Track on Repeat Craze #7: Diana Vickers - Jumping Into Rivers / Songs From a Tainted Cherry Tree album.
All right. I must say that I was sort of disappointed to hear that Cheryl Cole was kicked off The X Factor (USA version) after just a short stint. I totally stopped channel surfing over to the show. And… yeah, I’ll admit that after I heard her accent, I totally YouTubed some lessons to try and mimic it - I’ll tell you straight out, I ain’t got it. Was her Geordie accent really the reason Cheryl Cole got canned? That would just be utterly lame.
Well, anyway… from the days that Cheryl judged on the original X Factor, Diana Vickers emerged as a semi-finalist. I. Love. Her. Voice. She has this unique… whisper, almost, that’s so soothing and comforting yet works in up-beat poppy mixes just perfectly.
Since she hasn’t really conquered the US market, I couldn’t find the MP3s for the widget. However, check out my (current) favorite track from her debut album - thanks to the DianaVickersSings YouTube channel.
And here is another favorite that will be on her upcoming album (sometime this year… hopefully sooner rather than later):
Head over to Diana Vickers’ SoundCloud for more great tracks. Forewarning - she posts all sorts of social media bits. Translation: there’s more than just song tracks on her SoundCloud. But it’s cool. Why not, yeah?
Spinning in the 6-disc player (and somewhat in the Amazon MP3 widget):
1. Diana Vickers - Songs From a Tainted Cherry Tree
2. Meiko - composite CD of Meiko and I’m in Love EP
3. Sandi Thom - The Pink and the Lily
4. Missy Higgins - The Sound of White
5. The Band Perry - The Band Perry
6. Uh Huh Her - Nocturnes
Track on Repeat Craze #6: Meiko - I’m In Love / I’m In Love EP.
Okay, so I’m not really sure where you can buy Meiko’s new EP, I’m In Love. It just came out! I received mine through her pledgemusic.com campaign. And her album, The Bright Side, does not seem to be set for release until Spring 2012. So, enjoy the video below! WAIT!!
Beware - it is catchy.
Okay, you’ve been warned. Continue to hit play the link (sorry, embedding is not working).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_6FJek19NA
Lalalalalalalalalalala… lalalalala.. lalala.
And while you try and get the lalas out of your head, here’s a bit of assistance. Maybe. Perhaps?
Spinning in the 6-disc player (and in the Amazon MP3 widget):
1. Lenka - Two
2. Meiko - composite CD of Meiko and I’m in Love EP
3. Sandi Thom - The Pink and the Lily
4. Missy Higgins - The Sound of White
5. Gloriana - Gloriana
6. Uh Huh Her - Nocturnes
Lalalalalalalalalalala… lalalalala.. lalala.
Still have it stuck in your head like I do? And apparently other fans? Well, here’s another suggestion… straight from Meiko herself.
Another thing that rocks about Meiko? She has a hilarious blog. It’s like a floating bubble that all of a sudden pops with hilarity - but in a blog post. Check it out if you ever need a giggle! http://www.meikomusic.com
Lalalalalalalalalalala… lalalalala.. lalala.
Track on Repeat Craze #5: Lenka - Sad Song / Two album.
Every time I listen to Lenka, I find my feet tapping, my head bobbing and my body beginning to bounce. She’s just one of those musicians that lifts your mood when you hear her music. Happy, happy, joy, joy.
Most well known for her song, The Show, which was featured in an Old Navy commercial and on Ugly Betty promos, Lenka’s second album resonates the same sort of pop-gaiety flavor. However, Two builds upon the first album by adding heavier backbone and stronger, bolder beats. It’s obvious that she’s grown as an artist. And drummer, Fernando Sanchez, beats the *oomph* out of the songs - it’s fucking sweet watching them play live.
Anyway… “Sad Song”! As ironic as the lyrics may sound, they make complete sense to me - “sing me a sad song and make me feel better; sing me a happy song and I might start to cry.” You know how sometimes folks get philosophical or sentimental when something strikes a familiar chord?
