Adele Laurie Blue Adkins is a British singer/songwriter who seems to be conquering the world at the moment. Her searing and heartfelt styling has grabbed the hearts of the buying public, supporting her first album, 19, and now her second, 21. Check out a live version of her second single, Someone Like You. Adele co-wrote the song with Dan Williams.
Set Fire To The Rain is set to be the third single from the album, It was written by Adele and Fraser T. Smith. This is a performance captured by a fan at the Tabernacle in London this past January.
Adele remembers going to see The Cure in concert when a child, going with her mother. She does a great cover of their great Love Song, written by the members of The Cure; Robert Smith, Simon Gallup, Roger O'Donnell, Porl Thompson, Lol Tolhurst, and Boris Williams.
Of course, the first single off 21 was the amazing Rolling In The Deep written by Adele and Paul Epworth. It is such a signature song, it just took my breathe away the first time I heard it.
For more about Adele, check out her official website here. There you can find links to purchase her music. Both albums are must-haves for anyone who loves music.
With the right music, lazy Sunday mornings can be the best. When you are talking about great music, you can't leave Maroon 5 out of the discussion, as their intertwining of Pop, Rock and Jazz is both subtle and sweet, and some of it is just perfect for that Sunday morning when you are snuggling under the blanket, staying warm with someone you might just love. The third single of the Gold selling album Songs About Jane is a perfect way to start. Check out Sunday Morning.
Harder to Breathe was the first single, the one that put them on the map. The original version had a strong guitar driving it home. But I do have a fondness for this acoustic version.
Recently, frontman Adam Levine posed naked to support a group working to bring testicular cancer to the fore. Well, I think you get to see everything but his testicles in the pictures. They certainly caught my attention. He also just started his run as a coach on NBC's The Voice. I am not sure what it is about Levine, cause he isn't the best looking man, but he seems to just drip with sexiness. For a bit more of that Sunday vibe, listen to She Will Be Loved.
For more on Maroon 5, check out their official website here. You can follow Adam Levine on Twitter here. The music of Maroon 5 is available anywhere you can find music. Online, you can find them on iTunes and Amazon.com.
NBC's The Voice seem to be turning heads last week as the audiences loved watching the four coaches turn their chairs based on what they heard, just to the could get a peak at who they were listening to. The show holds the interesting premise that the Coaches are going to define the sound of The Voice of the next generation. So I thought it might be nice to spotlight the music of the Coaches before we head into the second episode. I must admit, they are an impressive lot.
I'm going to start off with Country star Blake Shelton. To say he towers over the others is no joke - at 6'5" tall, he's got the them all by at least 6". He made his record debut 10 years ago, when his first single, Austin, hit #1 on the country chart. He has not looked back since, scoring eight #1 County songs, including one earlier this year. But one I really like, She Wouldn't Be Gone, was released in 2009.
I don't know what it is about Adam Levine, but he sure is a sexy beast. As frontman for the band Maroon 5, they have sold over 15 million album with only three studio albums out, starting with 2002's Songs About Jane. They were awarded the Grammy as Best New Artist in 2005, and have had several chart-topping song. Their latest, Misery, made it to #1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in the summer of 2010.
Cee Lo Green is a quiet yet potent tour de force in music today. He broke onto the scene in 1995 as part of the Goodie Mob, rapping and singing on songs he had written. The group was well-received by the critics and the audience. He went on to formm Gnarls Barkley with Danger Mouse, and co-write the monster hit Crazy. As a solo artist, he just recently had the huge single, Forget You, the "PG" version of the song F*ck You. He was featured on the Grammy Awards in a glittery production that featured muppets and Gweneth Paltrow.
It is hard to figure out just what to say about Christina Aguilera that hasn't been said by countless others. For the last 12 years, her voice has been taking up top spots on all the charts, ever since her first single, Genie In A Bottle, went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. When the girl sings, there is no mistaking the talent and ability she has. Check out her singing Ain't No Other Man, which went to #6 on the Pop chart.
To open the first show, the four coaches did a great version of the Gnarls Barkley mega-hit, Crazy.
Catch the second episode of The Voice this Tuesday, May 3, on NBC at 9PM/8Central. Looks like there several more performers who will score big with the audiences once again. I am looking at you, Nakia!
OK, Tom, your birthday was yesterday, but somehow or another, I screwed up. So, as I sit here listening to Sigue Sigue Sputnik, cause I was in just one of those moods, you know, I decided I would try to keep it simple, so for starters, here is a beautiful rendition of Tom's Till The End.
Next is another of my favorite songs, King of Something Right. While I love the song itself, I also love how you have managed to change it up over time, always keeping it fresh.
And, finally, I had to include a song from your latest album, Turn It Around, cause it is just so freaking good. I Do is a sweet song, cause even if you are picking on Micheal just a little, I know it is just in fun. After all, he is your husband!
So, after this little homage to you with videos I took at the last show in Philly, and some of my favorite pictures I have taken over the years, I figure I should also give all my favorite links, you know? Like people can go here and purchase this Turn It Around on iTunes. You can order an actual CD from Amazon.Com here. To learn more about Tom, other than what you can learn here, like he is just adorable, talented and sweet, you can check him out at his official website, here. There you can listen to his music for free before you buy it. And speaking of free, you can download some free music here. And before I finish, I thought one more picture from Delaware Pride.
Clockwise from Top Left: Amii Stewart, McFadden & Whitehead, Patrick Hernandez, Chic and Anita Ward.
Friday night was a party night, after a long week of work or school. You just wanted to cut loose, and have some fun. If you were going to let loose in the clubs in 1979, this is a sample of some of the great music you would be dancing to. While some were declaring that disco was dead, the Billboard charts and the radio was saying something different, as these songs came up big. While 4 of 5 of the acts could be considered 1-hit-wonders, if you make music this good, you will be remembered. Like Amii Stewart when she is singing Knock On Wood.
Patrick Hernandez seemed like an unlikely candidate to have a hit dance track, at least on paper. His looks were a bit on the quirky side, with floppy curly hair and puppy-dog eyes. Patrick was born in France to a Spanish father and a mother who was both Austrian and Italian, pretty much hitting all the European ancestries. Somehow, the singer turned all this into his lone hit, Born To Be Alive. When touring in the US for the first time, a crew of young dancers were hired. One of said dancers was the young Madonna, before anyone knew who she was.
Fronted by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, Chic set the tone for both R&B and dance music of the time. Rodgers had already established himself as a songwriter and musician, making incredible music with his guitar. Edwards played the bass alongside him, making cool and smooth sounds. In 1979, Good Times was their second song to top the Pop and R&B charts, as Le Freak had done it the year prior.
With a degree in psychology and a job as a teacher, Anita Ward was discovered and recorded an album. The owner of the label, Frederick Knight, approached her with a song she didn't care for, but he was insistent. That song was Ring My Bell, which became a huge song for Ward.
McFadden & Whitehead sprang from the Philadelphia sound of Gamble & Huff,as perfectly exemplified by Ain't No Stopping Us Now. They worked together as songwriters and record producers, as well as recording their own music.
Looking at those pictures, whodda thunk Paul Young would have been the hottest UK import in the 80s? But the moment his music touched our shores, the hearts of little New Wave boys and girls went aflutter. The first time I remember hearing his music was with the 1983 release, Come Back And Stay. #22 on the US Billboard Hot 100 from the album No Parlez. I think it is still my favorite of all his songs.
Things really started to break big for him with the 1985 release of Everytime You Go Away. It was #1 on the Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts. It was off The Secret of Association album. The song was written by Daryl Hall of the great duo, Hall and Oates. The stars all aligned, and produced a hit for the perfect combination of great song and strong voice.
I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down reached #13 on the Hot 100. It was also from the The Secret of Association album. The song, written by Earl Randle and recorded in 1974 by Ann Peebles. The song made it to #31 on the Billboard R&B chart, but did not make any noise on the Pop chart. The little-known song was covered by Young, and became a hit.
Young had more hits in the 90s, which I will discuss sometime next week. For more information about Paul Young, check in with his official website here. Listen to his music, as it was most definitely part of the sound of the 80s.
Tonight could be an interesting night on American Idol, because there has been an overwhelming general consensus about the contestant leaving tonight, and that can be where Producer Nigel Lythgoe can be a bit more creative, and insert some drama. But you never know for sure until it happens
Crusty tells us that a big group of fans will be disappointed their favorite is going home. The judges have their moment, with the focus on Steven. And they announce their guests tonight, Bruno Mars and Crystal Bowersox.
They have a segment on the Royal Wedding, with far too many bad British accents flying. This leads to a medley of Carole King songs, with hits like Go Away Little Girl, One Fine Day and It's Too Late, among others. After a commercial break, we get to see the Ford Music video, in which the Idols sing Our House by Madness.
The runner up from last year, Crystal Bowersox, comes out to sing her fantastic song, Ridin' With The Radio, from her debut album Farmer's Daughter.
There are questions for the Idols, and Casey is first, saying he would duet with Oscar Peterson because, well, would we expect any differently? Jacob discovered the range in his voice when he was 6 or 7, via a park ranger. Lauren said the hardest part of being an Idol is missing her friends or family, especially in the South. Scotty answered a question I couldn't understand, either Crusty's asking it, or Scotty answering it. James has been in several bands, including one with Casey, Stefano, and Paul. Haley says her favorite past Idols were Adam Lambert, Siobhan Magnus, and, of course, Kelly Clarkson. Ryan atttempts to make a Taylor Hicks joke, which seems overly petty to me.
Haley is up first, and Jimmy Iovine says she has the best voice, but her indecision as an artist might cause her to go home. After the vote, she is safe. Scotty is up next, and Jimmy says he has a subtlety that might be overlooked. We don't get an answer on him, but Crusty asks him to have a seat. Lauren is up next, and Iovine talks about her insecurities, but he thinks she is in the game for the long haul. Casey is next, and after the judge's lovefest, Iovine talks about the angry growl Casey uses every week, and that the family dog doesn't vote... But Iovine thinks he will be safe. Casey is also on hold for the results, and we take a break.
James is up first, and following the recap, Jimmy Iovine finds him believable not with heavy metal, but with Pop/Rock. And he is safe. Finally, we have Jacob and his recap, and Iovine takes a shot at the wardrobe choice, and thinks he is not safe. Crusty calls Scotty, Casey and Lauren to join Jacob, only to send Lauren to safety. As we go to a commercial break, I realize he never really mentions if this is the bottom 3 or not, so I don't know what this means. Only that we will find out who is leaving after a performance by Bruno Mars.
When we return, we get to hear Bruno singing The Lazy Song. I find the reggae beat used to be a bit overly cute, but then remember no one is voting no anyway, and just sit back to enjoy. It's not like he is singing live tonight... Come on, you know they tape some of them in advance, using multiple takes, right? You didn't? Whoops...
So we are back, hopefully learning the fate of Jacob, Casey and Scotty. This, I can assure you, is live. However, I will admit I am distracted by the commercial that says he sometimes goes commando. I wake up to hear that Jacob is safe! Going home tonight, we find out Casey Abrams is heading home, and there is no judges save to help him. Scotty is safe. There is a recap of his stay on Idol, and his plan to single-handedly bring Jazz back. Crusty reminds us that Casey is what talent looks like. I manage to roll my eyes as Casey starts singing I Put A Spell On You. He runs around, kissing ladies and young girls. And the contestants.
