A Jersey girl transplanted in NC rambles on about music, family, friends, her favorite bar and a bunch of other inconsequential stuff that makes up her life.
The baby boy of Carly and James, the fabulous Ben Taylor, has been busy making new music. His camp posted a video, directed by John Forte, of a new song called “It’s Not So Sad” this morning. I love that Ben can switch from having funky songs with edge to these brooding melodies that are more reminiscent of his dad’s style. The video, obviously shot in an apartment with a Christmas tree doing some a little light display, has a very intimate feel to it. You can even catch them talking at the end about how they’re going to record it… Can’t wait to hear more new stuff from this incredibly talented songster!
Visits from close college friends. Beach. Will Hoge. Good QT with some of my favorite girls. Margaritas. = Reasons why the Sunday Funday list was delayed this week. Apologies. Hopefully, these songs will make it worth it.
1. Lucky Now – Ryan Adams
Genius.
2. Summer of ’89 – Butch Walker & The Black Widows
If there was ever a summer song, this is it. Fun from the master of the pop song, Butch Walker.
3. Love Is A Drug – Eskimo Joe
In the last 8 months, I have found so much international music that I never would have heard otherwise. Enter this week’s favorite BalconyTV find, Eskimo Joe, from Aussie land. Apparently, these fellas have been around for awhile – and their discography page on their website proves it, with 20 or so different releases, including a slot on a Twilight soundtrack. However, I’m not daunted by kiddie movie rock. Good, old fashioned, anthemic, sing-along rock n’ roll will never let me down. This single is off their new album, Ghosts of the Past…of course, frustratingly not available to buy in the U.S. So, SoundCloud saves the day once again.
4. State Trooper – Apache Relay
So excited to FINALLY see this Nashville band live this coming weekend. I’ve been a big fan since 1988 came out two years ago, and their latest album, American Nomad, will rock your little socks off if you let it. This song is, of course, a Springsteen cover, which may be one of the reasons I love it so.
5. Goddam California – Will Hoge
It is kind of obscene how much I love this man’s music, and a weekend spent reveling in his live shows, with songs both new and old, has once again reminded me why. I don’t know how ANYONE could see this man perform and not become an instant fan. There isn’t a musician alive who plays with more passion and love of his art. Have a feeling that this little ditty is going to be a top runner for my favorite off the new album, Number Seven, out in a mere three weeks. Pre-order it here (and here on iTunes) and do yourself a favor and go see him live as soon as possible. Thanks to uback007 for posting this video to YouTube so I could put this on the Sunday/Monday Funday Playlist. Wait til you hear the rock version.
106.5 The End has posted the videos from Saints of Valory’s End Session last week. Check ‘em out when you get a sec…I made a little YouTube playlist for easy watching. “Providence” still isn’t posted, but I’ll add it when it is.
Here’s my favorite, their new song “Million to None.”
How can you not love a band willing to get doused with a vat of Pepto Bismol in the name of band PR?
One of the JrzyGyrl blog favorites, Son of a Bad Man, is getting some spotlight time again. Since I’ve rambled on and on and on about them previously, I won’t spend a lot of time going through the details. I’ll just ask of you…
I was lucky enough to get an advance preview of this song back in November, and it literally spent two months in my #1 song spot. According to my iPod, I listened to it something like 72 times the first week I had it. It’s an earworm you’re gonna love…trust me.
I should be sleeping. I’ve worked a maddening number of hours in the past week. Today was a 16 hour day. Tomorrow is likely to be the same. I’m exhausted.
No hope needed: this record is delicious.
Instead of getting much needed beauty sleep, and probably risking oversleeping on an important day, I’m up listening to The Trews new album, Hope and Ruin.
Holy sh*t. It’s awesomesauce. I’m only one run through it, so I can’t give a proper review, but I can tell you right now, this album is going to be in rotation for awhile. It’s that good. Stand outs tracks so far for me: “Stay With Me,” “One By One,” “I’ll Find Someone Who Will” and “You Gotta Let Me In.” Wow.
Colorado cranks out some amazing musicians … The Fray is probably the biggest name to come out of the Centennial State that most people would be familiar with, but my playlist is chock full of Colorado musicians. The Heyday, Fierce Bad Rabbit, Air Dubai, and really, do I need to profess my love any more for Christopher Jak?