Why do sad songs make us feel better when we are down?! I think it’s because we don’t want to elate in other people’s success when we are depressed. Yeah? Well, it is still sort of a happy song… but sad at the same time… So, where does that go in the scale of things?! Ai-ya.
Spinning in the 6-disc player (and in the Amazon MP3 widget):
1. Lenka - Two
2. Kristinia DeBarge - Exposed
3. Sandi Thom - The Pink and the Lily
4. Missy Higgins - The Sound of White
5. Lady Antebellum - Need You Now
6. Sara Bareilles - Kaleidoscope Heart
Follow Lenka on Facebook or Twitter - like her music, her personality is just as uplifting. Oh hey, she’s also Australian which makes her just the more cooler! Yeah!!
Last week Lisa and I headed to In the Venue for the Sara Bareilles concert. Moved from the Avalon Theatre to In the Venue for the insane demand, I can certainly say… It. Was. Packed. I can’t say I’m a fan of In the Venue, but it was high-time for a concert in my book.
It certainly does not help that I am not tall. It most certainly did not help that the girls in front of me were an unusual 6’ in height (I may exaggerate… but only by the slightest of inches). It also certainly does not help that Sara isn’t tall (yes, taller than I am, but no Mariah). Sad!
Peering through the occasional gaps popping up between the crowds (when people weren’t moving all the time!) while straining on my tippy-toes, I… well… read on.
Holly Conlan - a lovely musical surprise. I’m loving her stuff.
Cary Brothers - always a humorous delight. The musical happenstance of his first song on TV: funny forever.
And Sara? Fucking hilarious and a grand entertainer. She’s witty, she’s gracious, she’s brilliant, she’s talented, she’s down-to-earth — It’s hard not to love her even more.
Track on Repeat Craze #4: Sara Bareilles - King of Anything / Kaleidoscope Heart album.
This song is sooooo overplayed on the radio, but I’m loving it! Just sitting in front of the computer at work, I probably hear this song at least 3-4 times an hour on the radio. It wakes me up, gets my toes taping, energizes me for the minutes it plays and then some.
Sara Bareilles is one of those rare artists that comes along with what you think is a one-hit wonder… but springs forth into an incredible musician. Long past the days of “Love Song,” she has evolved more and more. And. I. Love. It. Of course, it doesn’t hurt how So You Think You Can Dance’s Mia Michaels choreographed one of my favorite dances to Sara’s “Gravity” — yes, I do love that show and am not ashamed to admit it. The emotional bonds between song and dance just make me teary-eyed every time I hear it… *ahem ahem* (end of emotional share)
Spinning in the 6-disc player (and in the Amazon MP3 widget):
1. Various Artists from Wicked: The Musical - Wicked: The Musical
2. Kristinia DeBarge - Exposed
3. Sandi Thom - The Pink and the Lily
4. Missy Higgins - On a Clear Night
5. Lady Antebellum - Need You Now
6. BoA - Made in Twenty
PS: Umm hmm. Missy. Still. Yeah. Hey, I did rotate out the album!
Bran Nue Dae is finally playing in the United States! Woot woot. Opening September 10, you can find it in these select American cities:
Then on September 17th, it opens in a few more cities:
And the last of the cities scheduled open on September 24th:
Unfortunately, it does not hit Salt Lake City — at least not yet. C’mon Freestyle Releasing!! Bring it to Utah!! I have been waiting forever to seeeeeeeeeeeee it.
It’s been well over a year (or so it feels) since Bran Nue Dae came to Sundance. Now, it’s finally getting released in the United States! September 10th, baby!! Erm, I hope that means Utah, too… sometimes I feel like Utah is excluded. *sniff*
What the crap is Bran Nue Dae and why the hell am I so PSYCHED, you ask!? Check it out for yourself at their official site: Bran Nue Dae.
