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!!!!!
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.
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!!!!!
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!!!!!
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!!!!!
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!!!!!
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.
Welcome back to Simple Man Music this Friday my friends. Today is not going to be a blog about another new artist, or classic artist, or even a particular genre, or style of music. Today I am going to write about a legendary figure in the music industry who has paved the way for all artists and styles. Do not get me wrong this man was also a great musician and performer, but I believe that he is the original father of what became known as Rock & Roll and the electric guitar too.
The man I am speaking about is none other than Lester William Polsfuss also known as Les Paul. At the age of 13 Les Paul was already a honky tonk guitar player who by the age of 17 had quit high school and was playing guitar in Sunny Joe Wolverton’s Radio Band. Lester also performed as a solo country act known as Rhubarb Red in addition to recording with other great artists like Georgia White. Les Paul also recorded a string of hits with people like Bing Crosby, his wife Colleen Summers also known as Mary Ford.
The Gibson electric guitar also known as the Les Paul is not the only technological innovation that we have to thank Les Paul for either. His interest and innovative thinking regarding multitrack recording have definitely played a pivotal role in the legend known as Les Paul and have helped this man to create and leave a legacy within the music world as well as helping musicians and studios by revolutionizing the recording process.
There are many notable guitar players out there who have carried the Gibson Les Paul out on stage and into the recording studio. These guitar players are from all ends of the musical spectrum too. Great axe men like Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Alex Lifeson, Duane Allman, Bob Marley, and Al DiMeola are just a few of the world renowned guitar players who have played the Gibson Les Paul to the great benefit of their music and their fans too.
For those of you who aspire to be the next guitar god on the music scene will almost certainly want to try out and maybe even own one of Gibson’s Les Paul Guitars. Just remember the pricing for these guitars are not to be looked at lightly. You might be able to pick up a used one at a reasonable price, but prices from $1000 to over $5000 are not uncommon. If you can’t afford that you may pick up an Epiphone Les Paul at a more reasonable price for you wallet, however the name Les Paul says it all.
All I have to add to today’s blog is that I am glad we had the pleasure of Lester’s company for the last 94yrs. You have to wonder if there is anybody out there who will ever fill Les Paul’s shoes. Have a fabulous weekend my friends I will see you again soon, CIAO4NOW!!!!!
Welcome to Simple Man Music. Today I want to take a look at a musician in a genre we haven't really delved into yet - R&B. Personally I love R&B music. It's the softer side of Hip Hop and Rap, often called "Hip Hop that tells a story."
One of top current R&B singers out there happens to be Ne-Yo, who was already established as a writer and producer in the genre before. He's collaborated cuts with people like Faith Evans, Jamie Foxx, Beyonce, Chris Brown, and Mary J. Blige. He's also known for being the co-writer of big hit "Let Me Love You" by Mario. Although he's been known for some time as a writer and producer, recently he's done a lot as a performer and artist, releasing a variety of excellent music within the past few years.
Ne-Yo is not quite 30, and for such a young artist in the R&B field, he's already established himself in a prominent way. Since he first debuted, he's had five different songs hit the top 10 list on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as two albums that have hit number one on the Billboard 200. He was signed back in 2005 by Def Jam, and then released his first album in 2006 - In My Own Words.
All you have to do is listen to various songs by Ne-Yo, such as "Mad," "Sexy Love," or "Make it Work," and you'll quickly become addicted to this guys smooth voice and slow rhythms. His songs have a slow groove that is incredibly sexy.
What I find so incredible about Ne-Yo, is that he not only brings a sexy, young, and new side to R&B, but he has contributed so much to music through all of his writing. He wrote "I'm You" for Leona Lewis, wrote "Take a Bow," a top single for Rihanna, "Irreplaceable," a number one single for Beyonce, and various songs for Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Ciara, as well as for Enrique Iglesias. Before the death of Pop-King Michael Jackson, Ne-Yo had even been working on collaborations with Jackson for the upcoming album that Jackson was supposed to release.
Apparently Ne-Yo has talents in other areas, appearing in movies Stomp the Yard and Save the Last Dance 2. He's even opened up a recording studio of his own and has his own production company, known as Compound Entertainment. This guy is definitely an all around artist, writing music, producing music, acting, and performing music.
