LIST: Music Makes For Great Gifts...

With the holidays here and Christmas fast approaching, I thought I'd help out and suggest some albums that would make for great gifts. These are albums (new and old) that I really enjoy. There's music from different genres, so hopefully there's a little something for everyone. Hope you agree...

(BTW... these are in no particular order, and like everything in this blog, is my own complete endorsement.)

1. Smashing Pumpkins - Any of their albums, I think would be a winner. I just LOVE this band. The end.
   
   
2. Radiohead - Anything by these guys. They are brilliant.
   
   
3. AA Bondy - American Hearts
   
   
4. Antje Duvekot - Snapshots
   
   
5. Augustana - Can't Love, Can't Hurt
   
   
6. The Brilliant Mistakes - Distant Drumming
   
   
7. Five A.M. - Raise The Sun
   
   
8. Val Emmich - Little Daggers
   
   
9. Matt Nathanson - Some Mad Hope
   
   
10. O.A.R. - All Sides
    
    
11. Emerson Hart - Cigarettes & Gasoline
    
    
12. Adele - 19
    
    
13. Kira Fontana - Inner Revolution
    
    
14. The Interiors - The Interiors
    
    
15. Mass Solo Revolt - Easy Mark
    
    
16. Aleksis Bilmanis - World Around
    
    
17. The Fray - How To Save A Life
    
    
18. Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace
    
    
19. Leona Lewis - Spirit
    
    
20. Travis - Singles
    
    
21. The Kooks - Konk
    
    
22. The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing
    
    
23. Silversun Pickups - Carnavas
    
    
24. Christian Brown - When It's Perfect
    
    
25. Deftones - White Pony

And just because it's the holidays... My favorite Christmas album to suggest would be:

Any of the Harry Connick, Jr. Christmas albums.

Happy Holidays!

LIST: My Top 5 Favorite Musicians EVER

The list of my top 5 Musicians EVER. They are brilliant, talented, creative geniuses in their music, lyrics, songwriting, performances, etc. Their music changed my life. Check them out and let them change yours.

In alphabetical order:

AA Bondy - www.myspace.com/aabondy
Billy Corgan - www.smashingpumpkins.com
Emerson Hart - www.emersonhart.com
Glen Phillips - www.glenphillips.com
Jeff Krantz - www.jeffkrantzmusic.com

SHOW REVIEW: Five Times August

Instead of reviewing all three bands in the same entry, I'm breaking this up into three parts, in order of their performances.

Part One: FIVE TIMES AUGUST
www.fivetimesaugust.com

The first act of the evening was solo act, Brad Skistimas, who IS Five Times August. Yes. Just one guy, but a talented one at that! The handsome (ah, but married) Brad, took the stage with his guitar and a readiness to sweep me off my feet with his music. OK. That may not have been his specific intention, since he's married and I didn't meet him until after the show. But, it sure felt like it from the moment he started performing his first song of the night. Besides, a girl can dream...;-)

I have video footage of that first song, which I believe was called "Do It Again", and will post that up as soon as I can.

It was my first time hearing his music, so I wasn't familiar enough with the names of the tracks to make a mental setlist in my head. I remember there was one called "Beautiful Girls" that I also like.

Brad's voice, the lyrics of his songs, and the melodies on his guitar made for a simply incredible performance. Not to mention, he really knew how to work the crowd. He interacted well, sharing a few stories (like sharing mics with the guys from Wild Sweet Orange) in between songs, etc. He gave off and received good energy with all of us in attendance. I would definitely go see him perform again, and recommend that if he is in your area, to check him out as well. Really good stuff.

Though I'm open to alot of types of music genres, I can be rather picky about the artists I will call favorites. Of the wide variety of music I enjoy, I am really into the singer/songwriter genre... Glen Phillips, Emerson Hart, AA Bondy, and Jeff Krantz hands down. These guys are part of a present generation reminiscent of artists I grew up listening to as a child (James Taylor, Jim Croce, Cat Stevens, Bob Dylan). Brad, aka Five Times August, is a fresh emerging artist who is certainly on his way to becoming a fave too.

I'm glad I got the opportunity to see him perform, discover his music, and meet him after the show. He is really nice and down-to-earth. I got a chance to talk with him a little, get an autograph, and a photo. It's obvious that he loves what he does and it's wonderful to be able to share talent, passion, and creativity in this world. Thanks, Brad!

I better go download his album and add it to my iPod....

Brad & I after the show

For more of my photos of Five Times August, click HERE.

LIST: 10 Songs To Listen To - 050508

Click on song titles to hear on iTunes, except Jeff Krantz's "Wasteland". Hear that song on his webpage.

10 Songs To Listen To (listed in no particular order)

Jeff Krantz - Wasteland
A Fine Frenzy - Almost Lover
Elbow - One Day Like This
Emerson Hart - I Wish the Best for You
Radiohead - All I Need
Augustana - Sweet and Low
Travis - Why Does It Always Rain on Me?
AA Bondy - Black Rain, Black Rain
Wilco - I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
Tristan Prettyman - Madly

LIST: Woo Me Music

Some older songs, some newer ones. Some sweet songs, some dirtier ones. But all definite turn ons.

Listed in no particular order:

All I Need
Radiohead / In Rainbows
The way the song starts out and when Thom's voice comes in is so f***ing sexy it makes me crazy...

Lover's Waltz
AA Bondy / American Hearts
I love how this song makes me want to slow dance...

When She Loves You
Emerson Hart / Cigarettes and Gasoline
Wow...this could make a bitter person love again...

Angel
Massive Attack / Mezzanine
Simple lyrics, sexy beats. Enough said.

Your Ways
Jeff Krantz
The melody is so pretty...simple, sweet, makes me want to sway... I love, love, love Jeff's ways... :-)

Nobody Does It Better
Radiohead / Cover - Original by Carly Simon
Like Thom says just before he starts singing, it's the sexiest song ever written...but as much as I like Carly's version...I gotta say that Radiohead does it better.

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Smashing Pumpkins / Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness: Dawn to Dusk
Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

I Love You Anyways
Travis / Good Feeling
*sigh* I love the slowness of this song...

Come On Get Higher
Matt Nathanson / Some Mad Hope
mmm...this song is so mad hot.

No One's Gonna Love You
Band of Horses / Cease to Begin
Love the intro...it's kinda magical...

Closer
Nine Inch Nails / The Downward Spiral
Come on...you know that sexy beat as soon as it drops. And with lyrics that include "I want to f*** you like an animal"...Dirty hot.

Ava Adore
Smashing Pumpkins / Adore
In Billy 'I see dirty'...In Billy 'I count stars'...We must never be apart...

Zero
Smashing Pumpkins / Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness: Dawn to Dusk
I know, yet another SP song. Can't help it. Billy Corgan rocks my world... Yeah...'He's the one for me....he's all I really need, oh yeah...' ;)