Category: Pop Music

My Sunday Song – “Angels On the Moon” by Thriving Ivory

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For My Sunday Song #82, “Angels on the Moon” by Thriving Ivory is the one I wanted to share this week.  The song was the first single ever released by Thriving Ivory back in March 2008 and actually went Gold in the U.S.  It was a minor hit, but it was a song that stuck with me and moved me in someway.  I became a huge fan of their music as a result.

The song itself can mean so much and people can interpret the meaning differently as there is no set meaning I can find.  For me, it feels like the person is struggling with life and they are in a dark place. He seems lonely, but wants to live and hope people will know his name or at least who he is.  He is ready to break free and live, enjoy life and feel that sunshine on his skin.

The person also talks about people leaving us too soon and when he dreams he sees those that have left before us.  He even shouts out those that were lost in the 9/11 attacks with the line “This is to New York City angels /And the rivers of our blood”.  The loss of those before him, make him want to live that much more.  The song could mean something different to someone else, but this is my take.

The song is a ballad and what I really love about the sound is Clayton Stroope’s vocals.  He has such a unique quality to his vocals.  They are so soothing and inviting to me and you can’t help but feel everything he is singing.  It is also one of those voices you either love or you don’t, but for me I love his sound, his delivery and everything about it.

Continue reading “My Sunday Song – “Angels On the Moon” by Thriving Ivory” →

Friday New Releases – March 9th

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Finally a Friday with an abundance of new releases.  There are so many I am interested in that this could take awhile.  I hope to get to them all sooner or later. I think there is a little something for everyone today.  The ones that are striking my fancy are highlighted in Blue.  Let me know what you are looking forward to getting or if I am missing something added to the comments.  Have a great listening weekend.

  • 51Xejf8pEwL._AC_US436_QL65_  Myles Kennedy – Year of the Tiger – (Napalm Records):  Whether with Alter Bridge, Slash or just by himself, there is no getting by the immense talent that is Myles Kennedy.  He can definitely sing, but his guitar playing is just as sensational.  Looking forward to the focus being all about him.  I have purposely not listened to anything off this album yet so I can enjoy it all at one time.

  • 61juEljtrLL._AC_US436_QL65_  Judas Priest – Firepower – (Sony Music):  Judas Priest is back with a brand new album.  Enough said…Mic drop!!!

  • 61OAkFDlBoL._SY300_QL70_  Thirdstory – Cold Heart – (Verve Label Group):  After waiting for two years, we finally get the full length album they have been promising.  My daughter and I saw them open for Tori Kelly two years ago and we bot really enjoyed their harmonies and just the power of their voices.  Three guys doing amazing things singing together.  We are going to see them again in April when they headline a little club here in Charlotte.

  • 41Tg4xMSIqL._AC_US436_QL65_  Calum Scott – Only Human – (Capitol Records):  This former Britain’s Got Talent contestant from 2015 finally gets his debut album.  After the release of his cover of “Dancing On My Own”, I was completely blown away by his vocals.  Can’t wait to enjoy this one.

  • 91D-QeKEaBL._SX522_  Three Days Grace – Outsider – (RCA Records):  I have had two heavy and two soft albums and now back to heavy with Three Days Grace. I followed them since their debut in 2003 with the song “I Hate Everything About You”.  They have given me consistently good albums and I expect nothing less from this hard rock band out of Canada.

  • 51hvL2s57GL._AC_US436_QL65_  Jimi Hendrix – Both Sides of the Sky – (Experience Hendrix LLC):  Jimi Hendrix…worth giving a listen solely for that matter.  This is the third and final in a series of unreleased tracks and surprised their have been so many and why did it take so long for them to come out.

  • 71+ROZdl3aL._SS500  The Fratellis – In Your Own Sweet Time – (Cooking Vinyl): (MOVED TO MARCH 16) And there is still one more I want to hear and that is the Fratellis.  When I heard their album Costello Music, I adored their sound and the whole vibe.  As a result, I have been absorbing all their albums and this one will be no different.

  • A1tacv-Bk2L._AC_UL320_SR320,320_  Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats – Tearing at the Seams – (Bottleneck Music)

  • the-neighbourhood-8943  The Neighbourhood – The Neighbourhood – (Columbia Records)

  • 71uNAtyyFzL._AC_UL115_  Suicidal Tendencies – Get Your Fight On! – (Suicidal Records)

  • 51ODSEkcvjL._SS500.jpg  Ministry – AmeriKKKant – (Nuclear Blast)

  • 61oWXk3LmPL._SS500  Nightwish – Decades – (Nuclear Blast Records)

  • 91QjB6kYcLL._SX522_  David Byrne – American Utopia – (Todomundo LTD)

 

Friday New Releases – March 2nd

Published on by 2loud2oldmusic18 Comments

Welcome to March and Friday New Releases.  There is not a ton of new stuff, but hopefully there is something for you.  I have a few I will try out, but not super excited about anything.  My choices are highlighted in Blue.  Leave a comment and let me know if there is anything that you would like or something I missed (which I am sure I missed a lot).

