Sunday Worship - Joan Osborne - One of Us

Well, not only do I like Joan Osborne as a singer, but I love this song. It was written by Eric Bazilian, a member of The Hooters, on of my favorite Philly bands. And I think the sentiment behind the song speaks to me these days, a point in time when people are voting on whether 'other' people should have rights the voter already has.

New Video- Dave Patten - Won't Give Up

Dave Patten is an independent artist based out of Philadelphia, his music brimming over the the influences of the urban scene, from hip-hop and rap, to the smooth sounds of the acoustic jazz scene. Philly certainly have been the epicenter for blue-eyed soul, a phrase carved out and owned by Hall & Oates.




At first I didn't know what to make of Patten, his music seemingly scattered, but once you listen, you hear the through line, sort of an Uncle Kracker with a stronger voice and a better look. He mixes some rap, r&b, with a strong rock base. He is just as comfortable with that as he is when takes it back to the smooth and simple sound of a folk/jazz mix, a la Ben Folds or Jason Mraz. Patten has a sense of humor, often seen in the lyrics and production of the music. He has built up a following for his music with a presence on YouTube, taking advantage of his film school training to make some videos for his music.




His latest video, featuring the song Won't Give Up (performed with rapper Fese), has been nominated in a contest that awards the winner $10,000, the winner being figured by YouTube hits. Well, I think it is a pretty darned good video, and a good song, so why not see if others might think so! You know I believe that every once in a while, Str8 boys need love too.



YouTube link to the video is here. I you like it, or know someone who might, feel free to forward it on. You can learn more about Dave Patten at his website here. Be sure to check out the 'Music' section, where you'll find some free downloads. You can also find links to his other pages there.

Worth Another Listen - The Hooters

The Hooters are a Philadelphia-based band I was crazy about in the 80s. Eric Bazilian and Rob Hyman made up the core of the band, and wrote much of the music. With them, David Uosikkinem, Bobby Woods and John Kuzma were The Hooters. The band formed in 1980, first playing live in Philly, and then branching out to the East Coast as their popularity grew. In 1982, they were asked to work with a little-known talent, Cyndi Lauper. They played, arranged, and wrote for her debut CD. Hyman co-wrote the song Time After Time for her. Between the success of their live shows and their songwriting skills, The Hooters were signed to a major label in 1984.




In 1985 they released their first label release, Nervous Night. And We Danced was the first song released to radio, and it scored the highest of all the Hooters Billboard Top 100 rankings, getting to 21. But on the Mainstream Rock chart, it zoomed up the #3. The Hooters brought many influences to their music, from zydeco to rock to folk to ska, using instrumentation not big on radio at the time. But the explosive power of the songs and their tight production made them threats to jump on the charts with every release. Here is And We Danced.



The Hooters had another 5 songs climb to the Mainstream Rock Top 20 in the 80s, including Day By Day, Satellite, Johnny B, 500 Miles, and All You Zombies. Brother Don't You Walk Away and Where Do The Children Go just missed, landing in the 30s. Here is a personal favorite of mine, All You Zombies.



Although Nervous Night went double Platinum, and the follow-up, One Way Home, went gold, it was really performing live that was the bread and butter for The Hooters. Their shows were legendary in the Philly area, known for the charismatic nature of the band, fueled by the energy of a crowd primed to love them. They also made inroads in the European market with live shows. The band is still performing both in the US and Europe, with Hyman and Bazilian still firmly entrenched with the Hooters.



To find out more about The Hooter, check out their website here. They just released a new CD, Both Sides Live, with them playing some of their greatest hits and favorite songs live in concert, and also in a studio recorded live. I have it, and will be reviewing soon!

Voting Opportunity - National Equality March

This afternoon I received an email from Toby Madigan, whom I had featured in this blog a while ago. He has written a song for the upcoming National Equality March, and has reached the final 4. All four are being put up for a public vote, and the winner will get to sing their song in Washington, DC, for the March. I figured I would vote for him, and offer anyone who might be interested in voting the chance to do the same. At the end of the post I will also embed the YouTube video so you can hear the song for yourself. You can also listen to all four entries and vote as you so desire. The voting ends October 1, 2009 at 5PM PST. The email read as follows:
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Hi! It's me, Toby Madigan. I need your help. I need your VOTES to go to Washington D.C. and sing at the National Equality March! If you get a chance today, can you follow the instructions below? I would GREATLY appreciate it!

Peace,
Toby

My song "Stand For Love" is now among the Top 4 Finalists for the Equality Song Contest. The winner will be FLOWN to Washington, D.C. to sing live in front of thousands at the National Equality March!

The winner will be chosen by FACEBOOK and YOUTUBE Votes! PLEASE, PLEASE, take the time to do it if you have a chance!

Instructions for FACEBOOK voting:
1. Go to the National Equality March FanPage (link below) and Become a Fan (if you are not already).
2. Scroll down the page until you see my song "Stand for Love." You can click on the image to listen to the song. Then, click "like". THAT'S IT! Now you have voted for my song on Facebook!

Link: National Equality March on Facebook

Instructions for YOUTUBE voting:
1. Go to the youtube link below.
2. In the bottom left below the video screen, you will see stars. You must first "sign in" as a Youtube Member to rate me.
3. Once you have signed in (assuming you are a Youtube member), just click for however many stars you want to give me!

