Adrienne = SLACKER!!

So I started this blog in hopes of reviewing a new album each week.  Since when did each week turn into once every few months?  ...yeah...me either.

My wonderful boyfriend has suprised me with a sweet gift of a brand new iPod nano.  Adorable little iPod is the topic of my post...not quite a music review but yet still is.  Vague?  Duh!

I had to completely overhaul my iTunes library last weekend in order to put ONLY the good music I love on my iPod.  Well.  This took MUCH longer...much MUCH longer than I'd anticipated!  But in the end, I my iPod contains some amazing music on it.  I'm going to hit shuffle on it right now and review the first 10 songs that come up.  Keeping in mind I enjoy a wide varieties of genres, this blog entry will be random and may leave some of you feeling empty questioning where my head is. 

Anyway...here goes.

Track 1:
Balligomingo "Purify"-  This song is very Enya-ish but with a few more pop undertones.  Its an older song, about 11 years old.  Its very relaxing, calming, yet makes you want to sing along.  Great song.  If you've never heard of these ladies, check them out on YouTube then download accordingly.

Track 2:
Rains "Pressure" - Rains is a guy...and a band.  The lead singer is very real.  Most of his songs are ones that I can relate to just by listening to the lyrics.  This song is about a break up "Its not all my fault.  You f***ed with my heart."  How can you NOT relate to this after a break up?  I mean...fa real!  I love this band...a lot.  I highly suggest that if you're not opposed to foul language in the music you listen to, download him.  Don't YouTube the band first.  Just straight download.

Track 3:
Fair to Midland: "Tall Tales Taste Like Sour Grapes"  This band is very renaissance sounding to me.  Their songs don't have much meaning (that I can pick up on) but the lyrics make for great one liners!  They're not for everyone so listen to a sample before downloading.

Track 4:
3OH!3: "We Are Young"  Ahhh...what do I NOT love about these 2 nerdtastic fellas??  They're funny, poppy, rocky, rappy, sweet, all of it!  This song has been used in sports clips on ESPN and other TV spots.  I like this song so much I even let me 7 year old son rock out to it!  Download it.  You won't be sorry you did.

Track 5:
Chris Tomlin: "How Great is Our God"  How do I go from Rains to Chris Tomlin?  Simple. I'm a God loving girl who lives a very real life and skips over the foul language.  "How Great is Our God" reminds us of everything we have to be thankful for.  I love this song and will always always always recommend downloading this!

Track 6:
Billy Joel: "Allentown"  If I have to review Billy Joel and tell you to go download his music, please excuse yourself from my blog right....NOW!!!

Track 7:
(super excited!!!!)  Ellie Goulding: "Lights (Bassnectar Remix)"  OMG!  Love this song!  Bassnectar took a few lines from Ellie's song called Lights and remixed it.  I am not a fan of the original track because its too....lyricy?  This is also the ringtone on my phone.  Yes I like it THAT much!

Track 8:
In This Moment "The Promise"  Love song.  I love when harder bands do a softer song but still have a rock edge to it.  This song fits the bill perfectly.  Boisterous and full of great lyrics!!

Track 9:
Maura O'Connell: "This Town Can't Get Over You".  Another love song.  Singer is Irish and you can tell by her voice.  This is a blues standard performed by one of my favorite singers of all time.  She may not be your taste but who cares?  This isn't YOUR taste I'm blogging about!

Track 10:
Bertie Blackman: "Come to Bed" Great song.  Can't really explain why.  But I ove her voice.

Lateness of the Hour.

Alex Clare's Lateness of the Hour album was released in the US on March 26, 2012.  In early March, I caught a sample of his single "Too Close" while watching an IE9 commercial.  Arrow.  Right through my musical little heart.  I feel in love in an instant.  I feverishly surfed the channels to find the commercial playing again.  I couldn't find it so....YouTube came to my rescue.  I had Shazam at my fingertips and decided to Shazam the song since I NEEDED wanted to know who the artist was.  Come to find out....Mr. Alex Clare.  I downloaded the only 2 tracks available in the US at that time - Too Close and Up All Night.  Well...to my dismay, nothing else was available for download in the US.  I even went so far as to try to change my iTunes store to the UK store so I could buy everything I could get my hands on.  Finally in late March, I was able to download the album.  And thank GOD!!!!!!  So now ladies and gentlemen, my review of Lateness of the Hour by Alex Clare.

Track 1: Up All Night.
This track is completely dancable (and I just created a word there...!).  Every time I hear it, dance is all I want to do. And I frequently bust a move.  Don't judge.  The chorus has an amazing hook and the story behind the lyrics is simple.  Partying.  Way too hard.  To the point where you sleep when the sun comes up.

