So I was debating in my head which artist to chose for the final installment in Confessions Week. There were quite a few of songs/artists I could have chosen from, but my mind was made up last night as I surfed back and forth between Conan and Ferguson. Honestly, Pink’s performance on Conan last night was worth staying up until 1:30 in the morning. It was that good. Now for those of you who are just showing up to these posts here on TWF let me explain a bit. Normally I post about music that I really love and artists that I support. While that is true of every post I write here on TWF it does seem that most artists I choose to write about could fit into a small subset of music. With Confessions Week I was aiming to finally admit that I listen to other music, yes even top 40 music, in an effort to show that good music can be found in almost every genre {except country}. If you’d like to read all my confessions click here. Next week I’ll be returning to my regularly scheduled broadcast.
mp3 : Pink - So What
Pink has a brand new attitude, she’s still entirely hot {minus the face piercings, I mean seriously, is it still 1998?}, she’s newly single, and she might be making the best music of her career. I must admit, I’ve listened to this single, off her new album Funhouse (amazon) (itunes), at least three times in a row and I’m not sick of it. I actually enjoy it quite a bit. Does it remind anyone else of Kelly Clarkson’s Since U Been Gone. Oh no, I’ve said too much. Happy Halloween.
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Wow, so just the title of this post and the picture already have me regretting starting this week. Goodbye loyal fans, goodbye rss subscribers, goodbye page views and advertisements, hello integrity. I said it five years ago, and today I’ll say it again. Of Hilary’s particular generation of lady cross over kinda stars she has the most potential for great things. Yes I was young when I said it the first time. Yes I was probably stupid and impressionable, but compared to Lohan, Spears, Aguilera, Lavigne and company, Ms. Duff, in my mind, has the most potential {still} of doing something truly great.
mp3 : Hilary Duff - Come Clean
I honestly don’t know why I used to like this song. Maybe it was the sweet music video? Maybe it was the fact that in 2003 when Metamorphosis (amazon) (itunes) was released I was still learning what I wanted in a good song? I’m not sure, but I’ve finally come out and come clean about Hilary Duff. I still think she shows a lot of potential, well, at least more than those she could be easily compared to.
I promised this series is almost over. In fact this might be the last post as I’m travelling over the weekend. Don’t fret, next week {or sooner} regular and awesome posts will resume. Most notably with something about Snow Patrol’s brilliant new album.
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I’ll be honest, I’m not your typical white kid from the suburbs. And by that I do mean I don’t listen to copious amounts of hip hop, rap, and r&b. Now don’t get me wrong, while I was in university I definitely went through a phase where I couldn’t get enough of BET and everything surrounding the east coast vs west coast rap drama/comedy. At some point during my undergrad days I just stopped listening to everything with a clever rhyme. Now don’t read too much into what I’m saying here. I still love the occaisional album by Nas, Clef, or The Streets, but I’m done digesting everything on that scene.
All those words aside I actually do like Chris Brown’s latest single {and not just because I caught him showing Tyra some dance moves, oh snap!}. I’m even overlooking the fact that this track was recently coopted as a Double Mint Gum jingle and appears regularly on the top 40 show Ryan Seacrest hosts.
mp3 : Chris Brown - Forever
Let’s look back at this one post and count up all the confessions I made. You should be proud, young reader, that you’ve stumbled upon a blogger who, for at least one week of confessions, possesses this much integrity. Here’s a quick list. 1: I used to love watching BET. 2: I’m a white kid from the suburbs. 3: I’ve occaisionally been caught watching Tyra. 4: Sometimes I listen to top 40 radio, even when it’s Ryan Seacrest doing the voiceovers. 5. I do, in fact, enjoy this track by Chris Brown.
Now for those of you wondering out there, and I know almost all of you are, this track from Mr. Brown appears on a special edition reissue of his album Exclusive. The new reissue is called Exclusive : The Forever Edition (amazon) (itunes) and this track pops off as track number seventeen. Just to be absolutely clear Chris Brown has about eleven versions of this album currently in worldwide circulation, but the reissued ‘forever edition’ is the only one that has this track.
