Kris Allen: “Live Like We’re Dying”

Welcome back to Simple Man Music and another installment of our “Talented Tunes”, which features songs by artists both new and established. We choose these artists and their tunes because we believe that the song has a little something extra that propels it into the realm of a great song. Todays featured artist and tune is reining American Idol star Kris Allen and the tune is “Live Like We’re Dying”.

The first I had even heard of this guy or his song was when I saw him perform the single two weeks ago on the Wednesday night “So You Think You Can Dance” Top 6 results show. I was like “who in the hell is this guy”. However I will say that I was glad that I listened to Kris Allen sing his song, because I thought it was very good. It didn’t hurt him any either to have a very good rhythm section backing him up on stage, but anyway it is a great song.

Now I will be the first to tell you that I listen to a lot of different genres of music. I will also tell you that I am for the most part into Rock & Roll be it hard, metal, southern, or classic. As a result I am not really a pop music kind of guy, but I could listen to this guy and his song and be satisfied with the end result of how it makes me feel. For those of you who are not really into this style of music I hope you give this song a chance too.

That is all we have for you right now, but we will be back again soon with something else new and hopefully tantalizing enough for you to try out. I hope you all enjoy the song and the video I am including with this post, and that you let us know what you think about it. From all of us here at Simple Man Music have a marvelous day and an awesome holiday and we will see you all later CIAO4NOW!!!!!

“Live Like We’re Dying” by Kris Allen

Enjoy a Little Christmas Cheer with Straight No Chaser

Welcome to Simple Man Music. Recently I was listening to the radio to one of my favorite radio shows, Delilah, and on her Thanksgiving show, I heard a group of a cappella guys sing, and I just had to check them out. This group is called Straight No Chaser, and with the holidays coming soon, I thought I'd share a bit with you about this a cappella band and their incredible music.

Straight No Chaser has an interesting story. They started out about 10+ years ago in college. They started up a group for fun when they were at Indiana University back in 1996. Soon they headlined for concerts and toured on a national level. However, once they all graduated, they didn't sing together for more than a decade.

Then in April of 2006, the University did a reunion concert and clips from one of the concerts this group had done in 1998 were put up on YouTube. Soon their own version of "The 12 Days of Christmas" had millions of hits in one month and the CEO and Chairman of ATCO/Atlantic Records saw their video on YouTube. With all the hits they were getting, he decided to email the leader of the group. In 2008, they signed with the record label and the 10 member group recorded their first Christmas Album - Holiday Spirits. This year because their last release did so well, they released a new album called Christmas Cheers. Currently they are on a 56 city tour across the country and they're working on a pop album to be released sometime in 2010.

This is definitely a group worth checking out. All of the music is a cappella - they use their voices as instruments and have cut some great songs. Their Christmas albums are full of great hits that are sprinkled with humor, for example, their "Christmas Can Can," which was stuck in my head for hours after I first heard it.

Take a few minutes and check out the videos for a sample of their singing. You can go to their website and listen to all of their songs online as well. They've hit #1 on iTunes for their new Christmas album, and there's a reason they did that. The music is fun, full of harmony, and definitely full of Christmas cheer.

Orianthi: A talented guitarist and her talented tune

I have to tell you that today’s artist really caught my attention. Wednesday night I was watching “So You Think You Can Dance”, which a show that I write about on my blog Simple Man Entertainment and the last performance of the night was a tune by Orianthi Panagaris. The tune was titled “According To You” and it got my undivided attention because not only could this girl sing, but she played guitar like a goddess.

I did some research and found out that this remarkably talented young lady is only twenty four years old. Orianthi hails from Adelaide Australia where she got exposed to music at an early age. Her interest in music was first fostered by her interest in her father’s record collection. Her dad was also a member of a Greek band and there were plenty of instruments around for Orianthi to take an interest in and luckily she chose the guitar.

Orianthi didn’t waste any time and started to learn how to play the guitar, which happily came very naturally to her. Not long after she got to go to a Carlos Santana show and she said the show really affected her and she begged her dad for a second hand electric guitar, which she got. Seven years later Carlos again played Adelaide but this time a sound-check meeting was arranged between Carlos and Orianthi by Carlos’s brother who had her play.

The sound check jam turned into an invitation by Carlos to join him on stage. Orianthi happily obliged and not only played for about thirty five minutes but took a solo right there in front of her hometown to boot. After that show a new star was born thanks to the discovery of the Santana’s. Since then she has opened for her idol Steve Vai as well as played with ZZ Top, Prince, Eric Clapton, and was a member of the late Michael Jacksons band.

Before M.J. and his invitation to join the band Orianthi had already been fronting her own band and working hard on Believe, which is her upcoming album. On this album Orianthi writes and sings with her band. The album is being recorded by Geffen Records and according to insiders the album is said to be a solid and excellent rock album “that will simply knock the socks off of any boy in the rock star schoolyard”.

After hearing her single “According To You” on “So You Think You Can Dance” and checking out some of her other tunes as well I can tell you that I think that not only is that statement true but that this young, bright, and talented guitar player has one hell of a future in the music industry. I for one cannot wait to see what studio effort number two will sound like I bet it will be just as awesome as the first.

That is all for now here at Simple Man Music. I hope you all have enjoyed this post and the accompanying video of “According To You”. Drop me a line and let me know what you think about this young star and her music. We really think that she will be around for years to come and will open up the doors for female rockers even more like Joan Jett and Lita Ford have done also. Have a great weekend my friends and CIAO4NOW!!!!!

