I love music, reading, my family and God. I want to share with the world the music, TV, movies and my faith in God that is the soundtrack to my life and the new music that I'm sure will make you want to learn makes up the soundtrack to my life.
Carly Simon calls him "the voice that can change the world"...
If you happen to watch the shows Private Practice, Bones, So You Think You Can Dance, or Army Wives, you may have heard his voice. The music of singer-songwriter/pianist Brendan James is my very first selection for Artists to Know Spotlight.
The self-titled second album from James, which was released September 7th on Universal/Decca Records, is number 2 on the singer-songwriter chart on iTunes. The songs are lyrically masterful, particularly in "Stupid for Your Love":
Aurora borealis makes perfect sense to me, It's light particles and magnets I'm smart enough to see But I am stupid for your love
The album's first single is called "The Fall", a heartfelt song about letting go and being okay with not knowing what the outcome will be. He wears his heart on his sleeve on "Anything for You", a song that echoes innocence in love. He also has a song called "Let It Rain", not to be confused with the Kris Allen song, which James says on his website is "about seeing the realities of the music business and the challenges of selling one’s art to the masses."
James, who is originally from New Hampshire but now calls Los Angeles home, went on a 40 state tour with his first album The Day is Brave and debuted in the Top 10 on the Billboard's Heatseekers chart. Entertainment Weekly has also called James a "singer on the rise". James is produced by Warren Huart, who also works with The Fray, Augustana and Howie Day. He currently has 22 dates lined up in the eastern half of the U.S. Check out more Brendan James' music, tour dates and more at http://brendanjames.com/ or follow him at @bjamesmusic on Twitter.
Here's a list of some throwback songs my Twitter followers love. They are all classics in their own right. Thanks to Wikipedia for the info.
1. Friday I'm In Love - The Cure (via @AMonsterAteMe) is the second single taken from the album Wish (1992). It is among the band's most well-known songs. It was nominated for a Grammy Award and won the award for European Viewer's Choice for Best Music Video at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards.
2. Unbelievable - EMF (via @JulieDawnIvy) - It was released as a single in the UK in 1990, peaking in the UK Singles Chart at number three on 25 November 1990. It was the 32nd best-selling single of 1990 in the UK. In the United States, it hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on 20 July 1991.
3. Dear Mama - Tupac - (via @damitman) - "Dear Mama" is a rap song by American hip hop artist 2Pac. The track was produced by Tony Pizarro for 2Pac's third solo album Me Against the World, released in 1995. "Dear Mama" was written by 2Pac as an ode to his own mother, Afeni Shakur.
Dear Mama" was released on February 21, 1995 as the first single for the album. The single was the most successful of all the singles released from the album. The song is considered by critics, fans, and purists as one of the greatest hip hop songs of all-time, and one of 2Pac's best songs in particular, being ranked number four on About.com's "Top 100 Rap Songs" list.[1] It was announced on June 23, 2010 that the Library of Congress is preserving Dear Mama, along with 24 other songs, in the National Recording Registry for their cultural significance. [2] The song samples music from The Spinners and Joe Sample.
4. Every Breath You Take - The Police (via @monkeycita) - is a song by The Police on the band's 1983 album Synchronicity, written by Sting. The single was one of the biggest of 1983, topping the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for eight weeks and the UK Singles Chart for four weeks. It also topped the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart for nine weeks. Sting won Song of the Year and The Police won Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the Grammy Awards of 1984 for "Every Breath You Take". The song ranked #84 on the Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and #25 on Billboard's Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs.This song is considered to be The Police's signature song, and is estimated to generate between a quarter and a third of Sting's music publishing income.Both MTV (1999) and VH1 (2002) named it as one of the best music videos ever, placing it 16th and 33rd in their respective top 100 lists.
5. 99 Red Balloons - Nena (via @DharmaScientist) - "99 Luftballons" (German pronunciation: [ˈnɔʏnʔʊntˌnɔʏntsɪç ˈlʊftbaˌlɔŋs]) is a protest song by the German singer Nena. Originally sung in German, it was later re-recorded in English as "99 Red Balloons". "99 Luftballons" reached #1 in West Germany in 1983. In 1984, the original German version also peaked at #2 on the American Billboard Hot 100 chart and the English-language version topped the UK Singles Chart. When it made the charts in the United States, most US radio DJs incorrectly assumed that "99 Luftballons" translated to English as "99 Red Balloons" and spoke the number 99 in English, saying "Ninety-nine Luftballoons."
6. Wonderwall - Oasis (My pick) - Just a little side note about this song. I will have to say that this is my favorite song ever, and possibly one of my favorite bands of all times. I have about 4 different versions of it on my iPod, ranging from this original to a version by the A Capella group Straight No Chaser. It is a song that defines a generation for its simplicity and its honesty. Wonderwall is a song by English rock band Oasis, written by the band's guitarist and main songwriter Noel Gallagher. Fittingly, as widely and self-acknowledged Beatles fans, "Wonderwall Music" was a 1960s film and soundtrack written by George Harrison, and the title of his first solo album. Released as the third single from (What's the Story) Morning Glory? in October 1995, "Wonderwall" peaked at number two in the UK Singles Chart and proved to be their American breakthrough, reaching number eight on the Hot 100 singles chart and giving them their only top-ten U.S. hit. It also proved a hit in Australia, reaching number one in February 1996. "Wonderwall" is perhaps their most popular song, with only British TV stars Robson & Jerome's "I Believe"/"Up on the Roof" keeping it out of the top slot. "Wonderwall" continues to have enduring popularity in Oasis's canon; as of 2008, it was 76th in the UK's list of best-selling singles, and sold over a million copies in single and download sales in the UK, where it went platinum.[3]
7. Hard Knock Life - Jay-Z (via @Erinava) - is a single from rapper Jay-Z's third album Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life. It samples the song of the same name from the Broadway musical Annie. The song was produced by The 45 King and at the time of its release, was the most commercially successful Jay-Z single. The RIAA certified it as a Gold single in March 1999. In addition, it was nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 41st Grammy Awards in 1999. It was ranked number 11 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.
