Tag: music

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the 31 best of 2007 – 23: Ricki-Lee Coulter – Brand New Day

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It is no secret that the “land down under” is full of some great surprises; for proof, just look at yesterday’s featured CD by the fabulous Kylie Minogue. Well, this next “diva” from down under found her start a little differently than Kylie; Ricki-Lee was one of the quite amazing contestants on Australian Idol. While people will continue to blast those shows for their fairly pegged vapid fluff, there is one thing that can’t be denied; these shows really do find people that can sing. Sure, there will always be the duds, but occasionally, there is a shining star in there, and occasionally, they are given the chance to shine… which is the case with Ricki-Lee.

On her second release Brand New Day,Ricki-Lee bursts from the marketing tool of the Young Divas, a group of fellow Idol outcasts brought together to showcase singing ability in covering old classics. However, after listening to Brand New Day, you can see why Ricki-Lee cut that cord, and moved back out on her own; she has a voice that deserves to do more than cover old songs from the 70s and 80s. Also, as my buddy Stu put it, Ricki-Lee left Young Divas because she knew she could do it on her own, and do it better; and you know what, she does.

With a voice that reminds me of talented singers like Mariah Carey, and fellow year-end list talent, Katharine McPhee, Ricki-Lee belts out song after song on a truly pop-tastic record. Some of the songs are twinged with the feeling of gospel turned up for a wider appeal, and when you hear Ricki-Lee belt out these songs, you will definitely feel like she is “taking you to church”. It is almost too much to believe that such a big voice could come out of such a small girl. Not only that, but with all of the beauty of girls like Lindsay Lohan, and of course Katharine McPhee, and the pop production of songs like “Can’t Touch It”, it is a surprise that Ricki-Lee isn’t burning up the charts in countries outside of her own. I read that she is expecting a UK release of her album soon, and I suspect that she will be a hit there as well. Ricki-Lee’s record is another great example of a fantastic singer coming together with people who know what to do with her voice; and do it well.

This is one of those albums that will give you enough to dance to, enough to lift your spirits, and enough to leave you feeling good. Overall, it is a great album through and through, and there really is only one song that I would ever skip; the whole CD is a great listen. If you are in for some great pop (and who isn’t at this point), turn your attention to the former Young Diva from down under; things are hot down there in Australia, and a lot of that heat is coming right from Ricki-Lee!

Favorite songs from Brand New Day:
Can’t Sing a Different Song
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/rl-cantsingsong.mp3]
Alone No More
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/rl-alonenomore.mp3]

Can’t Touch It, Take Me To a Place, and I Appreciate You. (click the link to go and see the fun video for Can’t Touch It)

Rating:

listen up!, mixed media, music musings, music suggestion

the 31 best of 2007 – 24: Kylie Minogue – X

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I will start by saying that I have never considered myself a “Kylie fan”. Sure, I enjoyed some of the songs from Fever (the album with the massive hit Can’t Get You Out of My Head); but other than that, I just haven’t really paid much attention to the “cult of Kylie”. Many friends have deemed me a “bad gay”, and said that I should have a corner of my gay card torn off for not owning all of Kyle’s albums, but I have never seen the allure… that is, until now.

Perhaps the 10th time is a charm for Kylie to attract me to her game, but there is something about Xthat really demands attention. There has been a lot of buzz around the internets praising this record, and I have to say, that I agree; it is really good. There are many different songs on here that really get you moving (like my favorite In Your Arms), and others that sound as if Janet Jackson was planning on recording them herself.

Kylie’s voice is so sweet and pristine, and she really shows us that the cancer has not dampened her spirits; now that she has recovered, she wants to have fun again. On X, she does just that, has fun, and cements herself as worthy of being referred to as a one named “diva”. Kylie really does have a huge following, and now I can say, that after falling hard and fast for X, I count myself among those that love Kylie. Even if I never go any further than this album, it is a great place to settle in, and fully enjoy my Kylie fix.