In short, it’s a musical about a young man running away. No, not boring! On top of its incredibleness, the film has top notch musicians to its credit… Jessica Mauboy and Missy Higgins. Both huge ARIA winners and chart-toppers…
Okay, okay, they are definitely more famous in Australia than here in the States. But, I’m telling you… They. Are. AWESOME! It’s also has actor Geoffrey Rush’s name to boast.
Here’s a short clip with Jessica Mauboy to get your excitement pumping!
Track on Repeat Craze #3: Shakira - Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) / the FIFA World Cup 2010 Official Anthem.
Yes, I am very behind. Yes, the World Cup is long over. Yes, I still love this song! It was during a cruel, cruel talk about hitting up the beach with my friend Heather (Utah is so dry!). That’s when it happened. I heard “Waka Waka.” And… it made me want to go to the beach even more! Damn this beautiful red rock desert that is Utah!
The song just made me want to groove and cheer along in Fang, a language from Cameroon — even awkwardly at my office desk in front of the computer. And hell no! Who cares if the words, waka waka, made no sense to me — it was just fun to say… even if there was no one to rally along with… *aw, sad…
Spinning in the 6-disc player (and in the Amazon MP3 widget):
1. Various Artists from Wicked: The Musical - Wicked: The Musical
2. Kristinia DeBarge - Exposed
3. Cascada - Evacuate the Dancefloor
4. Missy Higgins - The Sound of White
5. Lady Antebellum - Need You Now
6. BoA - Made in Twenty
PS: Yes, Missy is still in the six-disc… She just played Lilith too (with Jill Hennessy, Courtyard Hounds, and many more awesome musicians)! I’m totally sad I missed it…
Track on Repeat Craze #2 (FINALLY!): Cascada - Hold Your Hands Up
Actually, the entire CD is AWESOME. It’s like a never-ending dance track pumping the beat in my car. Just listening to the CD makes me happy! Hold Your Hands Up is a bit more ballad-y than the rest of the album. And Natalie (lead singer of Cascada) has such a powerful voice that it commands a listen. If you haven’t heard of them yet, they’re huge across seas — most everywhere, but they are from Germany. Give them a listen!
Spinning in the 6-disc player (and in the Amazon MP3 widget):
1. Various Artists from Wicked: The Musical - Wicked: The Musical
2. The Grates - Teeth Lost, Hearts Won
3. Cascada - Evacuate the Dancefloor
4. Missy Higgins - The Sound of White
5. Lady Antebellum - Need You Now
6. The Grates - Gravity Won’t Get You High
PS: Yes, I always have Missy in my player! Did I not mention that I love.. LOVE… her stuff?
Missy Higgins is coming back to the US! To play Lilith Fair!! After a more than 10 year hiatus, girl power will rock again across the nation. A good number of cities have already been revealed, and hey, Salt Lake City is even on that list. Amazing.
Who am I hoping will rock it out in Utah?
- Sarah McLachlan
- Chantal Kreviazuk
- Corinne Bailey Rae
- Gossip
- Brandi Carlile
- Heart
- Mary J. Blige
- Colbie Caillat
- Norah Jones
- Sugarland
- Jill Hennessey
- Ke$ha
- La Roux
- Ingrid Michaelson
- Toby Lightman
- Sia
Okay, so pretty much everyone that’s been announced. I didn’t include Missy Higgins on that list since she already announced her play dates:
July
28th - Philadelphia, PA
30th - Boston, MA
31st - New York City, NY
August
1st - Hartford, CT
3rd - Washington, DC
But, Missy, won’t you also come to Salt Lake?! We aren’t a fancy big city, but we have the gorgeous great outdoors! Plenty of hiking, climbing, kayaking, canyoneering, caving, camping, boating, rafting, tubing, hot spring-ing and much more to enjoy… Was that convincing at all? Please. Come?
Okay, possibly embarrassing plea [slash] desperate attempt finished…
