What I'm Listening To - "Adventure of a Lifetime" by Coldplay

I am not whatsoever what I'd consider a Coldplay fan.  While I somewhat appreciate their singles, I've found their albums as wholes to be disappointingly one-note when played out in their entirety.  So I will readily admit that I didn't have the greatest of expectations heading into seeing them in concert as part of their A Head Full of Dreams tour at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Saturday, August 6.  I was sure they'd put on a good show, but I had this tinge of worry that I'd be a little bored.

Well, I couldn't have been more wrong.  This was, undoubtedly, the best concert experience I've had.  Now, can it compare with the first time I saw Paul McCartney back in 2009?  Well, I mean, McCartney's a legend and I was totally swept up in seeing the former Beatle take on hit after hit from his gigantic repertoire.  That said, this Coldplay show was a visual spectacle and the group -- particularly lead singer Chris Martin -- sounded fantastic live crafting an experience with over 45,000 people that I likely won't forget for quite a while.

One would think that lasers, fireworks, plumes of fire, giant video screens, confetti, and a stadium full of tens of thousands of RFID-chipped light-up wristbands (given out for free upon entrance) would take away from the music...and you may be a little right.  I found myself admittedly zoning out of the words that were coming out of Martin's mouth and instead taking in the spectacle of the whole thing -- but I kinda zone out of the words in most Coldplay songs anyway, focusing instead on the pulsing drive of the music itself so the concert setting actually fit my Coldplay listening tendencies to a tee.  Surely, the night's most impactful moments were on songs like "Viva La Vida," new single "Adventure of a Lifetime," "Paradise," and "A Sky Full of Stars" where the quicker-paced beats lended themselves to a bit more visual show.  However, the night's quieter moments -- "Yellow," "Clocks," a lovely cover of Springsteen's "Streets of Philadelphia," and even the night's final number, a surprisingly low key though rather stirring "Up and Up" -- allowed Martin's vocals to shine which provided a nice counterpoint to the obviously incredible showmanship of the other numbers.

As Martin ran across the stage, I tried to will myself to want to leave the concert and become the biggest fan of Coldplay ever.  That isn't going to happen.  However, perhaps weirdly (or maybe not), I'd go see these guys in concert again in a heartbeat.  It's not as if I think their music is bad in the slightest, but I'm still not the biggest fan.  However, they can put on one helluva show undoubtedly worth the $75 I shelled out.  I can't recommend them as showmen highly enough.

Below, you'll find "Adventure of a Lifetime" from Coldplay's latest album.

What I'm Listening To - "Girl Crush" by Little Big Town

I'm not what I'd consider a country "fan" per se.  I don't listen to country radio all that much, but I do have a few artists I enjoy.  The quartet Little Big Town is one such group.  In fact, I'd even go so far as to say that Little Big Town is my favorite artist currently recording music.  Sure, I may have more of an affinity for Billy Joel when looking at an entire artist's repertoire, but he stopped making new music decades ago.  Little Big Town, however, is still churning out albums and had their biggest success last year with the fantastic old school-styled "Girl Crush," a lovelorn single about a scorned woman pining to be her boyfriend's one and only once again.

The quartet has been touring this summer with Luke Bryan which disappointed me as I'm not a fan whatsoever and wasn't going to cough up the dough just to see them be a ten song opening act.  Fortunately, they took a little break from their summer gig to attend the Delaware State Fair on July 24 as a headliner and I was able to see a fantastic 20+ song setlist from the group who continues to fantastically harmonize onstage as the modern-day version of Fleetwood Mac (albeit with an obviously country tone).

Eschewing songs from their latest experimental album with Pharrell (with the exception of "Willpower" which was greeted less than enthusiastically by the fans), Little Big Town created a setlist that contained many of their hits, but also skewed heavily towards their most recent albums.  For the open air venue at the State Fair, the group went uptempo-heavy which I appreciated immensely, however, I missed some of the more intimate numbers that I've seen them perform at smaller venues in the past.  That being said, that's a minor quibble because the group sounds fantastic singing whatever they decide to do -- which included covers of Dolly Parton's "Jolene," Prince's "When Doves Cry," Alicia Keys' "Fallin'," and Fleetwood Mac's pulsing "The Chain."