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For pretty much his entire career I’ve been a big not fan of Jason Mraz. His music, especially his lyrics, have always come across to me as false, boring, or just plain vanilla. Give me something new Jason, give me something I don’t mind admitting to my friends that I kinda, sorta, in a backwards way like to hear on the radio. It’s not so much to ask for. Maybe what I really wanted {or still want} was for Mr. Mraz to man up a bit and not sound so much like a lovestruck junior high drop out. But that’s just me.
My confession today is that there is a song by Jason Mraz that I must admit I really like. This track hails from Jason’s latest disc We Sing, We Laugh, We Steal Things (amazon) (itunes) and I can say in all honesty that I genuinely like listening to this song.
mp3 : Jason Mraz - I’m Yours
I’m thoroughly convinced that I have a crush on this song due to the fact that it sounds exactly like something Jack Johnson would lay down. In my opinion aping Jack would be a good route to go if my name was Jason Mraz. Oh, one other thing, his website is mildly amusing. Check it out {and make sure you have sound turned on}.
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Here on The World Forgot, in an effort to stay ever pithy and, as the youngsters call it, ‘hip’ I sometimes in an oblique way allude to the idea that I don’t like certain artists. In the past such artists have included John Mayer, Rihanna, and more recently Katy Perry. And while in a general sense my objections to Katy Perry still hold true I must confess that her latest single has caught my ear on more than one occasion. I could have kept this information to myself and only listened to Hot n’ Cold with headphones on, pretending all along I was nodding my head to new tracks by The Killers or some sweet Radiohead bootlegs, but at some point the lies would have caught up with me. And a liar is just not the type of blogger that I want to be.
mp3 : Katy Perry - Hot n’ Cold
This track hails from Katy’s album One of the Boys (amazon) (itunes) none of which I can really recommend beyond this single. Sorry Katy, but if I’m attempting to come clean about my affection for Hot n’ Cold I need to have integrity in not endorsing the rest of your work.
Random questions. Are there some photos out there that make you double check the internet to reassure yourself that Katy Perry is in no way related to Zooey Deschanel? Does this track remind anyone else of Cher’s late nineties track Believe? Does anyone else now need to admit they liked the track Believe as well?
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At long last we come to the conclusion of the set The Killers played in 2007 at the Glastonbury Festival. If you’re looking to read/download day by day you can check out each individual post at these links. part 01, part 02, part 03, part 04. If you’d rather view them all on one easy to read page, which makes way more sense to me, just click here. This concludes the set. Enjoy the music.
mp3 : The Killers - My List
mp3 : The Killers - Can’t Take My Eyes Off You
mp3 : The Killers - Shadowplay
mp3 : The Killers - For Reasons Unknown
mp3 : The Killers - All These Things That I’ve Done
As I’ve said before these are live tracks recorded at a concert. They’re not off any studio album and they’re not available, anywhere, for purchase. Enjoy the music and the next time The Killers are in town get out and see their show.
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Here you go, it’s part three {of four parts} of the set The Killers played at last year’s Glastonbury Festival. Enjoy the music. You can find part one here and part two at this link. Cheers.
mp3 : The Killers - Read My Mind
mp3 : The Killers - On Top
mp3 : The Killers - Bling (Confessions of A King)
mp3 : The Killers - Indie Rock and Roll
mp3 : The Killers - Mr Brightside
As stated in the previous two posts these tracks are live bootleg recordings. That being said they’re definitely on the top of the pile in terms of audio quality. See you tomorrow.
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Yesterday, aka through this link, I brought you the first four tracks from The Killers Glastonbury 2007 set. Today, as promised, I bring you the second part. Two more days and you’ll have them all. Until then you’ll just have to make due with the first half. Enjoy.
mp3 : The Killers - Somebody Told Me
mp3 : The Killers - Smile Like You Mean It
mp3 : The Killers - Jenny Was A Friend of Mine
mp3 : The Killers - Uncle Johnny
mp3 : The Killers - This River Is Wild
As I said yesterday these tracks are appearing here on The World Forgot in the order that they were played in concert. They’re bootleg live tracks, not studio recordings, so be prepared for a little crowd action, clapping, and quite possibly some singing along. All that aside the audio quality on these tracks is tops. See you tomorrow and the day after for the last half of the set.