Colbie Caillat / Fallin’ For You

As you all know we have done a series of post’s here at Simple Man Music called “Talented Tunes”. Talented Tunes is for new songs we find from artists that we feel show a lot of promise. It could have great lyrics, a groovin beat, or a cool guitar riff that just catches the listener the right way and makes a connection. I think we may have found another tune and artist that fits the bill and her name is Colbie Caillat and the tune is “Fallin’ For You”.

Colbie Caillat is an up and coming artist who is a true product of MySpace Music. She has recently been nominated for a Peoples Choice Award in the Favorite Music Collaboration category with recording artist Jason Mraz. Colbie has also done some work with recording artist Jason Reeves as well. Her music is very laid back and fun with kind of a beach vibe to it and she has quite a few tunes to listen to, but “Fallin’ For You” is my favorite.

Thanks for stopping by Simple Man Music today and I hope you check out this Talented Tune and let us know what you think about it and Colbie Caillat. I hope you all have a terrific Tuesday and we will see you all again very soon my friends CIAO4NOW!!!!!

CREED: Full Circle?

Well it has been awhile since there has been anything by either Scott Stapp as a solo artist or Alter Bridge (Creed without Scott Stapp) on the air waves that has even come close to the post grunge/melodic rock sound that so uniquely identifies this quartet. However, I think that that is all in the past now with their new album Full Circle. They sound stronger, united, and better than ever with two ass kickin new singles to boot.

Not only are Scott Stapp, Mark Tremonti, and Scott Phillips reunited again, but Brian Marshall is back as well giving us the original lineup on their latest endeavor as well. Brian had left the band during the Human Clay tour and was replaced by Brett Hestla for the rest of the tour and subsequent tours also. Of course Scott Stapp and the rest of the band split up in 2004 and Scott went solo and Alter Bridge was formed.

The three most unfortunate things about the total evaporation of Creed was that the fans were left hanging, Scott Stapp’s solo project sounded like Creed, and Alter bridge also sounded like Creed. I think this lead to a lot of discontent by all three of these principle parties as a result. I will say this for Scott and company and that is that with their new Album Full Circle they have come a long way towards mending fences with each other and their fan base.

The two singles that have been released off of Full Circle have definitely given re-birth to the Creed sound as well as having shown the music world that this quartet is stronger, secure, and more mature both musically and personally. The first single “Overcome” off of the new album is a balls to the wall hard rockin number that is guaranteed to get your pulse pounding, while the second single “Rain” is more mellow, and melodic, and really gives Scott’s vocals a chance to shine

I guess the real question I have to ask myself after hearing the new singles and researching all of the latest band news is this has Creed really come full circle? I think the answer to that question is yes they have. For all of you Alter Bridge fans out there though, don’t despair. Tremonti, Phillips, and Marshall have all agreed that Alter Bridge is not going away and will be both in the studio and on tour after they tour in support of the new Creed album.

That is all for now from Simple Man Music. I hope you all enjoy the tunes too. I tried to watch the video’s but you have to download a converter that made it a pain in the butt so don’t do it. Just listen to the new tunes and enjoy and look forward to the new tour - I do. I hope you all have a totally marvelous Monday my friends, and CIAO4NOW!!!!!

Taylor Wins, Beyonce Has Class, and Kanye Is an Ass.

I have heard a lot of opinions about Kanye West’s outburst at the VMA’s (Video Music Awards) about Taylor Swift winning the Best Female Video of the Year award over Beyonce so I thought I would take a look at the two video’s myself and make my own decision about whether I thought Kanye was right or not.

Before we get started though I think that it is only fair to tell you that I am more of a Beyonce fan than a Taylor Swift fan, although she does have a couple of tunes that I do like. However I just find that Beyonce’s music is a lot more mature and more in line with my musical taste, while Taylor is more to my daughters taste.

Upon review I would have to say though that the judges at the VMA’s have definitely gotten it right this time and that Taylor Swift’s video was most certainly better than Beyonce’s if you consider the visual and entertainment value of the production. The video and the song also line up together nicely, but you decide for yourself.

Taylor Swift: "You Belong To Me"



Beyonce: "Single Ladies" (Put a Ring On It)



As I had said previously I can only decide for myself whether or not I think the judges had gotten it right And I think they did. On another note I also have to give credit where credit is due so here goes. Way to go President Barack Hussein Obama after a little more than eight months in office you have finally gotten something right Kanye is a JACKASS.

That is all we have for you today on Simple Man Music, but we will be back again soon. I hope you all enjoy the Beyonce video for "Halo" I do, CIAO4NOW!!!!!

Talented Tunes - Demi Lovato: Here We Go Again

You may, or may not, have heard of Demi Lovato, but I'm impressed with this girl's talent, and thought I'd introduce her to all of our readers here at Simple Man Music in a Talented Tunes post.

This girl has been in acting for some time, starring in Disney Channel's Sonny With A Chance, as well as the movie, Camp Rock. Now I know some of you are already groaning - "Another Disney channel diva," but this girl is not another Miley Cyrus…she's much better.

Her first album came out in 2008, and just recently in July of 2009, Here We Go Again, her second album, came out. This debuted on the Billboard 200 at #1, and sold thousands in the first week.

Now there's a reason this girl is popular. She is now 17 years old, but if you throw away your preconceived notions about the fact she comes from Disney, you'll definitely hear the talent here. The first time my husband and I heard her, we both commented that she had the sound of Avril Lavigne back in the old days (before she softened up after getting married lol).

So just take the time to give the video a listen. She's definitely rockin' out in her hit single - Here We Go Again.