Ne-Yo has a variety of awards under his belt as well. He's been nominated for a Grammy 11 times, and he's won 3 Grammys. He's won two BET awards, a couple MOBO awards, and has been nominated for more than 36 awards over his short career. It's easy to see that this R&B star is just getting started, and I'm sure we'll continue to see more from him in the future, including writing and singing.
Here are a couple of tunes from Ne-Yo to check out. Enjoy.
There appears to be another Pearl Jam album on the horizon and it is called “Backspacer”. This is the bands ninth album and it is definitely not like any other collaboration that this guitar driven band has laid down for public consumption before. I also assure you that you won’t be disappointed this time either.
“Backspacer” is just a pure, simple, fun; rock your brains out, great album. It is not filled with any gloom and doom, or political rhetoric as in past songs or performances. I must say that makes me happy because Eddie Vedder and company do not appear to be politically astute, just my opinion.
It would also appear that Pearl Jam is going about the release of this album much differently than with past releases. The album is set for release on September 20th through several different retailers both physical and digital. They have also secured a deal with national retailer Target to release “Backspacer” as well.
The album will also be released to Indie music outlets by the Coalition of Independent Music Stores Junketboy division and Universal Music will be the label that the album is released under internationally. All in all this method that the band has chosen to release their new album while risky seems to profit everybody.
For those of you who are gamers as well as fan’s of the Pearl Ham sound you can find “Backspacer” on “Rock Band” the day it is released. There will also be a dedicated Pearl Jam game that may hit store shelves by 2010. Also look out for the reissue of PJ’s “Ten”, which is sure to be an instant hit for the fans.
Simple Man Music will be back with more on the Pearl Jam/ “Backspacer” front as soon as more info becomes available. In the meantime get set for Pearl Jams fall tour, because it is sure to spotlight some of this albums music. Some of these tunes have already been performed in public venues. The new single “The Fixer” just flat out rocks too.
I hope you all like this video by Pearl Jam too it is one of my favorites enjoy "The Fixer" too. I will see you all again real soon folks. Thanks for stopping by Simple Man Music and CIAO4NOW!!!!!
Welcome to Simple Man Music. I'm back with another Talented Tunes post, and today we're going to have a look at Whitney Houston's new release. We haven't heard from this female pop star for years. She is definitely considered to be one of the biggest female stars of pop ever, so many have wondered why she has been "silent" for so long.
That silence has ended. Her new album is coming out at the end of August - I Look to You. Have a listen to the main single on that new album "I Look to You," and you'll realize that she's back with a bang.
This is a great piece of music, perhaps even more powerful than music she has released in the past. Her voice is still incredible, and I personally think her voice sounds even better - it's mellowed with age. I believe Houston said it best herself "I'm back home where I belong."
Check out her new single "I Look to You," below. Right now you can also download this tune free at her website.
I started this blog as a way to talk about great music from any genre, not as a forum for attacking any performers who I disagree with or don’t like. However I think that today’s blog is almost certainly going to sound like I have an axe to grind, although I really don’t. For the record like all of my other blogs I don’t write anything until I have researched the subject and have all of the facts.
Quite recently Goth Rocker Marilyn Manson posted a piece on his MySpace blog that attacked and threaten journalists and bloggers who take issue with him, his tunes, and his band. The blog was in response to an interview that Travis Keller who founded BuddyHead.com gave to LA Weekly. In the interview Keller suggested that Manson was a “paranoid cocaine addict who is nothing like his onstage persona”.
Now I personally can understand anyone not just entertainers getting angry if someone said such a thing about them and it was not true. A statement like that is a very inflammatory remark to make about someone. I for one would never say such a thing unless I could absolutely prove it, and even then I probably wouldn’t simply because that is not what this blog is about.
However there is one lesson that Manson has apparently failed to learn in his let’s educate the rock start class. That lesson is that when you are in the public eye as he certainly is, and you are making statements publicly about what you think, feel, and believe in, you have to be ready to here the other side’s point of view. After all if you are going to exercise your right to free speech so are your detractors.
Personally I can give a rat’s ass what kind of lifestyle Manson chooses to live, and I also don’t give a damn about his religious views either. I will also be honest and tell you that I am not a devotee of his music and I don’t even know what his thoughts are on politics, economy, ecology, or anything else that might be considered relevant to the times we live in, but now I know how he feels about other people’s constitutional right to free speech.
