Biggie Size Me

Ok, the full length Killers album was released Tuesday and of course Rhapsody comes through again. Here's the link. (I discuss the Killers a couple of posts down from this one..) Enjoy!

The Killers - Hot Fuss

Rent This Space

Ok, maybe not this space, but you can certainly rent this townhouse! We have bought a house and are now trying to rent our current townhome. I know that only a few people read this blog every day, but if I link to our townhome ad here it will get listed in Google. Woohoo. Shameless self-promotion.

Our Beautiful Raleigh Townhome

Ok, now this one is good... Long Live Adam Ant

There are many of us who are now rejoicing that we no longer are in the grunge-focused 90s where we had to claim that we hated the 80s and all that silly music. I mean sure, in the mid-90s it was cool to have a "New Wave Hits of the 80s" disc, but we still looked at it as a frivolous time in the progression of popular music. But, over the past year or two there have been bands popping up who are squarely influenced by the decade that was my childhood. And I am not just talking about the hordes of "Strokes"-alikes who obviously have some affinity to the great 80s. Rather, I mean bands like stellastar* (ooo, an asterisk in the name... how 80s... I bet they wear eyeliner too) who would have comfortably fit on the Breakfast Club soundtrack. Well, I think we're just about to be hit with what could be the pinnacle of the 80s revival... these guys are great. Of course, part of my enjoyment is in the reassurance that I wasn't the only person alive and listening to music in the 80s... But this album (or at least what I've heard of it so far) is a great album that has all the melody, energy, and excitement that made the 80s so great. The full album doesn't come out until Tuesday, June 15th but you'll see below that I've posted a Rhapsody playlist for the first US single off the new album. This song is extremely infectious... makes me want to get up and dance around my room like I did when I was a teenager... wait... uh... I mean... uh... I mean I just sat there and listened to it... I didn't dance... no way... not me... ahem... uh... well, Enjoy!

The Killers - Somebody Told Me (Single)

My Redneck Past

Ok, the performance with Bobby McFerrin on Saturday night rocked. He is truly amazing. Singing with him definitely was a high-point, if not *the* high point of my music "career" so far. Definitely the most unique experience I've had. We only rehearsed with him for about 20 minutes where he sort of explained how it will work and how he will develop some music ideas on stage and then bring us in on the ideas. Needless to say, I was a bit nervous as I am not used to the improv thing... So the first half of the show was him conducting and performing with the North Carolina Symphony. He actually performed a duet for cello where he performed one of the cello parts with his voice. Extremely athletic piece and he was dead-on run after run... amazing. He also conducted Mozart's 38th Symphony in its entirety. The 2nd half of the show was all a cappella. The 20 or so of us singers backing him up sat in chairs in semi-circle behind him while he started to improv melodies and rhythms alone. Occassionally, when he settled on a vibe he liked he would turn to us and build his backing vocals... sometimes turning to the basses first and giving them their parts... we'd slowly take it over from him... then he'd pass the tenors their part... then altos... then sopranos... then as we continued the sounds, he would solo over us... So incredibly cool. He did do one of his songs that is more well known, "Drive," where he makes two pitches at once by humming and buzzing his lips. Crazy stuff. We also did an impromptu peformance of the Bach/Gounod "Ave Maria" in which he sang the appregiation and we all sang the melody. He finished the set with a manic, Cliff's Notes rendition of the "Wizard of Oz" that was hysterical. Mix in a bunch of random, crazy, fun stuff and it was an hour of pure joy. The 7,000 or so people in attendance loved it and he received the standing ovation he deserved. He was exhausted by the end of the show and could only manage a sing-along of the Mickey Mouse Club song for his encore. He's a true musican who gives everything to his performance. For me the singing was fun, but really I just had the best seat in the house to watch him perform. I wasn't necessarily a fan before but I definitely am now. Below I've posted a couple of fun links. Some of the stuff Bobby had us sing reminded me of my days with the Virginia Gentlemen at the University of Virginia. The good ol' days. I recently did a search on a cappella music in Rhapsody and was surprised to find one of the "Best of College A Cappella" CDs out there. This is a compilation CD that is released every now and then. We were included on the very first BOCA cd back in 1994 or so. Unfortunately, that one isn't on Rhapsody. But, I was surprised to find it out on Amazon now, rereleased as a double CD along with the 2nd BOCA. Below I've included a Rhapsody link to BOCA 2K... and an Amazon link to the BOCA release I am included on (I'm even mentioned in the liner notes as I arranged the song of ours they included). Enjoy!

BOCA 2K - Best of College A Cappella

Awwwww guys... it wasn't what I said, was it?

Ok, now I feel bad. Here I am trashing them a few posts ago and now they've broken up... I was going to put a memorial Rhapsody mix up, but no dice... they are not available in Rhapsody at all. That's ok though because I was also going to suggest a moment of silence instead as that would certainly be more aurally pleasing...

If I Die in Raleigh, At Least I Will Die Free

Ok, well another week passes without any new releases I'm itching for (couldn't care much less about Melissa Auf der Maur or her silly name), so I'll pull another out of the very recent past... This time I'm choosing to write about an all acoustic old-time country/folk band who just released their debut CD. Like the Squirrel Nut Zippers or perhaps even Michael Buble, this band is deeply rooted in its particular vintage sound. The first song of theirs I heard was actually the last song on this disc, "Wagon Wheel." I think it was on the latest CMJ sampler. Honestly, I might have just passed by the song completely and written them off as another band with a "vintage schtick" but a) they mention Raleigh in the first verse (and the last as a matter of fact) and b) they are actually really good at their sound. Interested in this song in which my beloved town stars, I did some research online. It turns out that the chorus was actually taken from a song rumored to be a Dylan song which he apparently only performed live. The band actually gives him credit in the liner notes. The verses were written by the lead singer of the band... so apparently he has some connection to Raleigh... or maybe he just likes the way it sounds... Anyway, I was definitely interested in hearing the rest of the album so I turned to good ol' Rhapsody positive I wouldn't actually find it. Well, as you see below, Rhapsody comes through once again. Funny thing too is that I was watching this week's episode of Subterranean and they played the video for "Wagon Wheel" so apparently me, CMJ, and Rhapsody aren't the only ones noticing this band. When you're looking for a good ol' down-home country sound (with a modern edge, especially lyrically), give this one a listen. Enjoy!

Old Crow Medicine Show - O.C.M.S.