Well, that list also includes singer-songwriter Tim Hanauer, whose last full-length album, Time for Change was a well-worn out record for me in 2009. If you don’t know his work, you may actually have heard it and just not be aware of it: his music has been featured on musical breakout show “One Tree Hill.”
Tim’s got a new EP coming out on February 1st called Wind-Up Toy. As of today, you can preview this dreamy new piece of work over at his website. And, if you sign up for the mailing list, you’ll get a free download of the first single, “This Is.”
Earlier this year, thanks to one of my besties and fellow music junkie Shelia, I got to see South African rockers Civil Twilight perform. Holy crap…these kids can rock. And seriously…violin bow meets guitar…hello, fabulous. Solid writing, killer vocal, all around thumbs up from me. I went home and bought the album that night on iTunes.
I am ashamed to admit that I don’t read enough. I love to read, and when I was younger, would voraciously devour books. I clearly remember my mom subscribing me to a book club when I was 11 or 12 and then getting frustrated with me because I’d get my four new books in the mail and read them all in just a few days. Last week, on vacation, I read two books cover to cover and made a vow to myself, as I do every year, to read more.
When I was 13 years old, I read To Kill A Mockingbird for the first time. I loved it instantly. I fell head over heels for Atticus Finch, found bits of myself in Scout, and so wanted Jem to be my big brother. Just like Scout, Boo Radley and his gifts in the tree filled me with curiosity. While I understood the racial inequality (and maybe, to a lesser extent, the social injustices) the book addressed, I don’t know if my 13-year old brain grasped why I cried while reading it the first time. I’ve read it at least a dozen times since, and every time, I still cry. And every time I read it, I come away with some new understanding of the world. It is far and away my favorite book of all time.
This past week, I stumbled upon a newspaper article that talked about the anniversary of the book’s publication. This weekend – July 11th – will mark 50 years since this amazing work of literature was written. Harper Lee was a year younger than me when the book was published – 34 years old. From the accounts that I’ve read, she spent a little over two years writing the book, so that would mean that she wrote this brilliant novel in her early 30s. I’m astounded and fascinated by that. Especially since she set the book in the years just after the Great Depression, when she would have been just a little bit older than her narrator. Add that to her bravery in tackling social issues in the midst of one of the most contentious times in U.S. history, and you can easily understand why I think so highly of her as a writer. And yet, she’s never published another book. What a loss for us in the reading public.
I think, this weekend, I’ll pick up my favorite book and celebrate its publication by reading it yet again. And I’m sure that when I’m done, I’ll feel inspired, as I always do.
Back in November, I went to see Pete Yorn. I love Pete, thanks in large part to Christy…he’s from New Jersey, after all. How could I not love him?
Whether or not I was there to see Pete, the show was completely stolen from him by the opening act.
Enter The Enemy Lovers from Asheville, NC. This four-piece literally rocked my world that night, and I’ve now seen them twice since and each time, I lose a little bit of my musical heart to them. Thought provoking and enormously insightful lyrics, strong melodies, fantastic driving guitar solos…Just plain good rock n’ roll, yet really unique.
The core of the band, brothers Tim and Steven Scroggs, have an intriguing story: growing up, they were home schooled, and while always musical with their family and in their church, they didn’t start listening to rock and popular music until they were much older. Tim was actually going to record as a singer-songwriter, and Steven tagged along to the studio for fun and support, and ended up playing with him…and the band was born.
On stage, these kids just have an insane musical chemistry. They’ve definitely got that sibling “harmony” thing happening. Steven is a really solid guitar player; that said, he lets his brother, Tim, have the spotlight. Tim also plays guitar and is definitely the most animated member of the band – very dramatic, definitely taking some cues from Chris Martin. Drummer Kent Rector does some backing vocal and is a strong player, and Kevin Stipe, perhaps the most understated member of the band, adds to the rhythm section on bass. They work really well together already – give them another year or two and they’ll be the tightest act around.
The band has recently connected with Mike Daly (of Whiskeytown fame) who will be producing their new record…I have a feeling that once the world at large hears this band, they’re going to flash bang onto the national scene in no time. So, visit iTunes and pick up their debut EP now.
I love “Deadliest Catch.” I’m quite obsessed with it, actually.
Very saddened to hear tonight about Captain Phil Harris. He and the Cornelia Marie crew are one of my favorites on the show. My heart goes out to his family and his crew.