What is sad about this whole thing for me is that I will probably never write anything else about Marilyn Manson on this blog, but that is just because I haven’t heard anything musically that has sparked my interest. I will tell you that I saw hem at an Ozzfest concert a few years ago and he put on a great show, but I hadn’t even thought about him since then until now.
Now if Manson takes exception to anything that I have written here today well I am real sorry about that. Therefore If Manson feels the need for me to repeat any of this to his face he is more than welcome to come here and I will. However should Manson decide to do just that he needs to know that I am not only a vicious defender of the 1st amendment, but I am also an avid practitioner of my 2nd amendment rights as well.
So there are no mistakes or misconceptions made about myself and those who write for Simple Man Music in the future the readers of this blog to know that we reserve to right to write whatever we want. We will without reservation take full advantage of our 1st amendment right to free speech/free press and if that is unacceptable to anyone then simply don’t read the blog.
I hope you all have a great weekend and I also hope you enjoy this blog as well. I will be back again soon my friends CIAO4NOW!!!!!
As I said when I started this blog there is no genre of music that is off limits, but after this I will change that statement that there is no genre of music that is relative to the industry that is off limits. The reason being is that my daughter called me out on the no genre off limits thing so I let her write this blog, and this style of music is what she is currently into. I hope you all enjoy this post. ____________________________________________________________________
In Japan, the most popular type of music is often referred to as ‘J-rock’ or Japanese Rock.
Often times when people hear about or even listen to Japanese Rock music, they have this idea in their head that it’s just another type of music, that the Japanese were copying the Americans when American rock music first started, but that isn’t true. J-Rock got its start back in the 1960’s when The Beatles performed at Bodokun. The music intrigued the Japanese in such a way that they started to play their own music, but without copying the Americans. In America, rock music was often about sex, drugs and revolution, but the Japanese, being the conservative type of people that they usually are, didn’t want anything having to do with that. J-Rock is cleaner and very drug-free.
The very first Japanese rock music was still as rebellious as the Western alternative, only it mainly focused on the political issues going on in everyday life. The 1960’s became a very important decade in the Japanese music culture; especially for the fact the Kyoto student rebellion took place in that time period (which happened to have a very big impact in the whole entire J-Rock world). In the beginning, the sound was much like the sound you would’ve found here in America, but as the time passed, the sound (as well as the look) changed rapidly. Visual Kei (often referred to as ‘VK’) was born.
When people think about the VK look, they often think of the term “Emo,” which would be the American version of it, they never stop to think where the American version originated or even why it did; but it did come from VK. There are also a-lot of “sub-styles” that evolved from the Visual Kei look.
1) Visual Kei is the darker more “scary” type of music, much like the “Emo” music Americans have; but it’s so much more then that. Visual Kei has to do with a movement among Japanese artists that is labeled by the use of colorful and sometimes completely “out there” type of looks, and often includes lots of dark make-up and elaborate costumes. It also often (but not always) includes aesthetic. Most inside sources have said the the VK’s clothing and make-up is just their participation (which also happens to be just as important as the music itself).
2) Nagoya Kei is another “sub-style” of VK and is centered all around (and in) the city of Nagoya, Japan. VK is usually darker than the VK style and is greatly influenced by British “punk rock” but quickly turned into “gothic” and/or death-metal in the late 1970’s and early 80’s.
3) Oshare Kei is a Japanese music and fashion style (much like all of the other “sub-styles” of VK). Oshare bands are unlike any of the other styles in the way that they are bouncy, bright, and generally happy. Both the music and the style try very hard to send out a positive message to the listeners. The songs are normally about friends and relationships. When people think of the term “Oshare Kei” they often also think of Decora, and that is simply because that is what influenced the whole OK look in the first place. OK is the newest style that has come out of VK; it started back in 2001 by Ryo of Baroque in their PV (official video) "Anakuro Film".
4) Lolita is another “sub-style” of VK; it is pretty much a fashion sub-culture in Japan that was greatly influenced by Victorian style clothing. The unique thing about the Lolita fashion is that it became unique simply by adding “gothic” elements to the look itself.
I’m always getting asked why I like this type of music so much in the first place, and it’s very hard for me to answer that question. The music itself is just so unique, you can almost hear the history in it… but to do that, you’ve got to listen with an open mind and you’ve also got to understand why the songs are written the way that they are. There aren't a lot of people outside Japan that really find the music fascinating, and that is also part of what makes it so unique.
