This week has gone by pretty fast, so there isn’t much to report today. So, without further adieu, let’s jump right into the music!
Mika – We Are Golden
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_87_mika-wearegolden.mp3]
This is the first single from Mika’s hotly anticipated follow up to his amazing debut, Life in Cartoon Motion. I saw lots of “eh” feelings on the blogosphere about this track before I got around to listening to it, and honestly, I couldn’t disagree more. The song has Mika’s trademark vocals, great pop sensibility, and an upbeat and happy nature that makes it unmistakably Mika. It sounds like he has had some more time to “craft” this next album, and is obviously up for taking some chances (the intricate layers and use backing multi-instruments) that he didn’t fully explore on his debut. Overall, the track is extremely catchy, and I think it is even more polished for radio than anything he has done before. Perhaps Mika is going a bit more “mainstream” with his brand of pop, but that doesn’t really bother me, because with We Are Golden, he is proving that he can do that, AND stick to what made me a fan of his in the first place; making great pop music.
Mr Hudson feat. Kanye West – Supernova
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_87_mrhudson-supernova.mp3]
Not too long ago, I wrote a tweet that stated the words “feat. Kanye West” meant that I would instantly skip a song. I have seriously ODed on Kanye, and I am tired of him, and even more tired of his droning form of “rap”, that lately seems to do more mucking up otherwise brilliant pop songs (see Keri Hilson’s Knock Me Down) than adding anything worthwhile at all. So imagine my surprise when I loved this track after finally hearing it. One very notable exception to my aforementioned beef with Kanye is his participation in this track; he actually sings, and it doesn’t distract away from Hudon’s brilliant pop track, and it doesn’t do what Kanye has proven himself so good at; completely taking the spotlight from Hudson and putting it on himself. I will give credit where credit is due, and say that it was my buddy John who first mentioned the greatness of this track, and it wasn’t until I finally saw the video that I actually gave it a chance. I’m telling you, Kanye needs to go away for a while so we can remember why we appreciated him so much in the beginning (I personally loved Kanye’s first two albums); people like me are completely turned off to his presence and will avoid even good stuff to steer clear. Too much is too much, and too much Kanye is what we’ve got right now. That being said, it’s subtle enough to still enjoy this track.
Muse – United States of Eurasia
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_87_muse-unitedstatesofeurasia.mp3]
I love Muse. I think that they are one of those bands that are crazy amazing, and should be on the tip of everyone’s tongue, but for some reason, they aren’t. I first heard them a few years ago when I stumbled on their release “Black Holes and Revelations”, and my only disappointment with that album, was to have discovered a full year after it was released (because it would have topped my year end list; it is completely flawless). Well, I have been waiting for a new album for Muse since I fell in love with that album, and it appears that my wait is almost over. After hearing this song, and reading what others are saying about the resemblance to Queen, I must say, that while I do hear it, I think that Muse definitely have their signature woven deeply throughout the track. They take an influence and turn it into their own epic rock opera. I also particularly love the almost Bollywood flair of the backing orchestrations, and the ending which takes you back to a Victorian palour where someone is sitting and playing a peaceful sonata. I expected that Muse’s new album would be amazing whenever it came out, and after hearing this first song from that record, I am even more excited for it to be released this fall.
Kellie Pickler – Somebody To Love Me
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_87_kelliepickler-somebodytoloveme.mp3]
I may alienate some of you with this one, because it is a VERY country song, but there is something about Kellie Pickler that I just adore, and when this song came up recently while my ipod was on shuffle, it gave me chills. The way that she gently eases into the chorus where she cries out that she just wants someone to love her, just grabbed hold of my heart and wouldn’t let go. I am a sucker for deep sentiment that comes in small packages, and this song is definitely an amazing example. The feeling and emotion in this song is echoed with her beautiful vocal, and it really forces me to constantly reconsider my “ban” on most things country (I ignore at lot of it, but admittedly, not all of it, and Kelly is firmly in the “do not block” column). Regardless if you like country or not, there is no denying the tender beauty that permeates every second of this song.