There is no doubt in my mind that I'll be back to see them again.  Their live performances have never disappointed in the slightest and this concert that put them front and center was their best show I've seen yet (this was my fourth time seeing the group live).  Even if you think you're not a country fan, give this group a try.  They may just surprise you.

Little Big Town's biggest hit, "Girl Crush," can be found below.

What I'm Listening To - "Live and Let Die" by Paul McCartney, Part II

On Tuesday, July 12, I headed to Citizens Bank Park to check out my second concert headlined Paul McCartney -- this time his One on One tour.  My first experience with Sir Paul was back in 2009 and it was one of the best concert experiences I've ever had.  Could lightning strike twice?

Not quite.  From my seat in the stadium, it took awhile to get acclimated to the sound system with McCartney's voice being nearly drowned out for the first five or six songs.  When things finally began to click sound-wise, Paul's setlist (found here) left a little to be desired.  Starting off with some of his newer pieces and a few lesser known songs, the rhythm of the concert lacked a driving momentum at first really failing at times to get the crowd excited and in the mood for the show.

However, as Paul progressed through the set, things really started to come alive with the entire second half of the show composed of hit after hit after hit.  As "Live and Let Die" played towards the very end, how could I not get excited with the song's pulsing drive and the pyrotechnic show that accompanied it?  Seeing McCartney and his band perform that single song is almost worth the price of admission alone.

Paul is still amazingly capable of putting on a lengthy show even at 74 years old with nary a break for water or a pause in the proceedings.  Of course, I'd recommend seeing him, but I just wish I may have left my McCartney concert viewings after one go.  While I'd not be opposed to seeing him again, I'd take a look at the setlist before I'd shell out the money.  Still, Paul is absolutely a star and deservedly so.

What I'm Listening To -- Billy Joel

If you were to ask me my favorite musician of all time, I'd undoubtedly say Billy Joel.  When I was growing up, I started playing the piano at the ripe old age of four and I continued taking lessons well into my twenties.  Throughout those pre-teen and teen years, I'm not sure I would've continued had it not been for a fantastic piano teacher and Billy Joel himself.  You see, it was cool (in my eyes) to play the piano because he did.  His music, while nothing overly fancy or overly stylized, told stories that I loved to hear.

This past Saturday, I finally got a chance to see my favorite musician in concert at Citizens Bank Park on a beautiful, surprisingly cool, summer evening and I wasn't disappointed at all.  (Well, I wish he played for longer than the two hours and ten minute set, but other than that slight qualm, there was no disappointment.)  Backed by a great band -- complete with a percussion, horns, and a few guitars -- Mr. Joel sat down at the piano and the man sang us his songs.  With the audience singing along to classics like "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" and "Piano Man," Joel peppered the setlist with a few lesser known tunes -- "Zanzibar," anyone? -- that showed that the scope of his music is much broader than the casual listener would think.

The aforementioned "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" was certainly a standout for me -- it's one of my dad's favorite songs and was always a goal to be able to play it flawlessly on the piano (which happens every now and again).  That and "Piano Man" gave me chills.  However, I found newfound admiration for the throwaway ditty "Uptown Girl" which opened the stellar five-song hit-packed encore, was moved by a powerful rendition of "Goodnight Saigon" during which service men came onstage to sing the heart-wrenching chorus, and enjoyed special guests Boyz II Men as they dueted with Joel on "The Longest Time" -- a song he rarely plays at concerts.  Other highlights -- "Pressure," "Vienna," "Movin' Out," "Big Shot," I could go on and on...

Admittedly, the Billy Joel concert on Saturday, August 2, may not have been the best concert I've ever been to -- McCartney still probably takes the top prize -- but it was certainly my favorite.  I've been listening to Joel's music non-stop since Saturday and that proves the success of the show.  (It also made me long for a new cd...but I respect him for realizing that he may have said all he had to say musically.)  I look forward to seeing Joel live again and may have to head up to Madison Square Garden in the future to check him out on one of his monthly shows there.

(Note:  Gavin DeGraw opened for Joel...the less said, the better...)