An example of VK music is Miyavi – Jibun Kazumei
An example of NK music is… Lynch – Ambivalent Ideal
An example of OK music is… SuG - 39GalaxyZ
An example of Lolita music is… Lolita23q – Siren Blue.
Most of you probably remember that a few posts ago here on Simple Man Music, I highlighted one hit wonders of the 70s. Today I'm back again with some of the most popular one hit wonders of the 80s. If you do a bit of research, the 80s was actually one of the time periods that had the most one hit wonders. It's hard to choose just a few, but here are some of the most popular ones from this decade.
"The Safety Dance" - Men Without Hats One of the top one hit wonders of the 80s is no doubt "The Safety Dance." With a catchy tune, but a totally scary music video, it is definitely a tune that sticks in your head. Crank this one up and dance around your living room, your kitchen…grab the kids and dance…after all, "it's safe to dance."
"99 Red Ballooons" - Nena Another of the one hit wonders of the 80s came from NENA. This was actually a new wave hit in Germany - a protest song in the era of the Cold War. It became popular in Germany and then made the charts in the United States as well. There is an interesting story behind this song, read it HERE.
"Angel Eyes" - The Jeff Healey Band Jeff Healey's story is indeed an interesting one. A musician from Canada, he was blind, learning how to play guitar on his lap. He would later form the Jeff Healey Band. Although he has released quite a bit of other music, it was this song "Angel Eyes" that really became a big hit during the 80s. Many people have referred to Jeff Healy as "Angel Eyes" himself.
"Keep Your Hands to Yourself" - Georgia Satellites This song is a favorite of mine - you just can't help but like this upbeat song by the southern rock band, Georgia Satellites. "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" is the song that they are known for and it hit #2 in the rock charts and the US Top 100 charts. When it comes to the one hit wonders of the 80s, this song just has to be on the list. The guitars are screaming, Rick Richards belts out the lyrics, and you can't help but sing along.
"Whip It" - Devo "Crack that whip." You just can't get away from this one hit wonder of the 80s. In fact, it scored #15 on VH1s top one hit wonders of the 80s…big surprise. Teens of the 80s (and adults too) went nuts over this song. They didn't do much else that really got the attention of the nation, but this song was the one song they did succeed with, and we still remember it today. In fact, I bet you can even sing along…lol.
"It's Raining Men" - Weather Girls Okay, for all you women out there, I know you remember this one. After all, we women can't forget a song that's all about "raining" down hot men. This song was actually offered to many of the female singing legends, but it was finally the Weather Girls, who accepted the song. Their version of the song became a hit, not only in the U.S., but it was considered an international hit. These girls didn't go much further, but hey, they got it all didn't they? After all, it rained men for them. "Hallelujah"
"Mickey" - Toni Basil Toni Basil is known more today for her influence on dance and is one of the most incredible choreographers out there. She is also an actress, and many don't realize she has been involved in music as well. Although you probably haven't heard most of her music, her song "Mickey" was an international hit, and it's been featured in many different movies. It's one of those songs that just gets stuck in your head.
"Puttin on the Ritz" - Taco Taco is actually a Dutch singer, and he was made famous by the one hit wonder, "Puttin on the Ritz." Although he did some other songs along the way, it was this song that made him famous and most people have only heard this song by him. Not only did it perform well on charts in the U.S., but it hit top chart positions in Norway and Sweden.
"Relax" - Frankie Goes to Hollywood Frankie Goes to Hollywood was a dance pop band in England and "Relax" was their debut single. It hit #6 on the charts, the BBC banned the song, and then they hit the #1 spot for five weeks in a row. Interestingly enough, the song is still one of the top hit singles of all time in the UK.
I hope you have enjoyed this look at the one hit wonders of the 80s. What other one hit wonders do you remember? Feel free to let us know.
Hi there everyone and thanks for dropping by Simple Man Music. Today I'm back with Talented Tunes, and I have an interesting new song and artist to talk about today.
Today on Talented Tunes, we're featuring Taylor Warren and his song "Just Hold On." You may not have heard of this guy and his band yet, but I think you will definitely hear more of him in the future.
His music has been on Animal Planet, MTV, and he and his band has even opened for Sugar Ray. So far he is unsigned, which is hard to believe, but the guy has a lot of talent, so I don't see him staying that way for long.
