Oh my my my, as those of you who read this blog know from previous music blast posts, I absolutely LOVE Michael Jackson. With that being said, the lead singer of Lake Street Dive, Rachael Price, is a vocal beast!
Her voice is ridiculously smooth and creamy - like butta, baby.
I asked my hubby what I would need to get a deeper smoky voice like Rachael's, he looked at me in confusion and said, "I don't know, start chain smoking?"
LOL!
(That just goes to show you how adolescent my voice still sounds at 38 years of age.)
Well, whatever...
I've got to use what I'm working with and in the meantime sit in awe of jazz singers from Hendersonville, TN, who sound like they were born with a mic in one hand and a glass of bourbon in the other.
(sigh)
Check out what is possibly THE BEST cover of "I Want You Back".
Major shout out to the bass player/harmonizer, Miss Bridget Kearney. I love seeing girls play the bass and drums. Don't ask me why. I think I have problems accepting traditional gender roles. With that being said, hearing Rachael and Bridget harmonizing really made my ears happy.
So anyway, enjoy the video and have a great weekend!
Fantasia's new album "Side Effects of You" is going to be available April 23rd!
When I saw the official video to "Lose to Win", I fell in love with the retro feel of the video but even more so, I fell in love with the words to the song.
Fantasia's "Lose to Win" is an amazing song and I love the sample from the Commodore's "Night Shift" thrown in there. I don't think I know a single person who has never been in a situation like this where you loved someone and they just weren't on the same page as you. I love all of the words in this song but one of my favorite parts is in the bridge and the following chorus:
Some of you know what it feels like Caught up just in his light Don’t wanna try again, thinking what’s the difference? Why am I not interested? Cause when you’ve been broken, you feel like no one can fix it Yeah Chorus: Have you ever needed someone so bad? But he ain’t willing to make it last Sometimes you gotta lose to win again. If it makes you cry, cry, cry All you do is smile Can you not sleeṗ at night? Sometimes you gotta lose to win again.
I honestly haven't watched a single episode of American Idol since Simon left, but I saw this video online from the show last night where Fantasia performed "Lose to Win" and seriously watched it twice in a row. I love the raw emotion that she allows to show through while singing this song. I don't know if she wrote the song or not, but it is obvious that the words have a special meaning for her. One of the things I love the most about Ms. Fantasia Barrino is that she allows herself to feel the words of whatever she is singing and that emotion comes across not only as pure talent but as passion for her calling in life.
Fantasia has been through so much and it is so wonderful to see her picking herself up, dusting herself off, and soaring in spite of. She is an inspiration and I cannot wait to see what her new album holds in store.
This evening I have been in a Michael Jackson listening type of mood.
I came across his "Earth Song" that I truly thought was titled "What About Us?"
I love this song and but watching this amazing video made me love the song even more. The visuals are stunning but what catches your attention are the lyrics. Catch out the video below and I even included the breakdown at the end of the song underneath!
That man had an amazing amount of talent. Rest in Love, MJ!
~Peace and blessings!~
Hey, what about yesterday (What about us) What about the seas (What about us) The heavens are falling down (What about us) I can't even breathe (What about us) What about the bleeding Earth (What about us) Can't we feel its wounds (What about us) What about nature's worth (ooo,ooo) It's our planet's womb (What about us) What about animals (What about it) We've turned kingdoms to dust (What about us) What about elephants (What about us) Have we lost their trust (What about us) What about crying whales (What about us) We're ravaging the seas (What about us) What about forest trails (ooo, ooo) Burnt despite our pleas (What about us) What about the holy land (What about it) Torn apart by creed (What about us) What about the common man (What about us) Can't we set him free (What about us) What about children dying (What about us) Can't you hear them cry (What about us) Where did we go wrong (ooo, ooo) Someone tell me why (What about us) What about babies (What about it) What about the days (What about us) What about all their joy (What about us) What about the man (What about us) What about the crying man (What about us) What about Abraham (What was us) What about death again (ooo, ooo) Do we give a damn?
I don't know if you have had the chance to listen to all of Cee Lo Green's "Lady Killer" album but let me tell you it is FULL of really great songs. Cee Lo's voice is amazing as always, but I really find myself loving the retro feel to the album. Cry Baby, F*&@ You, Fool For You, Bright Lights Bigger City, and Old Fashioned are just a few of my favorites.