Eulogies – Two Can Play
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_87_eulogies-twocanplay.mp3]
This song reminds me a lot of other male/female folk-rock collaborations like She & Him, the Weepies, and the amazing pairing of Ben Gibbons and Fiest on The Train Song (which I posted a few months back). I love the sweet and tender vocals of the man and the woman, and the sweet melody and arrangement of the song makes for a delightfully fantastic pop song. I heard this song after seeing the SUPER CUTE video, and I knew that I wanted to hear more from the Eulogies. After checking out their recent release, Here Anonymous (from which this song comes), I was really pleased to have found another fantastic album that will probably end up somewhere on my year end best of list. Also, when I saw the video, I knew that recognized the beautiful female vocalist; she’s none other than fellow label mate, Nikki Monninger from the AMAZING Silversun Pickups. I just love when great musicians come together and make beautiful music, and this great track is certainly no exception.
I hope that you enjoyed this week’s selection as much as I do; they are all brilliant songs. As always, let me know what you’re spinning, and let me know what you thought about these tracks as well. Have a great weekend!
A little bit Pipettes, a little bit Sugababes, and a little bit Amy Winehouse, this track sure is chock full of fun, and great pop influences. Pixie is getting a lot of buzz over the UK, and I am going to do my part, and bring the buzz stateside. This song is a fun, danceable song that has a drum beat that reminds me a LOT of Imani Coppola’s amazing hit from the 90’s, Legend of a Cowgirl. Damn, there’s yet ANOTHER great influence. This girl is harnessing some great stuff, and making fun, relatable pop with it. Um, did I mention FUN enough?
I heard about this track from a 
I had a hard time getting into this track initially, because it really feels like stumbling onto some kids doing double dutch, and you are instantly asked to join in. The beginning of this song starts at a running pace, and you really have to already be at a good pace to catch up (and to maintain, this track will not slow down for stragglers!). However, when I did finally do catch up, and got to the airy chorus where she sings, “blo-ho blo-ho oh-oh oh-oh away”, I saw the greatness in this saccharine sweet pop track. I enjoyed A Fine Frenzy’s debut album, and if this is an indicator of her forthcoming effort, I think that I am going to enjoy it as well; perhaps even a little more. 
I will admit that I was originally drawn to Ryan’s EP because I thought he was cute; but I loved his smoky, deep vocals, and that is what got me to download it (think Chris Daughtry with more edge). Then, I kinda forgot it was on my ipod, and then Right Now came up on random one day, and WOW. I love how he uses familiar lyrics like, “we are strong, we are young”, and builds a MASSIVE rock and roll track for the youth of the world with Right Now. The message in this song of “cherish all that we have, for tomorrow may not come” goes from mere sentiment to power and stamina from Ryan’s amazing vocals. I’m defiinitly looking forward to more from Ryan in the coming months.
Yes. I posted a song by Aqua. The same Aqua that gave the world Barbie Girl. And YES. I am demanding that you listen to it, because it is FUCKING GREAT! Aqua recently released another greatest hits album, and while I wasn’t feeling the lead single (Back to the 80’s), this song REALLY stood out, and only has me questioning why they didn’t chose this gem as a comeback single? Either way, this is a great song that satisfies my nostalgia for earlier Aqua (and their particularly sweet style of pure-sugar driven bubble gum pop), and brings them into the here and now. Now, if they made more like this, I think we would all be ready for a whole album of new stuff, from Aqua! Take note!
This song isn’t actually on Florence + The Machine’s impressive new release, that is, unless you managed to get the deluxe (or extended?) edition, which is a shame, because this is hands down, the best song on the album for me. I love the way that it starts so soft, and the way that she builds with the beating drums and the pounding rhythms to crescendo; only to instantly screech to a halt and bring it back down again. The ache and wailing of her voice is nicely coupled with the sharpness of the beat; all of which make this track stand out more than any other on the album to me. Definitely a great reason to get the deluxe version!
I was checking out Sara’s website earlier this week to see what she was up to recently (I am wanting a new album soon, after all, I really love Sara B as you should all know by now), and she posted that she had collaborated with Ryan Tedder on this track and that it was now available on iTunes. One listen, and I can see why she was spreading the news; it is a beautiful song, and per usual, her vocals are amazingly beautiful. I have this weird relationship with Ryan Tedder, in that I like SOME of his stuff, but overall, I’m not what I would consider a fan. However, you put Sara Bareilles on the track, and I AM THERE. Beautiful song (even if I think she out sings him by a long shot…).
The vocals of this one remind me a bit of Biz Markie, but after seeing the video, I love how this nerdy white boy is laying down smooth classic R&B like this, and doing it so well. The music style reminds me a lot of the Delfonics, and I think it really does a great job of bringing such an amazing classic sound back into the limelight. Something about this song is just really sweet, and full of a sentiment that made me instantly love it. While the song has been out since last November, it just came across my desk this week, so I am delighted to pass it on to you.
It was kind of weird how I discovered Greg Laswell. I was supposed to go and see the AMAZING Elizabeth and the Catapult earlier this month at Edie’s Attic, and unfortunately, I bought tickets before I knew James and I were going out of town for a wedding. I put the tickets in a friend’s name, and went to see who else was playing with them to give her the heads up before she went. That’s where I saw a picture of Greg, and if you know anything about me, you would know that I am a sucker for a guy with a beard, so I instantly knew I had to go and check him out (even though I unfortunately wouldn’t be seeing him live). Well, I downloaded his most recent release, Three Flights from Alto Nido, and I was impressed with how beautiful an album it is! I love his musical style, which is very similar to Mat Kearney and even has touches of Hayden and Duncan Sheik to it. All in all, I discovered a new artist that I really like without even seeing him in concert, because I was supposed to go to the show, and couldn’t! Weird? Yes, but the music is fantastic, and at least I got to take that away from it (I wish I could have seen him live though).
Here’s my blast from the not-so distant past track for today. I realized this week that I hadn’t listened to Fiona Apple in such a long time, and as a huge fan of hers, I was wondering why, so I decided to remedy that. Well, after listening to Extraordinary Machine again, I recall just how happy I was 
I resisted La Roux for quite a while before she clawed her way into my heart with that shrill-ass voice coupled with a velvety smooth beat. While, as I mentioned, the vocals are something to definitely, um, “get used to”, the music is not. This song is definitely one that begs to be blasted from every car stereo as you drive about in the summer heat, and promises to fill dance floors throughout the land. The uber-catchy quality of this song is what allowed me to give it chance after chance, and eventually get used to the vocals (which it may seem that I am harping on, but cannot stress enough, you will get used to); the music is too fucking good to let it get in the way. This is definitely a “song of the summer” for sure.
Another massive song from Peter Bjorn and John, It Don’t Move Me didn’t “move me” when I initially nabbed their follow up to the wildly successful Writer’s Block. The album is noticeably darker, and the beats are almost angrier; but underneath, the same attention to detail and high quality music is clearly present. This song definitely shares more similarity to the songs from Writer’s Block than much of the rest of Living Thing, but it shows a musical maturity that is not only welcome, but totally refreshing. It has made me pay closer attention to Living Thing, which has turned out to be a good thing; fantastic, well crafted songs like this, are what make listening to music one of my favorite past times. 
HELL FUCKING YES, Imogen Heap is BACK! WAAAAY back in 2005, Imogen released her stellar sophomore album, Speak For Yourself, and while I didn’t hear it until some time later, it completely blew me away with how amazing it is. The most amazing song on the album, Hide and Seek, made me fall deeply in love with Imogen’s unique voice, and the manner in which she creates music that is not only beautiful, but unique and interesting. The rest of the album resonated very well with me, and made me a huge fan of her sound, and had me waiting with baited breath for a follow up. Well, that follow up is just on the horizon; her new album Ellipse will be released the day before my birthday, August 25, 2009. This is the first, and quite fantastic, single from the new album, and it harnesses her trademark sound from Speak for Yourself. If this is an indicator of how fantastic Ellipse will surely be, I expect it to be amongst my top albums of this year.
