Sorry to be late with my blog about the new songs. Better late than never! Right?
Only a couple of offerings from American Idol contestants this week. I added "Better Off Alone" from
Katharine McPhee's album and "Need" from
Half Past Forever (featuring Chris Sligh). Here is an excerpt from their bio:
The band's "way of thinking" has always been to write great songs that audiences can sing along with, then "smarten them up" by adding in as many elements as they can. They are never satisfied with the sound that would be expected.
Take a Chance on Something Beautiful is a cacophony of catchy songs that will have audiences singing along interspersed with odd, esoteric instrumental tracks and effects. The 14 tracks come together to form an album that is an experience from start to finish. Half Past Forever seems to be a long-lost band that makes albums instead of singles.
"I would say that I write more form an album standpoint than I do from a single standpoint," says lead singer and main songwriter, former member Chris Sligh. "Don't get me wrong, i think a song like 'Know' or 'In a Moment' are both singles...but as I write and as we produce and record, I am thinking about how to tie in a whole album together."
Adam concurs, "An album is a lot bigger than a simple song. Lots of people can write great songs, but it's tough to put together a full album that ties together and is a callback to the days of making great album, like the late 60's and 70's."
"My goal with this album," says former HPF member, Chris, "Is that people would come away with a sense that there is more to hear with each successive listen...yet there is something familiar in the way I write. I think when I listen to my favorite writers, that's the feeling I get. With my favorite artists, I want to hear more in the turn of a phrase or listen for distinct musical performances, yet the songs feel familiar. I really hope that the listener feels the same with this album."
"A Strange Education" is the title track from the album
A Strange Education by the U.K. group,
The Cinematics. According to their bio...
The Glasgow four piece beat combo The Cinematics are an intriguing gang of young boys with an eye on some fairly serious goals. With influences ranging from The Cure, Television, Magazine, Wire, The Smashing Pumpkins to Talking Heads, The Smiths and Jeff Buckley. The band have a diverse taste in music which in turn makes their sound interesting, but easily accessible.
Since moving to Glasgow the band have settled into the regime of what they do best - making melodic guitar music of the emotional variety. The meeting and forming of The Cinematics is not a story of chance like answering an ad for a singer and drummer wanted for some college band shenanigans but a story of predetermined fate. It's a tale of four boys growing up in a place where livestock numbers outnumber the people by 20 to 1 and where accordion based folk music rules. ...
Independent artist
John Pedersen is also featured this week with his track "It's Good" from his album,
Groovidi. Here are excerpts from his bio:
John Pedersen is a keyboardist from Southern California who plays a variety of interesting and compelling instrumental music. His tunes have a certain "magic" associated with them, and listeners are transported to a pleasant world of infectious melodies and lush soundscapes. Not content with one style, he writes and performs everything from Smooth Jazz to Groove-Oriented Electronica, and all points between. Using guest musicians on bass, guitar, sax, flute and drums, Mr. Pedersen gets a full sound on his discs. Andy Machin, co-producer and engineer, plays electric and acoustic guitar, a well as bass and percussion. Jeff Winckler adds a good rhythmic component with his superlative drumming skills. Adrienne Nims lends her talents by playing saxophone and flute on John's brand new CD, "Groovidi". ...
...Just released, John's new album, "GROOVIDI", features full-on jazz and chill-out instrumentals with infectious melodies played on guitar, sax, flute and piano. The lead instruments are accompanied by some very hypnotic grooves courtesy of a hip rhythm section. This is smooth jazz as its best with influences of funk, blues, Latin flamenco and chill out lounge. A very enjoyable ride awaits the listener on this one! Several tracks are avaiable for your listening pleasure right here on my profile, but listening samples for all 60 of my tunes are available at www.findingparadisejazz.com.
Also added this week are "Try Again" by
Keane, "Garden Party" by
Ricky Nelson, "As Good As It Gets" by
Olivia Eden, and one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite artists... a live performance of "Crying" by
k.d. lang.
Happy listening!
Great Northern songs are genuinely, memorably melodic, and it’s the several coatings of so many melodies within each track that makes them something to return to again and again. “It’s important to Solon and me that the songs have a lot to offer,” says Stolte. “The songs on my mind are the ones that you hear over and over and you hear something new every time.” The very moody “lOw IS a hEIghT” is inarguably a gorgeous song, but what’s it about? A crucial ambiguity raises its pointy head when the band embarks on an extended instrumental coda that brings variation to the main theme, as if crystalizing the essence of the mood the song seeks to convey. Building to a caterwauling intensity, “Telling Lies” flirts with the epic (in short form, of course) by fusing tremeloed multiple guitars and voices as drummer Davey thrashes artfully. Exhilarating dervishes of high whining keyboard strings and guitars lure you to the bridge, where you might find yourself utterly addicted when they snow this glorious mountain of sound with spine-tingling counterpoint backing “aaah”s. “There isn’t any specific formula for crafting a song – the song will just tell you what it has to be. It can stem from an emotion, which then evolves lyrically or otherwise. Ultimately, when you listen to a song in your bedroom with headphones, it should be able to take you away, maybe on a little journey.” And for Great Northern, that journey has just begun – and the horizon has never looked so magnificent. ...read more here.
After many successful years helping great acts to achieve quality recordings Steve released his first solo album TEARJERKER in July 2003. This record received extensive radio play and very fine reviews and was followed by a truly brilliant second album THE START OF THE END OF THE WORLD in mid 2004. From these two critically well received and popular albums and the singles Chasing Rainbows (released April 2004) and Saved By Rain (released January 2005) Steve was noticed by Jeffrey Kruger MBE, the CEO of TKO Records, who has now helped Steve to produce another album WORD GAMES to be released in 2006.
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