One thing that I really liked about this album, is that she isn’t afraid to do things that might disappoint her fans, but also might challenge them to love her more. Take for instance, the brilliant 2 Hearts; which I have read more than one account of a fan disliking. It is one of my favorites on the record, and I absolutely love that she worked with Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters on it (one of my favorite bands). All I can say, is that if this is what Kylie is all about, then I feel like I should have given her more attention before; but at least I am listening intently now. Last, but certainly not least, let’s not forget the dancing… there is a lot to to dance to on this record, so let’s get to the dance floor already; I’m in love WOOOOO!

My favorite songs from X:
In My Arms (BRILLIANT!)
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_1130_inmyarms.mp3]
Like a Drug
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/km-likedrug.mp3]
2 Hearts
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/km-2hearts.mp3]
Sensitized and Wow. (as promised; more music!)

Rating:

listen up!, mixed media, music musings, music suggestion

the 31 best of 2007 – 25: Siobhan Donaghy – Ghosts

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As one of two ex-Sugababes that released an album this year, Siobhan is definitely my favorite. Her voice is ethereal and powerful. I downloaded this album long before it was released on the suggestion from one of those fabulous pop sites, and I must admit, that I was instantly taken aback by how interesting many of the songs sounded.

Mostly, I was blown away at the production of many of the songs; they demand attention, in a very “night at the opera” way. Now, they are far from opera, but I can see Siobhan in a full regal outfit, performing a well thought out play, all while singing many of the songs from Ghosts.From the first amazing single, Don’t Give It Up, the record takes you on a futuristic journey through what I expect pop will morph into some day. Overarching synthesizers, violins, and backing vocals transform Siobhan’s music into a journey for the auditory senses; and I for one love the ride each and every time I put this disc on.

If you are a fan of Goldfrapp (thanks Stu!), without the intensity of Goldfrapp that usually turns me off, then Siobhan is your girl. The entire album gives me warm fuzzies all over, and each track begs to be played on repeat.

This is a very, very good (second) solo album from Siobhan, and if this is any indicator of what she is capable of, I can’t wait for more! Perhaps she is like Imogen Heap… hits her stride with the second go round!? All I know, I love Ghosts!

My favorites from Ghosts:
Don’t Give It Up (one of the best songs of all time!!), So You Say, Medevac, There’s a Place, and Sometimes. (click the links for youtube goodness!)

Rating:

five song friday, listen up!, mixed media, music musings, music suggestion

shhh… it’s a “secret” “bonus” 5SF!!

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Well, I know that I said that I wasn’t going to be able to do any 5 song Fridays this month, because of the ginormous countdown, but after it was suggested that I include some music from the CDs that I have been pimping, I figured that this would be a GREAT opportunity to recap, and do just that; bring the music!

So, I picked 5 tracks from 5 CDs that have already made the countdown, and without too much flash, or pomp and circumstance, here they are: (and don’t fret, today’s CD will be up later!)

Instead of getting on about each track, I will just refer you back to the reviews that I did for each CD. Each of these songs are what I would consider to be pretty much my favorite tracks from each corresponding CD. Maybe these songs will draw you into checking out these great albums too!

Matt Nathanson – Bulletproof Weeks (countdown post)
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_126_bulletproof.mp3]
Girls Aloud – Girl Overboad (countdown post)
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_126_girloverboard.mp3]
Tracey Thorn – Nowhere Near (countdown post)
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_126_nowherenear.mp3]
The Shins – Red Rabbits (countdown post)
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_126_redrabbits.mp3]
Hilary Duff – Outside of You (see! I told you it was brilliant!) (countdown post)
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_126_outsideofyou.mp3]

Enjoy! Now… back to our regularly scheduled end of year countdown!

listen up!, mixed media, music musings, music suggestion

the 31 best of 2007 – 26: Hilary Duff – Dignity

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I will be the first to admit that I initially wrote Hilary Duff off, especially after one of her biggest hits to date happened to be a kind of annoying song called “So Yesterday”. However, when I heard the lead off single for her new album Dignity,called With Love, I was instantly intrigued; could there be more to this girl than I once thought? Well, after hearing the song over and over, I really started to like it, and I pledged myself to give Hilary another chance. What I came to realize when I got Dignity, was that there really was more to Duff than I had previously thought.

