Tag: rihanna

five song friday, music musings, music suggestion, you tube

5SW: november 2

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Howdy! Long time no talk, eh? Well, things are going well here. I am on my own at work, and I am doing okay; I know that it’s going to take a while before I am fully comfortable with this whole nursing on my own thing. Other than that, I have been trying to enjoy my days off, as the days I am at work are so intense; when a nurse says that they work 12 hours, they WORK that 12 hours!! Overall, though, things are good with me, so I figured it was time to do a 5S-someday, already! I have some great stuff for you today too, so let’s get to it!

Florence + The Machine – Shake It Out

She’s back!!! While it took me a while to warm up to Florence the first time around, and perhaps it had something to do with the fact that everyone and their mom was telling me just how amazing she was, I eventually came around, and was all ears when her new album came out this week. So far, this is my favorite track off of Ceremonials, and it is a real mover and a shaker, which is the stuff by Florence that I like best. Great single; this one is sure to get her even more exposure (like she needs it… haha).

Jon McLaughlin – I’ll Follow You

This is what I have come to expect from Jon McLaughlin; beautiful, well written ballads (and he doesn’t disappoint). This is from his recently released third album, Forever If Ever, which didn’t pack quite the punch his debut did for me, but has some great stuff nonetheless; this being the best of the bunch for me. The arrangement on this track is just hauntingly beautiful; what can I say, I am a sucker for a great piano-driven ballad.

M83 – Midnight City

I really only heard about M83 with their last album, Saturdays = Youth, which I quite enjoyed, and after hearing this new single from their recently released double album, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, I am hooked back into their weird, ethereal sound. This song is too catchy to turn off. They are even using this song in the latest Victoria’s Secret ad; so I expect M83 to get pretty huge in the coming months.

Cher Lloyd – With Ur Love (feat. Mike Posner)

My buddy Stu turned me on to this song; it is perfect pop, and a major earworm! I love how cute and sassy this song is, and how adorable is Cher Lloyd? I wish that more British pop would make waves here in the states, but at least I have friends that keep me updated on the clearly better pop music being made across the pond. I can’t wait to hear what else this lady has in store with her debut album, out this month.

Rihanna – We Found Love (feat. Calvin Harris)

I have been hard on Rihanna in the past; perhaps a bit too hard. I made some amends when I professed my love for Only Girl (In The World), which I still think is one of her best songs to date. Well, I am here to make even more amends, because this may just be her best song to date. Calvin Harris’ magic has made this THE song of the moment right now. I have been playing this on repeat for a few weeks now, and I cannot get enough. RiRi, baby, as long as you keep this up, we might just get along in the end; who would’ve thought after Rude Boy that I’d say that? Not me, that’s who!

So what did you think of the 5 songs from today’s 5SW? I hope you enjoyed them; please let me know. Also, let me know what you are listening to; I am constantly on the hunt for new music!

five song friday, music musings, music suggestion

5SF: october 15

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Holy fuck! Two weeks in a row?! You bet your ass! Welcome to another, apparently fully revived, edition of the five song Friday, kids!! I have some slow stuff, some boy band stuff, and some dance stuff for you today, so we are going a bit all over the place today, if you’re up for it. I am glad that I was able to find a way to share the music again, because I love talking about music that I believe is worth praising; especially when most people wouldn’t hear about it otherwise. Here’s hoping you enjoy this week’s selection! Now, on to the fun…

Greg Laswell – Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
I love a great cover, and this one is fantastic. We saw Greg Laswell (finally!) live last week when he opened up for Sara Bareilles, and he played this little gem; which I had never heard, but apparently, has been on like 5 soundtracks. He performed this song amazingly live, and I immediately downloaded it when I got home from the show. I love how playful, and endearing it is; especially when you consider the Cyndi Lauper original, which I would have thought was almost impossible to improve upon. Well, Greg, you’ve done more than improved upon it, you’ve turned it into something delightful, and completely beautiful all on its own. I’m glad he played it at the show; otherwise, I might not have known it even existed. Listen to Girls Just Wanna Have Fun here.