Imagine my surprise when I discovered the official video of Cry Baby on YouTube! First off, I love the scenery, the retro costumes, and the dancing from the video. The cherry on top for me, however, was Jaleel White. Come on now, don't tell me you don't remember Steve Urkel! Or better yet, Stephan the so fine! (LOL)
I'm not even gonna lie, I did have an intense liking for the swagger of Stephan. Makes me blush just thinking about it! (LOL)
So anyway, it just buttered my biscuit to see Jaleel in this video and I literally laughed out loud when he started lip syncing and his girl friend who was getting dumped looks at him like, "WTH??? Who is he singing to and where did these backup dancers come from?" (LOL)
Check out the video above!
Enjoy the video and enjoy your weekend!
I hope that this Valentine's Day find you all doing well surrounded by life, love, and peace. Life is too short to waste it filled with hate and regret. Everyday is a day of thanksgiving, so be grateful. Treat everyday as if it were your last and tell your loved ones that they are loved. That's it, my recipe for happiness. Give flowers while your loved ones live and appreciate every second that you get to spend with them.
I'll end this post with a video by the ridiculously talented, Ms. Rachelle Ferrell. This is her recorded version of "My Funny Valentine" and I absolutely love it! She's actually performing tonight through Sunday (02/17/13) in NYC at The Blue Note although I read online that most of the shows are sold out. Still, if you're in the New York area and are available this weekend, PLEASE check out this amazing vocalist! She is definitely on my bucket-list of performers to see.
After an amazing Super Bowl performance, Beyonce announced on her website that she will be touring again.
The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour will begin this April in Serbia. The U.S. leg of her tour won't start until June 28th. I can't begin to tell you how excited I am that she will be touring again. I only hope that this time around I will get to see an actual live performance. I missed her performance at the Revel Casino in Atlantic City because they sold out in minutes, so I'm hoping that her visit to the Wells Fargo Center will be my opportunity to see one of my favorite performers live. I've already had the opportunity to see Janet Jackson live and both Beyonce and Mariah are next on my list of must-see performers.
Can't wait!
Meanwhile, check out this O2 Priority TV ad as a tour promo for her UK part of the tour.
And if you didn't get a chance to catch her Super Bowl performance, check it out above! I loved it and thought she killed the routine! I also really liked seeing Destiny's Child back together again, if only for a little bit.
Ok, this has been my favorite song of the week. This is Adele's first and lead single from her sophomore album "21". Let me tell you, I have been singing this song at the top of my lungs off and on all week. I love Adele's voice. It is so sultry and soulful and the words to this song are amazing. Check it out, you'll find yourself tapping your foot to the old feel of this song.
There's a fire starting in my heart Reaching a fever pitch, and it's bringing me out the dark Finally I can see you crystal clear Go ahead and sell me out and I'll lay your shit bare See how I'll leave with every piece of you Don't underestimate the things that I will do There's a fire starting in my heart Reaching a fever pitch And it's bringing me out the dark
The scars of your love remind me of us They keep me thinking that we almost had it all The scars of your love, they leave me breathless I can't help feeling We could have had it all Rolling in the deep (Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep) You had my heart inside of your hand (You're gonna wish you never had met me) And you played it to the beat (Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
Baby, I have no story to be told But I've heard one of you And I'm gonna make your head burn Think of me in the depths of your despair Making a home down there As mine sure won't be shared
The scars of your love remind me of us They keep me thinking that we almost had it all The scars of your love, they leave me breathless I can't help feeling We could have had it all Rolling in the deep (Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep) You had my heart inside of your hand (You're gonna wish you never had met me) And you played it to the beat (Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep) We could have had it all Rolling in the deep You had my heart inside of your hand But you played it with a beating
Throw your soul through every open door Count your blessings to find what you look for Turn my sorrow into treasured gold You pay me back in kind and reap just what you sow
(You're gonna wish you never had met me) We could have had it all (Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep) We could have had it all (You're gonna wish you never had met me) It all, it all, it all (Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
We could have had it all (You're gonna wish you never had met me) Rolling in the deep (Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep) You had my heart inside of your hand (You're gonna wish you never had met me) And you played it to the beat (Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
You could have had it all (You're gonna wish you never had met me) Rolling in the deep (Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep) You had my heart inside of your hand (You're gonna wish you never had met me)
But you played it You played it You played it You played it to the beat.