He just has released a new EP, I Am Who I Am, and personally I've found all of his music to be pretty good. You can find out more about Taylor Warren at his MySpace website http://www.myspace.com/taylorwarrenband.
The band has a pop rock sort of sound, and Taylor Warren provides some great vocals. The guitarists really have a great sound, as did the drummer. It all comes together to provide a great sound that you'll enjoy rockin' out to.
So take a listen to his tune, "Just Hold On." Let us know what you think.
Moby who was born Richard Melville Hall on November 11, 1965 in Harlem New York is one of music’s most prolific singer/songwriters. In addition to being a singer and song writer he is also a DJ and talented multi-instrumentalist as well. At nine years old Moby was already studying classical guitar and music theory, and eventually tackled piano, keyboards, bass guitar, and drums.
Moby has also played in a variety of bands such as the hardcore punk band Vatican Commandos. He has also performed with other bands like AWOL, Caeli Seoul, and Gin Train. In addition to the many different bands he has performed with he has also released music under the names Voodoo Child, and Schaumgummi. Moby also has eight top forty singles in the UK to his credit and has sold gold and platinum albums in more than 30 countries including the US.
Yet with all of this success Moby is not a name you would typically associate with a mainstream artist and you certainly cannot pigeonhole him into any one genre of music. However we hear his music almost everyday in music, video, movie, and TV outlets and often we may not even know it. Moby writes music and scores for everything from TV commercials to feature length films and he has made his pile doing it too.
Some of his most notable work in film includes "Bring Sally Up"/"Flower" from Gone In sixty Seconds, "Extreme Ways" from the Bourne trilogy, and "One Of These Mornings" from Miami Vice featuring Patti La Belle. He has also written commercial tunes for Volkswagen. Moby has done all of this and still maintains an active performance schedule, which includes playing at shows called degenerates around NYC.
Moby is also known for his activist stance on issues such as ecology and global warming. He owns a vegan restaurant in New York known as “Teany”. He has also been involved with the animal rights group called PETA. (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) whatever the cause that is important to him he has proven to support them both vocally and financially.
Whether you agree with his political and world views or not he is no doubt an awesome artist as well as a global figure. If you guys have anything like Limewire, Napster, or Kazaa then I highly recommend that you download some of his stuff and give him a listen, I really don’t think that you will be disappointed I wasn’t. I have tons of music by this guy and I constantly play it all the time.
That’s all for Simple Man Music and I hope you enjoy the video. I promise you there will be much more to come. Have a wonderful day and I will see you all again soon CIAO4NOW!!!!!
We'd like to introduce something new to you today here at Simple Man Music. You see, sometimes we come across songs that we really like. Perhaps we don't know much about the artist, or maybe we don't even care a whole lot for the artist, but there is just this one song that really grabs your attention. We haven't quite known what to do with music like this, so we have decided to start up a recurring post called "Talented Tunes" here at Simple Man Music. Basically we'll be highlighting a song, not really a particular band. If you have some ideas, let us know and we may highlight your favorite "Talented Tunes" as well.
For the first "Talented Tunes" post, I want to talk about a song I found through a friend. A friend sent me the link to this video and said, "you just have to check this girl out." I watched it and was very impressed. Not only does the song grab your attention, but the artist, Charice Pempengco is astounding, especially for just a teenager.
Charice got her start on a talent show in the Philippines several years ago. Since then she has appeared in other talent shows and even with some big name artists, like Celine Dion. She has performed on shows like Ellen and Oprah, and finally got music producer David Foster behind her music. Her first single is "Note to God" and Tim and I have found it an incredible song. Personally I can't wait to see what is in future for this young teen girl. Check out the song yourself below...
One hit wonders. If you aren't sure what they are, this occurs when a band does one song that is a big hit, and then essentially they aren't really heard of again. Basically their music career crashes and burns. The thing is, although some bands have only had their one big hit, we just can't get those one hit wonders out of our heads.
We're going to be doing a series on one hit wonders here at Simple Man Music, and today I'm bringing you some of the one hit wonders of the 70s.
Knock on Wood - by Amii Stewart There are a few different versions of this song, but Amii Stewart's version is the most popular. During the 70's it became a popular disco tune, and you can't help but dance, or at least tap your toes when you hear this tune today. We haven't really heard from Amii again, but this song is 30+ years old and you are still hearing it.