Now, let me get this out of the way, before those that are scratching your head wondering why Hilary Duff’s album is on my best of list wonder just what brought me to this inclusion; despite what you want to think, this album has more than a few hits. Is the album perfect? No. In fact, there are other albums that have hit the list earlier in this countdown that are much better than this album; but there are songs on this record that really garner more attention, and therefore, cause me to play them more. In fact, one of the songs in particular, Outside of You, is one of the best pop songs I have heard in years, and it is for star performances like that, the Dignity finds itself among my top records of this year.

While listening to Dignity, you really do realize that Hilary Duff isn’t totally like those other “Hollywood Starlets”; she doesn’t seem interested in the parties and paparazzi like other stars her age, and she is here to sing about why. Many of the songs exude a big F-U to that whole “attention-whore” attitude that many young stars seem to seek, and with more than a few tart-laced lyrics, Hilary clearly wants to separate herself from that lifestyle. She seems more intent on finding love, living her life, and just having a good time; all without the flash bulbs, problems, and pitfalls that afflict other girls her age that experience the same fame that she has found. While I can see how someone might think that she is being a bit hypocritical at times, I definitely see where she is coming from; Hilary hasn’t been to rehab, and isn’t flashing her cooch on the cover of a magazine, and that is because she has made a conscious effort to avoid it (unlike many of her Hollywood peers). Making it a main theme of her record is her way of saying how she feels about the whole thing, and I say good for her.

The other themes of the record clearly highlight some of what she went through when she broke up with Joel from Good Charlotte. When you hear what “really happened”, it reminds you that you never know what people go through; and especially famous people, because the all the media does is spin things for the purpose of a story. Again, this highlights the “problem” with being famous; you have to pay a price to get that fame, and Hilary is here to sing about her experiences. What’s great for the listener, is that she does it with a great affinity for pop; some of these songs are really great, despite a troubling story, or frustrated rant being the topic of discussion. There are a few duds on this record, but those are mostly overshadowed by the great production of the massive pop anthems that pop up throughout the record.

Having only seen her videos for Stranger and With Love, I am wondering why this record hasn’t propelled her higher as a pop singer, because there is more than enough material to rocket her into the pop spotlight. I for one, am glad that I gave Hilary another shot when I did, because Dignity is a great record, both for the way she tells her side of the story, and vents her frustrations with fame, as well as the superb production value on some pretty amazing pop songs. Seriously, some of these songs just demand your attention, and I am still surprised we haven’t heard more from this “new” Hilary on the charts and the airwaves; there is some really great material here, and it deserves to be heard.

My favorites from Dignity:
Outside of You (BEST song on the record, not to mention, one of the best pop songs in a long time), With Love, Stranger, Dreamer, and Between You and Me. (again, songs with links will take you to youtube-video-goodness!)

Rating:

all about me, listen up!, mixed media, music musings, music suggestion, venting

a note about my year end list (which is causing me a little stress)

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I want to start by saying that I have actually had a hard time trying to “list” out my top records for this year in “order”, because there are different things I like about each record, and to be completely honest and evenly fair, they really don’t compare. In fact, the further into this list I get, the more I realize that I am not ranking these records at all; if something gets 4 stars, it is getting 4 stars, and essentially, it is just as good as every other record that got 4 stars, and as such, it has made my year end list with a 4 star rating.

This is something that has become more apparent as I review these records, and listen to them again; where many of them leave me wondering why I don’t listen to them more, mainly because of how great they actually are. However, for whatever reason, some records are more “popular” with me, and as such, I have listened to them more, which, for whatever reason, had me hold out on listing them in a half-assed attempt to “rank” them. But no more.