Track 2: Treading Water
"Maybe you're another chance...to mock myself again".  Nothing like a song about love gone wrong.  We can all relate to this song and I tend to listen to it on repeat.  Warning for the parents out there, there is a foul word in the song so I tend to skip over it when the Monsters are in the car with me.

Track 3: Relaxed My Beloved
I find this song to be very melancholy, even bluesy.  I love it though.  Its soothing in a way too.  Short track that you can really sink in to.

Track 4: Too Close
"And it feels like I am just too close to love you".  Wow.  Google the lyrics.  Keep in mind he dated Amy Winehouse.  Enough said.

Track 5: When Doves Cry
Cover of Prince's song.  I'm not a Prince fan but I do love this song.  It has a slightly different sound than the original (thankfully) and has some beats that I can totally get in to.

Track 6: Humming Bird
This is another dancable track.  I hear it and wish I knew how to salsa.  The tempo and beats just make me happy.  "Like a humming bird in flight you are...hoverin...hoverin round me.  When I go near you fly away..."

Track 7: Hands are Clever
This is the dirty love song of the album.  You won't know until you actually read the lyrics but um.  Yeah.  Slightly risque but not so much that you can't let you grandmother listen to it.  Just don't sing along...don't wanna clarify those lyrics :-)

Track 8: Tight Rope
Great song.  "Life's a tight rope and you're standing on one toe".  To me, this song is saying "Stand up to your fears."

Track 9: Whispering
Another slow track, I like this one because I can really belt it out.  Its very soulful and mellow at the same time.

Track 10: I Love You
Interesting beats in this song.  But yeah...this is the sweet love song.  :-)

Track 11:  Sanctuary
"I will find sanctuary in your arms".  Sweet song.  I'd love a guy to sing this to me...*sigh*.  If you can get over the British pronunciation of Sanctuary, you'll be just fine. LOL!

Track 12:  I Won't Let You Down
Love song, yes?  I like to sing this one to myself as motivation to not let myself down.

Overall, I love this album and can't wait for more.  I would advise against downloading the remixes available on iTunes because they use a voice similar in sound but not nearly as soulful.

Next review:  Red

Here is is...Adrienne 101

Here's a chance for me to give you my life story a brief introduction as to who and what I am.  For starters, this is a blog about music - who I'm loving at the moment, who I will love forever, and how music moves through me.

I'm 30.  A divorced mom with 2 great kids.  I started getting into music when I was just a small child.  My dad, who is a die hard George Strait fan, introduced me to some of my favorite artists (thanks Daddy!).  From a very young age, I was listening (and singing along with) artists such as Willie Nelson, Hank Williams, Jr, Randy Travis, Stevie Wonder, Madonna, Billy Joel, Queen, and Merle Haggard.  One of my fondest memories of music as a child was listening to Chase Around the Room by Merle Haggard.  I also remember the song "Tear in my Beer" by Hank Williams Sr that had Jr dubbed in.  ANYWAY...I had to have been around 4 or 5 when music started taking over my life.  At that point, I didn't listen to radio.

Fast forward about 4 or 5 more years and we arrive in the VERY early 90s.  We had "the initial" artists like Stevie B, Timmy T, LL Cool J, and others.  I never understood why they didn't use their full name but...I digress.  I became a DIE HARD NKOTB fan.  I had the Joey McIntyre birthday cake, NKOTB shirts, posters, fashion plates, pillow case, socks, tapes, and Teen Beats mags.  I believe NKOTB might have been my downfall but hey...they had the Right Stuff and tried to teach all how to count to five in Step by Step.

In 1992, I became a (wannabe) musician.  I started playing flute.  It has provided me with many many many years of being a team player and a disciplined "artist".

Then 1993 hit.  I was introduced (thanks to my mom) to wonderful female artists such as Maura O'Connell and Sarah McLachlan.  I still love and listen to both of them to this day.  It also gave me a greater appreciation for female vocalists and song writers in a world that I assumed was a male dominated society, musically speaking of course.

Come 1994, my life was changed forever.  The video for "Lightning Crashes" played on VH1 which, in those years, was known for playing videos of up and coming artists who were lesser known yet had major record deals.  I immediately fell in love.  I'm not sure if it was the story of the song, the lead singer (omg I LOVE him), or their sound but I STILL cannot get enough of Live or of Ed Kowalczyk.

Fast forward 18 (!!!!!!!!!!) years...and here we are.  I've had the chance to see Ed Kowalczyk in concert twice.  I've seen Lifehouse (twice), Matchbox 20, Everclear, Course of Nature, Gin Blossoms, One Republic, Maura O'Connell, the Toadies, and Edwin McCain in concert too.  But clearly, Ed has left a LASTING impression on me.

So that's that for my basic intro.  Next post will be a review of my (current) favorite album - Lateness of the House from Alex Clare!!!

Listen to some samples on iTunes if you'd like!!