Kung Fu Fighting - by Carl Douglas Love it or hate it, all you have to do is hear the first couple bars of music and you know this song. You've heard it in countless movies, and every time you hear it, it definitely brings back a blast from the past. Enjoy the original video below!
Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry So you don't know any of the rest of their music, but I guarantee you recognize this one when the tune comes on. I have no idea why this was such a catchy tune. I mean really…"play that funky music white boy"??? However, I do have to admit, the tune is catchy.
I Don't Like Mondays - by The Boomtown Rats Okay, right away I agree with this song. Not hard to see why it caught on. After all, we pretty much all hate Mondays anyway. If you have ever seen the original video, you'll get a good laugh. Unfortunately they won't let me embed the original music vid here, so here is a version. (If you get the chance go to YouTube and check out the real music vid too.)
My Sharona - The Knack At the end of the 70s, "My Sharona" came out and it was a big hit. It was number one for six weeks. This song has a riff that is easy to recognize, and even big names, like Dave Grohl have named this song as a favorite.
Video Killed the Radio Star - Buggles Once again, I'm not always quite sure how some of these songs became hits, but this happened to be a pretty big hit in the 70s. In fact, it was the very first music video on MTV, which is quite a distinction. It definitely does sound catchy, and it does accurately catch the change in the way we listen to our music today.
Well that's all for today. Hope you enjoyed this "blast from the past." Stay tuned. We'll be featuring some more one hit wonders soon!
Welcome back to Simple Man Music. I hope you had a wonderful weekend, celebrating the 4th of July. I know that I had a wonderful time with family and friends.
In the past we have mentioned that we plan on introducing to you some Indie bands, and today I want to introduce to you a young indie group - Black Gold.
This group is quite young, hailing from Brooklyn, and although they have only been together for a couple years, they have already been touring and plan to tour even more in the future. Their debut album, Rush, came out this past February, and those who have heard it have described the music as charming and warming.
Black Gold is made up of Eric Ronic and Than Luu. Both have worked with a variety of bands in the past and are multi instrumentalists. Their meeting occurred first on the Craig Kilborn Show, where they hit it off and decided to get together to play some music. The combination seemed to be "made in heaven" and the two found that they quickly meshed sounds together that were incredible.
One of the reasons Black Gold has quickly become popular is because of how they draw on so many styles and eras of music to develop a sound all their own. Together they bring so much to the musical mix, and working together they come up with incredible music.
Both Eric and Than had been performing for years as professionals. They have worked and performed on stage with groups such as Panic! At the Disco, Ambulance LTD, M. Ward, and Rachael Yamagata. In fact, in some of their songs, leading vocalist for Panic! At the Disco performs backup vocals for them. During breaks from the other commitments that they have, they get together, and it has been during those times that they write their music and record together.
These two musicians are incredibly busy, but their chemistry has made it easy for them to write and record together. Most of their songs take little time for them to write, with some only taking a couple hours. This is definitely the sign of a great duo.
They both feel that no styles and genres are off limits when they write and record music. In fact, they love to bring together various sounds from artists and musical periods, then making into something all their own.
This year Black Gold is getting out there and doing more touring. They have already done some touring, opening for Panic! At the Disco in the past, and now they will be hitting the road themselves. It is a true testament to their success.
Personally, the first time I ever heard these guys, I was mesmerized. Their music is incredible and definitely catchy. Below I've posted a couple music videos by them. I hope you will enjoy them and let us know what you think. I definitely believe that they are two to be reckoned with when it comes to Indie music today.
Sorry I have been out of touch for a bit, but I was on a sort of personal/business hiatus, and yesterday was my birthday, which was quite memorable, however I digress. Suffice it to say that I am back now…..I hope. Anyways welcome back to Simple Man Music my friends, and let’s get started okay?
It seems that while I have been gone there was a lot of interesting events that occurred with regard to celebrity fatalities. It seemed that in one week we lost Ed McMahon a great entertainer and entrepreneur. Farrah Fawcett I still remember that poster on my wall. Last but not least Michael Jackson arguably the real king of pop, and they all will be missed. Today’s topic though a little bit late however is Michael Jackson, which is appropriate since this is a music related blog.