Billy Joel Setlist -- Citizens Bank Park -- August 2, 2014
1.  A Matter of Trust
2.  Pressure
Your Song -- snippet
3. The Entertainer
4. Vienna (Audience choice selected over Summer, Highland Falls)
Gonna Fly Now -- snippet
5.  Zanzibar
6.  The Longest Time (with Boyz II Men)
7.  New York State of Mind
Expressway to Your Heart -- snippet
8.  Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
9.  Goodnight Saigon
10.  Allentown
11.  My Life
12.  She's Always a Woman
13.  We Didn't Start the Fire
14.  Highway to Hell (full song sung by Billy Joel's roadie)
15.  Don't Ask Me Why
16.  Scenes From an Italian Restaurant
17.  The River of Dreams (featuring "Summer in the City")
18.  Piano Man

Encore
19.  Uptown Girl
20.  It's Still Rock and Roll to Me
21.  Big Shot
22.  You May Be Right
23.  Only the Good Die Young

What I'm Listening To - "Fuse" by Keith Urban/"Tornado" by Little Big Town

I don't post much about music and that will certainly be a trend that continues, however, with this blog being the "entertainment diary" that it is, I wanted to post about a concert I attended this past Saturday.

While I wouldn't consider myself a huge fan of country music, I've grown to enjoy some artists over the past five or six years and it's become a genre that won't cause me to cringe when I hear it come on the radio.  Still, when it comes to country music, I really only listen consistently to three or four artists and when I heard that two of them were coming on a "double bill" to the Susquehana Bank Center in Camden, New Jersey, I jumped at the chance to see them for what I considered a bargain price.

So, my brother and I ventured into the lovely city of Camden to check out Keith Urban's Light the Fuse tour with opening act Little Big Town.  Having already seen Little Big Town twice, I was much looking forward to hearing their harmonies blend together beautifully again, but, considering they were Urban's warm-up band, I was expecting maybe a half dozen songs from them.  Much to my surprise and delight, we were treated to a dozen numbers -- many from their year-old album Tornado.  Considering this was the first time I was seeing them in a stadium setting (let alone an outdoor stadium setting), I was a little wary about how they'd sound.  [And when the first opening act Dustin Lynch performed, I couldn't understand a word he was saying...which is why since I don't have anything nice to say about him, I'll just pretend like his gig didn't really exist.]  My worries were unfounded, however, as they proved to me (once again) why if I were pressed to name my favorite current band, Little Big Town would take the crown.  To me, they're a modern day Fleetwood Mac, which is further exemplified by the fact that at every one of their shows they perform a kick-ass cover of that band's "The Chain."  They managed to successfully make their more upbeat songs take on a more pulsing sound filling the arena, while at the same time making their slower numbers feel incredibly intimate.  Despite the fact that they've seemingly grown exponentially over the past year in popularity thanks to their biggest hit yet "Pontoon" (which also happens to be one of my least favorite singles of theirs to date), I'm somewhat selfishly hoping that their concerts still remain rather cheaply priced so I can continue supporting them in the future.

Little Big Town would've been worth the price of admission alone for me, but the addition of Keith Urban was just icing on the cake.  Current American Idol judge Urban always seems like a genuinely nice guy and that persona certainly was present on the stage.  Backed by five gigantic vertical screens (seen above when Urban does a "duet" with the members of Little Big Town), Urban's set had an energy that never died down when he was on the main stage.  However, when the country star hiked out to the back of the stadium to play three of his biggest hits in front of the crowd on the grass lawn, the buzz in the seated section died down considerably.  Perhaps it was just my lack of any view and while I can certainly appreciate the journey out to give the "cheaper seats" a close-up view, it did bring the set down a tiny bit from my seats.

That aside, Urban puts on a great show interacting a little bit with the audience and performing a nice mix of songs from his previous albums and his new album Fuse released just this past Tuesday.  Urban is well known for his guitar-playing prowess and that was on display in full force here.  Complete with a camera mounted on his guitar's neck to give the audience a fantastic view of his technique, Urban and his band really rocked out for a little over two hours straight.  I will say that while I'm a big fan of Urban's softer side, when he played something like his "You'll Think of Me," the intimacy of the album version was missing.  I'm not quite sure you could ever feel the quietness and calmness a song like that requires in a large stadium venue (although Little Big Town succeeded in that department), but Urban was a bit more winning during his upbeat songs.

Undoubtedly, I'd go see both Little Big Town and Keith Urban again should they tour together or individually in the future.  A solid show absolutely worth the price of admission.

