Yay! It’s the month of my birth!! It’s also a damn fine Friday, in which music shall flow from your desktop speakers… I have five songs for you this Friday, some of which are interesting, but all of them are good listens. One of the songs is from a friend of mine (Deb), who shares a lot of the same music interests as I do. She got me to pay attention to this one recently, and so I wanted to include it this week for the rest of y’all as well.
Jay Brannan – Housewife
“I wanna be a housewife, what’s so wrong with that?”. This week, I’m pleased to be posting another fantastic song from Jay Brannan’s most recent release, goddammned. This song is a beautiful and completely honest declaration from Jay about the relationship that he wishes that he had, describing everything that one would expect if they were a housewife. I love hearing a boy sing a song about being a housewife, and declaring how he is ready for long term, settled down monogamy; all while humorously inserting realistic truths. I love Jay’s writing style, and I love the mellow feeling in his music… It’s always awesome when another great artist hits the scene, and even better when they are a fellow LGBT-er. Just a heads up: he says fuck a few times, so keep it low if you are at work.
Infadels – Free Things for Poor People
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_81_infadels-freethingsforpoorpeople.mp3]
This song was a total random find…. I downloaded this massive “indie” playlist a while back when I was trying to get an mp3 copy of Uh Huh Her’s amazing song so that I could feature it a few weeks back (I bought the track on iTunes, but my mp3 player on the blog doesn’t like DRM protected formats… foo). Well, I finally sat down to see if this playlist had any other gems, and I actually managed to find a few. One of those gems was this head bopping hit by the Infadels. I checked out a few other songs from their most recent release, Universe in Reverse (great cover art!!!), and they reminded me a lot of a group I LOVE, the Kaiser Chiefs. I haven’t had the chance to delve deeper into their record, but I am hoping to hear more great tracks like this one.
Blind Pilot – Go On, Say It
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_81_blindpilot-goonsayit.mp3]
I first heard this song because it was featured as a free download of the week on iTunes. Every once and a while, iTunes has a very, very good selection (most of the time, not so much), and this is definitely one of the better ones I have gotten free. After several listens, I get the same satisfaction out of this song that I get with other acts like City and Colour and Hayden. I love folk/acoustic music. I think that should be clear by now; and as such, here’s another group I can check out because of their great sound. Also, it should be noted that I really love the vocal stylings that these guys use; it is just purty.
Client – Lights Go Out
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_81_client-lightsgoout.mp3]
This is the song that my friend Deb introduced me to. I downloaded the record, and this is definitely my favorite song from the record thus far. I like the pumping beat, and the rock n’ roll nature of this track. I always regret not listening to her suggestions right away, because usually, they are really good, and I end up kicking myself down the line for not listening sooner, so I am glad that I paid attention this time. I love the intro to the song, because it totally sounds like it is going to be a big house number or some big old diva is about to hit the stage, and instead, they hit you with a marching beat, and some sweet lady-vocals. Nice track.
Ladytron – I’m Not Scared
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_81_ladytron-imnotscared.mp3]
I almost posted their song Ghosts, because that is the song that initially attracted me to Ladytron. However, I think that I enjoy this track much more; mostly for the beat and the distortion in the backing instruments. It’s funny, because every time I describe Ladytron, I end up saying that they are what the Cranberries would sound like, that is, if they Cranberries were better. Hear me out… I used to like the Cranberries, but the songs Linger and Zombie pretty much ruined it for me; Deloris O’Riordan’s screeching vocals repeating the same stuff over and over (Linger, linger, do you haf-to, do you haf-to; and Zombey, zombeieieieieieieiiieeeee) just makes me wish it would end. The reason they remind me of Ladytron, is because the lead singer’s voice is slightly reminiscent of Deloris’; but mostly because of the lady-Irish-y accent. Unlike the Cranberries, however, I am having a good time listening to Ladytron, however, so that is definitely a positive that I wanted to pass along to you guys.