  • 61Msln9d8SL._SS500  Andrew W.K. – You’re Not Alone – (Bee & El/Sony):  Here is someone we haven’t heard in a long, long while.  I am looking forward to explore what he has in store.  It is can usually be fun, strange, or who knows what, however, it is usually interesting.

  • 615r8UlIDhL  Michael Schenker Fest – Resurrection – (Nuclear Blast):  This should be an very interesting release as well. The guest list is quite impressive and any Schenker fan will love.  Guest appearances by Metallica’s Kirk Hammett, Wayne Findlay and Michael Voss-Schön along with contributions from three original MSG  singers – Gary Barden, Graham Bonnet and Robin McAuley.  Plus Doogie White is on it, who plays with Michael in Michael Schenker’s Temple of Rock.

Continue reading “Friday New Releases – March 2nd” →

Aldo Nova – “Fantasy”: The 45 Single (1981)

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Aldo Nova’s debut album came out in 1981 and it gave him his one and only hit.  Yes, he is considered a one-hit wonder.  That song was “Fantasy”.  The reason he is considered a one hit wonder is the song “Fantasy” was the only song that he released that made it in to the US Top 40 Chart.  It reached up to #23.  He did have two other singles make the Billboard charts, but they never broke the Top 40.  I find that one hit wonder label ridiculous because on the US Mainstream Rock chart he had 3 Top 15 songs…”Fantasy”, “Monkey On Your Back” and “Blood on the Bricks”.  The One Hit Wonder status only relates to the US Top 40 chart.

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All that aside, let’s talk about the song “Fantasy”.  The album version of the song opens the album and is 5:05 in length.  The single version that we are discussing from the 45 that I have is a lot shorter at only 3:13,  What is the big difference?  The opening sequence on the album (and the video) has a a slower build up with the synth sounds creating a helicopter that is flying in and after it lands you have a laser blast that then kicks in to the song.  The radio single cuts all that out as well as the last minute of the song which is basically repeating the chorus over and over.  It is now short and compact and full of punch.

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BØRNS – ‘Blue Madonna’ – Album Review

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I would venture to say that I am not in the same demographic this album is geared towards.  I am a 49 year old male who does not frequent dance clubs or listen to much pop radio, but you what?  I don’t care.  I am really digging this album and the fact I say I am digging this album proves I am not the audience for this music.

The album ‘Blue Madonna’ is BØRNS second full length studio release and a follow-up to his 2015 stellar release ‘Dopamine’.  With a name like BØRNS, the sound of his music and his whole style, I thought he was some European act that was breaking in America.  Boy, I was wrong.  He is actually from Michigan and a full on American.

He has his own style for sure as you can see by that amazing outfit on the cover.  I am no where cool enough to pull off that look.  BØRNS has a whole androgynous vibe about him as well with his hair, his clothes and his very high vocal range which adds to his mystique.  His falsetto will leave Adam Levine very jealous.  Now I guess I should talk about the music.

The sound and sonic vibe of the album is a mixture of pop, psychedelic pop and electro-pop.  The album is a little moody and dark at times.  This is definitely not something I am normally drawn to, but there is something about his songs that attracts me to it.  Ever since I heard his first hit “Electric Love” back in 2016, I have been a fan.  And with his first single off the album, “Faded Heart”, I was anticipating another great album and I wasn’t disappointed.

Continue reading “BØRNS – ‘Blue Madonna’ – Album Review” →

My Sunday Song – “Hazard” by Richard Marx

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For My Sunday Song #80, I chose the song “Hazard” by Richard Marx.  The song was off Marx’s third album ‘Rush Street’ and went on to become his third #1 song on the Adult Contemporary charts.

I love a song that tells an interesting story and this is one of those songs.  We all know Marx is an incredible songwriter and if you don’t you must live under a rock.  The song “Hazard” tells a great story.  It tells the story of a young man, who is an outcast in the town of Hazard, Nebraska.  No one seems to like him and they all feel he is a little strange.  He meets a girl, Mary, and falls in love, BUT…Mary ends up dead and he is the prime suspect.  What also is great about the story is you don’t find out if he did it or not.  It leaves you as the listener deciding on your interpretation and whether you feel he did it or not.  What do I think?  I might tell you later.

The song is at a ballad like pacing, but definitely not a love song.  The music and pacing give the song an eerie, dark tone to it which adds to the drama of the song and makes you feel the sadness the main character is feeling at the loss of his love and trying to convince everyone he is innocent.  I think it is beautiful.

Continue reading “My Sunday Song – “Hazard” by Richard Marx” →

Friday New Releases – February 23rd

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Welcome to the last Friday of February for new releases.  There isn’t a whole lot of new ones that are peaking my interest.  There are a few I will listen to and as usual, they are highlighted in Blue.  Let me know if there is something that tickles your fancy or if there was anything that I don’t have on my list.  Thanks and have a great weekend.