I was just in the mood for a little vintage Christina Aguilera rebellion music today. Christina has such an amazing voice and I love this song in which she gives homage and thanks to her haters. LOL Classic. No matter what people have to say about me, whether you like me or you don't, there is not one person in this world who can say that I am not a survivor and a fighter. So, to you, my haters, I dedicate this song. Keep doing whatcha do, boo. Thanks for making me a fighter!
After all you put me through You'd think I'd despise you But in the end I wanna thank you 'Cause you made that much stronger
[LOVE THIS CHORUS!] 'Cause it makes me that much stronger Makes me work a little bit harder It makes me that much wiser So thanks for making me a fighter Made me learn a little bit faster Made my skin a little bit thicker Makes me that much smarter So thanks for making me a fighter
Blogger, Facebook, and Twitter family! Oh. My. Word. Last night the hubby took me to see one of my icons, the beautiful living legend herself, Ms. Janet Jackson! (screaming) LOL
You want to talk about a fabulous concert! If you have not had the opportunity to see Janet live, you have GOT to go. Daryl and I were marveling that she sounds even better live than on her recordings. That's so sad to say but she really has an awesome voice, and talk about stamina! This woman danced for 2 1/2 hours straight, only taking a few small breaks to change and probably to drink some water because after all that dancing, she was sweating up a storm up there. It was so awesome to see her actually perform live and yes she does dance just as hard live as she does on her videos. AMAAAAZING!
This video that I posted is actually one I found on YouTube with some clips from her Chicago stop. I tried to record on my video phone because we had some awesome seats in the Mezzinine area at the Fox Theater in St. Louis, but since this was my first time trying to use the video feature on my Samsung Epic, every time I thought I was stopping to save the video, apparently I was just pausing the dang thing & nothing got saved when I switched back from video to the camera feature. (sigh - me and technology...) *NOTE TO SELF: Do NOT try to learn a new gadget feature in the middle of the biggest concert of the year! Good grief!!!
So anyway, like I said, it was an awesome concert. According to her web site, Janet will be in: Grand Prairie, TX - tomorrow, April 2nd Omaha, NE - 4/5/11 Denver, CO - 4/6/11 Phoenix, AR - 4/8/11 Santa Barbara, CA - 4/9/11 - 4/10/11 Los Angeles, CA - 4/14/11 - 4/16/11 I know, right? What a crazy schedule!
You'll just have to check it out for yourself to see when she'll be in a city near you. Trust me, it will be worth it. The hubby & I drove 2 hours to St. Louis to see her live and it was worth every penny in gas. Umm, did I mention that I had a great time??? Can you tell I had fun? LOL!
Oh! Another thing I wanted to mention, besides her voice being great live, but why oh why is this chick every bit as fly in person as she is on screen??? Dang! Gives me new motivation to stay in the gym an extra 30 minutes. It probably should be more like an extra hour, but hey, we've got to start somewhere... Hubby tells me that my usage of the word "fly" is showing my age. (LOL) I replied, "Yeah, like your refusal to give up 'word'." Guess we are just two old fuddy duddies over here. LOL!
One more thing to let you know just how crazy good that concert was last night in case you did not get it from the last couple of paragraphs. Last night when the concert was about to start, hubby posted on his friend feed that he wished he had thought to bring ear plugs because he was sure that I was gonna blast his ears out when Janet hit the stage. I was yelling, whooping, singing, and dancing the whole concert. So much so, that at one point, the lady in front of me turned around and laughed at me and the guy next to me sat forward because I think I kept elbowing him (sorry random guy in Seat 37, Row EE at the Fox Theater). Needless to say I woke up this morning with a sore throat but warm happy feelings about the fun time we had last night. Good times, fam, good times...
Introducing Chester Gregory's new single, "If U Only" available for free download here. It is such a soulful song that anyone who has ever been in a relationship that didn't work out can relate to. This song has great lyrics and a great message behind the music and Chester Gregory's falsetto is downright ridiculous! Dang!
I first heard about Chester Gregory when the hubby flew me on a romantic get-away weekend trip to Nashville, TN. I wanted to see DreamGirls the musical and we had missed them when they came through Kansas City. The musical was absolutely fantastic but the person who stole every single scene that he was in was Chester Gregory who starred as Jimmy "Thunderbird" Early. He has such an amazing voice and his stage presence is phenomenal. I'm not sure if they are still touring at this time, but if you have not caught the show, you have GOT to go see it.
