Friday New Releases – December 18, 2020

Welcome to the LAST Friday New Release post…EVER!! No, I am kidding. It is the last one of 2020 though. I will return with these on January 8th of 2021 as that is the first week of any significant new releases. With that being said, I hope there is something in here you will like as there isn’t much. There a couple I will try out and they are marked in Blue. Let me know what interests you or what I might have missed so everyone knows what’s out there. Thanks for stopping by and thanks for always stopping by week after week. Happy Holidays!!

  • 91yHYsRoMJL._SX522_  George Lynch & Jeff Pilson – Heavy Hitters – (Deadline Music): 1/2 of Dokken together again. Yes, please…well we will see, but I am willing to give it a go. It is a bunch of pop cover songs turned hard rock/metal. Some cool songs so we will see what they do to them.
  • Jordan Feliz – Say It – (Centricity Music): Christian singer Jordan Feliz is back with a new album. I really loved his first couple album, so hoping for more greatness. This is a digital only release today. Hard copies not until February.
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Friday New Releases – March 23rd

Happy Friday!  Of course, all Friday’s are happy.  The last day of the work week and new album releases.  What could be better…maybe everyday being a Friday.  There are a handful of albums this week for me and one was on pre-order and should be at my door when I get home from work…yes, it will be a great Friday.  My choices are highlighted in Blue.  Let me know what you are interested in or if I missed anything which happens all the time.  Have a great weekend and enjoy any new music you pick up.

  • 51eohOeVCWL._AC_US436_QL65_  W.E.T. – Earthrage – (Frontiers Records):  Jeff Scott Soto is a busy man between his solo album, Sons of Apollo and now a new W.E.T. album.  And it has been too long since the last one, 5 years I believe since the last studio album and that is way too long.  Jeff’s vocals are what keep me coming back to everything he releases.  With W.E.T., he teams up with Erik Martensson and Robert Sall to form this sensational trio.  The bands this trio is from makes up the name…Work of Art, Eclipse & Talisman…all three great bands in their own right.  If this first song is what we can expect, hold on tight!!  Check them out!

  • 51i8VbzMIkL._SS500  Kip Winger – Solo Box Set Collection – (Frontiers Records):  Kip Winger is such an underrated talent…well at least he used to be.  He is now a Classical Composer (Grammy nominated I think)…pretty cool!  This set is a collection of all his solo works (it isn’t classical music though). We get 5 CDs, the 3 solo albums, an acoustic album (with Winger songs included) and some rare demos and an unreleased track.  Pretty damn fine set of music and worth picking up.  This is what I have on pre-order and should keep me busy for awhile!!  Here is the collections trailer…

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What to Expect for New Music in 2018!

2018 is upon us and always fun anticipating what new albums are and will come out in the year.  There are quite a few we already know about, but some haven’t been officially announced or even a date set yet.  From what I have gathered around the internet, here are the bands that should have new albums out in 2018, but no dates announced yet. The ones I want will be highlighted in Blue.

  • Godsmack
  • Exodus
  • Shinedown
  • Stone Temple Pilots (I know this is coming as they have said)
  • Jack White – Boarding the House Reach
  • Vance Joy
  • The 1975 – Music for Cars
  • Ace Frehley
  • Arctic Monkeys
  • Avatar
  • Avril Lavigne
  • Bastille
  • Borns
  • Bon Jovi
  • Bring Me the Horizon
  • Bullet for My Valentine
  • Celine Dion
  • Charli XCX
  • Cowboy Junkies
  • DevilDriver
  • Echosmith – Inside a Dream

Continue reading “What to Expect for New Music in 2018!”

Top Songs of 2017

It is time for the Top 20 Songs of 2017.  My previous post, if you missed it, was the Top 20 Rock Songs of 2017.  Go check it out by clicking on the link.  These 20 songs are all genres other than rock.  Some were popular and chart toppers and others were not.  They are my favorites, that touched me in some way so don’t expect any indie bands or anything trendy.  If you want that go to one of the cool sites out there, this ain’t it.

If you missed the Top Rock Albums of 2017 or the Top Albums of 2017 (that were not Rock), just click on the link and go check them out.

Let’s get started…

#20 – “Something Just Like This” by the Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay off the album ‘Memories…Do Not Open’:  This song was a family favorite during the year.  The one song the wife liked as well as all the kids and as a result, I heard it a lot and it grew on me to where I stopped and listened to it when it came on the radio.  A catchy little song with a great beat.

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The Top 20 Songs of 2016

It is time for the Top 20 Songs of 2016.  My previous post, if you missed it, was the Top 20 Rock Songs of 2016.  Go check it out by clicking on the link.  These 20 songs are all other genres other than rock.  Some were popular and chart toppers and others were not.  They are my favorites, that touched me in some way.

If you missed the Top Rock Albums of 2016 or the Top Albums of 2016 (that were not Rock), just click on the link and go check them out.

Let’s get started…

20. “24K Magic” by Bruno Mars off the album ’24K Magic’: Ok, I love this song.  There is something about Bruno that I enjoy.  It is what you come to expect from Bruno and that isn’t a bad thing.  Very catchy and makes you want to dance.

