Category Archives: Music

Music defines my world.

Friday Awesomeness: Imagine Dragons, “On Top of the World”

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Imagine Dragons - Continued Silence EP Artwork

Deliriously infectious new music from Imagine Dragons.

Me and my family have had a really crappy couple of weeks.  I definitely need a positive boost of energy right now…and luckily, my favorite little Vegas/Provo, UT band, Imagine Dragons, has it for me. This sizzling five-piece is just so smokin’ hot…their sound is alternately hypnotic and infectious, and more addictive than a bag of M&Ms.  Last Tuesday, they released a six-song EP, Continued Silence, that is absolutely break-out material.  This band is going to be a household name very soon, especially after they showcase at SXSW next month.

While “It’s Time,” clearly the single, is a carryover from their last effort, the five other songs are new.  I’m loving “Radioactive,” but am utterly OBSESSED with “On Top of the World.”  I played it 23 times on my drive back to NC from NJ the other day, and that is not an exaggeration.  It is full of snaps, claps and whistles and is “pure gold,” as Stephen, keyboardist for Saints of Valory, summed up nicely.  It is perfectly awesome and perfectly appropriate for a 70+ degree day in Charlotte.

This is only a 1.5 minute snippet that’s available on SoundCloud…but I highly recommend picking up the entire Continued Silence EP at Amazon or iTunes.

More Imagine Dragons: Website | Facebook | Twitter

The New Music Drought Is Over

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Is it just me, or is spring in the air?

I’m sitting in New Jersey right now, looking outside at a beautiful sunny day, and the weather folks are promising temperatures in the 50s today. Winter is definitely in the rearview mirror…And I could not be happier!  Bring on sunshine!  Bring on 80 degrees!

Meteorologists are the only one with bright forecasts these days.  Seems like there’s beaucoup de new music on the horizon in my world.  Lots of my old and new favorites are putting out new music this spring.  Because I love ’em, I’m just going to make a short list here of the new music that’s come out recently or that IS coming out soon… So go pre-order and get your hands on some hot new stuff for spring!

The Sunday Funday Playlist – February 12, 2012

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The past week has been an emotional roller coaster for me with my Mom undergoing some pretty serious surgery.  Lots of road miles, lots of listening to the ole iPod in the car…Here are some of the tunes that have been keeping me company.

1.  No Parachute – The Soldier Thread (click to hear a preview in iTunes)
It’s hard for me to pick just one song off of The Soldier Thread’s new EP to put on the Sunday Funday list because I really have been listening to it non-stop since it was released two weeks ago. This is the first track on the little 5-song, and I completely LOVE it.  Unfortunately, it’s not on SoundCloud, so you’ll have to live with the little iTunes preview.

2. Somebody That I Used to Know – Gotye

I don’t often listen to the radio, but this week, on short jaunts to and from the office I’ve caught this tune on 106.5 The End a few times, and I completely dig it.  The dude’s voice reminds me a lot of Sting, which probably has a lot to do with it.

3.  Mercy – Counting Crows (Tender Mercies Cover)
There are a handful of musicians/bands that I live for…Counting Crows is one of them.  So when they announced this week that they’re officially releasing a new album (of covers) in April, I got pretty excited.  The first single, “Mercy,” just makes me so happy.  Another one that’s not on SoundCloud…but this one you can pick up for free (at least right now) over at the Counting Crows site.

4.  The Wandering (Acoustic) – Ryan Bingham (click to hear a preview in iTunes)
This one is only appropriate on an awards night.  Despite winning an Oscar for “The Weary Kind,” not enough people know this gorgeous man’s music.  Oh how I love scruffy men with raspy voices.  Ryan’s live performance this year at Amos’ (see Best of 2011 list) has made me a fan for life, so when he announced this week that an acoustic version of “The Wandering” off his album Junky Star, I immediately went and downloaded it.  His voice is just insane.

5.  Lost & Found – Eve 6 (click to hear a preview on iTunes)
I didn’t even know that 90s “heart-in-a-blender” rockers Eve6 had new music out until iTunes alerted me this week and you can bet your happy ass I went and downloaded their new song IMMEDIATELY.  Sometimes, a girl just needs a fun rock n’ roll song to boost her spirits. And this does the trick.  Love, love, love these guys.

Unmasked: Quiet Hounds Reveal Themselves

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Unmasked!

Quiet Hounds will unmask themselves this month in Atlanta!

So for those of you that have been following the progression of Atlanta’s mysterious rock band, Quiet Hounds, big things are coming….

The Hounds will be revealing themselves in an unveiling/live show in Atlanta on Saturday, February 25th at the just-as mysteriously named The Goat Farm Arts Center.  Super excited!  I’m dying to find out who the guys are (okay, I might have gotten a hint or two, but they’re still a mystery to me!).

To get everyone excited, the guys are giving away a really cool prize…a chance to get into Quiet Hounds events FREE for life.  All you’ve got to do is visit their Facebook page and pick a mask from their photos and use it in your profile photo for the month of February (I’m partial to the Loud Hound and Poetic Hound, but you can pick from Drum Hound, Bass Hound, and Evil Hound, too).

Don’t forget, you can still pick up the Hounds debut EP (which was my numero uno EP last year, in case you missed it) for free on their website.  Don’t know how long that is going to last, so get it now while you can.  And, from the pictures that have been floating around on the band’s Instagram, it seems like there might be a limited edition hard copy of the EP in existence soon…

Check out all the details on the unmasking event at the links below…

Event Details: http://www.quiethounds.com/onthefarm.html
RSVP on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events/201020776661274/
Watch a Video: http://vimeo.com/36062612

More Quiet Hounds:  Website | Facebook | Twitter

*insert squeal* NEW COUNTING CROWS!

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NEW COUNTING CROWS!

It’s like my wildest dream coming true, really.  First Bruce announces a new album and tour, and now Counting Crows?  Within a month of each other?  Someone pass the smelling salts, I may faint from the excitement.

The new album, Underwater Sunshine (Or What We Did On Our Summer Vacation) will be released on April 10th.  You can pick up the first single, “Mercy,” from the Counting Crows website right now in exchange for your e-mail address.  According to the band’s blog, it’s 15 songs by other artists redone by Counting Crows.  Artists include Travis, Dawes, Bob Dylan, Pure Prairie League (“Amie” – a song that CC recorded a few years ago) and Big Star (“The Ballad of El Goodo,” which has floated around on several CC bootlegs for years).

“Mercy,” originally by CC band member Dan Vickrey’s other music project Tender Mercies, is a barroom confessional, resplendent with crying guitar riffs and Adam’s whiskey-drenched vocal, begging mercy to follow him.  I love, love, love it.  If it’s a sign of what’s to come on the album, I am going to be a very, very, very happy girl come April!