Link: "Stand for Love" on Youtube
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Toby Madigan's contest entry:

Great Video - David Archuleta - ALMA Awards

David Archuleta went on to the ALMA Awards. The 18-year-old with a golden voice sang Contigo En La Distancia, a song made famous by Luis Miguel, who was being honored by the group. It also gave David a chance to celebrate his own roots, as his mother is a beautiful Latina.



David himself is adorable, and very young. But once the boy opens his mouth to sing, it is utter magic. I watched him on Idol, and was constantly amazed at the level of musical maturity in one so young. And his voice is just so rich and full, I love listening to it.



David's first single was Crush, an amazing song that just entrances me. It was written perfectly for a 17-year-old, with charm and innocence about a time of growth. And David sang it with amazing control.



David finished in second on his season of American Idol, although I will admit I voted for him to win. He is maturing nicely, and I hope he has a long career ahead of him. To find out more about David Aruchuleta, go to his official webpage by clicking here.

Worth Another Listen - Peter Frampton

The year was 1976, and I was a in my sophomore year of high school. I might have been a theater geek, had short hair and wore clothes that were not the latest fashions, but I was listening to the biggest thing that year, Frampton Comes Alive. This was the 'time of the live album' with others like Cheap Trick's Live At Budokan going crazy with sales, but nothing was a sensation. It eventually was certified Platinum six times over. It spent 10 weeks in the top spot on the US charts.




Frampton was so sexy in that floppy-haired, toothy-smiled, rocker-lite way. I was quite smitten. I heard it all the time, from at friend's houses to on the radio, there was no escaping. But I loved it. Yes, it clashed with my collection of Barbra Streisand albums, and was lighter than my Led Zeppelin fascination. Damn, that boy was hot. The first single was Baby, I Love Your Way, a lovely power ballad that was a must slow-song at every dance in Smyrna for years. For some reason, this song topped out on the charts in 12th.



The next single was Do You Feel Like We Do, the hardest of the three singles. While it had little support on the Top 40 stations, it still managed to climb up to the Top 10.



That was followed by Show Me The Way, a mid-tempo rock song that also burnt up the airwaves. FM-Rock stations, Top 40-AM stations, they all were playing it. The use of the 'voice box' effect could be seen as a precursor to the auto-tune effect that seems so damn rampant now. Show Me The Way turned out to be the highest charting of the singles, hitting number 6 on the charts.



Sure, Peter Frampton had albums before this, and albums after, but in 1976, everything was all about Frampton Comes Alive. So many memories, some good, some not so good, like most kids in high school, come back when listening to these songs.

You can find out more about Peter Frampton at his official website here.

New Music - Collective Soul

Recently, Collective Soul released their latest CD, a self-titled effort. As is often the case these days, there are a variety of different packages out there, ranging from the core group of 11 songs that make up the CD, to the extras for different versions, including three extra tracks on the iTunes version. The Georgia-based band has put out another great collection I am thrilled to have on my iPod. The first song up is Welcome All Again, the released single. It is a rollicking rock song, practically defining arena rock, and I've already heard it featured on commercials for more than one television show. Here is a fan video of the boys in action recently singing the song.



I will admit I am already a fan of their music, and have most of their CDs. I seem to hear a little something different in this CD, a hint of a retro feel, almost as if lightly seasoned by some of the bands the boys listened to when growing up. Track 2, Fuzzy, has a bit of Lou Reed and Iggy Pop in it, but still maintaining that trademark Collective Soul feel. Dig is next, and there are times in the chorus I hear almost an homage to the Kinks in the guitar sounds, again, just lacing the CS sound. You is pure CS, with the trademark sound and exceptional vocals of Ed Roland. My Days starts out bold with the Dean Roland, Will Turpin and Joel Kosche wielding their guitars with a rougher edge than usual, then taking a bit of the rhythm over from drummer Cheney Brannon. They capture a bit of the flavor of the late 70s/early 80s hard rock bands. Understanding is pure CS, until the chorus, when they pick up with the sound of punk bands of the early 80s, combining the drive of the Ramones and the Undertones. About three minutes into the song, I swear they offer an homage to Pink Floyd. The following is another fan video of CS in concert, singing Dig.



The seventh track, Staring Down, comes out with a soulful feel, Ed's voice practically crooning while the band exhibits a more pop/rock side. This is familiar territory for CS, but good and still fresh. She Does is up next, another mid-tempo number with a more classic pop feel. Lighten Up has the guys coming out strong again, bringing the guitars out front and center, leading the driving beat, again touching on a punkish feel, at times an almost Bowie flavor. For the next track, there is Love, again returning to pure CS form. Hymn For My Father closes out the 11 tracks, opening with a simple piano sound, and Ed singing an obvious tribute. The piano is quite lovely, with almost a gospel/church feel.



I enjoyed this CD a great deal. It has the Collective Soul sound, with some hints and flavors of history thrown in - these boys know what came before them and how to utilize some of their influences without killing their own sound, the feel that makes it their own. They've pulled from the past, and made it all very new, combined in a way to make it their own sound and keep it fresh. I bought it, and am damn glad I did.



Collective Soul has made perhaps the strongest effort I have seen happen in the music industry by a major label act to stay in touch with their fans. There is a band member on their Twitter account [@collective_soul] every day, interacting with them, retweeting comments, answering questions, and at times letting the fan in on backstage life and personal time. Their website is also interactive, and can be found by clicking here. The official fansite is here.