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Category: Music & CD Reviews

CD Review: Brandi Carlile

Published by dee on October 12, 2009

givinguptheghostI’ve been a big fan of Brandi Carlile since I first heard her self-titled debut album way back in 2006.  I gave the album a listen based on a friend’s recommendation and her soulful voice pulled me in right away.  She’s one of those artists that you hear on the radio and you know exactly who is singing to you after only a few notes.  Since I was already a fan, I was thrilled to be given the chance to review an advance copy of Brandi Carlile’s new album from One2One.

Brandi’s new album, Give Up The Ghost, brings a matured sound with just a little bit of that country twang that I’ve come to love from her.  From the wistful “Dreams” to the heartbreaking “Before It Breaks” the album does not disappoint.  This album also brought with it opportunities for Brandi to collaborate with several amazing artists including Elton John, who sings with her on the upbeat “Caroline” (that I can’t seem to get out of my head).  If you haven’t heard it yet, I highly recommend that you get yourself over to iTunes or your music store of choice and pick up a copy.

Give up the Ghost was released on October 6th, 2009 and is in stores now.  For more information, check out www.brandicarlile.com or become a fan on Facebook.

An advance copy of Give Up The Ghost was provided by One2One Network for review purposes.

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CD Review: Five For Fighting

Published by dee on October 8, 2009

sliceIt’s not likely that you’ve missed hearing “Superman” or “100 Years” playing on the radio, but if you’ve never heard the voice of John Ondrasik, a.k.a Five For Fighting, now is the time to remedy that.  In his soon to be released album, Slice, John’s soothing voice tells a story of American life –  a slice, if you will, of experiences and sentiments.

Other than hearing a few tracks on the radio, I’ve never really listened to Five For Fighting. I do love listening to new music though, so when I was given a chance by One2One Network to review an advance copy of Slice, I jumped on it.

After giving the album a quick listen, I couldn’t believe that I had never paid more attention to Five For Fighting.  Between John’s smooth voice, the amazing melodies, and thoughtful lyrics, I was immediately hooked.  Slice has been on heavy rotation for the last several days and I expect it will be for quite some time.

John will also be hitting the road in October with An Acoustic Evening With Five For Fighting.  He’ll be at the Midland in Kansas City on November 20th (anyone want to buy me tickets?).  Other dates and locations are listed on his site, www.fiveforfighting.com.  In the meantime, you can check out the video for the  single “Chances” on YouTube.

You can pick up Slice on October 12th, or pre-order it now so you don’t forget!  For the latest updates, connect with John on Facebook or Twitter.

Disclosure: An electronic copy of the cd was provided by One2One Network for review purposes.

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Get 4 Free Children's Songs from Kenny Loggins

Published by dee on September 18, 2009

KENNY_COVER_FINAL

A couple of weeks ago I was sent a copy of the new Kenny Loggins cd, All Join In, from the One2One network.  I’m not a huge Kenny Loggins fan myself, but since my kids both love listening to music, I thought I’d give it a chance.  I was pleasantly surprised when I turned it on.  There are some great songs on All Join In, including old favorites like “You’ve Got A Friend In Me”, and some new material from Kenny as well.  The kids really enjoyed the album and I have to say it was pretty good from an adult perspective as well.

Want to hear it yourself?  Walt Disney Records and Kenny Loggins are offering up four free MP3s from the album in exchange for answering a short survey.  To get your four free downloads, follow these simple instructions:

1) Go to http://wdig.vo.llnwd.net/d1/walt_disney_records/Kenny_Loggins/Microsite%202/
and listen to the 4 songs on the music player. (I couldn’t get the player to open in Firefox, so you may need to try a different browser if it doesn’t show up. It seems to work fine in IE)
2) Answer the survey questions listed on the site.
3) Make sure to leave a valid e-mail address and you will be sent a link to download your 4 free MP3s.

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I Wanna Rock!