8. My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion (via @risalea) - "My Heart Will Go On" is the theme song of the 1997 blockbuster film Titanic. With music by James Horner, lyrics by Will Jennings, and production by Walter Afanasieff, it was recorded by Céline Dion. Originally released in 1997 on Dion's album Let's Talk About Love, it went to number 1 all over the world, including the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. My Heart Will Go On was released in Australia and Germany on December 8, 1997, and in the rest of the world in January and February 1998.[1] It became one of the best-selling singles of all time, and was the world's best selling single of 1998.
9. Don't Stop Believin' - Journey (via @bfun2day) - "Don't Stop Believin'" is a popular song by the American rock band Journey, originally released as a single from their 1981 album Escape. The song became a top ten hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, the UK Singles Chart and the Australian Singles Chart. As digital downloads became prominent in the late 2000s it enjoyed a resurgence in popularity. Allmusic has described the song as "an anthem for the young who wanted to feel free and unrestricted", featuring "one of the best opening keyboard riffs in rock."
10. The Thunder Rolls - Garth Brooks (My pick) - I'm normally not a big country fan, but I selected this song for the magnitude it played on the music industry at the time and the fact that the video was so controversial for its time. "The Thunder Rolls" is a song released by American Country music artist Garth Brooks. It debuted on his second album No Fences and also appears on The Hits, The Limited Series, Double Live and The Ultimate Hits. "The Thunder Rolls" was written by Brooks and Pat Alger and was Garth Brooks' sixth number one on the country chart [2].
It was originally recorded by Tanya Tucker, but was never released until it appeared on her self-titled 1995 box set. Her version included a third verse which Brooks himself intended to use on his version, but did not at the suggestion of producer, Allen Reynolds.
The song begins with a man driving home in torrential rain, from "somewhere that he never should have been". His wife is waiting at home for his return, "praying it's the weather that's kept him out all night". When the man does return, the woman rushes out to meet him only to smell a perfume on his person, implying that he was with another woman.The video was pulled very quickly because. Radio stations, country bars, television stations and newspaper began requesting copies of the video so that they - and their audiences - could form their own opinions. Several radio stations in the United States screened the video at quickly-organized fund raisers for local battered women's shelters. Capitol Records was contacted numerous times by women's shelters, thanking the company for raising awareness of domestic violence.[10] On May 7, VH-1, which generally aired pop videos, announced that they would begin playing "The Thunder Rolls".
The following month, Capitol Nashville president Jimmy Bowen sent copies of the video to members of the Country Music Association, so that they could consider it for the upcoming awards show. On October 2, the video was awarded the CMA Video of the Year award.
Down With Webster is my first pick for Video of the Week. I guess I'm on a personal mission to help spread DWW's music in the U.S. I first heard their song "Rich Girl$" on local radio station Alice 107.7 when they were gearing up for the Christmas themed concert Not So Silent Night 3 in December 2009. The show had a hodgepodge of talented acts, including DWW, Hot Chelle Rae, the defunct Push Play, former American Idol contestant Jason Castro and Uncle Kracker.
I was initially impressed by DWW for their stage presence and the lyrical flow of their rappers, Cam and Bucky. The show was really small - maybe 500 or so people there when they were performing - but with Cam and Bucky leading the way and the incredible hooks by lead guitarist/vocalist Pat Gillett, it wasn't long before everyone was winning with Down With Webster. I got home and immediately downloaded their Universal Motown debut CD Time To Win, Vol. I, and over the past few months have managed to successfully find all the indie tracks the band recorded prior to this album. I've kept up with DWW via Twitter mostly, where all the members of the band are very good at interacting with their fans. Because DWW is from Canada, live TV performances can sometimes be hard to see. However the band performed their second single "Your Man" at Canadian based Much Music Video Awards, which were simulcasted live on Fuse TV. They performed right after an opening act from the host Miley Cyrus, and they were nominated for Pop Video of the Year and UR Fave Artist.
According to the band's website, DWW officially formed for a junior high talent show. "Every show is a party and we dare the audience to have more fun than us. Usually it’s a tie." Down With Webster is Bucky on vocals, Pat on vocals and guitars, Tyler on bass and keys, Marty on drums, Cam on vocals, Kap as Hype Man, and Diggy the DJ. The band describes themselves as a"7-member, genre-bending, musical juggernaut draws on disparate influences to create a wholly original musical feast". They have become local legends, selling 1000+ tickets as headliners in their hometown of Toronto as an indie band before ever releasing a single or video. DWW have played with everyone from The Roots to a month-long run on Warped Tour and slot on Virgin Festival in 2009. They will be opening up for 3Oh!3 this fall (see here for dates). I already have my tickets for their Memphis date! I'm beyond excited to see this show. I'm hoping to get some great shots from the concert.
The band writes, produces and performs all of their music, garnering attention from industry veterans as varied as Timbaland and KISS front man Gene Simmons, both of whom wanted to sign the band to their respective labels. Timbaland said, "Down With Webster is an amazing, creative and innovative band that will come out in 2010. They're the illest group I've ever seen live in person." DWW won the Rogers Mobile/Universal Music best unsigned artist in Canada contest in 2008.The band is in the studio recording Time To Win, vol. II.
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