Music Monday: Weird Al Mandatory Fun

Katie October 6, 2014 0 Comments

Handy (Fancy)
Lame Claim to Fame (style parody of Southern Culture on the Skids)
Foil (Royals)
Sports Song (style parody of football fight songs)
Word Crimes (Blurred Lines)
My Own Eyes (style parody of Foo Fighters)
Now That’s What I Call Polka! (medley)
Mission Statement (style parody of Crosby, Stills & Nash)
Inactive (Radioactive)
First World Problems (style parody of Pixies)
Tacky (Happy)
Jackson Park Express (style parody of Cat Stevens)

Mandatory Fun is the latest release from Weird Al, and his first #1!  Before the release he was putting out a song a day – and it was at this point that I heard “Word Crimes” and declared it my favorite song – EVER.  There are a lot of pet peeves that I have with language and he seems to touch on all of them in this song. (Most recently the overabundance of incorrect usage of the word “literally” which has gotten so bad it is put in the dictionary incorrectly now!!)  After listening to the entire CD – Word Crimes is still my favorite – although Now That’s What I Call Polka might be a close second.

The only song on the CD I found worthy of a “skip” was Foil – a parody of Lorde’s Royals, but that could just be because I’ve heard the original far too many times.

I’ve been listening to Weird Al since i was a kid and I can’t say I remember “style parodies” on his other CDs (not to say they aren’t there) but I wasn’t sure at first how I’d like these without an original song to compare them to – but with the exception of Jackson Park Express (which is just very long and very, very weird) these were also some of my favorites on the album.

I’m going to have to give Al 5 out of 5 stars.

Music Monday: Action Item Great Mission LIFE

Katie September 29, 2014 0 Comments

Footprints
We’ll Be Fine
The Start of Something
Outsiders

Great Mission: LIFE is the first of 3 EPs which will eventually make up the full LP “Great Mission” by Action Item.  I had heard I believe 3 of the 4 songs on this album live before hearing them on the CD and I think that I love the CD versions even more than the live versions. (In Action Item’s defense, they did also say that the versions we were hearing may not be the same that ended up on the CD)

Releasing many EPs over a year or two period instead of 1 full length LP every couple of years is something that has been discussed a lot amongst Hanson fans – and many were curious to know if this may be the direction the music industry is going to take.  I’m not quite sure how I feel about it – more music more often is good – but these 4 song EPs kind of leave you wanting more! (And are easier to “play out” over and over and over…) And I’m just kind of stuck in my ways of a new LP every couple of years mentality.

Overall though I do genuinely enjoy all 4 of these songs on the EP and am looking forward to hearing them live again and also hearing the other 2 parts that will be coming out too!  It will be interesting to see how all 3 parts will fit together – or not – since full albums typically have some sort of “theme” across them and EPs allow you a little more freedom with that!

I give this CD 4 of 5 stars.

Music Monday: Kris Allen Horizons

Katie September 22, 2014 0 Comments

Young Love (“Paul Simon”)
Prove it to You
Beautiful & Wild
In Time
Lost
Don’t Set Me Free
Everybody Just Wants to Dance
Parachute
It’s Always You
Girl Across the Room

Kris Allen’s 3rd CD Horizons is one that I’ve been (not so) patiently waiting for.  I’ve heard several of these songs live over the past year or so going to see him perform live – but there’s such a difference in hearing a song live versus polished and on an album.  Horizons does not disappoint – it’s everything you’d expect from Kris Allen – and more.

The CD kicks off with “Young Love”, which for the longest time had no name and was called “Paul Simon” because of the Paul Simon vibe the song has. (Now the question is – do I go back and edit all the setlists that now have an incorrect song title in them? Nah… too much work!)

A lot of the songs are about his life over the past few years – Beautiful & Wild he wrote when he and his wife were expecting their son Oliver (now 1 year old and the cutest baby in the world!).  “In Time” is about recovering after the head on collision that he and his pregnant wife were in just before he was supposed to head out on the Out Alive tour.

My only complaint is that the CD is short – I want more! I give this CD 5 out of 5 stars and know that it will be in heavy rotation!!

