Overload

I'm overwhelmed by the idea of blogging about all the new music that's coming out this fall. To be fair, I have to tell you that I haven't purchased a single album on this list; mostly because my bank account is breaking just trying to list them all! I'll have to draw straws to figure out what to purchase first, but I'll leave the rest up to you. I'll cut right to the chase and just give you a list of my picks and links to their websites where you can hear some of the new stuff that may not be available on itunes yet.

SEPTEMBER

David Gray - Draw the Line
If you've never really listed to David Gray, I'll give you a few of my favorites to start with. Babylon might be a song you recognize, but it's near the bottom of my list. I'd recommend checking out Sail Away, Kangaroo and The One I Love. I think he has such a seasonal sound and he's perfect for listening to when you're laying in bed with the crisp air blowing in your windows.

Alicia Keys - Doesn't Mean Anything
Besides rocking Jay-Z's Empire State of Mind, Alicia Keys has also just released a new single. I'm not sure when her complete album comes out, but I personally love buying the teasers up front...kind of spreads out the joy. :)

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
I'm new to Phoenix, which is pretty obvious because this cd actually came out in May, but I'm totally digging 1901. I'm considering downloading the whole album...I'm open to thoughts & recommendations.

Paramore - Brand New Eyes
This is about as far as I stretch into the emo, punk genre, but this girl can sing. I typically really like a couple of songs from their albums and am not too interested in the rest. The album just came out today, so I'll keep you posted on my favorites. (hint: if it's featured in Twilight, I'll like it.)

Mayer Hawthorne - A Strange Arrangement
This guy has gotten lots of buzz in the music industry from other artists. It's kind of different and has a little 60s revival to it...

Muse - The Resistance
I've liked some of their stuff in past and they're opening up for U2 on their current tour, so they've got some big names in their corner...you know...me, Bono...

A Fine Frenzy - Bomb In A Birdcage
She's a quirky and cool songwriter/piano player, if you're into that kind of thing. A couple of her older songs that will give you a good feel for her sound are You Picked Me and Almost Lover. Her new cd is getting better reviews than the first, so I think it would be a safe purchase.

OCTOBER

Michael Buble - Crazy Love
Brace yourself, he's taking that romantic voice and rat-pack style and doing a cover of Justin Timberlake's Cry Me A River. In his typical fashion though, he's mixing it in with a few originals and a few classics like Georgia On My Mind.

New Moon Soundtrack
Not only will I be re-reading the book and seeing the movie as soon as possible, I'll more than likely be buying the soundtrack as well. Call me obsessive, whatever. The lineup (in the movie and on the soundtrack) is even better than the first time around with big names like Thom Yorke and The Killers; as well as indie favorites like Bon Iver and Death Cab.

Death Cab for Cutie, "Meet Me on the Equinox"
Band of Skulls, "Friends"
Thom Yorke, "Hearing Damage"
Lykke Li, "Possibility"
The Killers, "A White Demon Love Song"
Anya Marina, "Satellite Heart"
Muse, "I Belong to You (New Moon)"
Bon Iver & St. Vincent, "Roslyn"
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, "Done All Wrong"
Hurricane Bells, "Monsters"Sea Wolf, "The Violet Hour"
OK Go, "Shooting the Moon"
Grizzly Bear, "Slow Life"
Editors, "No Sound but the Wind"
Alexandre Desplat, "New Moon (The Meadow)"

NOVEMBER (these all come out the same day, by the way)

John Mayer - Battle Studies
I can guarantee you that this one will be pre-ordered, but I'm sure you knew that. You can listen to his new single on his website and buy the whole thing on November 17. swoon...

OneRepublic - Waking Up
November 17 is going to be a busy day. This is another album that is going to be worth pre-ordering. These guys are so incredibly talented, not only is the lead singer responsible for Beyonce's "Halo" and one million other radio hits, his band brings a whole new sound to radio and pop music. Their first single, "All the Right Places" will be available on itunes next Tuesday, Oct 13.

Norah Jones - The Fall
Nothing beats her first cd, and I haven't heard anything from the new one, but I'm hoping she delivers on some smooth jazz.

Jason Castro - Let's Just Fall In Love Again
You know, the kid from American Idol with the dred locks! He's a fellow Aggie and a Dallas resident, so I'm tempted to support him regardless; but I heard him do a live concert on the radio morning show last week and he sounded incredible. I think his album will be sweet & upbeat...and he's including Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah, which will get you every time.

Kris Allen - Live Like We're Dying
Another American Idol alum; he was precious on the show and he did an awesome remix of Kanye, but I have to say - I don't love the new single he released. Let's hope he comes up with something that reminds me of why he was my favorite.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

No, I'm not referring to Christmas...I'm talking about summer concert season. It's the hap, happiest season of all!