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Apparently there’s this little music gathering known as Glastonbury Festival which happens occasionally. Apparently at said gathering of music fans there are some big bands who sometimes play killer sets and set off the revelers. Apparently The Killers have played a few sets there over the years. And also, apparently, someone thought it would be a good idea to bootleg the entire set, all nineteen tracks, and put them online. Welcome to part one, the first four tracks. It’s an excellent recording, I’ll try to post the entire set throughout the week. And yes, that is a ploy to get you coming back over and over and over again. Eat it.
mp3 : The Killers - Sam’s Town
mp3 : The Killers - Enterlude
mp3 : The Killers - When You Were Young
mp3 : The Killers - Bones
Note that all of these tracks are live recordings, not studio quality. The tracks will be posted in order that they were played at the show {and the downloads are numbered to keep them in order}. Also, and I guess I could use some help here, but I’m assuming that these are bootleg tracks recorded live at the concert. I’m assuming this because I could find no mention of this being an official recording {anywhere on the web, including The Killers site}, and I can’t find this concert for purchase at any retailer. Enjoy the tunes.
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On occasion I allow my personal life to bleed over and contaminate the lovely and witty pages of TWF. It doesn’t happen all that often, but I do feel as the sole author, writer, and creative personality behind this blog that I can afford myself the luxury to pretty much say whatever the heck I want. As some of you may remember, and as a scant few of you worried, I talked about landing a job in the wonderful city of Shanghai and possibly moving there soon. Let me simply say that the amount of ma fan {trouble in Chinese} involved in this process reminds me a lot of movie Waterworld; I’m struggling to find a piece of land to put my feet on.
For a long time I’ve found comfort and peace in the songs of the Icelandic band Sigur Ros. If you’ve been reading, or just listening, here on TWF for any amount of time at all I do hope that you’ve found yourself enjoying their music as well. During the past month I’ve really been loving the sounds of their latest album, Með suð í eyrum við spilum end (amazon) (itunes), and I’ve come to appreciate the track Ára bátur more and more throughout successive listening.
mp3 : Sigur Ros - Ára bátur
What makes this track even more impressive, and what proved to be the deciding factor in me posting it here today, was what I recently read about this track. Ára bátur was recorded in a live format, in one take, with over 90 musicians on the track {including the London Sinfonietta and the London Oratory Boy’s Choir}. This song encompasses the magic of Sigur Ros and has worked to calm my mind and heart as I attempt to stumble my way into a job decision. I hope it helps you as well.
If you’re interested in listening to the entire album, which I quite strongly recommend, Sigur Ros has graciously made this possible by following this link.
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Two things are certain about Natasha Bedingfield; she’s quite attractive, she seems to have good taste in music, her guitarist that plays with her for acoustic sets is tops, and her own music isn’t really what I would choose for a mix tape. Ok, so maybe that was more like four things that are certain about her, but counting doesn’t count for much here on TWF. Music matters, not the rest of the hullabaloo. That being said Natasha has polished off a small handful of excellent covers in her recording career. Enjoy.
mp3 : Natasha Bedingfield - Chasing Cars (Snow Patrol Cover)
mp3 : Natasha Bedingfield - Somewhere Only We Know (Keane Cover)
mp3 : Natasha Bedingfield - The Scientist (Coldplay Cover)
mp3 : Natasha Bedingfield - This Love (Maroon 5 Cover)
Chasing Cars and The Scientist are my favorites of these tracks. Admittedly it’s hard to go wrong when you pick excellent source material. One thing I’d like to note is I do believe Natasha took the decidedly middle of the road, radio friendly drivel known as This Love by Maroon 5, and actually made it interesting to listen to. If I ever meet her I’ll make sure to give her a hug in thanks for that.