Jeremy Messersmith – A Girl, a Boy, and a Graveyard
I have to say, I am a sucker for shows that use songs like this during some pivotal scene. I think this one came from the Vampire Diaries (totally guilty pleasure show), and I love that I could find it using that Shazam app on my phone. This song is beautiful, and whoever the music director is for that show, you are a genius (I’ve found so many great ones from you!). This song complimented the touching scene it was used in, AND got me to run out and buy this track soon after the episode aired. The song reminds me a lot of acoustic artists like Joshua Radin, but the vocal has an oldness to it, almost like a Simon and Garfunkel feel. Definitely a beautiful song, and one I’m glad to have been able to find! Listen to A Girl, a Boy, and a Graveyard here.

The Wanted – All Time Low
For as long as I can remember, I have been a sucker for boy bands. From New Kids on the Block back in the day, up through the Backstreet Boys, N*SYNC, and my overarching, undying love and devotion for Westlife, it’s no surprise that I keep my eye out for new boy-band driven pop. A lot of the time, the stuff that comes out is, well, less than stellar, but occasionally, a pure pop gem comes around; and that is what we have here folks. Will these guys be more than their predecessors? That is pretty doubtful, seeing as boy bands are still pretty much a thing of the past these days, but if they can give us some fun pop songs to enjoy along the way, I will be more than happy. This song is perfect for the radio… that is, UK/European radio; this will never be on US airways, which sucks (but at least we get to hear about it thanks to the internet, right?). Overall, I have been playing this song on repeat for a few weeks now after discovering it on the top 20 UK tracks, and I have been loving it ever since. I noticed that they have a full-length debut coming up very soon, and I can only hope that there are more great pop songs like this one on it. I’ve heard another promising single (Heart Vacancy), so fingers crossed that the rest of the album is great as well! Listen to All Time Low here.

Jes – Closer
I had no idea at the time, but the first time I heard of Jes, was when I heard the amazing collaboration between her and Gabriel and Dresden called Motorcycle, back in 2003, with one of the best songs of that entire year, As The Rush Comes. After that, Jes popped back on my radar in early 2008, with the 5SF-featured, Around You (JukiBe Remix). Most recently, Jes is back on my radar screen with this fantastic little dance-pop number, which I saw the video for, and immediately wanted to hear more and more. I love the edge that it has, and her throaty and raspy vocal delivery is a great compliment to something so hard hitting. Overall, this is a great song for her, and I hope she gets some dance-radio airplay; it’s a great down-tempo dance song! Listen to Closer here.

Rihanna – Only Girl (In the World)
I will be the first to admit that I am abnormally hard on Rihanna. I have been a major critic of her work, and honestly feel she is studio produced for the most part (not that it’s a bad thing, but don’t try to sing live if you can’t pull it off completely; do the right thing and lip sync for your life!), and tends to copy trends set forth by artists that were more indie or more creative, and did it quite a bit before her (and then rockets it to the radio without throwing them a bone). That being said, I have to give credit where credit is due; this song is brilliant. It has infectious beats, club-filling synth licks, and a great amalgamation of some of her best hits (S.O.S and Please Don’t Stop The Music, most notably) all rolled into one. It is a song that I heard once and was thought I wouldn’t like it, because again, I’m hard on this chick, but I ended up loving it, and have been playing it more and more since it was released. It may not be anything terribly new, but it’s Rihanna, and it’s a fun track. She may have some flaws, but clearly, she has some good points as well. Listen to Only Girl (In The World) here.

What did you think? As always, leave me some comments to let me know what you thought, and suggest some stuff that you are in love with as well!