  • 510qrK6DCuL._AC_US436_QL65_  Alice Cooper – The Sound of A E.P. – (Edel Germany):  Alice Cooper’s latest album ‘Paranormal’ is absolutely stellar.  This is really just a single release of “The Sound of A” from that album, but what makes it special is the 4 B-Sides you get as well including Live versions of “The Black Widow”, “Public Animal #9”, “Is It My Body” and “Cold Ethyl”.  That makes it worth it!!

  • 715ygsnBa6L._SX522_.jpg  CoreLeoni – The Greatest Hits Part 1 – (Frontiers Records):  Leo Leoni, guitarist from the band Gotthard, releases this on the 25th Anniversary of Gotthard to celebrate rock and bring back some songs that Gotthard has left behind.  With singer Ronnie Romero taking on the vocals this could be a very interesting project.  Worth at least a listen.

Continue reading “Friday New Releases – February 23rd” →

Friday New Releases – February 16th

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Welcome back to Friday New Releases.  This week is a little better than last week, but not by much.  There are only a few I am interested in this week and they are highlighted in Blue.  I am beginning to think February for music releases is like February for movie releases, there aren’t as many and they aren’t as good.  I am hoping for a couple exceptions to that rule.  Let me know what floats your boat.

  • A1flrKrkxTL._SX522_  Pop Evil – Pop Evil – (Entertainment One):  Pop Evil is one of the few modern rock bands I like.  And based on what has come out so far this year, I need something good and heavy.  They usually don’t disappoint.  I will admit it is a little generic, but it is consistent and you know what you are going to get.

  • 51+Hcq+l4oL._SS500  David Cook – Chromance E.P. – (Analog Heart Music):  Former American Idol winner is finally back, but only with an EP.  I will take what I can get.  David is a little rock, but mostly pop and I don’t know if he has ever fully found where he wants to be with his sound. Hopefully this finds him in a good place.

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My Sunday Song – “Black Coffee in Bed” by Squeeze

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For My Sunday Song #78, I am going with one of my favorite Squeeze songs “Black Coffee in Bed”.  The song didn’t do that great in the U.S. (#103 on Billboard) and for some reason the band never really broke it big here either,  but I always loved their songs and this one in particular.

“Black Coffee in Bed” was released in 1982 and was from their fifth album .Sweets from a Stranger’.  The song really wasn’t a big hit.  It only reached #52 in the UK and only #23 on the US Mainstream Rock chart.  It never broke the Top 100 on the Billboard Pop chart.  However, there was something about the song that I liked whether it was a little bit of Glenn Tilbrook’s vocals or the lyrics or the slow pacing of the music and the jazzy little feel to the song.  It all worked.

The funny thing is that Glenn really didn’t like the song.  According to Glenn from his interview with songfacts.com:

“It’s far too ponderous. It could never be a fast song, but it certainly had the opportunity to be slightly perkier. My vocal is mannered and not very good at all, and I can’t stand to listen to it now. It was influenced by what Paul Carrack had brought to the table but without Paul’s voice it didn’t sound right. We recorded a great demo with Gus Dudgeon but we really f–ked it up for the record, which was entirely down to me. This is one of the few Squeeze songs I’d happily re-record because I think I could do a better version.”

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Friday New Releases – February 9th

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Happy Friday!!…or is it?  Well of course it is, it’s new release Friday.  There is not a whole lot I am pyched to listen to this week.  Some I might give a spin, but only one will get listened to today for sure and it is highlighted in Blue.  Otherwise, not much else that is exciting me.  Let me know what floats your boat.  Thanks.

  • 41VSwhV-ZFL  Franz Ferdinand – Always Ascending – (Domino Recording Co.);  The Scottish indie rock band is back with their fifth album.  I have been a fan since the beginning which is strange for me as I usually don’t like the whole indie rock vibe, but Franz gave me a nice retro rock feel with a lot of distortion.  I don’t know what this one has to offer yet, but I will give it a listen.

  • 61CbMAk5zzL._AC_US320_QL65_  Toto – Greatest Hits: 40 Trips Around the Sun – (Sony Music)

  • 51O8TIeBEuL._SS500  Sister Hazel – Water – (Croakin’ Poet Records)

  • 51xgRMToKcL._AC_US320_QL65_  Voodoo Circle – Raised on Rock – (AFM Records)

  • 51cKSEatsBL._SS500  Dashboard Confessional – Crooked Shadows – (Fueled by Ramen)

  • 61l+GoCpryL._SS500  MGMT – Little Dark Age – (Columbia Records

  • 5130EnGGISL._SS500  Elevation Collective – Evidence – (Elevation Worship Records)

  • 61By-XPHFoL._SS500  Social Club Misfits – Into the Night – (Capitol CMG Label)