Well, that’s all I’ve got for this week. We are still reeling from the amazing difference our new counters make, and I really appreciate all of the nice comments; they really do look amazing, and I couldn’t be happier. Well, maybe I could… if they were free, but alas, we must pay for things in life, so oh well on that one. Have a great weekend folks.
I’ll start by being honest about this song; I only downloaded their record because of how cute the cover was. Well, after listening to this song, I am glad that I took a chance, because they are fantastic!!! The lead singer almost sounds a bit like Paul Simon, although at times, he sounds more like the lead singer of Fountains of Wayne. Together with the female vocals, and the sweet melodies and gentle guitar, they craft a truly beautiful sound, and weave it throughout the record. I’ve only had the chance to listen to it a couple of times, but I am definitely liking what I hear with each subsequent listen. A great random find, if I do say so myself! 
If I could describe Lee Brice in one word, it would be GORGEOUS. I don’t normally fall so hard for country songs, but this one is sweet, and beautiful; just like the singer. This boy is MORE than easy on the eyes, I am literally in full on swoon mood when I see his 
This song is so simple, and so beautiful, and Jake’s voice is so hardened by contrast, that it is surprising when you first listen to it. His voice has this worn quality that really makes you listen to what he is trying to say. As he sings about his heart, and how he longs for love, you really get the sense that he has had some heartbreak in his life; which is again echoed in the well-worn nature of his voice. I love simple piano tracks like this one, and I am glad that I found this one to add to my music collection. Great song.
Oh man, I can’t believe that I re-found this one recently. This song was one of those break up songs for me, because the lyrics completely summed up how I felt, “you’ll never see me trying, because our love is so past tense.” Damn. I love Tina Arena’s vocals in the song, and love the beat. It was a moderate dance hit back when it came out, but I prefer this original version much better, because there is an emphasis on the lyrics, which are completely awesome. This is the ultimate kiss off song, so all of you that think I am hating on Katy Perry’s half-assed-bigoted attempt at the same, listen to this one and take note. Just the line, “I don’t even want to be your friend”, is the ultimate fuck you, ex-boyfriend. This song got me through some hard times, and I was glad to recently rediscover it in my music that was gathering too much dust anyway.
I actually stumbled upon Jamie’s new record JIM by accident; the cover looked interesting, so I downloaded it. I wasn’t expecting to hear what I did, however, because this guy has a ton of talent. There are jazzy, hip-hop influenced, and even soulful bluesy songs littered throughout his record. His voice reminds me a lot of Marc Broussard, but with a touch of Jay Kay from Jamiroquai mixed in. In fact, there are a couple of songs that sound like they were influenced by Jamiroquai, and they are fun, and well executed. Overall, the record is a great listen, and this is my favorite song from it. 
I seriously cannot get enough of this song. I randomly looked up something else (I can’t even remember what), and I saw a mention of Uh Huh Her, and how it was Leisha Hailey’s new band. Well, I LOVE her on the L Word, so I had to see what the buzz was about. What I found was a fantastic song, and upon listening to their previously released EP, I found a band that I am definitely interesting in getting to know more. This song is interesting, because of the distortion that they used with the synthesizers, it’s almost a little eighties, but at the same time, it isn’t. I can’t explain it. All I know is that I fucking LOVE this song, and I am having to stop myself from pressing repeat every time it comes up on my ipod. I cannot wait for their CD release, which is only a short time away; August 19th. 
Alright, this one totally caught me by a huge surprise. Those of you that use iTunes know that they randomly feature people on the main page, and occasionally, I will go and see what they are all about. Well, this guy had done an iTunes exclusive, and I saw his picture and though, “hey cutie… I want to see more of you!”. Well, I checked out his most recent record, Bring Me Your Love, and what I found was one of the best records of 2008. Seriously, there isn’t a bad track on it. His acoustic style is one of my favorite types of music, and I love the tenderness in his voice. This is my favorite song from the record, even though the subject is a bit macabre. Overall, I am glad my appreciation of a hot guy with a beard has led me to fantastic music… who would’ve thought?