I really don’t think that can compare the Shins and Hilary Duff; and I am not trying to. Both of those records I really enjoy, and they have both made my year end list, and both have 4 star ratings; each for reasons that are unique to those records. Man, rating and ranking things really does stress a girl out. So, from here on, just look at this less like a “rank” or “order”, and more of a list of the greatest from 2007… of course, star ratings definitely rank things, so focus more on that, rather than the order in which the record shows up on my list; and keep in mind that you can’t compare apples and oranges… so I’m not trying to. A four star is a four star, and a five star is a five star. In some cases (which will become more so with the “top” records, as I get closer to the end of this countdown), there really will be a “more enjoyable” factor that really will influence when and where a CD falls on this list; but for the most part, the star rankings are more indicative than anything else.

Whew! This has just been an unnecessary cause of stress; I know I feel better… how about you? I never thought that this would stress me out, but I suppose if anyone could, I know that I could find stress in something that is supposed to bring me joy. Oh the joy in that. Now… back to the list!

listen up!, mixed media, music musings, music suggestion

the 31 best of 2007 – 27: The Shins – Wincing the Night Away

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For whatever (stupid) reason, the Shins’ latest album initially wasn’t even in the running for my favorite records of the year; but then I listened to it again, and was like, “WTF? It totally should be!”. This is one of those albums that really sneaks up on you, because when you first listen to it, you DO realize how good it is, but you don’t really grasp how good it is until much, much later. That’s exactly what happened to me… it just took time; and thankfully, that time has come.

I have to say that I was very surprised that I liked this album as much as I did, and that it hooked me in the way that it did; both initially, and then again recently. I will openly admit that I was completely blind to that whole cult of the Shins before I heard some great songs in Garden State. After liking what I heard, I thought I would check out their stuff, but it wasn’t until I was standing in a record store, and saw their new release Wincing the Night Away,that I actually followed through with my curiosity. See, I am one of those people that goes through moods; sometimes I am just not in a place to be accepting of certain types of music, and the Shins are so different from what I was listening to at the time, that I wasn’t in a place to truly understand and embrace them. Not only are the vocals very inviting and comforting, but the layers of guitars, and beats really draw you into the rich landscape of the lyrical craft that the Shins musically portray. There aren’t many artists that I would even compare to them, because for me, they really have their own thing going; and that is not something you can say about very many artists these days. Sure they remind me of groups like Death Cab For Cutie and the Decemberists, but they do what even those groups do so well themselves; they carve out their own little corner in the music landscape, and make something truly interesting and good, and dare I say it, sort of unique to them.

On Wincing, some of the songs may be pretty dark themes, but they are all beautiful. It is hard not to sing along with the “la la la”s of the upbeat songs, because they really do hook you in. I am also glad that this is my first Shins album, because not only is it a great album, for me, it doesn’t come with the “cult of the Shins” pressure that the previous releases hold.

This album also has a lot of something that I love; there are a wealth of specific lines from songs that really grab you, and hold you to the floor, cementing themselves in your mind for days after you heard them. I love it when that happens, and the Shins really master that; from “we’ve pissed on far too many sprites, and they’re all standing up for their rights” to “because you had to know I was fond of you, fond of y-o-u”, they really have some great lines that really grab you and won’t let go. I am happy to say that this is one of those records that are like a fine wine; they get better with age, and get better with each listen. Now, it’s time to put the earphones on and listen to Wincing the Night Away!

My favorite songs from Wincing the Night Away:
Australia, Sleeping Lessons, Turn On Me, Red Rabbits, and A Comet Appears. (I thought I would follow my promise to bring some music to these, so click on the song with a link for the youtube video!!)

Rating:

listen up!, mixed media, music musings, music suggestion, the catch-all-egory

the 31 best of 2007 – 28: Katharine McPhee – Katharine McPhee

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Before I get to talking about the lovely Katharine McPhee, I have a question; would you guys that are following my list like me to add or subtract anything from these posts? I could add a song or two, or something like that. Just give me some feedback! We are a few entries in, and I want to see what people think; good or bad, let me know!