Music Monday: Sam Smith In The Lonely Hour

Katie September 15, 2014 0 Comments

Money On My Mind
Good Thing
Stay With Me
Leave Your Lover
I’m Not The Only One
I’ve Told You Now
Like I Can
Life Support
Not In That Way
Lay Me Down
Restart
Latch
La La La
Reminds Me Of You
Make It To Me

I think I let the hype of this CD get to me before listening to it.  A lot of my friends have absolutely been raving over it and the more I kept putting off listening to it to write this review the more and more hyped up it became.  And for me, it didn’t live up to the hype.  I like maybe half of the songs.  I’m not a fan of his falsetto (if that’s what it is) and he seems to use it a lot on this CD.  The best track is probably Stay With Me – and I’m not sure if that is because I really think it is or because I have heard it 800 trillion times and have grown used to it.  I will probably piece out the songs that I do like into a playlist and ignore those that I don’t like until I decide to give the whole CD at once a try again.  I give this 2.5 out of 4 stars.  I wish I liked it more, but I just don’t.

Music Monday: Maroon 5 V

Katie September 8, 2014 0 Comments

Maps
Animals
It Was Always You
Unkiss Me
Sugar
Leaving California
In Your Pocket
New Love
Coming Back For You
Feelings
My Heart Is Open

Shoot Love
Sex & Candy
Lost Stars

V (pronounced “Five”) is the appropriately titled 5th studio release from Maroon 5.  I liked that the CD started off with the single, Maps.  It helped grab your attention and pull you in because if you listen to any Top 40 radio you should probably know all the words already.  The second track is then Animal which has been popping up in some car commercials lately.  I really like the CD, but I figured that I would because I really like Maroon 5. (Though I am pretty miffed they are not coming to CT on their tour – especially since they are touring with Magic!)  A couple of the songs I felt had a bit of an 80s sound – It Was Always You and Coming Back For You.  I think the keyboard reminded me of some beats I would play when I was a kid. The song Sugar reminded me a bit of Katy Perry’s Last Friday Night and the song Feelings reminded me a bit of American Boy by Estelle.  Anyone else hearing that or am I crazy?

The CD also has a song w/ Gwen Stefani, one of Adam’s new co-coaches on this season of The Voice. (Which I will be watching again, but we’ll see how long that lasts! No plans to post recaps at this time, but we’ll see!)  The song is My Heart Is Open and it was not what I was expecting from a collab with Gwen. It almost has a country vibe going. (Fun fact it was written w/ Sia)  I did enjoy the bonus track which is a cover of Marcy Playground’s “Sex and Candy”. It almost has a loungy feel to it and it was not a cover that I was expecting. This song reminds me so much of 1997 when I used to watch every countdown show ever and had the radio on probably 24/7. (Listening for Hanson, of course.)  And speaking of Hanson… the bonus track Lost Stars was cowritten with Gregg Alexander who also wrote Lost Without Each Other with Hanson. (Which is one of my favorite Hanson songs!)

Music Monday: Jennifer Lopez A.K.A

Katie September 1, 2014 0 Comments

A.K.A
First Love
Never Satisfied
I Luh Ya Papi
Acting Like That
Emotions
So Good
Let It Be Me
Worry No More
Booty
Tens
Troubeaux
Expertease
Same Girl

A.K.A is the latest release from JLo.  She has already released 2 singles off of it – I Luh Ya Papi (really catchy even if it is a weird phrase) and First Love.  And I think that the next single off it is going to be the song Booty – which she said she was not going to put on the album until she played it for her kids and they loved it.  She has a lot of “featuring” on this album and it is a lot of fun for an office dance party for 1.  There is a mix of up beat songs and a few that are more slowed down as well.  Overall this is a really fun album and one that I will be using to keep myself up and awake on long road trips. (I needed a replacement for Pitbull – love him but I’m getting sick of his same stuff – fortunately he is on a couple of JLo songs so he won’t disappear from my playlist completely!)