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The Top Albums of 2016

The year is almost over so it is time to look back at what was awesome in music during the year.  I have already looked back at the Top Rock Albums of 2016 (click to read).   This list will cover all other genres that I listened to over the year including Pop, R&B, Christian and whatever other genre you want classify these albums.  Rock is my favorite genre that is why it gets it’s own list, but that doesn’t take away from any of these choices as I think they are great on their own.

Note:  These albums were my favorites and not necessarily the most played on the radio (which I hate the radio) or even the biggest sellers.  These are just what I came across during the year and connected with me in some way.  So, we might as well get started…

The #1 Album of 2016

cover170x170-33Lady Gaga – Joanne (Interscope Records): This was an easy pick for me.  The album was such a pleasant surprise and a departure from her last album.  It had a little bit of everything from Pop to Country to Rock to Folk.  It was such a great mixture of songs that gave us one cohesive album.  The title track, “John Wayne”, “A Million Reasons” and “Perfect Illusion” were all great songs.  Even the Deluxe Edition was great with “Grigio Girls”.  All around classic album for Lady Gaga.  Check out my review here.

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My Sunday Song – “Never Too Far Gone” by Jordan Feliz

For My Sunday Song #6, I wanted to showcase the new video by Jordan Feliz for his song “Never Too Far Gone”.  The video came out this past Friday and any chance I get to talk about Jordan Feliz, I am going to take it.  I have become a huge fan of Jordan after listening to his album ‘The River’ (see album review here). It is one of my favorite albums of the year.  He is a great songwriter and sings with such emotion that you instantly connect to his songs.

My take on the song is that no matter what you have done or how far you may have strayed from God, that you are never far from His grace and love.  That for me is encouraging to know that He is always there for me.

If you want the actual meaning of the song, I found a great interview with Jordan Feliz on the website www.newreleasetoday.com that discusses what the song means to him.  The song stems from the loss of one child to the birth of another.  Jordan states:

“I was overwhelmed by holding my daughter for the first time and by the presence of God in that moment, knowing that I had been so frustrated, and the things I had said to Him in my brokenness with our lost baby. It doesn’t matter where you are going, where you’ve been, or what you’ve said, there is absolutely nothing that will separate you from the love of Jesus.”

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Jordan Feliz – The River – Album Review – 100%

I really didn’t think I would give another 100% on a review so soon after my last one, but here it is.  As I mentioned in an earlier piece, I discovered Jordan Feliz by his album cover.  Every now and then, I will listen to an artist based on their album cover, band name or even album name.  What a pleasant surprise he was.

The album I clicked on was “Beloved” which contained 4 songs that are on “The River”. Immediately in listening to the album, I was already a fan based on those 4 songs.  Now, came the moment of truth if I would like the other songs.  The verdict is in and I am a fan of the entire album.

Jordan is labeled a Christian singer as his songs are inspirational and deliver a positive & powerful message.  However, the talent in his songwriting skills and the production value of the songs both lend to music that could be played on mainstream pop/rock radio.

Jordan Feliz started out in a heavy metal band called A Current Affair but changed gears when he became a worship leader.  He eventually moved to Nashville to pursue a solo career and here we are with “The River”.

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Friday New Releases – April 22nd

Friday is my favorite day of the week for many reasons.  One – it is the last day of the work week, obviously.  Two, it is the day new releases come out and I always get excited to get new music.

This week there are 4 releases that I am excited about:

61NI6pypL1L._AA160_  Jordan Feliz – The River

I haven’t been this excited about a release in a long time.  From what I have heard so far, he is nothing short of amazing.  I have high hopes and don’t think I will be disappointed.  I have posted this one before, but worth another listen.

 

phil wickham  Phil Wickham – Children of God

He is one of the shining spots in Christian Music.  His albums are consistently good and he always has a few gems on each of his releases.  Based of the song below, I am sure there will be more gems on this release as well.

 

candlebox  Candlebox – Disappearing in Airports

I have enjoyed them for years and glad to have some new music.  Like this song on the video below for “Vexatious”.  Looking forward to the album.

 

texashippiedarksidecd  Texas Hippie Coalition – Dark Side of Black

I don’t know what it is about these guys, maybe it is just the straight-up, in your face, rock & roll, but I can’t get enough of them.

What new releases are you excited about today?

 

Favorite Christian Songs – Playlist

Over the last 10 years, the quality of Christian Music is a vast improvement over where it had been.  There are so many great bands and artists now that wear the Christian Music label.

Many of the songs could be and should be played on mainstream radio, but sadly will not.  There are so many different musical styles and Christian Music has them all pop, rock, metal, singer/songwriter, hip-hop, dance and indie.

As I get older, the Christian Music genre gets to be more important in my life and tends to hold more meaning for me.  I follow bands out of this genre just as passionately as I do any other type of music.  If I like it, I am going to listen to it…it doesn’t matter what style or message the music might be expressing.

Below are my favorite songs by Christian artists:

Sanctus Real – “Lead Me” – This song is so powerful and the lyrics are so moving.  I listen to it and I want to be a better man.

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