New Tunes

I've been listening to a bunch of new stuff recently. A mix of some popular music and some new artists I tried out via various recommendations. Here's what I've been spinning on the ones and twos recently:



"Christmas In Fallujah," is a song written by Billy Joel but performed by Cass Dillon. Dillon is a young up-and-coming singer/songwriter whose wistful style perfectly captures the essence of the song. Joel didn't perform the song himself because he wanted it to be sung by someone who was closer in age to the men and women serving in our military over in Iraq. This one might be a bit out of season now, but I first heard it on Christmas Day and kept meaning to write about it. I'd be curious to hear what my military readership thinks of the song and its message. I think it's a great tune that's gotten a ton of replay. And proceeds from the sale of the song go to Homes for Our Troops, which builds specially adapted homes for severely disabled veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq. That's something that everyone can support - consider checking it out via the iTunes Store link.

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Dreaming Out Loud is the debut album from OneRepublic. I first heard OneRepublic by way of the remixed "Apologize," featured on Timbaland's Shock Value. I bought the single a while back and heard "Stop and Stare" fairly recently on the radio. I sampled a bunch of tracks online and decided to pull the trigger. Dreaming Out Loud is upbeat and atmospheric, full of yearning, falsetto-rich vocals. A lot of the songs have a very similar sound, which in this case isn't bad. Nothing groundbreaking here, but a pleasant listen with several key tracks. The original version of "Apologize" is quite good as well.

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Shock Value is one I got from a coworker. It's a mixed bag. I'm still evaluating it. It's got a few cool tracks. Timbaland's an awesome producer, and he's got a lineup of featured artists helping him out on this one. Again, nothing earth-shattering, but definitely a few hot tracks. Worth checking out (especially if you get it for free) but I'll probably get tired of this one soon.

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I just recently, as of this afternoon, borrowed a copy of Chris Brown's Exclusive from a friend to burn. A surprisingly good album. Great beats throughout. Good dance music with a nice mix of R&B and some more intense hip-hop flavor courtesy of guests Big Boi, Kanye West ("Down" might be my favorite track), Lil Wayne, T-Pain (on the popular "Kiss Kiss"), The Game, and will.i.am (from the Black Eyed Peas). I could definitely break a piece off on the dance floor to some of these joynts from Chris Breezy. Unfortunately the CD I ripped it from must have been scratched, because several of these tracks are scratchy...I might have to actually buy a few of these!

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I got As I Am from another coworker (noticing a pattern here?). This is an excellent album from Alicia. I've always been a quasi-fan of hers. She's very talented and has put out a few catchy tunes. Some of the softer, slower R&B stuff isn't really my cup of tea, but she's got some lovely songs on this release. Several of the tracks ("Go Ahead," "I Need You," and "Where Do We Go From Here") have a harder edge to them and compliment a range of beautiful music, including a fantastic track with John Mayer ("Lesson Learned"). Sad, emotional, playful - and probably entirely immasculating - As I Am is a solid effort from Miss Keys.

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Back to Black, a shade over a year old when I got around to checking it out, is a fantastic album. Amy Winehouse, despite her drug and love problems (or perhaps because of them), puts out a tremendous disc from start to finish. She's got an incredible, throaty, soulful voice reminiscent of an old-school doo-wop style. Her pain comes through in the lyrics and in her evocative voice, coupled with brassy riffs and steady beats throughout. A very talented, if troubled, artist. And she's only 23.

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The annoyingly-named Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga by indie Austin group Spoon was a pleasant discovery. I heard the catchy "The Underdog" on the radio a few times and read some positive reviews of this latest release from Spoon. Pulled the trigger after checking out a few tunes on iTunes. Some great tracks on here, with a lot of upbeat, syncopated rock. Sharp guitar riffs, piano, horns, clever lyrics, great melodies - it's all here in a cool and slightly offbeat album. I recommend checking it out.

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Perhaps the biggest revelation to me musically in recent history has been The National. I've read a lot of passionate endorsements of Boxer - "best album of the year" and similar phrases. I was really eager to try some new artists, as I don't usually get much exposure beyond what's playing in the club or on MTV2. For me, this album was quite different than anything else I've listened to. It's a unique one for sure. In fact I didn't even like it that much when I played a few clips on iTunes. But I decided to roll the dice considering all the great things I had heard. And it was worth it. This album grew on me like no other. It wasn't until the 3rd or so time that I was listening to it all the way through that I started really feeling the music. It's very moody and brooding. Singer Matt Berninger has an incredible baritone that's soft and understated throughout. Really quite an impressive work of art, and one that deserves to be listened to in its entirety every time.