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

5SF: may 16

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This has been kind of a weird week. Having my ears pierced has been a pretty big distraction, most importantly, with regards to my sleeping pattern. Even though I find myself a bit sleep deprived, and definitely worrisome about the healing process, I am glad that I got them done. I just hope they heal quickly, because I am honestly tired of tossing and turning all night, because I am not able to sleep on my ears. Weird.

Anyway… today is a bit all over the place. I have two last minute decisions, which is good, because I was having a hard time coming up with 5 songs for today as I have literally been listening to Death Cab For Cutie almost non-stop this week. Their new record is fantastical. Alright… now let’s get to the music we need to be concerned with today, shall we?

Lady GaGa – Just Dance
Damn, this song is hot. Sometimes, I hear a song, and something about that track instantly draws me in; and this is certainly one of those tracks. I think the video is quite funky (hello 80s!), and it also makes it clear that Lady GaGa is obsessed with making herself into a Kylie Minogue record cover (a pose off!). This is one of those songs that makes you want to hear more from the artist. I am very curious to find out if there are other possible gems like this one hiding up Lady GaGa’s sleeve. To be honest, I wasn’t planning on including this song for this week’s five song Friday, because I didn’t hear this song until last night for the first time! However, at the last minute, I decided that it is too fresh not to put it in the mix this week. I hope you enjoy this song as much as I do… I have a feeling it will get a lot of play from me in the coming weeks. Just dance… OKAY!

Rihanna – Take A Bow
After this song was suggested by Steve, I did check it out (see, I do take your suggestions!), and I found myself liking it, but not loving it. However, when I saw the video, I think that it gelled for me; Rihanna is gorgeous, and seeing her sing adds to her voice even more (also, is it just me, or does anyone else get the baby dyke vibe from her in this video?? Looking sexy!). I have tried to resist the force that is Rihanna in the past, but with Good Girl Gone Bad, there is just no reason to put up a fight anymore… it is clear that there is something special about her. Great production to the songs that are being chosen for her (or by her?) is only going to help in propelling her career even further into the stratosphere. This single just shows that there is no stopping this chick, so we had better get used to having her around. I will note that this song was produced by the same folks that did that Chris Brown knock off that I wrote about a few weeks ago, and that it is just different enough (they seem to love that same sound), that I can get into it. It shows that you can use similar elements and still get me on board, but they can’t be so similar that they are actually the same, dig?

P!nk – Nobody Knows
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_516_pink-nobodyknows.mp3]
This beautiful ballad comes off of Pink’s 2006 release, I’m Not Dead. I was listening to XM recently, and this song came on, and it reminded me of how great that album really is. This song is definitely one of the best tracks on the record; if not the best one. It was nice to hear this song and be reminded of a record that made my 2006 list, but one that I haven’t listened to in a while. I always love being reminded of something great that doesn’t get enough attention in my music collection.

Death Cab for Cutie – Grapevine Fires
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_516_deathcabforcutie-grapevinefires.mp3]
After such a glowing endorsement of Death Cab’s new record, I found myself hard pressed to find a favorite song out of the lot. I literally love each track on the record, and each have their own nuances that make me like them. However, for whatever reason, this song stands out just enough, that I wanted to include it this week. If you are a fan of Death Cab’s earlier work, I am curious to hear what you think of the new record. I think that it takes elements of Transatlantacism, and builds on them; without abandoning their trademark Death Cab sound. Perhaps that is why I fell instantly in love with the record (well, that, and the fact that it is simply an amazing album)… either way, let me know what you think, Death Cab fans, won’t you?

Augustana – Fire
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_516_augustana-fire.mp3]
Finally, another song that has fire in the title!! That wasn’t a conscious choice. I have been listening to Augustana’s most recent release, and I find myself enjoying it MUCH more than their debut. Perhaps I was put off by their first single (which I was), but I have had more enjoyment with their new record. There are a few ballad-y type songs that stand out to me, and this one just screams at me. I love how his voice waivers when he gets to the chorus, showing some emotion that was strong enough to prevent it from being smoothed out during production. Sometimes it is small flaws that really make something worth listening to. Also, the note that he holds at the end of the song is impressive.