Alright, now to Katharine’s self titled CD, which comes in at number 28 on my best of 2007 list!

Like many other Americans, I have always found myself somehow sucked into the spectacle that is American Idol, and every year, I say that I won’t do it again; either because of the results, or the sheer absurdity of the competition itself. However, the year that Katharine McPheewas on the show, I was reeled in, not only by her beauty, but her amazing singing ability. The girl definitely has a voice, and until they handed it to Taylor, I really thought she might go all of the way, and win the competition; because she really was the best singer on the show.

Even though Katharine didn’t win AI, which I think may have been a benefit for her, she still hit the top two spots, which guarantees a record contract. However, after listening to her debut album, I have to think that since she came in second, she wasn’t obligated to make that “AI-winner record”. This is substantiated again, by what she released, and I must say, that I am glad she didn’t win; it is a great record. The songs are catchy, well written, and clearly showcase her beautiful voice and great singing ability. If you like pop music, you will really like this CD, because not only does she have a voice for pop, but they teamed her up with great producers and writers that were able to capture her talent.

There are many songs on the record that have a great upbeat feel, which is refreshing, since they tend to force these idols to sing ballad after sappy ballad. While there are definitely some ballads there, I am glad to see that they let her have a little fun. Some of the songs are just down right silly (Open Toes), but they work for Katharine, because she really convinces you that she is just a girl out to have some fun during a night out; mostly because she IS a girl that wants to have fun on a night out! There’s a reason many of these more uptempo songs work; they snagged great producers, such as Timbaland’s amazing protege Danja to work on them. As a friend of mine said about a few of those songs, “you don’t want to like them, but you can’t help it, because dammit, they ARE fun, and they do get you moving!”. It is so true, and it really is pretty consistent throughout her entire debut. Given what is going on throughout the rest of the world with regards to pop music, I have to say it: America doesn’t have a great track record for doing proper pop. Fortunately for us, Katharine McPhee’s debut is a huge check in the plus column of what good pop should be.

Finally, I must say again, that Katharine’s debut record really speaks highly of coming in second on AI; because (as evidenced by her record) you may not be trapped by that “tried and true” formula that they force on every idol winner. With her release, she has a record that is filled to the brim with radio ready singles, and even a few truly great songs that are ready for the club. I have loved her voice from the moment I heard her sing, and thanks to a brilliant album, I can enjoy it over and over again on my ipod. It is great to see a truly talented singer utilized for her ability; this truly is a great pop record, and I am very happy to have found it.

Favorite songs from Katharine McPhee’s self titled debut:
Love Story (one of the best singles of the year IMHO), Not UR Girl, Open Toes, Over It, and Home. (clicky-clicky linky-linky for youtube videos)

Rating:

mixed media, music musings, music suggestion

the 31 best of 2007 – 29: Tracey Thorn – Out Of The Woods

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As a long time fan of Everything But the Girl, I was really pumped to find out Tracey was releasing a solo record. Her voice is extremely beautiful and haunting, and I was curious to see what direction she would take with her solo effort.

After getting Out of the Woods,I wasn’t initially impressed; there were few songs that I liked, but nothing that really stood out as fantastic to me. However, after several listens, and after paying this record the attention it deserves, I fell in love with the nuanced performances Tracey delivers.

She manages to transform the trip-hop/electro sound that made Everything But The Girl a favorite of mine into her own statement. Her voice guides you through a story-telling landscape that speaks to sadness and longing; and paints a portrait that only her voice could. She is like a more sullen Annie Lennox; and it totally works.

If you are a fan of the later stuff Everything But the Girl did, especially the record Temperamental, I think that you will find that Tracey was obviously involved with crafting that sound. On Out of the Woods, she takes what she learned, and crafts her own melodic fairytale, and brings down mood quite a bit. The result is an almost rain-soaked journey through a trip-hop inspired storybook. If this is what Tracey can do on her own, I am looking forward to future solo efforts.