I am very pleased to feature another out gay artist today (Leisha Hailey of Uh Huh Her is an out lesbian), especially being that it is Shortbus star Jay Brannan. After seeing Shortbus, I heard that Jay was a musician, and even heard a few songs by him, but nothing substantial was released until recently. His recently released CD goddamned is out on iTunes as of a week or so ago, and this song, which is the first on the CD, has me CAPTIVATED. I love the simplicity of the rhythm, and I love his tender and sincere voice. This song is great not only because it sounds great, but because of the realization that he can’t have it all, and the frustration from that he explores in the lyrics. Just a note for those of you listening at work, he does say fuck a few times in the song, so just be aware of that, okay? Man, I love this song.
First up today is a leaked song by the AMAZING Lady GaGa. I have been going gaga over this lady since I instantly fell in love with her infectious HIT Just Dance, and I have anxiously been awaiting new stuff to satiate my appetite for all things Lady GaGa. Well, I found this little gem out there on the internets, and I have been loving every second of it. So far, Lady GaGa’s record is my most anticipated record of the year; this song shows me that she is a huge talent that is going to really deliver. I can’t wait for the The Fame! Until then, I am MAD about Boys Boys Boys!!! (And how appropriate, a song about loving boys on Pride weekend!)
This is a definite blast from the past for me. I was thinking that I wanted to search my dance-music dominated past, and come up with my favorite song, and I will tell you that it was hard. I have a HUGE collection of dance music, and there are so many that really get me moving. However, when I heard this remixed version of Jessica Folcker’s hit, I knew I had to choose this one to include this week. Perhaps I will add more dance songs in nostalgia in the future after rediscovering this amazing song. I can still remember how I came to know this song… my friend Matt (a DJ) used to make CDs for his friends. Well, he handed me a CD one night, and told me simply, that the first song would make me cum. It was Jessica Folcker’s To Be Able To Love, and I can tell you, that I squealed with delight when I heard it. This song is dance music at its best.
Whoa. This song is a huge, fantastic SURPRISE!!! It has all of the energy and spunk that I love in groups like Paramore; in fact, the blazing guitar riffs, and the high range of the singer borrow a lot from that sound that I love so much. With this song, this “little Irish girl” is showing us that acts like Kelly Clarkson may have to step up their game, because they are no longer alone in this music scene. If there is any justice in this world, this song is going to be HUGE!!!! I love it and I can’t wait to see what Lesley has in store for us next. I have seen some buzz about her on the internets (specifically over at arjan writes), and all of the buzz seems to be the same; this chick is hot! Here’s hoping her album comes out soon, and we get to see what she’s all about! I like what I’ve heard on her myspace, so if that is any indicator, I can tell you I am definitely looking forward to more from Ms. Roy.
I briefly mentioned Alanis’ new album, Flavors of Entanglement last week; however, it was before I was able to truly absorb the record. I was (kind of) surprised to find a really decent effort from Alanis, not because I didn’t think she had it in her, but because of how different and ever changing her music has been in the past. Listening to Flavors, she has reminded me of why I liked her so much in the past; she has some great songs in her catalog, and with this record, she only adds to that list. This, so far, is my favorite song on the record. I love the softness of the song, and how her voice is so beautiful on it. I also love the lyrics. I am glad that Alanis is back! (Although, did she really go anywhere?!?!)
I can’t believe I am FINALLY featuring this song (I’ve been meaning to, but it kept getting pushed off of the list)! After seeing Rachael open for Sara Bareilles a couple of months ago, I have been absolutely smitten with this track, which in my opinion, is her most beautiful, honest, and touching. While some of her other stuff is a bit heavier than I like, this song is so light and beautiful, that you can’t help but love it. Rachael has some new material out now on an EP, and has a new album coming out this year. I can’t wait to hear it, because I really loved her in concert, and I like this album as well. This is one of those acts that not a lot of people know about, and when you hear them, you wonder why, because the talent is so clearly obvious. 