armstrong. I think I like it because it will make me think about how she came to write the song - and thinking about Sheryl is always a good thing. This is a fun song.
12) Make It Go Away (Radiation Song) - Not a radio song, but very good nonetheless. You can tell this is a very personal song for her. It's obviously referencing her recent bout with breast cancer. I'm really impressed with the musicality of this album and this song is a good example of it.
13) Love Is All There Is - Good melody to the song. Not too impressed with the chorus, but it's still a good song. Not my favorite. It's going to have to grow on me, which I'm sure it will.
14) Lullaby for Wyatt - So simple and really beautiful. Not overly produced. It sounds as it should - like a lullaby. The lyric is interesting. She talks about the day she is going to have to give her son away to the world as he becomes an adult. Interesting that she is thinking about that now.
Overall impressions - This album is great. Another "front to back" album where you don't have to skip songs. I can't wait to listen more and more to find some deeper meanings. You should go out and get your copy today! Grade A.
Happy Sherylday!
It's Sherylday! How are you going to celebrate? Oh, you're going to go pick up her latest album, Detorus, at your favorite music store? That sounds like a swell idea. See you there.
Monday, January 28, 2008
miMix - The Sheryl Edition
With the release of Detours, Sheryl Crow's sixth studio album, only a week away, I thought it would only be fitting to feature her as my miMix Artist of the Month -- hmm, that has a nice ring to it. The following are some of my favorite Sheryl songs. I even threw some songs in the mix that Sheryl has never personally recorded, but does have a writing credit on. Enjoy!
Maybe Angels - Sheryl Crow album
Members Only - The Globe Sessions album
Favorite Year - Dixie Chicks' Taking The Long Way album
If It Makes You Happy - Sheryl Crow album
C'mon, C'mon - C'mon, C'mon album
Riverwide - The Globe Sessions album
Somebody Stand By Me - Faith Hill's Faith album
Good Is Good - Wildflower album
Leaving Las Vegas - Tuesday Night Music Club album
Love Is A Good Thing - Sheryl Crow album
Maybe Angels - Sheryl Crow album
Members Only - The Globe Sessions album
Favorite Year - Dixie Chicks' Taking The Long Way album
If It Makes You Happy - Sheryl Crow album
C'mon, C'mon - C'mon, C'mon album
Riverwide - The Globe Sessions album
Somebody Stand By Me - Faith Hill's Faith album
Good Is Good - Wildflower album
Leaving Las Vegas - Tuesday Night Music Club album
Love Is A Good Thing - Sheryl Crow album
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Detours Gets Reviewed
Mmmm, the smell of sweet music is in the air. Sheryl Crow's Detours is two weeks from arrival, and from some of the editorials coming out, it sounds like it's going to be a good one! Check out the review below from Amazon.com.Sheryl also posts that her web site will be revamped as well. Hopefully that means a boatload of Sheryl pics will be posted. Ahhh, the next two weeks can't come fast enough!
Thematically, Detours may not seem like much of a detour to Sheryl Crow fans. Her politics pour out of these songs the way you might expect them to if you caught wind of her epic cross-country bus trip, with the activist Laurie David, to promote environmental awareness months prior to this release. From the quiet, faraway-sounding opener "God Bless This Mess"--a novel in a song--to the catchy but thought-provoking "Gasoline," it's clear that Crow has more on her mind these days than soaking up the sun or having a little fun, à la the Tuesday Night Music Club era. Yet there's not a groan-worthy song on this standout rock/pop/folk/blues album. If the themes are heavy (in addition to the political songs, there's an almost painfully tender lullaby for her son Wyatt and one, "Make It Go Away [Radiation Song]," that touches on her breast-cancer experience), the mood is cathartic, determined, hopeful at times and sad at others. "Now That You're Gone" grabs at clarity through the clouds of a devastating love affair and gets it, and "Peace Be Upon Us" picks apart pettiness and arrives at a wide-minded beauty. George Harrison seems present in some of these songs, especially the more personal ones ("Drunk with the Thought of You," "Love Is All There Is"). And that may be the highest compliment that Sheryl Crow, who seems to admire his gentle soul and shares his big heart, could ask for. --Tammy La Gorce
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Detours Cover Art
I posted a few days ago about Sheryl Crow's new album, Detours which comes out on February 5, but I failed to post one of the most exciting things of all...the cover art! It's so simple, yet so elegant. Only 27 days left!
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Love Is Free
One of the most exciting things about 2008 for me is that we will be treated to a new album from Sheryl Crow. I've already memorized Shine Over Babylon, a scathing look at our social and political state, but now I'm digging Love Is Free, a more upbeat tune dedicated to the people and sounds of New Orleans. It sounds like Sheryl is stepping into a new direction with this album and I personally can't wait to hear the other tracks on Detours, due out February 5.
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