Favorite songs from Out of the Woods:
Here it Comes Again, Grand Canyon, Nowhere Near, and By Piccadilly Station I Sat Down and Wept, Raise the Roof.

Rating:

listen up!, music musings, music suggestion

the 31 best of 2007 – 30: Girls Aloud – Tangled Up

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To start, I must unfortunately state that this is not actually the cover of the most recent Girls Aloud release, Tangled Up,no matter how much I wish this fan created version really was (the real one is uber-plain and just downright boring). If you want to see that one, you can check it out on amazon.com… Now that I have gotten that off of my chest, I can begin to tell you about the campy goodness that is the new Girls Aloud album!

I first discovered Girls Aloud through my buddy Stu last year; which led to the best of Girls Aloud making my 2006 best of list. Needless to say, after my first listen, I was in love with this campy girl group. Formed from a TV show called Popstars: The Rivals in the UK, these girls have gone on to become an insanely popular and famous girl band in the UK and throughout other parts of the world. However, most American’s would be shaking their head and saying “Girls A-who?” if you mentioned them, but not this one; after everything I have heard, I am a tried and true Girls Aloud fan.

I will openly admit that I was super excited when I heard that they were releasing a new CD this year, especially after hearing the more “rock guitar” driven single “Something Kinda Oooh”, last year; in hopes that this would be the direction that they were moving with their sound. When the first single, Sexy No No No! was released, my suspicions were confirmed; this was going to be a record that moved fast, and rocked the pop. While I admit that I really did like Sexy No No No!, it wasn’t quite the hit that Something was, so I chomping at the bit to hear more from this power girl group. The second single, Call the Shots, did everything that the near perfect Sexy did not; it showed me that this was going to be a consistently good album, and I am hear to say that it definitely is.

If you have been a fan of Girls Aloud in the past, you will find your old friends up to their usual selves with this album; the pop doesn’t stop, and the bubblegum girls are putting it all out in full force from the first beat of the first song. There are a lot of really great tracks, most of which will get you moving in your seat, and overall, the disc is a solid effort from the girls. You’ll notice that most of the tracks carry out the same “rockish-pop” feel, which serves to unify the disc as a singular statement of manufactured pop done right. It also speaks of the vision of a handful of producers getting to go to bat with an entire record; and the result is a successful pop record.

What’s somewhat refreshing, is that this record represents itself as nothing more, and nothing less than pure “for the fun of it” pop. It is masterfully produced, and the manufacturing couldn’t be more pristine, which must have you wondering why I couldn’t give it a perfect 5 star rating. The fifth star is missing first and foremost, because of the strength of previous Girls Aloud hits that unfortunately, greatly overshadow more than a few of the tracks on Tangled Up. Secondly, the final song feels included for the sake of someone feeling that they needed something to close the record; which speaks to its lackluster, and out of sync feel (I think they should have just forgotten about Crocodile Tears all together). Finally, of the hard to ignore, tacked on bonus tracks, the remake of Teenage Dirtbag is downright painful to listen to. I don’t know what went wrong there, but it is really, really wrong. I do, however, feel the need to praise these girls for listening to their managers, and their producers, because the results they have delivered really do deliver in a big way; this really is pop at its best, and it is great to hear in an era that seems to miss the mark with pop so often, and so disastrously. Many times, you will have a hit or two thrown on a sloppy and downright pathetic album, but Tangled Up manages to highlight singles among many other potential single-worthy hits and other fun, well produced, backing tracks; (almost) all of which work.

Sure, there may be some critical “down the nose” view of “manufacturing pop”, but what better way to produce the best of something that is MEANT to be produced and manufactured? I can’t think of many groups better to do it than Girls Aloud; and with Tangled Up, they show us that they are more than capable of doing just that… delivering that pop that is just so, so good to my ears.

Song Highlights from Tangled Up:
Call The Shots, Black Jacks, Girl Overboard, and Damn.

Rating: