Music Monday: Simple Plan Taking One For The Team

Katie March 14, 2016 0 Comments

Opinion Overload
Boom!
Kiss Me Like Nobody’s Watching
Farewell
Singing in the Rain
Everything Sucks
I Refuse
I Don’t Want To Go To Bed
Nostalgic
Perfectly Perfect
I Don’t Wanna Be Sad
P.S. I Hate You
Problem Child
I Dream About You

Taking One For The Team is the fifth studio album by Simple Plan and it came out last month.  It has been about 5 years since their last release and Simple Plan is one of my favorite bands so I was excited to hear that they had a new album coming out!

It took me a while to actually get around to listening to the CD because I typically listen to them at work to help pass the time and block out obnoxious coworkers, but I got a new computer and the disc drive DOESNT WORK!  So I had to find some other time to listen to it… in the car mostly.. and I LOVE THIS ALBUM.  I definitely need to make more time to listen to it over and over again because there is not a song on here that I didn’t like after the first couple of listens. Simple Plan is actually one of my favorite bands even though I’ve only seen them live a couple of times. I’m hoping I can see them again someday, preferably when they are touring for this album because it is just so good.

Music Monday: DNCE

Katie March 7, 2016 0 Comments

Cake By The Ocean
Pay My Rent
Toothbrush
Jinx

Joe Jonas’ new musical project is DNCE and their first EP was released recently and is called “Swaay”.  The EP is 4 tracks including what might be the catchiest song EVER (or at the very least of 2015/2016) “Cake By The Ocean”.  The band consists of frontman Joe Jonas, former JoBro Drummer Jack Lawless, Cole Whittle and JinJoo Lee.  I found the entire EP to be a lot of fun and am enjoying the band a lot more than I thought I would. (Which is good because Joe is my favorite Jonas Brother).  It is easy to play multiple times in a row, but you will definitely end up with Cake By The Ocean stuck in your head for days!

Music Monday: Demi Lovato Confident

Katie February 22, 2016 0 Comments

Confident
Cool for the Summer
Old Ways
For You
Stone Cold
Kingdom Come (ft Iggy Azalea)
Waitin For You (ft Sirah)
Wildfire
Lionheart
Yes
Father
Stars
Mr. Hughes

For a while I was not a fan of Demi.  But a few months back I called a truce, and just in time as she is going to be touring with Nick Jonas this summer.  Confident is her 5th studio release and came out in October 2015.  I did enjoy the 2 singles that have been released, Confident and Cool for the Summer.  The whole album is a bit more eclectic than the singles, but is easy to listen to and really doesn’t have any tracks that I feel the need to skip over.

Music Monday: Paul McDonald Slow Rising

Katie February 15, 2016 0 Comments

Bright Lights
Slow Rising
Never Get Over You
Hands On Me
So Bad
Modern Hearts
Renegades
Once You Were Mine
First Loves

I got to listen to this CD a bit early – because Paul did a lot of the tracks live on the Roots and Rock N Roll Tour when I saw him open for Hanson.  The CD was technically released in the middle of last month, but I got my copy earlier since I pledged on his kickstarter project to help him earn the funds to record it.  Before listening to it – I could have told you my favorite track would have been Renegades – my favorite of his set from tour.  After listening to the CD over and over for several hours, Renegades was still my favorite. This seems to be a very vulnerable and personal release for Paul – after a whirlwind romance to Nikki Reed they got divorced and Nikki quickly married Ian Somerholder. Now Paul is left to pick up the pieces of himself and you can tell that he is working on it by listening to the lyrics of his songs.

Music Monday: Parachute The Way It Was

Katie February 8, 2016 0 Comments

White Dress
You and Me
Something To Believe In
Forever and Always
What I Know
American Secrets
Kiss Me Slowly
Halfway
Philadelphia
What I Know (Live)

My second Parachute album purchase was 2011’s “The Way It Was”, with how much I loved Overnight, I had high expectations for the album that was released before it.  This album seemed to be a bit more laid back then Overnight, a little more mellow some slower more acoustic sounding tracks.  But either way, I loved it almost as much as Overnight.

The first album I listened to I felt like they sounded like someone else but I couldn’t place it.  I was able to place it on this second album – they have a sound similar to Action Item, but better.  And I guess better in that they are not possibly defunct.

Music Monday: Stephen Kellogg South, West, North, East

Katie February 1, 2016 0 Comments

High Horse (South)
The Wild Heart (South)
The Open Heart (South)
Best of Me (South)
Rich Man (South)
We Say Goodbye (West)
Almost Woke You You (West)
Those Kids (West)
Wallpaper Angel (West)
Mother and Child (West)
Greta Girl (North)
Wolf (North)
Learn To Live (North)
Only Takes a Second (North)
Galaxy (East)
Barricade (East)
H-O-M-E (East)
26 Seconds (of silence) (East)
Last Man Standing (East)

Stephen Kellogg recently did a Pledge Music in order to record his latest record. He did things a bit differently and recorded what could be considered 4 different EPs – one in the South, one in the West, one in the North and one in the East.  Each of these locations gave a different kind of inspiration for him to write and record the songs.  They work find as 4 separate EPs but what is great about it is they also all work together as a double album as well, which is how it is being released.  Those who made a pledge to the campaign through pledge music got the CD to listen to in November, while it will not be officially released until this month.  (Those who got tickets to see him on his tour also had the option to purchase as well – the perks of SK being CEO of his record label!)

26 Seconds (of Silence) was written about the 26 who were killed in the shooting in Newtown, CT in December 2012.  Stephen, like me, is from Connecticut and was impacted by the tragedy. He ended up posting this song early – as it was not supposed to officially be released until the “East” portion of the CD was released, but with the attacks in Paris he felt that he should release it and encouraged everyone to donate to the American Red Cross.

If you’re wondering just where South, West, North and East were for Stephen when recording – it was Atlanta, GA and Nashville, TN; Boulder, CO; Woodstock, NY; Washington, DC.

Fans of Stephen Kellogg will recognize his song writing and singing that they are familiar with from past records.  Stephen’s songs tell stories, usually about his life, but somehow it works out that they can be about your life as well. Some of his songs give advice, others are just fun. If you’re not familiar with Stephen’s work, start here and work your way through the rest of his catalog – both his solo stuff and his work with Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers.  I’d be shocked if you ended up not enjoying yourself.

Music Monday: Nick Carter All American

Katie January 11, 2016 0 Comments

19 in 99
Get Over Me (feat Avril Lavigne)
California
Second Wind
Set
Cherry Pie
Tijuana
All American
Man on the Moon
Horoscope
I Will Wait

This CD really takes off from the first notes. It may have been because my computer was being a pain in the butt and it took about 3 hours for the CD to actually start to play from when I told it to – but I liked that it grabbed me from the beginning.  I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about a song w/ Avril Lavigne but it’s a super catchy track that I really like, as much as it pains me to say that I like anything Avril is included on.  I Will Wait is also a really sweet ballad, a nice contrast to the rest of the more up beat poppy jump around songs that make up the rest of the album.  I’m going to go ahead and say my favorite track is “Swet”, but they are all really catchy and I am sure many of them will be popping in and out of my head for days.

I am actually surprised with just how much I enjoyed this CD and am quite pleased that I opted to get tickets to see him solo – I’ve never seen him perform solo before and if the majority of this set is going to be from this album, I don’t think I will be disappointed!