It was so good that I absolutely don't have any words to describe it. I think I only could have liked it more if the cast from the movie (Beyonce AND Jennifer Hudson) were in a stage production of the show. So anyway, enjoy the new video which premiered on VH1 this week. I'm excited to hear more from this wonderful artist. Take a listen & enjoy!
Thank God it's Friday, family! I woke up this morning to hear about an 8.9 earthquake and resulting tsunami to hit the pacific coast, specifically along northeastern Japan and Tokyo all the way down to Hawaii. A Yahoo news posting stated, "The magnitude-8.9 offshore quake unleashed a 23-foot (seven-meter) tsunami and was followed by more than 50 aftershocks for hours, many of them of more than magnitude 6.0." It also stated that, "A tsunami warning was extended to a number of areas in the Pacific, Southeast Asian and Latin American nations, including Japan, Russia, Indonesia, New Zealand and Chile." There have been hundreds of people to die and even more are missing and unaccounted for at this time. The pictures being shown online and on the news are terrifying.
So, after praying for the people stricken by this horrible disaster, this song popped in my mind. We can't take anything for granted and we really must be appreciative of all of our blessings, the big and the small. I thank You, Lord, because it could have been me and if it had not been for Your grace and mercy and Your hedge of protection around me, I don't know where I would be. So, I thank You for keeping me and protecting me and my family, friends, and extended family and friends. I'm grateful that my husband's parents who live in Okinawa, Japan are safe and were not affected by the earthquake or the tsunami.
Let today be a day of prayer for those in need and a day to give thanks for our blessings. Thank God it's Friday!
Yes I realize that today is not Friday, but since I am a big fan of the show Glee, I decided to post one of the songs from last night's show. Last night, the cast of Glee got wasted and during "Alcohol Awareness Week" too! What ensued was pure hilarity. Of course, there were the funny one-liners throughout the show, but I really liked the irony of how the Glee club were supposed to try coming up with a song and dance number to perform at the "drink responsibly" assembly and they came up with Ke$ha's "Tik Tok" followed by a puking extravaganza. LOL! This was one of my favorite performances of the night, so I decided to post it here. Hope you enjoy.
My favorite one-liners of the night: "Our children are so brazen, they are showing up to school wasted, and not wasted on learning, Will, wasted on booze!" ~ Principal Figgins "It'll help with your hangover. That's what Bloody Mary's are for... Hair of the dog that done bit yo ass" ~ Artie "Tell 'em I'll go if they go." "Tell them yourself. I ain't no Pony Express..." ~ Mercedes & Artie "Your face tastes awesome." ~ Rachel LOL! Priceless!
My latest song obsession... I am downloading this to my Ipod as we speak. Meet the Wonder Girls, a south Korean girl group pop sensation. "Nobody" is their first single crossing over to the US. I love this song. It reminds me of those old girl groups. These young ladies are so beautiful and glamorous. I love the lights, the staging, the outfits. Their voices are lovely also.
There is a Korean version of the song. To me, the Korean version vocals are better but since I don't speak a lick of Korean, I'm sticking with the English version.
How did I not know that this song debuted in June 2009 when the Wonder Girls joined the Jonas Brothers on their world tour? According to Wikipedia, " 'Nobody' eventually made a debut on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 2009, becoming the first Korean group to enter the chart." I think that is so cool. These young ladies are currently preparing their debut English album, with half of the tracks consisting of English versions of Korean singles and the other half of brand new material. I am eagerly awaiting their debut CD. Take a listen.
Well, I realized today that I haven't posted a TGIF Music Blast post in a while, so even though it isn't Friday, I thought I would display the song that has been playing in my head all day long. I don't think I even realized the strong lyrics to this song until the cover played last night on Glee. I think Lea Michelle did a wonderful job, but I'm still prone to the original. So I've listened to this song two or three times today. I have to admit, my favorite part of the song is the second half, but the whole song is pretty self-affirming. I like that...