Well, there they are kids, your five songs for this Friday. Hope that you enjoyed each one as much as I did bringing them to you. Hope everyone has a great (and hopefully, it will FEEL long) weekend as well.

five song friday, listen up!, mixed media, music musings, music suggestion, that is so gay

5SF: october 19

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Yay! It’s Friday; which means it’s time for your Five Song Friday!

Let’s do this!

Paramore – crushcrushcrush
First up today is the amazing song by the amazing group Paramore, crushcrushcrush. I fell in love with their album after only one listen, and this song remains one of my favorite songs that I have heard all year. This song definitely gets you moving, and keeps the energy up! This is one that you should add to your workout mix, because it will definitely get you pumped. If you like this track, I highly suggest you check out Riot! by Paramore; a fantastic album, and one of my favorites so far from this year!

Rihanna – Please Don’t Stop The Music
I have to say, I really resisted liking Umbrella at first, but now I realize how awesome of a song it really is. Additionally, upon my initial listen to Rihanna’s CD, I was really not that interested in hearing what she had to offer, but after seeing the video for this song, it has definitely given me reason to sit up and take another listen. This song is a great dance song, and really makes me want to get up and do just that; dance! Rihanna definitely has some great singles up her sleeve!

Now , the final three will be in the new format; video-less songs!! (IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT THE VIDEO-LESS SONG FORMAT: If you are reading this post through a feed-reader, I am pretty sure the songs will not show up; the player I use is an embedded flash player. Come to the site to check out the songs!) I seriously think that I am going to have to switch exclusively to this format eventually, because of the stupidity that record companies continue to exhibit on you tube by disabling embedding on their videos. I mean seriously, what is the big deal? Wouldn’t it make sense for MORE people to see it? What idiots. Either way, here are the rest of your Friday song selections…

Sara Bareilles – Love Song
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_1019_lovesong.mp3]
I have loved Sara for a long time now, and I was super excited when she released her major label debut back in July. The entire CD is perfection, and it leapt back into my top rotation this week when I got an email from Sara, letting me know about the debut of the video for Love Song. While the video isn’t on you tube yet (hence the lack of it being used here), I was compelled to present the song, as I love it so much. Also, if you are curious to see the video, where you get to see how amazingly stunning Sara is, here’s a link. (BTW, this may just be my favorite song of the year!)

Hem – The Part Where You Let Go
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_1019_partletgo.mp3]
This song is actually a song that is featured in an insurance ad, but I never saw the ad before I heard it. I found out about it from an iTunes “feature” where they listed a bunch of songs that were used in ads and stuff; and I am glad that I checked out that feature. Hem’s sound is beautiful and acoustic, and this song is one of those ones that makes you feel warm and happy inside. I can see how it is perfect for the ad, but I am just glad that I went the next step and downloaded it, so I could enjoy the whole song. The EP that this song is from is actually quite excellent as well.

Feist – How My Heart Behaves
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_1019_heartbehaves.mp3]
I may be laying it on a little thick with Feist, but I swear, the more I listen to her CD, the more I love. Her voice is so amazingly angelic and piercing at the same time, that it really moves me. This song is from the same album as 1234, but this song is by far my favorite on the record. I generally have to listen to this song 2 or 3 times each time I listen to her CD, because it is so beautiful and perfect. I LOVE this song, and it makes me feel amazing. If you want to hear a perfect song, look no further, it is here with Feist’s How My Heart Behaves.

Well, there’s another version of Five Song Friday for you guys! I hope that you enjoy this installment as much as I have! I also hope that everyone has a great weekend, and as always, if you are interested in obtaining these tracks for your very own, YOU HAVE TO LET ME KNOW. Otherwise, jog on, bitches! HA!

Final, unrelated note, this just makes me laugh. You get what you deserve, bigotsassholes.