Keith Urban Set List

1. Instrumental
2. Long Hot Summer
3. Sweet Thing
4. Cop Car
5. I Told You So
6. Stupid Boy
7. Even the Stars Fall 4 You
8. You Gonna Fly (duet with Little Big Town)
9. Without You
10. Good Thing
11. Kiss a Girl
12. (Lawn) Won't Get Fooled Again (The Who cover)
13. (Lawn) Days Go By
14. (Lawn) Rumor Has It (Adele cover snippet, sung by band member Jerry Flowers)
15. (Lawn) Once in a Lifetime
16. (Lawn) Born to Run (Bruce Springsteen snippet)
17. (Lawn/Main Stage) Better Life
18. Boys 'Round Here (Blake Shelton cover)
19. Some Nights (fun. cover, snippet sung by band member Danny Rader)
20. You'll Think of Me
21. Little Bit of Everything
22. Who Wouldn't Want to Be Me
23. Somebody Like You
24. (Encore) But for the Grace of God
25. (Encore) Keep on Lovin' You (REO Speedwagon cover)
26. (Encore) Tonight I Wanna Cry
27. (Encore) Locked Out of Heaven (Bruno Mars cover snippet, sung by band member Brian Nutter)
28. (Encore) You Look Good in My Shirt

Little Big Town Set List

1. Little White Church
2. On Fire Tonight
3. Bring It on Home
4. Pavement Ends
5. Sober
6. Front Porch Thing
7. Your Side of the Bed
8. The Chain (Fleetwood Mac cover)
9. Can't Go Back
10. Tornado
11. Pontoon
12. Boondocks

What I'm Listening To - Maroon 5

I'll be honest...I went from looking forward to seeing Maroon 5 to dreading it about 8 hours before their show on Monday, November 16, at the Bob Carpenter Center at UD. Having seen The Swell Season a week before and absolutely loving the venue and the vocals, I wasn't really in the mood for the pure pop (however catchy it may be) and high-pitched vocals of lead singer Adam Levine.

Let me just say I was pleasantly surprised. The band sounded pretty darn good and I was impressed that the vocals were (a) actually much less nasally than I thought they'd be, and (b) actually able to be heard (I thought the echoes of an "arena" would cause the lyrics to be unrecognizable). Singing in a seemingly lower key than on their albums, Levine kept the energy up during the first five and last five songs.

However, I was a little bummed that the band went acoustic for four songs in the middle. Listen, I'm a fan of an acoustic "break down" of a song, but why put them all in one segment of your act? I mean, your act's only 80 minutes anyway, why not plug the acoustic numbers in here and there. Having them as a big chunk in the middle really brought down the energy of the crowd and by song #4 of the "acoustic set," I was bored. (And I'm still not sure I'm a fan of the country-fied, acoustic version of "Wake Up Call" of which you can find some awful quality videos on youtube...the normal video for the song is below.)


Other than the disappointing set of acoustic stuff, I resented the fact that college kids think it's cool when someone says "fuck." Why applaud every single time the lead singer drops the F-bomb? It's not cool...and it felt really pandering that he kept repeating it simply because the "kids" loved it so much. And I know every single singer does it, but I can't help but feel that they're always disingenuous when they say "You're the best effin' stop we've had on this tour...if you don't believe me, check out the vids on effin' youtube...I don't say that everywhere I go." Everyone ate that shit up when it was said, but it just caused my eyes to roll.

Still, despite the issues, for $20 I had a damn good time.

What I'm Listening To - The Swell Season

I went to see Paul McCartney earlier this year and it was pretty awesome to see a legend. That being said, the sound quality in a stadium setting was good, but loud and overbearing.

Last Sunday, I went to see my current favorite group, The Swell Season, and was absolutely amazed at the sound quality at the Merriam Theater in Philadelphia. The stellar acoustics along with lead singer Glen Hansard's spot-on vocals provided one amazing night of music.

Seriously, nearly every song produced chills for me. From the older stuff from the movie Once to the new songs from the just released album "Strict Joy", the set list was a treat. Even the Willie Nelson and Van Morrison covers were great (especially the latter...man, Glen on the guitar during the Van Morrison cover...wow...didn't know people could strum that fast...).