Michael Jackson was born on August 29th, 1958 and died on June 25th, 2008 just a couple of months shy of his 51st birthday. A performer from his early childhood he was obviously the talent in the family vocal group The Jackson Five, and as he grew older he quickly outpaced the J5 and ultimately left them all behind. Michael’s solo career was stellar and his talent and touch took him to the top of world in the entertainment world.
Now I will be honest with you I am not a big fan of Michael Jackson and I have never been, although I do like al lot of the performers who helped to create the Mowtown Sound, in which the Jackson family played a major part. I did like some of things he did in his solo career though. One of my favorites was the song and video “Beat It” because I thought it a very cool thing to have Eddie Van Halen play the guitar on the track. I also thought that the “Thriller” video was awesome.
Before I go I have to say one more thing too. It doesn’t matter whether you are an MJ fan or not. It doesn’t matter whether you believe all the controversy surrounding Michael and kids. It doesn’t even matter if you think the guy was GINORMOUSLY weird. The only thing that matters now is that this consummate entertainer, performer, musician, and artist be recognized for his contributions to his industry, craft, and fans.
That’s all for now kids, enjoy the video, and I’ll see ya all again real soon, CIAO4NOW!!!!!
I have to tell you all that if it hadn’t been for Will.i.am punching out Perez Hilton I might not have even taken a closer look at the Black Eyed Peas. After all while I will tell you that no genre is off limits here on Simple Man Music, it would be a little out of the ordinary for me to be checking out the Black Eyed Peas unless I heard a track that was off the chain.
The Peas fifth album THE E.N.D. has a couple of interesting tracks on it though. In addition to the albums lead single “Boom Boom Pow” there is also a tune called “I Gotta Feelin” that has a great vibe too. However I have to tell you that the “I Gotta Feelin” video is not exactly kid friendly, so check it out while the kids are at school.
The Black Eyed Peas got their start 1992 after the death of Eazy-E and the end of their contract with Ruthless Records as the duo Atban Klann. (William Adams and Allan Pineda) They recruited Jaime Luis Gomez and the Peas are born and performing around Los Angeles in the Hip Hop scene. In 1998 they recruit back up singer Kim Hill and become a quartet.
Since their humble beginnings they have wrote and performed many different musical styles. The have also gotten the better part of the deal when Kim hill left the band and they managed to get Stacy Ferguson aka Fergie in the line up. Since then Will.i.am and Fergie have both released successful solo records.
The new album The E.N.D. stands for “The End Never Dies”, and I think the only thing that the Peas need is for Will.i.am to bitch slap Perez Hilton one more time ;-) That’s it for now kiddies but I will bring ya something else again soon on Simple Man Music, CIAO4NOW!!!!!
Do you want to talk about something scary, because I do? I was out cruising around yesterday taking care of business and listening to the radio and I heard the Wham tune “Careless Whisper” come on the radio. That by itself was not scary but the sound and vocals were definitely not George Michael it was Shaun Morgan and Seether, which was scary.
Seether has recorded covers from several different bands such as Neil Young’s “Needle and the Damage Done”. As you would expect in the Seether fashion they have rocked out those covers, but seriously Wham? I will tell ya one thing though they certainly gave “Careless Whisper” the hard edged Seether sound that they are famous for, and it sounded good too.
Seether got its start as a post-grunge band from Johannesburg, South Africa in 1999. They were originally known as Saron Gas and were signed to Musketeer records in South Africa. In 2002 they changed their name to Seether, which coincided with the release of their 2nd album as well as their major labor debut.
The bands current album Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces with their label Wind-Up is selling like crazy and their tour is selling out everywhere they play. Negative Spaces is the brainchild of Shaun Morgan, drummer john Humphrey, and bassist Dale Stewart. While the record is still as Seether hard as ever the band certainly paid attention to writing more melodic tunes.
Some of the songs on the new record you might want to check out are “Fallen, “No Jesus Christ”, and “Rise Above This”. Negative Spaces is definitely the culmination of all of Seether’s hard work and shows this awesome bands growth and maturity musically. I highly recommend that all of you check out this latest compilation of fantastic Seether tunes.
That’s it for today my friends, but I will be back with more great stuff on Simple Man Music soon. Have a great day and enjoy the videos CIAO4NOW!!!!!
Welcome to the Friday installment of Simple Man Music. As you all know today is the day that we preview the most requested artist or performer from the past weeks requests. As I am also sure that you all are aware Joy wrote about our interest in Indie Music and Musicians. Well today’s post is not only a reader request but an interest in an Indie band named Silversun Pickups. Luckily for us this band has been on our radar for some time and we are happy to finally feature them.