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Trying to find an artist that hasn’t yet been blogged about is about as hard as trying to find a decent picture of Reina Del Cid. So yesterday I was blundering my way through various and sundry youtube videos, I can’t really recall why, and I found this track by a girl who records her own music. She goes by the name Reina Del Cid and as far as I can tell this is the first time she’s ever made her way onto a music blog. Other than her youtube page and her myspace profile {which is seriously lacking a decent picture} there really isn’t much else I could find. These three tracks, in my opinion, showcase a rough talent that would benefit greatly from a little production polish {not to mention some higher quality recording equipment}.
mp3 : Reina Del Cid - Come Back Over
mp3 : Reina Del Cid - New Girlfriend
mp3 : Reina Del Cid - Wonder
What really struck me in these songs are the memorable lyrics in the song Come Back Over. Honestly, after listening to these three tracks you can rest assured that this is what clever lyrics, written by a truly independent musician, are supposed to sound like. It always amazes me what talent and creativity lies hidden amongst the rubble strewn about myspace and youtube alike.
I do apologize for the audio quality of these tracks. This is as good as it gets when songs are ripped from a myspace page. I hope you can look beyond the production quality and realize that Reina Del Cid is a talented young musician who deserves a listen. One thing is certain, there is great potential here.
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I thought, once, about possibly posting frequently about great bands of yesterday. Unfortunately a lot of good ideas here at TWF have come and gone without really taking root in my blogging routine. And that might be a shame. This marks the second installment in Music History here on TWF. Previously I posted about The Who, this time around I’m talking about Creedence Clearwater Revival.
CCR was a band made up of three high school pals, John Fogerty, Doug Clifford, and Stu Cook, who had a good time playing music together and hanging out. Occasionally, and to spice up their live sets, the boys would back John’s older brother Tom Fogerty. Eventually graduation came to pass, John and Doug served brief stints in the armed forces, and an album was made under the moniker The Golliwogs. Eventually the kinks were worked out, everyone found their place in the band, John took the microphone from his brother and the boys settled on a name. Although they only recorded for a brief five year stint they found a way to make songs that have endured through four decades of change and still ring true when used in various forms of media. Eventually the bandmates proved too acerbic a combination and they broke up, bitterly, after their final album in 1972.
mp3 : Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son
mp3 : Creedence Clearwater Revival - Up Around The Bend
Fortunate Son hails from CCR’s 1969 album Willy and the Poor Boys (amazon) (itunes). Originally it appeared as the first track on the second side of the album which was ranked number 392 in Rolling Stone’s list of greatest albums of all time. Up Around The Bend comes from what is thought to be CCR’s masterpiece album, 1970’s Cosmo’s Factory (amazon) (itunes), and again this track orginally appeared as the first track on the second side to the album. Rolling Stone apparently thought this album superior to Willy and the Poor Boys as they ranked it number 265.
Also of particular interest to today’s music crowd it might be worth noting that before starting a little band known as Nirvana, Kurt Cobain played in a Creedence Clearwater Revival cover band. If they were good enough for Kurt they’re more than good enough for you.
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I said it awhile ago, and I will reiterate it here again. Ben Folds just might be the best performer to ever play the piano. Now, and somewhat to hedge my bets, I don’t mean that he is the most technically gifted person to ever tickle the ivories. Nor does he possess more talent in this eight fingers and two thumbs {and sometimes elbows, fists, stools, etc.} than anyone else who has ever lived. What I do mean is that Ben Folds is the most consummate performer to ever sit behind the keys. He can take any song, any subject matter, any genre, and turn it into something that is undeniably a joyous event. When he takes the stage you can’t help but feel the energy that he exudes. Let’s face it, he’s exuberant. He is, after all, the best performer to ever play the piano.
Ben’s new album, Way To Normal (amazon) (itunes), is a trip through the classic Ben Folds catalog. Now that he’s playing, again, with a band there is a depth and variety to these tracks not found when it was simply Ben and some studio artists. Not only does the bass guitar and the incessant drumming add depth and quality to this album, but it seems as if having a band that not only records, but tours with you, has been good for the musicality of Benny boy.
mp3 : Ben Folds - Bitch Went Nuts
mp3 : Ben Folds - Effington
The new album might not be groundbreaking or show an evolution of the Ben Folds sound, but it’s a delight to listen to and I’m sure at least half of the songs will make it into Ben’s ever impressive live sets. Personally I love this album, but I’ve had a love affair with Ben Folds and his particular brand of piano music for almost a decade now. For fans this album is a nice continuation of the Ben Folds canon, for the rest of the world this could serve as a perfect introduction to what Ben Folds is all about. And he’s all about making great music.