If there's one fault that could be mentioned about the whole evening, it would be that I wish Markéta Irglová would have talked a little more...or at least acted a little more excited to have been there...I get that she's a shy gal, but you could've mustered a little enthusiasm. That being said, Glen more than made up for her. Speaking with the audience regaling us with some nifty anecdotes, having us sing along during three numbers (which was really kind of haunting and lovely)...man, I had a great time and will be right there when they make a return trip to the area.

Let me just add that the lighting was also a treat. There were simple wave-like boards at the back of the stage that changed colors (red=angry, white =happy, etc) throughout...I realize that's petty, but it enhanced the atmosphere for sure.

Seriously, this show made me love this duo (who were backed by Glen's band The Frames) even more. I just can't get over Glen's vocals live. Just amazing.

The set list is below (thanks to my brother for making it while watching the show) and I've included a few youtube videos of some of my favorite songs along with some random musings (once again, I realize this is a little self-serving and won't appeal to my "multitude" of readers, but I'm keeping track of this for my sake).

1. Fallen From the Sky - Glen with his guitar and Marketa with a tiny Casio keyboard alone kneeling onstage.
2. Lies
3. Feeling the Pull - Harmonica!

4. Low Rising - With this song, the rest of Glen's band, The Frames came onstage. Video of this great song is below.

5. Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain (Willie Nelson Cover)
6. The Rain
7. The Moon - Glen was talking to me when he discussed the meaning of this song (obviously, not really, but my fellow concert-goers got a good laugh as Glen spoke...I never thought a discussion about vampires would relate to me, but it somehow did).
8. If You Want Me - Markéta's chance to shine.
9. Fantasy Man
10. Leave - And just like the song title, everyone leaves Glen alone onstage as he tackles four songs alone.
11. Say It To Me Now
12. Back Broke - Glen invites the audience to sing along...beautiful...
13. Astral Weeks (Van Morrison Cover) - Just amazing guitar work here by Glen

14. Irish "Love Song" Violin solo - Really only here so Glen can rest his voice
15. I Have Loved You Wrong - A beautiful song from Markéta...I love it...my fellow concertgoers, not so much...as evidenced by the 25 year-old "grandma" falling asleep next to me...

16. When Your Mind's Made Up

Encore
17. Falling Slowly - Their Oscar-winning number...Loved it...
18. Some new song not on the new album
19. High Horses -- Audience sing-along again!
20. Song by Doveman (opening act) - Um...Doveman...no thanks...
21. Red Chord
22. Some Irish Drinking Song

What I'm Listening To - "Nights in White Satin" by The Moody Blues

So I went to see my third concert of the year (I think that's more concerts in this year alone than I'd ever seen prior to this year) last Friday. My pop's favorite band of all-time, The Moody Blues, dropped by the Borgata Casino in Atlantic City as part of their Summer 2009 tour.

The band, while certainly getting up there in age sounded fine, although I do feel they were "perkier" when I saw them last year at the Tower Theater in PA. The sound system at the Borgata Event Center sucked. You had to strain to hear their vocals (had I not known the songs, I would've likely not known what they were saying). The drums and bass just echoed throughout the ballroom -- which is what it was...a ballroom that the Borgata puts bleachers into for their concerts.

Unfortunately, coming off of the Paul McCartney concert just three weeks ago, The Moody Blues were bound to suffer in comparison, but I still enjoyed myself thoroughly. I will say that I thought it the band started off their show in an odd way. After a recognizable first song, the next four things that they played were absolutely lesser known tunes. Part of me was happy that it was a significantly different playlist than the last time I saw them, but not knowing the first songs (and not being able to actually hear what they were singing because of the crappy acoustics of the ballroom) started off the show on the wrong foot. That being said, they definitely kicked things up a notch after song #5. By the end, I was totally into it, though, and it was worth the price of admission.

Below is a music video for their best known tune "Nights in White Satin." The video is a condensed version of the song which in its regular form runs for over seven minutes. Below that is the corny music video for the corny song "I Know You're Out There Somewhere." I realize that it's pure cheese, but it's quite possibly my favorite Moody Blues song for some odd reason.

What I'm Listening To - "Live and Let Die" by Paul McCartney

UPDATE: 4:00 PM 8/7/09 --

All I can say is that should you ever get an opportunity to go and see Paul McCartney in concert, I wouldn't hesitate. This guy's 67 years old, yet he showed no signs of slowing down. He played for over two hours straight (not taking a swig of water the whole time), then came back for two encores.

Playing a mix of Beatles, Wings, and solo music, Macca was a joy to watch. He had a great rapport with the audience, telling little anecdotes in between songs. He certainly hadn't lost any of his well-known charm as the middle-aged women all around me were seen smiling and swooning over the guy.

He kept things simple -- he had a drummer, keyboardist, bass player, guitarist, and himself. The stage was flanked by two large vertical rectangular screens which showed live video of the concert (so we could actually see facial expressions). There was also a large rectangular video screen behind him, but from my position, I couldn't see the screen very well. Despite the stadium setting (the show was held at FedEx Field in Washington, D.C.), the show was kept low-key...with the exception of some fireworks during the kick-ass "Live and Let Die," it was all about the music...nothing flashy.

In terms of music, I obviously was most familiar with the Beatles tunes. He started out with "Drive My Car" and hearing the crowd go "Beep Beep, Beep Beep, Yeah!" was a hoot. I enjoyed the acoustic start to "Something," which then got kicked up a notch when the second verse came around. Along with the rocked-up version of "Paperback Writer," my other favorite was the Wings classic "Live and Let Die." That cheesy song is always a winner in my book. His use of pyrotechnics, the video screen rapidly flashing between pictures, Macca on the piano...something I'll never forget.

The place was electric. I certainly haven't been to many shows, but I wonder whether I'll be able to see anything that will match the "feeling" that was generated in this stadium. Thousands upon thousands of people singing "Hey Jude" may seem incredibly corny, but it really was awesome.

So, Happy Anniversary to my parents (my dad surprised my mom with tickets for their anniversary), and thanks for letting my brothers and I tag along with you. It was certainly something that I will always remember.


UPDATE: 3:40 AM -- 8/2/09 -- Sir Paul kicked ass...update forthcoming later this week, but suffice it to say, I'm not sure any future concert I attend will be able compare with this...

ORIGINALLY POSTED: 8/1/09 -- I'll be in the presence of (rock) royalty this evening. I'll update upon my return...I gotta say, I'm moderately excited about seeing honorary knight Paul McCartney in concert. I mean, like or dislike the Beatles, there's no denying their effect on music. Admittedly, I fell into the "the Beatles are overrated" category for a long time, but I've grown to appreciate them much more in the past few years.

Here's a little taste of Sir Paul, singing his Oscar-nominated James Bond tune, "Live and Let Die" (see, I'm trying to keep it movie-related here). The song is incredibly cheesy and feels like three different songs mashed together into one, but I love it for some unknown reason.



Anyone wanna place bets as to whether they think they'll be the requisite Michael Jackson tribute with a little "Say, Say, Say"?

What I'm Listening To - "Whyyawannabringmedown" by Kelly Clarkson

**Reposted**For some reason, this page was making it so I couldn't look at my blog without it freezing up while on vacation, so I had to remove it.**

Despite the fact that it's the highest rated show on television, I understand that's uncool musically to say that you listen to music from artists that have found success from American Idol. But, as you likely know, I'm not exactly the epitome of "cool" (at least musically...you all know that I exude coolness in all other areas of my life). So, that's why Kelly Clarkson pops up as an artist that I'm listening to. She released her newest album -- All I Ever Wanted -- a few months ago, but I just got around to listening to it within the last three weeks or so. The album itself is a mix of pop, techno, and rock that doesn't necessarily work as a whole. As individual songs, however, these lightweight tunes are all pretty good (if you're into that "lightweight pop" kinda thing.

To me, the track that stood out is decidedly the most "rock" I've ever heard Clarkson sing. Take a listen to "Whyyawannabringmedown" below.

I will say that the sound quality of the youtube videos I could find of this one were not stellar, so on the actual album, it sounds quite a bit better. Apparently it's one of Clarkson's favorite songs from the album and I'm perfectly okay if she heads for this "rock-ier" direction rather than the techno-ish pop route.

Then again, that techno-y pop thing is where she's most well known. The first single of of the new album "My Life Would Suck Without You" kind of goes that route (not quite techno, but it's got the driving beat of that genre, in my opinion). I must admit that it took me a bit to warm up to the song, but now I enjoy it quite a bit.