Music Monday: Ed Sheeran X

Katie August 25, 2014 0 Comments

One
I’m a Mess
Sing
Don’t
Nina
Photograph
Bloodstream
Tenerife Sea
Runaway
The Man
Thinking Out Loud
Afire Love
Take It Back
Shirtsleeves
Even My Dad Does Sometimes
I See Fire

Ed Sheeran’s X (Multiply) is probably one of my most favorite new albums in a long time.  In fact, I was listening to a bunch of CDs to work on Music Monday posts and loved his so much after the first go round that I played it again instead of moving on to the next CD on the list! It’s very catchy, you’ll find yourself tapping your food or bopping your head around. (I could go w/o the drug references, but I guess that’s Ed)  A few of the songs remind me a bit of Matt Wertz – which for me is certainly a good thing.  If you like what you’ve heard of Ed on the radio (especially with Sing) then I think you will enjoy the full album. I know I did!

Music Monday: The 20/20 Experience 2 of 2

Katie August 18, 2014 0 Comments

Gimme What I Don’t Know (I Want)
True Blood
Cabaret
TKO
Take Back the Night
Murder
Drink You Away
You Got It On
Amnesia
Only When I Walk Away
Not a Bad Thing

Finally time to get around to talking about Part II of Justin Timberlake’s 20/20 experience!  Obviously we all know that the CD that I most want from Justin is one that also includes JC, Chris, Joey and Lance… but…

This CD was a bit of what I was expecting to hear based on Part 1.  But can we just take a moment to talk about Not a Bad Thing?! That would be THE PERFECT song for NSYNC.  Is there a reason it’s the end song on the album or am I reading too far into things?  I can practically heard JC singing on the song too. (I know, I know. Keep Dreamin’)

It’s also interesting the lengths of some of the songs.  Most songs are around 3 minutes long in general, based on the vinyl records being able to hold a 3-5 minute complete song on a 78RPM single.  This became the norm and even though things are digital now and don’t need to fit on one side of a vinyl it kind of stayed that way.  But all the songs on this album are at least 4 minutes long – with some as much as 11.  Could this be the new direction that music should be going in?

I rank this 4/5

Music Monday: Lucy Hale Road Between

Katie August 11, 2014 0 Comments

You Sound Good To Me
From the Backseat
Nervous Girls
Red Dress
Goodbye Gone
Kiss Me
Road Between
Lie a Little Better
That’s What I Call Crazy
Love Tonight
Just Another Song
My Little Black Wedding Dress
Feels Like Home
Loved

I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this CD or not since it is country and there’s only some country that I can actually tolerate.  Turns out – this CD falls into the “or not” category.  I’m not even sure the fact that it is “country” is the problem – all the songs are on the slow side and I looked up 3 songs in and said “This CD is going to make me fall asleep!”  I had it on as background music while I was doing some other things (I love to multitask!) but it was just not helping out at all because I really thought at any moment I was going to fall asleep at my desk.  I wish I liked this CD more because I really do love Lucy, but I’m going to have to give this one 2.5/5. 🙁

(Random fact! I once was at an Honor Society concert in NYC that Lucy was also in attendance!)

Music Monday: Natalie Merchant

Katie August 4, 2014 0 Comments

Ladybird
Maggie Said
Texas
Go Down Moses
Seven Deadly Sins
Giving Up Everything
Black Sheep
It’s-A-Coming
Lulu
The End

Natalie Merchant was one of my favorites when I was kid (I’m talking pre-Hanson) when she came out with her song “Wonder” and the album Tigerlily.  I ended up selling  that album to buy my first Hanson concert ticket and the rest was history. (Although I did just re-buy it on iTunes when I purchased this new album so all is right in the world again)  Natalie’s self titled CD was released in early May.  This was her first CD of new music in 13 years – but for me it is the first new music I have heard from her in 19.  The CD was pretty much everything I was expecting to hear from Natalie, everything that I had remembered loving.  I strongly prefer the second half of the album to the first, with my favorite song probably being Black Sheep.

Natalie was here in CT recently on tour – and I am so bummed that I missed out on it.  By the time I figured out she was coming and decided I wanted to go – it was sold out! She was playing one of my favorite venues, The Ridgefield Playhouse.  At the end of July she postponed the remainder of her tour due to Illness.