Like most music enthusiasts, my friends and I start making summer concert arrangements early...very early. Thursday night I kicked off the season under the stars at the Dallas Arboretum with a great cover band, Emerald City. Any band that can pull off Journey and Black Eyed Peas in the same set has my undivided attention.

Already purchased and inked in the calendar for this year:

- The long awaited No Doubt comeback tour featuring Paramore. I'll be there with all the high school emo kids just hoping for a guest appearance by Kingston.

- The Fray. We saw them in college at a small venue before they blew up...I'm sure it will be twice as nice the second time around.

- The American Idols tour. Because who doesn't want to hear tiny Kris Allen sing Heartless in person?? Love him. I'm also excited about Scott, because we all know he was my favorite.

- Coldplay. Ah, Coldplay. My junior year in college, I waited in 108 degree weather for about 10 hours at the Austin City Limits Music Festival waiting for my first brush with Chris Martin in the flesh. SO worth it. For a band that has most of my mellow favorites, they put on a surprisingly energetic and thoroughly entertaining show.

- Taylor Swift. The concert actually sold out in presale, but I'm bound and determined to find a way to see her this summer. (I'm also tivoing her Dateline special!)

My devotion to the summer concert season runs deep. Last year, Robbie and I set out for the much anticipated Counting Crows, Maroon 5 and Sara Bareilles combo show at Jones Beach in New York. We left work early and braved Penn Station rushhour to catch our train. Loaded with our favorite gossip mags and beverages of choice, we checked the board (all New Yorkers know the rush of checking the board at Penn Station) and darted for the appropriate track.

In our giddiness we hadn't even noticed that most of our car was snoozing in business attire - which would have been a great hint that this was a commuter crowd, not a concert-going crowd. An hour into the ride, we looked up as the Conductor announced that we were arriving in Farmingdale and that it would be the last stop. To this day, neither of us is sure how we ended up on the wrong train, but however it happened, we were in the middle of nowhere. In a panic that we were going to miss Sara Bareilles' opener, and considering that we were lost somewhere on Long Island, we opted for a $55 cab ride to our destination. A tad frustrated, but glad that we were beating the clock, we jumped out at the gate as it started to drizzle over the water-front stadium. We raced to the ticket taker and high-fived each other for making it, when the guy stopped us abruptly and said "Dude, these tickets are for last night's show."

After further inspection we realized that yes, indeed - our ticket agent had sent us the wrong tickets and we were not being allowed beyond the gate. If ever there was a time that either of us was at a loss for words, it was that moment. We drug ourselves to the ticket window, misty eyed, to be told that there was nothing we could do but purchase 2 new tickets, twice the original price, for seats in the nosebleeds. We painfully forked over credit cards and finally entered what turned out to be a $200 concert.

All in all it turned out to be a great night and we've had lots of laughs about it since then. We may have only been able to see shadowy figures from our seats, but this moment alone made it all worth it:

Idol Talk

Did you know that Gavin DeGraw has a new album? It came out last week, but has apparently gotten zero promotion – I think probably because it’s not what people expected. (Although, I don’t get the radio, so correct me if I’m wrong, I certainly hadn’t heard about it.) His Chariot cd was a staple the summer between my freshman & sophomore year in college, but he released another one last year that I never bothered to listen to. Probably because Kristen Cavallari was in his video. Regardless, he has come a long way from his “One Tree Hill” theme song days! Free sounds a little bit more like he is singing from his diary; it’s kind of slow, kind of serious and very piano-based. Ease into it with Mountains to Move and Lover Be Strong…if you like those, you’ll probably like the whole thing – and it’s only $7.99 which is pretty cheap.

Also, can we talk a little bit about American Idol? I don’t mean to be rude, but hallelujah that people wised up and gave ol’ Scott the boot. I get why people really wanted to give him a chance, but this is a competition for a record deal. Be honest, would you buy his album? Didn’t think so. I will say though, I’m really loving a few of these people.

Matt won me over with his piano skills, and he’s had a few rough patches – namely when he did Viva La Vida – but I think he’s great, with or without the fedora. I was really hooked when he did Marvin Gaye.
Kris is really sweet and kind of my type…even if he is a married 23-year old. But, he’s been winning over the judges pretty consistently – my personal fave was his rendition of Ain’t No Sunshine!
As for Allison, I think she’s just about the only girl worth voting for. She has a powerhouse voice and pretty bad style but you can’t deny she’s pretty incredible for 16 years old. And if you know me at all, you probably know that I have the Bonnie Raitt Greatest Hits album…and Allison happened to do one of my all-time favorites this week.

Consider yourself voted for.