This is the little song that threw its lasso around my heart, pulled me in close, and comforted me like a warm blanket on a cold night. The tenderness of Toby’s vocals, coupled with the sweet folk-pop music makes for a beautiful ballad; one that only gets better with the super sweet sentiment of the lyrics. I should also say that there are several words that just make me happy when I hear them, especially in songs (for whatever reason, I don’t know…), and unfurled is one of them, and he uses it in the chorus; which obviously makes me happy. This is a sweet song with great sentiment, and highlights the surprising power in Toby’s vocals. It was a great random find.
I am going to go “old school” with you on this one. I discovered this song from an amazing little movie that most people have never even heard of: 
I was just listening to my ipod on shuffle, and a song from Daniel Bedingfield’s sophomore album, Second First Impression came up, prompting me to give it some well deserved attention this afternoon. I can’t believe that this record came out almost 5 (!!!) years ago, and there hasn’t been anything new from Daniel in that amount of time. This is one of those records that, for whatever reason, they never even bothered to release in the US, and it boggles the mind as to why; his sister is a huge success here in the states, and Daniel even had a few hits of his own accord! As I sit here listening, I have to scratch my head and wonder why we completely abandoned him when he released a sophomore album that was even stronger, and showed a musical growth that made it better than his initial release?! 
I wanted to post about this song, not only because it is incredibly beautiful, but because it really means something to me. LeAnn Rimes’ What I Cannot Change so succinctly sums up such a major issue for me, and does so with such elegance and grace, that it can’t be ignored. One listen to this song instantly gives me chills. It is one of the most beautiful, simply stated, and well put sentiments put to music that I have ever heard. 
Every once and a while, I come across a song so amazing and beautiful, that it literally gives me chills. This is one of those songs. The delicate guitar picking, the haunting vocals, and the gentle-folk quality of this song are pure perfection. The vocal arrangements of the singers is almost choir-like in its nature, but instead of sounding like church music, it comes across as a beautiful ballad with intricacies that make this a truly amazing find. I love it when I come across songs like this, and I realize I have stumbled onto something incredibly beautiful; which unfortunately, doesn’t happen very often. I couldn’t wait to post about this one!
Here is yet another song that I randomly stumbled onto this past week that completely took me by storm. I discovered Marina and the Diamonds by watching the the video of this song (
I don’t know what it is about this song that I love so much; the throw back sound, the weirdness of the oooo’s and ahhh’s, or the quirkiness of the track in general. It reminds me of bands like The Shins, Peter Bjorn and John, and even Vampire Weekend; all of which posses that interesting weird-ish quirk that intrigues me, and in this case, makes me love it. I saw how much hype was surrounding these guys earlier this year, and I scoffed at the time, but after hearing Two Weeks, I am definitely going to reconsider my position. 
What do you get when you take the vocals of someone very similar to Amy Winehouse, and instead of a throwback sound, you mix it with an truly danceable, pop-rock with almost and island feel to it? Why, you get this song!! I instantly loved the energy and the amazing vocal prowess VV Brown conveys in this massive song. I am sure that the UK radio will be burning up this track this summer (too bad it most likely will NOT make it to radio over here); as well as whatever is attached to my ipod. 
This song instantly struck me for its hat tip to the intense side of classic rock, but stood out because of the unique pairing of the male and female vocals. The song literally sounds to me like Chrissie Hynde joined the White Stripes; and in the process, made a fucking kick ass single. I am definitely keeping my ears open for whatever comes next from Band of Skulls, because this song is truly fantastic (I haven’t gotten to the rest of the album yet… so many songs coming on my radar right now!!!). Also, is it just me, or is the drumming on this track like a sick, amazing heartbeat-like rhythm that begs to be danced to?