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To be honest Joshua Radin most likely owes his success to three things; his talent, his buddy Zach Braff, and the shining endorsement by Ellen. And to be brutally honest not necessarily in that order. Joshua was a singer songwriter who first got his break when his pal Zach got some of his tunes used in Scrubs and his movie The Last Kiss. Later he was endorsed wholeheartedly by Ellen and his album took off to the top of iTunes for a bit. More recently he played at Ellen’s wedding, then again on Ellen’s talk show, and after announcing he bought himself out a deal involving multiple records, he formed his own label to sell his own music because he didn’t like the accessible/pop styling his label was forcing him into {but really, who doesn’t do that these days? Sufjan has his own label, Jack Johnson has his own label, I bought a website once and called it a label, now if only Jon McLaughlin would wise up}.
The bottom line is this. If you like Joshua Radin before he hit the big time then you’ll still like him today. If you’ve never heard of him before it’s good that he’s getting more exposure because he really is a talented singer songwriter. On his latest self released album, Simple Times (amazon) (itunes), Joshua stays true to the folksy, acoustic, harmony filled sound that first made him the poster child for melancholic whisper wars from coast to coast. The album isn’t daring or extraordinary, but it is well crafted, well produced, and flows seamlessly from start to finish.
mp3 : Joshua Radin - One of Those Days
mp3 : Joshua Radin - You Got Growin’ Up To Do
In the music world today it might help to have friends in high places, but it doesn’t hurt to have some talent to go along with who you know.
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The Killers must easily have one of the most hyped albums of this calendar year. Whether you loved or hated their previous effort, Sam’s Town, you’re more than likely waiting around anxiously for their newest disc to spin {or download}. To hold you over there have been a few live tracks flitting around the interwebs recently, which I’m sure you’ve heard, and this past weekend The Killers had the good sense to play on Saturday Night Live. Admittedly the sound quality on these songs isn’t as brilliant as I could hope for, but that’s what happens when live television is converted to simple audio tracks.
mp3 : The Killers - Human (Live on SNL)
mp3 : The Killers - Spaceman (Live on SNL)
Both tracks are great although I still have absolutely no idea what the track Spaceman is about. On that note I guess I don’t really have a clue what Human is about either. Are we human, or are we dancer? Say what? In the end, though, it doesn’t matter because the songs just sound amazing. Here’s to hoping the rest of the upcoming album, Day & Age due November 25th, is just as well crafted.
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A few months back Greg Laswell impressed me with his cover of Cyndi Lauper’s classic Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. At that time he had just come out with an EP and was dutifully slaving away on creating his latest album, Three Flights from Alto Nido (amazon) (itunes), which was quite awesomely sent out to me a few weeks after writing that first post. Here is the part of this post where I try to make up a clever reason why I haven’t posted about this album in such a long time, but I’m bored, it’s Monday, so I’ll just stick with the truth this time around {usually I lie like a rug here on TWF. You really can’t trust the interwebs}.
So why haven’t I written about this album yet? Because it’s brilliant. Most of the time the word brilliant being associated with an album makes me want to post about it immediately, that day, on the spot. This time around, though, everyone I know agrees that it is brilliant. As such this album has been loaned out, heard by quite a few people, and garnered almost universal acclaim amongst my friends and family {I think even my mother likes it}. Trust me when I say that every single track on this album is worth listening to. From the opening track to the closing acoustic revision of That It Moves, which also appears in a more electric version as the second track, you’ll be grateful you’ve added Greg Laswell to your 2008 album collection.
mp3 : Greg Laswell - Comes And Goes (In Waves)
mp3 : Greg Laswell - I’d Be Lying
Find a way to listen to the entire album. Go, leave, find it. The end.
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