Kelly Clarkson - My Life Would Suck Without You (Official Music Video) - The most amazing videos are a click away

Yeah, I realize that these aren't necessarily "classic" pop songs, but I'm enjoying them at the moment and I guess that's all that matters, right?

What I'm Listening To - "I Get Around" by Dragonette

A buddy convinced me to join last.fm -- a website that essentially tracks the music that you're listening to on your iPod or via iTunes (that link above will take you to my homepage on the site). While it's embarrassing enough to see Hanson's "Where's the Love" or Britney Spears' "Toxic" pop up multiple times (both of which have been "favorited" on the website by me...you will never convince me that those two songs aren't pop classics), it also has revealed one song as a clear favorite of mine in recent weeks.

I had never heard of the Canadian electropop band Dragonette prior to a few months ago, but their song "I Get Around" is my number one played song of the past two months. Take a look at the low budget video below...but be warned of mild lesbianism (I can see the guys clicking on the video as quickly as possible now...just so you're not disappointed, I did say mild lesbianism)...

Alright, so the video's nothing great, but I love the retro pop sound. Had you asked me six months ago, I likely would've hated this song, but I'm probably getting corrupted by outside forces like my brother.

Below is another song of theirs - "Get Lucky" - that has quite a different sound...much more innocent and "folksy" (although not really folksy at all, but much less "electronic sounding" than the song above).

Certainly a different sound than previous "What I'm Listening To" posts have shown of my musical tastes.

What I'm Listening To - "Fine Line" by Little Big Town

A country Fleetwood Mac is the best way to describe the two guy-two girl quartet of Little Big Town.  Definitely country, they also certainly have roots in 70s rock, as evidenced by their concert that I just returned from, where they covered the aforementioned Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain" and The Eagles' "Heartache Tonight."

What I love about the group is the great harmonies.  Sure, it's easy to sound good on a cd, but I was very impressed with the group's live vocals this evening, particularly at the end of the touching "Lost," where all four of them put down their microphones and sang a cappella without any amplification whatsoever.   While the crowd at the venue was incredibly subdued (singer Karen Fairchild criticized the seemingly elderly crowd by telling them they weren't in a Baptist church so feel free to stand up -- seriously, my brother and I were definitely on the low end age-wise), the group still put on a great show, singing nearly non-stop for an hour and forty-five minutes.  Admittedly, I felt a little bad for the group as the lower section (we were in the balcony) seemed filled with grandmas and grandpas and they wouldn't even clap for these guys.  About halfway through, the crowd finally started to liven up a little, but they didn't go crazy until their last (and most well-known) song "Boondocks."

Oh, well.  I'd definitely go see this quartet again.  Not that I go to a lot of shows, but I was entertained for 100 minutes and that's all I can really ask for.

Their single "Fine Line" from their latest album is below.  Followed by their most well-known song, "Boondocks."  (I realize no one that reads this blog likes country music, so no hurt feelings when you don't listen to them...)
  Little Big Town More CMT Music More CMT Music Videos

Little Big Town   More CMT Music   More CMT Music Videos

What I'm Listening To - "Gunpowder and Lead" by Miranda Lambert

I realize that country isn't a genre that is widely loved by those that I know are reading this blog (and the one person that I know is reading it and likes country music isn't a fan of this particular singer). However, I've grown to appreciate the down-home Southern vibe in recent years. Now, I can't say that I'm a fan of the twangy country and Miranda Lambert is as twangy as I can handle.

Miranda is just about the only artist to blossom from the reality show Nashville Star and she didn't even win the thing. Her second album Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is where she really came into her own. Miranda wrote or co-wrote all the songs on the album and there's not a bad one in the bunch. The Washington Post agreed with me, saying it was one of the top ten albums of 2007. Her single "Gunpowder and Lead" was just nominated as Song of the Year at the Academy of Country Music awards and it deserves to win. This single really showcases that she's the "bad girl" of country music. I mean, where else (but in country music) would you hear the lines "I'm goin' home, gonna load my shotgun / Wait by the door and light a cigarette"? I mean, come on...classy stuff, right? I joke, but this is (and this is totally embarrassing to admit this) probably my favorite song of the aughts ('00s). Take a listen and (dis)agree with me. Unfortunately, no official music video was created for this one, so you'll just have to listen to the song below, if you so desire.