You don't have to feel like a waste of space You're original, cannot be replaced If you only knew what the future holds After a hurricane, comes a rainbow
Maybe the reason why all the doors are closed So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road Like a lightning bolt, your heart will glow And when it's time you know
You just gotta ignite the light, and let it shine Just own the night like the Fourth of July
'Cause baby, you're a firework Come on, show 'em what you're worth Make 'em go "oh, oh, oh!" As you shoot across the sky-y-y
Baby, you're a firework Come on, let your colors burst Make 'em go "oh, oh, oh!" You're gonna leave 'em falling down oh oh
Boom, boom, boom Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon It's always been inside of you, you, you And now it's time you let it through-ooh-ooh
Oh my word, this is definitely one of my favorite songs from the E=MC2 album. This song is called "Heat" and it should have definitely been released as a single. It's so catchy and the lyrics are hilarious. I've never seen Mariah like this with the sassy attititude. Love it! So anyway, this is the song of the day for me. Hope you enjoy!
You think I won't come out these heels and make it clear, ho? I ain't the one. You think I won't sweat out my hair and take it there? (Sure ain't the one!) Keep your hands up off my boo. Ain't no telling what I'll do. What makes you think you're fly enough to take my man, ho? I ain't the one!
Thank God it's Friday, family! So, I'm sitting at work thinking about the salad that I have for lunch and I am in the mood for a little vintage Janet. Of course, off to Youtube I go in search of some of my favorite videos. Since I am a big Janet Jackson fan, I couldn't decide on which video should make the TGIF Music Blast, so I put 3 of my favorite ones on there.
I can remember trying to learn these dances back in the day and of course I had to have my hair like Janet's hair because it was "so fly"! LOL!!! Anyway, I hope that you all enjoy this walk down memory lane as much as I did. [Time to go warm up that grilled chicken for my salad.]
"Together Again" - from The Velvet Rope (1997)
"If" - from Janet (1993)
And who could forget this one? This definitely takes me back... "Rhythmnation" - from Rhythmnation 1814 (1989)
For whatever reason, I woke up this morning with this song in my head. I could literally hear Beyonce pouring her heart out in song and so I had to post this.
Here are a few lyrics: I heard, church bells ringing I heard, a choir singing I saw my love walk down the aisle On her finger, he placed a ring Ohhh
I saw them, holding hands She was standing there, with my man I heard them promise, til death do us part Each word was a pain in my heart.
Now aren't those some painful words? This song was from the movie, Cadillac Records, and showcases the rise of Chess Records and its recording artists. The movie featured Beyonce Knowles as Etta James, and I have to say I was truly impressed by how her acting skills are evolving and getting better. I thought she played a very earthy and "real" Etta James and I highly recommend seeing this movie if you haven't seen it already. Happy Hump Day, everyone!
Ok, so this has got to be one of the catchiest songs out right now. I can't seem to get the little refrain out of my head. Last night this song came on and I tried to "whip my hair". LOL! Let me just say that my neck has gotten old and the hair? Yeah, it didn't whip... So, I'll leave this new craze to the youngsters with good joints and I'll just enjoy the beat. Happy Friday, everyone!
Here's one of my favorite parts: Don't let haters keep me off my grind Keep my head up, I know I'll be fine Keep fighting until I get there When I'm down and I feel like giving up I think again.
So, this was my song of the week, family. This is Bright Lights, Bigger City by Cee Lo Green from the LadyKiller album. Here are just a few of the lyrics from this cool song: Yes I need it Everybody does Cocktails and conversation Music and making love
And it's alright It's alright [x5] Bright lights and the big city It belongs to us tonight
I don't know why, but this is just such a feel good song to me. I just can't listen to it without bobbing my head or swaying to the beat or something. I seriously listened to this song at least 5 times today. [LOL - obsessive much???] So anyway, just take a listen to Cee Lo. This is a great song. I'm thinking it is now my favorite song from his LadyKiller album. Hope you enjoy!
So, I heard this song on 106.1fm last night. The radio version is a bit faster, but the words are wonderful, so this is the song that I'm feeling for this week. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
I'd catch a grenade for ya Throw my hand on a blade for ya I’d jump in front of a train for ya You know I'd do anything for ya Oh, oh I would go through all this pain Take a bullet straight through my brain, Yes, I would die for ya, baby But you won't do the same.
Those are some powerful words. Is it just me or does anyone else hear a little Mike in there??? Have a wonderfully blessed Friday and enjoy your weekend!
Whoopie Pie