The Indie rock band Silversun Pickups is from L.A. California. The members of this band all knew each other and were friends. They had performed with each other in other friend’s bands as well as together on previous occasions and were originally known as A Couple of Couples. Since their formation Silversun Pickups has released EP’s called Pikul, Remixes, Live Session, and The Tripwire Session. They have also released two full length albums called Carnavas and Swoon.
These releases have given birth to some great singles too. “Lazy Eye” and “Well Thought Out Twinkles” came off of the Carnavas album, while “Panic Switch” is the first single released off the album Swoon and there’s No Secrets This Year is the follow up single. These singles as well as all of the tracks on both albums showcase a diverse group of musical influences that make up this bands musical style. Some of their influences are The Smashing Pumpkins, Velvet Underground, and Sonic Youth.
Silversun Pickups has also toured with Australian band Wolfmother, Snow Patrol, and OK Go. In addition to that they have played the Coachella Music Festival in Indio California with Morrissey. Silversun Pickups has toured Ireland and the UK as well where they opened for the Foo Fighters in Edinburgh and Dublin. On their European tour they opened for Kaiser Chiefs. All the while they have gone about the business of creating great music and perfecting their craft.
The current line up for Silversun Pickups is as follows: 1) Brian Aubert on guitar and vocals 2) Nikki Monninger on bass and vocals 3) Joe Lester on keyboards 4) Christopher Guanlao on drums 5) Former member Llama Kennedy on rhythm guitar is featured on some of the bands tracks.
I would really recommend that you all give this band a listen to they have some great stuff. I for one also look forward to seeing and hearing more from these great musicians in the future, because I honestly feel that they have a future. After all with their great sound and songwriting skills I am sure they will only get better with time. I hope you all enjoy these videos.
That’s all for today, but Simple Man Music will be back next week, so have a great weekend CIAO4NOW!!!!!
As Tim has mentioned here in his opening post on Simple Man Music, no genre is off limits. We plan on dealing with all kinds of music on this blog, and we really want to highlight some of the Indie music out there. Many people are not totally familiar with Indie music and what it is all about, so I'd like to talk to you a bit about this music, why we love it, and why we plan to highlight if often.
"Indie" is the term that basically is an abbreviation for Independent music. It's not a specific genre of music (which many people seem to think) but basically encompasses all types of music distributed by independent labels instead of by major labels. It can also refer to music that is recorded and distributed by the artists themselves. Some of the big names in music today have first started in Indie music and have gone on to sign with mainstream labels. Sadly, some of the bands that have done this have compromised their unique sound when signing with major labels - caving to the pressure of a major label to go mainstream. For this reason many musicians choose to go independent. This way they are able to thrive, play the music they love, and improve the realm of music without being stifled or pressured by mainstream music labels.
Because of the independent that musicians have in Indie music, you'll find that Indie music includes many sounds, styles, and subjects. The musicians don't worry about trying to make their music appealing, but the music comes from their heart…from their passion. This means that Indie bands don't always appeal to the masses, although there are some exceptions. In fact, today more and more people are becoming fond of the Indie sounds being put out. Some people feel that this allows them to get their music on an "organic" level.
Today with all the technology out there, Indie music has risen even more in popularity. Artists can easily record their own music at home and use the internet to get it out to thousands. Some popular Indie musicians have started out this way, using YouTube and MySpace as venues to get their music out to the public. Many have gone on to be very successful.
"Indie" music is not a style of music. It is actually a mindset. This mindset that musicians have to preserve their music the way they want it - essentially preserving their musical footprint on the sands of time. It is this mindset that is the reason that we love Indie music. Here we are all about the heart and soul of music, no matter the genre. You'll find Indie musicians in every genre of music and we plan to highlight some of them in the following weeks.
Just a few of the Indie bands that we have discovered in our own musical journey and search include groups like Black Gold, LIGHTS, Silversun Pickups, and Band of Horses. Of course these are just a few of the many Indie bands out there. We plan to introduce some of them to you over the next few weeks, so stay tuned for some great Indie bands coming your way.
P.S. Don't forget to get your requests into us for Friday's reader's choice day. You can do this by emailing, leaving a comment, or IM'ing one of us.