Gunpowder & Lead - Miranda Lambert

A little mellower side of Ms. Lambert can be seen in "Famous in a Small Town" below.

Miranda Lambert   More CMT Music   More CMT Music Videos

The whole Crazy Ex-Girlfriend cd is stellar. I eagerly look forward to Miranda's next album (it's been nearly two years...anxiously waiting here...).

What I'm Listening To -- "The Show" by Lenka

I guess this we're going into pop this week -- not pop in that Britney Spears-sense, mind you. Australian singer Lenka released her self-titled first album in September 2008 and the video below is for her first single, "The Show." Personally, I think the video is just as good as the song...there's no denying the sweet, sugary pop component that's present in them both.


The Show - Lenka

The way she says "can't" has me swooning over her for some reason.

The video for her second single -- the somewhat creepy "Trouble is a Friend" -- is below. Another neat video that does an incredible job of mirroring the tune and lyrics of the song.



Come on...with puppet birds and puppet vegetables in the first video and shadow puppets in the second, what's not to love about Lenka?

What I'm Listening To - "Abracadabra" by Robin McKelle

Delving into jazz this week...I don't even know how I came across Robin McKelle, but I think it was via iTunes.  Her name was under a "People Who Listen to xxx Also Bought This" column.

Robin McKelle is new to the scene (and let's be honest, I'm sure jazz singers aren't a hot commodity in the music video world), so not much is available online showcasing her talent. The above is a cover of the Steve Miller Band's "Abracadabra" from her 2008 album Modern Antique. It's definitely a good sample of her voice and the reworking of the song is better than the original, I think.

Unfortunately, that's all I could find (admittedly, there's another music video, but it's kinda odd, so no link is going up here), but you can discover it on youtube if you so desire. It's unfortunate because my two favorite songs of hers -- "Comes Love" (a catchy Latin-tinged number) and "Remember" (a self-penned ballad) -- are unavailable in even live performances online.

Both Modern Antique and her debut album Introducing Robin McKelle are available to listen to and purchase on iTunes.

What I'm Listening To - "Home" by Marc Broussard

A meld of rock, country, pop, soul, and blues, New Orleans native Marc Broussard is a new favorite of mine. Full disclosure -- I discovered him while flicking through the channels and stopping on Country Music Television. But don't let that fool you. If he is country (which isn't how I would classify him at all), he's definitely different than any country I've ever listened to (of course, the only embeddable video of his first single I could find was from Country Music Television's website).

"Home" is from his 2004 album Carencro, and it's definitely Broussard at his best.

Marc Broussard More CMT Music More CMT Music Videos

The pulsing drumbeat leads to one of my favorite bridges in music which starts at 2:20 in the video above ("Hot damn" as Marc himself says).

Trying to provide you with another song by Marc proved difficult. He's only made three music videos and the other two were for songs that were just okay. There's a ton of live stuff on youtube, but the quality isn't the greatest.

But, below is another favorite of mine and the sound quality is actually not bad. Here he is performing a cover of Marvin Gaye's "If I Could Build My Whole World Around You" off of his soul covers album S.O.S. Save Our Soul.



I've never heard of this Toby Lightman who he sings with here, but a quick iTunes search brought up the song "NASCAR Love (Let's Go Racing)" and I realized that I never want to hear from her again, regardless of whether she's any good or not.

What I'm Listening To - "Spiralling" - Keane

Possibly a weekly thing, I figured why not post some of what I'm listening to on my iPod...not that these songs will necessarily be current...they'll simply be my favorite song "of the moment." Music's much more subjective to me than visual media (I don't know why I feel that way, but I do), so no reviews here...



Keane's previous albums (what am I supposed to call them now? Albums still sounds right...) have been low key affairs with the piano as the focal instrument (their use of guitars is minimal -- it's pretty much just a piano, drums, and vocals). With "Spiralling" off of their newest cd, Perfect Symmetry, Keane definitely is moving in a different direction adding a definite 80s British pop sound to their repertoire.

Old style Keane is below -- "Somewhere Only We Know" -- just as good, but definitely different...