Published by dee on August 11, 2009

roa_album-coverThe One2One Network recently offered up an opportunity to review the new Rock of Ages: Original Broadway Cast Recording and I jumped at the chance.  All it took was one look at the track list to know I would love this album.  I am a child of the 80’s after all!  The track list is truly amazing, including many of my favorite 80’s tracks like Heaven, Sister Christian, Every Rose Has It’s Thorn, and Can’t Fight This Feeling.  Oh, and if that isn’t enough, it also features a guy named Constantine Maroulis, who some of you might remember from a little show called American Idol.

Here’s a little bit about the show itself:

Rock of Ages is the new Broadway musical starring American Idol finalist Constantine Maroulis. Set in 1987 in a legendary Sunset Strip rock club, a small-town girl meets a big-city dreamer and they fall in love to the greatest metal songs of the 80’s. The musical is an arena-rock love story told through the mind-blowing, face-melting hits of Journey, Bon Jovi, Styx, Reo Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Foreigner, Twisted Sister, Poison, Asia, Whitesnake and more.

While I really wish I could have a chance to see it on Broadway, the cd definitely does not disappoint.  As is stated in the making of the soundtrack video, it is like a perfect 80’s mix tape.  I’ve listened to it in my car and over and over again at work.  If you’re expecting a perfect replica of the original songs, you’ll have a few surprises.  But, if you keep in mind that the songs were recorded as part of a musical, you’ll love it.  There is quite a bit of dialogue included in the recording as well, which helps you picture a bit of the story as you move through the songs.  For me, the dialogue is a bit distracting, but I think it would help if I had seen the show and had all of the pieces of the story in my head.

I’ll definitely keep listening to the soundtrack and hope that someday I’ll get a chance to see Rock of Ages on stage!

Want to see the track list?  Of course you do!

Just Like Paradise / Nothin’ But A Good Time
Sister Christian
We Built This City / Too Much Time On My Hands
I Wanna Rock
We’re Not Gonna Take It
Heaven/More Than Words / To Be With You
Waiting For A Girl Like You
Wanted Dead Or Alive
I Want To Know What Love Is
Cum On Feel The Noize / We’re Not Gonna Take It (Reprise)
Harden My Heart / Shadows Of The Night
Here I Go Again
The Final Countdown
Any Way You Want It / I Wanna Rock (Reprise)
High Enough
I Hate Myself For Loving You / Heat Of The Moment
Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Can’t Fight This Feeling
Every Rose Has Its Thorn
Oh Sherrie
The Search Is Over
Don’t Stop Believin

Seriously good songs, you guys. You can pick up your own copy of Rock Of Ages on Amazon and I highly recommend that you do.

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CD Review: Ballas Hough Band

Published by dee on March 19, 2009

Ballas Hough BandIf you’re a fan of Dancing With the Stars then you have no doubt heard of Mark Ballas and Derek Hough.  What you may not know about these two professional ballroom dancers is that they have been playing and making music together for more than a decade.  While dancing their way to stardom, they both dreamed of a career in music and worked tirelessly toward that goal.  Along with drummer Harry Sullivan, pianist Emily Grace, and bassist Sam Marder, they formed the Ballas Hough Band.

On March 10th the Ballas Hough Band released their debut CD, BHB.  The majority of songs on BHB are originals, based on personal life experiences.  The first single, “Do It For You,” was co-written by new American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi.  The album also features collaborations with songwriters Dan Wilson, Kevin Kadish and Marty James.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I popped the CD into my player.  While I’m not generally a fan of pop music, I was impressed with the Ballas Hough Band right away.  The first few seconds of  “Do You Love Me” had me ready to dance in my seat.  As the CD progressed, I found myself bopping along to the catchy hooks and rhythms.  However, for me the real gems are the slower songs such as “Longing For” and “Underwater.”

After listening to BHB, it is obvious that Ballas and Hough are much more than skilled dancers.  They are musicians at heart and I have a feeling they will be around for years to come.

Once the Spring season of Dancing With The Stars wraps up, Ballas Hough Band will be heading out on a summer tour across the U.S.  You can find more information about the tour on their MySpace page.

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